The Yoga Tradition

by Georg Feuerstein

  How can those yogins who do not know their own body as a single-columned dwelling with nine openings and five divinities (adliidaivata) be successful? (1.14)

  Comments: The single column is the trunk, and the nine openings are the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, anus, and urethra. The five divinities are the five senses.

  The “prop” [ i.e., the mdlddhdra lotus at the base of the spine] has four petals. The svddhishtana has six petals. At the navel is a len-pelaled lotus, and at the heart [is a lotus having as many] petals as the number of solar [months, i.e., twelve). (1.15)

  At the throat is a sixteen-petaled [lotus] and between the eyebrows is a two-petaled [lotus]. At the brahmic fissure (brahma-randhra), at the great path, [there is a lotus] called “thousand-petaled.” (1.16)

  The “prop” (adham) is the first center; svddhishthdna is the second. Between them is the perineum named kdma-rûpa. (1.17)

  Comments: The name kdma-nlpa means literally “desire-formed.” This is also the name of a sacred geographical area famous for Tantric study and practice, which has been identified as Assam. In the human body, this too designates a sacred spot, a place of power, which harbors the potential for liberation as well as self-destruction.

  The four-petaled lotus called “prop” is at the place of the anus (guda-sthdna). In the middle of it is said to be the “womb” (yoni) praised by adepts under the name of desire (kdma). (1.18)

  Comments: The technical term yoni can stand for either the perineum or an esoteric energy structure associated with the kundalinî. In the latter case, it is the “womb” for Shiva’s phallus/symbol (linga), as mentioned in the next stanza.

  In the middle of the “womb” stands the great phallus/symbol [of Shiva] facing backward. He who knows the disk, which is like a [brightly shining] jewel, in [its] head is a knower of Yoga. (1.19)

  Comments: Yoni and lingo represent Shakti and Shiva respectively. The sexual symbolism conceals a sweeping cosmic reality: the eternal play between feminine power and masculine consciousness, which are always united on the transcendental level but are experienced as separate on the empirical level. The luminous disk/mirror (bimbo) mentioned in this stanza is pictured as being fastened to the “head” (mastaka) of Shiva’s symbolic phallus. Presumably it stands for the lingo’s native luminosity, which is reflected back upon itself—in evidence of Shiva’s perfect autonomy.

  Situated below the penis is the triangular city of fiie.24 (lashing forth like lightning bolts and resembling molten gold. (1.20)

  When in the great Yoga, in ecstasy, [the yogin] sees the supreme, infinite, omnipresent Light, he does not experience [any further] coming and going [i.e., births and deaths in the finite world]. (1.21)

  The life force arises with the sound sva. The resting place of this [life force] is the svddhishthdna -cakra). Thus the penis is named after this place as svddhishthana. (1.22)

  Where the “bulb” (kanda) is strung on the sushumnâ [i.e., the central channel] like a jewel on a thread, that region is called the manipAraka-cakra.25 (1.23)

  So long as the psyche (jîva) roams at the great twelve-spoked center [at the heart], which is free from merit (punya) and demerit (pâpa), it cannot find Reality. (1.24)

  Comments The psyche, or individuated consciousness, is thought to restlessly move in the petals of the heart lotus, driven by its own karma and trapped by its own ignorance (avidyâ). That nescience is the psyche’s ignorance of its true nature as the Self. When wisdom dawns, the jtva’s centrifugal movement ceases, and consciousness finds its real source at the center of the heart, which is the free and blissful consciousness of the Self. For the liberated individual, there is neither merit nor demerit, which are karmic realities that pertain only to the condition of unenlightenment.

  Below the navel and above the penis is the “bulb” (kanda), the “womb” (yoni), which is like a bird’s egg. In it the 72,000 channels originate. (1.25)

  Among these thousands of channels, seventy-two are described. Again, of these carriers of life force ten are mentioned as primary. (1.26)

  IdU and pingalâ, and sushumnâ as the third, as well as gandhdn, hasti-jihxa, puslid, yashâsvinl, … (1.27)

  … alambushd, kuhA, and shankhini as the tenth are mentioned. Yogins should always understand this network (cakra) composed of channels. (1.28)

  Ida is located on the left side; pingalâ is located on the right. Sushumnd is in the central place, while the gandhari is in the left eye. (1.29)

