The last ten sutras of the First Book talk about the state of mind that is achieved by the previous mentioned techniques of concentration. The key word in sutra 1.40 is vaśīkāraḥ, which means subjugation, having mastery over, bringing under control. This word appears also in sutra 1.15 where it refers to the subjugation and control that the mind has over its own desires, in other words, it refers to detachment. But the sense in which it is used in this sutra is somewhat ambiguous, and it can be seen in the different translations. Iyengar, for example, translates it as referring to the mastery and power that the mind acquires over the minutest and greatest particle of matter when it is steady and focused. On the other hand, Hariharananda interprets it as the control and subjugation that is achieved over the mind itself. We can see how both senses complement each other in the next sutra which talks about how, when ceasing its own thoughts and mental fluctuations (vṛttis), the mind gets into a state of deep absorption (samāpattiḥ) and, becoming clear crystal as a jewel, it gets “colored” by what is nearby, whether it be an object, another mind, or simply any mental act of cognition. This means that once the mind has reached this state, it stops projecting into the things and into reality all its prejudices, emotions, preconceptions, old ideas, and misconceptions that only disturb what really is. Under this purified state, the mind can see things as they really are. In this sense, the mind and reality become one. At the end, it is the same whether the mind controls the minutest or greatest particle or whether the mind controls itself since in this state both, the mind and what it reflects, are one.
Next three sutras get deeper into the notion of samāpattiḥ, which is usually translated as a state of absorption, transformation, completion, assuming the original form, etc. The mind can be in a state of deep absorption when there is a clear understanding of something. For example, every time we have understood how to perform an asana, after the instructor has explained to us the steps, the proper alignment, the benefits of it, etc., and we feel that we can now do it, and confidently get into it with his or her guidance, our mind is in a state of “savitarkā samāpattiḥ” or discursive absorption. This means that the idea, the object, the word and the mind are in unison, poured together or intermingled. Sutra 1.43 talks about an even deeper level of absorption, where the mind goes beyond words and concepts and understands something just as it shines on it. It is that state where, for example, as the asana is performed, we do not need any more the help of words or concepts to understand it, but instead the direct experience and the ever new and fresh practice of it.
There are two levels that go beyond this. Just as the mind can become absorbed in its understanding of physical objects such as the apprehension of a bodily posture, or the knowledge of physical bodies in general, it can also become absorbed in subtler objects such as concepts, ideas, emotions, and abstract principles. When we try to understand, for example, the ideas of love, freedom, detachment, or any other abstract concept, the mind first gets its understanding by the use of words, explanations, examples, but then in a deeper level, its understanding becomes more experiential, there is a direct awareness or even “feeling” of those notions.
The capacity of our minds to focus in ever more subtle objects is what allows it to achieve a state of arrestment, for it is in those subtle levels where it learns not only to detach from the gross reality and dense desires and temptations, but also, where it starts to experience its own vastness and inner workings.
Now sutra 1.46 introduces the word samādhiḥ to refer to those levels of absorption. Iyengar points out that the difference between samādhiḥ and samāpattiḥ is that this one refers to a specific state of mind whereas the former refers to the practice of achieving such state. This is very accurate, for Patañjali calls in sutra 1.46 the practices that use an object (be it gross or subtle) to bring the mind into focus, “contemplation with seed” (sabījaḥ samādhiḥ), while the practice of contemplation without an object is called nirbījaḥ, without seed (1.51).
As the mind gets steadier, calmer, and undisturbed by its own thoughts, it can get a clearer knowledge not only of the objects that are “outside” it, but also of its own nature (1.47). It is this self-knowledge what is considered to bring wisdom beyond words, beyond what others have told us, even beyond our own reason (1.48-49). The type of knowledge acquired is direct, “able to bear the truth” (ṛtaṁbharā). The mind undergoes a deep transformation in such a way that old thoughts and patterns are overcome, new and more lucid experiences become usual. But even this type of purest thoughts need to be relinquished if we want to experience what real wisdom and freedom are. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, the highest, better said, the deepest state of mind is total silence of thoughts; a mind empty of thoughts but full of awareness. This is exactly how Patañjali had defined yoga in the famous verse 1.2.
