Hath A Yoga Pradipika

Yoga Swami Svatmarama.
Hatha yoga pradipika

Yoga Swami Svatmarama. Hatha yoga pradipika
Table of Contents
Yoga Swami Svatmarama..........................................................................................................1
HATHA YOGA !A"##$A.............................................................................................................%
&O!'(O!" by ) $ S #yengar.........................................................................................................*
T!A+S,ATO!-S +OT'............................................................................................................
#+T!O"/CT#O+...................................................................................................................10
TH' &/+"A1'+TA, !#+C#,'S............................................................................................10
TH' !'!'2/#S#T'S...........................................................................................................%3
YOGA A+" TH' A!T O& H'A,#+G..................................................................................%4
TH' ASA+AS.........................................................................................................................5.
TH' (AY O& ,#&' O& A YOG#...........................................................................................45
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'.......................................................................................................................45
TH' /!#&#CAT#O+ O& TH' +A"#S.................................................................................01
$/1)HA$A.........................................................................................................................0*
ACT#6' YOGA................................................................................................................................0*
TH' 1/"!AS........................................................................................................................7%
TH' +'CTA!.........................................................................................................................78
TH' )A+"HAS......................................................................................................................81
TH' SHA$T#.........................................................................................................................80
ASS#6' YOGA...............................................................................................................................80
SA1A"H#..............................................................................................................................*3
1#+" A+" )!'ATH.............................................................................................................*0
TH' "#SSO,/T#O+...............................................................................................................*8
TH' SHA1)HA6# 1/"!A A+" TH' #++'! ,#GHT.....................................................5
+A"A9 TH' #++'! SO/+"...............................................................................................133
'#,OG/'..........................................................................................................................................3
HATHA YOGA !A"##$A
&oreword by
) $ S #yengar
Commentary by
Hans /lri:h !ieker
Translated by
'lsy )e:herer This edition p;blished by The A<;arian ress 1..% 1508.13*74%
'nglish translation = Herder and Herder9 #n:.9 an imprint of Crossroad>Contin;;m9 #n:.
#ll;strations by Stephen St;rgess
HATHA YOGA !A"##$A
&O!'(O!" by ) $ S #yengar
The Hatha yoga pradipika of Svatmarama is one of the most important yoga te?ts9 and Hans@/lri:h
!ieker-s translation and :ommentary have long been val;able to yoga st;dents as a :omplement to
their pra:ti:e and st;dy.
Hatha yoga9 or hatha vidya Athe s:ien:e of hatha yogaB is :ommonly mis;nderstood and
misrepresented as being simply a physi:al :;lt;re9 divor:ed from spirit;al goals. Hans@/lri:h !ieker
shows the error of this idea by e?plaining the :hanges whi:h take pla:e9 thro;gh the pra:ti:e of hatha
yoga9 in the pra:titioner-s body9 mind and self. He makes the reader aware of the s;bCe:tive
transformation that o::;rs as the :ons:io;sness penetrates inwards towards the Self9 and as the Self
diff;ses o;twards. He shows that hatha yoga is not C;st physi:al e?er:ise9 b;t an integrated s:ien:e
leading towards spirit;al evol;tion.
(e are :a;ght ;p in emotions like l;st AkamaB9 anger AkrodhaB9 greed AlobhaB9 infat;ation AmohaB9
pride AynadhaB and mali:e AmatsaryaB. Hatha yoga helps ;s to over:ome these obsta:les and
hindran:es to spirit;al development. #t is a bio:hemi:al9 psy:ho@physiologi:al and psy:ho@spirit;al
s:ien:e whi:h deals with the moral9 mental9 intelle:t;al and spirit;al aspe:ts of man9 as well as the
physi:al and physiologi:al. (e :an :larify o;r ;nderstanding of hatha yoga by first e?amining five
important ;nderlying :on:eptsD mind9 knowledge9 aims of life9 health and affli:tions.
1ind
1an is known as manava Ah;manB9 as he is des:ended from 1an;9 the father of mankind who is said
to be the son of )rahma9 the Creator of the world. The word mana or manas AmindB :omes from the
root man9 meaning to think. 1an is one who possesses a mind.
1anas means mind9 intelle:t9 tho;ght9 design9 p;rpose and will. #t is the internal organiser of the
senses of per:eption and the organs of a:tion9 and the e?ternal organiser of intelligen:e9
:ons:io;sness and the
Self. 1an is gra:ed with this spe:ial sense so that he :an enBoy the pleas;res of the world9 or seek
eman:ipation and freedomAmoksaB from worldly obCe:ts.
$nowledge
$nowledge means a:<;aintan:e with fa:ts9 tr;th or prin:iples by st;dy or investigation. The mind9
whi:h is endowed with the fa:;lty of dis:rimination9 desires the a:hievement of :ertain aims in life.
$nowledge ACnanaB is of two typesD la;kilfa Cnana9 whi:h :on:erns matters of the world9 and vaidika
Cnana9 the knowledge of the Self Arelating to the 6edas9 or spirit;al knowledgeB. )oth are essential
for living in the world9 as well as for spirit;al evol;tion. Thro;gh yogi: pra:ti:e9 the two kinds of
knowledge en:o;rage development of a balan:ed frame of mind in all :ir:;mstan:es.
Aims of ,ife
The sages of old dis:overed the means for the betterment of life and :alled them aims orp;r;sarthas.
They are d;ty EdharmaB9 the a:<;isition of wealth AarthaB Ane:essary to free oneself from
dependen:e on othersB9 the gratifi:ation of desires AkamaB and eman:ipation or final beatit;de
AmoksaB. 1oksa is the deliveran:e of the Self from its entanglement with the material worldD
freedom from body9 senses9 vital energy9 mind9 intelle:t and :ons:io;sness.
"harma9 artha and kama areimportant in matters of worldly life. "harma and moksa sho;ld be
followed C;di:io;sly if they are to lead to Self@realisation.
atanCli9 at the end of the Yoga S;tras9 :on:l;des that the pra:ti:e of yoga frees a yogi from the aims
of life and the <;alities of nat;re Ag;nasB9 so that he :an rea:h the final destination@@kaivalya or
moksa.
Health and Harmony
To a:<;ire knowledge@@whether m;ndane or spirit;al@@bodily health9 mental poise9 :larity and
mat;rity of intelligen:e are essential.
Health begets happiness and inspires one to f;rther one-s knowledge of the world and of the Self.
Health means perfe:t harmony in o;r respiratory9 :ir:;latory9 digestive9 endo:rine9 nervo;s and
genito@e?:retory systems9 and pea:e of mind. Hatha yoga pra:ti:es are designed to bring abo;t s;:h
harmony.
Affli:tions
H;man beings ares;bCe:t to affli:tions of three typesD physi:al9 mental and spirit;al Aadhyatmika9
adhidaivika and adhibha;tikaB. Affli:tions arising thro;gh self@ab;se and self@infli:tions are
adhyatmika. hysi:al and organi: diseases are :a;sed by an imbalan:e of the elements in the body
Aearth9 water9 fire9 air and etherB whi:h dist;rbs its :orre:t f;n:tioning. These are :alled adhibha;tika
diseases. 1isfort;nes s;:h as snake bites and s:orpion stings are also :lassified as adhibha;tika.
Geneti: and allergi: disease or diseases arising from one-s past deeds AFarmaB are known as
adhidaivika. The pra:ti:e of hatha yoga will help to over:ome all three types of affli:tion.
Hatha Yoga or Hatha 6idya
Hatha means to sti:k fast9 to be devoted and to hold :losely or firmly. Yoga means to ;nite9 to
asso:iate9 to yoke and to Coin. #t also means Geal9 endeavo;r9 fi?ing the mind on one point9 holding
the body in a steady post;re9 :ontemplation and meditation. 6idya means knowledge9 art and
s:ien:e.
The Goddess arvati9 the wife of ,ord Siva9 approa:hed her ,ord@@ the seed of all knowledge@@for
g;idan:e to ease the s;ffering of h;manity. ,ord Siva revealed to her the greatest of all s:ien:es for
the holisti: development of man@@the s:ien:e of hatha yoga.
On re:eiving yogi: knowledge from Siva9 arvati imparted it to )rahma9 who ta;ght it to his
:hildren born of his own will9 the sages s;:h as +arada9 Sanaka and Sanatk;mara9 who passed it on
to 6asista and others. Hatha vidya was set down in the Hatha yoga pradipika by Yogi
Svatmarama who9 it is tho;ght9 lived between the twelfth and fifteenth :ent;ries. The radipika has
th;s been referred to as a nebrively re:ent addition to the literat;re of yoga9 whi:h goes ba:k to the
6edas A1033 b:B. #n fa:t9 Svatmarama was part of the long ;nbroken line of sages or rishis9
des:ended from )rahma9 by whom hatha vidya was passed down thro;gh the ages.
At the very beginning of his treatise9 in verses 4@.9 Svatmarama invokes the names of many of these
sages who :ame before him and who pra:tised and passed on the noble art of hatha yoga. A
:onsideration of this list of names leads to the :on:l;sion that the yoga des:ribed by Svatmarama is
:ontemporary with that of atanCali Awhose Yoga S;tras were also a :odifi:ation of long@established
theory and pra:ti:eB.
#f atanCali9 in the Yoga S;tras9 :odified the eight limbs of yoga Aastanga yogaB9 Svatmarama did the
same for hatha yoga. #f the former is a s:holarly e?position with gems of wisdom woven together9
the latter is a dire:t pra:ti:al and te:hni:al handbook.
)e:a;se Svatmarama-s treatise in:orporated ideas from the Yoga S;tras9 the Yoga /panisads9 the
;ranas9 the )hagavad Gita and other s:ript;res9 do;bts may arise in the reader-s mind as to its
a;thenti:ity. Hans@/lri:h !i:ker-s re@organiGation of the s;bCe:t matter helps the reader to grasp it
more easily9 and to ;nderstand it more :learly.
#t sho;ld be realised that the Hatha yoga pradipika is a maCor treatise with pra:ti:al g;idelines. #t
takes the pra:titioner from the :;lt;re of the body towards the sight of the self.
The first Sloka AverseB of the book readsD H!everen:e to Siva9 the ,ord of Yoga9 who ta;ght arvati
hatha wisdom as the first step to the pinna:le of raCa yogaH AatanCali yogaB. And at the end we
arereminded that Hall hatha pra:ti:es serve only for the attainment of raCa yogaH. A4D135B.
Hatha means willpower9 resol;teness and perseveran:eI and Hatha yoga is the path that develops
these <;alities and leads one9 towards eman:ipation. The word hatha is :omposed of two syllablesD
ha and tha. Ha stands for the seer9 the Self9 the so;l Ap;r;saB9 and for the s;n AS;ryaB and the
inbreath EpranaB. Tha represents nat;re AprakrtiB9 :ons:io;sness E:ittaB9 the moon A:handraB and the
o;tbreath AapanaB. Yoga9 as already noted9 means ;nion. Hatha yoga9 therefore9 means the ;nion of
p;r;sa
with prakrti9 :ons:io;sness with the so;l9 the s;n with the moon9 and prana with apana.
The Hatha Yoga radipika
The radipika is divided into fo;r parts. The first e?plains yamas Arestraints on behavio;rB9 niyamas
Aobservan:esB9 asanas Apost;reB and food. The se:ond des:ribes pranayama A:ontrol or restraint of
energyB9 and the shatkarmas Ainternal :leansing pra:ti:esB. The third deals with m;dras AsealsB9
bandhas Alo:ksB9 the nadis A:hannels of energy thro;gh whi:h prana flowsB and the k;ndalini power.
The fo;rth e?po;nds pratyahara Awithdrawal of the sensesB9 dharana A:on:entrationB9 dhyana
AmeditationB9 and samadhi AabsorptionB.
#n all9 the te?t :ontains 5.3 verses AflorasB. O;t of these9 abo;t forty deal with asanas9 appro?imately
one h;ndred and ten with pranayama9 one h;ndred and fifty with m;dras9 bandhas and Shatkarmas
and the rest with pratyahara9 dharana9 dhyana and samadhi.
Asanas
The te?t begins with asanas as the first step in hatha yoga. &or this reason it has been referred to as
si?@limbed yoga Asadanga yogaB as opposed to the eight@limbed patanCala yoga Aastanga yogaB
whi:h in:l;des9 as its fo;ndation9 the first two limbs9 yama and niyama. However9 hatha yoga does
not overlook the yamas and niyamas. ossibly9 in Svatmarama-s time9 the ethi:al dis:iplines were
taken for granted9 so he does not e?plain them at length.
He does speak of non@violen:e9 tr;thf;lness9 non@:oveto;sness9 :ontinen:e9 forbearan:e9 fortit;de9
:ompassion9 straightforwardness9 moderation in food and :leanliness as yama9 and Geal in yoga9
:ontentment9 faith9 :harity9 worship of God9 st;dy of spirit;al s:ript;res9 modesty9 dis:riminative
power of mind9 prayers and rit;als as niyama. AThe ethi:al dis:iplines of what to do and what not to
do are given in the te?t. Asanas9 pranayamas9 bandhas9 m;dras and shotkarmas are ill;strated by
e?amples to assist aspirants with their pra:ti:e. "harana9 dhyana and samadhi :annot be e?plained9
b;t only e?perien:ed9 when the earlier stages have been mastered.B
#t is said that there areas many asanas as there are living spe:iesD *439333. That means the m;s:les
and Coints :an fle?9 e?tead@and rotate in several tho;sand ways. The radipika9 however9 des:ribes
only si?teen asanas. Similarly9 6yasa names only eleven asanas in his Yoga S;tras-9 and there are
thirty@two in the Gheranda Samhita. #t is possible that yogasana pra:ti:es were s;:h a reg;lar daily
ro;tine that it was ne:essary only to to;:h on the s;bCe:t witho;t going into depth. #n view of these
fig;res9 to :laim that hatha yoga is merely physi:al yoga is simply ridi:;lo;s.
Yogis were in :onstant :onta:t with nat;re and they were sear:hing for nat;ral remedies to :ombat
affli:tions. #n their sear:h9 they dis:overed h;ndreds of asanas to in:rease the life@giving for:e and
restore it to its optim;m level.
Asanas arenot C;st physi:al e?er:isesD they have bio:hemi:al9 psy:ho@physiologi:al and
psy:ho@spirit;al effe:ts. The :ells of the body have their own intelligen:e and memory. Thro;gh
pra:ti:e of different asanas blood :ir:;lation is improved9 the hormone system is balan:ed9 the
nervo;s system is stim;lated9 and to?ins are eliminated9 so that the :ells9 sinews and nerves are kept
at their peak level. hysi:al9 mental9 and spirit;al health and harmony are attained.
The :ommentary Jyotsna1 of Sri )rahmananda :learly and bea;tif;lly s;ms ;p the effe:t of asanas.
He saysD Hthe body is f;ll of inertia Atamasi:B9 the mind vibrant AraCast:B and the Self serene and
l;mino;s Asattvi:B. )y perfe:tion in asanas9 the laGy body is transformed to the level of the vibrant
mind and they together are :;lt;red to rea:h the level of the serenity of the Self.H
atanCali9 too9 states that perfe:tion in asanas brings :on:ord between body9 mind and so;l. (hen
asanas are performed with the interpenetration of all three9 benevolen:e in :ons:io;sness develops.
Then the aspirant :eases to be tro;bled by the pairs of opposites9 and the indivisible state of
e?isten:e is e?perien:ed.
The Hatha yoga pradipika of Svatmaratma Awith the :ommentary Jyotsna of )rahma@nandaB Adyar
library and !esear:h Centre9 The Theosophi:al So:iety9 1adras9 #ndia9 1.8%.
ranayama
art Two is devoted mainly to pranayama and its te:hni<;es. ranayama means prana vrtti nirodha
or restraint of the breath9 whi:h is by nat;re ;nsteady. A::ording to Svatmarama9 H(hen the breath
wanders the mind is ;nsteady. );t when the breath is :almed9 the mind too will be still.H A%D%B
ranayama fl;shes away the to?ins and re:tifies dist;rban:es of the h;mo;rs9 wind AvataB9 bile
ApittaB and phlegm AkaphaB.
All the yoga te?ts9 in:l;ding atanCali-s9 are emphati: in their view that one m;st gain perfe:tion in
asanas before pra:tising pranayama. This point is overlooked today9 and many people think that any
:omfortable sitting asana is good eno;gh for pranayama pra:ti:e9 and that pranayama may be safely
pra:tised witho;t the fo;ndation of asana. Svatmarama :a;tionsD H)y the fa;lty pra:ti:e of
pranayama the yogi invites all kinds of ailments.H A%D17B
Asanas9 important tho;gh they arefor the health and balan:e of the body9 have a deeper p;rposeD to
diff;se the :ons:io;sness ;niformly thro;gho;t the body9 so that d;ality between senses9 nerves9
:ells9 mind9 intelligen:e and :ons:io;sness are eradi:ated9 and the whole being is in harmony. (hen
the nervo;s9 :ir:;latory9 respiratory9 digestive9 endo:rine and genito@e?:retory systems are :leansed
thro;gh asanas9 prana moves ;nobstr;:ted to the remotest :ells and feeds them with a :opio;s s;pply
of energy. Th;s reC;venated and revitalised9 the body@@the instr;ment of the Self@@moves towards
the goal of Self@realisation.
rana
rana is an a;to@energising for:e. The inbreath fans and f;ses the two opposing elements of
nat;re@@fire and water@@so that a new9 bioele:tri:al energy9 :alled prana9 is prod;:ed. rana
ne;tralises the fl;:t;ations of the mind and a:ts as a spring@board towards eman:ipation.
ranayama stores prana in the seven energy :hambers9 or :hakras9 of the spine9 so it :an be
dis:harged as and when ne:essary to deal with the ;pheavals of life.
atanBali states that Hmastery in pranayama removes the veil that :overs the lamp of intelligen:e and
heralds the dawn of wisdom.H
Svatmarama e?plains vario;s types of pranayamas and their effe:ts9 b;t :a;tions that C;st as a trainer
of lions9 tigers or elephants st;dies their habits and moods and treats them with kindness and
:ompassion9 and then p;ts them thro;gh their pa:es slowly and steadily9 the pra:titioner of
pranayama sho;ld st;dy the :apa:ity of his l;ngs and make the mind passive in order to tame the
in:oming and o;tgoing breath. #f the animal trainer is :areless9 the animals will maim him. #n the
same way9 a wrong pra:ti:e of pranayama will sap the energy of the pra:titioner.
)andhas and 1adras
)andhas and m;dras are dealt with in art Three. )andha means lo:k and m;dra means seal. The
h;man system has many apert;res or o;tlets. )y lo:king and sealing these9 the divine energy known
as k;ndalini is awakened and finds its ;nion with p;r;sa in the sahasrara :hakra.
1;dras and bandhas a:t as safety valves in the h;man system. Asanas a:t in a similar way. All three
help to s;spend the fl;:t;ations of the mind9 intelle:t and ego9 so that attention is drawn in towards
the Self. The ;nion of the divine for:e with the divine Self is the essen:e of art Three.
Samadhi
Samadhi9 the s;bCe:t of art &o;r9 is the s;bCe:tive s:ien:e of liberation9 the e?perien:e of ;nalloyed
bliss. )efore dis:;ssing Samadhi9 we need to look at :ons:io;sness A:ittaB.
Cons:io;sness is a spro;t from the Self9 like a seedling from a seed. As a bran:h of a tree is :overed
by bark9 so the :ons:io;sness is enveloped by the mind. (hile the :on:ept of mind :an be
;nderstood by an average intelle:t9 that of :ons:io;sness remains el;siveD it is not easy to :at:h hold
of mer:;ry. Cons:io;sness has many fa:ets and :hannels whi:h move in vario;s dire:tions
sim;ltaneo;sly. The breath9 on the other hand9 on:e it
has been steadied9 flows rhythmi:ally in and o;t in a single :hannel. Svatmarama9 after wat:hf;l
st;dy of the mind and breath9 says that whether the mind is sleepy9 dreammg or awake9 the breath
moves in a single rhythmi: way.
J;st as water mi?ed with milk appears as milk9 energy ApranaB ;nited with :ons:io;sness be:omes
:ons:io;sness. So hatha yoga te?ts emphasise the restraint of energy9 whi:h :an be more easily
a:hieved than the restraint of the fl;:t;ations of the mind. A steady and mindf;l inbreath and
o;tbreath minimises the fl;:t;ations and helps to stabilise the mind. On:e this steadiness has been
established thro;gh pranayama9 the senses :an be withdrawn from their obCe:ts. This is pratyahara.
ratyahara m;st be established before dhyana A:on:entrationB :an take pla:e. "hyana flows into
dharana AmeditationB and dharana into samadhi. The last three :annot be des:ribed9 only
e?perien:ed.
Svatmarama says that thro;gh samadhi9 the mind dissolves in the :ons:io;snessI the :ons:io;sness
in :osmi: intelligen:eI :osmi: intelligen:e in nat;re and nat;re in the /niversal Spirit A)rahmanB.
The moment the :ons:io;sness9 the ego9 the intelligen:e and the mind are <;ietened9 the Self9 whi:h
is the king of these9 s;rfa:es and refle:ts on its own. This is samadhi.
Ca;tion
Hatha yoga pra:ti:es bring :ertain powers As;:h as :lairvoyan:e and :laira;dien:eB :alled siddhis9
abo;t whi:h Svatmarama :a;tions the aspirant9 #f he does not pra:ti:e with the proper attit;de9 there
is danger that he will mis;se these powers. AatanCali :alls the siddhis worthless9 and a hindran:e to
the tr;e goal of Self@realiGationB.
Svatmarama says that pra:ti:e has to be done witho;t thinking of its fr;its9 b;t with steadfast
attention9 living a :haste life and moderation of food. One sho;ld avoid Hbad :ompany9 pro?imity to
fire9 se?;al relations9 long trips9 :old baths in the early morning9 fasting9 and heavy physi:al workH.
A1.71B. #n 1.77 he says that yoga :annot be e?perien:ed Hby wearing yoga garments9 or by
:onversation abo;t yoga9 b;t only thro;gh tireless pra:ti:eH. 'arlier9 in 1D179 he saysD HS;::ess
depends on a :heerf;l disposition9 perseveran:e9 :o;rage9 self@knowledge9 ;nshakable faith in the
word of the g;r; and the avoidan:e of all s;perfl;o;s :ompany.H And atanCali says9 Hfaith9 vigo;r9
sharp memory9 absorption and total awareness are the key to s;::essH.
Hans@/lri:h !ieker presents #ndian tho;ghts in (estern terms so that people :an ;nderstand them
with less diffi:;lty. # am glad to note that he asks his readers to regard with open mind the #ndian
masters- ;natta:hed and dispassionate attit;de and their ways of testing prospe:tive p;pils. +o
master a::epts a p;pil C;st for the asking. &irst9 he st;dies the st;dent-s :apa:ity for determination
and one@pointed devotion. Thro;gh the pra:ti:e of hatha yoga9 the body and the mind are refined
and p;rified9 and the p;pil be:omes worthy of a::eptan:e by the master9 to be ;plifted towards
spirit;al eman:ipation.
