a seeker in search of Easter Eggs
Authentic
The Yoga Yajnavalkya is an ancient text. Its origin has been traced to the period between the second century B.C.E. and fourth century C.E. Its very age lends credibility to the authenticity of the views on yoga expounded therein.
Further more, its high regard during Vedic times as an authentic yoga text is readily apparent from the fact that many well-known yoga texts of later times, including the well-known Hatha yoga pradipika of Svatmarama, the Yoga Kundalini and Yoga Tattva Upanishads, and so on, either quote extensively or make frequent references to the Yoga Yajnavalkya.
For Everyone
The method of Yoga described in this text is both comprehensive and universally applicable. Age, sex, race, caste and occupation pose no hurdles for the sincere practitioner.
Not Just for Monks
This text clearly establishes that Sanyasa, in the strictest sense of or becoming a renunciate monk, is not a prerequisite for the achievement of freedom (moksha). Indeed, it is well-known that many ancient Vedic rishis, including Yajnavalkya himself, were householders.
Gender Neutral
Partly as a consequence or illustration of the last point, the text takes the form of a conversation between a husband and wife. Yajnavalkya explains the principles and practice of Yoga, the path to freedom, to Gargi, his wife. This didactic structure itself dispels the false notion that, during Vedic times, Yoga and other spiritual practices were followed only by men and not by women. The Yoga Yajnavalkya demonstrates that Vedic culture provided women with equal opportunities and encouragement for their spiritual pursuits to attain freedom.
Demystifying Kundalini
This book dispels much of the aura of mystery surrounding the concept of Kundalini, by explaining it logically and relating it to other tenets and concepts in Vedic thought, such as Agni, Prana, the nadis, and so on.
Expounding on Pranayama
A highly prominent feature of this text, which clearly sets it apart from other texts on yoga, is the comprehensive discussion of Pranayama. Up to a hundred slokas are devoted to elucidating the various techniques, applications and results of Pranayama. The text also discusses the use of Pranayama as a therapeutic tool, its role in Ayurveda, and methods for incorporating Pranayama with Pratyahara, Dharana and the other limbs of Patanjali yoga.
Deities - forms and no forms
This book provides insight into the various forms of meditation practised - during the Vedic period. Perhaps most importantly, it addresses the issue of how we can use forms (Sagona Brahman, or God with form) to go beyond form (Nirguna Brahman, or the Godhead). The distinction between these two aspects of the Deity and their relationships is crucial because worship of a Deity with form (Sa-guna) was so often mistaken for mere idol worship. However, the voluntary limitation of God's omnipotence for purposes of worship and meditation by His believers, in order to realize the transcendent, is absolutely fundamental to Vedic thought and indeed forms the root of so-called "Hindu Polytheism."
Pre-dating Established Yoga Texts
In 1975, I began study of the Yoga Yajnavalkya, a very ancient, comprehensive, authentic and logical exposition of the practice of Yoga, with my teacher, Sri T. Krishnamacharya. Although there are many other, better-known texts on Yoga, such as the Hathayogapradipika, Gheranda Samhita, Siva Samhita, Yoga Kundalini Upanishad, and Yogatattvopanishad, he regarded this as one of the most important yoga text. This is partly because all of these later texts have borrowed slokas (verses) from the Yoga Yajnavalkya.
Deep into Kundalini and Pranayama
As I studied this text, over years, reflecting on it, continuing to practice and teach yoga, the depths of its practical teachings began to unfold. For example, I have found the Pranayama techniques discussed in this text to be very useful in my teaching. I have translated this book primarily from the point of view of a yoga teacher and practitioner. Some sections of this text were not clear to me, especially in the area of Kundalini. However, my studies in the last decade on other areas of Vedic sciences like Ayurveda, Saktatantra etc. helped to clear some of these doubts. This translation is based on the BBRA Society Monograph, No.3, Bombay, 1954. The BBRA publication contains 506 verses and has been collated from 16 ancient manuscripts. (Refer Appendix I for other details).
Pranayama: Spiritual and Therapeutic Applications
Furthermore, as outlined later, there are several features which are unique to this text. From a practical point of view, the most striking feature of this text is the detailed explanation of the spiritual and the therapeutic applications of Pranayama, the science of controlling the vital currents by way of breath control. Western readers may find several aspects of the Vedic tradition implicitly assumed or explicitly discussed herein somewhat difficult to follow. For example, the chapter on meditation (Dhyana) describes the imaging of the Divine as "with form" (saguna) for meditative purposes. This practice is derived directly from the Vedic tradition, which prescribes meditation on a particular form of the Divine (saguna Brahman; for example, Siva or Vishnu) as a method to reach the transcendent, formless Deity (nirguna Brahman; or the Godhead, in Western theology).
Varnashrama Dharma: Division of Labor (Caste system?)
Also, the text places rather great importance on the Vedic concept of Varnashrama Dharma, the division of labor in traditional Vedic society (caste system?) and the corresponding four stages of life. Although I have tried to briefly explain the significance of Varnashrama Dharma and its centrality in the Vedic tradition, I realize that the fuller discussion necessary to do it justice is beyond the scope of this book. The reader should bear in mind, however, that the yoga teachings described herein can, then as now, only be fully appreciated and realized within the context of an entire way of live.
Carvaka: Quest for Happiness
All human beings, regardless of race, sex, caste, creed or nationality, have one common goal: to become happy and remain that way always. We all orient our actions to attain this goal. One of the earliest known non-Vedic Indian philosophies echoed this desire in its teaching, "Let us eat, drink and be merry". The version of this materialistic philosophy which existed during Vedic days was called "Carvaka." As per this viewpoint, the so-called soul is merely a conscious body, enjoyment is the only purpose of human life, and death is liberation.
Sankhya: Enquiry into the nature of Reality
Sankhya philosophy, probably the oldest of the six Darsanas ("views" or schools) of Vedic wisdom to be discussed in more detail later, challenged these conclusions of the Materialist school by questioning its very foundations. Sankhya, a word derived from a Sanskrit root meaning "right knowledge," means "enquiry." An enquiry into the nature of the world and its constituents reveals that everything, all living beings, inanimate objects, and every potential ' source of sensory pleasure or displeasure, undergo change.
Fluctuations in the Material World
Our interactions with the external world can produce pleasure at one time but pain at another time. But it is not simply that different people, situations or objects produce pain (or pleasure) the same way every time. The same person, object or activity maybe agreeable at one time but disagreeable or annoying at another. For example, a cold drink on a hot day can be quite refreshing, but a dozen cold drinks would lose their taste or make our sinuses ache. Likewise, a woollen jacket may be quite cozy in winter but unbearably hot in summer. And so also with persons: A newlywed spouse may be an angel at 20 yet become a demon at 30, even as she becomes an angel for someone else! These seeming changes are due to the ceaseless flux of our minds. In addition, natural calamities may interfere with our pleasure, for example, our dream home in the Sierra Nevadas might be destroyed in a mud slide without insurance for water damage, or a typhoon might hit Bangladesh, destroy everything in its path and cause widespread human suffering. Everything in the world changes ceaselessly and it is this very impermanence which seems to be at the root of all our disturbances, disappointments and heartbreaks.
Seer: the Non-reactive Witness
However, we can occasionally glimpse an entity within us which observes events yet remains apart and unchanged by fluctuation in our mind or in the external world. This entity seems to endure beyond change. Sankhya philosophy taught that change, in the form of the decay of a desirable situation, or the failure of a better situation to materialize, lies at the root of our unhappiness and our problems. The Sankhya solution is to search within ourselves to find and comprehend this entity, the changeless Seer. To remain as this changeless Seer constitutes the state of total freedom. This is what all of us are looking for. All other desires ultimately stem from this desire to be free from the contingencies of external circumstances. Even our quest for money or power can be seen as an expression of this desire to be free.
Individual vs Society
The Vedas proposed the means to reach that state of total freedom. The Vedas also proposed how to live harmoniously at the individual level and how to live with honour in the larger society. They suggested that all actions have consequences, for the individual as well as for society. As something happens within one, the other is affected. Therefore the Vedic seers laid down the code of conduct in the form of Varnashrama Dharma, which allowed proper interpersonal relationship and also provided yoga as a means for personal freedom. In other words, the Vedas provided the means to attain personal freedom with proper interpersonal relationship.
Seer, Seen and the Divine
To understand clearly what the Vedas propose, it is first essential to understand the nature of several philosophical entities discussed in the Vedic viewpoints and the relationships between them. These entities were inferred from attempts to answer questions that face a sincere seeker of truth, questions such as "Who am I", "Where did this world come from" and "What happens to me and this world after death" and so on. The Vedas suggested answers to these questions by positing three fundamental entities in the universe: the Seer (you and me, the observer), the Seen (the material world and all its fluctuations) and the Divine (God). For our purposes, we will use the word "Seer" to denote the changeless observer (known variously as jiva, atman, or Purusha), and "Seen" for the changing world of the mind, matter and senses (also known as Prakrti or Maya), and the Divine to denote God both without form (nirguna, or the Godhead) and with form (saguna, or God in a personalized form, like Siva or Vishnu). The following discussion is an overview intended for a general understanding of the concepts and entities involved in Vedic thought and discussed in the Yoga Yajnavalkya, and should not be mistaken for an in-depth critique or analysis of the different philosophies.
Seen
The Seen consists of the external world of the senses and also includes the mind. In Vedic thought, the Seen consists of the three qualities or gunas: sattva or purity, rajas or passion, and tamas or dullness. Our mind is unsteady, changing from moment to moment as it becomes attracted and attached to various sensory or mental objects, one after the other. Because we mistakenly identify ourself with our mind, we continually shift along with it, from one sense object, thought or desire to another. This constant motion among external sense objects results in either pleasure or pain, depending on whether our desires or aversions for sensory objects are temporarily satisfied or not. Continual oscillation is normal so long as we are completely enveloped by the mind. During sleep, the mind recedes and we are completely lost to the world. Yet the moment we awaken, the mind returns and we begin the process of mistaken identification with it all over again. The fact that we continued to exist while we were asleep, even though our mind was absent, suggests there must be an entity other than the mind, continuously underlying our varied experience.
Seer
This entity which is continuously present, whether we are awake or asleep, thinking, dreaming or sleeping, is the Seer. Unlike the Seen, which consists of the three Gunas and undergoes constant change, the Seer is beyond the Gunas and does not change. The Seer is simply an eternal observer which perceives the world through the mind and its senses, while itself remaining unaffected and unchanged. During sleep, when the mind, the senses, and the external the world are absent, the Seer alone remains. To remain serenely detached from the world as the Seer is our natural state, the state of freedom. But through our mistaken identification with the mind, its objects and its senses, the Seer becomes bound by the Seen, thus leading to a state of bondage to the external world of time and circumstance.
Divine
The third entity is God, the Divine, the Absolute. The Divine is perfect and complete, unblemished by the world and hence eternally free, and can therefore set other beings free. The Divine is beyond the flux of the three gunas. Not all the six Darsanas accept the Divine and, even among those which do accept the Divine, there are considerable differences of opinion with regard to the qualities attributed to it. In several places, the Brahman is used. This is a word of neutral gender which can therefore be worshiped in either male or female forms. The Divine is transcendent, what Western intellectuals call the Godhead. But the Divine can also be worshipped in a particular form, for example, as Lord Krishna of the Bhagavad Gita or Jesus Christ of the Gospels, in order to realize the transcendent unity. As Sankaracharya stated in his commentary (bhashya) to the Brahmasutras (1.1.20), " ... a limitation of powers is only for the purpose of meditation (upasana). The highest Lord may, in order to gratify his devout worshippers, assume through the power of Maya, any form he likes."
"Seer" and "Seen" are Tethered
The words, "Seer" and "Seen" are derived from the same Sanskrit root which means "to see". Though the Seer and the Seen are quite different in character, one does not exist without the other. In fact, they normally appear to be the same because of our mistaken identification with the mind. This confusion is considered a form of bondage, because it sullies the clarity of our eternal Self with the ceaseless flux of the world of forms. However it is possible to attain freedom through overcoming this misidentification of our true self with the limited mind. The goal of Yoga practice is to reach this state of freedom. As the Yoga Sutras state, this goal is possible either by our own efforts of practice (abhyasa) and detachment (vairagya) (YS-1.12) or by surrender to the Divine (Iswarapranidhana) (YS-I.23). The Divine, who is already free can release another in bondage. Therefore, cultivating a relationship of devotion and surrender to the Divine is essential for liberation. Furthermore, although the Divine is eternally free, the Seen is considered a manifestation of the Divine by some schools. Hence, a person can attain freedom through the grace of the Divine, because it is the Seen which has bound the Seer and Divine grace can allow release.
Breaking away from the "Seen"
Once we realize that mistaken identification with the Seen is the root cause of the problem of our suffering and dissatisfaction and understand that the path to freedom lies in separating ourselves from the mind, we can then make efforts to detach ourselves from the fluctuations of our mind. Theoretically, it is possible to withdraw from the Seen by sheer will and personal effort, to push it away and stand alone as the Seer. This effort is an inward or return movement rather than an outward or external movement. This is the methodology proposed by the Sankhya darsana. In it, the personal center of operation or vantage point is shifted such that we remain as the Seer. The essence of this process is to detach our sense of self from the events occurring in our own mind.
Yet we do not have even a clue what our mind really is, nor about its origin, existence or functioning because we are completely enmeshed in our identification with our mind. Moreover, when we first begin this Sankhya practice, we are aware only of our mind; the existence of the Seer is only an inference or an article of faith. We can visualize these entities in the diagram or perhaps imagine ourselves as an eternal Seer, but in practice we continue to identify ourselves with our mind. How can we use our mind to detach our mind from our true self? How can the mind or ego annihilate itself? We do not know the origins of the "I" thought, which is the cause of all our bondage. Yet with the thought of "I" arises the whole world each morning the moment we awake. A host of these and related difficult questions will face a sincere seeker on the Sankhya path of wisdom.
