As a lamp in a windless place does not flicker — such is the comparison for the yogī of controlled mind practicing union with the Self.

One of the most beautiful images in yogic literature. The windless flame (nivāta-stha dīpa) represents the quieted mind: luminous, stable, without fluctuation.

Neṅgate (does not flicker, does not tremble) describes the absence of vṛtti, the mental modifications that Patañjali identifies as the object to cease.

The metaphor is precise: the flame exists, burns, illuminates — but without agitation. The yogī’s mind is not extinguished but intensely present, without the turbulence of reactive thought.

Yata-citta (controlled mind) suggests that this stability is cultivated, not accidental. Yuñjataḥ (practicing) indicates the sustained effort that produces it.

The “windless place” corresponds to the preparatory conditions: the protected hermitage, the firm seat, the aligned body, the withdrawn senses. Everything conspires to create the space where the flame can stabilize.

This image can be used as an object of meditation: visualize that motionless flame in the center of the heart.