Sutra 43 from Patanjali’s Yogasutras

स्मृतिपरिशुद्धौ स्वरूपशून्येवार्थमात्रनिर्भासा निर्वितर्का ॥४३॥

पदविभाग: स्मृति-परिशुद्धौ, स्वरूप-शून्या, इव, अर्थ-मात्र-निर्भासा, निर्वितर्का। 

अन्वय: स्मृतिपरिशुद्धौ स्वरूपशून्या इव अर्थमात्रनिर्भासा निर्वितर्का । 

प्रतिपदार्थ: स्मृति = of memory, परिशुद्धौ = upon the complete purification / cleansing (Locative case: “when memory is purified”), स्वरूप = of its own form / essential nature, शून्या = empty / devoid, इव = as if, अर्थ = the meaning, मात्र = only / solely, निर्भासा = shining forth / illuminating, निर्वितर्का = without deliberation / non-deliberative (absorption).

तात्पर्यम्: When memory is completely purified, the mind becomes as if devoid of qualities, and only artha (meaning) of the meditated object remains. This is called Nirvitarka Samapatti (absorption without deliberation / reasoning).

Further context on the 43rd Sutra from Patanjali’s Yogasutras

In our human consciousness, Śabda (the word/vibration), Artha (the meaning/object), and Jñāna (the resulting knowledge) are intrinsically tied together. In daily life, we never experience one without the other two instantly firing. When you see a tree, you don’t just see raw visual data; you instantly generate the word “tree” (Śabda) and the concept of what a tree is (Jñāna).

Whenever a thought arises in the Chitta (the mind-stuff), it doesn’t just appear as abstract energy. It creates Śabda i.e., it generates an internal vibratory signature. This internal sound becomes the medium of comprehension. We cannot process a thought without language or internal vibration supporting it.

Once the Śabda (medium) is generated, the mind projects it onto the Artha (the meaning or the actual form of the object). We map the label onto the external reality to make sense of what we are experiencing.

This mapping process leads to knowing (Jñāna). The intellect synthesizes the word and the object, and says, “I know what this is.” This finalized knowledge forms a distinct wave (Vritti) in the lake of the mind.

To the untrained mind, this three-step process happens so fast that it seems like a single, instantaneous event. One needs to actively observe their mind and meditate intensely to find the subtlety with which this machinery functions. The practice of Savitarka (from the previous sutra) is this: slowing the mind down enough to see the gears turning, recognizing the distinct layers of the word, the object, and the intellectual knowledge.

After relentless practice, the yogi is finally able to discern these three distinctly in the lake of their mind. They realize that the word and the knowledge are just mental projections. Through the purification of memory (Smriti-parishuddhi), the yogi drops the Śabda (the label) and the Jñāna (the intellectual reaction).

The mind rests on the pure Artha (the naked reality of the object). That is when Nirvitarka Samadhi happens.

Savitarka vs. Nirvitarka

The Etymology of ‘Śūnya’ in Svarūpa-Śūnyā

The word Śūnya (शून्य) is one of the most important terms in Eastern philosophy.

• Etymology: It derives from the Sanskrit root śvi, which means “to swell,” “to expand,” or “to grow.”
• The Paradox: Over time, śūnya came to mean “zero,” “void,” or “emptiness.” But because of its root, it does not mean a complete nothingness. It means an emptiness that is swollen with potential or a void that is pregnant with absolute reality.

In the context of Svarūpa-śūnyā, the mind does not cease to exist. Rather, its rigid, egotistical form (Svarūpa) is emptied out. The mind becomes an expansive void that has completely surrendered its own shape to contain the reality of the object.