  Hasti-jihva is on the right, and pushd is in the right ear, while yashâsvinf is in the left ear and alambhusha is in the mouth. (1.30)

  Kuhu is at the place of the penis (linga) and the shankhini at the place of the anus. Thus there are ten channels, [each of which is] connected with an opening. (1.31)

  Ida, pinguid, and sushumnâ are connected to the path of the life force. The [three] are always carriers of the life force, [and they are respectively associated with) the deities of moon (soma), sun, and fire. (1.32)

  Prana, apâna, samâna, udâna, as well as vyâna are the [principal] “winds.” Ndga, kurma, kri- kalâ, deva-datta, and dhanam-jaya [are the secondary types of life force in the body]. (1.33)

  Comments: These ten names are technical terms in Yoga and are not readily translatable. They stand for various aspects or functions of the life force as it manifests in the human body.

  Prana dwells at the heart; apâna is always in the region of the anus; samâna is at the location of the navel; udâna is in the middle of the throat; … (1.34)

  … vyâna pervades the [whole] body. [These are] the five principal “winds.” The five beginning with prâna and the [other] five “winds” beginning with ndga are well known. (1.35)

  Ndga is said to be [present in] eructation; kurma is said [to manifest in] the opening [of the eyes]; kri-kdra [or kri-kala] is known as causing sneezing; deva-datta [is present in] yawning. (1.36)

  Dhanam-jaya is all-pervasive and does not even quit a corpse. These [ten forms of the life force] roam in all the channels in the form of the psyche (jîva). (1.37)

  As a ball struck with a curved staff flies up, so the psyche, when struck by prâna and apâna [in the form of the in-breath and out-breath], does not stand still. (1.38)

  Under the force of prâna and apâna the psyche moves up and down along the left and right pathways, [even though] it cannot be seen because of its mobility. (1.39)

  Like a falcon tied to a string can be pulled back when it has taken off, so the psyche, tied to the qualities (guna) [of Nature] can be pulled back by means of [controlled] prâna and apâna. (1.40)

  Apdna pulls prâna, and prâna pulls apâna. [These two forms of the life force are respectively] situated above and below [the navel]. The knower of Yoga joins both [to awaken the serpent power], (1.41)

  [The psyche] exits [the body] with the sound ha and reenters it with the sound sa. The psyche continually recites the mantra “hamsa hamsa.” (1.42)

  Comments: This natural, spontaneous recitation, caused by inhalation and exhalation, is known as the ajapâ-gâyatrî. When the yogin engages this recitation consciously, hamsa hamsa hamsa is converted into the mantra “so’ham so’ham so’ham,” meaning “1 am He; I am He; I am He.”

  The psyche continually recites this mantra 21.6(H) times day and night. (1.43)

  The gâyatrî]-mantra] named ajapâ bestows liberation upon yogins, and merely by the desire [to recite] it one is released lrom all sin. (1.44)

  Knowledge like this, recitation (japâ) like this, and wisdom like this did not exist (before now] nor will exist [ever again). (1.45)

  The life-sustaining gâyatrî is born from the kundalinî. He who knows this knowledge of the life force, the great science, is a knower of the Vedas. (1.46)

  Comments: Here the yogic science of the breath, or life force, is presented as the quintessence of the Vedic revelation. This is not far from the truth, because breath control together with curbing the mind was the earliest fomi of Yoga, practiced already in Vedic times. It was fu
ndamental to the Vedic ritual, especially in connection with the disciplined chanting of the sacred hymns.

  The kundalinî power folded into eight coils always resides above the “bulb,” closing the opening of the “brahmic gate” (brahma-dvdra) with its face. (1.47)

  Comments: The eight coils of the serpent power are named in the Yoga-Vishaya (22) as follows: prânava. guda-ndld, nalini, sarpint, vanka-ndli, kshayd, shauri, and kundalt.

  Through that gate one should go to the state of the Absolute26 beyond ill. [but] Parameshvari is asleep covering that gate with her face. (1.48)

  (When the kundalinî] is awakened through buddhi-yoga together with the mind and the breath (marut), it moves upward through the sushumnâ like a needle drawing a thread. (1.49)

  Comments: The term buddhi-yoga stands for the disciplined application of the higher mind (buddlu) through which the lower mind (manas) becomes pliable enough for attention to become linked with the movement of the life force, or breath. By their combined action, the dormant kundalinî is aroused and gradually guided along the spinal axis toward the crown center.

