ESSAYS

Yoga prizes samadhi as the pinnacle of meditation. Advaita Vedanta honors it as discipline but insists that true freedom lies not in a state but in knowledge: recognizing that the Self illumines all states without ever changing.

Nirvikalpa samadhi is absorption without distinctions, praised in yoga as the highest state. Vedanta clarifies: it is an impermanent experience, a reflection of the Self in a sattvic mind, but not liberation. Moksha comes only through Self-knowledge.

Ashtanga Yoga — “the eight limbs of yoga” — is Patañjali’s system for disciplining the mind: yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi. Vedanta honors it as a vital preparation for Self-knowledge, while clarifying that liberation is knowledge, not experience.

Yoga isn’t just poses and breathwork—it’s a path of inner preparation. In Vedanta, yoga means disciplined action that purifies the mind and prepares it for Self-knowledge. Learn how karma, bhakti, and dhyana yogas support the journey to liberation.