dross
and made fit for the practice of Yoga meditation, the yogin may
attain liberation by a constant practice (_abhyasa_) attended with
faith, confidence (_s'raddha_), strength of purpose and execution
(_virya_) arid wisdom (_prajna_) attained at each advance.

The Yoga Meditation.

When the mind has become pure the chances of its being
ruffled by external disturbances are greatly reduced. At such
a stage the yogin takes a firm posture (_asana_) and fixes his mind
on any object he chooses. It is, however, preferable that he should
fix it on Is'vara, for in that case Is'vara being pleased removes
many of the obstacles in his path, and it becomes easier for
him to attain success. But of course he makes his own choice,
and can choose anything he likes for the unifying concentration
(_samadhi_) of his mind. There are four states of this unifying
concentration namely _vitarka, vicara, ananda_ and _asmita_. Of
these vitarka and vicara have each two varieties, _savitarka, nirvitarka,
savicara, nirvicara_ [Footnote ref 1]. When the mind concentrates on
objects, remembering their names and qualities, it is called the savitarka
stage; when on the five tanmatras with a remembrance of their
qualities it is called savicara, and when it is one with the tanmatras
without any notion of their qualities it is called nirvicara.
Higher than these are the ananda and the asmita states. In the
ananda state the mind concentrates on the buddhi with its functions
of the senses causing pleasure. In the asmita stage buddhi
concentrates on pure substance as divested of all modifications.
In all these stages there are objects on which the mind
consciously concentrates, these are therefore called the _samprajnata_
(with knowledge of objects) types of samadhi. Next to this comes
the last stage of samadhi called the _asamprajnata_ or nirodha
samadhi, in which the mind is without any object. By remaining

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[Footnote 1: Vacaspati, however, thinks that ananda and asmita have also
two other varieties, which is denied by Bhik@su.]

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long in this stage the old potencies (sa@mskaras) or impressions
due to the continued experience of worldly events tending towards
the objective world or towards any process of experiencing inner
thinking are destroyed by the production of a strong habit of the
nirodha state. At this stage dawns the true knowledge, when the
buddhi becomes as pure