  (When the kundalinî], having the fomi of a sleeping serpent and being splendid like a lotus fiber, is awakened through vahni-yoga, it moves upward through the susliumnd. (1.50)

  Comments: The compound vahni-yoga, or “Yoga of fire.” refers to the combustion created by uniting the mind (attention) with the life force (breath). It is the physiological counterpart to buddhi- yoga.

  Just as one forcibly opens a door with a key, so the yogin should break open the door to liberation by means of the kundalinî. (1.51)

  Comments: There is a pun here on the word liatha (“force”), which in the ablative hathdt means “by force” or “forcibly.” The kundalinî process is quintessential in Hatha-Yoga, the forceful Yoga.

  Cupping the hands firmly and assuming the lotus posture while placing the chin tightly against the chest and [practicing] meditation in the mind (cetas), he should expel again and again the apâna air above, after having filled [the chest with it], [Thus] upon releasing the life force, he acquires unequaled understanding (bodha) through the awakening of the power (shakti). (1.52)

  He should rub his limbs with the liquid [i.e., the perspiration] produced by the effort. He should consume milk and abstain from bitter, sour, and salty [food]. (1.53)

  He who practices [this kind of] Yoga should be a celibate (brahmacdrin) and a renouncer (tydgin), living on a modest diet (mita-dhdrin27). He will become an adept after a year. There should be no doubt about this. (1.54)

  Comments While engaging the difficult kundalinî process, yogins must take great care about their diet. Neither fasting nor overeating is recommended.

  He who consumes28 oil-rich and sweet food, delighting in its taste and leaving a fourth part, is called a modest eater (mita-dhdrin). (1.55)

  Comments: The traditional recommendation is to fill two parts of the stomach with food and one part with water, leaving the fourth part empty. A quarter portion of the food itself should be offered to the deities and ancestors before eating.

  He who knows the kundalinî-shakti [situated] above the “bulb” and bestowing splendid liberation. but [causing greater] bondage for fools, is a knower of the Vedas. (1.56)

  Comments: The serpent power is a two-edged sword. For wise practitioners it brings the fruit of liberation, but for others it merely deepens their ignorant involvement in the painful cycle of existence (samsdra).

  The yogin who knows the mahâ-mudrâ, nabho-mudrâ, uddtydna[-bandha], jalandhâra[-bandha], and mûlâ-bandha partakes of liberation. (1.57)

  Placing the chin on the chest, pressing continually the left heel against the perineum (yoni), and holding the extended right foot with the hands, [the yogin] should, after inhaling the air and holding it on both sides of the chest, expel it gradually. This great seal [i.e., mahâ-mudrâ] is said to remove people’s diseases. (1.58)

  Comments: The expression kakshi-yugalam, here translated as “on both sides of the chest,” corresponds to the sensation of filling the lungs to capacity so that the rib cage expands.

  After practicing [the mahâ-mudrâ first] with the lunar part [i.e., the left nostril], he should practice it with the solar part [i.e., the right nostril]. He should discontinue this seal after achieving an equal number [of repetitions]. (1.59)

  [For the adept who is successful in the practice of the mahâ-mudrâ] there is no proper or improper [food]. All tastes are indeed without taste. Even virulent poison when swallowed is digested as if it were nectar (piyuslia). (1.60)

  For him who practices the mahâ-mudrâ, [all] diseases are eliminated, notably consumption, leprosy, constipation,29 abdominal swelling, and decrepitude. (1.61)

  This mahâ-mudrâ that has been described brings great accomplishments for people. It should be diligently guarded and not given to anyone. (1.62)

  Comments: The phrase mahâ-siddhi, here rendered as “great accomplishments,” can also be understood in the singular as the great accomplishment of liberation. Alternatively, it could refer to the eight great paranormal powers traditionally associated with fully realized adepts.

