Yoga-sutras (with Bhoja’s Rajamartanda)
by Rajendralala Mitra | 1883 | 103,575 words
The Yoga-Sutra 1.10, English translation with Commentaries. The Yogasutra of Patanjali represents a collection of aphorisms dealing with spiritual topics such as meditation, absorption, Siddhis (yogic powers) and final liberation (Moksha). The Raja-Martanda is officialy classified as a Vritti (gloss) which means its explanatory in nature, as opposed to being a discursive commentary.
Sūtra 1.10
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 1.10:
अभावप्रत्ययालम्बना वृत्तिर्निद्रा ॥ १.१० ॥
abhāvapratyayālambanā vṛttirnidrā || 1.10 ||
10. Sleep is that function (of the thinking principle) which has for its object the conception of nothing.
The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:
[English translation of the 11th century commentary by Bhoja called the Rājamārtaṇḍa]
[Sanskrit text for commentary available]
In order to declare what Sleep is, he says:
[Read Sūtra 1.10]
Of that function which is based on the conception of nothing the name is as aforesaid (abhāvapratyayā,) Hence it follows that “Sleep” (nidrā) is that function (of the thinking principle) which takes place on the quitting of all objects, in consequence of the quality of darkness always preceding it. That this is a function (of the thinking principle and not a mere blank) is proved by our seeing that one recollects (on arising from a sound sleep) that “I slept pleasantly,” which could not have happened without a consciousness of it, (and no memory can exist of that which is not). Hence it is a function.
In order to describe Memory, he says: