Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.27

Sanskrit Sutra

तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज्ञा॥२७॥

Swami Vivekananda's translation

His knowledge is of the sevenfold highest ground.

Vyasa Bhashya (Sanskrit)

तस्य सप्तधा प्रान्तभूमिः प्रज्ञा ॥ २७ ॥

तस्येति प्रत्युदितख्यातेः प्रत्याम्नायः। सप्तधेति अशुद्ध्यावरणमलापगमाच्चित्तस्य प्रत्ययान्तरानुत्पादे सति सप्तप्रकारैव प्रज्ञा विवेकिनो भवति।

तद्यथा – परिज्ञातं हेयं नास्य पुनः परिज्ञेयमस्ति। क्षीणा हेयहेतवो न पुनरेतेषां क्षेतव्यमस्ति। साक्षात्कृतं निरोधसमाधिना हानम्। भावितो विवेकख्यातिरूपो हानोपाय इति। एषा चतुष्टयी कार्या विमुक्तिः प्रज्ञायाः। चित्तविमुक्तिस्तु त्रयी चरिताधिकारा बुद्धिः। गुणा गिरिशिखरतटच्युता इव ग्रावाणो निरवस्थानाः स्वकारणे प्रलयाभिमुखाः सह तेनास्तं गच्छन्ति। न चैषां प्रविलीनानां पुनरस्त्युत्पादः प्रयोजनाभावादिति। एतस्यामवस्थायां गुणसंबन्धातीतः स्वरूपमात्रज्योतिरमलः केवली पुरुष इति। एतां सप्तविधां प्रान्तभूभिप्रज्ञामनुपश्यन्पुरुषः कुशल इत्याख्यायते। प्रतिप्रसवेऽपि चित्तस्य मुक्तः कुशल इत्येव भवति गुणातीतत्वादिति ॥ २७ ॥

Vyasa Bhashya (English Translation)

“For him” refers to the yogi in whom discriminative knowledge has arisen. “Seven-fold”: due to the removal of the covering impurities of ignorance, and with no other cognitions arising in the mind, the insight of the discriminating yogi becomes exactly seven-fold. Namely:

1. The avoidable (heya - suffering) has been fully known; there is nothing more of it to be known.
2. The causes of the avoidable (heya-hetu) have been destroyed; there is nothing more of them to be destroyed.
3. The cessation/liberation (hana) has been directly realized through nirodha-samadhi.
4. The means of liberation (hana-upaya), in the form of discriminative knowledge, has been fully cultivated. This is the four-fold insight related to liberation from tasks to be done (karya-vimukti).

The liberation of the mind (chitta-vimukti) is three-fold: 5. The intellect (buddhi) has fulfilled its purpose (charitadhikara). 6. The gunas, like stones falling from the edge of a mountain peak, unable to find a resting place, are inclined towards dissolution into their own cause, and disappear along with it (the intellect). 7. And there is no future arising for these dissolved gunas, owing to the absence of any purpose.

In this state, the Purusha is beyond all connection with the gunas; he is pure, shining as his own true nature, isolated/liberated (kevali). The Purusha who perceives this seven-fold highest insight is called “skillful” (kushala). Even upon the re-absorption of the mind (pratiprasava), he remains liberated and is called “skillful” alone, because he has transcended the gunas. || 27 ||

The Seven-fold Highest Insight (Saptadha Prantabhumi Prajna)

Vyasa divides the seven stages of ultimate insight into two categories: the first four deal with the completion of the Yogi’s tasks, and the final three deal with the dissolution of the mind itself.

Category	#	Insight (Prajna)	Description
Karya Vimukti (Liberation from tasks)	1	परिज्ञातं हेयं (Parijnatam heyam)	The suffering (Heya) has been fully understood. Nothing more remains to be known about it.
	2	क्षीणा हेयहेतवो (Kshina heyahetavo)	The causes of suffering (Heya-hetu) have been completely destroyed.
	3	साक्षात्कृतं हानम् (Sakshatkritam hanam)	Liberation/cessation (Hana) has been directly realized through Nirodha Samadhi.
	4	भावितो हानोपाय (Bhavito hanopaya)	The means of liberation (Hanopaya / Discriminative knowledge) has been perfectly cultivated.
Chitta Vimukti (Liberation of the mind)	5	चरिताधिकारा बुद्धिः (Charitadhikara buddhih)	The intellect has completely fulfilled its dual purpose (experience and liberation).
	6	गुणा स्वकारणे प्रलयाभिमुखाः (Guna svakarane pralayabhimukhah)	The Gunas fall away into their root cause (Prakriti), likened to stones tumbling off a mountain peak.
	7	न चैषां पुनरस्त्युत्पादः (Na caisham punarastyutpadah)	The dissolved Gunas have no reason to ever arise again, as their purpose has been extinguished.

Chapter link: Yoga Sutra Chapter 2