Dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation)and samadhi (absorption) are not necessarily practices. They are states of being. These states happen when the mind has achieved sufficient purity with its one-pointedness after years of tireless practice and devotion.
It is for that reason that the three together—called samyama or very well disciplined—find their place in the Vibhooti Pada or the third part. This part is nothing but a manifestation of the results of hard practice and correction of errors that were learnt individually through the teachings in the Sadhana Padah.
Dhyanam or meditation is entertaining one continuous vision all the time. In dhyanam, the mind begins to concentrate on an object and with our physical effort, the mind keeps running behind any object. Just as an estuary of the masculine Brahmaputra river culminates in the ocean directly, our work should also not take us so far away from the reality.
In meditation, when there is no one particular name or form appearing, the dhyana should be on some continuous flow of thought. The gap between knowing something within and being in a settled state of mind is called samadhi. When the thought pattern ends, this state also has an end. The combination of these three is called samyama and it comes from the words samyak yama or very well controlled. The three results of concentration, meditation and dissolution into the total mind are an internal process.
When the object of focus, concentration and meditation begins to merge, then the state of samadhi is said to be reached. In samadhi the difference between the meditator, the meditation and the object on which one meditates vanishes. In an example of climbing a flight of stairs to reach the terrace, at first you get accustomed to the steps and focus on it as you climb. That is dharana. Then as you climb, you have achieved a state of ease and a mind that can afford to be within and contemplate i.e. dhyana. Once you begin to contemplate on a statement of truth or the Pranava Mantra, you feel as if you have lost your own name and form and only the contemplation remains. That is arriving at the terrace of samadhi. Yogi and Shaivaite saint Sadasiva Brahmendra Saraswati has written a commentary on the Patanjali Yoga Sutra which explains samadhi as ‘Samyak aadheeyate ekagrikriyate yat manaha saha samadhi—that mind which delves well and deeply after becoming completely integrated is samadhi.
In this state of samyama, the differences between one another, between god and the world and between god and our own self begin to merge completely.
Having conquered this state, the individual reaches the supreme state of consciousness through which this world can be seen.
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