Hans@/lri:h !ieker-s e?planation of the mysti:al terms nada9 bind; and kala is praiseworthy. +ada
means vibration or so;nd9 bind; is a dot or a seed and kala means a spro;t9 or to shine or glitter.
Here9 bind; represents the SelfI kala9 the spro;t of the Self9 that is9 :ons:io;snessI and nada the
so;nd of the inner :ons:io;sness. A ret;rn Co;rney from nada to kala9 kala to bind; is the ;ltimate in
hatha yoga. Svatmarama says that if the :ons:io;sness is the seed9 hatha yoga is the field. He enCoins
the st;dent of yoga to water the field with the help of yogi: pra:ti:e and ren;n:iation so that the
:ons:io;sness be:omes stainless and the Self shines forth.
Hans@/lri:h !ieker is to be :ommended for the a::;ra:y of his representation of the original te?t as
well as the helpf;lness and :larity of his :ommentary. # hope this book will be st;died by yoga
aspirants9 to help them to ;nderstand hatha yoga and savo;r its effe:ts. Then # shall feel pro;d to
have shared in its presentation.
) $ S lyengar "e:ember 1..1
T!A+S,ATO!-S +OT'
in #ndian philosophy it is generally ;nderstood that hatha yoga is one distin:t path to liberation and
raCa yoga another. Hatha Yoga radipika shows a rare and fr;itf;l :ombination of the two pathsD
hatha and raCa.
The slokas of this an:ient :lassi:al te?t are presented in an e?tremely terse and often highly symboli:
lang;age9 whi:h makes them pra:ti:ally ;nintelligible witho;t :ommentary. #t is therefore very
fort;nate that Hans@/lri:h !ieker has given ;s in his :ommentaries the benefit of his e?perien:es
and knowledge a:<;ired in the :o;rse of many years of intensive training with native tea:hers. He is
a highly a::omplished yogi b;t is always aware of the (estern st;dent-s problems. Th;s his
translation and :ommentaries make Hatha Yoga radipika tr;ly a vade me:;m for the serio;s
st;dent of yoga.
This is a faithf;l translation of the original German te?t9 das klassis:he Yoga@,ehrb;:h #ndiens. #t is
:omplete with all the val;able and el;:idating :ommentaries e?:ept for a few passages of
philosophi:al e?egesis9 and some :omparative referen:es to Goethe-s &a;st9 whi:h wo;ld be of little
or no interest to modern 'nglish and Ameri:an readers. (ithin the :lassi:al te?t passages9
interpolations inserted by Hans@/lri:h !ieker have been set off in bra:kets9 while additional
interpolations made by the present translator for the sake of :larity have been set in roman type
within bra:kets. &inally9 an e?tensive inde? of terms and a list of books re:ommended for f;rther
reading have been added.
2;estions will no do;bt arise abo;t the presentation of the slokas in a retranslation of the Sanskrit
from the German into 'nglish. This obCe:tion is partly over:ome by the fa:t that the translator not
only had re:o;rse to two early translations from Sanskrit into 'nglish by the #ndian s:holars9 Swami
Srinvasa #yangar and an:ham Sinh9 b;t also is familiar with the s;bCe:t and terminology thro;gh 1%
years of training and pra:ti:e with the #ndian yogi and s:holar9 "r. !amm;rti S. 1ishra.
# wish to thank "avid and "ebby9 whose enth;siasm and val;able s;ggestions :onstantly s;stained
my efforts.
'.).
T!A+S,ATO!-S +OT'
#+T!O"/CT#O+
#s it really worth while for the average reader to read a s:holarly :lassi:9 a book that has been p;lled
off a d;sty shelf and translated into a modern (estern lang;ageK This <;estion o::;pied my mind
for a long time9 ;ntil # realiGed to my s;rprise that the s;bCe:ts of my resear:h9 the yogis9 are
anything b;t dry s:ientists. # noti:ed that the most s;::essf;l among them were those who
;nderstood how to transform old traditions and terminologies into the spirit of the time. Similarly9 #
have seen more la;ghing yogis than smiling professors. And that en:o;raged me to break the dry
sa:red tradition and to sear:h for living wisdom in the an:ient te?ts. This is a serio;s de:ision. Yoga
is not a trifling Cest if we :onsider that any mis;nderstanding in the pra:ti:e of yoga :an mean death
or insanity. That a mis;nderstood yoga :an be dangero;s has been proven by many a st;dent who
started his pra:ti:e in grim determination rather than rela?ed Coy. #t is not the dry letter b;t the
p;lsating life in the an:ient tea:hings that are transmitted to ;s not by s:holars b;t by the wise men.
O;r endeavor here is not so m;:h to enri:h s:ien:e as to enri:h o;rselvesI and he who enri:hes his
self9 his inner Self9 does he not also enri:h the s:ien:e of manK Yoga is the s:ien:e of man and his
potential. Yoga as a deadly serio;s b;siness does not interest me. # want yoga to bring a deeper Coy
into my life. # do not wish to make anyone smarter9 nor is this the endeavor of yoga. &or :leverness
has proven itself m;:h less than that rare wisdom for whi:h yoga has always stood. #t is <;ite easy to
a::;m;late a vast store of knowledge and still get ;nder the wheel of fate. !eal wisdom is not at all
en:y:lopedi:9 b;t it knows how to master everyday life9 and that to me seems vastly more important.
$nowledge of the world beyond my horiGon is of interest only after # have removed all dangers on
this side. He who is interested in the manifold aspe:ts of s:ien:e and with that forgets his own self
deprives himself of the e?perien:e of the greatest mystery the world has to offer. (e m;st :ertainly
be gratef;l to s:ien:e for giving ;s so m;:h that we so <;i:kly take for granted. );t why do we so
<;i:kly take things for grantedK )e:a;se at some time or other someone p;ts aside the book of
s:ien:e and realiGes its pra:ti:ability thro;gh his own e?periments. This book too sho;ld event;ally
be p;t aside in favor of pra:ti:al e?periments.
Here s:ien:e has made a mysterio;s te?t available to ;sD the Hatha Yoga radipika9 by Yoga Swami
Svatmarama. And we shall try together to find hidden in the folds of this strange te?t the treas;re that
:an bring ;s :loser to the path of wisdom than is s;spe:ted by the :onfirmed skepti:s.
#n order to a:hieve this9 it is ne:essary that we pretend to know as little abo;t o;rselves as a newborn
babe. Of :o;rse9 modern s:ien:e has provided ;s with a fab;lo;s amo;nt of knowledge :on:erning
o;r body and mind. );t altho;gh it is possible9 after years of st;dy9 to know all the se:rets of the
me:hanism of an a;tomobile9 with the h;man being we will never s;::eed in the same way. The
most important problems will never yield to theoreti:al probing. ,ove9 hatred9 diploma:y9 :ontrol of
sit;ations9 e:onomy of for:es9 interest9 and f;tility@@ all this is in a day-s work. And who despairs
C;st be:a;se the deepest so;r:es of these events are ;nknown to ;sK 'verything in life is simple as
long as one takes everything for granted. #t is when we want to know HwhyH that we stop in o;r
tra:ks. #s it ne:essary to know whyK #f we have pra:ti:ally no problems9 why :reate them
theoreti:allyK The answer wo;ld be <;ite :lear if we
really did have no problems. /nfort;nately9 we do have them9 both with o;r s;rro;ndings and with
o;rselves. (hen one of these problems be:omes serio;s we realiGe how imperfe:t we are9 and the
<;estion be:omes a:;teD m;st we really be :ontent with s;:h a f;ll meas;re of imperfe:tion9 and is
#+T!O"/CT#O+
this imperfe:tion man-s immanent fateK (e m;st admit that this or that person in world history was
more perfe:t than we are b;t o;t reveren:e for s;:h a person does not ind;:e ;s to make him o;r
tea:her. +ot thro;gh others do we want to be:ome perfe:t9 b;t like others. +or do we want to go to
the tro;ble of be:oming perfe:t. (e seek the s;dden9 Coyf;l awareness that f;ndamentally we are
perfe:t.
#t is en:o;raging that this nat;ral attit;de is not as pres;mpt;o;s as it may seem. (e really do not
have to adopt the wisdom of othersI we have o;r own at o;r disposal. );t there are :ertain obsta:les
to prevent its ;nfoldment. To remove these obsta:les has from time immemorial been the greatest
endeavor of mankind. And some a:t;ally did find ways and meansD Loroaster9 the );ddha9 ,ao@tG;9
Christ9 to mention b;t a few. #t is from them that h;manity re:eived its greatest treas;res9 and
h;manity gratef;lly re:eived the gift and tried to ;tiliGe it.
);t sin:e evidently nothing is more attra:tive than to :onfo;nd the words of great masters and
present them a::ording to one-s own taste9 whole libraries have grown aro;nd the tea:hings of the
great ones9 so that we are now hardly in a position to find the real words of the masters among the
pres;mpt;o;s Himprovements.H The arsis admit that only a small fra:tion of their master-s tea:hings
has been preserved. ,ao@tG; has been translated so ingenio;sly that it is possible to ;nderstand the
e?a:t :ontrary of what he intended to say. #f the );ddha had really made all the spee:hes attrib;ted
to him9 he wo;ld have bad to speak day and night for a h;ndred years. And if we had ;nderstood
Christ-s tea:hings more int;itively9 the world of today wo;ld be a different pla:e. +o do;bt we :an
learn immeas;rably from these great ones provided we :an rea:h the tr;e tea:hings9 b;t that is very
diffi:;lt. &or one9 we are at the mer:y of translators who at best may be philologists9 b;t :ertainly are
not saints who have p;t into pra:ti:e the tea:hings they are p;tting before ;s. &or e?ample9 anyone
who has even a :as;al knowledge of bibli:al te?ts will be dismayed to find passages that were
:ompletely mis;nderstood by s;:h a man as 1artin ,;ther. And it is even worse with $. '.
+e;mann9 the great );ddha translator. His work is almost :ompletely free of the kernels of real
wisdom. Here too9 the original te?t reveals whole new worlds.
(ell9 we might ask9 were these people :ompletely blindK ,et ;s look at the di:tionaries and
:ompare. hilologi:ally9 both are right@@the old translator as well as the modern :riti:. So either
might want to take a pen:il and write down his own interpretation Aan improvement9 no do;btB in the
marginsB as was done in old man;s:ripts.
+ow let ;s imagine what wo;ld happen@@and it happens :onstantly@@in s;:h lang;ages as Chinese
or Sanskrit9 where one word may have twenty different meanings. (hat@ libraries of
misinterpretation have grown in the :o;rse of a tho;sand years. And where is the ordinary faithf;l
reader to find the tr;th among so many versions whi:h all :laim to be tr;eK &or@@and this is
important@@every interpretation is in some way C;stified.
How does it stand with o;r te?tK The man who wrote it was an a;thority9 a yogi of the highest
a:hievements9 as :an be s;rmised by his nameI the work itself indisp;tably holds first pla:e among
all :lassi:al yoga te?tbooks and is <;oted by all those first@:lass tea:hers who have sat at the springs
rather than the fa;:ets of wisdom. (hy9 then9 sho;ld we be satisfied with se:ondary material when
we :an go dire:tly to the master himselfK Of :o;rse9 the same <;estion arises here as with ,;ther and
+e;mannD #s the present translation a;thenti:K This translation of Hatha Yoga radipika and my
:ommentary on it were not done at a desk9 b;t were9 so to speak9 written on my knee9 on the straw
mats of #ndia. #f a <;estion arose and my own e?perien:e proved inade<;ate9 # did not go to look ;p
the answer9 b;t asked the master. And this fre<;ently did happen9 for as the reader will see there are
#+T!O"/CT#O+
things here that are too strange to a::ept witho;t <;estion.
);t we sho;ld not be tempted to know better9 to C;dge9 or to ass;me that it is nonsense. +othing is
more damaging than preC;di:e. #t is a tho;sand times worse than :hildish faith9 whi:h is also not
desirable. #n between lies a healthy skepti:ism whi:h we :an heartily re:ommend.
However9 he who wants to read this book with profit9 yet witho;t starting to pra:ti:e after the first
few pages9 sho;ld :onstantly try to bear in mind that there have been and still e?ist today h;man
beings who thro;gh this pe:;liar pra:ti:e rea:h a degree of self@:ontrol that is <;ite beyond o;r
imagination.
Some will now say that # seem to think that # am the first one ever to speak abo;t yoga9 while they
have known for some time how to eval;ate the dis:ipline. This may or may not be so. );t # wo;ld
ask the reader to start from s:rat:h9 as tho;gh he were an inno:ent :hild. A::ept what is being said as
something :ompletely new9 whi:h in most respe:ts it a:t;ally isD a translation of the most
a;thoritative hatha yoga te?tbook of all times.
# imagine that # know a little abo;t yoga9 b;t when # stand before a master in #ndia # be:ome very
<;iet and h;mble. &orgetting that # know a little9 # listen and learn. So far9 this method has proved to
be the most fr;itf;l. There is time for philologi:al st;dies when # am ba:k in my room9 where # :an
refle:t ;pon what # have seen and heard. Th;s9 in a sense9 whoever takes ;p this book stands before a
very great master. 1ay he be silent and listen9 try to ;nderstand9 and go to his earlier learning later to
:ompare.
Here a new problem arisesD the <;est for a g;r;9 whi:h has now almost be:ome a fad. And
sim;ltaneo;sly another <;estion9 essential for (estern st;dentsD Can a book repla:e the g;r;9 the
masterK +ot :ompletely9 of :o;rse. Still9 the right book9 read and ;nderstood :orre:tly9 :an be more
s;::essf;l than r;nning after a yoga master in #ndia witho;t ;nderstanding him9 not realiGing in o;r
enth;siasm that he is not o;r g;r;I that he is a tea:her9 b;t not a g;r;. +ot every tea:her is a g;r;9
and9 strangely eno;gh9 not every g;r; is a tea:her. He who ;n:riti:ally tr;sts the first best yoga
tea:her@@and they are as plentif;l as sand at the seashore@@may find that he has wasted his time and
efforts with a gym tea:her who knows no more Aor even lessB abo;t the real goal of yoga than do his
st;dents. /nfort;nately9 this type of tea:her is the most lo<;a:io;s and most prolifi:. That is why
most modern yoga books are s;perfi:ial despite the bea;tif;l #ndian names of their a;thors. 1ost of
these yogis did not go beyond the first two :hapters of o;r te?t9 and th;s have not rea:hed anything
really de:isive. The real yoga only begins where s;:h yogis Aand their booksB end. +o one has as yet
rea:hed any stage of enlightenment thro;gh physi:al e?er:ises.
);t we sho;ld talk abo;t real g;r;s. 'very h;man being yearns for the f;lfillment of his most se:ret
desires. Some9 in order to be happy9 seek nothing f;rther than to learn the A)Cs9 while others will be
happy with no less than the wisdom of God. +at;rally9 for the former the sear:h for a tea:her is
simple. There are so many levels of desire between these two9 in fa:t9 that there are simply not
eno;gh kinds of g;r;s to meet the demand.
#n reality things are a bit different9 however. O;r main problem at first is not to find the g;r; to lead
the ignorant st;dent on a spirit;al apron@string to nirvanaI rather is it important to progress by o;r
own endeavor to the threshold of the :losed door to final a:hievement where only the e?perien:e and
advi:e of a master :an g;ide o;r ever more de:isive and ever more dangero;s steps. #n other words9
only when we have :ompletely e?ha;sted o;r own reso;r:es does the g;r; g;ide ;s to the sol;tion of
the last <;estion9 the final goal.
#+T!O"/CT#O+
To prepare o;rselves for a g;r; means self@dis:ipline. #n this sense9 every senten:e9 even from the
simplest book9 has power to tea:h9 if it happens Ain a kind of negative polarityB to hit the
:orresponding va:;;m in the reader-s mind9 and there fill a brea:h. Th;s it :an happen that we work
o;r way thro;gh whole libraries and then find the key senten:e in a newspaper. This senten:e need
not ne:essarily be very wise9 b;t it m;st :ompletely answer my <;estion9 mine and no one else-s9 for
# am the one who is asking and the answer m;st give me some degree of enlightenment.
Those who e?pe:t an open door that they :an enter witho;t kno:king may learn a great deal9 b;t they
will never rea:h the de:isive knowledge. Only he who has learned long and with sa:rifi:e :an
be:ome a master. # know of no master who did not have to go thro;gh painf;l years of dis:ipline.
That these years were painf;l was not d;e to this so often a::;sed H:r;el worldH and Hhard life.H ,ife
is never hard if # am not too soft9 if # am not afraid. The sage learns to be hard and ;nyielding toward
himself. And behold9 the world :hanges its fa:e. Of :o;rse there is no ;niversal re:ipeI every
individ;al has his own weaknesses. );t that things depend on the weakest part of o;r so :ompli:ated
psy:he@so;l@body organism is ;ndisp;table9 and we have to draw some :on:l;sions from this fa:t.
,et ;s take the greatest and perhaps most s;ffering seeker in world literat;re9 &a;st. . . . H+ow here #
stand9 a simple fool9 and am no wiser than before.H He :onfesses that knowledge is not rea:hed by
being HsmartH Aworldly@wiseB. He knows his real aim witho;t knowing how to rea:h it. He
s;bs:ribes to the most impossible of all Hs:ien:es9H to magi:9 in order to find o;t what ;ltimate for:e
holds the world together. . . . Only he who goes beyond all words :an rea:h the e?perien:e of reality.
#t is not for the sake of mystery mongering that the highest tea:hings are as se:ret now as they have
ever been. (ere they to be given o;t indis:riminately to the novi:e who has no power of
dis:rimination the g;r; wo;ld soon get a rep;tation as a devil who lightly hands o;t death and
destr;:tion. Se:re:y is nothing b;t a prote:tion for the st;dent.
(hat does the g;r; really doK One readily imagines the st;dent sitting day and night at the feet of
the g;r;9 being showered with se:ret tea:hings as a reward for having so diligently h;nted for the
g;r;. This wo;ld be ni:e9 b;t :ompletely ;seless.
(hat a:t;ally does happen K ,et ;s take a seeker who does not yet <;ite know what in the deepest
sense is at stake9 nor has he any idea how to shape his spirit;al f;t;re. He does not know whi:h of
the many yoga systems is right for him9 b;t he is ready to strive and to s;bmit himself to the wisdom
of the master. And th;s he goes in sear:h of a g;r;.
(ere it now as we wo;ld like to imagine9 then by :han:e he wo;ld fall into the hands of a yoga
tea:her. Tho;gh :han:e has no pla:e in yoga9 it is left to :han:e whether he meets a yogi who :an
tea:h hiMmN me:hani:al te:hni<;e or meets him whom he ;rgently needs. (ith bad l;:k he will r;n
into any one of the above yogis9 s;bmit to him as a st;dent and try to learn9 only to find o;t after
months or years that all remained empty and ;seless. Certainly he will have profited in some ways.
);t he will not feel that he has rea:hed a higher stage of yoga. The tea:her will not div;lge to him
the last se:rets be:a;se he knows that this st;dent is la:king the ne:essary fo;ndation.
/s;ally9 however9 it happens that the st;dent Ha::identallyH hears that somewhere there is a great
saint. His tea:her :onfirms this r;mor. The st;dent gets restlessI perhaps his la:k of s;::ess
is the fa;lt of the tea:her. He wants to leave. His tea:her has no obCe:tion9 so he goes. The saint does
not deign even to look at him. #mpressed by the deep veneration shown to the master everywhere9 he
de:ides not to give ;p ;ntil the master a::epts him as a st;dent. Still the saint does not even look at
the yearning one9 says not a word. At most he waves him away on:e in a while. #t is not pleasant to
#+T!O"/CT#O+
be so disliked and still remain. Th;s days and weeks pass. He travels aro;nd with his ha;ghty idol9
or rather p;rs;es him ;nremittingly for miles and miles. The only progressD the saint no longer waves
him away. );t still he does not look at him9 nor does he speak to him. /ntil one day the mira:le
happensD the master looks at him and speaks one senten:eI then he t;rns away9 and the happy seeker
no longer e?ists for him. That seeker :an now <;ietly go home9 for it is <;ite :ertain that he will not
eli:it another word from the g;r;.
(hat has happened hereK (hy does it seem so strangeK &irst of all9 let ;s dis:ard the notion that the
master did not heed the import;nate st;dent. +othing d;ring these weeks was to him more important
than the st;dent who did not noti:e the master-s :on:ern. S;rely he tested the st;dentI b;t more than
this9 he was master eno;gh to know from his vibrations all the virt;es and all the fa;lts of that
st;dent And when he finally de:ided to speak9 it was only after he had formed his opinion. The
opinion of a (estern psy:hotherapist after years of depth analysis :o;ld not approa:h this master-s in
its absol;te and :omplete :ertainty.
And the senten:eK #t :ontains@@mostly in the form of a :ategori:al imperative@@@the de:isive
wisdom whi:h is to be the st;dent-s absol;te leitmotiv for a n;mber of years. O;t of this senten:e
evolves everything that he now needs to a::omplish his high goal. #f he lives9 thinks9 and a:ts stri:tly
a::ording to the inC;n:tion of that senten:e and :ontin;es with his previo;s yoga pra:ti:e9 he will
s;ddenly see everything with new eyes9 and the s;::ess he has been yearning for will materialiGe.
(hen we look at some of these senten:es we are likely to be a little sho:ked by their apparent
meaninglessH Hsimpli:ity and e?:laimD H(hatK S;:h a great saint has nothing more profo;nd to sayKH
);t we sho;ld not forget that psy:hotherape;ti: pres:riptions are the aim9 not spirited phrases. The
effe:tiveness of a medi:ine does not depend on its :olor or taste. (hat is essential is that it :ontain
that whi:h :;res the body. The effe:t is what :o;nts. The Amar Swami9 a So;th #ndian9 a a::eke
);ddha9 to my g;r;D HTake yo;r reason and look.H The Yoga Swami9 a So;th #ndian siddhaD
H(hatever happens has its meaning.H And to the same st;dent seven years laterD HS;mma ir;H whi:h
means both Hbe stillH and Hlet go.H Yogi Chellapa9 also So;th #ndianD H1ake it new.H These are C;st a
few e?amples. One m;st not forget9 however9 that in the native lang;age these senten:es have a
m;:h deeper and more manifold meaning9 and that thro;gh asso:iation their :ontent is :onsiderably
enhan:ed. To s;bmit s;:h a senten:e to psy:hologi:al analysis wo;ld make sense only if we had a
thoro;gh a:<;aintan:e with the st;dent involved.
#n an easy and simple senten:e we :an test the effe:tiveness of s;:h an approa:h. &or one week ask
yo;rself after everything yo; have doneD H(as this ne:essaryKH (as it ne:essary to be r;de9 to be
angryK (as it ne:essary to let yo;rself goK Here is no hidden tea:hing9 no yoga wisdom as one
wo;ld like to have it presented. (hat it really means be:omes evident only after one has :arried the
senten:e aro;nd for a few weeks9 having ;sed it like a pair of spe:ta:les thro;gh whi:h to view
everyday life. This is the answer to the riddle. The tea:hing of s;:h a senten:e does not ne:essarily
make ;s Hbetter.H );t we sho;ld be:ome :ons:io;s of things we were previo;sly hiding thro;gh fear9
pr;dery9 or negligen:e.
