Aṣṭama-prakaraṇam (Dhyāna) · Verse 5
सवितर्के स्थितं चित्तं एकाग्रं च तु योगिनः । स विचारयते तत्त्वं यत्र तत्र विचक्षणः ॥
savitarke sthitaṃ cittaṃ ekāgraṃ ca tu yoginaḥ | sa vicārayate tattvaṃ yatra tatra vicakṣaṇaḥ ||
This verse elaborates on the precise nature of samādhi achieved through savitarka – meditation with both discursive thought and blissful experience. The yogī, having established the mind in this state, gains the capacity to perceive the tattva – the fundamental reality, the essential nature of things – simply by being present. The ‘expert’ (vichikṣaṇa) possesses the refined discernment necessary to directly apprehend this truth, unburdened by conceptual distortion. This isn’t a passive reception of information, but an active unfolding of awareness, where the yogi’s own consciousness, now aligned with the Paramātman, illuminates the underlying structure of existence. The skillful manipulation of prāṇa and the controlled flow of dhyāna are instrumental in stabilizing the mind and allowing this intuitive insight to arise, demonstrating the interconnectedness of āsana, prāṇāyāma, and dhyāna within the yogic system.