समाधि
Samadhi
(samādhi)The state of complete meditative absorption; union of the meditator with the object of meditation
Full Meaning
Samādhi is the eighth and final limb of Patañjali's ashtanga yoga. It is the state where the meditator, the act of meditation, and the object of meditation merge into one. The ego dissolves. What remains is pure awareness. Samādhi is not unconsciousness — it is hyper-consciousness, awareness without a separate self observing.
Etymology
Sam (completely) + ā (toward) + dhā (to place, to hold). Complete placing of the mind — total absorption.
Usage in Sanskrit Texts
Patañjali describes two types: samprajñāta samādhi (with cognitive support — still some awareness of the object) and asamprajñāta samādhi (beyond cognition — pure awareness).
तदेवार्थमात्रनिर्भासं स्वरूपशून्यमिव समाधिः — When only the object shines forth without the sense of self, that is samādhi. (Yoga Sūtras 3.3)
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