Consequently, the yoga darsana recognized the Divine as another, higher means to detach our mind from the Seen. The Divine should not be construed as an additional entity separate from the rest of creation, for the very existence of the Seer and the Seen is possible only because of the Divine. Thus, non-dual Vedanta philosophy strove to demonstrate the truth that the Divine, the manifest world (the Seen) and the individual soul (the Seer) were non-different. Thus, the Divine is always within us and always with us. Our realization of this eternal truth is only a question of time, dedication and devotion to our practice.
With these basics in mind, let us now return to our discussion of Sankhya, Yoga and Vedanta.
The founder of Sankhya philosophy is Kapila. The original Sankhya Sutras have not survived but the Sankhya Karika, in the form of verses of lsvara Krishna (5th c. CE) are available. The Sankhya theory of the evolution of the material universe is accepted by the other schools of Vedic thought, as well as by the medical science of Ayurveda. Though based upon the Vedas, Sankhya philosophy is atheistic. It is considered one of the six Vedic darsanas because it accepts the authority of the Vedas and it proposes a solution to the problem of impermanence, change and liberation.
The Sankhya darsana discusses the elements which constitute the world, the nature of these constituents and how they evolve in the changing world. Sankhya divided the universe into 25 categories, 24 of which concerned the Seen and the 25th of which was Purusha, the Seer. The conclusion of Sankhya 's analysis is that the Seen will continue to change, and we have no control over it. But by identifying with, and remaining as, the unchanging Seer, we need not continue to mistakenly identify ourselves with the Seen and its ceaseless flux which generates all sorrow. The method proposed by the Sankhya philosophy to remain as the Seer is enquiry (Jijnasa) into the nature of the Seer and the Seen. Sankhya suggests that, by practice (abhyasa) of "I am not the seen" and detachment (vairagya) from the Seen, it is possible to achieve the state of freedom. The seen, being comprised of the three gun as (sattva, rajas and tamas), is impermanent and forever changing. Sankhya analyzes the problems that arise because of the misidentification of the Seer with the Seen, but it does not analyze their origins nor other metaphysical topics such as what happens after death. In this regard, Sankhya is like Buddhism which negated the value of metaphysical topics, instead sticking closely to experience and concentrating on practical techniques to eliminate -suffering.
The Yoga Darshana, the next school of Vedic thought, was synthesized from the Vedas by Patanjali in the form of the Yoga Sutras. Yoga accepts the basics of the Seer and Seen, as proposed by Sankhya, but with the important difference of the introduction of lswara, the Divine. Thus, in addition to the Sankhyan solution of practice and detachment, the Yoga Sutras state (1.23) that freedom from the Seen can also be achieved by surrender to the Divine. Therefore, we can develop a relationship with the Divine, then suuender to that Divinity and thereby attain freedom from entrapment in Prakriti, the world of matter and mind. In the Yoga Sutras, Iswara (the Divine) is accepted with qualification: Ishwara is considered a special kind of Purusha or Seer, the first among all teachers, beyond time and the cycle of action (Karma) and Bondage (Klesa). Much like Sankhya, Yoga does not address metaphysical questions on the origins of the Seen and the Seer.
The Vedanta was synthesized by Vyasa (sometimes identified as Badarayana) in the form of the "Brahma sutras." The Brahma sutras is a dense aphoristic work which logically analyzed and systematized the sometimes seemingly contradictory thought of the Upanishads. These sutras address issues on the origin of the Seer and the Seen, the role of the Divine and other topics in ontology and metaphysics. Within Vedanta as a whole, there are many different schools of thought, most of which are based on different interpretations of the Brahma Sutras. The most well-known school of Vedanta in the West, Advaita (non-dualistic) philosophy, is often mistakenly identified with the whole of Vedanta. Still, the influence of this school is so widespread that even the Sakta/Saiva tantras have connections to non-dual, Advaita philosophy.
Though the other Vedic Darsanas do not completely accept the philosophy of the Yoga darshana all of them, including the non-vedic schools of Buddhism, use the practice of yoga in one form or another. The word "Yogah" in Sanskrit can be derived from two roots: Yujir Yoge and Yuja Samadhau. The first root means "to join, to yoke'" and the second means "to stay, to be absorbed." The first root implies movement and the second root stay. Thus, movement away from the world and the mind is Yoga. And to stay as the Seer and remain with the Divine is also Yoga. In some texts, Yoga is defined as a means (or movement) and in others texts it is defined as the end (or staying). In the Yoga Yajnavalkya, Yoga is defined as "jivatmaparamatmasamyogah," a union of the Self and the Divine. Union with the Divine is freedom, because the Divine is eternally free. Thus, to join and stay with the Divine is Yoga. Attainment of this state of freedom, of union with the Divine, requires an inner movement, for the Divine is within us. The Divine is not the object of any search, but the very subjectivity of the search. It is only because the Divine is present within that the very search is possible. Yoga is a means to return to the Divine, the abode of the Self, and to stay there. It is a means to return home and stay home, which is the state of freedom.
Adding Name and Form to a Deity
The Vedas and Upanishads declare that there exists only One. The word Brahman is used in many places to denote it. In Sanskrit, the word Bramhan is of neuter gender. It is similar in meaning to the English word, "universe." We call this world a universe, but what we see and experience is a multi verse. That is, we see not One but many. The Divine is One and to see the world as one, we must relate to the Divine. This relationship to the Divine is possible once the Divine is personalized with a specific name and form. If we attempt to contemplate the Divine without name and form, we cannot establish a personal relationship. God will remain an abstraction. The Divine is transcendent, but in order to realize the Divine's transcendence, it is easier to work with a particular, immanent form. We can choose one form from the many forms of the Deity known. We can then, through the practice of yoga, concentrate on this chosen Deity and allow It to develop within us. Our practice, faithfully and carefully cultivated over a long period of time, allows us to realize that the apparent multi verse is, in reality, only One. The proper practice with the chosen Deity enables us to use form to move beyond form. Thus, despite the considerable diversity in external forms and particular practices of worship in so-called "Hindu polytheism," the correct, individually-tailored practice of Yoga will lead us to unity. Indeed, the six darshanas of Vedic thought, not to mention the heterodox Buddhist traditions, offer many different explanations of how this Unity comes to be perceived and experienced as a world of diversity.
In Vedic theology, pure consciousness is represented by a masculine deity, typically Siva, or Vishnu. Schools that worship Siva or Vishnu are known as Saivism and Vaishnavism, respectively. For example, the Bhagavad Gita discusses the attainment of freedom through surrender to Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu. And Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, is also understood as an incarnation of Vishnu. In whichever form He is worshipped, His power (Sakthi) is represented as a goddess who, in her formless self, is one with him. The two are inseparable. This concept is expressed graphically in images of Ardhanariswara ("the Lord who is half woman"), or by Srinivasa (Mahavishnu with Lakshmi depicted as a black spot on his chest), or by Umamahesvara (Lord Shiva as supreme [Maha] lord [lswara], with his consort, Parvati (Uma) seated next to him or on his knee). Consciousness, represented by the male deity, is considered static or potential energy. The Goddess, sometimes called Prakriti (Nature; from the Sanskrit, pra kri, "to produce") is considered kinetic energy, the active power of the male deity, which is directly responsible for creation. The male and female aspects should not be understood as 7 different, for they are always together and inseparable. By the power (shakti) of ultimate pure consciousness (Siva), mind and matter (the Seen) evolve. This mutually interpenetrating relationship is symbolically represented by Ardhanariswara, Srinivasa, and Umamahesvara. All these Vedic traditions give equal importance and respect to both God and Goddess. Thus, those who choose to worship the masculine form of God never disregard the feminine forms. For it is said that, if you want to approach your father, it is easier to go through your mother, because she is always kind and compassionate. Thus Shankaracharya, the great Indian philosopher often considered an incarnation of Lord Shiva. who is well known as the foremost exponent of the Advaita (non-dualistic) philosophy, also composed the Saundaryalahari, a Sanskrit verse of great poetic beauty in praise of the Mother Goddess.
In schools which consider Shiva as pure consciousness and His power as Sakti, upasana (worship, from the Sanskrit "to move near or become one with") is twofold. One school worships predominantly the masculine or right side of Ardhanariswara; they form the Saiva school. Kashmiri Saivism is one such schooJI . Another school worships the left side (Devi) as the Mother Goddess. They are the Sakta school. Srividya upasana, which is still prevalent in South India, is a part of the Sakta upasana. They correspondingly give more importance to the feminine form (Sakthi), for She is the power of Siva. She is called the Mother because the universe sprung from Her womb; thus, the whole world is Her manifestation. The Seen, including the Maya or illusion which binds the Seer to the Seen, comes from Her. Therefore only She can lift the veil of ignorance to go beyond the world of forms. She is also called Kundalini. Both She and Her power of maya are referred to as Kundalini, since the power and the form of the power cannot be separated. Texts like the Bhagavad Gita do not mention kundalini because it teaches the removal of maya or avidya (illusion or ignorance) by devotion and prayer to Lord Krishna, a masculine deity. Thus Krishna says (B.G. V II.14), 'Those who Surrender to Me alone go beyond maya." Since the Goddess is part of Him, we do not find Kundalini yoga or shakti upasana among the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita.
The Gita, the Yoga sutras and other texts emphasize the need to control the activities of the mind, to focus the mind, in order to become absorbed in the Divine. Whatever label of yoga is used, the mind is still considered the primary tool in our efforts toward liberation. Yet later Yoga texts, including the Hatha yoga pradipika and other works on Tantra and kundalini, speak primarily in terms of the control and focus of prana during practice. Consequently, it is important to understand the concept of prana and its relationship to the mind.
Each culture has intuited or inferred the existence of a force which, although intangible to the senses, enables life to exist. In India, the vital force intuited by the ancient rishis and cultivated in yoga is called prana. The two syllables of the Sanskrit word, "Prana," connote very good movement, that is, the good movement of energy. If prana is absent, then there is no motion, no flow of energy. That state is called death.
Prana is that which makes all things possible. While writing this text, ideas emerge, blend with other ideas, focus into clearer thoughts, and finally are transformed into sentences. Prana makes all of this possible. Without prana flowing through the body, there is death. Prana is more than breath, for it maintains the very integrity of the body. It holds the mind, senses, physiology, and every other aspect of a person together as a coherent whole. Yet, by itself, it cannot be perceived directly by any of the senses.
This important point is illustrated by a simple story from the Prasnopanishad. There was once a man whose five senses and prana each thought they were the most important parts of his body and therefore deserved to be King of the bodily kingdom. The sense of smell claimed supremacy. But the sense of touch refuted it, pointing out the importance of touch to the development of all living creatures. The sense of taste then argued for its own superiority, followed by the sense of sight. The sense of hearing then stated that it, being the most subtle of the five senses and corresponding to the fine mahabhuta of space, it was therefore the most important. As they continued to argue, they would turn to prana and say: "And as for you, we know that you are DEFINITELY not the King. Why, we can't even see you!" Prana thereupon interrupted their arguments to suggest that each sense leave the body one by one so the others could experience the deprivation and so determine which should be King. Smell left first, and the others certainly noticed the loss, but found they could still carry on. Then smell returned and touch left. Then touch returned and taste left. Then it was sight's tum, and then hearing. Each time, the others experienced a certain deprivation and it was no easy matter to determine which sense was most important. As they resumed their arguments again, they hardly noticed when prana began to leave. But quite suddenly the whole body was thrown into turmoil. The senses became disordered and confused by their own deranged activity. The whole quality of the universe seemed to change as the body unexpectedly began to die. "Come back!" cried the five senses in desperation. Smilingly, prana quietly returned to the body and with it, peace returned to the bodily kingdom. "Oh Prana" said the five senses, "We are sorry we thought of ourselves so highly .. Now we know that we are dispensable, but you are not, for you are the source of life itself. You are indeed King, and we your loyal servants." And the five senses bowed humbly. The moral is that, though imperceptible to the senses, prana the life force makes all other faculties, including the senses, possible.
Prana is the power of the Seer and is responsible for the functioning of the mind, for the Seer only operates through prana. The return movement of Yoga begins when we focus and turn our mind inward, when the Seer withdraws from the Seen. This inward movement of our mind is described by different schools or sects in different ways, as:
However, just because it is imperceptible, some schools do not to mention prana at all, but focus instead on its manifestations. For example, the Vedanta Sutras, the Yoga Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita only discuss the mind. This focus on the mind has a practical basis, too: All possible spiritual practices must utilize the mind, for we can control our mind but we have no direct control over prana. Controlling and altering the flow of prana happens through the practice of the various limbs of yoga:
We have no direct control over prana. However. the flow of prana in the body can be changed by altering the posture of the body. It is also possible to change the flow of prana by changing the pattern of breathing or mental focus, because, as noted earlier, prana and mind are closely connected. Furthermore, breath is also an expression of prana. Therefore, when we change the activities of our mind, the posture of our body, or the pattern of our breathing, we alter the flow of prana. Thus, breath, mind and prana are all interrelated:
prana - breath - mind
Whether one wants to focus the mind or to alter the flow of prana, the breathing techniques of pranayama are essential. For this reason, the Yoga Sutras (II.53) say that the mind becomes fit for dharana (focus) through pranayama. Conversely, when prana is dispersed, there is a need to focus prana and reduce mental dispersion by practicing pranayama. The present text discusses nadi suddhi (the purification of the nadis, or subtle channels of energy) by Nadi shodana pranayama for proper flow and focus of prana. It is not possible to converge prana without nadi suddhi. It is worth emphasizing that the practice of pranayama assumes the foundation of proper asana practice, as well as a firm grounding in Yama and Niyama. But before Pranayama is practiced, one should already be solid in Asana, Yama and Niyama practice.
