Tritayabhoktā vīreśaḥ त्रितयभोक्ता वीरेशः (sūtrā 11)

Tritaya – triads (the three stages of normal consciousness, awake, dream and deep sleep as discussed in sūtrās 8, 9 and 10.) bhoktā – the enjoyer (enjoying bliss). vīreśaḥ - the one who has conquered his senses, but yet to be liberated. 

This sūtrā can be called as an extension of sūtrā 7. The one, who could dissolve duality during the three mundane level of consciousness, attains bliss by entering the fourth level of consciousness, the turya stage. Turya stage has traces of the first three stages of consciousness. During spiritual evolution, the traces of previous experience continue to exist for some time, and get dissolved during further practice and progression. When he is able to merge all the three mundane levels of consciousness in turya stage, he begins to enjoy the bliss. Spiritual advancement can be measured by one’s ability to concentrate on an object devoid any other thoughts.

The one who is simultaneously aware of both subject and object of experience in the first three levels of consciousness is not affected by them, as he has already conquered his senses. The subjective and objective experiences do not affect him as he experiences both at the same time. For example, one admires the beauty of a mountain. Here, mountain is the object and the act admiration is the subject. A normal person is able to enjoy the beauty of the mountain that causes impressions in his mind. In other words, the admiration arises because of the impressions caused in his mind through his senses, in this case, his eyes. He is associated only with the object of admiration, but fails to understand the experiencer within. But a yogi, the one who has conquered his senses establishes a link between the subject and the object during his experience, thereby knowing both the object and the subject simultaneously. An enlightened yogi continues to know the experiencer in the three lower levels of consciousness. For him, the link between the object and the subject is established by circumventing the mind, as the mind causes impressions.

This aphorism says that one should continue his activities on behalf of the Brahman within, and should not take credit for whatever he does as he is not the doer. He is made to act by the Self within.

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