SAMADHI PAD SUTRA-42

 TATRA SHABDA ARTHA DNYANA VIKALPAIH SANKIRNA SAVITARKA SAMAPATTIH

       IN SAVITARK SAMADHI,THERE IS CONFUSION CAUSED BY IMAGINATION OF

       WORD,MEANING AND KNOWLEDGE.
       In this Sutra there is some explanation of the lower level Samadhi , called SAVITRK Samadhi. As described in the previous Sutra, when we start to meditate, we are told to start with the right time , right place , right atmosphere, and right posture and the right chanting(of the Mantra).So we are asked to have a statue or a picture of Sagoon God (the God that has QUALITIES) ,and the have our senses engaged by various external sources. Have scented candle, little music, and the chanting of the Mantra while we look at the Statue. So in this Sutra we are told there are 3 things that happen , when we say a word. The word has a meaning and the it conveys a Knowledge.So if I say a word like FATHER,you will know the meaning and will have the knowledge about the word . But if one does not understand English, then he will here the word , but will not know the meaning or knowledge of the word.Now there is a difference between the meaning and the knowledge. So I may be in position to understand the word, but not know , or have a concept of it. Say for example nuclear fusion .I know the word , I know nuclear fusion , but I truly don't have much knowledge of it.And the same word may mean different things in different languages . POO POO PLATTER IS A GREAT EXAMPLE The same words convey different meaning to different people..So there is a difference in the understanding of different words and what they really mean.This is call VIKALP .
       So in the lower level of the SAMADHI, it is what we understand and mean when we  CHANT a mantra or look at a Statue of a GOD. What I feel when I see Lord Ganesha Statue,I have different feeling and different meaning.But to a christen it will have no special meaning.
   In the Sutra 9 we were told that when word convey something which is not REAL and is IMAGINARY , it is called VIKALP.So the word may mean something to me but to not every one as it is my imagination.(The looks of any GOD is not real, it is what we want it to be .) 

SAMADHI PAD SUTRA -41

       KSHEEN VRITTIR ABHIJATASYA EW A MANERGRAHITRI GRAHANA GRAHASHU

       TATSTHATADANJANATA SAMAPATTIH

WHEN THE THOUGHT WAVES ARE MINIMAL OR WEAK, THE MIND (OF THE YOGI) CAN IDENTIFY WITH COSMIC MIND(MAHAT),OR SUBTLE MIND ANS SENSES OR GROSS OBJECTS.THEN THE STATE IS CALLED SAMAPTI OR THE LOWER LEVEL OF SAMADHI IS REACHED.(SAMPRADNYAT SAMADHI )

      This Sutra is somewhat  of a summery of the stages of Samadhi or what we were told in the previous Sutra. When the mind is quittened and the thought are minimal or gone, then the mind or the CHITTA is one with whatever it is concentrating on it To understand this sutra , one must know and  understand the process of seeing or smelling or thinking. When I see a thing or an object ,I look at the object and so the light is reflected from it to my eyes. The light goes to retina and via optic nerve goes to the brain. But neither the object nor the eye is wholy responsible for me seeing it. The optic nerve carries the impulse to the coccipital lobe of the brain , the center for vision. There is a chemical reaction ,and that does not see the object either. There is mind and  it must be present and the intelect behind it must be intact .But there is something beyond it. If my eyes are open and I am thinking of something else , then I will not see the object even though it is in front of my eyes . So the 3 things are needed to see . These thing are there even when we do the meditation, at least in the earlier stages
      So in the earlier stages of the Samdhi, one which is called SAVITARK, the mind is concentrating on a object. So when this stage is perfected , then there are no thoughts ,other than the object.So the mind or CHITTA is one with it. So there is an OBJECT , that one concentrates upon , then there is a process of the concentration and then there is CHITTA which concentrates. So there are 3 things. These are called GRAHYA,the object that we concentrate upon , the  GRAHAN , what we do through senses and the mind, and the witness to all this is GRAHITA.So in the SAVITARK stage of the SAMADHI, all three are there.Then in the next stage, which is called the SAWICHAR ,even though there is no object , the thought that we have which make us concentrate on the object is still there and so it also has all 3. .But in the next stages of the SAMADHI, which are  called SANAND and the SASMIT. In the SANAND, stage  there is no object and so there is no GRAHYA. Only GRAHAN nad GRAHITA are there. In the SASMITA stage there is only GRAHITA and there is no object of concentration , nor there is any though or mind or any senses . ONLY THE WITNESS is there

