Deep Understanding of Virama Pratyaya Abhyasa Purvah Samskara Seso Nyah – The Path to the Highest State of Yoga

The phrase Virama Pratyaya Abhyasa Purvah Samskara Seso Nyah appears in Yoga Sutra 1.18 of Sage Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. It is a profound concept that describes a subtle and advanced stage of meditation, known as Asamprajnata Samadhi or the state beyond all mental impressions and cognition. To understand this sutra deeply, it is essential to explore the meaning and essence of each term within it.

The word “Virama” means cessation or complete stopping. It refers to the total quieting of the mind’s modifications (vrittis). “Pratyaya” refers to the mental content or the thought patterns that arise in the mind. “Abhyasa Purvah” means preceded by practice — indicating that such cessation doesn’t happen suddenly; it is the result of consistent and dedicated practice of concentration and meditation. “Samskara Seso Nyah” refers to the remaining subtle impressions (samskaras) that persist even after the mind becomes still. These impressions are residues of past actions and thoughts, and although inactive, they still exist as potential seeds.

When put together, Virama Pratyaya Abhyasa Purvah Samskara Seso Nyah describes the meditative state where all active mental processes have ceased due to long and disciplined practice (abhyasa), and only the latent impressions (samskaras) remain. This is the transitional phase between Sabija Samadhi (meditation with seed) and Nirbija Samadhi (meditation without seed). It represents a point where the yogi is no longer disturbed by thoughts or sensory distractions, yet the subtlest impressions of existence still remain within the subconscious.

This sutra teaches that the journey toward self-realization involves gradual refinement. Through continuous abhyasa, the practitioner learns to still the mind by detaching from thoughts, emotions, and memories. The Virama Pratyaya, or the idea of cessation, becomes the focus of meditation, where even the act of meditating dissolves. The yogi experiences a vast inner silence — a state beyond intellect, where consciousness shines in its purest form.

However, Samskara Seso Nyah reminds us that the process is not complete until even these residual impressions are dissolved. These subtle traces can pull the mind back into activity if not transcended. Thus, the yogi continues the practice until there is total freedom from both active and latent conditioning — leading to Nirbija Samadhi, the ultimate liberation.

In essence, Virama Pratyaya Abhyasa Purvah Samskara Seso Nyah signifies the highest refinement of meditation where the practitioner rests in pure awareness, untouched by mental fluctuations or karmic impressions. It symbolizes the threshold between effort and effortless being — where the seeker merges with the infinite consciousness.

This teaching reminds us that the path of yoga is not merely about stopping thoughts but about transforming the very fabric of the mind through steady practice and surrender. The phrase encapsulates the culmination of abhyasa (discipline), vairagya (detachment), and samadhi (absorption) — guiding the practitioner from the turbulence of mind to the stillness of the Self.