समाधिपादsamādhi-pāda · the quarter on absorption
Samādhi-pāda, the book of absorption
2 min read · Updated October 17, 2026 · sources checked October 17, 2026
In short
Samādhi-pāda is the first of the four books of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras, with 51 sutras. It defines yoga as the stilling of the movements of the mind (1.2), names the five movements, gives the two great means, practice and non-attachment (1.12), offers devotion to Īśvara and the repetition of Om, lists nine obstacles, and ends with seedless absorption (1.51).
The book in one paragraph
The first book of the Yoga Sutras is the map. In 51 sutras Patañjali defines yoga, describes what moves in the mind, gives the means to still it, offers a second path through devotion, names what gets in the way and what clears it, and climbs the stages of absorption up to the one "without seed". The chapter ending of the Sanskrit edition gives the name: prathamaḥ samādhipādaḥ, the first quarter, on absorption. Vyāsa, the oldest commentator, says at the start of book 2 that what came before was yoga "for one whose mind is concentrated".
The plan, sutra by sutra
| Sutras | Theme |
|---|---|
| 1.1-1.4 | The teaching begins; definition of yoga; the seer in its own nature, or identified with the movements |
| 1.5-1.11 | The five movements (vṛtti): valid knowledge, error, verbal construction, sleep, memory |
| 1.12-1.16 | The two means: practice (abhyāsa) and non-attachment (vairāgya) |
| 1.17-1.22 | Absorption with an object and beyond it; faith, energy, memory, absorption, wisdom; intensity |
| 1.23-1.29 | Surrender to Īśvara, the Lord; Om, his name; repetition with its meaning |
| 1.30-1.32 | Nine obstacles, their companions, one remedy: practice on a single principle |
| 1.33-1.39 | Ways to make the mind clear and steady |
| 1.40-1.51 | Mastery, the forms of coalescence (samāpatti), truth-bearing wisdom, seedless absorption |
Key sutras
The definition (1.2), set out word by word on its own page, yoga citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ:
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः ॥
yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ ||
Yoga is the stilling of the movements of the mind.
The two wings (1.12).
अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः ॥
abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ ||
They are stilled through practice and non-attachment.
What makes practice solid (1.14).
स तु दीर्घकालनैरन्तर्यसत्कारासेवितो दृढभूमिः ॥
sa tu dīrgha-kāla-nairantarya-satkārāsevito dṛḍha-bhūmiḥ ||
And it becomes firmly grounded when it is cultivated for a long time, without interruption, and with care.
Word by word: sa, it (the practice); tu, and, but; dīrgha-kāla, a long time; nairantarya, without interruption; satkāra, care, respect; āsevitaḥ, cultivated, devoted to; dṛḍha-bhūmiḥ, of firm ground. Vyāsa explains satkāra as practice carried out with discipline, chastity, knowledge and faith.
The second path (1.23, 1.27-1.28).
ईश्वरप्रणिधानाद्वा ॥
īśvara-praṇidhānād vā ||
Or through surrender to the Lord.
तस्य वाचकः प्रणवः ॥
tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ ||
His name is the sacred syllable.
तज्जपस्तदर्थभावनम् ॥
taj-japas tad-artha-bhāvanam ||
Its repetition, and dwelling on its meaning.
The praṇava is Om. Patañjali's Īśvara is a special puruṣa, untouched by afflictions and karma (1.24), the teacher of the ancients (1.26). The practice, repeating Om while holding its meaning in mind, is set out on Om and mantra meditation.
The nine obstacles (1.30). Illness, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, craving, false perception, failure to reach a stage, and failure to stay there. Sutra 1.31 adds their companions: pain, dejection, trembling of the limbs, and disturbed inhalation and exhalation. One remedy: practice on a single principle (1.32).
The four attitudes (1.33).
मैत्रीकरुणामुदितोपेक्षाणां सुखदुःखपुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातश्चित्तप्रसादनम् ॥
maitrī-karuṇā-muditopekṣāṇāṃ sukha-duḥkha-puṇyāpuṇya-viṣayāṇāṃ bhāvanātaś citta-prasādanam ||
The mind becomes clear by cultivating friendliness towards the happy, compassion towards those who suffer, gladness towards the virtuous, and equanimity towards those who do wrong.
Word by word: maitrī, friendliness; karuṇā, compassion; muditā, gladness; upekṣā, equanimity, looking on without involvement; sukha, the happy; duḥkha, the suffering; puṇya, the meritorious; apuṇya, the unmeritorious; bhāvanātaḥ, from cultivating; citta-prasādanam, the clearing of the mind. Vyāsa: from this a "bright" quality arises, and the clear mind becomes one-pointed.
The end of the book (1.51).
तस्यापि निरोधे सर्वनिरोधान्निर्बीजः समाधिः ॥
tasyāpi nirodhe sarva-nirodhān nirbījaḥ samādhiḥ ||
When even that is stilled, everything being stilled, there is absorption without seed.
"That" is the impression left by truth-bearing wisdom (1.48-1.50). Even the highest knowledge is finally let go.
What it changes for your practice
- A simple test. Is this practice reducing the agitation of my mind, or adding to it? That is the definition at work.
- Two wings, not one. Regular effort (1.13-1.14) without letting go becomes strain; letting go without effort becomes drift.
- Name the obstacle. A week of doubt or dullness is not failure: Patañjali lists it in advance (1.30). Return to one object.
- Start with attitudes. Sutra 1.33 needs no cushion: try it with one person today. Then sit, with a simple meditation and, if you like, Om.
The second book, Sādhana-pāda, turns this map into a practice for the restless mind.
Questions people ask
How many sutras are in Samadhi Pada?
51, in every common edition, from 1.1 (atha yogānuśāsanam) to 1.51 (seedless absorption).
Where can I read Samadhi Pada in Sanskrit?
GRETIL (University of Göttingen) publishes the full Sanskrit text of the Yoga Sutras, alone or with Vyāsa's commentary, free to read and print. Philipp A. Maas published a critical edition of this first book in 2006.
What does samadhi pada mean?
Pāda means foot, hence a quarter of a work; samādhi means absorption. The name comes from the chapter colophon: the quarter on absorption.
Is Samadhi Pada for beginners?
According to Vyāsa, book 1 sets out yoga for one whose mind is already concentrated, and book 2 begins for the distracted mind. In practice, beginners read book 1 for the map and book 2 for what to do.
Sources
- Patañjali, Yogasūtra, Sanskrit text, ed. Āgāśe 1904, digitised by Philipp A. Maas (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 17, 2026
- Patañjali, Yogasūtra with Vyāsa's Yogabhāṣya, Sanskrit text (GRETIL) checked October 17, 2026
- Philipp A. Maas, A Concise Historiography of Classical Yoga Philosophy (2013, pre-print on Zenodo) checked October 17, 2026
- James Haughton Woods, The Yoga-System of Patañjali, Harvard Oriental Series 17 (1914), Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026