Chitta Bhumis (चित्तभूमयः)

Chitta Bhumi (Samskrit: चित्तभूमिः) refers to the stage of Chitta in the life of a Sadhaka. There are five chitta bhumis or five stages of chitta or mind, according to Yogasutras of Patanjali.

According to Vyasa bhashya on the Yoga Sutra (1.2) of Maharshi Patanjali, chitta can be in classified into five different states,

क्षिप्तं मूढं विक्षिप्तम् एकाग्रं निरुद्धम् इति चित्तभूमयः।

1. क्षिप्तं ॥ kshipta, a mental force which is scattered, in a state of disarray and neglect
2. मूढं ॥ mũdha, a foolish, confused and dull state
3. विक्षिप्तम् ॥ vikshipta, puzzled, agitated and distracted
4. एकाग्रं ॥ ekāgra, a state of one-pointed attention, concentrated
5. निरुद्धम्॥ niruddha, where everything is restrained, controlled

Chitta Bhumis in Yoga Sutras

These states of mind partake of many physical and psychological characteristics and they are determined by the trigunas - satva, rajas, and tamas. Since there are many shades of each of the gunas, chitta defines itself differently in different people. The mind is possessed of these three qualities, showing as it does the nature of illumination, activity and inertia.

चित्तं हि प्रख्याप्रवृत्तिस्थितिशीलत्वात् त्रिगुणम्। (Vyas. Bhas. on Yoga. Sutr. 1.2)

The relation between the trigunas and chitta is further explained as follows:

क्षिप्तं ॥ Kshipta

Kshipta, is when the mind is distracted by rajasic impulses. In this wandering state mind is distracted by the worldly objects and is extremely unsteady.

It is the state of mind which is always involved in things that cause agitation and anxiety and is involved in worldly affairs and sensuous enjoyment. Its movement towards the objects is very sharp and man is mainly inspired by the outward objects and experiences a mixture of pleasure and pain. Chitta is always in the pursuit of happiness and any amount of dwelling in the vishayas (shabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa, gandha) of the Jnanendriyas will not satiate the desires.

मूढं ॥ Mudha

Mũdha, is when chitta remains inert, as in deep sleep, on account of tamas. Mind remains in a forgetful state of inertia.

Chitta is involved in the things that make one dull and dense the mind due to Tamoguna predominence. Krodha, kaama, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya are the vices that arise in this state. Chitta is unable to take proper decisions and choices, as the discriminatory power is lost. In this state chitta is filled with Vrittis like sleep, laziness, procrastination, pramada etc. Additionally, the person indulges in prohibitive actions that are not to be performed according to the various traditional texts. This state is considered better than Kshipta as it is less disturbed than Kshipta state.

विक्षिप्तम् ॥ Vikshipta

Vikshipta, is when the distraction alternates with tranquility caused by satva. This state is different from the wandering state of kshipta, where relatively steady states of the mind are present.

Due to sattvaguna, sometimes the Chitta attains stability. There is some realization that life is full of sorrows, and leads to bhakti towards Ishvara. But since the Chitta is still vacillating, when sensual pleasures manifest, it loses that stability again. Seen mostly in the virtuous people and Yoga sadhakas who are beginning their sadhana, this state is considered superior to Mudha and Kshipta avasthas.

एकाग्रं ॥ Ekagra

Ekāgra, is when the chitta is stripped of rajasic and tamasic propensities and attains to one-pointedness as a result of the sātvic trait.

Rajoguna and Tamoguna are in a suppressed state. Sattvika vritti being predominant the Sadhaka's mind remains engaged with complete concentration on one subject. When all kinds of external or bahyavrittis cease, the aabhyantara vrittis or internal vrittis persist, the Chitta remains in the state of Ekagra. Yogasadhaka attains the vastu viveka, to realize the true nature of the objects. His kleshas diminish, so do the vasanas (samskaras) and sakama karmas (activities performed with desire for karmaphala). This state of mind is called as Samprajnata samadhi. The Yogi is left with smriti or memory as a remnant in this bhumi.

निरुद्धम् ॥ Niruddha

Niruddha is when all modifications remain totally restrained and exist only as potencies (Iyengar, 1993; Subramanian, 2008).

Due to the continuous and intense practice of Tapa, Svadhyaya and Dhyana, the vrittis of the chitta, in a Yogasadhaka, completely cease and what remains is the Yadartha jnana or Pure knowledge from Samprajnata samadhi remains as a samskara in this state. In Asamprajnata samadhi the vrittis dissolve and the smriti of Samprajnata samadhi also cease and the Yogi attains the highest state of Niruddha. Such is the state of Siddha yogis.

Chitta returns to the Moola Prakriti or its original state in two conditions:

1. In a Jivanmukta, when he attains Moksha.
2. At the time of Pralaya, Chitta returns to the Moola Prakriti, however, when the creation starts, Chitta manifests again.

Chittabhumi based Personality

Although the concept of chitta bhumike was contributed by Vyāsa, over a period of time various philosophers, practitioners, experts and scholars have given different explanations and interpretations. They have noted that practice of Yoga system of Patanjali essentially involves a change in the chitta bhũmike, the state of mind, and it is only when a person is predominantly characterized by a vikshipta state of mind he/she will be drawn towards spirituality. Kshipta and mũdha states of mind are materialistically oriented and a person who is predominated by inertness and distractions will not have any inclination towards practicing yoga as a way of life.

पञ्चभूमयः ॥ Chitta Bhumis in Vedanta

According to Vedanta, the various chitta bhumis are described as follows

आसुरसम्पल्लोकशास्त्रदेहवासनासु वर्त्तमानं चित्तं क्षिप्तभूमिका । १ । निद्रातन्द्रादिग्रस्तं चित्तं मूढभूमिका । २ । कदाचिद्ध्यानयुक्तं चित्तं क्षिप्ताद्विशिष्टतया विक्षिप्तभूमिका । ३ । तत्र क्षिप्त-मूढयोः समाधित्वशङ्कैव नास्ति विक्षिप्ते तु समाधित्वशङ्का तदितरत् भूमिद्बयं समाधिः । एकाग्रे मनसि सम्भूतमर्थं प्रद्योतयति क्षिणोति च क्लेशान् कर्म्मबन्धनानि श्लथयति निरोधमभिमुखीकरोतीति सः प्रज्ञातो योग एकाग्र-भूमिका । ४ । सर्व्ववृत्तिनिरोधरूपा संप्रज्ञात-समाधिर्निरुद्धभूमिका । ५ । इति वेदान्तसंज्ञा-निरूपणग्रन्थः ॥

The chitta engaged in Asuric (having asuric) qualities, pleasures, worldly ways not living as per the shastric (injunctions), and in sensual propensities is said to be in Kshipta avastha.

That chitta caught in sleep, laziness and lassitude is said to be in Mudha avastha.

When the chitta has the qualities opposite to those in Kshipta yet sometimes being in the state of Dhyana is said to be Vikshipta.

In the states of Kshipta and Mudha there is no doubt that chitta will not reach samadhi state, but in the Vikshipta state chitta definitely experiences some periods of Samadhi.

The Samadhi state is verily present in the other two Bhumis, viz., Ekagra and Niruddha. Ekagra is when the mind is illumined with yatartha jnana, destroys grief, loosens the bonds of karma and takes the person to the state of that yoga leading to Niruddha.

Niruddha is when the chitta is totally restrained from outward influences and the engages in samprajnata samadhi.