If we are, in some sense, scattered, then our prana is also scattered. In the Yoga Yajnavalkya, this scattering is expressed in terms of the relationship between the dimensions of the body and location or distribution of prana. Every human being is 96 angulas (5" 3') in height. Prana is figuratively explained as dispersed up to 108 angulas (~6"). The objective of the practice of Yoga is to make it equal to or below 96 angulas (5" 3'). In other words, for any person normally the dispersion of Prana is up to 108 angulas, whereas in the state of yoga it is 96 angulas or below 96.
Now, the distribution of a person's prana will vary according to his/her psychological state, since prana and mind are related. The Yoga Sutras identify five states of mind: agitated, dull, distracted, focussed, and absorbed. Each of these five states relates to a certain distribution of prana.
The flow of prana (into Susuhumna) representing the focused (Ekagra) and absorbed (Nirodah) states of mind, is explained as the converging of prana up to 96 angulas or below 96 angulas.
The flow of Prana (into Ida and Pingala) representing agitated, (kshiptam), dull (moodam) or distracted (vikshiptam) states are explained here as dispersion of prana up to 108 angulas.
In general, any disturbance of the Seen (mind, body or senses) can be related to dispersal of the prana. The intentional action of returning to the center (the Seer) constitutes the practice of Yoga. This can also be described as the return of prana to its source of 96 angulas or below 96 angulas. To transform the typical multi-directional scatter of our minds, characterized by agitation, clouded perception and confusion, requires us to recollect ourselves and rein in our prana from its dispersed condition. Of course, the conversion of a dispersed mind and scattered prana is a gradual process requiring effort, practice and patience. This is what the Yoga Sutras refer to as removing avidya (ignorance, or the coloring of the mind) and returning both mind and prana to a focussed, unidirectional condition. Consequently, the foundations of a sound yoga practice are first laid when a person begins to transform their diet and patterns of eating, their social interactions and personal and mental habits. That is, we must begin our work with the Yamas (self-restraints) and the Niyamas (observances). This foundation complements later work with Asanas and Pranayama where one practices altering the flow of prana, focusing the mind, and removing its colorings. The yogic process of returning to the Seer brings the scattered prana to 96 angulas. Later, in the highest state of samadhi described in the Yoga Sutras, prana may be brought in still further to occupy less than 96 angulas.
When we describe a person as scattered, how does that relate to the scattering of the prana? Prana is a flow of energy through the body, along subtle channels or conduits called Nadis. Some Yoga texts state that there are 72,000 of these channels. Of these, 14 nadis are considered important, and three of these 14 are the most important. These three are the Ida, the Pingala, and the Sushumna. If we look at the torso of a human, then the left hand side describes the Ida nadi, and the right hand side the Pingala nadi. We can further denote the left hand side with the word "Ha" and the right hand side with "Tha."
The prana normally flows only through the Ida and Pingala, where it is distributed throughout the 72,000 nadis, and it does not flow through the central Sushumna. Prana will continue to flow through these nadis so long as the nadis remain clear. However, if impurities enter the body through poor nutrition, irregular or shallow breathing, scattered thoughts, improper body position or infection by pathogens, then impurities will accumulate in the nadis and the flow of Prana is disturbed. This can result in ill health. These impurities are the mental colorings (klesas -avidya). By returning to the Seer, we will not be affected by these external influences and so they will cease to be impurities. Thus the Yoga Sutras (ll.28) describe Yoga as the removal of impurities (avidya) which makes the return movement possible.
Sickness results from a substantial impairment of prana flow. The result can be internal organ dysfunction or physical and psychological injury. Thus the restoration of physical health involves the removal of impurities, a kind of internal cleansing (nadi-suddhi) which allows prana to resume its nonual flow throughout the body (Yoga Sutras IV.3). This cleansing process involves the removal of increasingly subtle impurities, which continue to affect us due to our mistaken identification of our true self with our body, mind, senses, and external world. Thus the cleansing process actually begins with work on all eight limbs of Yoga, by observing Yama and Niyama and practicing Asana, Pranayama, and Dhyana.
Sushumna
The most important nadi of all is the Sushumna. Whereas Ida and Pingala belong to the world of time, the Sushumna is beyond time. Prana in Sushumna represents Samadhi the state of timelessness. Before the dispersal of prana into the Ida and Pingala and the initial descent into the mind, there is timelessness. To describe how the Sushumna nadi is related to the Seer and the Seen, let us briefly discuss two subjects which will help clarify the subtle yogic physiology of the Sushumna. These two are the Vayus (air) and Agni (fire).
The five major Vayus are prana (which we shall refer to in the lower case, to differentiate it from the prana already described), apana, udana, vyana, and samana. We will limit our discussion here to the first two vayus, prana and apana.
The prana vayu is located in the area above the diaphragm. It refers to the respiratory center. Thus, prana is the vayu synonymous with breathing. The lower abdominal area is the seat of apana vayu. This is the region where dirt or impurities, which are also called as apana, settle. Hence the function of the apana vayu is the excretion of these impurities (coinciding with the function and location of the organs of excretion).
The prana and apana vayus work in opposite but complementary directions in the cycle of breath. Inhalation and retention after inhalation have downward effects, sending prana vayu further down into the body. Exhalation and suspension after exhalation have upward effects on apana vayu, raising impurities up out of the body. The tendency of the prana vayu is to go up and for the apana vayu to go down. Thus they need to be balanced so one does not dominate the other leading to complications. For example, a stronger tendency in the upward movement of prana vayu can lead to coughing, while a bias toward the downward movement of apana vayu may lead to diarrhea or menstrual problems. The dynamic relationship between prana vayu and apana vayu is a primary determinant of total bodily health.
We cannot consider prana without considering Agni as well, for warmth is necessary for life, just as consciousness may be inferred from heat in the body. Thus prana and Agni always go together. Indeed. Agni is sometimes referred to as Vayu Sakha or "friend of air". It is commonplace knowledge that air is needed for fire. One cannot burn a candle in a vacuum. This suggests that Agni can be defined as "heat" or "fire," which indeed is the customary definition. Yet Agni has many inter-related meanings. Just as the English word, "fire," can refer to an actual "three alarm fire," as well as to the alchemist's purifying fire, so there are many Agnis, from the metaphoric to the metabolic. We will consider some of these meanings briefly in turn.
Theologically, Agni can be considered as the Divine, as exampled by the Vedic prayers addressed to Agni. Another sense is jnana agni, "that which reduces everything to its final form" (Bhagavad Gita). This passage is a reference to burning the cross of ignorance in the fire of knowledge, the Divine fire which burns down our ego. And within every human being is agni as the "fire of life" which generates metabolic heat. This other main sense of Agni is suggested by Krishna later in the Bhagavad Gita (XV.l4). when He says: "I am inside all human beings, holding the body together. Holding the prana and the apana in balance, I digest the food." Just as ignorance is considered one of the greatest impurities, according to the ancient texts, so is the ingestion of improper food which causes physical impurities to . . accumulate in the body. Just as the Yoga Sutras do not distinguish between mental and physical impurities, neither should we draw neat distinctions between Jnana Agni (purifying fire) and the Agni which gives us the power to metabolize our food (metabolic fire). Agni is not metabolism itself, though it is said that Agni cooks the food. When Agni is impaired, the metabolism is affected, thereby lowering our resistance to disease and typically leading to a deterioration in overall health. When food is cooked properly, the body can assimilate it efficiently, absorbing what is useful and excreting what is not. The medical science of Ayurveda stresses that Agni must be kept in proper condition to maintain good health. Otherwise, undigested food and the enterotoxins secreted by the bacteria which thrive upon it jointly referred to as ama, the cause of all diseases), will accumulate in the body, with toxic effects.
The relationship between Agni and breath also has important health consequences. Agni resides in the abdomen, near the navel. Above it is the prana vayu. Below it is the apana vayu. Food suitable for one's unique bodily constitution and properly prepared can be "cooked" by Agni, the products assimilated by the body and the waste removed by a proper balance between prana vayu and apana vayu. Clearly, according to the perspective of Ayurveda, breath (prana and apana) is crucial in maintaining physical health and preventing disease. Breath also has a unique role in cleansing the nadis (nadi suddhi) and controlling prana, which is the goal of all yoga practice. Indeed, the focus on pranayama and its many practical applications is the great strength and unique contribution of the Yoga Yajnavalkya, and is the primary reason for its singular importance in the science and art of yoga. Through the right practice of Pranayama, the prana (accompanied by Agni) burns the Kundalini, thereby paving the way for prana and Agni to ascend to the Brahmarandhra (opening or door to the Brahman). However, further discussion of the system of kundalini first requires a discussion of the chakra system of the Tantric school. Here, the Divine means omnipresence beyond separation; not an object of search but the source which makes the search possible. As the Brahma Sutras state, one cannot know the Divine if one does not know the Seer. The relationship between Agni and breath was discussed in my earlier work, Yoga for body, breath and mind. The relationship between yoga and Ayurveda will be discussed in a future work.
According to tantra there are seven centres or cakras in the human system. The lower five Cakras correspond to the five forms of matter, in successive order of refinement from lower to higher Cakras. Thus. the Muladhara chakra corresponds to the Earth element, and the Svadistana chakra above it corresponds to Water. The Manipura chakra corresponds to Fire; Anahata to Air, and Vishuddhi to Space. The sixth (Ajna) and seventh (Sahasrara) Cakras are the centers for intelligence and consciousness, respectively. Each chakra is associated with a particular emotion, which again range from the gross to the subtle. For example, Muladhara corresponds to Himsa (violence), whereas Sahasrara corresponds to Ahimsa (love). More than enough has already been written about the Cakras to make further elaboration here on the subject largely unnecessary. What is important for our purposes is the relationship of the Cakras to the Seer and the Seen.
From the Muladhara chakra at the base of the spine to the Ajna chakra in the forehead, the six lower Cakras represent the abode of the Seen. They correspond to the mahabhutas, which are the five forms qf differentiated matter present in the macrocosm and with corollaries in the microcosm, including the mind itself (the Ajna chakra). The real abode of the Seer is the seventh (Sahasrara) chakra.
The process of evolution, whereby the Seer first becomes identified with the Seen, occurs in a downward direction through the Cakras as the Seer descends to the Muladhara chakra at the base of the spine. In the course of this descent, prana is distributed throughout the 72,000 nadis and the opening of the Sushumna is then closed by the kundalini. Thus the door to the DiYine (freedon) isclosed by ignorance (avidya) represented by Kundalini . By contrast, the process of involution occurs through the practice of Yoga: scattered prana is recollected, the state of ignorance caused by misidentification of the Seer with the Seen is removed, and the entrance to the Sushumna is opened, thus sending the Seer, mounted on the prana, up the Sushumna nadi and back to his true abode in the Sahasrara (refered to as Brahmarandhra in this text).
Thus it is fitting that the Brahmarandhra (the opening to Brahman) as described as located at the crown of the head. When the Seer identifies with the Seen, the kingdom of God is lost and one is no longer a king but becomes slave to body, mind and senses. We can only regain our kingdom by forsaking enslavement to the passions represented in the lower Cakras and returning to the crown.
The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word, kundalini, is "circular, winding or coiling," like a serpent. The word is of feminine gender and connotes the Mother Goddess and Her power, Shakti. Her power is responsible for the three-fold activity of the Divinity: creation, sustenance and destruction. As prana Devata, the Goddess of prana, all forces are within Her and she can cause evolution or involution to occur. Kundalini is the power of the Seen. As used in the Yoga Sutras, kundalini is the cause of ignorance, avidya, whereby we mistakenly identify and are caught up in the ever-changing world of the Seen. Kundalini is discussed in greater detail, in the sixth chapter of the Yoga Yajnavalkya. This discussion is key for our understading of the meaning of the Kundalini power, for all later yoga texts have borrowed slokas extensively from this text. As with the Cakras, so much has been written about kundalini that the result has been more confusion than clarity. For now, let us focus our attention on the following image: Kundalini, the creative force which controls avidya, blocks the opening of the Sushumna nadi, which leads to Brahmarandhra (the place of union with the Divine). Some texts say that Kundalini, the serpent, guards the entrance of the the door to the Divine by coiling three and a half times around the Siva lingam located at the Muladhara and blocking the opening of the Sushumna with Her mouth. Thus, prana cannot enter the Sushumna unless the Kundalini is moved. To move the Kundalini is to remove the veil of ignorance (avidya) or illusion (maya). This comes about through the grace of the Mother, since She controls the world of illusion. The process of involution occurs when the Seen, the feminine aspect embodied by the Kundalini in the muladhara, is withdrawn from the base of the Sushumna and the Seer, presently entrapped in the Nabhi cakra, located above the Muladhara, is able to rise to His true abode and reunite with the Divine, the male aspect of consciousness in the Sahasrara. This is jivatmaparamatmasamyogah, that is, Yoga is defined as the union between the individual soul (jivatma) and the Divine (paramatma). As the Seen withdraws, the Seer becomes the master. This is also figuratively represented as the union between the Shakti and Shiva.
We have already noted that the purpose of any Yoga practice is freedom from the colourings of the mind (klesas). In the case of Kundalini Yoga, this is attempted and attained through a practice including a prayer to the Mother Goddess. Such a practice is called Kundalini Yoga since it is through Her grace that the veil of illusion- Maya or Avidya- can be lifted or destroyed. Of all the labels of Yoga, it is this one which has had the most mysticism conferred upon it. This situation is compounded by many apparently contradictory statements about kundalini in some other texts. For example, it is said:
The following explanation is from the Yoga Yajnavalkya based on Vedic tradition. The texts on Sakta Tantra explain the same with a different emphasis.
