Yoga sutras I, 47- 49 – TYPES OF SAMADHI- NIRBIJA SAMADHI

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I, 47- 49 – TYPES OF SAMADHI- NIRBIJA SAMADHI

I, 47 nivicara vaisaradye adhyatma prasadah
I, 48 rtam bhara tatra prajna
I, 49 sruta anumana prajnabhyam anyavisaya visea arthatvat

From skillfulness in maintaining
an undisturbed flow
of reflection without seed
arises illumination of the Inner Self.

Therein,
dwells a luminous wisdom
that upholds the essence of truth.

From this
luminous wisdom
arise unique insights
distinguished from scriptural study or inference
as they serve
a special purpose.

M. Stiles

Iyengar’s explanation of nirbija samadhi (reflection without seed) is what happens when intelligence and consciousness are non-reflective, profound and unconditioned. At this point, there is sattva and luminousity flows undisturbed. Then the sattvic state kindles “the spiritual light of the Self” to manifest “knowledge and understanding of the real state of the soul.” This direct knowledge comes from listening to the inner voice. At this stage, “the enlightened sadhaka, having left duality behind him, experiences only his own will, which transcends the hesitation of choice. This is the intelligence of sattva in sattva.”

Sw. Shyam explains it as when the mind is pure and devoid of duality and pure consciousness flows in a steady continuous stream. From this comes the “power of discrimination that discerns reality of something as it is without entertaining doubts...no trace of avidhya remains.” The power of discrimination differs from satya, true knowledge – “the latter is conceptual knowledge acquired by reading or in discussion with others, whereas the former is direct acquisition of perceptual knowledge.”

Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New Delhi, India: Harper Collins Publications India. 1993

Stiles, M., Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Boston, MA: Red Wheel/Weiser LLC. 2002
Swami Shyam, Patanjali Yog Darshan, India: International Meditation Institute, 2001, 3rd. edition.