4.30 · Nothing Left to Ripen

From that, afflictions and karma come to an end.

Word by word

tataḥ

from that

kleśa-karma

afflictions and karma

nivṛttiḥ

ending, ceasing

Where it fits

Vyāsa: on gaining the cloud of dharma (4.29), the afflictions are uprooted and the stores of karma destroyed. The wise person is free while still alive, because error is the cause of becoming. This closes the account of afflictions and karma opened at 2.3 and 2.12. 4.31 turns to knowledge.

Reading

This closes the account of afflictions and karma that the second pāda opened. From the cloud of dharma, the five afflictions of 2.3 and the store of karma of 2.12 are pulled up by the roots. Vyāsa draws a striking conclusion: the wise person is liberated while still alive, because error is the cause of becoming, and no one whose error has dwindled has ever been seen to be born. Later tradition calls this jīvanmukti, liberation in life. The body goes on; nothing new is stored.

Vyāsa

“When afflictions and karma come to an end, the wise person is free even while still alive. Why? Because error is the cause of becoming. No one whose error has dwindled away has ever been seen to be born, by anyone, anywhere.”

Vyāsa's Yoga-bhāṣya, the oldest commentary. New translation from the Sanskrit, with reference to Woods (1914), p. 341.

Practice

At the end of today, sit for three minutes and look back over it without adding anything: no regret, no pride, no plan. Let each event be finished as it is. Notice what is left when nothing is stored.

A question to sit with

What can be allowed to finish completely?

Key ideas

kleśa (afflictions), karma (action and its residue), kaivalya (liberation, aloneness)