Sutra 2.10

Translation Knowledge is the withdrawal (of the universe); from that arises the vision of dreams.

Meaning In the path of Shakti, or Shaktopaya, the practitioner moves beyond gross physical effort into the realm of mind and energy. Here, vidya refers not to book learning but to the intuitive recognition of consciousness itself. The term samhara denotes a deliberate withdrawal or dissolution of attention from the external world of objects. When the seeker stops projecting awareness outward toward sensory inputs and instead draws that energy back into its source, the external universe effectively collapses into the inner space of the mind.

From this collected state of inward focus, the vision of dreams arises. This is not merely the random firing of neurons during sleep, but the conscious experience of the mind's own creative power. In this state, the practitioner realizes that the world they perceive is made of the same substance as their dreams: both are projections of consciousness. By witnessing the dream world emerge from the void of withdrawn attention, one understands that the waking world is equally a manifestation of the same divine energy, proving that the observer and the observed are non-dual.

Contemplation Throughout your day, practice a mini-samhara every hour. Pause for ten seconds and consciously withdraw your attention from all sights, sounds, and bodily sensations. Imagine pulling your awareness back from the edges of your body into the center of your heart or the space behind your eyes. In that brief moment of internal silence, notice how the world disappears from your immediate experience while you remain fully present. Recognize that this inner space, which persists even when the outer world is mentally withdrawn, is the same canvas upon which both your dreams and your waking life are painted.