Samadhi Pada • sutra 32
| तत्प्रतिषेधार्थमेकतत्त्वाभ्यासः ॥१.३२॥ tat-pratiṣedha-artham-eka-tattva-abhyāsaḥ ॥1.32॥ |
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| These (tat) are removed (pratiṣedha-artham) through the practice (abhyāsaḥ) of a single principle (eka-tattva). |
| Commentary After listing the obstacles that disturb practice (sutra 1.30) and their accompanying manifestations (sutra 1.31), Patañjali now offers a remedy that is simple yet profound: focusing on a single principle. The term eka-tattva-abhyāsaḥ should not be understood as a rejection of the variety of experience, but rather as an invitation to cultivate stability through continuity. It means directing the entire field of consciousness toward a single truth, a foundational principle, something so stable and meaningful that it can serve as a steady anchor amidst the chaos of fluctuating mental states. However, this principle may take different forms depending on one’s individual path: for some it will be the conscious breath, for others the sound of a mantra, and for others still a meditative object or a core teaching such as ahimsa. It is not so much a matter of multiplying techniques or objects of focus, but of choosing a path and following it through with constancy and sincerity. Unity (eka) is not a limitation but an anchor. In the whirlwind of distractions, Patañjali recommends unified concentration. It is like holding tightly to a single rope in the current: the firmer the grip, the more one becomes steady, and the more the disturbing factors (citta-vikṣepaḥ) are removed (pratiṣedha). The term artham indicates that this practice has a clear purpose: it is not meditation for its own sake, but a path directed toward transformation. Practice alone is not enough: one must know why they are practising and where they are heading. Clarity of purpose gives direction to repetition and amplifies its power. No wind is favourable to a boat without direction. Finally, the beauty of this sutra also lies in its openness: eka-tattva is not defined. It is left open to personal discovery. The text does not impose a single object, but calls for the unification of the mind. In the Hindu tradition, there is the principle of iṣṭa-devatā (chosen or beloved deity), whereby each practitioner turns to the form of the divine that feels most intimate—not out of dogma, but out of inner affinity. Only that which speaks to you deeply can become a vehicle of the sacred. The openness of this sutra closely resembles this approach: it does not prescribe a fixed object, but leaves space for a personal choice rooted in the heart’s deep resonance. |
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