सम्प्रज्ञातः- Samprajñāta
About Śabdayoga
Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan
सम्प्रज्ञातः- Samprajñāta
Etymology
सम्+प्र+ज्ञा + क्त = सम्प्रज्ञात
sam+pra+jñā + kta = samprajñāta
In the above etymology –
· The Prefixes are सम् & प्र - sam+pra. The prefix ‘sam’ has been given a host of meanings in the dictionaries[1]. Among them सम्यक् - Samyak – well - is the meaning that has been utilized in the commentaries of Yogasūtra for the current word under consideration.
· Similarly the prefix ‘Pra’ has many meanings[2] – of which in the current context the meaning भृश – exceedingly - seems appropriate.
· The Root word is ज्ञा jñā – which given the meaning – अवबोधन – avabodhana – to know/to realize/ To understand. [3]
· Suffix क्त – kta (going by the view of the commentators of yogasūtra) is added to the root in the sense of instrumentality. No grammatical prescrption in this regard is found.
The derivative statement: Going by the above etymological inputs - सम्यक् प्रकर्षेण ज्ञायते (वेद्यं वस्तु) येन सः (समाधिः) - samyak prakarṣeṇa jñāyate (vedyaṃ vastu) yena saḥ - that (state of Samādhi) by which the object to be known is known exceedingly well.
Lexicon
No entry in the Lexicon is found for this term.
Textual Occurrences
Yogasūtra
The word saṃprajñāta is found in just one sūtra in the text
वितर्कविचारानन्दास्मितारूपानुगमात्संप्रज्ञातः ॥ १.१७ ॥
vitarkavicārānandāsmitārūpānugamātsaṃprajñātaḥ .. 1.17 ..
This sūtra describes the state of saṃprajñāta Samādhi. The clear definition of the word saṃprajñāta is seen initially in the commentary of Bhoja, which is later utilized in later commentaries also. The definition is as follows - सम्यक्संशयविपर्ययरहितत्वेन प्रज्ञायते प्रकर्षेण ज्ञायते भाव्यस्य स्वरूपं येन स संप्रज्ञातः समाधिर्भावनाविशेषः - samyaksaṃśayaviparyayarahitatvena prajñāyate prakarṣeṇa jñāyate bhāvyasya svarūpaṃ yena sa saṃprajñātaḥ samādhirbhāvanāviśeṣaḥ - that by which the clear, doubltless, error free knowledge of the object of meditation is known is called as saṃprajñāta –samādhi. It is a kind of visualization.
From the sequence of the Sūtra it could be seen that this state of Samādhi is attained by the twin practices of Abhyasa[4] and Vairagya[5]. As evident from the Sūtra – in general - saṃprajñāta is a state of citta is attained by the acts of Vitarka, Vicāra, Ānanda and Āsmitā. The four Samādhi oriented acts of the citta as described by Sage Vyāsa has be tabulated as follows –
Table 1
|
Name of Stage |
Content/object of the Stage |
How is it experienced |
|
Vitarka |
16 aspects (senses(10) + mind (1) + 5 Elements (and things made up of them) |
ābhoga – mind being filled (paripūrṇatā ) with all particular details (aśeṣa-viśeṣa-sākṣātkāra ) about the content – which cannot be comprehended by the senses (adṛṣṭa), faculty of inference (amata), verbal testimony (aśruta) |
|
Vicāra |
7 aspects - 5 Tanmātras, ahaṅkāra, Mahat, Prakṛti |
|
|
Ānanda |
The experience of bliss – due to preponderance of Sattva – induced by the previous state (leading to mind’s stability) |
|
|
Asmitā |
Only the pure refection of the consciousness in the mind (which is the one who experiences the ānanda of the previous state ) |
The Saṃskṛta commentary for the above is as follows - वितर्कश्चित्तस्याऽऽलम्बने स्थूल आभोगः आनन्दो ह्लादः। सूक्ष्मो विचारः। एकात्मिका संविदस्मिता - vitarkaścittasyā''lambane sthūla ābhogaḥ ānando hlādaḥ। sūkṣmo vicāraḥ। ekātmikā saṁvidasmitā।
An additional insight on the understanding of the four Samādhi can also be found in the commentary of the Sage Vyāsa – which again has been expressed through the table 2 below. The commentary of Sage Vyāsa on this is as follows - तत्र प्रथमश्चतुष्टयानुगतः समाधिः सवितर्कः। द्वितीयो वितर्कविकलः सविचारः। तृतीयो विचारविकलः सानन्दः। चतुर्थस्तद्विकलोऽस्मितामात्र इति। tatra prathamaścatuṣṭayānugataḥ samādhiḥ savitarkaḥ। dvitīyo vitarkavikalaḥ savicāraḥ। tṛtīyo vicāravikalaḥ sānandaḥ। caturthastadvikalo'smitāmātra iti।
Table 2
|
Savitarka |
Savicāra |
Sānanda |
Asmitā-mātra |
|
four stages Vitarka Vicāra Ānanda Asmitā |
three stages Vicāra Ānanda Asmitā |
two stages Ānanda Asmitā |
Only Asmitā |
This is the four levels of the saṃprajñāta Samādhi. Attaining mastery in these states to the higher Samādhi called asaṃprajñāta which will be discussed in due course in Śabdayoga.
Bhagavadgītā & Haṭhayogapradīpikā
The term is not found in these texts.
Tabulation on Distribution of References in Yoga Texts 10.1
|
saṃprajñāta |
Yogasūtra References |
Bhagavadgītā
|
Haṭhayogapradīpikā
|
|
Chapter 1 Sūtra - 17 |
- No References in these two texts
|
||
Observation
As evident from the discussion above the term saṃprajñāta is unique to Yogasūtras – not to be found in the other two texts. The inputs from the commentary also indicate that the four stages of the Samādhi are technical terms that have specific connotations with regard to the object of focus. They cannot be generally translated as deliberation, reflection, bliss and Ego. This clarity emerges by the analysis of the term in Śabdayoga.
[1] 37 meanings of the word ‘Sam’ with examples can be seen in Avyaya kosha here - https://archive.org/details/avyaya-kosa-srivatsankacharya/page/364/mode/2up?view=theater
[2] 8 meaning to the word ‘pra’ is given in the Avyayakosha with meanings can be seen here - https://archive.org/details/avyaya-kosa-srivatsankacharya/page/262/mode/2up?view=theater
Comments
Post a Comment