The meaning of Samadhi in yoga is :

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (1):
Samadhi, the eighth and final limb (Ashtanga) in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, is correctly defined as the culmination of the entire yogic process, which is the ultimate goal of **Self realization**. It represents a state of superconsciousness or profound absorption where the mind completely transcends its ordinary functioning. In this state, the practitioner's consciousness merges with the object of meditation, and the meditator, the process of meditating, and the object of meditation are unified. This complete merging leads to the realization of the true, permanent Self (Purusha), marking the goal of yoga as the cessation of mental modifications (*chitta vritti nirodhah*) and the attainment of pure, non-dual consciousness—a perfect definition of Self realization.

The incorrect option is (2):
Individual discipline is closely linked to **Niyama**, the second limb of Ashtanga Yoga, which provides the ethical and personal observances necessary for internal purification. Niyama includes practices like contentment, self-study, and devotion, which are foundational acts of discipline. These disciplines are essential to prepare the practitioner for the advanced stages, but they are a means to an end. Samadhi is not the discipline itself, but the transcendental state achieved after successfully mastering all preceding seven limbs, including Niyama.

The incorrect option is (3):
Meditation is known in yogic terminology as **Dhyana**, the seventh limb of the Ashtanga path, directly preceding Samadhi. Dhyana is the process of sustained, uninterrupted flow of concentration (Dharana) toward a single point or object. The key difference is that Dhyana is still an active effort to focus the mind, whereas Samadhi is the passive, effortless state of absorption that naturally arises when the concentration is so deep that the individual sense of the self is transcended. Therefore, Dhyana is the practice, and Samadhi is the resulting state of oneness.

The incorrect option is (4):
Breath control is the primary function of **Pranayama**, the fourth limb of Ashtanga Yoga. Pranayama is the conscious regulation and extension of the breath, which is used to manage and steady the flow of vital life force (prana) throughout the body and mind. It is a crucial energetic and physical technique that helps prepare the nervous system and mind for the later, more internal stages of concentration (Dharana) and meditation (Dhyana). While it supports the journey, Pranayama is a method of bodily control, not the profound final state of spiritual realization that Samadhi represents.