Introduction
The transcendence of the fluctuations of the mind and the awakening of pure consciousness find their pinnacle in the eighth and final stage of the path outlined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras: Samadhi. Within the structure of Ashtanga Yoga — the eight-limbed path —, this state represents not only the finish line, but the full ripening of all physical, energetic, and mental disciplines previously cultivated by the practitioner. It is the moment when conscious effort gives way to the spontaneity of pure perception, consolidating the ultimate purpose of Yoga: spiritual liberation.
The Concept of Samadhi and its Classical Definition
The word Samadhi derives from the Sanskrit roots sam (together, completely), ā (toward), and dhā (to place, hold). In etymological terms, it means "to bring together completely," "to merge," or "to establish in perfect harmony." In the context of the psychology and classical philosophy of Yoga, Samadhi is defined as the state of deep and total meditative absorption, in which the mind becomes perfectly unified with the object of its contemplation.
Patanjali, in the third chapter of his work (Vibhuti Pada, Sutra III.3), defines this state with scientific precision:
तदेवार्थमात्रनिर्भासं स्वरूपशून्यमिव समाधिः॥
"Samadhi is that condition in which only the object of meditation shines intensely, leaving the mind as if devoid of its own form or identity."
To understand this definition, it is necessary to observe the dissolution of a fundamental cognitive triad that operates during the previous stages of mental training. In the ordinary state, and even in preliminary stages of interiorization, consciousness is fragmented into three distinct components:
- The subject: the practitioner who performs the action of meditating (grahita).
- The process: the act or instrument of meditation itself (grahana).
- The object: the focus or point chosen for concentration (grahya).
In Samadhi, the current of attention becomes so fluid, continuous, and subtle that the subject's self-awareness ("I am meditating") disappears completely. The mind loses its egoic rigidity, becoming clear as a pure crystal that fully assumes the color of the object placed beneath it. What remains is only the pure essence of the object, devoid of conceptual filters, names (shabda), or mental projections created by the observer.
The Integration of Samadhi in the Context of the Eight Limbs
Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga is an organic and progressive system, traditionally divided into external limbs (bahiranga) and internal limbs (antaranga). Samadhi crowns the group of internal limbs, positioning itself in direct and inseparable relation to the stages that precede it.
The first five stages — Yamas (social conducts), Niyamas (internal observances), Asana (stable posture), Pranayama (regulation of the vital force), and Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses) — prepare the psychophysical ground. They purify the body, stabilize the nervous system, and disconnect the mind from the distractions of the external environment.
Once the threshold of sensory withdrawal (Pratyahara) is crossed, the practitioner enters the purely mental and meditative dimension of Yoga, composed of the final triad: Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (absorption). These three limbs represent, in reality, different intensities of the same continuous process of focus, termed by Patanjali as Samyama:
- Dharana: It is the fixing of the mind on a single point or region (deshabandha). Here, there is continuous effort to bring attention back whenever it wanders. The flow of thoughts is intermittent.
- Dhyana: It is the uninterrupted flow of cognition toward this point of focus. Attention becomes continuous, like the steady pouring of oil from one vessel to another. However, the practitioner still maintains the duality between self and object.
- Samadhi: It is the natural outcome of Dhyana. The uninterrupted flow of attention reaches such a level of refinement that the separation between the meditator and the object collapses. Effort ceases and complete fusion occurs.
Without the solid foundation of the preceding limbs, Samadhi would be unattainable, as a mind agitated by ethical conflicts (Yamas and Niyamas) or an unstable and tense body (Asana) would prevent the deep plunge required for total absorption.
The Stages and Levels of Absorption
Patanjali details meticulously that Samadhi is not a static state, but rather an experience that deepens across different layers of subtlety. In the first chapter of the work (Samadhi Pada), he classifies the phenomenon into two major evolutionary categories:
1. Samprajnata Samadhi (Absorption with Cognitive Awareness)
Also known as Sabija Samadhi (absorption with seed), this stage utilizes a mental support or object of focus. The mind is completely absorbed, but still operates in association with subtle traces of intellection and discernment. It is progressively subdivided into:
- Savitarka and Nirvitarka: Absorption associated with dense objects of material manifestation, initially accompanied by logic and conceptual analysis, and then purified of them.
- Savichara and Nirvichara: Absorption that moves beyond dense matter, focusing on subtle principles of nature (such as elemental energies, tanmatras, and the inner workings of the mind itself).
- Sananda: A state of immense bliss and inner joy, which arises when the mind becomes absorbed in the instruments of perception and refined senses.
- Sasmita: Absorption in the purest form of the ego, the refined and primordial perception of "I exist" (asmita), free from social roles or identities.
2. Asamprajnata Samadhi (Supracognitive Absorption)
The culminating stage, also termed Nirbija Samadhi (absorption without seed). Here, any and all cognitive support or seed of thought is transcended. There is no longer an external or internal object to be perceived; the mind itself recedes into its original cause. All latent impressions (samskaras) that generate future desires, fears, and fluctuations are burned by the fire of supreme and intuitive wisdom (Ritambhara Prajna).
Conclusion: The Ultimate Fruit of the Path
Samadhi participates in Patanjali's map as the master key that opens the doors to the definitive emancipation of the Self. It must not be confused with a passive mystical trance, an escape from reality, or a loss of consciousness; on the contrary, it is the highest and most awake state of lucidity that a human being can attain, where the illusion of separateness dissolves.
By fully pacifying the fluctuations of the mind (citta-vritti-nirodha), Samadhi fulfills its irreplaceable role in the yogic journey: allowing Pure Consciousness (Purusha) to cease misidentifying itself with the fluctuating contents of the mind and matter (Prakriti). The ultimate result of this ripening is the state of Kaivalya — sovereign liberation, in which consciousness rests, perpetually and unshakeably, in its own essential nature.