Nirbija

Nirbija is a Sanskrit term which means "without seed".

Etymology

The Sanskrit prefix nir- means without.

The term "Bija" carries the specific meaning of a syllable that is used as a mantra or otherwise as the object of meditation. Bija can also mean any object of meditation.

Synonyms

The term Nirvikalpa Samadhi refers to a specific type of dhyana, or meditation, as a "seedless meditation".

Synonymic Sanskrit transliterations in contemporary use are "Savija" or "Saviija" for "With seed", and "Nibija" "Nirvija" or "Nirviija" for "With no seed".

Meditation without seed

The samadhi without seed is a concept used to indicate a spontaneously arrived at state of meditation or Dhyana, considered by Patanjali to be the ultimate goal of Yoga. In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras it is said, "But these three Samyama are only external means compared to the samadhi 'without seed' " [Book 3, 8th Sutra]. Meditation without seed is considered a likely, though unforeseeable, outcome of regularly and properly conducted meditation with object or seed (bija).

In contemporary Yoga, the mental state accompanying Nirbija Samadhi, one of heightened energy and prescient awareness, is generally referred to as the activation of Kundalini, and is seen as a kind of spiritual reward for the yogic practice of Yamas or Niyamas. Actually, in its psychological co-effect, it is similar to, if not the same as Samādhi. Pantanjali seems to indicate that mastery of this state is the supreme end of Yoga. The mundane and observable effect may be the body's reaction to freedom from habitual mentation, amongst other health benefits.

Links to Yoga Texts online

Yoga Sutras in English.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] [8][9]

Yoga Sutras with Interlineaer Translation [10]