संस्कारसाक्षात्करणात् पूर्वजातिज्ञानम् ॥१८॥
saṁskāra-sākṣātkaraṇāt pūrva-jāti-jñānam ||18||


[RS] 3.18 Through meditation on our impressions (samskaras) comes the knowledge (jnana) of previous incarnations.

[JW] 3.18 As a result of direct perception of subliminal-impressions there is [intuitive] knowledge of previous births.

[SS] 3.18 By direct perception, through samyama, of one's mental impressions, knowledge of past births is obtained. [p184]

[EB] 3.18 By bringing [previous] samskaras into direct perception comes the knowledge of previous births. [p343]


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(संस्कार, saṁskāra) = impressions; experience resulting from previous actions
(साक्षात्, sākṣāt) = direct
(करणात्, karaṇāt) = experience
(साक्षात्करणत्, sākṣātkaraṇat) = direct experience; original experience
(पूर्व, pūrva) = previous
(जाति, jāti) = birth
(पूर्वजाति, pūrva-jāti) = incarnation
(ज्ञानम्, jñānam) = knowledge; insight