The process of the kundalini going up symbolises the process of involution. This means withdrawal of the individual from the world to join the Divine in the microcosm. This is done by the return movement of Prana (that is, the absorption of the mind) and thus the return movement of Seer. Tantric texts also symbolise this process as the Shakti moving up to meet Shiva at the macrocosm level. Both metaphors represent the movement of the Jiva (the individual self or soul) towards the Divine, freed from bondage to the Seen (Prakriti). The Kundalini rising indicates the Laya (process of involution) for that particular person, for it is through the involution of Prakriti (Seen) that the return movement of the Seer is possible. Some call this process as Laya Yoga.
The removal or destruction of kundalini refers to removing the veil of avidya or ignorance. Only in this way is freedom possible. The texts refer to kundalini as blocking the door to freedom, describing it figuratively as a serpent guarding the entrance of the door to the Divine (representing freedom) and blocking the opening of the Sushumna with Her mouth. The Goddess holds the key to the door of freedom. The same concept is found in the non-dualistic Advaita philosophy, where Iswara Prasadam or Divine Grace is considered essential for the removal of Maya. Lord Krishna says the same in the Bhagavad Gita.
Agni and prana destroy the kundalini, thus freeing the Seer to ascend to his abode. However, prana must first be focused and centered, and this is only possible through focusing the mind. The upward movement of prana symbolizes the return movement of Yoga, the mental movement away from the Seen. Movement of the prana is the movement of the individual soul (Jivatma) mounted on the Prana returning to the Divine (paramatma) leading to a state known as jivatmaparamatmasamyogah, the union of the Self and the Divine.
During a seminar participants asked the following questions about kundalini.
Q. Is Kundalini Yoga a part of Tantric practices? Does it have any connection to Advaita since Sankaracharya has authored Anandalahari which also contains the description of Sri Cakra?
A. Kundalini is a part of the Tantric practices, and many Vedic scholars may not give importance to it. The worship of the Mother Goddess as the Divine as Kundalini, is called Tantropasana. In the past, there were two divisions of the Tantra, the right-handed and left-handed practices. The sects that followed left-handed tantric practices worshipped the womb of women externally, and also indulged in meat eating, drinking alcohol, and sexual practices for realization. It is easy to see why the Vedic scholars rejected this.
As for Sankaracharya, he is widely known for his Advaita or Non-dualistic philosophy. He was responsible for the revival of the Vedic tradition, which is now called Hinduism. He has written commentaries on the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, apart from a number of other original works.
According to the Vedas, the Divine is transcendent and one. To realize and experience this, it can be related to in any form. Prior to the time of Sankaracharya, there were many diverse philosophies and methods of worship. But it was Sankaracharya who synthesized and proposed six from the many methods of worship of the Divine in an immanent form. Of these, the worship of the Divine as the Mother Goddess is called the Sakta school. Sankaracharya restored the Samayachara tantra. the right tantric practice through Sakta upasana.
Let us confine ourselves to the discussion of the Sakta Upasana - the worship of the Divine as the Mother Goddess, since this is related to Kundalini Yoga. Upasana comprises "Upa". meaning "near". and "as" meaning "to sit". Upasana therefore means to sit near something. The Vedas contain many upasanas. The purpose of Upasana is to move near something, sit or stay with it and to become one with it through total absorption. This, too, is done in yoga: we choose an immanent form, like Vishnu or Siva or Sakthi, focus our mind on it, stay with it and become one with it. Sakta upasana is done with the focus on the Mother Goddess considered as the supreme power or sakti, representing the energy of the whole universe.
The ultimate goal of any yoga practice is to annihilate or dissolve the ego, desire etc. which are the klesas of the mind. The Yoga sutras call the source of these avidya. Vedanta calls it Maya. There are some conceptual differences between these two, but we can say that their removal is essential for freedom. Since the Divine is a means, we choose a form of the Divine for upasana. This can be a yantra or idol. We then internalize it. Our relationship to it will help remove the colourings of our mind (avidya or maya) and reach a state of union with the Divine.
I will present you a short summary of the fundamental unity and differences between the Advaita and Sakta schools of philosophy for the purpose of understanding kundalini yoga.
Advaita is one of the schools of the Vedanta philosophy. Advaita means 'not two'. Advaita also says that the SEEN (world) is manifest DIVINE (Brahman). An enlightened person sees everything as Divine (Bramhan), while normal people like us perceive it as the Seen (world).
Advaita says that the Seer in us is a part of that Divine (Bramhan). The clothing (Maya/Avidya) we wear makes us look different. If there is no Maya/ Avidya, we will realize this truth. We can illustrate this as follows. The Divine is like the pure external space and we are like the space inside a pot (body). By character both are space, but due to constriction or bondage we call one a pot and the other space. Or take the example of a rope and a snake. The rope is mistaken for a snake in twilight. When there is light we will realize that it is only a rope and not a snake. What exists is only the rope (Bramhan) while we see it as a snake (world). The projection of the snake on the rope is said to be due to Maya.
The word Maya is usually translated as illusion. 'Illusion' gives the meaning that what is perceived does not exist, like a mirage. Advaita does not say that the world does not exist, like one of the schools of Buddhism, but that what truly exists is the Bramhan (Divine). In the above example, the rope exists after the projection of the snake is dispelled.
The word "Ma" in "Maya" means "to measure". In many languages we use the word "Ma" for mother, because it is she who measures the growth of the child. The word Maya means that "what you measure is beyond measurement". What we measure, what we see as the world, is beyond measurement (the Divine, or Bramhan). According to Advaita, Maya exists only for a person caught up in time (mind). For an enlightened person, beyond time, it does not exist. It is therefore meaningless to ask where Maya came from, as Maya does not exist on realisation. We cannot get an answer to the origin of Maya staying within the framework of time.
There can be other points of view and questions, but let us proceed with Kundalini Yoga. Brahman (Divine), according to Advaita philosophy is attributeless (Nirguna). We cannot pray to it and relate to it. We need to reject all the other things (Seen) and realize their importanence to realize it (Brahman).
While Advaita brushes aside the question of Maya as projection (vivarta vadam), the Sakta philosophy says that the reflection of the Bramhan (Divine) appear as the Seer and the seen (abhasavadam). According to Sakta philosophy, Maya is due to the energy (Sakti) of the Bramhan. She, the Parasakti or supreme energy, is the base or support for Maya, responsible for everything- Creation, Sustenance and Destruction. She is not to be confused with the consort of Siva or Vishnu. We can attain freedom through Her grace.
Sankaracharya in his Advaita philosophy categorically says that Maya or Avidya is responsible for bondage and is to be destroyed/removed in order to attain freedom. Maya or Avidya is the sole cause for bondage. This is to be done through our own efforts. Divine grace is not directly sought, though Advaita also acknowledges the importance of the helping hand of the Divine in order to reach such a state of enlightenment. The ego, after all, is like a hand. It can strike another. Can it strike itself?
The same Maya that is to be brushed aside only through our effort, according to Advaita philosophy, is praised as the Mother Goddess in Sakta Upasana because She holds the key to freedom. Being the energy for everything, she is also the Prana devata - the Goddess of Prana. She and her power (Maya) are both referred to as Kundalini. Therefore when it is said that the Kundalini energy moves up, it also refers to the movement of the Prana.
Sankaracharya also composed hundred verses on the worship of the Mother Goddess. It is called Soundaryalahari, the first part of which is called Anandalahari. This is the text that was earlier referred to. The word ananda means ecstasy or bliss (the sat, cit, ananda of the Upanishads). The word lahari means a wave. Anandalahari can be called the wave of bliss.
In the Soundaryalahari, the emphasis is on relating to the Mother Goddess and seeking her grace to attain freedom. The first 41 verses (Anandalahari) contain the descriptions of the Yantras and Mantras, and in the latter 59, the Mother Goddess is described so that she can be prayed and surrendered to for realization.
In the Anandalahari, for each verse, there is a yantra and a posture for the worshipper apart from the yamas and the niyamas to be followed. There are a lot of rules and regulations regarding the procedures.
Q. I have read that as the Kundalini rises there is Shatcakra bhedana or piercing of the cakras. What does it mean?
A. The six cakras represents the five forms of matter and our mind. Bheda means to sever break our connection with it. When we say the Muladhara cakra is severed due to kundalini rising, it means overcoming the state where a person is dominated by, and attracted to, the earth element, and the associated sense organ that goes with it. Sankaracharya says in a poem that animals and insects are lost by one sense. The bee, for example, is lost by smell, and an elephant by the sense of touch. What about the poor human with five senses? Normally we are a slave to all our senses. We are identified with the seen and bound. As we sever connection with the Cakras, we are released from this bondage to each of the senses associated with each cakra. When the sixth cakra represented by the mind is severed, the person becomes a master of his mind. He attains freedom from his mind. He remains as the Seer.
Q: How do I really find out if my Kundalini has risen?
A: When we speak of the kundalini rising, we are referring to the process of involution where the Seer, caught up with identification with the seen, at the base in the Nabhi cakra below the Muladhara, gradually withdraws and is less bound by the seen.
Check then how much control you have gained over the senses and the mind. Do you direct the senses? Or are you directed by them? Do you use your mind or are you used by it?
Q: What are the signs of the Kundalini having reached the Sahasrara?
A: Each of the seven cakras is related to a particular emotion. The Muladhara is related to Rimsa or violence. The Sahasrara, the topmost Cakra, is related to Ahimsa or non-violence. Non-violence does not merely mean an absence of violence. Rather, it is the replacement of violence with love. It represents unity.
The Sahasrara is also the abode of the Divine. Therefore, if the Seer has returned to his abode, it means that the person will radiate Divinity. In that person's presence, all forms of life give up their enmity towards each other:
Q: What is your explanation of the Tantric sex practices for raising the Kundalini, since we also find references to such practices in Tantric texts as well as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika?
A: These practices have no authenticity in the Vedas. We have been talking about the Mother Goddess being responsible for creation. The womb, of course, represents creation. At some stage in the past a sect began, which worshipped the womb of the woman externally. These types of practices are called left-handed tantric practices (vamacara) and have been condemned.
The HYP is a text of recent origin. A careful reading will reveal many contradictions in this text. Some try to justify these practices as a means to distance pleasure and maintain balance with the proximity of the object. It is like leaving an alcoholic alone with a whisky bottle and ask him to practice distancing himself from the drinking habit. Invariably these practices will end up reinforcing our memories and fantasies about our sense pleasures. There are safer and better methods to practice self control.
The word "varna" means "colour." Here it refers to the divisions of society. "Ashrama" means "stage in life." "Dharma" means the "duties", or the actions of each person. Varnashramadharma. in short, refers to the duties or actions that must be done by each person, considering his stage in life, and his profession or the division to which he or she belongs.
A means for effecting a division of labour is essential for the orderly functioning and regulation of any complex society. In the Vedic tradition, four major divisions were present.
These four segments are like four limbs or pillars supporting the smooth functioning of the body politic. These divisions date back several thousand years, right to the inception of the Vedic period at the first incursion of the Aryan people onto the Indian subcontinent. The Brahmins were the intelligentsia of the society. They were also advisors to the kings of the Kshatriya caste, which also included the judiciary, the executive and the defence forces. The Vaishyas carried on the trade and commerce representing the industries. The fourth division were the people in service, including physical labour.
The names assigned to the four categories are significant to their meaning. Brahmins, the intelligentsia, were also called Sauna, which meant they were to utilize their knowledge and intelligence for the welfare and betterment of society. The Kshatriyas were the police, military or government workers, they maintained internal and external order. The Vaishyas were called Gupta, which means "secret." They were supposed to stockpile food and other essential provisions and release them in times of need like famines. The Fourth division, Dasa, embraced those people engaged in service and labor.
In one of the passages of the Vedas called the Purushasuktam of the Vedas, these 4 categories are described as parts or limbs of the Divine, who was portrayed in human form. The anthropomorphic metaphor belies the fact that, in Vedic wisdom, the entire world is simply a manifestation of the Divine. Consequently, the four limbs of Vedic society corresponded to parts of the Divine body. Thus the Brahmins were said to be the face of the Divine, because the five senses of knowledge (Jnana indriyas) are present on the face. These senses provide data from the external world to the mind, which is the basis of our thinking and our actions. The Kshatriyas were called the arms or shoulders of the Divine, because the body's strength or power is centered in the anns and shoulders. To wield weapons, carry a load, or to flex or extend our anns, all rely upon and demonstrate our source of strength. The third segment, the Vaishyas, were said to be the thighs of the Divine. Today, we know that the greatest reservoir of fat cells in the body is in the thighs. Since the Vaishyas were supposed to hoard stocks, for the welfare of the society, they were compared to the thighs. The fourth division were considered to be the feet of the Divine, because to render service, to move things or to transport ourselves, our feet are most important. Therefore, the Fourth Division was considered to be the feet of the Divine.
These parallels hold good in other aspects, too. For the proper functioning of the human body, organic unity is essential. And the orderly integration of bodily functions is not possible without cooperation from all centres. If one organ or limb is impaired, the body becomes dysfunctional. Similarly in society, if any one aspect becomes dysfunctional, society cannot function well as a whole, let alone progress. It is disabled.
Ideally, the division of labour is based on two factors: Guna, the character or nature of the person, and Karma, the action to be performed. If these two aspects are well matched, the result is harmony between the individual and society. Therefore, in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, "Gunakarmavibhagayoh," that is, the division should be based on nature (Guna) and action (Karma). The smooth and proper functioning of society requires a match between the interests and talents of an individual, and the needs and priorities of society. In the normal functioning of Vedic society, professions were passed on from generation to generation, from father to son. Yet an individual's nature, aspirations and character must also be considered. This was accomplished through provisions by which a person could switch from one occupation to another. However, there was little need to do so because, from the perspective of kanna yoga, "job satisfaction" is uniform by profession because one's happiness and well-being does not depend upon one's job but upon the attitude with which one conducts one's responsibilities. Yet the main reason why this system functioned so well in the Vedic period was that, except for the king, there was little or no economic disparity between the four categories. And the King's privileges were not questioned because the King had great responsibilities, including regulating the flow of income and taxes, overseeing defence of the kingdom, dealing with external powers, and so on. The political and economic system did not support a highly stratified society: all four categories were well provided for economically, and there was little difference in wealth or status. A Brahmin who led a rigorous and spiritually disciplined life, chanting the Vedas and conducting rituals, lived in the same kind of dwelling as a person in service. Everyone's needs were met with considerable ease as they trod their own path in life.