  The khecdri-mudrâ consists in turning the tongue backward into the hollow of the skull while fixing the gaze between the eyebrows. (1.63)

  He who knows the khecârî-mudrd does not experience sleep, hunger, thirst, fainting, or death from disease. (1.64)

  He who knows the khecdri-mudrâ is not troubled by grief, tainted by actions (or karma], or bound by anything. (1.65)

  The mind (citta) does not move because the tongue assumes the khecart. Because of this, the perfected khecart is adored by all the adepts. (1.66)

  The semen (hindtt) is the root of (all] bodies in which the veins (i.e.. the channels of the life force) are established. They constitute [all) bodies from the head to the soles of the feet. (1.67)

  For him who (enters] the cavity above the uvula by means of the khecdri-mudrâ. the semen is not wasted, [even if he is) embraced by a woman. (1.68)

  Comments: Through mastery of the khecdri-mudrâ. the yogin can engage in sexual activity without the risk of seminal discharge, which is traditionally avoided because of the depletion of vital energy (ojas) entailed.

  So long as the semen remains in the body, how can there be fear of death? So long as the nabho- mudrâ is maintained, the semen does not stir. (1.69)

  Comments: The term nabho-mudrd is similar to khecdri-niudrd, and nahhas30 is another word for kha (in khecart)’, both mean “ether/space.”

  Even if the semen has dropped into the “sacrifice consuming” (huta-dsluina) (female womb), it moves back up again, having been stolen, when it is restrained by the power of the yoni-mudrd. (1.70)

  Comments: The yoni-mudrd consists in the skillful contraction of the perineum.

  Moreover, the semen is twofold: white and red. They call the white one sliukra, while the red one is named maha rajas. (1.71)

  Comments: The white shukra is the male semen, and the red mahâ-rajas refers to the female vaginal secretion, which is sometimes (mis-)understood as menstrual blood or ova.

  The rajas is located at the place of the navel and resembles a red liquid. The hindu is located at the place of the moon [i.e., at the palate). Their union is difficult to achieve. (1.72)

  Comments It is clear from this stanza that, from a yogic perspective, the bindu represents more than the sperm produced in the testicles, just as the rajas stands for more than female genital secretion. Both have their energetic aspects as well. Thus, the rajas is associated with the solar element in the abdomen and the bindu with the lunar element in the head.

  The bindu is Shiva; the rajas is Shakti. The bindu is the moon; the rajas is the sun. Only through the union of both does [the yogin] attain the supreme State. (1.73)

  When the rajas is activated by stirring the [kundalinî-]powzT through the breath (vdyu), then it achieves union with the bindu. whereupon the body becomes divine. (1.74)

  Comments: The creation of a divine body (divya-d
eha), which is endowed with all the great paranormal powers, is the avowed goal of Hatha-Yoga. This stanza briefly mentions the esoteric process by which this is accomplished.

  The shukra is joined with the moon; the rajas is linked with the sun. He who knows their coessential unity is a knower of Yoga. (1.75)

  Comments: The phrase samarasa-ekana (written samarasaikana), here translated as “coessential unity,” refers to the mingling of the energetic aspects of the two types of semen—male and female. Samarasa is an important notion in Tantrism and Hatha-Yoga. It stands for the realization of the fundamental identity of all differentiated things, that is, nonduality in duality.

  The purification of the network (jala) of channels and the stirring of sun and moon, as well as the drying up of [noxious bodily] liquids, is called mahâ-mudrâ. (1.76)

  Comments: The transformation aspired to by the hatha-yogin involves a complete recasting of the body’s chemistry. The râsas or liquids mentioned in this stanza presumably are chemically imbalanced bodily fluids.

  Just as a great bird takes to flight untiringly, so his [practice of] uddiyana]-bandha] becomes a lion to the elephant of death. (1.77)

  Comments: This colorful metaphor is based on the wordplay between a bird’s uddina (“flying up”) and the yogin’s uddiydna (“soaring”), which consists in pulling the stomach in and thereby forcing the air/life force upward so that the jîva soars like a bird. This yogic technique is said to conquer death, just as a lion can kill the much larger elephant.

  This upward lock (uddiyana-bandha) is said [to be practiced] below the navel and at the back portion of the abdomen. There the lock is said [to be applied], (1.78)

  The jdlandhâra-bandha [or throat lock) blocks the network of conduits (shiras) so that the water from the sky (nabhas) [i.e., the ambrosial liquid from the secret center in the head] does not drip down [into the abdomen]. Therefore [this practice] removes a host of diseases of the throat. (1.79)

  By performing the jdlandhâra-bandha, characterized by the [deliberate] constriction of the throat], the nectar does not fall into the fire, and the air is not agitated. (1.80)