Śivasaṃhitā 5.20

The adhimātra sādhaka—the “superior measure” practitioner—is distinguished by sthirabuddhi: firmly established intelligence, undisturbed by the changing states of practice. Unlike the madhyama, he is already laye yuktaḥ—committed to layayoga, the dissolution of mind into its source. This is the difference between one who practices yoga and one who is absorbed by yoga: the practice is no longer something done but something that continually happens.

Adhimātra (“of superior measure”) indicates he has surpassed previous categories. Laya here is not only the technique of layayoga but the state of absorption where the yogin dissolves into the object of contemplation until subject and object unify. Svādhīna—“autonomous,” “self-possessed”—signals psychological independence, and vīryavān, vital vigor including the preservation and sublimation of ojas.

The progression mṛdu→madhyama→adhimātra→adhimātratama reflects the pedagogical structure of 14th–17th century tantric texts. This classification is not merely descriptive but prescriptive: it tells the teacher which techniques to transmit and at what pace. For the adhimātra, practices of prolonged kumbhaka and advanced mudrā are already appropriate—practices that in lower-level practitioners could produce imbalances.