3.29 Samyama on the polestar

3.29 Meditative integration (samyama) on the polestar unveils the movements of the stars.

By being virtually fixed, the pole star has been a dependable bright indicator of the location of the north pole for navigation for centuries. It makes sense to use it also as a reference to see more clearly how other stars seem to trail around the pole star.
If you choose to focus your attention fully on the pole star, can you learn about the movement of other stars?
Does retreating to an area where there is no light pollution, where stars are more easily visible, contribute to helping you feel more integrated with nature and the universe at large?
When you look at the stars in the sky, the history of the Universe is sending light signals to you from the depth of time. What is the direct experience of observing the night sky?
When you contemplate the night sky, some of those lights may be the only remains of stars that disappeared long ago.
How does it feel to investigate the past of the cosmos?
Is it possible that the movements of the stars influence you, your thoughts, and your mood?
To try a different approach, you can contemplate this question:
What is the reference point that you use to guide your thoughts, intentions, actions, and interactions?

As usual, one more way of exploring the meaning of this sutra is by chanting it.
You can choose to chant it in its traditional form with some of the words coming together:

3.29 dhruve tadgatijñānam
ध्रुवे तद्गतिज्ञानम् ॥२९॥

Another option is to chant each word in the sutra individually:

• dhruve
• tat
• gati
• jñānam

If you prefer, you may listen to the podcast:

This is an excerpt from the book Unravel the thread: Applying the ancient wisdom of yoga to live a happy life

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