Sutra 3.06

तस्य भूमिषु विनियोगः॥६॥

tasya bhūmiṣu viniyogaḥ ॥6॥

tasya = its; bhūmiṣu = on the stages or planes; viniyogaḥ = application

Sw. Satchidananda

"Its practice is to be accomplished in stages."

Bryant

"Samyama is applied on the different stages of samadhi."

Taimni

"Its (of Samyama) use by stages."

The goal of yoga, which is attainment of the state of kaivalya, is to be achieved in different stages. One cannot leap to the higher stage by skipping the lower stages. It is like climbing stairs where to reach the top you need to go step-by-step. The only other method mentioned by Patanjali where one can attain the highest samadhi without having to go through all the lower stages is through Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender to Ishvara) (sutra 2.45). As per Vyasa, the only way to know what the next higher stage is through the practice of yoga. He quotes an ancient statement (without providing the source), “Yoga is known by yoga and yoga itself leads to yoga. By remaining steadfast in yoga, one can remain joyfully immersed in it”.

Different commentators have interpreted the term “stages” differently. As per Aranya, the stages are as defined in sutra 1.41:

• samadhi on the object of knowledge (grāhya )
• samadhi on the organ of perception (grahaṇa)
• samadhi on the observer (grahītr̥)
• attainment of the final stage of discriminative discernment ( viveka khyati), ultimately leading to kaivalya (liberation)

The other interpretation is to use the stages defined in sutra 1.17 and subsequently expanded in sutras 1.42 through 1.51:

• Savitarka (awareness of the gross aspect)
• Nirvitarka (without awareness of the gross aspect)
• Savichara (awareness of the subtle aspect)
• Nirvitarka (without awareness of the subtle aspect)
• Ananda (awareness of the state of pure joy)
• Asmita (awareness of just being)
• Nirbija (seedless) samadhi

Vyasa gives the example of “reading others’ thoughts”, which is one of the siddhis (supernormal powers) mentioned in sutra 3.19, as a possible intermediate stage. That, of course, begs the question as to what the other stages are!