Samadhi Pada

Isvara is the supreme Purusha, unaffected by any afflictions, actions, fruits of actions or by any inner impressions of desires.

In Him is the complete manifestation of the seed of omniscience.

Unconditioned by time, He is the teacher of even the most ancient teachers.

The word expressive of Isvara is the mystic sound OM.
—Samadhi Pada: Sutras 24-27.

The first chapter, which is composed of 51 sutras, contemplates on the absolute true consciousness or Isvara and delineates the problems an individual soul is likely to face in its quest to merge with this Divine Soul.

It begins with an understanding of human thought processes or vrittis, which deter us from realizing our true selves. The Samadhi Pada advises the restraint of such natural workings of the mind and discusses the problems encountered while trying to harness it. Then begins an elucidation of Isvara, the supreme consciousness and the various gradations of samadhis (a self-absorbed, detached state of being) one could enter into for attaining that highest level of spiritual awareness. Here again, the possible mental distractions are clearly stated and the best methods of conquering these impediments are also discussed.

By cultivating attitudes of:

• Friendliness toward the happy,
• Compassion for the unhappy,
• Delight in the virtuous and
• Disregard toward the wicked
the mind retains its undisturbed calmness.

Or that calm is retained by the controlled exhalation or retention of the breath.

Or the concentration on subtle sense perception can cause steadiness of mind.

Or by concentrating on the supreme, ever blissful Light within….

Gradually, one's mastery in concentration extends from the primal atom to the greatest magnitude.

Just as the naturally pure crystal assumes shapes and colors of objects placed near it, so the Yogi's mind, with its totally weakened modifications, becomes clear and balanced and attains the state devoid of differentiation between knower, knowable and knowledge. This culmination of meditation is samadhi.

—Samadhi Pada: Sutras 33-41.

In the end, the yogi gains ritambhara prajna, which is true wisdom, whose means of knowledge are unlike any other—drawn solely from the awareness of the absolute. At this stage, the yogi becomes totally detached from all the four spheres of gross materiality (annamaya kosha), physicality (pranamaya kosha), psychology (manomaya kosha) and intellect (vijnanamaya kosha). His consciousness merely remains attached with the purely spiritual sphere of the anandamaya kosha. This is the state, which is defined as nirbija samadhi, when all seeds of earthly impressions are erased from the yogi's consciousness.