The Vamashrama dharma is directly related to the Indian search for freedom from conditioning and to the Vedic solution in particular. The Vedic seers understood that everyone, while still alive, must perform actions. No one can live without action. Likewise, we all have desires, for possessions or money or sensory pleasures. Indeed, while we engage our lives in an endless search for money prestige or power, we overlook the fact that our real motivation is for freedom. Money can give us economical freedom. And the power we seek is not actually control over others, but to facilitate more freedom for ourselves. The higher up we are in some hierarchy, or the wealthier we are, the less we are bound, answerable or indebted to another person. Thus our actual pursuit is freedom. The Vedic Seers realized this and, therefore, freedom (moksham) was the common goal for all four divisions of society. Furthermore, everyone's actions were oriented toward this goal by way of karma yoga, the yoga of action and devotion. Toward this goal, everyone in Vedic society, from a Brahmin to a member of the Fourth division, was given a Mantra which, with time, practice and devotion, provided powerful internal support on the path to freedom.
*** As Joseph Campbell, the great student of comparative religion and mythology put it: "Suppose the moon were to say one morning, 'I'd like to be the sun.' Or suppose the sun one day were to think, 'I'd like to get up a little later this morning.' The whole universe would go out of gear. The Indian idea of the social order is that all of us are just as tightly fixed to our ways and laws of life as the sun and moon." This essay is also an excellent overview of Indian philosophy in general and of yoga philosophy in particular. Joseph Campbell's book-long insights into post-Colonial India during his year-long tenure there are superb.
Moreover, the Vedic seers realized that, as we grow through the different stages of life, our desires and interests also change. Thus, things that interest an 8-year old are different from the interests of someone at age 28 or again at age 68. Therefore, the course of life was divided into four different stages. This is how the Ashramadharma, or stages of life, evolved. The first stage, called Brahmacaryashrama, was the period of study while staying with a (Guru) teacher. The second stage, called Grihasthashrama, consisted of married life and being a householder. The third stage, where the husband and wife retired to the forest, was called Vanaprasthashrama or retirement. And the fourth stage was called Sanyasashrama, the stage of retiring from the world and becoming a hermit. The gradual progression through these four stages ensured the fulfillment of all the needs of an individual, traditionally conceived as fourfold: dhanna (duty), artha (wealth), kama (love) and moksha (release). During the course of life, each individual was guided in the development of strong psychological and emotional support systems. These supports were both external, through being raised properly in a loving and supportive family with a sound education and upbringing, and internal, through initiation with a Mantra and a personal deity.
Consequently, a person's vocation did not have the almost overwhelming significance which it has acquired in the contemporary world. This is because it was not what one did for a living, but the spirit in which one performed one's actions, that was most relevant both to personal satisfaction and to final liberation. Thus, each person through his or her own path through life, and the life course was divided into stages designed ultimately to lead them to freedom. There are hundreds of examples of fully realized individuals from Indian history who came from various professions and walks of life. For example, Kabir, the great Bhakti poet-saint of 15th century Varanasi, was a weaver. Yet his achievement of a completely self-realized state was non-different from that of Sankaracharya, the great proponent of Advaita Vedanta, who was also a Brahmin.
Without question, the actions performed by members of different castes and the way they led their life differed, because the very substance of their way of life was different. For example, a Brahmin was expected to lead a spiritual and religious life, chanting the Vedas and observing strict disciplines; he was not permitted to eat meat nor drink alcohol. In contrast, Kshatriyas were allowed to eat meat because their responsibilities of fighting or defending the peace required them to build and maintain their strength. They could not be expected to survive on fruits and roots like Brahmins. And Kshatriyas were allowed to take alcohol because, during wartimes, they were deeply wounded in battle, alcohol was used as a kind of anesthetic to help treat their wounds. Thus, "the life rules became more and more demanding as one proceeded up the social scale ... [and] the restrictions become less and less demanding as one goes down the scale.
Regardless of caste, the two-fold goal of all action was clear: action should facilitate the proper functioning of society, and they should lead an individual toward freedom. In this way, action which is beneficial to society can simultaneously cleanse one's mind, uplifting and purifying it of passions and leading that person to freedom. Any action that fulfills these two goals is ideal, and such actions were incorporated into the daily life of each individual. Today, however, this system has degenerated. Even by the time of the Mahabharata (3rd-4th century, B.C.E.), this change must have begun, for when Nahusha asks Yudhishtira, "On what basis do you call a person a Brahmin or any other division?" Yudhishtira replies, "Each person will do what is akin to his own nature. The one who is inclined towards a spiritual life, who is by nature very calm, sattvic is a Brahmin. The one who is brave and courageous, who wishes to stand up to his enemies is a Kshatriya. Similarly one inclined towards business is a Vaishya and one who wishes to be in service is the Fourth division."
Codes of conduct were articulated for each division of society in the Laws of Manu. Given a good match between one's occupation and one's nature, there was little need or incentive to break these codes. And since these codes themselves led both to the proper functioning of society and to individual freedom, everyone and everything functioned harmoniously, leading to a balanced and peaceful society with contented and fulfilled individuals.
This was the Vedic way life, "the wonder that was India." However, in the drastic changes that have swept through India, from the Muslim invasions beginning in the 12th century, through 300 years of British colonial rule and accelerating since independence and the concomitant drive toward industrialization, commercialization and "development," the system of Vamashramadharma has completely broken down. Only a shattered and contorted version of it, called the "caste system," remains in evidence today. It is beyond the scope of this book to examine the reasons why the system has degenerated. However, the essence of Vamashrama dharma has been presented here to help illuminate the spirit behind Vedic civilisation, as illustrated in its division of labor and of the stages of life.
Chapter 1
The text begins with a description of the qualities of Yajnavalkya and his wife Gargi, who live in a hermitage with many other great sages. In an assembly of such sages, Gargi requests Yajnavalkya to teach her the essence of Yoga. Yajnavalkya consents with happiness. He meditates on the Divine (Narayana), and then begins his discourse. He describes how he approached Bramha to learn the highest truth - the way to freedom. Bramha graciously explains to him the means to freedom. He says that doing one's duties, as prescribed in the Varnashramadharma, (Refer Vedic way of life) with knowledge and without desire, is the path to freedom. Doing the same actions, but with desire is sure to lead one to further bondage. Then Bramha goes on to describe the manner in which one should lead one's life according to the Vamashramadhattna. Concluding with this, Bramha himself recedes into the state of Yoga. Gargi hears this exposition of the means to freedom as said by Bramha to Yajnavalkya, and then requests Yajnavalkya to elaborate upon it further.
Yajnavalkya now explains the Yoga that one should practice, along with the actions prescribed by the Varnashrama dharma, to attain freedom. He defines Yoga as the union of the Jivatma (self) and the Paramatma (Divine). This Yoga has eight limbs - Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. Then Yajnavalkya lists the number of types of each limb, and explains in detail the first limb- Yama. The ten Yamas- ahimsa, satya, asteya, bramhacarya, daya, arjava, kshama, dhrti, mitahara, and sauca- are then explained in detail. This concludes the first chapter.
Chapter II
The second chapter deals with the observances (Niyamas), the second limb of Patanjali's astanga Yoga. The ten Niyamas are Tapas, Santosam, Astikyam, Danam, Iswarapujanam, Siddhantashravanam, Hri, Mati, Japam and Vratam. Yajnavalkya lists the ten Niyamas, and then defines each one of them. He explains in detail the various grades of recitation of mantra (Japa).
Chapter III
Yajnavalkya describes certain selected asanas in this chapter. He begins with a list of the eight asanas which he is going to describe: Svastikasana, Gomukhasana, Padmasana, Virasana, Simhasana, Bhadrasana, Muktasana and Mayurasana. He then describes these asanas in the above mentioned order. He gives two variations of Svastikasana and Muktasana only. Then he says that all diseases are destroyed by the practice of Asanas along with Yama and Niyama. He concludes the chapter instructing Gargi to practice Pranayama, along with Yama, Niyama and Asana, after purifying the Nadis.
Chapter IV
This chapter begins with Gargi requesting Yajnavalkya to explain in detail the method of purification of the nadis, along with their position, origin and termination, as well as the position, function and movement of the vayus. Yajnavalkya begins with the concept of dispersion of Prana and then emphasizes the importance of centering the Prana. Then the shape and position of the center of the body (dehamadhyam), and the kandasthanam in humans, animals and birds are given in order. Then follows a description of the abode of the jiva - the cakra at the navel (nabhicakra), the kundalini and their respective positions in the body. Then the awakening of the kundalini and the upward movement of the prana are described.
Next, Yajnavalkya speaks of the nadis. He lists the fourteen important nadis, and describes the sushumna nadi as the most important one. Then he describes the ida and pingala nadis, and the relative position of the remaining eleven nadis. He gives further details on the origin and termination of each of the nadis. Yajnavalkya then lists the ten life forces (vayus) and their functions. He describes the position of the most important vayu in the body, the prana vayu, then describes the location of the apana vayu, the other three important vayus (vyana, udana and samana vayus), as well as the remaining five vayus. Then he discusses the role of prana vayu in the digestion and assimilation of food. Finally, he describes clearly the principal function of each of the ten vayus. He concludes by instructing Gargi to perform Nadi sodhana in the prescribed manner, after having understood everything explained so far.
Chapter V
In this chapter, Yajnavalkya discusses the preparations and practice of purifying the Nadis (Nadi shodana). He first describes the qualities that an ideal aspirant should possess before attempting to purify the Nadis. Then the ideal environment and daily routine for the practice are described. Following this, he describes an alternative opinion, proposed by some other great sages. The preparations for the practice of Nadi shodana, the technique of the practice, and the daily routine and duration of the practice, in accordance with this second opinion, are given in detail. Yajnavalkya concludes the chapter describing the results of such a practice.
Chapter VI
This chapter discusses in detail the various types of Pranayama, the procedures of practising them and their benefits. Yajnavalkya begins by defining Pranayama as balancing prana and apana. He relates the three components of Pranayama (inhalation, holding and exhalation) to the three syllables of Om, thus saying that Pranayama is simply another form of Om (Pranava).
He proposes two procedures of pranayama, involving different ratios of inhalation, holding and exhalation. The first three divisions of society may use the Gayatri or the OM pranava, while the fourth division and women should use other mantras, such as Namah. Then three grades of Pranayama are described. Yajnavalkya describes the type of pranayama that leads to lightness of the body and absorption of the mind, as the best one. He then explains the concept and practice of kevala kumbhakam and sahita kumbhakam. Then we are given another definition of Pranayama: pranayama means retaining the prana within the body. Yajnavalkya gives, in detail, two means to master the prana: one using the Shanmukhi mudra, and the other, an alternative involving asana and pranava. He also describes the results of focussing the prana at various places in the body, and how diseases are destroyed by such a practice, which illustrates the therapeutic applications of pranayama. Yajnavalkya also deals comprehensively with the mantras to be used by each of the four divisions of society during pranayama practice. He then goes on to describe the movement of the prana to the crown of the head (Brahmarandhram) and the sound (nada) that arises during the upward movement of the prana. The role of pranayama in the destruction of the kundalini and the removal of ignorance (avidya) is also described. The chapter concludes by stressing the importance of the practice of pranayama and daily rituals (nityakarma) to achieve the union of the self with the Divine.
Chapter VII
The first four limbs of Yoga were described in the preceeding 6 chapters. Here, Yajnavalkya begins explanation of Pratyahara, the fifth limb of Yoga. Five different forms of Pratyahara are suggested. The fourth and perhaps most important form is defined as "Having drawn the prana from point to point, holding it in the 18 vital points (Marmasthanas)". These eighteen vital points are then listed and the distance between each of them is given in order. Following this, the method of drawing and focussing the prana in each of these points is explained in detail, and then the benefits of such a practice are also discussed. Finally, Yajnavalkya explains the fifth form of Pratyahara, and how one can reach freedom by focussing the prana in certain vital points.
Chapter VIII
Yajnavalkya explains the five types of mental focus (Dharana) in this chapter. Dharana is defined as the absorption of the mind in the self. The five types of Dharana are distinguished by their focus on the five deities in the region of the corresponding element in the body. The region of each of the forms of matter in the body is described. Following this, the procedure, duration, and results of Dharana on each of the deities in the appropriate region of the body are discussed. Then the process of involution, which is the objective of the practice of Dharana using the above deities, is explained. Then follows another method to bring about this involution through the use of the Pranava. Yajnavalkya says that, for those absorbed in Yoga, the three doshas can be balanced by the practice of Pranayama with Dharana. He states that all the diseases caused by the imbalance of the doshas are removed by the practice of Dharana. Finally, he concludes the chapter by again emphasising the importance of the practice of one's daily duties (in accordance with the Vedas) and the previous limbs Yama, Niyama etc.
IX: Dhyana
In this chapter, Yajnavalkya describes the various methods of Dhyana. Dhyana is the cause for the bondage or freedom of all beings. Dhyana is to realize the self using the mind. It is of two types: With attributes (Saguna), and without attributes (Nirguna). Then various forms of Dhyana (both with and without attributes) are described by Yajnavalkya. The benefits of Dhyana are said to be such that one who does Dhyana as suggested can attain freedom in one year. Then Yajnavalkya instructs Gargi to do her duties in accordance with the Vedas, and to do Dhyana always. He concludes emphasizing that all great Seers have attained freedom through Dhyana.
