The Hymn of Samadhi or A Hymn of Samadhi was a song written by Swami Vivekananda. The song was originally written in Bengali as Nahi surjo, nahi jyoti or Pralay. Later the song was translated into English and was added into "The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda" as The Hymn of Samadhi.[1][2]
নাহি সূর্য নাহি জ্যোতিঃ নাহি শশাঙ্ক সুন্দর।
ভাসে ব্যোমে ছায়া-সম ছবি বিশ্ব-চরাচর॥
অস্ফুট মন আকাশে, জগত সংসার ভাসে,
ওঠে ভাসে ডুবে পুনঃ অহং-স্রোতে নিরন্তর॥
ধীরে ধীরে ছায়া-দল, মহালয়ে প্রবেশিল,
বহে মাত্র ‘আমি আমি’ — এই ধারা অনুক্ষণ॥
সে ধারাও বদ্ধ হল, শূন্যে শূন্য মিলাইল,
‘অবাঙমনসোগোচরম্’, বোঝে — প্রাণ বোঝে যার॥[4]
Theme
In the song Vivekananda tries to narrate the experiences of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.[4] To explain Nirvikalpa Samadhi, he says, (during Nirvikalpa Samadhi), he experiences an environment where he sees neither the Sun, nor the moon, nor any kind of light. He observes the whole universe as floating in the sky like a shadow. He sees the universe— rising, floating and sinking— and this goes on ceaselessly. Very slowly, the shadow-multitude enters the primal-womb, and only the current remains, which keeps on buzzing— "I am", "I am". Slowly, that current ceases too, "void merges into void" and he experiences a stage of samadhi which, he feels, is Abngmanasagocharam (beyond mind and speech).[3]
Vivekananda talked on Nirvikalpa Samadhi on another occasion—[5]
If the creation is false, then you can also regard the Nirvikalpa Samadhi of Jiva and his return therefrom as seeming appearances. Jiva is Brahman by his nature. How can he have any experience of bondage? Your desire to realise the truth that you are Brahman is also a hallucination in that case -- for the scripture says, "You are already that." Therefore, "(Sanskrit)— this is verily your bondage that you are practising the attainment of Samadhi."