The g;r; knows int;itively what we most ;rgently need. );t then he does not tell ;s dire:tly. He lets
;s find o;t for o;rselves9 for only then are we really :onvin:ed. Open :ens;re makes even
the most devoted st;dent rebellio;s. +o matter how profo;nd may be the tea:hings of a );ddha9 a
Christ9 a ,ao@tG;9 a 1ohammed9 only what we dis:over for o;rselves :an imm;tably pers;ade ;s.
This is the reason why we need a g;r; for these tea:hings that are often presented to ;s so :learly
that we ;nderstand them intelle:t;ally9 and why the g;r; then does not give ;s the de:isive
#+T!O"/CT#O+
information9 b;t indi:ates the ways and means to real knowledge. +o book :an pro:eed in s;:h a
manner. );t on:e we have fo;nd them we also know whi:h of the yoga systems is the most
benefi:ial for ;s.
1y g;r; in k;ndalini yoga is also a man of great learning in the shastras. One day # asked him for
the meaning of :ertain symbols whi:h seemed to me of great importan:e. H# :annot tell yo; this
be:a;se yo; are not yet initiated.H So # had to be patient
(hen the time :ame9 immediately after initiation # again asked the same <;estion. H1editate as #
have told yo; before. Then yo; will e?perien:e.H # was terribly disappointed9 b;t had no :hoi:e b;t
to obey. The res;lt was that in a s;rprisingly short time # re:eived the answer to my <;estion9 an
answer that nobody :o;ld have given me in words. The symbolism in <;estion was of s;:h a deep
nat;re that it :o;ld be grasped only by dire:t e?perien:e. The meditation that gave me the answer did
not relay any intelle:t;al asso:iation or hintI it only triggered off the pro:ess of ;nderstanding. This
is the method of a real g;r;.
(hen the first g;r; has f;lfilled his psy:hologi:al aim and his Hmagi: form;laH has a:hieved its
effe:t9 the ne?t g;r;9 the yoga master Awho is ;s;ally more a::essibleB9 begins to a:t9 and we :ons;lt
:ertain books9 whi:h ;ndo;btedly :an also help tea:h ;s. $ey e?amples are the /panishads9 the
)rahmanas9 and the Tantras.
);t here too it is not <;ite so simple. +ot everything has e<;al val;e for everybody who hears. &or
e?ample9 a person wants to learn how to drive9 so he b;ys a book that e?plains in detail how the
motor works9 and nobody tells him that this kind of knowledge alone will not make him a driver.
(hen he has smashed ;p the :ar he realiGes his la:k of essential knowledge abo;t driving. A:t;ally9
this is not a very good e?ample9 for the law p;ts the tea:her before the li:ense. );t in yoga the law is
still ;nwritten Atho;gh no less importantB9 and that is why many a st;dent has fo;ndered.
As we will see from o;r te?t9 what the (est ;nderstands as yoga is simply a te:hni<;e to keep the
motor in good :ondition. This is eminently important9 b;t isMKN is not an end in itself. O;r te?t
:laims@@and rightly so@@to be a yoga system Ahatha yogaB that leads from what seems to be sheerly
physi:al :;lt;re to the highest goal9 raCa yoga. The pra:ti:e of the system presents :omparatively few
dangers for the st;dent who does not overdo. +o do;bt danger e?ists9 b;t # am s;re that no reader
will take an interest in those pra:ti:es that are potentially dangero;s. &ort;nately9 these are not
parti:;larly enti:ing9 while the other9 more attra:tive e?er:ises are s;ffi:ient and ri:h eno;gh to more
than fill a lifetime of tro;bled :ity life.
So let ;s begin to read Hatha Yoga radipika by Yoga Swami Svatmarama. ;t aside all yo;r
(estern knowledge and yo;r preC;di:e9 and do what yoga st;dents have done from time
immemorialD sit down9 rela?9 and listen with Coyf;l attention to these an:ient tea:hings. There will be
ample time later on to a::ept or reCe:t them.
A!T O+'
#+T!O"/CT#O+
TH' &/+"A1'+TA, !#+C#,'S
CHAT'! #
TH' !'!'2/#S#T'S
A1B !everen:e to Siva the ,ord of Yoga9 who ta;ght Mhis wifeN arvati hatha wisdom as the first step
to the pinna:le of raCa yoga.
#t is a good pra:ti:e to evoke a divine power before beginning serio;s work. (e may :all it Siva Athe
)enevolentB or God or Ganesa Agana OO legionsI isa O masterB9 to whom in fa:t the yogi a;thor has
dedi:ated his work.
A%B Having th;s solemnly sal;ted his master. Yogi Svatmarama now presents hatha vidya Mvidya
O wisdomN solely and e?:l;sively for the attainment of raCa yoga.
+ow it :an begin@@and it begins with an admonition. The :lassi:al :ommentary9 at times so
tedio;sly wordy9 here has an important messageD Hsolely for the attainment of raCa yogaH indi:ates
two delimitations. The lower level indi:ates that hatha yoga is not being ta;ght for its own sake9 for
the a:hievement of physi:al fitness and worldly power9 b;t is a method to prepare the st;dent for the
rigors of raCa yoga.
The ;pper delimitation needs a little more el;:idation. As we will soon and often hear9 the real goal
of a yogi is to be:ome a siddha. A siddha9 a person in possession of siddhis9 has developed powers
that :an readily be :alled s;pernat;ral. There are eight siddhis9 the highest of whi:h is nirvana9 the
great liberation.
#f in #ndia9 even with great masters9 one so seldom has a :han:e to witness the mira:les that these
siddhas have the powers to perform9 it is simply be:a;se a siddha who does not want to get the
rep;tation of a bla:k magi:ian will keep his powers :aref;lly :on:ealed and ref;se to ;se them for
worldly p;rposes. #f he does mis;se a siddhi9 the mis;sed siddhi strikes ba:k at him and :a;ses him
some kind of ;npleasantness9 ;s;ally of a physi:al nat;re.
One does not ne:essarily have to believe s;:h things. Yo; may p;t this down to the fab;lo;s
imagination of the 'ast9 and say so. The yogi does not resent yo;r do;bts9 and they will not in any
way impede the obCe:tive st;dy of the wisdom of yoga. #n fa:t9 the te?t gives warning against
striving primarily for powersD Hsolely for the attainment of raCa yoga.H
The deeper p;rpose of the siddhis is something else. Thro;gh the developing for:es the st;dent
re:ogniGes what stage of evol;tion he has rea:hed. Certain phenomena will tell him that he sho;ld
:hange his way of pra:ti:e9 and if after d;e pra:ti:e these phenomena do not o::;r9 he s;rely has
made a mistake. The siddhis are signposts on his way to the final goal9 liberation. To be a siddha
means to be in possession of all the :hara:teristi:s of the final yoga goal.
HSiddhis9H my g;r; told me9 Hare not the aim of o;r work. (e want to be:ome siddhas in order to
enCoy the realiGation and perfe:tion of a siddha9 not to gain worldly position or evade
TH' &/+"A1'+TA, !#+C#,'S
responsibilities.H And sin:e he himself is a siddha9 this senten:e :learly indi:ates what is defined as
the ;pper delimitation. Yoga is not for braggarts or ego:entri:s9 nor is it for those who merely want
to add method to their physi:al training.
A5B &or those who wander in the darkness of :onfli:ting :reeds Mand philosophiesN9 ;nable to rea:h to
the heights of raCa yoga Mself@knowledge and :osmi: :ons:io;snessN the mer:if;l Yogi Svatmarama
has lit the tor:h of hatha wisdom.
!aCa yoga9 the royal yoga1 is a goal that many strive to rea:h witho;t even being aware of it9 witho;t
having the slightest inkling of yoga. (hat else is &a;st aspiring to b;t perfe:t self@knowledge and
:osmi: :ons:io;sness9 to Hknow that for:e whi:h holds the ;niverse together9 to see :reative power
and the seedHK
&or the st;dent of #ndian wisdom this referen:e to &a;st presents an espe:ially interesting parallel.
Goethe speaks here of :reative power and of seed9 in Sanskrit shakti and bind;9 two of the most
important terms in tantra yoga9 as we will see later on. At the time of Goethe these tea:hings had not
yet rea:hed the (est9 and it speaks for his ;niversal geni;s that he re:ogniGed their s;preme
importan:e.
A4@.B Gorafksha and 1atsyendra were masters of hatha vidya9 and by their gra:e Yogi Svatmarama
learned it. Siva9 1atsyendra9 Shabara9 Anandabhairava9 Cha;rangi9 and many other great siddhas
who have :on<;ered time are still roaming thro;gh this world.
A daring statementD after the en;meration of 55 masters of hatha vidya who have ill;minated the
ages9 to :laim that they are still roaming thro;gh the world9 for Hthey have :on<;ered time.H
(e have already spoken of the siddhis9 and here it is spe:ifi:ally stated that these masters were
siddhas. They rea:hed what so many :ovet9 Heternal yo;th.H 1any are the tales of yogis who are said
to be several h;ndred years old and look like yo;ths9 b;t it is ;seless to dis:;ss this kind of do;btf;l
r;mor. A wandering
1. The translation of the term HraCa yogaH as Hroyal yogaH is e?oteri:. 'soteri:ally it is Hthe yoga of
radiating light9H for HraCaH :an also mean Hto shine.H Th;s we have an all;sion to the Hinner light9H
whi:h is dealt with in the fo;rth part of this work.
yogi has no birth :ertifi:ate9 and it seems strange that one :an state that he is e?a:tly %03 years old9
while his yo;nger :olleag;es do not know whether they are 139 %39539 or 43 years old. )esides9 a
h;ndred years more or less is important only to ;s. To a yogi who lives alone in the woods time is of
no :on:ern. Tr;e9 # did meet some yoga masters who looked yo;nger than their grown sons9 and this
alone seems <;ite a desirable goal. And it is also tr;e what is stated aboveD that these yoga roasters
had :on<;ered time. That is9 they were no longer s;bCe:t to the laws of timeI they were roasters of
this strange ;nfathomable mystery9 Htime.H
&or ;s time is inseparable from the :lo:k9 b;t no one has ever s;::eeded in really defining time. #t is
impossible@@be:a;se time does not e?ist o;tside of o;r own minds. As o;r :ons:io;sness9 so o;r
timeD long as eternity the ho;r of dangerI short and fleeting the ho;r of happiness. So when we say
that a yogi has :on<;ered time it means that he has :on<;ered his ArelativeB :ons:io;sness.
A13B MThereforeN hatha yoga is a ref;ge for all those who are s:or:hed by the three fires. To those
who pra:ti:e yoga9 hatha yoga is like the tortoise that s;pports the world.
TH' &/+"A1'+TA, !#+C#,'S
These three fires are well known to ;sI they are the fire of self@:reated s;fferingI the fire of s;ffering
thro;gh higher powersI and the fire of s;ffering that is :a;sed by other beings.
+obody :an eliminate from this world the infl;en:es that :reate s;:h s;fferings. (hat we :an and
sho;ld do is to prepare the physi:al@mental@spirit;al soil in s;:h a way that the seed of impressions
:annot spro;t into s;ffering.
S;fferings are ;nf;lfilled desires. The realiGation of these desires depends not only on o;rselves9 b;t
is s;bCe:t primarily to e?ternal infl;en:es. #f # want something9 # have to try to rea:h it.
&or this # am dependent on my own power as against the opposing for:es. And we always desire
something9 even if it is the desire for the happiness of a desireless state.
+ow we are on the tra:k of o;r ideaD to be desirelessly happy means to want nothing9 to have no
needs9 to be happy with oneself and the given :onditions. );t yoga does not mean to learn
self@satisfa:tion. !ather9 it means to strive for s;:h a state of perfe:tion that some day it will be o;r
nat;re to be desirelessly happy@@and to have good reason for it.
This is by no means a state of apathy9 devoid of the dynami:s of nat;ral a:tivities. On the :ontrary9
o;r endeavors will no longer be whipped by passions toward a goal where9 with open eyes9 we
;selessly invest o;r most pre:io;s for:es in senseless into?i:ation. (e will learn to eval;ate o;r
wishes9 to know o;r own for:es as well as the opposing powers. And if we have to reno;n:e9 we will
then do so with :lear ;nderstanding9 not with a painf;l sensation of loss.
As to the symbolism of the tortoise9 this is a meaningf;l legend whi:h we will en:o;nter later and
whi:h will a::ompany ;s thro;gho;t the whole book.
A11B A yogi who is desiro;s of developing siddhis sho;ld keep the hatha yoga stri:tly se:ret9 for only
then will he have s;::ess. All his efforts will be in vain if he reveals everything witho;t
dis:rimination.
hysi:al e?er:ises are nothing shamef;l9 and they are f;nI b;t pra:ti:ed on a highway they be:ome
insanity. H(hen yo; pray9 go into a room by yo;rself.H Or9 more drasti:allyD H"o not :ast pearls
before swine.H
A1%B The st;dent of hatha yoga sho;ld pra:ti:e in a solitary pla:e9 in a temple or a hermitage9 an
arrow shot away from ro:ks9 water9 and fire. The land sho;ld be fertile and well governed.
Here we have the first great problem9 larger perhaps than that of the siddhisD to find a <;iet spot9
;ndist;rbed and safe. redatory animals9 earth<;akes9 and floodsD those were the problems at that
time. Today-s problems are professional9 finan:ial9 politi:al9 whi:h :onstantly drag the pra:titioner
ba:k into the stream of so:ial life.
However9 it is not entirely impossible to :reate a hermitage ;nder modern :onditions. erhaps there
is a <;iet atti:9 away from the attra:tions of movies9 radio9 television9 where we :an meet o;r
negle:ted and ignored own selves.
A15B The hermitage sho;ld have a small door and no windows. #t sho;ld be level with the gro;nd and
have no holes in the wall. M#t sho;ld beN neither too high nor too long9 and :lean and free from
inse:ts. #t sho;ld be laid daily with :ow d;ng. O;tside there sho;ld be a raised platform with an
TH' &/+"A1'+TA, !#+C#,'S
elevated seat and a water tank. The whole sho;ld be s;rro;nded by a wall. These are the
:hara:teristi:s of a yoga hermitage as des:ribed by the siddhas9 the masters of hatha yoga.
"o not despairP # have seen many hemitages that :onformed in only a few points to the ideal. Some
had holes in the walls and most of them were la:king the :ow d;ng. );t all of them were :lean. (e
sho;ld not be too dependent on e?ternal :onditions9 helpf;l tho;gh they may be. #f # so will9 my
hermitage has neither doors or windows. And when # am distra:ted9 my restless mind will penetrate
the thi:kest walls. #f the hermitage is not ideal9 a little e?tra effort m;st be made. The goal of yoga is
by no means dependent on :ow d;ng.
A14B Seated in s;:h a pla:e9 the yogi sho;ld free his mind from all distra:ting tho;ghts and pra:ti:e
yoga as instr;:ted by his g;r;.
O;r keenest weapon9 and often o;r only salvation9 is o;r tho;ght power. #f yo;r tho;ght is open9 so
is the :han:e of s;::essI if it is slow and limited9 yo; will be left behind in the great ra:e for s;::ess.
+ot only is right tho;ght essential9 b;t also the :apa:ity to think of several things sim;ltaneo;sly.
1any (estern men with e?e:;tive ;l:ers :o;ld write reams abo;t this.
1;st men be like thisK 'vidently9 if they wish to s;::eed. );t what is s;::essK +othing against
s;::ess@@whi:h9 after all9 is the fo;ndation of a Hhappy life.H S;::ess is wealth9 wealth is happinessI
therefore9 s;::ess is happiness. A logi:al :on:l;sion9 b;t somehow it leaves ;s ;neasy. #s the man
who has bo;ght s;::ess with his health9 with the sa:rifi:e of his most pre:io;s attrib;te9 really happy
K
There is a different way. One of the most remarkable men of o;r time9 and by no means a pio;s man9
swears by yoga. 'very morning andit +ehr;9 the :oolest thinker of his :o;ntry and a maker of
world history9 stood on his head9 and with him 75 members of Congress. Yeh;di 1en;hin9 the great
violinist9 makes no se:ret abo;t his yoga. And like him many of the most s;::essf;l men of o;r day9
in:l;ding medi:al men who are world famo;s9 find in yoga the p;rest so;r:e of h;man harmony.
HarmonyD the key word9 the all@important. There is no obCe:tion to the sear:h for s;::ess as long as
the harmony of life is not dist;rbed. +o need to relin<;ish any of o;r plans and prin:iples as long as
there is harmony.
How does harmony :ome abo;tK The very <;estion proves that this f;ndamental law of life is
be:oming more and more a myth as we are t;rned more and more into ma:hines. So let ;s try to find
the yoga way to harmony.
A10B The yoga for:es are dissipated by too m;:h eating9 heavy physi:al labor9 too m;:h talk9 the
observan:es of Mas:eti:N vows9
Mpromis:;o;sN :ompany9 and a growling stoma:h Mtoo m;:h fastingN.
Here we have the disharmonies of everyday life9 and not even the great ones. +ot distr;st9 not
r;deness9 not la:k of :onsideration9 not anger and despair. J;st immoderation. And that is bad
eno;gh.
The yogi never <;ite fills his stoma:hI the e?e:;tive always does. The yogi is healthyI the e?e:;tive
has ailments. Harmony vers;s disharmony.
TH' &/+"A1'+TA, !#+C#,'S
A17B S;::ess depends on a :heerf;l disposition9 perseveran:e9 :o;rage9 self@knowledge9 ;nshakable
faith in the word of the g;r;9 and the avoidan:e of all Ms;perfl;o;sN :ompany.
Again the magi: word of o;r timeD s;::ess. And with it even a form;la. +othing abo;t overtime9 or
night work9 and Hyo; m;st . . .H +ot even a word abo;t thinking.
A :heerf;l disposition is in:ompatible with e?e:;tive ;l:ers. erseveran:eP That so;nds promising.
);t the keynote is harmony9 and the perseveran:e referred to here is not that of the e?e:;tive-s
marathon :onferen:e.
);t don-t forget that yoga has not yet beg;n. (e are slating here only the minimal prere<;isites
witho;t whi:h any attempt at pra:ti:e wo;ld be senseless. These preliminary re<;irements :an be
f;lfilled by anyone9 and they will bestow more happiness ;pon yo; than yo; wo;ld e?pe:t@@witho;t
e?er:ise9 witho;t risk. AOn:e we really embark ;pon yoga9 however9 the evasion of a single
re<;irement :an t;rn ne:tar into poison.B
Yoga pra:ti:e9 regardless of the system we follow9 has a psy:hologi:al depth effe:t. One e?er:ise
goes in this dire:tion9 another in that. Often they have a perple?ing similarityI here and there we find
a minimal differen:e whi:h seems in:onse<;ential. The g;r;9 however9 wat:hes not so m;:h the
e?er:ises in general9 b;t C;st those little details. The st;dent does not know why and is liable to
ridi:;le s;:h pettinessI b;t the g;r; knows o;r needs better than we do. He knows that ea:h physi:al
a:tion has its psy:hi:@spirit;al refle?9 C;st as every psy:hi:@spirit;al attit;de is manifest in the body.
(estern s:ien:e too is aware of the inseparable interrelation between body9 so;l9 and mind. A bit of
iodine9 adrenaline9 or :ortisone will :hange o;r whole world view. O;r whole life is :hemi:ally
:onditioned. 'very tho;ght a:tivates one or the other nerve :enter whi:h in t;rn infl;en:es some
endo:rine gland. The gland sends its hormones into the bloodstream9 we rea:t9 new tho;ghts arise
whi:h in t;rn again infl;en:e a nerve :enter and :reate new rea:tions9 :ombining with other nerve
:enters. There are many :enters9 many glands9 and :o;ntless :ombinations. And this :y:le is only
one of the inner pro:esses affe:ted by yoga.
#f a :ertain pra:ti:e hits something ;nhealthy Aan asana :an to;:h on an organi: illness9 a deep
meditation on some mental s;fferingB9 then the res;lt is not as desiredI it :an even lead to disaster.
2;ite often nat;re helps itself. );t in very deep meditation Awhi:h is hardly ever allowed witho;t
initiationB some very powerf;l phenomena :an appear whi:h will frighten the weak into refraining
from f;rther investigation. That is why the passage above :alls for :o;rage.
One thing is :ertainD these preliminary :hapters are the most important part of the book. He who
disregards them sho;ld :ertainly :onsider yoga dangero;s.
A18aB +ot to :a;se s;ffering to any living beingI to speak the tr;thI not to take what belongs to
othersI to pra:ti:e :ontinen:eI to develop :ompassion and fortit;deI to be mer:if;l to all and honestI
to be moderate in eating and p;re in heart. These are the first prere<;isites of yoga Mthe yamasN.
Self@limitation
Mtapas9 a;steritiesN9 :heerf;lness9 religio;s faith9 :harity9 :ontemplation9 listening to sa:red
s:ript;res9 modesty9 a :lean mind9 re:itation of mantras MCapaN9 and observan:e of r;les9 these are
the se:ond re<;irements of yoga Mthe niyamasN.
Th;s e<;ipped one :an vent;re to take the first step into the wonderland of one-s own self. Yo; do
TH' &/+"A1'+TA, !#+C#,'S
not have to take all the r;les literally9 b;t yo; have to look at them serio;sly. +ot the word Hyoga9H
b;t the power behind it9 is de:isive. And this powerK HTat tvam asil@@Tho; art ThatiH
CHAT'! %
YOGA A+" TH' A!T O& H'A,#+G
#n Japan there are physi:ians who ki:k the patient in the ba:k9 twist his ne:k9 or simply give him a
heavy slap on the sho;lder9 and the patient feels like a new man. #n China there are physi:ians who
pra:ti:e a:;p;n:t;re Athe insertion of needlesB. They pri:k a pla:e <;ite apart from the ailing organ
and pain disappears@@<;ite s;ddenly. #n Ceylon there are do:tors who to;:h the patient-s skin with a
red hot iron@@and they aim with the pre:ision of a fra:tion of a millimeter. A <;i:k pain. The patient
is :;red.
These are not medi:ine men at work. Here we have f;ll@fledged physi:ians who master an art@@that
nobody in the (est :an ;nderstandK These times have passed. The e?ample of the Japanese do:tors
has proven itself a h;ndred times. #n Ameri:a :hiropra:ti:e has be:ome an a:ademi: dis:ipline.
Th;s too it is with a:;p;n:t;re. (e now have theses on the s;bCe:t9 as well as pra:ti:ing (estern
physi:ians. The third e?ample ACeylonB too will no do;bt some day be a::epted9 perhaps along with
some pra:ti:es of medi:ine men that we ridi:;led some 03 years ago. rimitive people are really not
as primitive as we in o;r arrogant preC;di:e are apt to imagine. Are not the methods of modern
politi:ians more primitive than those of a medi:ine man in the C;ngleK
(e want to st;dy the following :hapters on asanas and their psy:ho@physi:al ba:kgro;nd with this
in mind.