X: Samadhi
Yajnavalkya speaks about Samadhi in this chapter. Samadhi is the state of union of the self and the Divine. Whatever one does Dhyana upon, one attains Samadhi or oneness with that. Surrendering to an entity also leads to Samadhi with that deity. Then the prerequisites for the attainment of Samadhi are described. Following this is a detailed description of the methodology by which a Yogi gives up his body at the time of death and attains freedom. One must leave the body thinking of that on which one has focussed during the practice of Yoga, because one becomes what one thinks of at the time of death. Yajnavalkya again emphsizes that freedom is assured for one who follows the actions laid down in the Vedas without desire. Finally, Yajnavalkya concludes the chapter saying that the path of Kannayogasamuccayam, which is a combination of action (Karma) and knowledge (Jnana) has now been expounded by him and again advises Gargi to reach freedom by the practice of Yoga.
XI: Vedic Duties during/after Samadhi
This chapter begins with Gargi asking Yajnavalkya to explain how a person in a state of Yoga (Samadhi) will perform the actions prescribed in the Vedas, and if he cannot do it, what is the (Prayascittam) purification for non performance. Yajnavalkya replies that one in a state of Yoga (Samadhi) need not do any of the Vedic duties. But when one comes out of Samadhi, when the self is not united with the Divine, one must perform all the Vedic duties. If a Yogi does not perform these duties, with the attitude that they cause sorrow, then he will suffer for it, for no living being can remain without performing any actions. Yajnavalkya then instructs Gargi to perform all her Vedic duties and attain freedom through the practice of Yoga. Then he requests all the sages present there to return to their respective hermitages. All the sages return fo their hermitages after honouring and worshipping Yajnavalkya. After they have all left, Gargi again asks Yajnavalkya to explain the path of Yoga in a brief manner. Yajnavalkya benevolently accedes to her request.
XII: Seven Steps to Freedom
This chapter contains the essence of the entire book. In this chapter Yajnavalkya describes the yogic path to freedom in a concise manner. The progression towards freedom outlined here can be divided into a series of seven orderly steps or stages. These steps have been detailed in tantric texts:
Yajnavalkya reiterates the benefits of Yoga practice, and concludes his discourse, again emphasizing the importance of the practice of one's daily duties according to the Vedas. Then Yajnavalkya recedes into samadhi in solitude and Gargi, having understood the essence of yoga, worships Yajnvalkya and does the same. The text concludes with a verse in praise of Vasudeva (the Divine) and a verse to the effect that Yajnavalkya and Gargi, are always present, seeing the Divine within themselves.
Outline
1-5: The qualities of Sage Yajnavalkya
6-8: Gargi 's request to Yajnavalkya to teach her the essence of Yoga
9-19: Yajnavalkya meditates on the Divine, (Narayana) and describes how he approached the Creator (Brahma), to learn the highest truth
41-42: After explaining the essence of Yoga, Brahma Himself recedes into a state of Yoga
43-44: Gargi's request to Yajnavalkya to further explain the knowledge (Jnana) that should go along with one's actions to attain freedom
45-50: Yajnavalkya's reply that knowledge is nothing but Yoga. Definition of Yoga as the union of the Self (Jivatma) and the Divine (Paramatma)
50-70: The eight limbs of Yoga and the number of divisions in each limb Detailed explanation of the ten divisions of the first limb (Yama)
19-27: The path to freedom (Nivartaka) and the path to bondage (Pravartaka), as explained by Brahma
27-29: The three debts of mankind and the means to overcome them
29-40: Brahma explains how one should lead one's life in accordance with Vamashramadhanna
41-42:Gargi's request to Yajnavalkya to further explain the knowledge (Jnana) that should go along with one's actions to attain freedom
43-44: Yajnavalkya's reply that knowledge is nothing but Yoga. Definition of Yoga as the union of the Self (Jivatma) and the Divine (Paramatma)
45-50: The eight limbs of Yoga and the number of divisions in each limb
50-70: Detailed explanation of the ten divisions of the first limb (Yama)
Renunciation of conjunction by thought, word, or deed, with the opposite sex, at all times, in all places and in all states is considered Brahmacarya. This is said to be be Brahmacarya for persons in the Brahmacaryashrama, for Sanyasins, for those who have resolved to adhere to Brahmacarya throughout their lives, and for those who are in the Vanaprasthashrama (the third stage in life when one retires to the forest). For householders, conjunction with their wives, in the prescribed period, in the proper manner, is considered as Brahmacarya. This Brahmacarya is prescribed for Kshatriyas who are in the Grihasthashrama, and by some scholars to Vaishyas of good conduct also. For the fourth division. serving one's teacher (Guru) is said to be Brahmacarya. For everyone, serving one's teacher at all times is said to be Brahmacarya.
For all divisions, five Gurus are stated in the Vedas - one's mother, father, teacher (Acarya), [maternal] uncle and father-in-law. Among them, three are said to be more important- one's teacher and parents. Among them, one is most important- the teacher who has realized the highest truth. One must always worship the same teacher who is the best among those who have known the Brahman, who is absorbed in the performance of his daily duties, by performing the service by which one's teacher will be pleased.
Daya is to be kind to all beings everywhere. Equality towards all things, favourable and unfavourable is said to be Kshama for humans by scholars well versed in the Vedas. During the loss of wealth and separation from one's dear ones, or attainment of both, steadiness of mind everywhere (in all states) is Dhrti.
Eight mouthfuls of food are to be eaten by a Sanyasi, sixteen by those in Vanaprasthashrama. thirty-two by a Grihastha, and as much as they wish by students. This is Mitahara for them, and for others it is eating less.
Sauca (purity) is said to be of two types- external and internal. External purity is [brought about] by cleansing agents like water and [a kind of fragrant] earth. Internal purity is the purity of the mind. Purity of the mind is to be known by the pious life [led by a person] and the quest for knowledge of the Supreme Spirit. This quest for the knowledge of the self, or the pious life can be initiated only by the father or the teacher, One free from Faults! Hence people who desire to attain freedom, must at all times, through thought, word and deed, worship the great sages and teachers who have realized the eternal truths declared in the Vedas."
List of the ten Niyamas
50-70: Detailed explanation of the ten divisions of the first limb (Yama)
Definition of Tapas
Definition of Astikya
Definition of Dana
Definition of Isvarapujana
Description of Siddhantashravana for each division of society
Hri
Mati
Detailed description of Japa
Definition of Vrata
43
Outline
List of the eight asanas
Svastikasana
Variation of Svastikasana
Gomukhasana
Padmasana
Virasana
Simhasana
Bhadrasana
Muktasana
Variation of Muktasana
Mayurasana
Diseases are destroyed due to Yama, Niyama and Asana. Instruction to Gargi
to do Pranayama after purifying the Nadis.
49
Appendix - to Chapter III
Different texts on yoga quote different numbers of asanas. For example, the Dhyanabindu Upanishad
says "There are as many asanas as there are varieties of beings." The HYP (1.33) says there are 84
asanas. Gheranda Samhita (II. I) says there are 84 lakh asanas but, of these, 84 are the best and, of
these, 32 are described (11.2). The Siva Samhita (III.84) says there are 84 asanas and out of these four
are described. The same asanas are described by different texts under different names. All these later
texts on yoga have borrowed the descriptions of these asanas from this text of Yajnavalkya (see Appendix
1), who is regarded as one of the ancient sages. This is evident from the HYP (1.18) which says "I
proceed to describe some of the asanas accepted by such sages as Vasishta and yogins such as
Matsyendra." Brahmananda, the commentator says the asanas described here are approved by Vasishta
and Yajnavalkya. Similarly if we refer to the HYP (II.37) it says "Some teachers say that all impurities
(of the nadis) are removed by Pranayama alone and other acts (kriyas- cleansing techniques like neti,
dauti, etc) are not accepted by great sages." The commentator Brahmananda again refers to the name
of Yajnavalkya in this context.
In this chapter, Yajnavalkya describes eight asanas with variations for two of them. Of these three
are considered most important. The chapter ends with a note that proper practice of postures (asanas)
along with yama and niyama destroy diseases. A very important fact to be noted by all students of
yoga is that all these texts describe only the final, classical posture and not any of the inte1 mediate or
preparatory postures. This is because, in Vedic times, the practice of asanas was learned under the
personal guidance and supervision of a teacher. These asanas were taught on an individual basis, with
a strong emphasis on careful observation of the students aptitudes and abilities, and adaptation of the.
posture to the student by the teacher. Indeed, it was the teacher's role to adapt the postures to suit the
needs and capabilities of each student. (See Yoga for Body. Breath and Mind by the same author for
more details.)
It is also worth noting that Yajnavalkya mentions the absence or disappearance of internal diseases
as one benefit of asana practice. The phrase, "absence of internal diseases," does not merely mean
absence of bodily, physical ailments. It also implies a greater stability and quiteness of the mind. This,
for example, is evident from HYP (1.17) which says "The practice of asanas leads to lightness of the
,
body, finnness and health". The commentary then explains "finnness" as calmness of mind due to the
reduction of the guna of activity (Rajas), and lightness of the body as coming about by the reduction
of the guna of inertia, darkness and heaviness (Tamas). "Health" is explained in the commentary as
the absence of disturbances in the mind. The disturbances of the mind referred to here are nine in
number, as also mentioned in the Yoga Sutras (1.30). The Yoga Sutras (II.48) also state that the practice
of asana leads to a state of being unaffected by the pairs of opposites (pleasure or pain, happiness or
sorrow).
Thus it is clear that, in ancient times, asana practice was primarily considered a spiritual practice,
leading to greater physical and mental stability necet!sary for spiritual pursuits.
53
Outline
Gargi's request to learn about Nadis, their position, Prana, their functions and
purification of the Nadis (Nadisuddhi)
Concept of Prana and its dispersion
The importance of centering the Prana
Description and location of the seat of the internal fire in the body
(Dehamadhya)
Position, shape and size of the Kandasthana
Position and description of the abode of the Prana and the Jiva (Nabhicakra)
Position and nature of the Kundalini
Kundalini and Prana - the awakening of the Kundalini
The fourteen important Nadis, and the most important ones among these
fourteen
The location and features of Sushumna Nadi
The relative position and features of Ida and Pingala Nadis
The relative position of the remaining Nadis
The origin and tennination of the Nadis
The ten Vayus - Prana to Dhananjaya
The abode of Prana
The abode of apana
The abode of Vyana
The abode of udana
The abode of samana
The other 5 Vayus
The process of digestion and assimilation of food and the role of the Vayus in
this process
The function of each of the 10 Vayus
Instruction to Gargi to perform Nadisodhana pranayama
55
VAYU
I. Prana
2. Apana
3. Vyana
4. Udana
5. Sam ana
6. Naga
7. Kmma
8. Krkara
9. Devadatta
10. Dhananjaya
LOCATIO:\
Between nose & jaws,
centre of the heart, centre of
navel, big toe, surrounding
kundalini.
Anus, generative organ, thighs,
knees, stomach, testicles, kneecap,
hip, navel.
Between the ear and eyes,
sides of the neck, ankles,
nose throat, posterior region.
All joints, in legs and
hands also.
Whole body.
Inhalation, exhalation,
coughing, sneezing etc.
Separates food, rasa etc.
Excretion.
Taking in and giving out.
Rising, bending etc.
Nutrition I growth of the body.
Belching, vomitting etc.
Opening and closing of the eyes.
Sneezing.
Drowsiness, sleepiness.
Swelling etc.
*some of these locations and functions differ with Ayurvedic texts.
N.niE OF THE NADI PosiTION oF THE NADI
I. Sushumna In the middle of the Kandasthana
7. Ida On the left of the Sushumna
3. Pingala On the right of the Sushumna
4. Sarasvati On the side of the Sushumna
5. Kuhu On the side of the Sushumna
6. Gandhari Back of Ida
7. Hastijihva Side of Ida
8. Visvodara Between Kuhu and Hastijihva
9. Varuni Between Yasasvini and Kuhu
I 0. Yasasvini • ••••••• • • ••••
II . Payasvini Between Pusha and Sarasvati
12.Pusha At the back of the Pingala
13. Shankhini Between Gandhari and Sarasvati.
REGIOl" OF THE NADI
Extends upto the top of the head
Extends upto the tip of the left
nose on the left side
Extends upto the tip of the nose
on the right side
Extends upwards upto the tongue
From the front region of the
Sushumna upto the end of the
•
generative organ
Extends upto the left eye.
Extends upto the tip of the big
toe of the left foot.
In the middle of the the belly
Spreads everywhere and is above
and below the Kundalini
Extends on the right side upto the
tip of the toe
Extends upto the right ear
Extends on the right upto the eye
Extends upwards upto the left
ear.
14. Alambusha Below the centre of the Kandasthana Extends downwards to the
bottom of the anus region.
67
Outline
Gargi's request and Yajnvalkya's assent to teach the method of purification
of the Nadis
The qualities of the aspirant, pre-requisites, ideal environment and daily
routine for the practice of yoga
The view of some other sages on the environment, life style, and procedure
of practice
The actual technique of Nadisodhana and the duration of practice
Results of such a practice
69
Yajna\·alkya said: One who perfOIIIIS all the actions adYocated hy the Vedas•. is deYoid of desire. who
i' endowed with all the Yamas and Niyamas1• who is uninvolved in worldly affairs. who has completed
his studies [of the Sastras or scriptures], who has overcome anger, who is devoted to the performance
of his duty and to truth. who dutifully serYes his Guru�. who is devoted to his parents;;. who adheres to
[the duties of] his stage in life (Ashrama). according to VamashramadhaJJlla. who is of good conduct
[and character] and who has been well educated by great scholars'. after going to a grove suitable for
spiritual pursuits which has plenty of fruits, roots and good water, in that pleasing pure place which
resounds with the chanting of the Vedas. surrounded by tranquil Vedic scholars who are devoted to
their duty, who have realised the Brahman, having built a beautiful, well-protected Matha7 near a
temple or a flowing river, in a village or a city8, abounding in water, filled with fruit and roots, and with
flowers of different varieties, the entire surroundings being capable of bestowing all desired results,
[in that Matha,] the aspirant should bathe thrice a day', always be devoted to his duty (according to
Vamashramadha1ma). listen to Vedanta111 and practise the path of Yoga.
