तस्यापि निरोधे सर्वनिरोधान्निर्बीजः समाधिः ॥५१॥
पदविभाग: तस्य, अपि, निरोधे, सर्व-निरोधात्, निर्बीजः, समाधिः।
अन्वय: तस्य अपि निरोधे सर्वनिरोधात् निर्बीजः समाधिः ।
प्रतिपदार्थ: तस्य = of that (referring to the Tajjaḥ Saṃskāra, the luminous impression of truth from the previous sutra), अपि = even / also, निरोधे = upon the restriction / cessation / suppression, सर्व = all (mental modifications and latent impressions), निरोधात् = due to the cessation of, निर्बीजः = seedless / without seed (निर् = without, बीज = seed), समाधिः = complete cognitive absorption.
तात्पर्यम्: Upon the cessation of even that (the impressions which obstruct all other impression), due to the cessation of all mental activity and impressions, Nirbija Samadhi (Seedless Samadhi) is attained.
Further context on the 51st Sutra from Patanjali’s Yogasutras
The goal of Yoga is to perceive the Soul. This realization that we are the Atman, has got mingled up with nature. We confuse the body to be our real self, then we think the mind is our true self and endlessly fall into cycles of ego identification. Patanjali Yogasutras, again and again ask us to restrain ourselves from falling in this trap.
Vrittis by nature, fold forwards. To bring total cessation of mental modifications is to unravel the self from these many modifications we have assumed ourselves to be. This is a continuous process and the mind will keep creating new samskaras out of which more samskaras emerge leading to continuous entrapment. Hence, a newer kind of mental wave (that of truth-bearing wisdom) needs to be brought in our mind and eventually let go off to achieve the state of seedless Samadhi. It is in this state, we realize that the Soul cannot die, neither be born, nor be understood by the faculty of language and is the ever-living essence of intelligence.
With this dissolution of the self in an eternal state of Samadhi, we conclude the first chapter in Patanjali’s Yogasutras.
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