H(hy so many wordsKH some will ask. HAsanas are physi:al e?er:ises.H And in a sense he is right.
H+onsense9H another will say9 Hall these senseless :ontortions.H And in a sense he too is right.
A third will :onsider asanas a pra:ti:e that nobody :an <;ite ;nderstand. !ight too.
A fo;rth one stands tho;ghtf;lly in a :orner. H# will learn to ;nderstand the inner :onne:tions. # have
st;died medi:ine and will soon find o;t what bodily f;n:tions are involved. # :annot imagine that the
yogis have taken all this o;t of thin air. There m;st be a :orresponding s:ientifi: terminology.H
)eware of this man.
'a:h of the first three :riti:s a:knowledged a :ertain positive aspe:t of the pra:ti:e. The first speaks
of gymnasti:s and e?pe:ts no more than the s;::ess of gymnasti:s. 6ery good. One sho;ld approa:h
these pra:ti:es not with vag;e e?pe:tations b;t with :lear p;rposef;lness. After all9 only the
literat;re of the (est presents these preliminary e?er:ises with s;:h great mystifi:ation9 whereas in
:omparison with what follows after them they are really little more than gymnasti:s.
+or sho;ld he who speaks of meaningless :ontortions be :ondemned. erhaps he is right. &or who is
:apable of e?plaining the internal relationshipsK (hy give the :ontortions a meaning for whi:h we
have not the slightest proof@@e?:ept for a few books whose val;e the average (estern reader is
;nable to as:ertainK This skepti: is not likely to start pra:ti:e9 b;t he is C;stified in his statement if by
HsenseH he ;nderstands that whi:h :an be :learly defined by o;r intelle:t. These are pra:ti:es that
Hnobody :an really ;nderstandH be:a;se they rea:h too deeply into o;r inner world9 to;:h on areas
that have not yet been named. &rom this angle no sense :an be dis:overed9 C;st as it :annot be
:onvin:ingly denied. #t is only the (esterner who seeks HsenseH in everything. The Asiati: a::epts
mystery as a fa:t9 and th;s the Hsenseless9H in an intelle:t;al sense9 be:omes for him sense Ain
relation to his e?perien:eB. He e?perien:es the val;e of that whi:h we :annot ;nderstand.
The fo;rth is the dangero;s one9 for he swears by his intelle:t;al knowledge alone. He has st;died9
he is perfe:t9 he :annot err. AAnd imagine him as a st;dent of a medi:ine man.B S:ien:e has
:anoniGed o;r intelle:t9 and a:knowledges nothing as s;perior9 or even e<;al to it. &ort;nately9 we
have the really great like C. G. J;ng9 'rwin !o;ssdie9 and others who have gone to the HprimitiveH to
e?pand their knowledge.
+obody will :laim that o;r knowledge a:<;ired thro;gh the :ent;ries is wrong. +o9 it is :ompletely
right9 b;t ;tterly in:omplete be:a;se it is so one@sided. There are more things in heaven and earth
than are dreamt of in a:ademia9 things that we know e?ist and that we :annot fathom with o;r
s:ientifi:ally trained intelle:t.
H(ell9H he will say if he is C;di:io;s9 H# admit this9 b;t we m;st have a :ertain frame of referen:e. #t
is <;ite :lear that :hakras are nerve :enters and nadis represent nerve strands. (hy sho;ld we deny
thisK $nowing this does make it easier.H However :onvin:ing these words may so;nd9 they :ontain
the seed of the greatest error in yogaD fo;ndering thro;gh tho;ght. #n other words9 the dangero;s
s;pposition that the essential :an be fathomed by tho;ght9 that it is Hnothing b;t9H that with a little
effort of o;r :on:ept;al intelle:t we :an des:end to the very depths of o;r so;l9 to the fo;ndation of
the ;niverse. Certainly this trend of tho;ght is logi:al9 b;t what good is logi: when yoga wisdom is
beyond logi:K
This phrase has dis:redited yoga with the intelle:t;als. );t let ;s look at o;r lives. #s life always
logi:alK (here is the logi: of the s:ientist who analyGes nat;ral laws si? days a week and on the
seventh goes to :h;r:h to pray to a God who has no pla:e in his logi:al system of s:ien:eK (here is
the logi: of the dr;g addi:t who knows he is digging his grave and still does not desist K (here is the
logi: of the greedy old man who9 with one foot in the grave still :raves millions9 tho;gh he :annot
take a penny with himK #s the :osmi: mathemati:s of 'instein whi:h :reated o;r atomi: age limited
to logi: K And how abo;t the fate of the evil ri:h man and the virt;o;s poorK #s :han:e logi:alK +o9
the de:isive fa:tors of o;r e?isten:e have nothing to do with logi:9 and therefore we :an readily
post;late that the essential interrelations in yoga :annot be penetrated by logi:al ded;:tions9 whi:h9
however9 does not mean that there is no law.
(hen we seem to dete:t an analogy between a :ertain :on:ept in yoga and a (estern s:ientifi: term
we m;st at on:e deny o;rselves all f;rther investigations of an analogy. (hyK (hen one mistakes
the part for the whole9 as often happens in (estern s:ien:e9 one ;nderestimates the whole be:a;se
one applies to it the lesser val;e of the part. And how :an we possibly C;dge anything if we know
only one of its many fa:ets9 and not even the most essential one at thatK Take the e?ample of the
:hakras9 the :enters of power9 whi:h are often identified with :hief nerve :enters AgangliaB9 or with
main glands9 simply be:a;se there is a topographi:al similarity. (ith this we :onf;se :a;se and
effe:t.
Altho;gh we know very little abo;t the :entral nervo;s system and the glands9 we do know eno;gh
to ga;ge their effe:ts. );t what we :an learn abo;t :hakras in yoga is immense. #f the system of
:hakras were identi:al with the :entral nervo;s system AC+SB9 then either all o;r a:ademi:
knowledge wo;ld be wrong9 or the yoga tea:hings wo;ld be empty fantasies. );t neither is the :ase.
O;r knowledge abo;t the C+S applies to the material aspe:t only9 while :hakra theory goes to the
deepest so;r:es of all dynami: pro:esses in man9 down to the deepest :osmi: f;n:tions9 to whi:h we
are ;ndeniably bo;nd. There are many effe:ts res;lting from the a:tivity of the C+S and the glands
whi:h will forever remain a mystery if we ignore the m;:h s;btler aspe:ts of these :hakras.
#t is :hara:teristi: that the tantri: );ddhism of Tibet tea:hes that the yogi has to :reate the :hakras at
the relevant pla:es in his body. They are so to speak Hpsy:hi: :entersH that :annot be pra:ti:ally
re:ogniGed ;nless # will it. They are vibration :enters whi:h are developed in the :o;rse of yoga
pra:ti:e. This alone proves how el;sive they are to the s;rgeon-s knife.
);t we have not yet :ome to these strange things. &irst now to the Hgymnasti:sH of hatha yoga. 'ven
here we sho;ld deny o;rselves any profo;nd spe:;lations. Certainly one :o;ld@@and even with a fair
meas;re of s;::ess@@draw psy:hosomati: :on:l;sions from asana s;:h@and@s;:h. );t again9 logi:
deserts ;s after a :ertain point and what remains :annot be investigated by s:ien:e9 however fine its
intentions. And this wo;ld meanD beyond the borderline of logi: there HreallyH is nothing. );t
a:t;ally a great deal is thereI not only is it there now9 b;t it has been there sin:e the very beginning.
The logi:ian does not have to 1other abo;t all this9 of :o;rse9 sin:e he has a wealth of :on:rete9
fa:t;al material at his disposal.%
#n any event9 whether or not :ertain pranayamas Abreathing e?er:isesB reg;late the o?ygen :ontent of
o;r blood is none of o;r :on:ern. (hat is important for ;s is that for:es A:;rrentsB arebeing a:tivated
that no (estern s:ientist is able f;lly to eval;ate9 b;t whi:h are the very fo;ndation of the whole
yoga str;:t;re.
Therefore9 (estern s:ien:e9 despite its ;ndisp;ted merits9 will be negle:ted in the following
:hapters9 in favor of that an:ient s:ien:e whi:h is the fo;ndation of yoga therapy. This9 # think9 is
m;:h more vital for the ;nderstanding of H'astern e?oti:s.H (e sho;ld try to think #ndian while
st;dying this book@@#ndian not
%. HAt the borderline of logi: s:ien:e stops9 b;t not nat;re9 whi:h blossoms there where no theory
has as yet penetratedH AC. G. J;ng9 The sy:hology of Transferen:eB.
only in relation to yoga9 b;t also in relation to the pres;ppositions of yoga.
The art of healing9 like all else tr;ly #ndian9 is based on the 6edas9 the oldest book of h;manity.
'verything that :on:erns medi:al theory in the !ig@6eda9 the Sama@6eda9 the Atharva@6eda9 and
the YaC;r@6eda9 was later systematiGed into Ay;rvedi: medi:ine.
Altho;gh it is not possible to s;mmariGe this giganti: work9 whi:h is still in pra:ti:al ;se in #ndia
today9 m;:h less give a s;rvey of the wealth of its prin:iples9 we :an at least :onsider the three main
:on:epts of h;man physiology ;pon whi:h this system is based. This is important be:a;se preC;di:ed
(esterners who :ast a s;perfi:ial eye ;pon the standard work of Ay;rvedi: medi:ine9 the Charaka
Samhita9 have misinterpreted thoro;ghly these three :on:epts.
The tea:hing states that there are three dominant for:es in man. and a::ordingly three main so;r:es
of illnessD vata9 pitta9 and kapha. The ;s;al translations as wind9 gall9 and phlegm are misleading9
in:omplete9 senseless9 and simply wrong@@as wrong as the false analogies dis:;ssed earlier. All
three terms are infinitely more :omple? and be:ome meaningf;l only in their :ompleteness. To
;nderstand the terms vata9 pitta9 and kapha we need the help of the :lassi:al definitions.
Comprehension of these terms is all the more important be:a;se hatha yoga is :losely bo;nd to
ay;rvedi: prin:iples9 as we soon shall see.
The three terms en:ompass all physiologi:al f;n:tions of the h;man body9 and their imbalan:e
:a;ses not only illness b;t also s;s:eptibility to :ontagio;s diseases.
6ata
#t is tr;e that this word means HwindH literally. );t more important is the root va9 movement. To
<;ote the Charaka SamhitaD H6ata is the so;r:e of both str;:t;re and f;n:tion Mof the bodyN. #t is that
whi:h is represented by the five forms Mof the bodily :;rrentsND prana9 ;dana9 samana9 vyana9 and
apana. #t is the initiator of the ;pward and downward flow Mof all internal pro:esses s;:h as
:ir:;lation9 metabolism9 et:.NI the :ontroller and g;iding for:e of :ons:io;snessI the stim;lant of the
sensesI the :ompanion of sensationsI the organiGer of the elements of the bodyI the prin:iple of
synthesisI the storage battery of spee:hI the :a;se of feelings and per:eptionI the origin of
e?:itement and stim;lationI it fans the gastri: fire9 dries o;t harmf;l phlegmI e?pels e?:rementsI is
p;rifier of the :oarse and the fine :hannels of the bodyI the :reator of the fetal formI the prin:iple of
life preservation. All these are the normal f;n:tions of vata in o;r bodyH AChar. Sam. 1. 1%D*B.
"ist;rban:e of any one of these f;n:tions leads to illness and s;s:eptibility to infe:tion.
Some of the illnesses d;e to the infl;en:e of vata areD rhe;matism9 dislo:ations9 lameness9 :ramps9
stitfness of limbs9 peristalti: irreg;larities9 trembling9 emotional and depressive states9 everything
related to tension9 rela?ation9 e?pansion and :ontra:tion9 :ir:;lation and metabolism9 :rookedness
and distortion of limbs9 abdominal diseases9 menstr;al irreg;larities9 sterility9 hall;:inations9 and
:onv;lsions.
itta
This :an be translated as Hgall9H b;t here it implies rather that whi:h is also e?pressed by the word
gallD temperament. );t this again only in a limited sense. The Charaka Samhita derives this word
from the root tap9 Hto heat9H and this brings ;s :loser to the meaning. (e <;oteD H#t is only the fire
whi:h in pitta brings on good and bad res;lts9 a::ording to the normal or abnormal :ondition Mof the
organsN. The res;lts are digestion and indigestion9 power of per:eption and its loss9 normal and
abnormal body temperat;res9 healthy and ;nhealthy look9 temerity9 fear MnervesN9 anger and Coy
MmoodsN9 :onf;sion and :larity9 and other s;:h :ontrasting pairsH AChar. Sam. 1. 1%D11B. HThe normal
f;n:tion of pitta :a;sesD power of :ognition9 fire of digestion9 fresh :omple?ion9 :larity of tho;ght9
body temperat;re9 h;nger and thirst9 and nimbleness of mindH AChar. Sam. 1. 1*D03B. "iseases from
this so;r:e areD inflammation9 fever9 p;s9 perspiration9 softening of bodily s;bstan:e9 it:hing9
metaboli: irreg;larities9 redness9 bad odor and taste9 as well as dis:oloration.
$apha
This word is :omposed of two rootsD kaOO Hwater9H and pha9 whi:h refers to the pro:ess of biologi:al
evol;tion. And sin:e we know that the body is largely :omposed of li<;id we :o;ld translate kapha
as Hlife@fl;id.H
H$apha is the ne:tar MsomaN. #t is the fertile water for the play of lifeI it is living fl;id9 the protoplasm
that s;stains all life pro:essesI it is indeed the s:affold of life. #t binds the limbs together and
prod;:es all the :onne:ting9 no;rishing9 developing9 and fortifying f;n:tions. #t promotes the
well@being of the body by its l;bri:ating a:tion. Th;s it s;pplies the water for the roots of life. #n its
physiologi:al aspe:t MPN kapha is the power and perseveran:e of man9 whi:h9 however9 immediately
be:omes a dist;rbing imp;rity when his balan:e is dist;rbedH AChar. Sam. 1. 1%D1%B. $apha ailments
areD pallidness9 :old9 edema9 :onstipation9 diabetes9 se:retions9 :old sweat9 lang;idness9 and
swellings At;morsB.
H+o pain witho;t vata Athe stream of lifeB9 no inflammation witho;t pitta Athe fire of lifeB9 no
swellings witho;t kapha Athe fl;id of lifeBH This dearly shows the :oordination of the three for:es9
b;t it also demonstrates@@and more :learly than (estern medi:ine does@@the interdependen:e of
body and mind.
+at;rally the an:ient #ndian art of healing is not e?ha;sted by these three main terms. On the
:ontrary9 this is only the beginning. &or ;s9 however9 this short s;rvey will s;ffi:e. #t will el;:idate
m;:h that is to followI in fa:t9 m;:h wo;ld be ;nintelligible witho;t it.
(e m;st not forget that these three HdoshasH have a material@bodily9 as well as an ethereal and an
abstra:t@spirit;al aspe:t. Th;s when later on we deal e?tensively with the prana9 the life stream that
here is Hvata9H then with Hsoma9H the ne:tar9 the Hfertile water for the play of lifeH that here is
Hkapha9H and finally with the inner fire that is Hpitta9H we sho;ld not forget this s;rvey. Soon we will
learn that all the wisdom of physiologi:al healing also has its pla:e in higher spirit;al spheres.
&or the #ndian there is one straight path thro;gh the ;niverse and sit;ated on this path are all the
:ities of the worldD medi:ine9 philosophy9 mathemati:s9 astrology and astronomy9 physi:s9 logi:9
sports9 magi:9 et:.9 and to him who is f;lly :onversant with any one of them9 the others are no se:ret.
So let ;s start by looking at yoga with a new physiologi:al ;nderstanding. +ot so m;:h to relearn9
b;t to ;nderstand that there is wisdom in things that seem <;ite odd to ;s.
CHAT'! 5
TH' ASA+AS
Al8bB Asanas are spoken of first9 being the first stage of hatha yoga. So one sho;ld pra:ti:e the
asanas9 whi:h give Mthe yogiN strength9 keep him in good health9 and make his limbs s;pple.
O;r :on:ern is not yet with raCa yoga and its mysteries. ,et ;s first :on:entrate on strength9 health9
and lithen:ss of body. 1;:h of this will be of dire:t help in raCa yoga.
A1*B # shall now pro:eed to impart some of the asanas that were adopted by s;:h wise men as
6asishtha9 and pra:ti:ed by yogis like 1atsyendra.
A1.B Sitting straight on level gro;nd9 s<;eeGe both feet between :alves and thighs Mof the opposite
legsN. This is svastikasana. MSee
TH' ASA+AS
.N
A%3B la:e the right foot ne?t to the left b;tto:k and the left foot ne?t to the right b;tto:k. This is
gom;khasana9 and looks like the mo;th of a :ow. MSee
&ig;re %.N
A%1B la:e one foot ;pon the other thigh and the other foot below the opposite thigh. This is virasana.
MSee
TH' ASA+AS
&ig;re 5.N
#n the last three phrases we simply have variations of sitting :rosslegged as has been :;stomary in
#ndia for tho;sands of years. These asanas in themselves are not pra:ti:eI rather9 they are
f;ndamental :onditions ;pon whi:h the real pra:ti:e is based. The following senten:e is a
:ontin;ation of the instr;:tions of +o.%3.
A%%B ress the an;s firmly with :rossed feet and sit th;s. );t do it with :are. This is k;rmasana.
Here we might look for a deeper meaning9 sin:e the post;re does not really bear any :hara:teristi:s
of gymnasti:s. (e :annot yet ;nderstand the signifi:an:e of the press;re on the an;s9 and the spe:ial
emphasis on :are. );t at this point9 of :o;rse9 the st;dent knows nothing yet abo;t the essentials.
A%5B Ass;ming the lot;s post;re9 insert the hands between the thighs and :alves. ;t the hands firmly
on the gro;nd and raise the body ;p. This is k;k;tasana. MSee
TH' ASA+AS
&ig;re 4.N
The lot;s post;re has not yet been mentionedD the feet are pla:ed :rosswise on the opposite thighs9 as
:lose to the body as possible. ;sh the hands thro;gh this HnetworkH of legs and pla:e them firmly on
the gro;nd.
Here we have what :learly seems a gymnasti: e?er:ise. Yet what is involved is something <;ite
different. 1;:h later we will learn that to Hraise the k;ndaliniH a little help is needed9 and this asana
provides it. #t may seem a diffi:;lt asana. );t things get even more :ompli:ated in the followingD
A%4B Ass;ming the Mabove@mentionedN k;kk;tasana post;re9 p;t both arms aro;nd yo;r ne:k and
remain raised like a tortoise Mwith the ba:k to;:hing the gro;ndN. This is ;ttana k;rmasana.
Here the gymnasti: :hara:ter is evidentI in fa:t it seems so e?aggeratedly a:robati: that we wonder
whether this is less than gymnasti:s@@or moreK (hat is behind itK $;rma asana means Htortoise
post;re.H (ith a little imagination we :an think of the body in this position as a tortoise. );t
strangely eno;gh referen:e here is to something <;ite different.
So far we have en:o;ntered the tortoise three times. &irst in +o. 13D HTo those who pra:ti:e yoga9
hatha yoga is like the tortoise that :arries the world.H #n the se:ond pla:e A+o. %%B the asana in whi:h
the an;s is pressed is :alled Htortoise post;reH Ak;rmasanaB. And now here in +o. %4 we have Hthe
raised tortoiseH A;ttana k;rmasanaB. ,et ;s look at the an:ient te?ts. #n the )hagavat ;rana9 one of
the ri:hest of the an:ient te?ts of #ndian mythology and symbolism9 we find a legend whi:h is more
than merely a legend. #n a battle with the demons the gods were losingD they had :onsidered
themselves divinely s;perior to the for:es of the world Athe demonia:B9 b;t these for:es stood more
safely and firmly ;pon their gro;nd. )rahma9 whom the gods implored for help9 as:ended with the
threatened ones to the ,ord of the (orld9 6ishn;9 to ask his advi:e.
TH' ASA+AS
H1ake pea:e with the demons9H he ;rged them9 Hand :h;rn with their help the ne:tar of immortality.
The divine alone is as powerless as the earthly alone. Together yo; sho;ld :h;rn the o:ean of milk
;ntil it t;rns into the ne:tar of immortality.H
So together the sworn enemies took the mo;ntain 1andara9 the ba:kbone of the ;niverse9 wo;nd
aro;nd it the serpent 6as;ki in three and one@half t;rns9 and alternately p;lling on the head Athe
demonsB and the tail Athe godsB9 they began to :h;rn the terrestrial o:ean of milk.
);t soon the mo;ntain be:ame too heavy for the diligent ones9 and slowly it sank lower and lower.
Then 6ishn; transformed himself into a tortoise9 dove to the bottom of the o:ean9 and raised the
mo;ntain so that the work :o;ld be :ompleted.
ra:ti:ally every word in this legend is the e?pression of a deep symbolism9 m;:h of whi:h will be
:larified in the :o;rse of o;r st;dy and pra:ti:e. &or now let ;s :onsider only the most important
points. +ot only in modern medi:ine9 b;t in an:ient yoga as well9 the spinal :ol;mn is the most
important and most s;btle part of the body. #n fa:t we shall soon see that it is a:t;ally the spinal
:ol;mn that has the most important task.
/pon this Ha?is of the Mh;manN ;niverseH we e?ert press;re in k;rmasana9 so that the :ombined
for:es of the divine As;b:ons:io;sB and the earthly A:ons:io;sB :an a::omplish their task. 1ost
asanas involve the spinal :ol;mn9 as does the followingD
A%0B Grasp both toes with the hands
Mleft with left9 right with rightN9 keep one leg straight and draw the other to the ear as yo; wo;ld the
string of a bow. This is dhan;rasana. ASee
&ig;re 0.B
TH' ASA+AS
The spinal :ord has two endsD the earth AbelowB and heaven AaboveB9 as is fitting for a Hholy
mo;ntain in the :enter of the world.H And@@as it sho;ld be@@the worldly problems are mostly
sit;ated in the lower part and the more ideal ones in the ;pper one. (e :annot be e?pe:ted to
:omprehend this. That the earthly problems are :entered in the lower half of the body only he who
knows something abo;t the :hakras :an realiGe. The yogi develops ;nderstanding only in the third
stage.
(e :o;ld :ompare o;rselves with a tree that has its roots in the earth and the :rown with its fr;it in
the sky. J;st as we have to satisfy the needs of the roots in order to s;pply no;rishment to the fr;it in
the :rown9 so most asanas are designed to :;ltivate the root of o;r tree of life9 the spinal :ol;mn. As
is this asanaD
A%7B la:e yo;r right foot on the o;tside of the left hip Coint and the left foot o;tside the right knee
Mwhi:h is flat on the floorN. Grasp the left foot with the right hand Mpassing the arm to the left side of
the kneeN and the right one with the left hand. T;rn the head all the way over to the left. This is
matsyendrasana.
