III. Vibhūti Pāda · Knowing the self (3.35–3.37)
3.36 · Senses Turned Fine
From that arise intuition, and divine hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell.
Word by word
- tataḥ
- from that
- prātibha
- intuition
- śrāvaṇa
- (divine) hearing
- vedana
- (divine) touch
- ādarśa
- (divine) sight
- āsvāda
- (divine) taste
- vārtāḥ
- (divine) smell
- jāyante
- arise
Where it fits
From the self-knowledge of 3.35 come intuition and divine hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell. Vyāsa says these arise constantly (p. 265). They are by-products of the turn toward the self, not its aim, and the very next sūtra names their danger.
Reading
Gifts come unasked on the turn toward the self (3.35). Vyāsa says intuition gives knowledge of what is subtle, hidden or far away, past or future, and the refined senses register divine sounds, colours, tastes and fragrances. These, he says, arise all the time. They are by-products of self-knowledge, not its aim. Divine hearing returns at 3.41, but first the very next sūtra says what to make of all these gifts.
Vyāsa
“From intuition comes knowledge of what is subtle, hidden, distant, past or future. From divine hearing comes the hearing of divine sounds … from divine smell, knowledge of divine fragrance. These arise all the time.”
Vyāsa's Yoga-bhāṣya, the oldest commentary. New translation from the Sanskrit, with reference to Woods (1914), p. 265.
Practice
Spend one minute on each sense. Listen for the faintest sound you can hear. Feel the air on your skin. Look at one colour closely. Taste a sip of water. Smell your hand or a leaf. Ordinary senses, given full attention, are finer than you think.
A question to sit with
What would you notice if your senses were fully awake?