Yoga s

144 YOGA SŪTRAS
However, when the yogi has achieved complete purity of the psyche, he gets
a divine vision through which he meets the cherished deity face to face and can
relate with that Personality of Godhead.
Verse 45
smaixisiÏrIñrài[xanat!
samādhisiddhiḥ īśvarapraṇidhānāt
samādhi – continuous effortless linkage of the attention to a higher
concentration force or person; siddhiḥ – perfection, skill; īśvara – supreme
lord; praṇidhānāt – from the profound religious meditation.
From the profound religious meditation upon the Supreme Lord
comes the perfection of continuous effortless linkage
of the attention to that Divinity.
Commentary:
Now all accusations upon Śrī Patañjali regarding his alleged ideas of
impersonalism and atheism are totally denied. Śrī Patañjali Maharshi was
undoubtedly a theist of the first order. Śrī B.K.S. Iyengar in his translation and
commentary on the sūtras explained that Patañjali was an incarnation of Lord
Ādiśeṣa, the divine serpentine bedstead of Lord Viṣṇu. Patañjali’s mother was
named Goṇikā.
Verse 46
iSwrsuomasnm!
sthira sukham āsanam
sthira – steady; sukham – comfortable; āsanan – bodily posture.
The posture should be steady and comfortable.
Commentary:
The yoga āsana for meditation should be one that is steady and comfortable.
Ideally, one should sit for meditation in the lotus posture, the padmāsana, if
that posture is unsteady and uncomfortable, one should practice to improve it.
During meditation one should use a posture that keeps the body steady and
mind at ease. As one practices more and more, the difficult postures become
easier and easier to perform.
Verse 47
àyÆzEiwLyanNtsmapiÄ_yam!
prayatna śaithilya ananta samāpattibhyām
prayatna – effort; śaithilya – relaxation; ananta – endless, infinite;
samāpattibhyām – meeting, encounter.
It results in relaxation of effort and the meeting with the infinite.