Last updated: December 21, 2023
What Does
Alabdha-bhumikatva Mean?
Alabdha-bhumikatva is one of the nine antaraya, or obstacles to spiritual growth, according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and is the inability to attain a particular stage or state on the path to enlightenment. From Sanskrit, alabdha means “unobtained”; bhum means “earth,” suggesting groundedness and stability; and katva means “bed,” suggesting a sense of comfort and stability.
The reasons for alabdha-bhumikatva can be wide-ranging, but inner issues such as self-doubt, procrastination and lack of motivation are most common.
Yogapedia Explains Alabdha-bhumikatva
The antaraya, including alabdha-bhumikatva, prevent mental clarity and lead to suffering. The Sutras name nine of these obstacles to union with the Divine:
- Vyadhi, or disease/sickness
- Styana, or fixation
- Samsaya, or doubt
- Pramada, or impulsiveness and carelessness
- Alasya, or lethargy
- Avirati, or intemperance
- Bhrantidarsana, or distorted self-esteem, which can be either positive or negative
- Alabdha-bhumikatva
- Anavasthitatvani, which is the failure to maintain a yogic state once it has been achieved
In more general terms, alabdha-bhumikatva is the inability to reach a desired goal or to progress on the path to that goal. In Buddhist philosophy, it is the sense that it is impossible to see reality.
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