Patanjali Yoga Sutra — sūkṣmaviṣayatvañcāliṅga-paryavasānam॥1.45॥सूक्ष्मविषयत्वञ्चालिङ्ग-पर्यवसानम्॥१.४५॥
The meditation on the subtlest object culminates ultimately into meditation on Prakṛti, which is the primordial cause of all that exists.
According to Sanātana Dharma, sṛṣṭikarta (The Creator) and sṛṣṭi (Creation) are not different from each other. After creation, Creator Himself entered His own creation, says Taittirīya Upaniṣad. That is the reason, sanātani worships ‘Nature’ as Parabrahma. Four samādhis described in aphorisms 1.42 to 1.44 above, show how a sādhaka’s consciousness progresses from grosser to subtler aspects. But that is not the end. Still there is a long way to go. There is little more subtlety (Or the subtler) to be reached by the sādhaka. This subtler aspect is Nature or Prakṛti. The universe itself is manifestation of Para (Higher or Ultimate) Brahman and is called Apara (Lower) Brahman. When the consciousness of sādhaka reaches this subtler aspect, being one of the highest states, he experiences complete dissolution or absorption with Prakṛti. But yogi is still in Prakṛti only and he needs to transcend this Prakṛti also to experience complete absorption with Para-Brahman, which is subtlest of all!
īśāvāsya upaniṣad says, ईशावास्यमिदं सर्वम् — this perceptible Universe (Apara Brahman) is an aspect of Para Brahman:
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिश्यते॥
om pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate।
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate॥
Om, That Brahman is infinite. This visible universe is also infinite. ‘This’ is only a projection of ‘That’. Though ‘This’ is has come from ‘That’, and even if ‘This’ is removed from ‘That’, ‘That’ remains infinite forever.
Bhagavān claims ‘He’ is the ultimate to be realized by a sādhaka.
काक्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः।
क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा॥गीता ४.१२॥
kākṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ।
kṣipraṁ hi mānuṣe loke siddhirbhavati karmajā ॥Gītā 4.12॥
Men, longing for fruits or rewards for their virtuous actions, adore different gods. Because, the fruits accrue very quickly in this material world — manuṣya loka. (But, they do not get Me. Hence, you disown the fruits of your pious actions and worship Me alone. You will undoubtedly get Me and become one with Me).
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन।
मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म नविद्यते॥गीता ८.१६॥
ābrahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino’rjuna।
māmupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma navidyate॥Gītā 8.16॥
Up to Brahmaloka, right from this manuṣya loka, all worlds are subject to births and deaths (Because all these worlds are controlled by Kāla the ‘Time’). But, sādhaka realizing Me (The Ultimate) is free from rebirths. (Because, I am Kālātīta — Not controlled by Time).
