The Multiplication Table of Samadhi
New yoga practitioners often carry a persistent question in their minds: When will my practice bear fruit? When I was in the stage of being a seeker, I too was troubled by this question. One day, seizing the opportunity, I asked Mahadev Baba and Gaura Mai: I have read that the ultimate stage of yogic practices is Samadhi. Is that true? And how long will it take me to reach that state?
In response to my questions, Mahadev Baba, in his usual calm yet profoundly resonant voice, taught me an equation. I call it the “Multiplication Table of Samadhi.” You will not find this table in any book or scripture, nor can anyone else teach it to you. Today, I am going to share this table with you. Pay close attention.
1. When the vibration of the Ishta mantra in the para-vani is experienced in the witness of the Prana, it becomes an Ajapa Gayatri pranayama.
2. Twelve such Ajapa Gayatri Pranayamas together form a Pratyahara.
3. Twelve such Pratyaharas together become an Ajapa Gayatri Dharana.
4. Twelve such Dharanas together become an Ajapa Gayatri Dhyana.
5. Twelve such Dhyanas together culminate in an Ajapa Gayatri Samadhi.
To summarize,
1 Pranayama = Ishta mantra in para vaani
1 Pratyahara = 12 Pranayamas
1 Dharana = 12 Pratyaharas
1 Dhyana = 12 Dharanas
1 Samadhi = 12 Dhyanas
After reciting the above “table,” Mahadev Baba fell somewhat silent. I thought the "Padha" (sequence) had ended, because in Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga the final limb is Samadhi. From Pranayama to Samadhi, five limbs were now complete. Listening to this table left me astonished, for in all the texts I had read, I had never seen such a clear explanation of the interconnection and progression of the steps of Ashtanga Yoga—certainly not in relation to Ajapa Gayatri. My mind was swirling with thoughts. Just as I was about to speak, Mahadev Baba gestured toward Gaura Mai. As always, she lovingly placed her hand on my head and began to recite the next part of the table…
I will not share the next steps of the table that Gaura Mai revealed, because they are not meant to be understood by everyone. Therefore, I conclude this “Samadhi Table” here. It is impossible to say how long it will take for someone to fully master this primer of Samadhi. For some, it may take a few years. For others, it may require an entire lifetime of dedicated effort. And yet for some, even more than one lifetime of waiting and practice may be necessary. Whoever truly grasps, realizes, and directly experiences the above table can be said to have attained the genuine fruit of Ajapa Gayatri and the yogic path. A practitioner who has “learned this table by heart” may rightly be considered established in yoga in the truest sense.
You may have used or read about the use of matras (counts or measures) for keeping track of pranayama. As to exactly how long a Matra lasts, the scriptures differ. Sometimes it is defined as the time taken for a blink of the eyes. At other times, it is said to be the duration required to clap three times. In some places, it is considered the time taken to snap the fingers three times. The time needed to circle the little finger around the knee three times is also regarded as one Matra. Likewise, the time taken to move the index finger around the knee and then snap it with the thumb is considered one Matra. The three-and-a-half Matra of the sacred syllable Om are also sometimes used as a measure of duration. The essence is that there is no fixed or universally agreed measure of how long a Matra truly is.
For the Samadhi Table given above, Mahadev Baba told me that the measure to be used is — the vibration of the Ishta mantra in the para-vani (the transcendental voice). This definition is not as simple as it seems. Each person’s Ishta-mantra is different, with varying letters and syllable counts. The vibrational rhythm or frequency of the Paravani (the subtle inner voice) also differs for each individual. Many practitioners barely manage to reach the level of mental repetition (Manasika-japa); reaching the stage of Paravani is an even more distant matter. Therefore, even those who have spent many years on the yogic path may find this definition puzzling and enigmatic. For that reason, I will not go deeper into it today. Perhaps, at another time, I will explain it in detail.
The only purpose behind sharing this Samādhi Table with you is to make you realize how a single practice of Ajapa Gayatri can carry you through the entire journey of the yogic path—from the very beginning to its culmination, and even beyond.
Thus concludes the Samadhi Table.
May Shambhu Mahadev and Girija Mai inspire you all to learn this Samadhi Table. With that heartfelt wish, I bring my writing to a close.