Yogaśāstra 1.44–45: Savicārā and Nirvicārā

Samāpatti with and without subtle reflection takes the subtle causal series of the elements as its object, ending in featureless, unmanifest prakṛti.

Dr. Ronald Steiner

Laura von Ostrowski

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 1.44

एतयैव सविचारा निर्विचारा च सूक्ष्मविषया व्याख्याता ||44||

etayaiva savicārā nirvicārā ca sūkṣma-viṣayā vyākhyātā ||44|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

etayā instrumental case singular feminine	etad pronoun dem	by this
eva	eva particle	very
savicārā nominative singular feminine	savicāra adjective	with subtle reflection
nirvicārā nominative singular feminine	nirvicāra adjective	without subtle reflection
ca	ca particle	and
sūkṣma karmadhāraya-compound	sūkṣma adjective	subtle
viṣayā nominative singular feminine	viṣaya substantive masculine	having as object
vyākhyātā nominative singular feminine past participle passive	vi previx ā previx khyā verbal root	explained

By this (etayā | ins sg f) alone (eva), the [forms of Samāpatti] with subtle reflection (savicārā | nom sg f) and (ca) without subtle reflection (nirvicārā | nom sg f), which have subtle [things] as their objects (sūkṣma-viṣayā | nom sg f), are also explained (vyākhyātā | nom sg f).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

In practice, move from outer form to inner sensation and from there to the quality of attention itself. The same movement can reveal increasingly subtle layers.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

Savicārā and nirvicārā concern subtle objects. In savicārā, a manifest subtle element appears delimited by place, time, and cause and qualified by its present property. Nirvicārā, by contrast, takes the subtle element in its form comprising all properties, undelimited by properties that are quiescent, present, or not yet describable. When prajñā thereby becomes as though empty of its own form and appears solely as the object, it is called nirvicārā. Savitarkā and nirvitarkā thus concern gross things, savicārā and nirvicārā subtle ones.

Yoga Śāstra Vyāsa-Bhāṣya

Just by this that which is (technically termed) ‘Deliberative’ (Savicāra) and (that termed) ‘Non-Deliberative’ (Nirvicāra), where the object Pondered, Instead of being Gross as in these two preceding cases) is ‘Subtile’ has been (Sufficiently) explained; The distinction between this pair, out of the four referred to at section 41F, being the Same as that between the other pair).

James R. Ballantyne - 1852

By this, the deliberative and the non-deliberative, as pertaining to subtile objects, are also described.

Ganganatha Jha - 1907

Damit ist auch die bedenkenbehaftete und bedenkenfreie (samāpatti) erklärt, nur daß diese sich auf feine Objekte bezieht.

Paul Deussen - 1908

By this same [balanced-state] the reflective and the super-reflective [balanced-states] are also explained.

James Haughton Woods - 1914

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 1.45

सूक्ष्मविषयत्वं चालिङ्गपर्यवसानम् ||45||

sūkṣma-viṣayatvaṃ cāliṅga-paryavasānam ||45|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

sūkṣma karmadhāraya-compound	sūkṣma adjective	subtle
viṣayatvam nominative singular	viṣayatva substantive neuter	objecthood
ca	ca particle	and
aliṅga tatpuruṣa-compound lokative	aliṅga substantive neuter	in the Unmanifest
paryavasānam nominative singular	paryavasāna substantive neuter	terminating

And (ca) the objecthood of the subtle (sūkṣma-viṣayatvam | nom sg) terminates in the Unmanifest [Prakṛti] (aliṅga-paryavasānam | nom sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Follow a sensation from the obvious into ever subtler experience until firm distinctions give way to simple presence. You do not need to find an answer or a special feature there.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

The Bhāṣya sets out the sequence of subtle objects precisely: behind an atom of earth lies the smell-tanmātra, behind water taste, behind fire color, behind air touch, and behind space sound. These are followed by ahaṃkāra, then liṅgamātra, and finally aliṅga, unmanifest Prakṛti; nothing subtler lies beyond it in this causal sequence. Puruṣa is subtle, but unlike Prakṛti it is not an inherent cause of liṅga, only a condition for it, and therefore does not belong to this gradation.

Yoga Śāstra Vyāsa-Bhāṣya

And ‘the having a Subtile object’ ends with the indissoluble.

James R. Ballantyne - 1852

The Subtile objectivity terminates in the indissoluble.

Ganganatha Jha - 1907

Ein feines Objekt zu sein erstreckt sich bis auf das Merkmallose (die prakṛti).

Paul Deussen - 1908

The subtile object also terminates in unresoluble-primary-matter (alinga).

James Haughton Woods - 1914

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Dr. Ronald Steiner

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The "Yoga Doc" - Dr. Ronald Steiner is the founder of the AYI method. This method links traditional Ashtanga Yoga with innovative Yogatherapy and living Philosophy. This forms a practice that is personal for each and... more ›

Laura von Ostrowski

Ich bin 2004 das erste Mal mit Yoga in Berührung gekommen und habe seitdem unendlich viele Facetten kennengelernt. Einerseits die vielfältigen praktischen Seiten von Yoga - in Form verschiedener Ausbildungen (500 h... more ›

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03.04.2021

Hallo, liebe Freunde des Yoga Sūtra, ich glaube in der Fußnote ist ein Sinn nicht ganz richtig wiedergegeben. Meiner Meinung nach sollte es in II.144II heißen: 'savicāra samāpatti ist Synonym mit vicāra (nicht vitarka) samprajñāta'.

03.04.2021

Hallo Cornelia,
oh ja. Wie gut dass Du es gemerkt hast. Habe es gleich verbessert. Vielen Dank.
Namaste und herzliche Grüße
Ronald

Yogaśāstra 1.44–45: Savicārā and Nirvicārā

Yogaśāstra 1.44–45: Savicārā and Nirvicārā

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