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DifferencebetweenSamprajnataandAsamprajnataSamadhi?
Samdhiisthehigheststateofconsciousnessthatahumancanreachinlife.Itisthegoalofourspiritualjourneyonearth.Samadhi
hasbeendividedintotwoparts:SamprajnataandAsamprajnata.
1.Whatisthedifferencebetweenthetwo?
2.IsittruethatinSamadhiahumancancontrolNature?
yoga

samadhi
editedFeb19at20:03

askedMar15'15at22:27

EshanSingh
1,571

35

4Answers

Inmeditationtherearetwodifferentstatesdependingupontheconsciousnessoftheyogi.That
samadhiwheretheconsciousnessoftheyogiretainshissenseofI'ness,thatis,hisnature,
personality,etc.remainsiscalledassamprajnatasamadhi.Initthereremainsanalysis,
deliberation,senseoftheouterworld,alongwithfeelingofhappiness.SothePatnatjaliyogasutra
definesasthus:
vitarkavicrnandsmitrpnugamtsaprajta[PYS1.17]
Cognitivemeditationisaccompaniedbyreasoning,discrimination,blissandthesenseof'I
am.'
ButotherthanitwherethepersonalI'nessdoesn'tremain,thatis,theindividualityislostandthe
mindisfreeofanalysis,reflection,senseoftheworld,etc.iscalledasasamprajnatasamadhi:
virmapratyaybhysaprvasaskraeo'nya[PYS1.18]
Thereisanothermeditationwhichisattainedbythepracticeofalertmentalsuspensionuntil
onlysubtleimpressionsremain.
Controllingnaturedoesn'thappeninsamprajnatastate,butintheadvancedasamprajnatastate
whentheyogiconcentratesupondifferentobjectsthepowerofthatobjecthegains.Alsothere
areothersiddhis obtainedaboutwhichtheBibhutiPadaoftheyogasutrasdescribe.
answeredMar15'15at23:21

BeHappy
16.7k

29

81

InhistranslationandcommentaryontheYogaSutras,SwamiVivekanandacommentingonI.17.
says:
...IntheSamprajnataSamadhicomeallthepowersofcontrollingnature.Itisoffourvarieties
[hethengivesdetailsofthefourvarieties]...Thereisnoliberationingettingpowers.Itisa
worldlysearchafterenjoyments,andthereisnoenjoymentinthislifeAllsearchfor
enjoymentisvainthisistheoldlessonwhichmanfindssohardtolearn.Whenhedoes
learnsit,hegetsoutoftheuniverseandbecomesfree.Thepossessionofwhatarecalled
occultpowersisonlyintensifyingtheworld,andintheend,intensifyingsuffering.Thoughasa
scientistPatanjaliisboundtopointoutthepossibilitiesofthisscience,henevermissesaan
opportunitytowarnusagainstthesepowers.

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yogaDifferencebetweenSamprajnataandAsamprajnataSamadhi?HinduismStackExchange

Tobecomefree,liberated,theseedlessSamadhiofverse18isrecommended.Apersonwho
getsthepowersofverse17isbarredfromliberationandmustfacerebirthandtheconsequent
karmageneratedbythosepowers....
answeredMar16'15at10:59

SwamiVishwananda
9,646

32

Roughlyspeaking,SamprajnataSamadhireferstoconsciousorconcretemeditation,whereas
AsamprajnataSamadhireferstounconsciousorabstractmeditation.Thesetermsoriginateinthe
FirstPadaofPatanjali'sYogaSutras:
1.17.Cognitivemeditationisaccompaniedbyreasoning,discrimination,blissandthesenseof
'Iam.'
1.18.Thereisanothermeditationwhichisattainedbythepracticeofalertmentalsuspension
untilonlysubtleimpressionsremain.
NowtheYogaSutrasconsistofextremelyconciseaphorisms,soformoredetailonthesubject
weneedtoturntoacommentary.Thankfully,thesageVyasahimselfcomposedacommentary
ontheYogaSutras,thefamousYogaBhashya.HereiswhatVyasasaysaboutthetwoSutras
aboveinthisexcerptfromhisYogaBhashya:
Question:"Whentheagenthassuppressedhisinternalorganthroughthetwomeans
(justdescribed),howcanthemeditationbesaidtobeConscious?"
(Answer):
Sutra(17):Conscious,becauseattendedwiththeformsofargumentation,deliberation,
joy,andegoism.
Com.:(1)"Argumentation"isthegrossperceptionoftheinternalorgan,withregardtoits
object:whereas(2)"Deliberation"issubtleinitsnature.(3)"Joy"isdelight.(4)"Egoism"is
thepartialcognitionofidentity....
Now,whatisthenatureofUnconsciousorAbstractmeditationandwhatarethemeanstoit?
Reply:
Sutra(18):Theother,precededbythepracticeofthecauseofsuspension,isthatinwhich
theresiduaaloneremainbehind.
Com:Whenallthefunctionshavebeensuspendedandtheresiduaaloneremainbehind,
thenwehaveasuppressionoftheinternalorgan,whichconstitutes(aformof)meditation,
calledtheUnconsciousorAbstract.
Ofthisthemeansisthehighest]formofDispassion(seeabove).And,becauseanexercise
basedonanobjectwouldnotbecapableofbeingfitforitsaccomplishment,thereforethe
objectless(orimmaterial)causeofsuspensionismadethebasishereandthiscauseis
devoidofanymaterialobject.(Consequently)theinternalorgan,precededbythepractice
thereof,becomesimmaterial,asifnonexisting.ThisImmaterialorseedlessmeditationiswhat
iscalledtheUnconsciousortheAbstract.
Tosumup,inSamprajnataSamadhi,yourattentionisfromyouasanindividualontoaparticular
concretething.InAsamprajnataSamadhi,ontheotherhand,boththesenseofindividuality
disappearsaswell,andtheconcretethingbeingmeditatedupon.Soit'samoreabstractand
impersonalexperience,andit'shighestaspirationitleadstoKaivalya,whichIdiscusshere.
editedMar23at14:14

user4780

answeredMar15'15at23:25

KeshavSrinivasan
30.1k

57

144

RajYogadividesSamadhiintotwoparts:
Samprajnata:SamprajnataSamadhialsoknownassabijasamadhi'withsupport'
Asamprajnata:AsamprajnataSamadhialsoknownasnirbijasamadhi'withoutsupport'
ThemaindifferencebetweentwoisSamprajnataSamadhineedanobjectivesupporttomeditate
untilfinalstageofSamprajnataattained.Asamprajnatahasnoobjectivesupport.
Ref:TheYogaBookStephenSturgess

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editedMar23at14:16

user4780

answeredMar16'15at12:39

Kiran
528

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