' Yajnavalkya continually emphasizes the n�cessity to abide by the Vedas and follow the path of Yoga. This is repeated in all th� chapters.
' The ten Yamas and the ten Niyamas were discussed in detail in Chapters I and II.
' This refers to even those aspirants who attempt to overcome anger. The various degrees to which practises such as non-violence etc. are to be adhered
to by different divisions of society has been clearly explained in the Vedas, in the Vamashramadharma. This is also outlined in Chapter I.
' Serving the Guru or teacher is considered an important prerequisite and is also mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita (chapt�r IV -34).
' !Xvotion to one's parents implies that the person has a proper social suppon system. A stable basis of psychological and emotional support is essential
before any spiritual practice can hope to succeed.
' One should be educated by the greatest scholars. The word '"scholar" used here to translate '"Vidvan" should not be misunderstood as mere intellectual
knowledge. Instead, it refers to someone who has directly experienced and realized whatever he or she has studied.
' A Matha is not to be mistaken for a monastery where monks (sanyasis) resided. Traditionally, a Matha was quite safe, for the king of the land typically
provided complete protection. For example, see the many references to Rama's kingly protection of various rishis and their Mathas in the Ramayana.
• Similar descriptions can be found in the Hathayogapmdipika. For example, Chapter I, verses 12-14 read follows:
"The Matha should be established in a well-governed, well-ruled prosperous kingdom ruled by a righteous king. The place should be unaffected by
water, fire or rocks to the extent of a bow's length. (The measure of a bow's length referred to here is the span of the arms stretched out width wise. This
amount of space spherically is sufficient to maintain absolute physical fitness.) The place should be free from disturbances and in solitude. The actual
construction of the Matha has also been explained. The Matha should not be too high or too low. It should have a small door and no holes. It should be
fr�e from insects and clean, smeared with cow dung. The appearaoce from outside should be attractive with a hall, a raised seat, a well and a surrounding
wall."
' This does not refer to mere bathing, but means that (Sandhyavandanam) meditation and pranayama should be practicesd three times everyday.
" Anta means '"end." Thus, V�danta means '"the end (essence) of the Vedas." The Vedas have 4 pans: the Samhita. Brahmana, Aranyaka and the
Upanishads. The last pan (the end) of the Vedas, the Upanishads, are considered the Vedanta. The essence of th� Upanishads has been presented in the
t"onn of the Brahmasutras by Vyasa. The Brahmasutras are also referred to as Vedanta. It is not proper to diminish the pans apart from Upanishadic texts
.1s or bscr relevance to Vedic philosophy. as all four pans of the Vedas are quite significant to Vedic thought and lifestyle.
71
One attains Nadisuddhi. which is characterised b\' certain distinct indications. Lightness of the bOLh.
- � .
enhancement of the fire in the stomach (Jatharagni) improvement in the voice1 (Nada). These changes
are indicative of its attainment (of the Nadis being purified). One should continue to practice thus unti I
these [above mentioned changes] are experienced.
1 The HYP also describes similar benefits (11.19-20). When the Nadis are cleansed. certain outward external changes
-
can be observed. including lightness in the body. lustre, control over the breath. enhanced Agni in the stomach and an
improvement in the voice.
74
Outline
Yajnavalkya begins his discourse on Pranayama
Definition of Pranayama
One type of Pranayama
Another type of Pranayama
Mantras to be used by a Brahmin during Pranayama
Mantras to be used by others and the benefits of such a Pranayama practice
Definition of inhalation, holding and exhalation
The three grades of Pranayama
The method to attain mastery over Prana and the benefits of such mastery
Benefits of focussing the Prana at various places in the body and the
therapeutic applications of Pranayama
Another means to master the Prana (Shanmukhi Mudra)
Pranayama and Nada
Another means to master the Prana (an alternative to the Shanmukhi Mudra)
Pranayama and Kundalini - The burning and awakening of the Kundalini
and the ascending of the Prana to the Brahmarandhra
Pranayama practice for union with the Divine
The virtues of Pranayama and the importance of its practice
75
Outline
ter
Yajnavalkya begins to speak on Pratyahara- the fifth limb of Yoga
Four different definitions of Pratyahara
A list of the eighteen vital points (Marmasthanas)
The distance between each of the vital points
The Prana must be focussed and held in the vital points
Detailed description of the procedure of drawing the Prana from one vital
point to another
The importance of this fm m of Pratyahara and the benefits attained by its
practice
The means to freedom by drawing and focussing the Prana at some vital points
One type of Pranayama.
91
Inhaling the air through the Nadis, one must focus the Prana on the sides of the Kundalini simultaneously
and retain [it there]. He (one who does so) is freed from bondage. One who, as said before, draws and
focusses the Prana in the internal space of the heart, he too, One with a Beautiful Countenance, reaches
the highest state. What then are diseases, external and internal, to him? [The one who,] inhaling the
air through both nostrils, filling the belly (chest and abdominen), and then, drawing it from the centre
of the eyebrows, to the back of the eyes, with a focussed mind, retains [it there] even for a second, he
too attains the highest state. Why say more? Doing all your daily duties, focussing the Prana, through
the Sushumna in the center of the eyebrows, control it there till the mind is totally absorbed.
MARMA STHANAS - VITAL POINTS
FROM
Big toe
Ankle
Mid shank
Root of calf
Knee
Mid thigh
Root of anus
Center of body
Generative organ
Navel
Heart
Neck pit
Root of tongue
Root of nose
Eye
Middle of eyebrows
Forehead
TO
Ankle
Mid shank
Root of calf
Knee
Mid thigh
Root of anus
Center of body
Generative organ
Navel
Heart
Neck pit
Root of tongue
Root of nose
Eye
Middle of eyebrows
Forehead
Crown of the head
DISTANCE
(In Angulas)
Outline
ter
Yajnavalkya begins to explain the five types of Dharana
Two different definitions of Dharana
The five types of Dharana
The regions of the five forms of matter in the body
Another opinion on the region of the five forms of matter in the body
The Deities to be meditated upon in each of the five regions
Procedure, duration, and results of the five Dharanas
Dissolution of effects by tracing them back to their respective causes
Another opinion - that the Pranava alone can be used to bring about this
involution
Yajnavalkya instructs Gargi to personally experience this involution using the
Pranava and the practice of Pranayama
The three Doshas attain balance by the practice of Pranayama itself
All diseases, arising from the imbalance of any of the Doshas, are cured by the
practice of Dharana (using Pranayama)
Instruction to Gargi to practise Dharana along with her daily duties
99
Division of Body into Various Regions Representing Forms of Matter and the Seed letter mantras
Yoga Yajnavalkya, Chapter VIII (6-8)
REGION FORM OF MATTER
Feet to knees Earth
Knees to generative organ Water
Generative organ to heart Fire
Heart to center of eyebrows Air
Center of eyebrows to crown of the head Space
Mantra Mahodadhi I-Pranayamavidhi (14-18)
(The ocean of Mantras - Pranayama procedure)
REGION FORM OF MATTER
Feet to knees Earth
Knees to navel Water
Navel to heart Fire
Heart to center of eyebrows Air
Center of eyebrows to crown of the head Space
MANTRA
Lam
Vam
Ram
Yam
Ham
MANTRA
Lam
Vam
Ram
Yam
Ham
Mantra Mahodadhi (1.14-18) Yoga Y ajnavaikya (VIII.6-8)
SPACE
AIR
FIRE
WAlER
EARTH
Outline
ter
Yajnavalkya begins his discourse on Dhyana
Definition of Dhyana. The two types of Dhyana: with attributes (Saguna
dhyana) and without attributes (Nirguna dhyana)
The number of types in each form of Dhyana
The prerequisites for performance of Dhyana
Description of Dhyana without attributes(Nirguna dhyana)
Another similar form of Dhyana without attributes (Nirguna dhyana)
Dhyana with attributes (Saguna dhyana) on the Divine in the form of
Narayana
.
Dhyana with attributes (Saguna dhyana) on the Divine in the form of
Vaisvanara Agni in one's own body
Dhyana with attributes (Saguna dhyana) on the Divine in the disc of the
sun
Dhyana on one's self
Dhyana on the Divine in the space between the eyebrows
Another form of Dhyana with attributes (Saguna dhyana) on one's own
self in the heart-lotus
Benefits of the performance of Dhyana
Instruction to Gargi to practice Dhyana, along with her daily duties
ter
Yajnavalkya begins to speak on Samadhi, which destroys all bondage
Samadhi is defined as the state of union of the self and the Divine
One attains Samadhi (becomes one) with the object on which one doesDhyana.
Dhyana culminates in Samadhi. Surrender also leads to Samadhi
The prerequisites for the attainment of Samadhi
The process by which a Yogi attains Samadhi and leaves his body
One should leave one's body thinking of that upon which one has focussed
during the practice of Yoga
One becomes that which one thinks of during the time of death
Instructions to Gargi on the manner of leaving the body
Freedom is assured for one who follows the actions laid down in the Vedas
without desire
Yajnavalkya concludes his explaination of the path of Yoga
ter
Gargi requests Yajnavalkya to explain the purification for not having performed
the Vedic duties (Prayashcitta) when in a state of Yoga (Samadhi)
Yajnavalkya's reply that when one is in Yoga (Samadhi), there is no purification
for not having performed the Vedic duties (Prayaschitta)
When not in a state of Yoga (Samadhi), even a realized person must to do all
the Vedic duties
Instruction to Gargi to attain freedom through the practice of Yoga.
Yajnavalkya's request to all the sages to return to their respective hermitages
Return of the various sages to their respective hermitages, after duly
worshipping Yajnavalkya
Gargi's request to Yajanvalkya to explain the whole of Yoga with all its eight
limbs concisely
Yajnavalkya's consent to explain the path of Yoga concisely
121
Outline
This single chapter contains the essence of the entire book. Yajnavalkya explains here the Yogic path
to freedom, in a concise manner. For the purpose of understanding, the Slokas can be divided into
sections describing seven stages of progression along this path. Some of these steps are detailed in
Tantric texts. I have therefore not explained them here.
1-7:
8-13:
14-20:
21:
22-26:
27-29:
30-35:
36-40:
41:
42:
43-44:
45:
46:
First stage - kindling of the Agni by Prana
Second stage - awakening of Kundalini
Third stage - the movement of the Prana to the heart-lotus, through the
Sushumna Nadi
Fourth stage - further ascent of Prana
Fifth stage - the focussing of Prana in the centre of the eyebrows
Sixth stage - continued absorption of the mind and Prana in the center of the
eyebrows
Seventh stage - attainment of freedom
The benefits of such a Yoga practice
Importance of daily duties (Nityakanna) along with the practice of Yoga
Yajnavalkya recedes into solitude and Samadhi after explaining the greatest
secret
Gargi worships Yajnavalkya, having understood the essence of Yoga and
recedes into solitude with total happiness
Praise of Vasudeva, the Divine
Yajnavalkya and Gargi are always present, beholding the Divine in themselves
127
Sri Divanji's Introduction to the Yoga Yanjavalkya.
Note: This Appendix has been abstracted and revised from the "Introduction" of Yoga Yajnavalkya,
BBRA Society Monograph No. 3, Bombay, 1954, pp. 96-113, edited by Sri Prahlad C. Divanji, M.A,
LL.M. I have attempted both to summarize and to clarify Sri Divanji 's intentions, as I have understood
them. I have attempted this by rewriting the arcane and sometimes rather tortured English of the
original in my own words. I should point out that I am neither an lndologist nor a scholar of Indian
philosophy, nor do I read Sanskrit. I am an anthropologist by training, and a student of yoga as taught
by Sri A.G. Mohan. I have attempted throughout to articulate the subject matter presented here, as it is
known to me from my readings in Yoga, Vedanta and from Sri A.G. Mohan's teachings, which I have
been most fortunate to receive. I have attempted to restrict my own views, comments and explanations
to the footnotes and, in this way, relate faithfully Sri Divanji's Introduction.
Textual Sources
Sixteen ancient manuscripts were used to ascertain the actual reading of the text, as it is presented
here. These manuscripts fall into 4 classes, according to the script into which they were transcribed:
Devanagari (8 mss.), Grantha (6 mss.), Telugu (I ms.) and Kannada (I ms.) These manuscripts,
collected from institutions all over India, were written on hand-made or machine-made paper, or stenciled
onto palm leaves, all had names such as "Yoga Yajnavalkya," "Yoga Yajnavalkya Smriti," "Yoga
Yajnavalkyagita," Yajnavalkya Samhita" and "YogaYajnavalkyagitopanisadah." In addition, 5
previously printed editions (all published in India between 1893-1938) were consulted when no
satisfactory consensus reading of the original could be inferred from the extant older manuscripts.
Most such ambiguities seemed to arise from divergent readings of the same Sanskrit syllables and
presumably from transcription errors by the scribes of these old manuscripts. In the interests of compiling
a critical, scholarly edition of the Yoga Yajnavalkya, Sri Di vanji described these sources in some detail
to facilitate their identification by subsequent scholars. (For details, the reader is referred to Sri Divanji 's
1954 publication, pp. 96-100.)