MSee
&ig;re 7.N
#n the more :;rrent variations of this asana the right foot is not grasped by the left handI instead9 the
hand is pla:ed on the ba:k as far over as possible. This is seen in o;r ill;stration. Slight variations in
asanas or o::asional variations in name have arisen be:a;se several tea:hers developed the same
asanas. The variations o::;r only in minor points. This be:omes <;ite evident by a :omparison of
o;r Hatha Yoga radipika with the more :ommon and m;:h later work9 the Gheranda Samhita.
A%8B This matsyendrasana in:reases the appetite by fanning the gastri: fire MpittaN9 and destroys
physi:al ailments. $;ndalini is awakened and the moon made steady.
TH' ASA+AS
&or the first time the te?t mentions k;ndalini9 a latent for:e of highest potential9 said to lie in three
and one@half :oils9 like the snake in the :h;rning of the o:ean of milk9 sleeping at the lowest :enter
Am;ladhara :hakraB at the foot of the Htree of life9H the spinal :ol;mn. This serpent power9 k;ndalini9
:annot be des:ribed f;lly9 even by one who has s;::eeded in awakening it. (hen it awakens9 it
shoots thro;gh the body like an ele:tri: sho:k9 and9 trembling and amaGed9 the person realiGes that a
powerf;l event has taken pla:e within him. This is only the beginning.
The whole body trembles. A door seems to have been p;shed open thro;gh whi:h a flood of light
flows from some ;nknown world9 a light of in:omparable radian:e. After a long time the trembling
body be:omes :alm9 b;t the flash of light shooting thro;gh the spinal :ol;mn to the :rown of the
head is ;nforgettable.
This flash of light is not really the k;ndalini9 however. #t is merely a sign of its awakening. The
k;ndalini itself does not shoot ;p9 b;t will later rise slowly9 passing thro;gh the stations Athe
:hakrasB9 ea:h of whi:h :reates another new and powerf;l e?perien:e.
(hether the k;ndalini :an really be awakened thro;gh this parti:;lar asana alone is <;estionable.
);t the asana will s;rely be helpf;l in the pro:ess. And the HmoonHK
As mentioned above9 the Hmo;ntain in the :enter of the worldH has the earth at its foot and the sky at
its peak. )etween earth and sky are the s;n Athe :enter of the planetary systemB and the moon.
#n the :enter of the triangle formed by the navel and the two nipples is the Hs;nH Msolar ple?;sNI at the
;pper end of the spinal :ol;mn9 at the med;lla oblongata9 sits the Hmoon.H HS;nH and HmoonH are not
:hakras b;t arespheres that stand dire:tly ;nder the infl;en:e of two :hakras9 lying respe:tively C;st
above and below.
Thro;gh this asana the HmoonH sphere is Hmassaged9H whi:h is all the more important as it is
pres;mably here that we find the so;r:e of the fl;id of life AkaphaB. );t also the opposite pole9 the
Hs;n9H is affe:ted by this pro:ess of twisting the spinal :ol;mn. And sin:e it is here that the Hfire of
lifeH ApittaB originates9 there arises from the :ombined work of these two well@springs a powerf;l
stim;lating infl;en:e ;pon the physiology of the body.
A%*B Stret:h o;t both legs and9 ta?ing hold of the toes9 lay yo;r head ;pon the knees. This is
pa::imasana
MpashimottanasanaN.
A%.B This most e?:ellent of all asanas :a;ses the breath to flow thro;gh the s;sh;mna9 fans the fire of
appetite MpittaN9 makes the loins s;pple MvataN and removes all ailments M:a;sed by pitta and vataN.
The most essential phrase of this sloka needs el;:idation. S;sh;mna is the name for the hair@thin
:hannel that traverses the spinal :ol;mn lengthwise. #t is the pathway of k;ndalini. #s the breath
really to flow thro;gh this :hannelK #t seems physiologi:ally impossible. H)reathH in Sanskrit is
pranaI b;t what we :all breath is only an insignifi:ent fra:tion of what the #ndian ;nderstands by
prana. )reath is more than inhaled and e?haled air9
more than o?ygen and nitrogen9 even more than any :hemist :o;ld analyGe. )reath is the :arrier of
an espe:ially effi:a:io;s life for:e9 of a stream whi:h no;rishes the organism. There is a:t;ally little
differen:e between this Hlife :;rrentH and an ele:@:al :;rrent.
TH' ASA+AS
'no;gh abo;t prana for now. AThere will be a great deal more abo;t it in later :hapters.B Here again
in this asana we see what seems to be a p;rely physi:al e?er:ise9 b;t it is one with a very spe:ifi:
meaning and aim.
A53B ress yo;r hands firmly ;pon the gro;nd and balan:e yo;r body by pressing the elbows against
yo;r loins. !aise yo;r legs straight in the air till yo;r feet are level with yo;r head. This if
may;rasana. MSee
&ig;re 8. N
A51B This asana heals vario;s diseases of the spleen and dropsy9 and removes all illnesses :a;sed by
e?:ess of vata9 pitta9 or kapha. #t digests an overab;ndan:e of food9 and even destroys the poison
halahala.
The asana looks like o;r well@known gymnasti: e?er:ise on the parallel bars. And gymnasti:s it is.
At this point of training the plan is to perfe:t the body and espe:ially to train the abdominal m;s:les
so important in arts Two and Three of this work.
As the gods and the demons were diligently :h;rning the o:ean of milk and the o:ean grad;ally
began to :hange9 the demons sampled the li<;id and do;bled over in great pain be:a;se the first
prod;:t was sheer poison AhalahalaB. #n order to prevent f;rther tro;ble9 Siva swallowed the
remaining poison. #t remained in his throat and t;rned it bl;e.
At this stage of development the st;dent does not ;nderstand the deeper meaning of the story9 and
does not yet know that it is a romanti: allegory of his own development. He is glad to hear that Siva
drank the poison9 and believes that he is therefore o;t of danger9 ;ntil he later learns that danger will
still threaten if he does not :aref;lly follow his g;r;-s instr;:tions. And he does not know that the
poison is not a :hemi:al b;t a spirit;al poison9 a psy:hi: danger whi:h arises from wrong pra:ti:e.
Here again the <;estion arises how this single asana :an have s;:h far@rea:hing :onse<;en:es that it
renders the poison harmless. #n order to C;dge we m;st know two thingsD first9 what kind of danger is
referred toI se:ond9 what effe:ts are prod;:ed by this asana.
(e shall dis:;ss this <;estion to give the (estern st;dent a deeper insight9 altho;gh it does not
really belong here.
TH' ASA+AS
As mentioned before9 the whole #ndian mythology has a dire:t relation to yoga. (hen the ;niverse
Ama:ro:osmB is mentioned9 it is also a referen:e to man Ami:ro:osmB. And ;nder Hgods and demonsH
we m;st ;nderstand the for:es that are manifest in man on the psy:hi:9 mental9 and physi:al levels.
Th;s the :h;rning of the o:ean is9 generally speaking9 a pro:ess in yoga. This milk o:ean symboliGes
the brain. #n the :o;rse of yoga training there o::;rs a transformation of :ons:io;sness from the
Hmilk of devotional thinkingH thro;gh the Hpoison of imperfe:t developmentH to the Hne:tar of
enlightenment.H #n the state of in:omplete evol;tion lies the greatest danger9 i.e. premat;re a:tion
res;lting from erroneo;s9 ill@informed C;dgment. The st;dent ass;mes he possesses :ertain powers9
and may even have seen some indi:ation of these9 b;t he is not yet :apable of re:ogniGing and
governing them. And this is poison9 espe:ially for f;rther development. #t is now imperative to
mobiliGe :o;nter@for:es.
#n may;rasana the press;re of both elbows seals off the Hprana :hannelsH of the two nadis and th;s
for:es an in:reased blood s;pply into those parts of the brain that are in most ;rgent need of it.
#t seems :lear that the blood s;ff;sion of the brain m;st have an infl;en:e on o;r :ons:io;sness9 b;t
blood itself is less important than the stream of prana whi:h imparts itself to the bloodstream. #t is9 so
to speak9 an ele:trifi:ation of the brain9 a :hange of gear in the psy:hi: me:hanism. And it has been
proven a tho;sand times that a :lear head is the res;lt of yoga pra:ti:e.
A5%B ,ying f;ll length on the ba:k like a :orpse is :alled sava@sana. (ith this asana tiredness :a;sed
by other asanas is eliminatedI it also promotes :almness of mind.
How ni:e that rela?ation is part of the s:heme. And it is pleasant to find that no mystery is involved.
Simply stret:h o;t on the floor.
);t this rela?ation is also ne:essary9 as that whi:h follows is more thoro;gh9 has greater depth. (e
are abo;t to take an important step in the dire:tion of raCa yoga.
A55@54B The asanas ta;ght by Siva are *4 in n;mber. Of these # will des:ribe fo;r of the most
important ones. They are siddha@sana9 padmasana9 simhasana9 and bhadrasana. Of these9
siddha@sana is the best and most :omfortable post;re.
A50B ress one heel into the pla:e below the se? organs
Mthe perine;mN and p;t the other heel C;st above this region M:lose to the abdomenN. ress the :hin
;pon the :hest9 sit ;p straight9 with :ontrolled organs9 and fasten the eyes between the eyebrows.
This is siddhasana9 whereby all obsta:les on the path to perfe:tion are removed. MSee
TH' ASA+AS
&ig;re *.N
#t is <;ite :lear that more is at play here than mere gymnasti: e?er:ise9 espe:ially sin:e there is no
longer any mention of healing or nimble limbs.
);t what do these ;n;s;al details meanK 'a:h heel presses a :ertain point9 the lower one the
m;ladhara :hakra9 the ;pper one the svadhistana :hakra. The ne:k is bent so as to press the
vish;ddha :hakra in the throat9 and the eyes aret;rned toward the aCna :hakra.
The manip;ra :hakra in the diaphragm region and the anahata :hakra in the heart region seem to
remain ;nnoti:ed. #n reality
it is C;st the :ontrary. The heart :hakra has a ;ni<;e position in many waysI it wo;ld not respond to
physi:al press;re in any event. #n this position it :an be infl;en:ed by a meditative pro:ess9 as we
will see later on.
The manip;ra :hakra is also dealt with in an ;n;s;al manner here9 for instr;:tions arestati: in nat;re.
A later sloka A41B will add a dynami: element that will affe:t the manip;ra :hakra9 among other
things.
A57B la:e the right heel above the se? organ and the left heel over the right. This too is siddhasana.
MSee
TH' ASA+AS
&ig;re ..N
A58B Some :all this siddhasanaI others say it is vaCrasana9 or m;k@tasana9 or g;ptasana.
(hyK #s there a differen:e of opinionK +o9 there are good reasons. This asana :an serve several
p;rposes9 and ea:h name indi:ates a different emphasis. );t we do not want to get lost in details.
A5*B The siddhas sayD J;st as among the yamas the most important is to do no harm to anyone9 and
that among the niyamas moderation9 so is siddhasana the :hief of all asanas.
(e sho;ld not take this as a <;alitative :hara:teristi:. !ather one sho;ld sayD C;st as nonviolen:e is
the leitmotiv of all other prin:iples9 and moderation the g;ideline to all other <;alities9 so also is
siddhasana the fo;ndation of all other re<;irements for the inner vision of raCa yoga Awitho;t making
them s;perfl;o;s9 howeverB.
A5.B Of the *4 asanas one sho;ld always pra:ti:e siddhasana Mabove allN9 it p;rifies the 8%9333 nadis.
+adis are those paths thro;gh whi:h the body re:eives its s;pply of prana. (e sho;ld not think of
these as nerve strands9 and whether or not there are8%9333 wo;ld be hard to as:ertain9 nor is it of any
:onse<;en:e. Only three nadis are important for ;sD first9 the previo;sly mentioned s;sh;mna path in
the :enter of the spinal :ol;mn9 and then the two maCor nadis whi:h r;n parallel to the spinal
:ol;mn9 ida AleftB and pingala ArightB.
They begin in the nostril of their respe:tive sides9 wind on:e aro;nd the aCna :hakra like thread
aro;nd a spindle9 and end all the way down where the main :hannel9 the s;sh;mna9 also ends9 in the
m;ladhara :hakra. Sin:e it is the task of these nadis to :ir:;late the life stream of prana9 they m;st be
kept :lean9 whi:h is not a simple matter. /nder spe:ial :ir:;mstan:es this asana serves the p;rpose.
);t there areother methods whi:h are indi:ated ;nder other :onditions. The se:ond part of this work
;tiliGes them.
TH' ASA+AS
A43B The yogi who meditates on the atman and eats moderately a:hieves the yoga siddhis after he has
pra:ti:ed siddhasana for 1% years.
Atman meditation is refle:tion ;pon o;r own mysterio;s selfI it is the way to self@knowledge. God
A)rahmanB and atman have from time immemorial been the great OnenessD H# amH is the name of
God that 1oses heard and whi:h is pro:laimed as the first name of God in the Jewish $abbala. #t
was the same in an:ient 'gypt and is still so with the arsis. H# am )rahmaH AbrahmasmiB-. this is the
meditation even of Hind;s who are not yogis. Only the meditator9 who :an e?perien:e it9 will
;nderstand the atman. The intelle:t;al ta:kles the problem with logi: and philosophi:al ded;:tion
whi:h res;lt only in more :ompli:ations9 b;t will never lead to a sol;tion. Atman meditation is
perfe:t mysti:ism. As to the 1% years9 this is only appli:able to the average aspirant. One of my
g;r;s rea:hed his goal in %5 days9 b;t with 17 ho;rs of daily meditation. Had he meditated only eight
ho;rs he wo;ld perhaps have needed two years9 and with fo;r ho;rs probably no less than ten.
A41B #f siddhasana is perfe:ted and the breath is :aref;lly restrained in kevala k;mbhaka9 what need
for all the other asanasK
Again a new term9 k;mbhaka. This is a simple matterD k;m@bhaka is the moment between inhalation
and e?halation9 or vi:e versa9 when the breath is retained for some time.
Anyone :an observe the development of pranaD after a few deep and fast inhalations and e?halations
:on:entrate on the fingertips. (hat yo; feel then is the dire:t effe:t of prana.
The varieties of k;mbhaka9 of whi:h kevala k;mbhaka is only one9 will be dis:;ssed later on.
A4%B (hen siddhasana is a::omplished9 we :an enCoy the e:stasy of the meditative state A;nmani
avasthaB9 the moon and the three bandhas follow witho;t effort nat;rally.
This sloka is not for the st;dent b;t for the tea:her. The three bandhas arestill ;nknown9 the ;nmani
avastha state is a fond hope9 and how the moon :an HfollowH is still a mystery. Have patien:eI all
shall be e?plained in d;e :o;rse.
A45B There is no asana like siddhasana9 no k;mbhaka like kevala9 no m;dra like khe:ari9 and no laya
e<;als nada Manahat nadaN.
A sloka that the tea:her at this point :an only ;nderline9 while the st;dent hopef;lly awaits the day
when he :an :onvin:e himself of its effi:a:y. (hether or not it is valid we :an C;dge only at the end
of this book.
A44B la:e the right heel ;pon the base of the left thigh and the left ;pon the right thigh. Cross the
arms behind the ba:k and grasp the toes9 the right ones with the right hand and the left with the left.
ress the :hin on the breast and look at the tip of yo;r nose. This is :alled padmasana and :;res all
diseases Q MSee
TH' ASA+AS
&ig;re 13.N
&irst of all9 it appears that we have here witho;t a do;bt a gymnasti: e?er:ise of enormo;s val;e9 b;t
one that demands a high degree of skill. The rib :age is e?panded and the l;ngs and sho;lders
strengthened9 the spinal :ol;mn is straightened o;t9 and the abdominal m;s:les stret:hedD an
e?emplary post;re from a sheer physi:al point of view.
To this are added deeper res;lts whi:h are immediately manifest when we meditate in this post;re.
&irst of all there is :ompletely new awareness of the bodyI then the spinal :ol;mn is
Q HThe se:ret tea:hing is that there sho;ld be a spa:e of fo;r in:hes between the :hin and the breastH
Sri +ivasa lyangar. The Hatha Yoga radipika of Yoga Swami Svatmarama Atranslation with
:ommentaryB AAdyar9 1.4.B9 p. %%. @Trans.
reshapedD it be:omes straight9 whereas ;s;ally it is slightly S@shapedI the Hk;ndalini pathH is
relieved of its :;rves and th;s be:omes more readily traversible. );t there is also an infl;en:e on the
:hakras9 and last b;t not least9 the prana H:ir:;itH is re@:hanneled. Yet as :ontradi:tory as it seems9
the val;e of this asana as a physi:al e?er:ise is greater than its meditative assets.
#mportant in this :onne:tion is the ne?t asana with the same name9 whi:h :ontains all the benefits
that are referred to as se:ondary in the above asana. The two :ombined in systemati: pra:ti:e give
the res;lts that aredesired at this stage of evol;tion.
A40@48B la:e yo;r feet firmly on the opposite thighs and pla:e yo;r hands firmly in the middle9 one
;pon the other Min yo;r lapN9 fasten yo;r eyes on the tip of the nose and to;:h the ba:k of the ;pper
teeth with yo;r tong;e. ress the :hin on the :hest and raise the air
Mapana vay;N slowly ;p while :ontra:ting the an;s m;s:le. This is padmasana that destroys all
diseases. M);tN this :an be a:hieved by only a few very intelligent persons.
TH' ASA+AS
This is the first step to raCa yoga. #n the previo;s padmasana we :reated the essential physi:al
:onditions. The spinal :ol;mn was straightened and the Hbow of the nadisH was drawn Aas my g;r;
termed itB9 so that the real yoga :o;ld now begin. );t even when we have a:hieved this post;re it is
like an empty pot9 for what is essential here9 the prana9 will be developed only in the se:ond stage.
This se:tion introd;:es a part of the anatomy that has not yet been mentioned9 as indeed it is not
often mentionedD the sphin:ter m;s:le of the an;s. (e sho;ld also know that in addition to the prana
:ir:;it there arefo;r other similar :;rrents that :o;rse thro;gh o;r body9 one of whi:h9 :alled apana9
flows thro;gh the Hlower regions9H C;st as prana flows thro;gh the respiratory system. (e :an
infl;en:e the prana thro;gh the pro:ess of breathing and the apana thro;gh the above@mentioned
movement of the sphin:ter m;s:le. (hat forK Again we m;st look ba:k. #t was stated that prana
sho;ld enter the hairline :hannel of s;sh;mnaI b;t prana :annot move any lower than the diaphragm9
while apana finds its ;pper bo;ndary below the diaphragm.
#f we :an Hti:H these two streams together9 one :ontin;o;s flow rea:hes from the nostrils to the end
of the spinal :ord9 th;s :onstit;ting a single ;nit able to f;lfill its task.
Here the :ondition has been :reated that will be ;tiliGed pra:ti:ally in the ne?t step.
A4*B Having ass;med the padmasana post;re9 with the hands one ;pon the other9 and the :hin firmly
pressed ;pon the :hest9 meditate on )rahma9 fre<;ently :ontra:ting the an;s m;s:le to raise apana.
Similarly9 by :ontra:ting the throat9 for:e prana down. Th;s with the aid of k;ndalini Mwhi:h is
aro;sed by this pro:essN we a:hieve highest $nowledge.
A4.B (hen the yogi remains in padmasana and th;s retains the breath drawn in thro;gh the nadi gates
MnostrilsN he rea:hes liberation. There is no do;bt abo;t it.
#f everything has been ;nderstood th;s far9 one has an inkling of what is at stake. Only one point is
not <;ite as :lear as it may so;ndD that the yogi rea:hes liberation. ,iberation from whatK (hat is
this liberation like K
He is liberated who sees this world for what it really is9 a figment of o;r own imagination. The
nonliberated believed that he is a part of this tangible worldI he has to s;bmit to the demands of
:ir:;mstan:e9 and his fort;ne or misfort;ne is apparently tied to this tangible world. His desires are
for possession of things or people. He lives only by the :ons:io;sness of what his senses :onvey to
him. And beyond the world of senses there e?ists for him only the darkness of d;bio;s fantasies. An
;n:ertain faith in a higher power is abo;t the e?tent of his other@worldlin:ss9 and more often than
not even this is nothing b;t a primitive fear of p;nishment that he e?pe:ts from somepla:e where his
:arthbo;nd ;nderstanding :annot rea:h. His obedien:e to divine laws is based on weakness9 not on
the re:ognition that he himself is a part of that law9 a part of the eternal light@@ and darkness. These
Htwo so;ls9 alasP in his own breastH :hafe ;nder the material ill;sion of the :osmosD the insensitive
matter as master of whi:h he entered the world and whose slave he soon be:ame. He st;mbles over
the least little stone9 :;rses the stone9 and with his :;rse strikes only his own weakness. His
:ondition is hopeless servit;de. He who sear:hes for the so;r:e of his sorrow elsewhere9 who tries to
demolish the st;mbling blo:k witho;t realiGing his own ;nmindf;lness9 is always a slave.
The liberated one knows and sees all problems within himself. #t is not that he has pers;aded himself
of this by philosophi:al
logi:. +o9 he e?perien:es in meditation the for:es and the :ontent of his own personality and :an
TH' ASA+AS
obCe:tively oppose them to sense impressions. On:e he realiGes his tr;e position he is as free from
sense impressions as the ad;lt is free from atta:hment to the toys of his :hildhood. He views those
oh@so@vital things of this world as the grandfather sees the dolls of his grand:hildrenD not senseless
by any means9 b;t not worthy of being idoliGed at the :ost of inner power. To be s;re9 he :annot
pers;ade the H;nfreeH :hild of the HobCe:tive ;selessnessH of the doll with wise words9 b;t ;nder his
g;idan:e the :hild :an grow to mat;rity so that one day she will realiGe by herself the worthlessness
of the doll. Here9 similarly9 it is ;seless to try to pers;ade the average h;man being of the obCe:tive
;selessness of his toys as long as he is not ready for it. H"o not show men the real val;e of their
world9 b;t tea:h them to fathom it for themselves.H This is perhaps the aptest tenet in all yoga.
A03B la:e yo;r angles in the region of the se? organs Mbetween an;s and s:rot;mND the right ankle to
the right and the left to the left side.
This means kneel with knees slightly apart9 feet :rossed. ACompare
&ig. %.B
A01B la:e the palms ;pon the knees with fingers spread o;t and eyes ;pon the tip of the nose Mand
breatheN with open mo;th and :on:entrated mind9
.
A0%B This is simhasana9 held in great esteem by the highest yogis9 This asana fa:ilitates the three
bandhas.
#f the st;dent does not know something abo;t the bandhas this asana has little meaning. )andha
:omes from Hto bind.H That there is something to bind we have seen9 namely prana Athe ;pper :ir:;itB
and apana Athe lower :ir:;itB.
#f we try this asana we realiGe that the :hest e?pands when we inhale and the abdomen re:edes. This
is the first step to the bandhas.
TH' ASA+AS
A05@00B la:e the angles ;nder the b;tto:ks9 right below right9 left below left9 on either side of the
perine;m. ress the soles of the feet together and hold firmly with both hands. This is bhadrasana
and :;res all diseases. The siddhas andyogis :allit gorakshasana. The yogi sho;ld pra:ti:e this ;ntil
he feels no more pain or tiredness. MSee
&ig;re 11.N
+othing m;:h is gained for raCa yoga thro;gh this asana. #t does :ontrol ;nwanted desires.
