Patanjali Yoga Sutras — smṛtipariśuddhau svarūpaśūnyevārthamātranirbhāsā nirvitarkā॥1.43||
स्मृतिपरिशुद्धौ स्वरूपशून्येवार्थमात्रनिर्भासा निर्वितर्का ||
Nirvitarka samāpatti is the identity of mind with the object contemplated upon, wherein śabda or word (name of object), artha or significance (of the object) and sādhaka’s own jñāna or knowledge (of the object) remain unmixed.
This is one of the higher levels of Samādhi described by Patañjali Maharṣi. As we are aware, citta is one of the faculties of antahkaraṇa, storing the subtler impressions of not only the present life’s experiences but also the past lives’. These stored impressions (saṃskāras) guide our present thoughts, words and actions and as stated in the previous aphorism, the reasoning of intellect is guided and validated by the memory (citta) or the past impressions or experiences of Sādhaka.
In Nirvitarka Samādhi, citta is totally cleansed of its past impressions and hence does not guide our present thoughts, speech or deeds. Obviously, the thoughts are not validated by the memory (citta) or the past impressions or experiences of Sādhaka and mind, unguided by citta and shining forth in its perfect purity, contemplates at a deeper level than the peripheral level, “unmixed with name, significance and the knowledge of the object contemplated upon.”
Bhagavad Gītā does not describe different types of Samādhis. Bhagavān’s one of the approaches is the attainment of samādhi in yoga of action itself, that is Karmayoga. This needs some more elaboration. Here, in his zenith of discipline, sādhaka feels his own actions (Karmas), means of actions like jñānendriyas, karmendriyas and consciousness, objects on which his actions are applied, the very course of execution of the action, the way the action is executed, the final outcomes (Karmaphala), are all nothing but different aspects of the Supreme Brahman — The INFINITY. The actions of such a sādhaka are described in the following śloka as yajña:
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्र्ह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम्।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना॥गीता ४.२४॥
brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havirbrahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam।
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahmakarmasamādhinā॥Gītā 4.24॥
For a yogi, who is absorbed in his obligations and treats them as Brahman, (in his summit of magnanimous insight) ladle used for offering is Brahman; the oblations are Brahman; sacrificial rituals are Brahman; one who sacrifices is also Brahman; fire in which sacrificed is also Brahman. Thus seeing Brahman alone everywhere, such a yogi alone achieves Brahman (and becomes Brahman).
Śrīkr̥ṣṇa sends Duryodhana on a tour of his kingdom with an instruction to bring at least one virtuous person en route his tour. The latter returns empty-handed and reports that he could not find even a single virtuous person! Now Dharamarāja was sent with an instruction to find and bring at least one wicked person on the journey. The latter also returns from expedition empty-handed and reports that there were no wicked persons in his entire kingdom! As one is, so the world looks to be.
In an ocean, everything is water. Wave is water, ripple is water, the tide is water, the typhoon is water, the ocean is water, the bubble is water, the tsunami is water. Everything is water and water is inseparable from all these. Bright orb is inseparable from light. The flexible spiral is inseparable from the serpent. Brahman is such an inseparable ‘All pervasive and all-pervading’ aspect in everything, both inanimate and animate.