The Work and its Date
Several facts indicate the complete uniformity between this manuscript and the 5 previously printed
editions. First, the work as a whole always takes the form of a dialogue between the sage, Yajnavalkya
and his wife, Gargi (also known as Maitreyi). Secondly, the topic is astanga (or eight-limbed) yoga, as
described in Patanjali's Yoi:asutras. Thirdly, Yajnavalkya's exposition is made at the request of his
wife, Gargi, to summarize the teachings he had received from Brahma, the Creator God. Furthermore,
Yajnavalkya's discourse explains the relationship of this yoga to religious observances prescribed in
the Vedas, in the form of a "Samuccaya" (combination) of "Joana" (discriminating wisdom, described
herein as the essence of yoga) and "Vaidham Karma," a tenn whose exact meaning is not explained
anywhere in the work1• Fourthly, the work is always divided into 12 chapters, the first 11 delivered in
the presence of several sages, while the last (Rahasya) chapter summarizes the preceding discourse to
Gargi alone, after the sages had departed Yajnavalkya's hermitage. Finally, the topic of each chapter is
generally the same. The main differences among the different versions of the manuscript are in the
number of stanzas, with some manuscripts having more stanzas, and some less, than other versions.
1 But see Translator's explanation in the verse 1.42 of the YY. Ref. also to footnote 2 under Ch X.
135
Date of the Yo�:a Yajnavalkya
Sixteen manuscripts were utilized in assembling this critical edition1• The earliest dated manuscript is
No. 3 in the list of Devanagari manuscripts, which was borrowed from the Oriental Institute in Baroda.
The condition of that manuscript, dated on March of 1628 CE, was described2 as "old but wellpreserved." That manuscript showed clearly on the last page·1 that it had been copied from an earlier
manuscript in 1627-1628 CE Moreover, sections of the Grantha manuscripts written on palm leaves
0
may well be nearly 500 years old, and the manuscript on which the printed edition published in
Trivandrum in 1938 was based was, in the judgment of its editor, at least 500 years old.
The age of the original manuscript can be inferred by comparison to the many manuscripts of known
date which contain slokas so similar to the Yoga Yajnavalkya that they must have been borrowed from
it. For example, the Jabala Darsana, Trisikhi-Bramhana, Yogakundalini and Yogatattva Upanishads
all contain far too many stanzas almost identical to those occurring in the present work to have occurred
by chance. The Sandilya Upanisad incorporates in prose the exact words which occur in the
corresponding stanzas of this work, and the Vasudevopanisad contains similarly identifiable passages
in 2 or 3 places. In itself, this is enough evidence to infer that the authors of these later works borrowed
these common passages from the present work. The Hathayogapradipika of Svatmarama also relies
rather extensively upon the Yoga Yajnavalkya for some of its stanzas. Furthermore, the
Hatha Yoga Pradipika refers (11.37) to a sect of Hathayogis who disapproved of the Satkauna, Neti,
Dhauti and so on, and achieved the same objectives by practicing different forms of Pranayama, which
is precisely the unique feature of Yoga Yajnavalkya. Sankara's bhashya (commentary) on the
Svetasvataropanisad also contains numerous quotations (in sections 11.7 & 11.9) from a work he attributed
to Yajnavalkya, which can be traced to chapters IV to VII of the Yoga Yajnavalkya. This alone clearly
dates the present work to the 8th century CE, the time of Sankara. Mummadideva, in his comments on
the smaller Yogavasistha (VI 9.65 and 9.71) also quotes this work. The Yoga Yajnavalkya was also
specified as an authority on the Samuccayavada (combination of karma and jnana for freedom) in
Anandavardhana's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita.
Finally, the author of the Yajnavalkya Smrti recommends (in 111.11 0) a study "of the Yogasastra
promulgated by me" to those who desire to achieve Yoga (union with the Divine). That Yogasastra
must be the present Yoga Yajnavalkya and not the Yogi Yajnavalkya, which is a work on Sandhyavandana
(a ritual done thrice everyday), which does not use material objects but relies only on the use of
Mantras with known esoteric meanings. The Brhad-Yogi Yajnavalkya Smrti, published in 1951 by the
Kaivalyadhama, Lonavla, is an enlarged edition of this Sandhyavandana4• This identity (of "the
Yogasastra promulgated by me" with the present Yoga Yajnavalkya) is further corroborated by the
views of the Ayurvedic writers, including A gastya and the A svins (in V II.7, 30; Vill.33, 39), which
date this work to the age of Caraka. Caraka's Samhita (1.1.4-5 and 8.32) indicates that the medical
science of Ayurveda originated from the necessity of discovering the origins of disease in order to
eradicate it, because physical dysfunction obstructed the pursuit of humankind's highest objective,
namely Moksa (release). Caraka's Ayurvedic Samhita also describes the lineage of teachers and students
1 Sri Divanji's method for assembling a critical edition is described on pp. 100-103 of his 1954 BBRA monograph. He also published
a detailed description of his method, along with some of his tables used to ascertain the archetypal text and its variant recensions, in
the Journal of the Oriental Institute, Baroda, Vol. II, pp. 31-40, 1952.
2 Described by Sri. Divanji himself, that is.
' A facsimile of the last page of the Devanagari No.3 manuscript was reproduced between pages 102 and 103 in Sri Divanji's 1954
BBRA monograph.
4 See "Brhad-Yogi Yajnavalkya and Yoga Yajnavalkya" by Sri P.C. Divanji, Annals of the B.O.R Institute of Poona, Volume XXXIV.
pp. 1-29, 1954.
136
transmitted up until the time of Agnivesa (whose first Ayurvedic work was called a Tantra or scientific
treatise). The tradition described in Caraka's Samhita (which consisted of the contributions of the
sages Caraka and Drdhabala), the names of the Asvins occur early in the lineage and of Agastya later
in the_ lineage. Ayurveda-Dipika, the commentary on Caraka's Samhita by Cakrapani Dutta, quotes the
Kaya-cikitsa-tantra, regarding how even the "kalamrtyu" is conquered by Mahatmas who have attained
perfection in "Rasayana"1, "Tapas" and "Japayoga." Now, the present Yoga Yajnavalkya (especially
chapters VI to V III) contain numerous references to the practice of Pranayama for eradication of
specific diseases and for acquiring control over the vital airs (vayus), especially A pan a, which is described
as Ayurvighatakrt ("the destroyer of the duration of life" Ch.XII-2). The time of Caraka, a contemporary
of Kaniska (born roughly 80 CE2 ), falls within the period determined for the Yajnavalkya Smrti by
oriental scholars, such as Drs. Buhler and Kane, namely between 200-100 BCE to 200-300 CE. The
date of the present work, which we have argued was written by the same author of the Yajnavalkya
Smrti (or which at least describes the same kind of yoga) can thus be traced to a period between the
2nd c. B.C.E. and the 4th c. CE This estimate is consistent with the previous existence of the classical
Yogadarsana of Patanjali3, from which the eight limbs were almost certainly borrowed.
Objections to the authenticity of this work might be based on an assumed identity of the Yajnavalkya
with Maitreyi and Janaka in the Brhadaranyakopanisad. This cannot be taken seriously because both
Martreyi and Janaka lived several centuries prior to the period established for the Yoga Yajnavalkya.
Thus the Yajnavalkya of the Brhadaranyakopanisad must be another sage of the same name.
Sri P.C. Devanji (in the Annals of the B.O.R.I., Poona) published several papers described details
about the life of our Yajnavalkya, wherein he demonstrated that our Yajnavalkya must have lived in the
2nd century CE4 •
In any case, the important point is the nature of the Yoga expounded herein. If this yoga is consistent
with the views of Yajnavalkya, as expounded in the Upanishads of the Sukla Yajur Veda, then there
can be no reasonable objection to viewing this work as promulgating the yogic method of realization
of the identity of the individual soul (atman) with the Supreme soul (brahman). This yoga was first
asserted with confidence by the Yajnavalkya of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad in the court of Janaka
Videhi, where he insisted upon the continued perfm mance of action right up to the time of realization.
This is in accordance with the advice of the sage of the Isopanisad, which forms the 40th chapter of the
Samhita of the Sukla Yajur Veda compiled by him. Unfortunately, there is a limited amount of space
to discuss in detail the parallel passages between the two well-known Upanishads of Sukla Yajur Veda
school and the present Yoga Yajnavalkya. However, special attention is drawn to the following parallel
1 According toM. Eliade, rasayana is a kind of medical alchemy. See Yoga, Immortality and Freedom, Princeton, Princeton University
Press, 1958, p. 278).
' Kanishka is dated at 100-200 C.E. by G.J. Larson and R.S. Bhattacharya (Samkhya: A Dualist Tradition in Indian Philosopy,
Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1987).
·' Patanjali is variously thought to have lived in the 2nd c. B.C.E. or in the 5th c. C.E., depending on whether he is identified with
Patanjali the Sanskrit grammarian, or if he lived late enough to respond to the 5th c. Vijnanavada school of Buddhism. The debate
Jppears to revolve around the age of the fourth book, the Kaivalya Pada, and especially whether sloka IV.I6 is part of the original
Yoga Sutras or was added later, for example, interpolated by Vyasa in his commentary as an anti-Buddhist polemic in the 7th-8th c. CE.
SeeM. Eliade, Yoga, Immortality and Freedom, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1958, pp. 8-9 and 370-372 ..
' Sri P.C. Devanji inferred details of our Yajnavalkya based on the life story given in the Nagarakhanda of the Skanda Purana. He
apparently lived during the 2nd c. C.E., first at Puskar near Ajmer, later migrating to Hatakesvaraksetra in the Anartadesa. See the
pJpers by Sri P.C. Devanji, published in the Annals of the B.O.R.L. Poona (full reference not specified), and his "Sena Kings of Anarta
in their Historic Setting," Journal of the Gujarat Research Society, Bombay, April 1952 .
137
passages: Brihadaranyaka Up ani shad (Br) 11.4-5. IY.2-4. Isa Upani shad (lsa) 4-8. and the Yoga
Yajnavalkya (YY) I.43, VI.77-80. IX.2, 9, 17-18,23-24,29, 30-32. 34, 39, XII.23-35 for the realization
of the identity [of at man and brahman]; Is a 1-3, 9-18 and YY I.26, 38-39, 41, X.20-22, XL2-9 for the
"Jnana-Kanna-Samuccaya" in which Jnana stands for, or has as its essence, Yoga, as explained clearly
in 1.43 (of the Yoga Yajnavalkya).
Although the yoga expounded here consists of the eight limbs of Patanjali's yoga (Yama, Niyama,
Asana, etc.), the two works differ in their descriptions of those limbs. Likewise, although its
recommendation of various techniques ofPranayama and Vayuvijaya mark it as a work ofHatha Yoga,
the Yoga Yajnavalkya differs considerably from the several Yoga Upanishads and the treatises composed
by the Nada Yogis of later dates, specifically by the absence of any reference to the Satcakras (the 7
Cakras), by its description of the Ajna (heart center) as an eight-petalled lotus, and so on. These
differences are not detailed here. Suffice it to say that the Yoga Yajnavalkya was based on the doctrine
that realization of the identity of the individual soul with the Supreme soul, as established in the
Vedanta, and that this cannot occur except by following the course of Yoga expounded herein. And, so
long as final release is not realized, it is positively hannful to abandon performance of the prescribed
acts, a perspective which recalls the teaching of the Yajnavalkya of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
Realization occurs when one rouses the Kundalini (and the accompanying heat inherent in the triangular
space between the two lower organs), which no1mally obstructs the passage of the vital breath, into the
Susumna nadi (which extends from the Kanda or bulb below the navel through the spinal cord, to the
opening at the root of the palate). At that point, the mind ceases to think of any object whatsoever and
becomes completely steady. Achievement of this goal requires various devices, but once complete
realization occurs, it is immaterial whether one retains the connection between the vital breath and
one's physical body or severs it by an act of will. Finally, there are no restrictions in this Yoga as to
age, sex, caste, station in life and so on. Yajnavalkya's yoga can be practiced by anyone who makes up
their mind to do so and takes the time to become acquainted with the techniques. That is, this is the
earliest available text on Hathayoga for the common person.
13R
QUOTATIONS FROM
AND REFERENCES TO THIS WORK
IN OTHER WORKS
I. Sankara's Bhasya (Commentary) on the Svetasvatara Upanishad (11.8) contains quotations which
are identifiable with YY IV.48-49; V.l 2-15, 17-22; VI.2-3, 5-8; VII.24/l -2 (Anandasram Sanskrit
Series No. 17, pp.28-29, 42-44).
2. Commentary of Mummadideva on Gauda Abhinanda's Abridgement of the Yogavasista VI. 9.65,
71 corresponding with YY XII .1, IV.20-21, VII.1 0.
3. Sarvadarsanasangraha of Sayana-Madhava, Patanjala Yogadarsana contains quotations at four
places from a work of Yajnavalkya out of which the definition of Yoga and of Samadhi is traceable
to Y. Y. I, that of Tapas to Y. Y. II, and that of Padmasana to Y. Y. III.
4. Hathayogapradipika II contains definitions of Asanas which agree with those in Y.Y.III
5. Introductory remarks in Anandavardhana's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita (known as the
jnana-karmasamuccaya) lists the names of earlier authorities on the jnanakarmasamuccaya-Vada,
one of which is the Yoga Yajnavalkya.
6. The Jabala Darsana Upanishad, chapters 1-X, contain passages too numerous to be cited which
are, word-for-word, identical to those in the corresponding portions of the YY (1-X). This Upanishad
contains much additional matter, indicating it was composed later than the YY.
7. The Sandilya Upanishad, written in prose, with only occasional quotations in verse, several of
which can be traced to Y.Y. (III-VI) paraphrases the Y.Y. (I-IX). Yet it also has so much new
material that it is revealed to be a later work. There are also another 3 or 4 Upanishads with verses
resembling those found in the Y.Y.
Above all, the author of the Yajnavalkya Smrti referred (in III. II 0) to a "Yoga Sastra promulgated
by me," which can be none other than this (see infra).
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