A07B Then he sho;ld :leanse the nadis by pra:ti:ing pranayama9 as well as m;dras and k;mbhakas of
vario;s kinds.
These will be learned at the ne?t level. 75
CHAT'! 4
TH' (AY O& ,#&' O& A YOG#
A few ;sef;l hints before we attempt the higher goals of the se:ond part. They may not be as
dramati: as the slowly :larifying ba:kgro;nd of asanas9 b;t they are important eno;gh to :a;se
tremendo;s diffi:;lties if they are ignored.
A08aB Then follows the :on:entration on the inner so;nd MnadaN.
This sloka belongs to the highest form of raCa yoga Ato be dis:;ssed in art &o;rB9 and is rather
premat;re hereI it may be an interpolation by an impatient st;dent of Swatmarama.
A08bB The brahma:harin who9 observing moderate diet9 reno;n:ing the fr;its of his a:tions9 pra:ti:es
MhathaN yoga will be:ome a siddha in the span of one year.
A brahma:harin is a yogi who observes :omplete :eliba:y. Here the <;estion of :eliba:y be:omes
a:;te. How :omp;lsory is it for a yogiK At this point # :annot give a de:isive answer b;t sho;ld say
that most of the yoga masters # have known were happy ho;seholders9 while # have met
brahma:harins9 on the other hand9 who did not disting;ish themselves by higher knowledge. #t is not
as important to withhold poten:y as it is to know how to manage it and9 above all9 how to transform
it into spirit;al
poten:y. Celiba:y witho;t transformation of the preserved poten:ies only for:es them to find their
own o;tlet9 mostly where it is least desired9 at the weakest point of the whole organism.
HYoga9H says my g;r;9 His e:onomy of for:es9 not repression of nat;re.H This statement may seem
very :omforting to some st;dents9 b;t He:onomyH needs :loser definition9 for the yogi-s He:onomyH
seems like heavy sa:rifi:e to most. ':onomy of for:es means to be in t;ne with nat;ral harmony.
And this is e?:l;sively the meas;red rhythm of nat;re. Stim;lation does not originate from the
o;tside9 artifi:ially9 b;t from inner so;r:es9 the essential wellsprings whi:h are within ;s. #t is
therefore not a <;estion of overpowering the body or Amost :;rio;s of all endeavorsB of sh;tting o;t
all the stim;li of the o;ter world9 b;t a <;estion of ill;minating o;r own :ons:io;sness. After that the
body obeys a;tomati:ally. Celiba:y of the mind has to pre:ede :eliba:y of the body. An evil tho;ght
is worse than a bad deed.
The Hdeed in tho;ghtH is often ;nderestimated. One imagines :ontrol of a:tion is the :hief
a::omplishment9 and forgets that fre<;ently la:k of opport;nity or fear of e?ternal laws are the
motivations whi:h make ;s so virt;o;s. Sigm;nd &re;d has perhaps painted too dark a pi:t;re9 b;t
we :an hardly deny his prin:iple9 espe:ially when at a later stage of meditation we are fa:ed with o;r
fearf;l animalisti: self.
Another interesting problem arises from the phrase9 Hreno;n:ing the fr;its of his a:tions.H This is
p;re karma yoga.
A deed is of val;e only when it is done for its own sake. This is a platit;de whi:h has the remarkable
distin:tion of :ontaining one of the deepest wisdoms of the world. The reason for this and its
pra:ti:al val;e :an easily be e?plained psy:hologi:ally b;t the advantages that res;lt from it
internally lie beyond the most fertile imagination. #t is easily testedD Anyone who s;::eeds in doing a
really Hgood deedH witho;t the slightest selfish motive@@ one of the most diffi:;lt tasks a man :an
a::omplish@@will reap the Coy of its s;blime fr;it. 'verything that we mortals do has a motive9 for
we are H:reat;res of reason9H and reason always demands the motive Awhi:h a::ording to an:ient
wisdom we are not s;pposed to haveB. The psy:hologi:al e?planation for this :annot be dis:;ssed
hereI b;t whether or not we adopt the path of yoga9 we sho;ld o::asionally analyGe one of o;r Hgood
deedsH to see how m;:h selfishness or self@satisfa:tion it a:t;ally :ontains. The fr;it of every good
deed is a :ertain satisfa:tion whi:h dire:tly or indire:tly res;lts from this deed. And it is this
satisfa:tion that the yogi reno;n:es. He does not :reate anything in his mind that :o;ld be satisfied in
this way.
The :aref;l observer will note that the spirit;al ba:kgro;nd of the abstinen:e of the brahma:harin
and the ren;n:iation of the karma yogi have the same so;r:e9 and that the same psy:hologi:al
dis:iplines are demanded. There is no do;bt that he who :an f;lfill these :onditions :an Hbe:ome a
siddha in the span of one year.H Something more has to be said abo;t the Hmoderate dietHD
A0*B 1oderate diet means pleasant9 sweet food9 leaving free one fo;rth of the stoma:h. The a:t of
eating is dedi:ated to Siva.
The :lassi:al :ommentary saysD HHe Mthe yogiN sho;ld fill two parts of his stoma:h with food9 and the
third part with water9 leaving the fo;rth free for air to aid the digestive pro:ess.H #n short9
moderation.
A0.@71B The following are :onsidered as not being sal;taryD so;r9 p;ngent9 and hot foodI m;stard9
al:ohol9 fish9 meat9 :;rds9 b;tter@milk9Q :hi:le peas9 fr;it of the C;C;b9 linseed :akes9 asafetida9 and
garli:. #t is also advisable to avoidD reheated food9 an e?:ess of salt or a:id9 foods that are hard to
digest or are woody. Goraksha tea:hes that in the beginning the yogi sho;ld avoid bad :ompany9
pro?imity to fire9 se?;al relations9 long trips9 :old baths in the early morning9 fasting9 and heavy
physi:al work.
QThis does not refer to the :ommer:ially :;lt;red milk we :all Hb;ttermilk.H @@Transl.
These stri:t dis:iplines are imposed on the st;dent9 b;t do not ne:essarily apply to the master.
Hro?imity to fireHD the temperat;re of a yogi :hanges :onsiderably d;ring spe:ifi: pra:ti:es9
espe:ially in the meditative state. The term Hb;rning as:eti:ismH AtapasB has its origin here9 and is
not9 as it may seem9 sheer rhetori:. #f the yogi in training s;bmits to e?terior temperat;re :hanges
thro;gh pro?imity to fire or by a :old bath after the warmth of his :o;:h9 he damages thro;gh these
;nnat;ral :hanges the Hfire of lifeH ApittaB. The temperat;re of the atmosphere depends on
atmospheri: press;re9 whi:h infl;en:es the whole h;man organism and reg;lates the pitta. Artifi:ial
temperat;re :hanges do not agree with the yogi while he is in an altered state. 'ven the simplest
pra:ti:e of meditation be:omes senseless if the yogi is freeGing. This is one of the reasons why the
:overings of a k;ndalini yogi :onsist always of silk or wool9 never of :otton Mor manmade fibers
@@Trans.N.
A7%B The following items :an be ;sed witho;t hesitationD wheat prod;:ts Mbread9 et:.N ri:e9 milk9 fats9
ro:k :andy9 honey9 dried ginger9 :;:;mbers9 vegetables9 and fresh water.
A75B The yogi sho;ld eat no;rishing9 sweet foods mi?ed with milk. They sho;ld benefit the senses
and stim;late the f;n:tions.
A74B Anyone who a:tively pra:ti:es yoga9 be he yo;ng9 old9 or even very old9 si:kly or weak9 :an
be:ome a siddha.
A70B Anyone who pra:ti:es :an a:<;ire siddhis9 b;t not he who is laGy. Yoga siddhil are not obtained
by merely reading te?tbooks.
A77B +or are they rea:hed by wearing yoga garments or by :onversation abo;t yoga9 b;t only
thro;gh tireless pra:ti:e. This is the se:ret of s;::ess. There is no do;bt abo;t it.
A78B The vario;s asanas9 k;mbhakas9 and m;dras of hatha yoga sho;ld be pra:ti:ed as long as raCa
yoga has not been attained.
And when will that have been attainedK (hen h;man e?isten:e no longer holds any problems.
A!T T(O
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'
CHAT'! 0
TH' /!#&#CAT#O+ O& TH' +A"#S
after the broad o;tline of the evol;tion of the whole organism thro;gh asanas given in art One9 we
:ome to the vata element in all its aspe:ts. Only he :an grasp the deepest sense of pranayama who is
open@minded eno;gh to view ea:h :on:ept in three dimensionsD gross Aphysi:alB9 s;btle AmentalB9
and abstra:t Aspirit;alBI or dynami:9 stati:9 and abstra:t. (hen he re:ogniGes the interrelation of these
aspe:ts9 he may :ome to that :ognition whi:h :onverts the wisdom of yoga into revelation.
A1 B (hen the yogi has perfe:ted his asanas he sho;ld pra:ti:e pranayama a::ording to the
instr;:tions of his master. (ith :ontrolled senses he sho;ld no;rish himself with moderation.
At a higher level of instr;:tion things begin to :hange in many ways. The g;r; is not as lenient as in
the beginning. He gives higher initiation and a new mantra Amore abo;t this laterB9 speaks less9
e?pe:ts more. erhaps not yet in a:hievement9 b;t in terms of ;nderstanding. +or does he like to
refer ba:k to the first level of pra:ti:e. (e too will find that re:apit;lation is seldom needed.
A%B (hen the breath HwandersH
Mi.e.9 is irreg;larN the mind also is ;nsteady. );t when the breath is :almed9 the mind too will be still9
and the yogi a:hieves long life. Therefore9 one sho;ld team to :ontrol the breath.
Have yo; ever noti:ed how the breath be:omes irreg;lar on :ertain o::asionsK Certainly9 if yo; try
to :at:h a b;s yo; breathe irreg;larly afterwards and are f;lly aware of the fa:t that yo; areHo;t of
breath.H );t that is not what # mean.
Take for e?ample two other o::asionsD in the theater9 and at an important interview. How was yo;r
breathing in the first instan:e and how in the se:ondK (hen was it slower9 when fasterK (hen was it
reg;larK And how was it when it was irreg;larK Th;s one :o;ld ask a tho;sand <;estions on a
tho;sand o::asions and re:eive a tho;sand different replies@@if the interviewed person knew
anything abo;t his breath. );t he knows nothing abo;t his breath and therefore knows nothing abo;t
his mind. This :on:l;sion is in:ontrovertible.
Certainly we may know this or that abo;t o;r tho;ghts@@for instan:e9 what we have been thinking
of@@b;t do we know why we tho;ght C;st abo;t this and not abo;t anything elseK (e know that
s;ddenly another tho;ght arose9 b;t do not know the relationship between the two tho;ghts. (e
know that we remember :ertain things easily and forget others <;ite readily9 b;t whyK #t is C;st the
thing behind this HwhyH that is the most important part of o;r mind. #t is the so;r:e of o;r mental
e?isten:e.
Still the <;estion of the relationship of mind with breath remains ;nresolved. Here we :o;ld marshal
many form;las whi:h have physiologi:al fo;ndations9 s;:h as o?ygen s;pply9 heart rhythm9 blood
:ir:;lation9 blood s;pply to the brain :ells. );t all these are not de:isive fa:tors. (hat is de:isive is
what is only imperfe:tly ;nderstoodD the signifi:an:e of the lifestream or prana as power so;r:e of
o;r tho;ght :reator9 Hmind.H All these arepondero;s and :ompli:ated problems9 b;t let ;s
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'
simply mention them here. ,ater slokas will lead ;s :loser to a sol;tion9 at least as :lose as it is
ne:essary for a yogi at the se:ond stage of training. So let ;s advan:e :a;tio;sly on this shaky
gro;nd.
A5B 1an lives only as long as he has breath in his body. #f he la:ks breath MpranaN he dies. Therefore
we sho;ld pra:ti:e prana@yama.
(e know9 of :o;rse9 that breath is lifeI we even know the :hemi:al pro:ess that proves it. );t how is
it that we :annot keep a dying man alive by atta:hing him to an o?ygen tankK So it is not C;st o?ygen
that matters. #s the de:isive element the lifestream9 pranaK
A4B (hen the nadis are imp;re9 breath :annot penetrate into the s;sh;mna. Then the yogi a:hieves
nothing9 nor :an he rea:h the state of deep :on:entration M;nmani avasthaN.
(e know that 8%9333 nadis in o;r body arethe :onveyors of the life :;rrent9 and that we live o;r
everyday lives by this :;rrent. The higher life of a yogi is a:hieved by :reating an additional s;pply
of :;rrent to send thro;gh the otherwise weakly s;pplied main :hannel As;sh;mnaB. This :a;ses
heightened a:tivities in the :hakras and brain :enters9 res;lting in the yogi-s higher state of
:ons:io;sness. #t is well known that a r;sty :ond;:tor ;ses more power than a :lean one. Similarly9
if the nadis are imp;re9 pranayama is a waste of energy.
A0B Only when all the nadis whi:h are still imp;re are p;rified :an the yogi pra:ti:e pranayama
s;::essf;lly.
A7B Therefore one sho;ld pra:ti:e pranayama with the mind in sattvi: :ondition ;ntil the s;sh;mna is
free from imp;rities.
There are two methods of p;rifi:ation of the nadis. Here we des:ribe the psy:hologi:al method
whi:h is far more pleasant than the other9 altho;gh the se:ond one leads more speedily to the goal.
One sho;ld pra:ti:e Hwith the mind in a sattvi: state.H (e shall try to ;nderstand this witho;t
b;rdening the mind with the intri:a:ies of the g;na theory.
Sattva is the positive propensity for p;rity. Good deeds9 kind words9 noble tho;ghts9 a pleasing
personality9 interest in lofty p;rs;its are the disting;ishing marks of sattva. And remember9 it is not
the a:tivity that is de:isive. One single imp;re tho;ght d;ring pranayama and the :;rrent is
dist;rbedI not only the :;rrent b;t the whole being9 sin:e a h;man being be:omes a h;man being
only by this ele:tromagneti: :;rrent.
(e :an readily imagine how this :an happenD we per:eive somethingI it is :arried on the life stream
to the brain9 as a live refle?. So far we :an :all it Hthe p;re idea.H On:e it rea:hes thinking it is
already :olored by the personality and has th;s be:ome individ;aliGed. #t is then eval;atedI and this
again is entirely individ;al. #f in addition it is then stained by an imp;re mind9 o;r whole personality
is :ontaminated.
These seemingly trivial imp;rities are still :oarse eno;gh to blo:k the psy:hi: pathway of the nadis.
This statement wo;ld be abs;rd if the nadis were what they are not9 bodily organs. !ather they are
magneti: fields9 s;:h as are developed by a magnet.
#f we now be:ome aware that every breath we take is in a sense pranayama9 we :an readily realiGe
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'
how fre<;ently we damage o;r deli:ate psy:he with an imp;re or bad tho;ght. #n the long r;n we
shorten o;r lives with every negative gest;re in deed9 word9 or tho;ght by overb;rdening the
:ond;:tors of the life stream with these imp;rities.
A8B Ass;ming the padmasana post;re9 the yogi shall g;ide the prana thro;gh the left nostril
M:handra OO moonN to the ida nadi9 and9 after having retained the breath as long as possible Min
k;mbhakaN9 sho;ld e?hale it thro;gh the right nostril Ms;rya O s;nN.
A*B Then he sho;ld inhale thro;gh the right nostril9 do k;m@bhaka a::ording to the r;le9 and e?hale
thro;gh the left nostril.
A.B #nhalation is MalwaysN thro;gh the same nostril as the previo;s e?halation. After the breath has
been retained to the ;tmost possible limit M;ntil perspiration breaks o;t or the body begins to
trembler9 one sho;ld e?hale slowly@@never <;i:kly Msin:e that red;:es the energy of the bodyN.
A13B Take in prana thro;gh the ida nadi and e?hale it thro;gh the pingala. Then take in Mnew pranaN
thro;gh pingala and release it thro;gh ida9 after having held it Min k;mbhakaN as long as possible.
The yogi who has perfe:ted himself in the yamas Mhaving th;s developed the satfvi: mindN will
p;rify his nadis in three months Mof pra:ti:eN.
This is the te:hni<;e of pranayama. J;st as all the m;ltit;de of asanas aim at the spinal :ol;mn9 so
the essen:e of prana is :entered in k;mbhaka9 the period when there is no breathing. R&rom this as
well as by later indi:ations we :an re:ogniGe that it is not the breath air that :arries the :;rrent b;t
that the :;rrent is being prod;:ed d;ring the breathing pro:ess.
J;st as the pl;nging waters in a power plant are only the means of releasing the energy thro;gh
whi:h the br;shes of the stationary t;rbins are a:tivated9 so prana also does not originate in breath
b;t in the Ht;rbins9H the :hakra wheels with whi:h the nadis have an ind;:tive relationship.
The :;rrent ne:essary to s;stain o;r life is a;tomati:ally reg;lated thro;gh the varying strength of
o;r inhalation and e?halation. Sighing and yawning arepranayamas in miniat;re b;t with different
p;rposes. O;r :riti:al medi:o will patroniGingly tell ;s that yawning and sighing are f;n:tions that
reg;late the o?ygen s;pply in o;r blood. Tr;e. (e do not try to belittle this fa:t. And we know that
physiologi:ally the prod;:tion of ele:tromagneti: :;rrent is so minimal as to be barely meas;rableD a
negligible fa:tor9 C;st as one h;ndred years ago the mi:ros:opi: se:retions of the endo:rine glands
were :onsidered negligible. );t man is more than a :hemi:al laboratory9 and we have no right to
designate even the slightest manifestations as ;nimportant ;ntil we have proof.
(e sho;ld9 therefore9 not be s;rprised at the yogis- :ontention that the heart is not the most important
organ of man. #t is the power :enters9 tho;gh they have not yet been seen by anyone9 that are roost
vital. The heart is a m;s:le and lB::omes a reg;lator of laodily f;n:tions only in relation to and in
:ooperation with other organs9 while these invisible :enters s;pervise and g;ide the organs be:a;se
they are dire:tly s;bordinate to the mind.
A##B &o;r times a day we sho;ld pra:ti:e k;mbhakaD early morning9 midday9 evening9 and midnight9
;ntil we :an do *3 ro;nds Mat a timeN.
A :ommentary speaks of three phasesI at the beginning the breath sho;ld be held for 53 se:onds9 at
the se:ond stage for 73 se:onds9 and at the third for .3 se:onds.
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'
A1%B At the first stage perspiration breaks o;t9 at the se:ond stage the body trembles9 and at the third
stage prana rea:hes the :enter of the head by way of s;sh;mna. #n this way pranayama sho;ld be
pra:ti:ed.
This may so;nd rather violent9 b;t do not forget that the main :hara:teristi: of yoga is not violen:e
b;t perseveran:e9 not :omp;lsion b;t patien:e. However9 there is a limit beyond whi:h perseveran:e
be:omes pigheadedness and patien:e apathy. The yogi has to re:ogniGe and respe:t these limits. This
is one of the most diffi:;lt tasks in his whole :areer. roofD take one of the more diffi:;lt asana and
try to hold it longer than yo;r physi:al for:es :an nat;rally allow. The signs of violen:e and ;nd;e
:onstraint9 perspiration and trembling9 will appearI heavy breathing and tightening of the lips will
also testify to a :onfli:t. One fights against one-s own self. One part wants to stopI the other to
:ontin;e. These manifestations are signs of ;nd;e for:eI it is <;ite different when perseveran:e and
patien:e areat play witho;t any :omp;lsion. );t for this we need a :ertain non:omp;l@sive way of
pra:ti:e that is the leitmotiv of the whole yoga system. #t is diffi:;lt to learn from books and only the
g;r; :an show ;s the tr;e pathD meditative pra:ti:e.
The half@trained yogi pays attention primarily to the body when doing the asanas9 i.:.9 to the vario;s
positions of the limbs that he wants to pla:e into the pres:ribed pose. And this is a gross mistake. He
sho;ld :on:entrate on the Hasana as s;:h9H less on its physi:al manifestation9 and far less on the body
that moves and gets into post;res. The less :ons:io;s attention the yogi pays to his body the more
perfe:t will be his asana. #f the phrase Hasana as s;:hH seems strange to ;s9 this indi:ates that we
have not yet fathomed the deeper essen:e of asanas9 their really great meaning.
#n order to show yo; that asanas are more than :ons:io;sly :reated gymnasti: e?er:ises9 let me
des:ribe a mysterio;s manifestation that is ;s;ally witnessed only by the initiated. The pro:ess9
:alled kriyavati9 manifests in yogis who have awakened k;ndalini by way of hatha yoga.
The yogi sits in deep meditation. )reath is s;spended9 the body is :old and stiff. Only the topmost
:enter of his sk;ll is feverishly hot.
Then he starts moving his limbs. An inner me:hanism seems to be at work. Slowly9 steadily9 with
;nen:;mbered ease his arms intertwine9 the legs go into :ontortions9 the spinal :ol;mn twistsD asanas
perfe:ted to the ;tmost. He in:l;des asanas no te?tbook has ever des:ribedI the g;hyasanas9
positions that are imparted to the st;dent orally only after :ertain initiations. They are asanas that :an
be performed only by the yogi who has learned to govern his body :ompletely with his higher
:ons:io;sness.
The yogi does not perform these asanas in waking :ons:io;sness. H#tH performs the asanas in him9
while his waking state has yielded :ompletely lo a state beyond the borderline of per:eption.
#n this state the yogi is :apable of s;perh;man physi:al a:hievements. Th;s we find in Tibet the
l;nggompas9 yogis who in a meditative state :over h;ndreds of miles with great speed. "iGGying
pre:ipi:es and snowstorms :annot hinder their :o;rse9 m;:h less stop them. Attempts to follow on a
galloping horse have always failed. +o horse has ever passed this prodigio;s test.
#n this state there is no trembling9 no perspiring. This is one of the higher forms of yogaI we are still
working on a :onsiderably lower level. The ideal we are now aspiring to lies halfway between o;r
;s;al awareness of bodily movement and the kriyavati state. The ebbing of physi:al strength d;ring
pra:ti:e manifests by trembling and perspirationI :ons:io;sness remains :alm and rela?ed. The
mind9 not b;rdened with any feeling of
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'
:omp;lsion to persistB rests in itself9 in the Hasana as s;:h.H This is the essential differen:e.
So when here on the first level perspiration breaks o;t9 this -s a sign of :omp;lsion only if
:ons:io;sness o::;pies itself with this fa:t. #f the mind remains :alm9 there is no tho;ght of
:omp;lsion.
A15B 1assage the perspiring body. This imparts lightness and strength to the whole :onstit;tion.
A14B At the beginning of pra:ti:e the yogi sho;ld no;rish himself with milk and ghee M:larified
b;tterN. (hen he is advan:ed s;:h restri:tions are no longer needed.
