Is there Vrutti in the state of meditation?

Note: This article is meant for intellectuals only

[A question by Shri G. Lakshman]

Swami Replied:- Vrutti means thought or mental impression or a pulse of awareness. If meditation is in deep sleep state, then there is no Vrutti. Except the state of deep sleep, Vrutti exists always. In waken state and dream state Vrutti exists. If Vrutti does not exist, it is certainly the state of deep sleep only. If you give meditation as an alternative name for the state of deep sleep, we can say that Vrutti does not exist in the state of meditation. But meditation is certainly not the state of deep sleep. In meditation, the devotee is either thinking about the form of God or the qualities of God. The form is the external beauty and the qualities are internal beauty. Meditation of the internal beauty is always a far better meditation because internal beauty is always continuous and permanent. In the case of energetic incarnations, the external beauty is also permanent. It depends on the taste of the devotee whether the devotee is attracted towards external beauty or internal beauty. Both are good in the case of God. In the case of human beings, the external beauty is not important and only the internal beauty is valid. When parents search for a match for their daughter, they give importance to the internal beauty than the external beauty. Anyway, the impression about God exists in meditation, which is called Dhyaana. Samaadhi means the meditation reaching the state of confirmation without any doubt. If such confirmed meditation continues without break, it is called Nirvikalpa Samaadhi. If it breaks now and then, it is called Savikalpa Samaadhi. Impression without any doubt and continuous is the highest state in the sutras of Patanjali.