If different objects are subtle to different degrees how can these degrees of sub-
tlety be classified? The different degrees of subtlety can be classified in the most com-
prehensible manner by assigning them to the planes on which they exist. But for rea-
sons which have been pointed out in dealing with I-17 Patarijali has adopted a func-
tional and not a structural basis for classifying phenomena and so the degrees of sub-
tlety have been classified according to the stages of the Gunas given in II-19. As the
subject has been dealt with thoroughly in that context it is not necessary to discuss it
here. It may, however, be pointed out that according to Samkhya all objects are the
result of different combinations of Gunas and so the classification of objects in four
categories according to the four stages of the Gunas is perfectly logical. The last stage
of the Gunas is called Alinga and so naturally the limit of subtlety corresponds with
the Alinga stage.
- They (stages corresponding to subtle objects) constitute only Samadhi
with ‘seed’.
All objects within the realm of Prakrti upon which Samyama may be performed
to discover their relative reality have been summed up in I-45. Samadhi which deals
with any of these objects is called Sabija Samadhi for reasons explained in connection
with I-42. An object on which Samyama is performed is technically called a ‘seed’
whether it is gross or subtle. So Sabija Samadhi may also be called objective Samadhi
as opposed to Nirbija Samadhi or subjective Samadhi in which there is no ‘object’ or
‘seed’ of meditation. The Seeker Himself is the object of His search. The Seer who has
gained the capacity to see truly all objects within the realm of Prakrti now wants to
see Himself as He really is.
What distinguishes Sabija Samadhi from Nirbija Samadhi is therefore the pres-
ence of an object associated with Prakrti whose relative reality has to be realized. In
Nirbija Samadhi, Purusa who is beyond the realm of Prakrti is the ‘objectless’ objec-