A10B f;st as lions9 elephants9 and tigers are tamed Mlittle by little9 with patien:e and energyN9 so the
prana sho;ld be kept ;nder :ontrol. Otherwise it :an kill the pra:ti:er.
A17B )y the pra:ti:e of pranayama we deliver o;rselves from all diseases. )y fa;lty pra:ti:e the yogi
invites all kinds of ailments.
A18B Then breath takes a wrong :o;rse and pra:ti:e res;lts in :o;ghs9 asthma9 heada:hes9 eye and ear
pain9 as well as other si:knesses.
The :lassi:al e?ample of wrong pra:ti:e is told of !amakrishna9 the famo;s nineteenth@:ent;ry
saint. #n his yo;th his pra:ti:e invariably ended in a bla:ko;t. ,ater bloodshot eyes and bleeding of
the g;ms developed9 and the end res;lt of this fa;lty pra:ti:e was :an:er of the throat9 of whi:h he
died. His saintli@ness was not the res;lt of this type of pra:ti:eI b;t self@destr;:tive e?tremism is an
indi:ation of the kind of r;thlessness man is :apable of.
A1*B Slowly one sho;ld inhale and e?hale9 and pro:eed grad; ally also with k;mbhaka. Th;s one will
attain the siddhis.
A1.B (hen the nadis are p;rified9 :ertain signs <;ite nat;rally manifestD the body be:omes light and
bright.
A%3B As soon as the nadis are p;rified the yogi is able to retain the breath longer9 the gastri: fire is
a:tivated9 nada Mthe inner so;ndN be:omes a;dible and he enCoys perfe:t health.
erfe:t health alone is reason eno;gh to :on:ern o;rselves with nadi p;rifi:ation. Abo;t the gastri:
fire and the nada so;nd we will learn more later. );t it is the art of retention of breath that is so
essential in the development of pranayarna.
How is it that the power to hold the breath for a :onsiderable length of time sho;ld depend on the
p;rity of the nadis rather than on the :apa:ity of the l;ngsK
)reath gets short when the air held in the l;ngs has lost its prana. #f the nadis areimp;re Aas is
:ommonB9 then the flow of prana is impeded and is soon ;nable to reload the breath. The breath
be:omes stale like a :arbonated drink when it has lost its fiGG. #f the nadi path is p;re9 however9 the
prana flow :an keep breath HaliveH for a longer time.
A yogi who :an s;bsist on one breath for days@@as has been demonstrated@@:a;ses the river of
prana to :ir:;late in the body and does not allow the prana to es:ape. He absorbs o?ygen thro;gh his
pores. +ow let ;s look at the te:hni<;e of nadi p;rifi:ation.
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'
A%1B He who is of weak :onstit;tion and phlegmati:9 s;bCe:t to kapha disorders9 sho;ld first pra:ti:e
shatkarma. Those not s;ffering M:onstit;tionallyN from the MmainN disorders d;e to vata9 pitta9 and
kapha do not need it.
The nadis of all st;dents9 even the healthiest9 need p;rifying. The man of perfe:t health9 the
sportsman9 the master of asanas whose physi:al training is nearer perfe:tion than his
mental@spirit;al a:hievement :an rea:h nadi perfe:tion by :;ltivating the mental@spirit;al aspe:t.
&or the one who first m;st think of physi:al@organi: p;rifi:ation be:a;se he senses problems and
short:omings9 shatkarma Athe Hsi?fold a:tivityHB is indi:ated.
A%%B Shatkarma is dha;ti9 vasti9 neti9 trataka. na;li9 and kapa@labhati.
A%5B These si? pra:ti:es9 whi:h :leanse the body9 sho;ld be :aref;lly kept se:ret be:a;se they ind;:e
n;mero;s wonderf;l res;lts and are therefore held in high esteem with the great yogis.
(hy this se:retivenessK (hat are these Hwonderf;l res;ltsHK
#magine a man who ;ses a low@tension ele:tri:al gadget9 whi:h is atta:hed by a transformer to
high@power :;rrent. The :;rrent he ;ses is barely noti:eable with the fingertips. (ith the
transformer removed he re:eives an ele:tri: sho:k.
'?a:tly so is it here. The ;n:lean nadis a:t as a transformer to the life stream so that nothing
;ntoward :an happen. (hen the nadis are:lean the effe:tiveness of prana is many times in:reased9
and this :an be:ome dangero;s.
A%4@%0B Take a strip of :lean :loth9 Co;r fingers broad and 10 spans long and slowly swallow it as
instr;:ted by the g;r;. Then p;ll it ba:k o;t. This is dha;ti and is effe:tive against asthma9 illness of
the pan:reas9 leprosy9 and other diseases d;e to kapha.
A%7@%*B Sit in a t;b of water so as to be s;bmerged ;p to the navel9 in :ro;:hing position9 heels
pressed against the b;tto:ks.
#ntrod;:e a thin bamboo pipe into the an;s9 :ontra:t the an;s m;s:le Mto draw in the waterN and move
the water aro;nd inside. This is vasti and :;res tro;bles of the spleen9 edema9 and other ailments that
are d;e to an overs;pply of vata9 pitta9 and kapha. This vasti9 when properly pra:ti:ed9 refines the
:ir:;lation of the body fl;ids9 the f;n:tion of the senses and the heart. #t makes the body bright and
in:reases the gastri: fire. All :onstit;tional defe:ts are Mth;sN removed9
So m;:h ado abo;t a simple enema. #f this simple remedy is a golden treas;re in the (est9 how
m;:h greater m;st its val;e be in the tropi:s. #t is a :ommon pro:ed;re. Gandhi always pra:ti:ed it.
All this of :o;rse witho;t pranayama. (hen that is added the whole pi:t;re :hanges and greatest
:a;tion is indi:ated.
A%.@53B ;ll a thread9 1% in:hes in length9 thro;gh one of the nostrils and let its end emerge thro;gh
the mo;th. This is neti. #t :leanses the sk;ll and makes the eyes sharp. #t also removes illnesses that
are above the sho;lders.
#t :ertainly is not an agreeable feeling to p;sh a wet :ord thro;gh the nostrils and let it :ome o;t in
the ba:k of the throat9 pi:king it ;p with two fingers and p;lling it ba:k and forth thro;gh the nostril.
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'
);t a:t;ally it is m;:h more disagreeable to wat:h the pro:ed;re than it is to do it. The yogi himself
gets ;sed to it9 and is happily free from :olds and sin;s tro;ble.
A51@5%B GaGe witho;t blinking Mwith :on:entrated mindN on a small obCe:t9 ;ntil tears :ome into
yo;r eyes. This is :alled trataka by the g;r;s. Trataka :;res all diseases of the eyes and removes
tiredness. Therefore it sho;ld be :aref;lly kept se:ret9 like a treas;re bo?.
Here one senses an ;lterior motive. The pra:ti:e m;st be kept se:ret9 C;st be:a;se it trains the eyesK
This :an hardly be the real reason. There a:t;ally is a m;:h more pla;sible reason to observe
se:re:y.
Hypnosis9 self@hypnosis9 visions9 tran:e states9 e:stasies9 hall;:inations@@these arethings that have
always seemed very attra:tive. 'veryone wo;ld like to e?perien:e something like that witho;t
endangering himself. And this pra:ti:e leads e?a:tly in that dire:tion. One :o;ld :all it false
meditation. &rom the point of view of yoga9 all phenomena related to hypnosis are :ompletely
;seless if not downright dangero;s. The premat;re e?perimenter invariably draws the wrong
:on:l;sions from his e?perien:es. The real meditative states are:ognitive9 :lear :ons:io;sness. There
are no s;rprise manifestations. This pra:ti:e AtratakamB is sal;tary if done with proper :are. #t is
poison if for:ed too fast.
A55@54B (ith head bent forward slowly rotate the innards Mintestines and stoma:hN9 like a whirlpool
in a river9 toward the right and toward the left. This the siddhas :all na;li. This9 the most important
of all hat ha yoga pra:ti:es9 removes sl;ggishness of the gastri: fire9 stim;lates digestion9 and leaves
a very agreeable feeling9 it removes all diseases.
This pra:ti:e belongs not only to shatkarma b;t also to reg;lar hatha yoga9 altho;gh it :annot be
:alled an asana sin:e asana means Hposition9 seat9H a motionless post;re9 while na;li is a movement
of the abdominal m;s:les. #n shatkarma it is rather a s;bsidiary9 as it trains the m;s:les for dha;ti
and basti. This pra:ti:e@@whi:h is to be re:ommended to the obese@@begins with deep e?halation.
At the same time9 lean forward with hands pressed on the thighs and draw in the abdomen while
raising the sho;ldersI then try to tighten the drawn@in abdominal m;s:i:s. On:e this is a::omplished
the :ir:;lar motion is no problem9 sin:e the m;s:les stand o;t separately on the withdrawn abdomen9
as thi:k as a :hild-s arm.
A50B #nhale and e?hale liMe the bellows of a bla:ksmith. This is kapalabhati and removes all ailments
d;e to kapha.
A57B One frees oneself from obesity and phlegm by these si? pra:ti:es9 and is s;::essf;l if one adds
pranayama after them.
Yet it is more advisable to follow the mental method of nadi p;rifi:ation9 be:a;se progress and
p;rifi:ation then go hand in hand. )esidesD
A58B Some tea:hers say that all imp;rities :an be removed thro;gh pranayama alone9 with nothing
else.
And those tea:hers who say it m;st know what they are talking abo;t. Shatkarma is a gross physi:al
method9 while pranayama p;rifi:ation9 :ompletely fo;nded on the sattvi: mind9 represents an
all@en:ompassing p;rifi:ation. Shatkarma is the p;rifi:ation of the lower stages of hatha yoga9 while
pranayama belongs to the higher form of yoga9 raCa yoga.
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'
The following pra:ti:e does not belong to shatkarma. Tr;e9 it has the :hara:teristi:s of shatkarma9
b;t something else is involved.
A5SB Closing the sphin:ter m;s:le at the an;s9 draw ;p apana toward the throat and reg;rgitate what
is in the stoma:h9 in this way the nadi :hakras are bro;ght ;nder :ontrol. This is gaCakarani.
#f we remember the :o;nter :;rrent to prana9 apana in the abdomen9 we know that this :;rrent :annot
move beyond the
diaphragm. #t is impossible to bring it to the throat. );t one :an@@and sho;ld9 in this :ase@@:a;se
the apana :;rrent to press against the ;dana :;rrent9 the :;rrent of digestion in the ;pper part of the
abdomen. This is what :a;ses reg;rgitation.
As previo;sly mentioned we are not really dealing with a p;rifi:ation pro:ess here9 sin:e dha;ti has
already done its work. !ather9 we stim;late the nervo;s system dire:tly by the effort of reg;rgitation.
);t C;st as today-s yogis do not advo:ate this type of pra:ti:e so we too will leave it alone9 as this
s;tra :learly seems to be a m;:h later interpolation.
After these more or less agreeable p;rifi:ation pra:ti:es we ret;rn to pranayama.
A5.B )rahma and the other gods who devoted themselves to the pra:ti:e of pranayama delivered
themselves Mby itN from fear of death. This is why we MtooN sho;ld pra:ti:e it.
A43B (hen the breath is :ontrolled9 the mind firm and ;nshakable9 the eyes fastened between the
eyebrowsI why then sho;ld we fear deathK
'ven a man who@@like the yogi@@has to fear no p;nishment at the last C;dgment approa:hes his last
moments with at least some apprehension9 for the pro:ess of dying is beyond o;r sphere of :ontrol.
Here9 for better or worse9 we aredelivered over to the play of nat;ral for:es9 and this is for man the
most terrifying e?perien:eD to be a helpless vi:tim.
&or the master of pranayama9 things are different. He :ontrols the powers that represent life. He dies
:ons:io;sly. #n life as in death he adapts himself with deep insight to the nat;ral pro:esses of whi:h
he is always aware. #t is not only the life stream of prana ;pon whi:h preservation and end depend9
for if s;:h were the :ase the yogi wo;ld be immortal. !ather9 he re:ogniGes the rhythm to whi:h he9
like all other living things9 is s;bCe:t9 and it is his task to gain the highest possible harmony with this
rhythm. On:e he has a::omplished this and his :y:le oi e?isten:e is :ompleted9 he will not try to
infl;en:e the law of his s;nset. This death for him is only the evening whi:h is followed by a new
and p;rer morning9 a new :y:le. #t is said to be one of the :hara:teristi:s of the gods that they have
no fear of death to whi:h they are s;bCe:t like all living things9 be:a;se they :ons:io;sly enter the
eternally new :y:le of life and :ons:io;sly pass thro;gh the transitory9 p;rifying state of death.
Again and again 6ishn; passes thro;gh e?isten:eD as animal9 man9 hero9 lover9 dwarf9 or giant. He is
born9 a::omplishes his divine work9 dies9 and is reborn. His :ons:io;sness is the all@preserving
/n:ons:io;s.
To render this /n:ons:io;s :ons:io;s is the goal of the yoga master9 for this is the only way to
be:ome e<;al to the gods. So let ;s too pay attention to the physi:al and spirit;al p;rity of the nadis9
whether or not we are yogis. ,et ;s inhale the life stream witho;t weighing it down with imp;re
tho;ghts. ,et ;s also live more :ons:io;sly9 with o;r inner vision :on:entrated on that whi:h
TH' !#6'! O& ,#&'
elevates ;s above all other :reat;resD o;r spirit. Then every breath is pranayama whi:h makes ;s
more divine.
A41B As soon as the nadis have been p;rified thro;gh systemati: pranayama9 breath easily finds its
way to the s;sh;mna entran:e.
A4%B (hen breath flows thro;gh the s;sh;mna9 mind be:omes steady. This steadiness of the mind is
:atted ;nmani avastha.
A45B To attain this the sage pra:ti:es a variety of k;mbhakas whereby he a:<;ires siddhis.
:hapter 7
$/1)HA$A
when we now speak of the vario;s forms of k;mbhaka yo; sho;ld not try to ;nderstand it all at on:e
in the first few senten:es. 'verything that follows is so important that some details have to be made
:lear first. So do not let yo;r tho;ghts ra:e awayI whatever is not e?plained now will be dis:;ssed
later on.
A44B There are eight k;mbhakasD s;ryabhedana9 ;fCayi9 sitFari9 sitali9 bhastrika9 bhramari9 m;r::ha
and plavini.
A40B At the end of inhalation Mp;rakaN one sho;ld do Calan@dhara bandhaI and at the end of
k;mbhaka and the beginning of e?halation Mre:akaN ;ddiyana bandha sho;ld be done9
How does this work o;t in pra:ti:eK The yogi sits :ross@legged on the floor9 hands on knees9 and
inhales deeply. Then he holds his breath9 with :hin pressed against the :hest9 abdomen withdrawn.
This is Calandhara@bandha.
As soon as his breath is short he raises the head and e?hales as deeply as possible. (hen he has
rea:hed the limit he again holds his breath9 straightens ;p the body and draws in the abdomen9
whereby a press;re is :reated on the stoma:h area9 whi:h is in:reased when he again presses the :hin
against the :hest. The first part of the pra:ti:e Ainhalation and Calandhara bandhaB :on:erns the ;pper
half of the spinal :ol;mn9 the HmoonHI the se:ond part Ae?halation and ;ddiyana bandhaB involves
the Hs;nH in the :enter of the body Asolar ple?;sB. );t something else is added9 as the ne?t s;tra tells
;sD
A47B (hen at the same time the throat is :ontra:ted and m;la@bandha pra:ti:ed Mi.e.9 the sphin:ter of
the an;s is :ontra:tedN9 breath flows thro;gh the s;sh;mna9 driven by Mthe press;re e?erted byN the
navel region Mat the time of e?halationN.
Anyone who tries this pra:ti:e and thinks he has s;::eeded in g;iding the breath thro;gh the
s;sh;mna had better remember the p;rity of the nadisI with the se:ond attempt9 he sho;ld be:ome
aware how tense he is d;ring this pra:ti:e. The p;rpose of the asanas as ta;ght in art One is to train
the body so that no ;nne:essary e?ertion will deplete the e?tra prana s;pply that has been a:<;ired.
#t is not s;ffi:ient to install the wiring and have proper o;tletsI it is also ne:essary to have :;rrent in
proper voltage and amperes. Otherwise the res;lt is either no light at all or a short :ir:;it. (e m;st
be espe:ially :aref;l to avoid the latterI for h;man Hf;sesH :annot be repla:ed.
$/1)HA$A
A48B )y :ontra:ting the an;s Mto for:e apanaN ;pward and for:ing prana down from the throat9 the
yogi be:omes a yo;th of 17 years and is forever free from old age.
Or9 staling it more modestlyD he who s;::eeds in ;niting the two main :;rrents in the body will
thereby eliminate the :a;ses of premat;re old age. The most signifi:ant of these :a;ses is the la:k of
;tiliGation of the body-s nat;ral regenerative powers. Here9 two limited main :;rrents are:ombined
that :omplement ea:h otherI together they a::omplish what they :annot do singly. rana and apana
are HknottedH in the navel area Anabhi granthiB9 :reating an aggregate that gives yo;thf;l strength to
the aging yogi. This is the first step in raCa yoga.
On:e again9 the main part of pranayama is k;mbhaka9 and this :an be performed in vario;s ways.
A4*B Sitting down :omfortably in a good asana9 the yogi sho;ld inhale thro;gh the right nostril.
A4.B MThenN he sho;ld do k;mbhaka ;ntil he feels that the whole body from head to toes is s;ff;sed
by pranaI then he sho;ld slowly e?hale thro;gh the left nostrilQ
A03B This s;ryabheda k;mbhaka sho;ld be pra:ti:ed again and again for it :leanses the brain
Mforebrain and sin;s:esN9 destroys intestinal worms and all the diseases that arise from an
overab;ndan:e of vata MwindN.
This is the first and the most :ommonly pra:ti:ed of the eight varieties of k;mbhaka. (e sho;ld also
note that before we begin this pra:ti:e we e?hale deeply.
A01@0%B (ith :losed mo;th inhale deeply ;ntil the breath fills all the spa:e between the throat and
the heart Ai@eS to the tips of the l;ngsB. This :reates a noise. "o k;mbhaka and e?hale thro;gh the
left nostril. This removes phlegm in the throat and enhan:es the digestive power of the body. This is
;CCayi and :an be pra:ti:ed walking or sitting9 it keeps diseases away from the individ;al organs and
the nadis9 espe:ially diseases that are d;e to kapha.
QHThis is to be done alternately with both nostrils9 drawing in thro;gh the one and e?pelling thro;gh
the other.H an:ham Sinh9 Hatha Yoga radipika Atranslation with :ommentaryB AAllahabad9 1.10B9
p. %1
The noise mentioned is a spe:ial :hara:teristi: of this k;mbhaka. #t o::;rs in a perfe:tly nat;ral way.
(e know that with straight body we sho;ld e?hale deeply before ea:h k;mbhaka. ";ring the short
pa;se made after e?halation9 when the abdominal wall is drawn inward9 the glottis invariably :loses.
#nhalation thro;gh both nostrils sim;ltaneo;sly will :a;se the glottis to open abr;ptlyI th;s ens;es
the noise.
This k;mbhaka seems to deal with the body onesidedly9 for while we inhale thro;gh both nostrils at
the same time9 we e?hale thro;gh the left only. This9 of :o;rse9 makes no differen:e to the l;ngs9 b;t
all the more to the nadis9 and here the heart is espe:ially involved. And that the heart is heavily
infl;en:ed we :an as:ertain after the first ro;nd. /CCayi k;mbhaka sho;ld be pra:ti:ed only by those
whose heart is :ompletely so;ndI otherwise it :an lead to :ompli:ations.
(hat is the spe:ial benefit of this k;mbhaka9 apart from its therape;ti: infl;en:e on kaphaK The
heart rhythm does not f;n:tion by itself. #t is the pa:emaker of all other bodily f;n:tions. #n yoga it is
sometimes ne:essary to :hange :ertain rhythms9 and this is one of a n;mber of methods. The organi:
$/1)HA$A
rhythm is m;:h too important a f;n:tion to be s;bCe:ted to willf;l e?periments. The g;r; knows its
meaning and p;rpose.
A05@00B (ith tong;e protr;ding a little between the lips9 draw in the breath thro;gh the mo;th with a
hissing so;nd
Mafter k;mbhakaND e?hale thro;gh the nose. This is sitkari. )y repeating this9 the yogi be:omes
bea;tif;l as a god. All women admire himI he is in :ontrol of his a:tions and feels no h;nger9 thirst9
or fatig;e. He gains physi:al strength and be:omes master of yoga9 free from all dangers.
Obvio;sly an enti:ing pra:ti:e9 and not even a dangero;s one if one does not overdo it9 as is so often
the :ase with enti:ements.
(e sho;ld9 however9 not be disappointed if we do not a:tivate a love :harm9 b;t simply fan the pitta
Athe Hfire of lifeHB to heightened a:tivity. (e have already seen what benefits this brings in its wake9
and here we sho;ld not e?pe:t anything f;rther.
A07@08B (ith tong;e protr;ding stilt f;rther9 inhate. Then follows k;mbhaka and e?halation thro;gh
the nose. This k;m@bhalka9 :alled sitali9 removes illnesses of the spleen9 fever9 gall bladder tro;ble9
h;nger9 thirst9 and the effe:ts of poison9 as for e?ample snake bites.
Here again the therape;ti: p;rpose :on:erns pitta9 b;t the pra:ti:e has also another p;rpose. He who
s;::eeds in inhaling and e?haling deeply with protr;ding tong;e witho;t having his stoma:h t;rn
will feel that the breath follows an ;n;s;al path9 for it gets into the stoma:h. And what happens
thereK
(e remember that the :o;nter:;rrent to prana is apana in the abdomen. The alert reader will long
have wonderedD #f we m;st do so m;:h breathing to a:<;ire the e?tra prana how do we get the
:orresponding <;antity of apana for the abdomenK &or what a::;m;lated there has long been washed
o;t by vasti. Sitali is the pra:ti:e that :orre:ts this defi:ien:y.
A0*@73B la:e the feet on the
MoppositeN thighs. This is padma@sana and removes all diseases. Having ass;med this post;re9
e?hale with :losed mo;th ;ntil a press;re is felt on the heart9 the throat and the head. Then one
draws in the breath with a hissing so;nd ;ntil it to;:hes the heart. ";ring all this time head and
body are kept straight.
A71@7%B Again inhale and e?hale as indi:ated9 again and again9 as a bla:ksmith worlds his bellows9
in this way the prana is kept ill :onstant :ir:;lation in the body. (hen tired e?hale thro;gh the right
nostril. This is bhastrika k;mbhaka.
There aretwo variations of the same pranayama9 one slow9 the other fast. #t be:omes most effe:tive
when both kinds are :ombined in one sitting. (ith too intensive pra:ti:e9 :olored flames dan:e
before the eyes and a bla:ko;t is imminent.
#n this pra:ti:e of pranayama the body be:omes sat;rated with prana@@in fa:t9 it be:omes so
HoverloadedH that even the ine?perien:ed st;dent :an feel the prana. After abo;t five ro;nds of the
Hbellows9H hold the breath. (hat then be:omes palpable in the fingertips is prana. After a little
pra:ti:e9 this :;rrent on one-s skin :an even be felt by another person.
