एतयैव सविचारा निर्विचारा च सूक्ष्मविषया व्याख्याता ॥ ४४॥
पदविभाग: एतया, एव, सविचारा, निर्विचारा, च, सूक्ष्म-विषया, व्याख्याता।
अन्वय: एतया एव सूक्ष्मविषया सविचारा च निर्विचारा व्याख्याता।
प्रतिपदार्थ: एतया = by this (the process just described in the previous two sutras), एव = exactly / indeed / in the very same way, सविचारा = reflective (absorption) / with subtle deliberation (स = with, विचार = reflection/subtle inquiry), निर्विचारा = super-reflective (absorption) / without subtle deliberation (निर् = without), च = and, सूक्ष्म-विषया = having subtle objects as their focus (सूक्ष्म = subtle/fine, विषया = object/domain), व्याख्याता = is explained / has been described.
तात्पर्यम्: By this method, the reflective (Savichara) and super-reflective (Nirvichara) absorptions, whose objects are finer, are also explained / realized.
Further context on the 44th Sutra from Patanjali’s Yogasutras
Sutras 1.42 (Savitarka) and 1.43 (Nirvitarka) dealt exclusively with the gross aspects of reality. In yogic philosophy, gross objects (sthūla) are things composed of the five physical elements (earth, water, fire, air, space). They have boundaries, weight, and sensory presence. A statue, a candle flame, the physical breath, or even a tree are gross objects. When the mind meditates on these physical objects, it first analyzes them (Savitarka) and then eventually merges into them (Nirvitarka).
This verse (1.44) says that if you want to meditate on the finer or subtle aspects of reality (sūkṣma-viṣaya), we follow the same process but the state is now called Savichara and Nirvichara.
Subtle objects cannot be touched or seen with the physical eyes. They include:
- The Tanmatras (the pure potentials of sound, touch, form, taste, and smell before they become physical).
- The mind itself (Manas).
- The ego-sense (Ahamkara).
- The intellect (Buddhi).
What is Vichara?
- Etymology: It comes from the prefix vi- (meaning “apart,” “distinct,” or “intensely”) and the root car (meaning “to move,” “to wander,” or “to roam”). Very similar to the idea of चरना in Hindi.
- Literal Meaning: Vichara literally means “moving through distinct parts” or “wandering through deeply.” It is the mind moving through the layers of an abstract concept to find its core.
Why Tarka for the Gross and Vichara for the Finer Aspects?
Tarka (वितर्क – Vitarka) Tarka is rooted in logic, debate, and categorization. When you encounter a gross, physical object, the mind uses Tarka to box it in. The intellect says: “This is a flame. It is hot. It is yellow. It is distinct from the wood.” Tarka is heavy, analytical, and heavily reliant on language and memory to label the physical world.
Vichara (विचार – Vichara) You cannot physically measure the ego or draw a boundary around it. Therefore, the mind must use Vichara (reflection/inquiry). The mind must “move through” (car) the abstract space (vi). It is a much softer, more penetrating, and an intuitive form of cognition. To put it in simple terms:
- You use Tarka to analyze the shape of a clay pot.
- You use Vichara to contemplate the unmanifest idea of “pot-ness” before the clay was ever molded.
When the mind reflects on a subtle object using this inquiry but is still actively thinking, it is Savichara. When the mind drops the inquiry and merges into the subtle essence, becoming entirely silent, it achieves Nirvichara.
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