3.19 · The Facing Mirror

By saṃyama on a thought comes knowledge of another's mind.

Word by word

pratyayasya

of the thought, the idea held

para-citta

another's mind

jñānam

knowledge

Where it fits

From one's own impressions to another's thought. Saṃyama on a thought gives knowledge of the other person's mind; Vyāsa treats it as direct perception of the thought itself (p. 249). 3.20 limits what is known at once, as the pāda keeps setting bounds on its powers (3.37, 3.50, 3.51).

Reading

From one's own impressions in 3.18, saṃyama turns to another person's thought. Vyāsa's comment is short: by directly perceiving the thought, one knows the other's mind. Patañjali presents this as a power of trained attention, and Vyāsa counts knowing another's mind among the lower stages of saṃyama (on 3.6). An ordinary analogy: a friend's mood read in one glance, the sense that something is wrong before a word is spoken. The next sūtra sets a limit at once.

Vyāsa

“Through saṃyama on a thought, the thought is perceived directly, and from that comes knowledge of another's mind.”

Vyāsa's Yoga-bhāṣya, the oldest commentary. New translation from the Sanskrit, with reference to Woods (1914), p. 249.

Practice

In one conversation today, give the other person your full attention and drop the planning of your reply. Afterwards, write down what you sensed they were feeling. If it seems right, gently ask them whether you read it well.

A question to sit with

What is the person in front of you actually feeling?

Key ideas

saṃyama (holding together), siddhi (powers), citta (the mind-field)