ABSTRACT

Vibhutipada, which consists of 56 sutras, is the longest of the four parts of the Yoga Sutras. To grasp the significance of the Vibhutipada, it is vital that we understand the meaning of two central terms: samyama and siddhis. Samyama has been translated variously as yogic contemplation, total concentration, insight, foresight, one-pointedness and one-pointed attention. The three meditative steps of concentration, meditation and absorption bring the student of Yoga to the threshold of the mind where one faces three corresponding transformations of consciousness called the restraint transformation, contemplative transformation and absorption transformation. Since the aim of Yoga is nothing less than the development and deployment of the total power of the mind, the aspirant attempts to accomplish this goal through the mastery of both the external and internal steps of the Yoga method. Patanjali portrays special powers that a student of Yoga can acquire through fixing one's mind on the appropriate parts of the body and on the mental contents.