Sūtra 1.40

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 1.40:

परमाणुपरममहत्त्वान्तोऽस्य वशीकारः ॥ १.४० ॥

paramāṇuparamamahattvānto'sya vaśīkāraḥ || 1.40 ||

paramāṇu—the minutest atom. parama—greatest, mahattva—infinity. antaḥ—end. paramāṇuparamamahattvāntaḥ—Reaching down to the minutest and up to the largest, to asya—of this Yogi. Vaśīkāraḥ, power.

40. His power reaches down to the minutest, and up to the largest.

The Sankhya-pravachana commentary of Vyasa

[English translation of the 7th century commentary by Vyāsa called the Sāṅkhya-pravacana, Vyāsabhāṣya or Yogabhāṣya]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

Entering into the subtle it attains the position of steadiness upon the smallest of the small, down to an atom. Entering into the large, the position of mental steadiness reaches up to the largest of the large. His great power consists in not being turned back by any check while running along both these lines. The mind of the Yogi, full of this power, does not again stand in need of the mental embellishment due to habitual practice.—40.

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

[English translation of the 9th century Tattvavaiśāradī by Vācaspatimiśra]

He shows how the nature of the self is to be reached as a point of steady concentration:—‘His power roaches down to the minutest and up to the largest.’ Explains:—‘Entering into the subtle, &c.’

Summarizing what has already been said, he describes the connotation of the word ‘power.’ ‘While running along, &c.’ Now describes a subsidiary result of the power. ‘Full of this power, &c.’

Thus the means of obtaining mental steadiness have been described. The power too obtained by the steady mind has been shown.—40.