Sutras 1.21 & 1.22 are about how we manifest the state of samadhi.
Pantanjali says that there are 3 categories of people on this path of enlightenment. The 3 groups of people can either want samadhi a little, a little more, or a lot.
Mṛdu: a little. There are people who want Samadhi a little. They have the curiosity, they have the passing thought - but they don’t have the commitment to see it through. This was me when I first started yoga - I was taking asana classes every day, but I was still binge drinking alcohol every single night. I didn’t want it enough to stop my self-sabatoging ways.
Madhya: a little more. The people who want samadhi a medium intensity might get further on the path - but any obstacle leads them to give up. This would be me after I became a yoga teacher, and then moved across the world to the middle east. Lost without my yoga community, depressed, and disillusioned with the struggles of my new life - I lost any sense of belief in something bigger than myself. And any strides I had obtained towards this state were lost.
The third group of people - Adhimatratvat - they are the ones who want it ALOT. They are the ones who will do whatever it takes to achieve this state of samadhi. The people who want it alot are the only ones who will get there. They are the ones who actually study the sutras, actually do the daily yoga, actually commit to the process.
When I read about this sutra, I saw so many paralels to life. Pantanjali may be speaking only of Samadhi here - but I think he’s speaking of so many other things as well.
I’ve seen so many people try to quit drinking, but not want it badly enough to do whatever it takes to stay sober.
I’ve seen so many people want to build a business, but not want it badly enough to do whatever it takes to quit their jobs and run it full time.
Samadhi is like anything in life.
If you want Samadhi, you have to want it alot.
Pantanjali is not just going to knock on your door and present it to you.
This is yoga.