In the depths of spiritual realization, the philosophies of Yoga and Sankhya converge into a single luminous truth. Though their terminologies differ, their core experiences are the same. At the heart of both systems lies the dynamic interplay of Purusha (pure consciousness) and Prakriti (manifest nature) — their merging, their separation, and the seeker’s final liberation.
There is no real difference between the Savikalpa Samadhi of Yoga and the union of Purusha and Prakriti in Sankhya. Likewise, the separation of Purusha described in Sankhya is no different in essence from the Nirvikalpa Samadhi of Yoga. These are simply two lenses — one emphasizing discrimination (viveka), the other absorption (samadhi) — both revealing the same inner reality.
The Dance of Union and the Silence Beyond
Savikalpa Samadhi is the state in which the seeker experiences blissful unity — where form and formlessness meet. The mind becomes still, but subtle awareness of the Self or meditation object remains. There is a sacred presence. This is union with Prakriti, but in full conscious awareness. In Sankhya terms, this is the conscious merging of Purusha and Prakriti — the divine dance between the unchanging witness and the changing cosmos.
But this merging must be complete. If it isn’t, a subtle craving remains. A whisper of incompletion — a lurking desire for a full union never fully lived — becomes a hidden obstacle to transcendence. The seeker, even after reaching great heights, is pulled back to experience what was left halfway.
First, Purusha and Prakriti must fully merge; only then can they fully separate.
Only after fully merging with Prakriti — experiencing her in her totality through Kundalini, dhyana, and deep savikalpa absorption — can the seeker move inward into the final state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Here, all duality vanishes. There is no form, no concept, no “I” to experience anything. Purusha rests in itself. This is Kaivalya, the exact goal described in Sankhya — absolute aloneness of consciousness.
Knowledge Alone is Not Enough: Why Yoga Is Essential
But this transcendence cannot be achieved through intellectual knowledge (Jnana) alone. Sankhya may describe reality with perfect metaphysical clarity, but until the mind is stilled, breath refined, senses withdrawn, and ego softened, Purusha cannot be realized directly. The impressions (samskaras) remain active. Thought cannot dissolve thought.
Jnana tells you where to go. Yoga takes you there.
Sankhya gives the map. Yoga walks the path.
Only then does knowledge become direct realization.
As the Gita says (6.46–47):
“The yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the jnani, greater than the ritualist. Of all yogis, the one who surrenders with inner devotion is the highest.”
Form First, Then Formless: Why Sanatana Dharma Is Scientific
Sankhya rightly explains that Purusha is liberated only after fully observing the drama of Prakriti. And Yoga affirms that Nirvikalpa Samadhi cannot be attained directly — it becomes stable and natural only after Savikalpa Samadhi, where the seeker fully merges with divine form, sound, mantra, or symbol.
This exact progression — from form to formless — is precisely what the Sanatana Dharma system supports through its rich traditions of idol worship (murti puja), mantra, yantra, rituals, and visualization.
These aren’t superstition. They are scientifically aligned with the psychological and energetic evolution of the seeker. Worshipping a form is not worship of stone or metal — it is a conscious method to direct the senses inward, awaken devotion, stabilize the mind, and lead the aspirant from the gross to the subtle.
Idol worship, mantra, and form-based practice are not lower. They are foundational.
Without Savikalpa Samadhi — the heartful merging with form — Nirvikalpa remains either a myth or a mental construct. By trying to jump straight to formless worship without preparatory grounding, many aspirants fall into dry abstraction, confusion, or subtle egoism.
Conclusion: The One Path in Two Languages
In truth, Yoga and Sankhya are not two paths. They are two languages — one based on method, one on clarity — describing one single process of the soul’s return to its origin. And the Sanatana system, with its step-by-step honoring of both form and formless, offers the most natural, scientific, and holistic approach to realization.
Live the union, then go beyond it.
Worship the form, then dissolve into the formless.
Embrace the whole, then transcend the whole.
This is the timeless way. This is Sanatana Dharma.
Demystifying Kundalini 