सूक्ष्मविषयत्वं चालिङ्गपर्यवसानम् ॥४५॥
पदविभाग: सूक्ष्म-विषयत्वम्, च, अलिङ्ग-पर्यवसानम्।
अन्वय: च सूक्ष्मविषयत्वम् अलिङ्गपर्यवसानम् ।
प्रतिपदार्थ: सूक्ष्म-विषयत्वम् = the state of being a subtle object / the realm of subtlety (सूक्ष्म = subtle, विषयत्वम् = objectness/realm of objects), च = and, अलिङ्ग = the unmanifest / that which has no mark or characteristic (अ = without, लिङ्ग = mark/sign, referring to Root Nature or Prakriti), पर्यवसानम् = ending at / culminating in / having as its ultimate limit.
तात्पर्यम्: And the realm of subtle objects culminates in the Unmanifest (Alinga / Root Nature).
Further context on the 45th Sutra from Patanjali’s Yogasutras
The limit of all observable objects is Alinga (The Unmanifest). To understand this, we have to look at the Samkhya philosophy map of the universe, which Yoga adopts. The fine objects begin with Tanmatras followed by the organs, the mind, the egoism, the mind-stuff, and the Gunas.
Etymology of ‘Alinga’
The word Linga (लिङ्ग) means a “mark,” “sign,” or “characteristic.” In philosophy, a Linga is a clue that points to a cause. For example, smoke is the linga of fire. The Ego is the linga of the Intellect. Every layer of the universe bears the “mark” of the layer that birthed it.
Alinga (अलिङ्ग) means “without a mark.” Root Nature (Prakriti) is the uncaused cause of the universe. Because it was not created by anything else, it has no mark, no sign, and no form.
Why does the journey stop here?
Patanjali states that the realm of objects (viṣayatvam) ends at Alinga. The yogi’s mind cannot meditate on anything subtler than the unmanifest root of nature itself.
What about Purusha (Pure Consciousness / The Soul)?
Purusha is beyond Alinga. Like I mentioned before, Purusha is the Seer (The Subject). It can never be the Seen (The Object).
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