Shloka 17
Vānaprastha-vṛtti and the Transition toward the Fourth Āśrama (वानप्रस्थवृत्तिः चतुर्थाश्रमोपक्रमश्च)
निर्मुच्यमान: सूक्ष्मत्वाद् रूपाणीमानि पश्यत: । शैशिरस्तु यथा धूम: सूक्ष्म: संश्रयते नभ:
nirmucyamānaḥ sūkṣmatvād rūpāṇīmāni paśyataḥ | śaiśirastu yathā dhūmaḥ sūkṣmaḥ saṃśrayate nabhaḥ ||
Vyāsa said: When a practitioner is being freed from identification with the gross body and remains established in meditation, then—because his vision has become subtle—certain signs and forms appear to him. At the beginning, while fixing the mind in the contemplation of earth, it seems as though a fine veil, like winter mist or smoke, subtly spreads through and clings to the whole sky.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
As one loosens identification with the gross body and becomes steady in meditation, perception refines; early meditative stages may present subtle visual signs. These are described not as ends in themselves but as indicators of increasing subtlety and concentration.
Vyāsa is describing experiential markers encountered by a sādhaka during dhāraṇā. In the initial phase—specifically while contemplating the earth element—the meditator perceives a fine haze, like winter mist, seeming to cover the sky.