MAHAT TATWA

   In the last Sutra there was mention that one gets knowledge of smallest of the small the Param Anu, (smaller than the Atom) which is at physical level.Even though we can not see it with naked eye,we can see it with specialised microscope.We can also 'know'the biggest of all and not in the physical world, but at much higher level.So I thought about writing small one about The Mahat Tatwa.
    In the Geeta or as per other scriptures, there are 24 elementary principles that go in to action to start the beginning of the Universe. The SPIRIT has no qualities and no Desires . So it can't do anything . The Nature or the Prakruti has no ability to do anything on it's own. It has the qualities and the desires , but without the Spirit, or the PURUSHA it can not do anything. But once the Purusha comes in picture or there is a union of the spirit and nature then the nature starts it's "play".and the universe as we know comes in picture. The 24 principles are 1)Prakruti ,2)Mahat Tatwa ,which is also called CHITTA,(vaguely can be said as mind stuff) From this CHITTA comes the Buddhi or intellect.3)This leads to the AHANKAR, (realisation that one is separate from other) 4)the MIND then the 5 Senses and 5 organs of the Action ,5 Mahabhuta or Elements --Space , Air/gas, Energy, water or liquid and the earth or solids.So now remaining 5 are Tanmatras the abstract qualities of the matter.The last 5 at times can be changed to 5 PRANAS.
     This is what is thought by the SANKHYA YOGA.(SANKHYA means 'counting  or numbers).
      So now one can see that MAHAT TATWA is the ORIGIN of almost every thing.So with the meditation we can know this MAHAT TATWA.

SAMADHI PAD SUTRA -40

                       PARAMANU PARAM MAHAT TWANTA ASYA VASHIKARAH

(WITH MEDITATION PERFECTED )ONE CAN CONTROL (SMALLEST) PARTICLE CALLED

 PARAMANU AND THE BIGGEST (PRINCIPLE)MAHA TATTWA.

      So far we were told as to how we can get better concentration of the mind. Now we are told as to what happens when we continue to do the meditation and are successful in getting the concentration.Once we have had this under control, then we have control over the smallest of the particle called Paramanu. In past atom was thought to be the smallest of the particle, when we started understanding the matter. This atom is called ANU. But we in science started knowing that atom can be split , and the smaller part of the atom in Sansrit is called PARAMANU. So the yogi can control or know the Paramanu with the perfection of the meditation. But that is not enough. The matter , which is made of atoms , which are made of protons ,electrons and neutrons, are still at the level of physical universe.What about the "the principle " or the universal mind /consciousness,which we can not see.So the Sutra tells us that withe meditation we get the power to understand or control the this MAHAT TATTWA, which can be said to be the universal mind.
    One other way to translate this one is that one can concentrate on smallest of the small thing in physical universe or biggest of 'all' the one that can not be seen, the Universal Mind.

