Here, the Yājñavalkya Yoga outlines the dynamic process of liberation, asserting that consistent discrimination (&tvā) – a sustained, mindful awareness – is the key to achieving moksha. The yogi, through continuous application of this discriminative faculty, consistently realizes the true nature of reality. This realization culminates in the attainment of nirvana-pada – the ‘footstep’ of nirvana, a state of profound stillness and cessation of suffering. The attainment of nirvana is not simply an absence of sensation, but rather a direct identification with Brahman, the ultimate reality – described as “Brahman-becoming” (brahma-bhootā) – thereby eliminating the possibility of disease (nirāmaya), a metaphor for the afflictions of ignorance and attachment. The process described aligns with the gradual unfolding of consciousness within the samādhi states, moving from the initial dhāraṇā of focused attention to the deeper absorption of dhyāna and culminating in the profound unity of samādhi, where the individual self dissolves into the boundless ocean of Brahman.