In the final stages of the yogic journey as outlined by Patanjali, Samadhi marks the highest state of meditative absorption. The Yoga Sutras define it in Sutra 3.3: “Tad eva arthamātranirbhāsam svarūpaśūnyam iva samādhiḥ”, which translates as: “That (same meditation) becomes Samadhi when only the object shines forth, and the self appears as if absent.”
Samadhi is not a trance or a loss of consciousness, but a deep merging of awareness with the object of meditation. There is no sense of separation between observer and observed. The mind becomes completely still, and the usual sense of “I am meditating” dissolves. In this state, the practitioner touches a profound stillness and clarity that leads toward liberation. It is the culmination of all the previous limbs—ethical living, physical discipline, breath control, sense withdrawal, concentration, and meditation—each preparing the ground for this final flowering of pure awareness.
