Sūkṣma dhyāna — subtle meditation. The object is the ātman — the Self, pure consciousness — visualized as a lotus leaf floating on the ocean.

The image is poetic: small, delicate, serene, floating effortlessly on immensity. So is individual consciousness in the ocean of the universal.

“In an instant” (kṣaṇāt) — when subtle meditation is perfect, the transformation is instantaneous. The recognition of one’s true nature takes no time.