SAMADHI PAD SUTRA39

                                                       
                                            YATHABHIMAT DHYANAD VA

                              OR (BY CONCENTRATING UPON)ONE'S CHOICE

      So far we are given many options or ways by which we can concentrate and quieten the mind . We started with gross objects and then went at higher levels or subtler things. In this one we are coming down to the same 'gross' thing . But this one is little different. We were told to start with a statue or picture to concentrate, in this sutra we are told to concentrate , think about anything that we like , love .It is easier to think about what we like or love. So if we have to concentrate on something that we may like we can do it much easily. But in our day to day life things are not always easy. Sometimes things happen and we may have other things on our mind. So it becomes difficult.Say for example, we may be waiting news about our child ,(examination or admission ) So we may not be in position to concentrate on God. So it is easier to start with what we love. As long as we don't concentrate on the problems and our thoughts don't get carried away, we are OK. We could start with thinking about our child.But then concentrate on the element of what is not external things.So the common things that we all have is the reflection of the Lord, and if we can concentrate on that ,we can do better. Now please remember that the reason we select the statue of the LORD or a picture of our favourite Deity, is that there are no other thoughts than to think about he /she being God/Goddess. They don't have examination to pass and job to be gotten or sickness to conquer. So our thought process is limited. But it becomes difficult if we start thinking about our child or spouse etc.The one thought leads to another and an another. If we think about examination, then we think about next examination or the job that he has to look for and then the salary and then the having family etc. So one thought leads to another . But if we concentrate on our child , but think only about his inner active principle, the reflection or God or the thing that keep us alive , then we are OK . There was a story in which a family man decided to take sannyas ,he could not stop thinking about the favorite Buffalo He could not concentrate on the meditation.So the teacher told him to think about the buffalo.This is too simple at first thought, but more difficult in practice.But may be on long term it may be possible.

SAMADHI PAD-SUTRA38

                                SWAPNA NIDRA DNYAN ALAMBANAM WA

     (THE MIND CAN BE QUIETENED) BY TAKING SUPPORT OF KNOWLEDGE OF DREAM -

     SLEEP

       This Sutra is is little difficult for me to interpret. When they were talking about the sleep and dream state, it was mentioned that the sleep is like the Samadhi as there is no awareness of the body and the mind functions at the level of astral plain.But it is in a way  a negative state.But in that stage there is complete lack of body awareness. It also fully works it the level of astral body and it is 'created' by our mind or chitta.There is no physical support for our dream. As was told in the beginning ,we have to have some picture or statue to concentrate upon.But in the latter stages we can do without actual statue or picture. So in the sleep and dream we do not have any physical support for what we are experiencing.So when the chitta understands that we do not need physical thing to experience , then this can help us in practice of Samadhi.
    There are couple of other thing that can be also thought of , from this Sutra. One is that we may have seen a great saint (Saibaba or Gajanan maharaj )or for that matter our ISHTA DEWATA(the physical form of the formless Lord that seems to be our 'favourite' and seems to be more personal),and they may have blessed us and with that experience we feel Sarine and calm. So we can transfer this experience to the actual Samadhi and try to get the same experience with the meditation.
  The other meaning is somewhat different. Why do we dream and why do we dream certain things?There is concept that some of the dreams are related to our present existence and the thought process and experience. If we think about meeting some one or becoming famous , we might see that in the dream.But then we have some dreams that are related to our past experience , like some relative or friend that we have not seen in long time . But then there are dreams that one can not explain. THEY MAY BE RELATED TO OUR PAST LIFE.So when we analyse the dream , we may get insight in to our past Karma and Desires and may help us to resolve them . If we do not do this , they will be obstacle in our path of getting to the highest level of the Samadhi.
     So we are told that this will help our mind to be be quitter.

SAMADHI PAD SUTRA-37

                                         VITA RAGA VISHAYAM VA CHITTAM

     WHEN THE MIND IS CONCENTRATED UPON THE CHITTA OF SOMEONE WHO IS

 WITHOUT(VIT) ATTACHMENT TO SUBJECTS (THEN CHITTAATTAINS THE SAMADHI)

When the mind concentrates on the Chitta of a sage or highly evolved soul then one has better concentration and can attain the Samadhi. So when we see some one who is highly evolved we feel good and when we think about them , we are likely to have good thoughts and appreciation of the achievement that is done by such sages, If I think about Swami Vivekananda , I can only think of his greatness and his devotion and his lack of attachments to any mortal things.The better example may the opposite of Swami Vivekananda. What kind of thoughts come to your mind if you think about say Karina Kappor or Padukon or Priti Zinta,(for Indian males) or Shahrukh Khan or Akshay Kumar(for Indian females) or Obama or Bush or Clinton(for political junkies)?You will think about all sorts of attachments and and certainly can not concentrate. But if one thinks about a great sage all the attachments are forgotten . So one can get rid of thoughts related to attachment by thinking about such great pious persons.
     So we are given one other way to concentrate and get rid of thoughts related to attachments.