4.29 – One who is no longer interested in even gathering the fruits of meditation, who always abides in intuitive knowledge, becomes absorbed in the cloud of virtue.

प्रसंख्यानेऽप्यकुसीदस्य सर्वथा विवेकख्यातेः धर्ममेघस्समाधिः ॥२९॥

prasankhyane api akusidasya sarvatha viveka khyateh dharma-meghah samadhih

  • prasankhyane – collecting or gathering; sum of money; total number; knowledge arising from meditation; fruits of meditation; multitude of benefits of yoga practice
  • api – even; also; too; though
  • akusidasya – no longer interested in
  • sarvatha – at all times; in all ways; completely; altogether
  • viveka-khyateh – discerning knowledge; discriminative awareness; clear intuitive knowledge
  • dharma-meghah – cloud of dharma; cloud of virtue
  • samadhih – unity consciousness; union of subject and object; bringing together; deep absorption

4.30 – That highest samadhi dissolves all painful barriers and karmic conditionings.

ततः क्लेशकर्मनिवृत्तिः ॥३०॥

tatah klesha karma nivrittih

  • tatah – due to that; from that
  • klesha – afflicting; pain causing; troublesome; distressing; the painful barriers to samadhi
  • karma – actions; work; deeds; the fruits of actions
  • nivrittih – no movement; inactivity

4.31 – Then, all the veils of impurity are pulled back, infinite knowledge is revealed, and little remains to be known.

तदा सर्वावरणमलापेतस्य ज्ञानस्यानन्त्यात् ज्ञेयमल्पम् ॥३१॥

tada sarva avarana mala apetasya jnanasya anantyat jneyam alpam

  • tada – then
  • sarva – all; every
  • avarana – covering; hiding; veiling
  • mala – impurity
  • apetasya – removed
  • jnanasya – of knowledge; of awareness
  • anantyat – infinite; eternal
  • jneyam – to be known; perceptible
  • alpam – little

Commentary on Sutras 4.29—4.31:

Cultivating higher intuitive knowledge can be likened to sharpening the sword of truth. We use the blade to cut through all the painful barriers, all the layers and layers of veils which have blocked our view of Awareness.

There comes a point when we’re not even interested in attaining higher states because we’ve learned that those states come and go. We wish to abide in That which is beyond all comings and goings.

Then, we enter a special and mysterious form of samadhi called dharammegha samadhi, which translates as “the cloud of virtue.” Dharammega samadhi is a state of pure sattva that dissolves all our remaining kleshas and samskaras.

In the stages leading up to this, our actions became increasingly constructive, life-enhancing, and aligned with our spiritual growth. Those constructive actions created positive samskaras. The positive samskaras neutralized harmful ones and increased our tendencies toward more positive action.

In dharammegha samadhi, as I currently understand it, our positive actions have culminated in a state of pure sattva. We’re still under the influence of sattva guna, but rajas and tamas have no more control over us.

The light is dispersing all of the remaining obstacles to our path. That radiant “cloud of virtue” is dissolving all residual impurities and revealing infinite knowledge. When the process plays itself out, little will remain to be known.