$/1)HA$A
A75@74B (hen the breath flows thro;gh the body9 :lose the nose with th;mb9 ring finger Mand little
finger @@Trans.N. Having then performed k;mbhaka a::ording to the r;le9 e?hale thro;gh the left
nostril. This removes illnesses :a;sed by an overab;ndan:e of pitta9 kapha9 and vata9 and stim;lates
the gastri: fire of the body.
Thro;gh this bhastrika k;mbhaka alone it is not possible for the breath to penetrate the whole body.
However9 when we :ombine the protr;ding@tong;e pra:ti:e des:ribed above with the HbellowsH@@in
the se<;en:e mentioned@@then this a:t;ally does happen. And with this another important step has
been taken in the dire:tion of the sleeping k;ndalini serpent.
A70B Th;s k;ndalini rises <;i:kly9 the nadis are p;rified9 it is pleasant9 and of all k;mbhakas the most
benefi:ial9 in this manner phlegm at the mo;th of the s;sh;mna is removed.
The pro:ed;re is as followsD #n sitali k;mbhaka the body is filled with apana. #n bhastrika k;mbhaka
the ne:essary amo;nt
of prana is :reated9 and then for the first time9 the two :;rrents arebro;ght to fa:e ea:h other.
Thro;gh Calandhara bandha9 ;ddiyana bandha9 and m;la bandha9 these two :;rrents are knotted
together Anabhi granthiB and now raCa yoga :an begin.
A77B )hastrika k;mbhaka sho;ld be pra:ti:ed espe:ially9 for it for:es the breath to pier:e the three
knots that are in the s;sh;mna.
Altho;gh the Hthree knotsH A)rahma granthi9 6ishn; granthi9 and !;dra granthiB aree?tremely
signifi:ant9 we shall give here only a short theoreti:al s;rvey.
The three stations of h;man evol;tion AHfo:;sing9 ;nfolding9 and :hangeH M!o;sselleN9 or the Hvia
p;rgativa9 via ill;minativa9 via ;nitivaH of the Christian mysti:B are dire:tly dependent on the three
knots9 whi:h in the pro:ess of higher evol;tion have to be pier:ed. 'a:h breakthro;gh is
a::ompanied by a :atharsis9 whi:h here9 in k;ndalini yoga9 also manifests on a physi:al level. MSee
art One9 Slokas %8@%* @@Trans.N
(e have now learned the essentials. The propitio;s e?terior :onditions have been established9 the
ne:essary asanas :aref;lly pra:ti:edI and thro;gh proper pranayama the :hannels of prana9 the nadis9
have been p;rified. This is the first step to raCa yoga. Then we began the Hprod;:tionH of pranaD
1. )y alternate inhalation and e?halation9 left and right As;rya bheda k;mbhakaB9 prana was
:reated.
%. Then the m;s:les of the throat and the an;s sphin:ter were trained AbandhasB.
5. The heart was then prepared for the heavy work ahead A;CCayi k;mbhakaB.
4. The vol;me of the l;ngs was in:reased Asitkari k;mbhakaB.
0. (e learned the art of g;iding the breath into the abdominal :avity Asitali k;mbhakaB.
7. There then followed the first serio;s attempt to test what had been learned Abhastrika
k;mbhakaB.
$/1)HA$A
At this point we have a::omplished a great deal9 b;t we are still far from the goal. On:e the yogi has
e?perien:ed what he has learned on this level of training9 his real work :an begin. To be:ome a
master in pranayama is simply a <;estion of perseveran:e9 patien:e and endless effort.
A few spe:ial pranayamas follow whi:h sho;ld not be :onf;sed with the others.
A78B #n>tale rapidly9 prod;:ing the so;nd of a male bee. Then e?hale with the so;nd of a female bee.
This is followed by k;mbhaka. The great yogis9 by :onstantly pra:ti:ing this9 e?perien:e
indes:ribable happiness in their hearts. This is bhramari.
A strange k;mbhaka for whi:h there are many reasons9 the most profo;nd of whi:h we will learn in
art &o;r. (hether or not we imitate a bee s;::essf;lly is of minor importan:e. 'ssential is the
h;mming so;nd whi:h sho;ld be a::ompanied by :on:entrated inward vision. #f the nadis are p;re
and there is no m;s:le tension9 the h;mming inhalation brings with it the sense that one is absorbing
something tangible Asomething that e?presses itself in the so;ndB and thereby dissolving it.
$;mbhaka then follows9 a::ompanied by an e?traordinary9 s;spended9 potentially filled silen:e.
+ow e?halation follows@@the longest pro:ess timewise@@and here the h;mming be:omes an
e?perien:e. The vibrating so;nd seems to be:ome a r;shing noise that fills the whole atmosphere. A
whole world seems to emerge9 fashioned :ompletely from vibrations. #t be:omes stronger and
stronger ;ntil one is tempted to open the eyes9 as one :annot imagine that this roaring so;nd e?ists
only in one-s own body. #f one remains steady and does not yield to this desire to open
the eyes9 then that feeling of happiness o::;rs9 a feeling as tho;gh one had C;st witnessed an
e?traordinary nat;ral phenomenon whereby one was allowed a glimpse into the divine workshop.
One is :onvin:ed that with these vibrations one :o;ld t;mble down whole b;ildings9 that one :o;ld
:hange the very str;:t;re of obCe:ts9 as tho;gh . . . b;t now the breath is ended and it again be:omes
as strangely still as before. );t this is not the :alm of great e?pe:tationsI it is the :alm after the
battle9 still e:hoing with threats. (hen now the h;mming inhalation follows9 a whole world seems to
:r;mble. 'verything one has b;ilt ;p disintegrates in a short9 ro;gh9 seemingly :r;el and hideo;s
pro:ess.
Th;s the pend;l;m swings from breath to breath9 from :reation to dissol;tion and from there ba:k to
:reation again. (hether all this :an happen witho;t the infl;en:e of the g;r; is hard to say. 1y g;r;
pra:ti:ed along with me at first and then grad;ally dropped ba:k witho;t my noti:ing it.
#n prin:iple we have here the essen:e of a whole yoga system. He who has grasped the deeper sense
of this k;mbhaka and its related phenomena has saved himself years of st;dy. One thing9 of :o;rse9
m;st be ;nderstoodD he has knowledge9 b;t he is not yet a master.
A7*B At the end of inhalation do Calandhara bandha and then slowly e?hale. This is m;r::ha
k;mbhaka. #t :a;ses a kind of st;por of the mind and is very agreeable.
This k;mbhaka too has its pe:;liarities9 whi:h even the te?t itself re:ogniGes.
(e re:all the Calandhara bandha Aart Two9 40B9 whi:h@@ please note this@@:omes ;s;ally at the end
of e?halation. Here it is reversed9 and we re:ogniGe the many@sided :hara:ter of this kind of
pra:ti:e. Here the p;rpose differs widely from o;r previo;s method9 for now we have to learn to
e?e:;te a pra:ti:e while the observing mind disappears. That is9 we are to st;dy Ain relative safetyB
the moment of :ons:io;sly ind;:ed ;n:ons:io;sness.
$/1)HA$A
The strange tran:e state Ato be dis:;ssed laterB is9 of :o;rse9 not an ;n:ons:io;s state in the ordinary
senseI rather it is e?tremely heightened :ons:io;sness9 :on:entrated on a single point in whi:h all
else disappears. #n other words9 it is an ;n:ons:io;s state9 generally speaking9 b;t it is more pre:isely
a heightened :ons:io;sness. +ow the yogi m;st learn to re:ogniGe the image of the transitory stage9
of the raGor-s edge between the s;per:ons:io;s and the ;n:ons:io;s. #f he makes the slightest
mistake later and falls from the s;per:ons:io;s into the ;n:ons:io;s state of a faint it :an mean death
or insanity. Here he is learning to anaesthetiGe dis:;rsive thinking witho;t be:oming ;n:ons:io;sI he
has also not yet awakened the powerf;l for:e of k;ndalini.
A7.B Having filled the l;ngs :ompletely with air9 the yogi floats ;pon the water like a lot;s leaf. This
is plavini k;mbhaka.
+othing else is mentioned. +othing abo;t health or long life9 only a rather e?travagant@so;nding
promise. &or we all know9 regardless of how deeply we inhaleB we will hardly float along like a lot;s
leaf9 no more easily9 in any :ase9 than we are ;sed to in swimming.
Sin:e this k;mbhaka9 tho;gh ;sef;l9 is not in any way de:isive9 we shall only :omment brieflyD his
body having been emptied :ompletely thro;gh the m;:h@debated pro:ess of shatkarma9 the yogi Aills
all the :avities with airD l;ngs9 stoma:h9 intestines. Th;s the Hfloating like a lot;s leafH be:omes more
pla;sible.
So m;:h for the eight varieties of pranayama. A few general remarks will :lose this s;bCe:t.
A83B There are three kinds of pranayamasD !e:aka pranayama Ae?halationB9 p;raka pranayama
AinhalationB and k;mbhaka pranayama AretentionB. $;mbhaka is also of two kindsD9 sahita and
kevala.
The types of prana ares;mmariGedD
1. rana that res;lts from k;mbhaka after e?halation.
%. rana that originates from k;mbhaka after inhalation.
5. rana that is developed a. thro;gh holding the breath at any time and any pla:e9
witho;t for:e or e?ertion AsahitaB
b. by holding the breath when the blood is overo?ygeniGed AkevalaB.
A81B As long as one has not yet Mf;llyN mastered kevala k;m@bhaka9 whi:h means holding the breath
witho;t inhalation or e?halation9 one sho;ld pra:ti:e sahita.
A8%@81B (hen kevala k;mbhaka witho;t inhalation and e?halation has been mastered9 there is
nothing in the MinnerN world that is ;nattainable for the yogi. Thro;gh this k;mbhaka he :an restrain
the breath as long as he likes.
A84@80B Th;s he Mgrad;allyN attains the stage of raCa yoga. Thro;gh this k;mbhaka9 k;ndalini is
aro;sed and then the s;sh;mna is free from all obsta:lesI b;t witho;t hatha yoga there :an be no raCa
yoga9 and vi:e versa. )oth sho;ld be pra:ti:ed ;ntil raCa yoga is perfe:ted.
$/1)HA$A
A87B At the end of k;mbhaka he sho;ld withdraw his mind from all obCe:ts. )y doing this reg;larly
he rea:hes raCa yoga.
A88B The signs of perfe:tion in hatha yoga areD a lithe body9 harmonio;s spee:h9 per:eption of the
inner so;nd AnadaB9 :lear eyes9 health9 :ontrolled seminal flow9 in:reased gastri: fire9 and p;rity of
the nadis.
And th;s e<;ipped the yogi :an :onfidently embark ;pon the third stage of his training9 where new9
greater and more de:isive things are awaiting him.
A!T TH!''
$/1)HA$A
ACT#6' YOGA
CHAT'! 8
TH' 1/"!AS
A1B J;st as Ananta the lord of the serpents Mthe Hinfinite oneH with seven headsN s;pports the whole
;niverse with its mo;ntains and woods9 even so is k;ndalini the mainstay of all yoga pra:ti:es.
The leitmotiv is maCesti:ally :lear here. (e are entering into the inner san:t;m of the se:ret temple.
+ow the preparatory work is :ompletedI things are :alled by their real names9 and yet@@D this
Hmaster9H who now sees with open eyes what is at stake9 s;ddenly be:omes aware that he is still only
a st;dent. The master of pranayama is a lesser master9 for he still has to prove himself. He does not
even s;spe:t yet that some day he will have to forget all that he has learned in the :o;rse of many
yearsI he does not s;spe:t that all these wonderf;l e?perien:es are dangero;s reefs that imperil his
way to the highest abstra:t knowledge. #f he knew all this now he wo;ld be tro;bled by do;bts or
wo;ld try to rea:h what he is not yet :apable of finding. +at;re does not make any leapsI neither
does yoga.
A%@5B (hen the k;ndalini is sleeping it will be aro;sed by the gra:e of the g;r;. Then all the :hakras
and knots are pier:ed
and prana flows thro;gh the royal road of s;sh;mna. The mind is released from its work and the yogi
:on<;ers death.
One thing is :ertainD k;ndalini is more than C;st a symboli: term for one of o;r known for:es or
fa:;lties. #t is a potential of whi:h normally we know nothing9 and one that does not seem to e?ist for
the average man.
The :hakras are o::asionally per:eptible in everyday life. #n times of danger there is ;s;ally a
:onv;lsive :ontra:tion of the m;ladhara :hakraI in the :ase of a:;te danger9 it intestifi:s as the
often@mentioned e?perien:e of Hseeing the whole life flash thro;gh the mind.H #n se?;al e?:itement
the svadishthana :hakra is noti:eable. )est known is the infl;en:e of the manip;ra :hakra on :rying
and la;ghter9 whi:h are related to the region of the diaphragm. One speaks of loving devotion as
:oming from the heartI it really involves the neighboring anahata :hakra. The well@known :hoking
sensation when a speaker is Hblo:kedH relates to the vish;ddha :hakra. The inde? finger on the
brow@@H';rekal-@@ means that the aCna :hakra has spoken9 and the halo on the image of a saint has
its :enter in sahasrara :hakra9 to mention C;st a few minor :hara:teristi: signs of these ;nknown9 yet
so important :enters in man.
A4B S;sh;mna9 the great voidD brahmarandra9 the royal road9 the b;rning gro;ndI shambhavi9 the
middle way@@all is one.
How easily one gets :onf;sed by big words. Certainly9 this spirit;al ba:kgro;nd is ;nfathomably
profo;nd. There are whole philosophi:al libraries on the Hgreat void9H sh;nyata9 and a s:hool of
);ddhism is based on this term. ,et ;s leave this s;tra behind ;s as soon as possible9 for nothing is
more tempting than to delve into the depth of these terms9 to :ompare them and sear:h for their inner
relationship. Yet how ;seless this is if one
ACT#6' YOGA
has not e?perien:ed the ;nity of all these differentiations in meditation. This alone is the way of
wisdom9 not philosophi:al breeding.
A0B The yogi sho;ld :aref;lly pra:ti:e the vario;s m;dras9 in order to aro;se the great goddess9
k;ndalini9 who in her steep :loses the mo;th of the s;sh;mna.
1;draD the de:isive theme of this :hapter. A m;dra awakens k;ndaliniI it is set in motion thro;gh
the pra:ti:es we have learned in the first two parts of this work.
This arrangement testifies to great wisdom. (hat good wo;ld it do to a:tivate this for:e witho;t first
having learned how to ;tiliGe itK He who wants to wake a giant first m;st test the sharpness of his
weapons and make s;re of his prote:tion. .
A7@.B 1aham;dra9 mahabandha9 mahavedha9 khe:ariD ;ddiyana band ha9 m;la bandha9 and
Calandhara band haD viparitaka rani vaCroli9 and shakti:alanaI these are the ten m;dras whi:h :on<;er
old age and death. @@They have been given by Siva and :onfer the eight siddhis Mon the yogiN. All
the siddhas strive for them9 b;t they are hard to attain9 even for the Gods. They sho;ld be :aref;lly
kept se:ret9 like a bo? f;ll of diamonds9 and9 like an illi:it relation with a married woman of noble
birth9 sho;ld not be mentioned to anyone.
A13@14B ress the an;s with the left heel and e?tend the right legI grasp the toes with yo;r hand.
Then pra:ti:e Calandhara bandha and draw the breath thro;gh the s;sh;mna. Th;s the k;ndalini will
stret:h o;t9 tike a snake that has been hit by a sti:k The two nadis die off thereby9 be:a;se the prana
leaves them. Then e?hale@@slowly9 never fast. The sages :all this maham;dra. #t destroys death and
other s;fferings. )e:a;se it has been ta;ght by the great siddhas it is :alled maham;dra9 the great
m;dra9 and olio be:a;se of its s;rpassing importan:e.
'ven the first pra:ti:e in this new stage biings with it powerf;l e?perien:es abo;t whi:h the te?t says
nothing. So let ;s look at this pra:ti:e a little more :losely.
On:e more we :ome ;pon Calandhara bandha. (e have en:o;ntered it twi:e before Asee art ##9 40
and 7*B. );t we m;st not make :omparisons9 be:a;se the same pra:ti:e :an serve :ompletely
different p;rposes on different levels.
Here we m;st also mention the prere<;isites for the above pra:ti:e.
#t is <;ite :lear that the asanas of the first training period aretaken for granted. ranayama too is
taken for granted9 and is no longer mentioned. );t for ;s there is something new.
The daily nadi p;rifi:ation m;st pre:ede everything9 in order to give the nadis the final polish9 and
then begins pranayama as des:ribed in art Two. (hen the :hest :avity is filled with prana
Aremember the bellows e?er:iseB and the abdominal :avity is filled with apana Aby means of the
pranayama with protr;ding tong;eB9 we :an begin with this pra:ti:e. &orget the o;tstret:hed leg for
the time being. The head9 lowered to the :hest9 presses down prana i thro;gh press;re of the heel on
the an;s apana is for:ed ;p9 and by the press;re of the retra:ted abdominal m;s:les the two streams
that have been led together are;nited into one whole9 to an ar:h whi:h e?tends from the two nostrils
to the two nadis Aida and pingalaB9 along the sides of the spinal :ol;mn to its lower end where the
two meet again at the mo;th of the s;sh;mna Awhi:h is still :losed by the head of the k;ndalini
serpentB. );t now everything sho;ld be drawn into the s;sh;mna. And for this we go ba:k to art
One9 %*>%.9 and :ompare that e?er:ise with the above. There as here9 the body is bent deeply forward
ACT#6' YOGA
and th;s pla:es the opening of the s;sh;mna into a favorable position. The sphin:ter m;s:le is not
:ontra:ted9 and the press;re on the throat is felt to be stronger than that e?erted by the heel on the
an;s. Th;s the now ;nified prana@apana stream is g;ided into the opening s;sh;mna where it slowly
rises like the mer:;ry :ol;mn in a thermometer. And this stream sweeps the k;ndalini along with it.
+ow something important happens9 as the te?t revealsD HThe two nadis die off.H #n other words9 the
higher the prana rises in the s;sh;mna9 the less remains in the two nadis. #n this third stage of
training9 the s;sh;mna is not yet :ompletely filled with the stream of prana9 and th;s the nadis are
not :ompletely empty9 b;t some day this will happen. (hen it do:s9 the yogi gives the impression of
being dead. The body be:omes :old and lifeless. Only the :rown of the head Athe ;pper end of the
s;sh;mnaB is warm. ,ife and :ons:io;sness are:ontained solely in the s;sh;mna9 where life really
originates. #t is withdrawn from world and body. The yogi has be:ome p;re spirit@@;ntil he
event;ally e?hales slowly and ret;rns to his former state.
Can he really do that9 e?hale while physi:ally in the state of deathK (e re:all the se:ond e?er:ise
with Calandhara bandha Aart Two9 7*B where this state of :ons:io;sness was being trained. And now
we ;nderstand the signifi:an:e of that Calan@dhara variation9 for here for the first time we en:o;nter
this strange state of Hnew :ons:io;sness.H
A10B &irst he sho;ld pra:ti:e with the left Mfoot drawn ;pN9 then with the right9 ;ntil both sides are
e<;ally e?er:ised.
A17B +ow there is nothing that he sho;ld Mprefer toN eat or avoid eating. All things regardless of their
taste or even witho;t taste are digested. 'ven poison be:omes ne:tar to him.
A18B He who pra:ti:es maham;dra over:omes :ons;mption9 leprosy9 hemorrhoids9 diseases of the
spleen9 digestive dist;rban:es9 et:.
This sloka is for the ignorant and :;rio;s.
A1*B This it the des:ription of maham;dra whi:h :onfers siddhis. it sho;ld be kept se:ret and not
given to C;st anyone.
And this sloka is for the initiated who knows.
);t there is still a great deal more to observe and to do in order to rea:h the ideal state des:ribed9
where the k;ndalini9 :arried by the prana@apana stream9 rises thro;gh the s;sh;mna. &or instan:e9 it
is essential that the stream sho;ld not reverse its flow. The following pra:ti:e will take :are of this.
A1.@%4B ress the left ankle against the an;s and pla:e the right foot ;pon the left thigh. After
inhalation9 when the :hin is pressed firmly against the :hest9 :ontra:t the an;s m;s:le and
:on:entrate on the s;sh;mna. Having restrained the breath as long as possible9 e?hale slowly. This
pra:ti:e sho;ld be done first right9 then left. Some say that Calandhara bandha sho;ld be avoided here
and the tong;e pressed firmly against the ;pper teeth. @@Thro;gh this mahabandha9 whi:h bestows
great siddhis9 the ;pward flow of prana thro;gh the nadis Awith the e?:eption of s;sh;mnaB is
prevented. Thro;gh this one be:omes free from the snares of Yama the $ing Mof "eathN9 and attains
the ;nifi:ation of the three nadisD ida9 pingala9 and s;sh;mna. #t also enables the mind to remain
steadily :on:entrated Mat the pointN between the eyebrows.
This pra:ti:e9 as a r;le9 pre:edes the previo;s one. #t is9 so to speak9 the overt;re to the whole.
ACT#6' YOGA
However9 a third fa:tor still has to be mentionedD
A%0@53B f;st as bea;ty and loveliness are of no avail to a woman witho;t a h;sband9 so also
maham;dra and mahabandha are ;seless witho;t the third9 mahavedha. @@The yogi9 sitting in the
mahabandha post;re9 sho;ld draw in his breath with :on:entrated mind. Thro;gh Calandhara banda
he prevents the es:ape of the prana ;pward or MapanaN downward. @@S;pporting his body by the
palms resting on the gro;nd9 the yogi sho;ld raise himself from the gro;nd9 and gently strive the
gro;nd with his b;tto:ks several times. (ith this prana leaves the nadis Mida and pingalaN and goes
thro;gh the s;sh;mna. @@Th;s is effe:ted the ;nion of ida9 pingala and s;sh;mna Mmoon9 s;n9 and
fireN whi:h leads to immortality. @@The body ass;mes a death@like aspe:t. @@Then he sho;ld e?hale.
@@This is mahavedha and bestows great siddhis when pra:ti:ed. (rinkles disappear and the gray
hair of old age. Therefore it stands in high rep;te. These are the three mysterio;s Mpra:ti:esN that
:on<;er death and old age9 in:rease the gastri: fire and :onfer the siddhis. They sho;ld be :aref;lly
kept se:ret.
The real p;rpose of this last pra:ti:e is of a p;rely te:hni:al nat;re. &or there is no nat;ral
:onne:tion between the three main nadis whi:h r;n parallel into the m;ladhara :hakra. Altho;gh
they all end there9 they do not Coin together. This :ondition has to be :reated artifi:ially9 and it is
a::omplished by this pra:ti:e.
+ow the pre:eding pra:ti:e MmahabandhaN :an be :arried o;t s;::essf;lly9 followed by the first one
mentioned above Mmaham;draN. Th;s the three pra:ti:es :onstit;te one ;nitD the k;ndalini yoga
:onstit;tes both the high point of hatha yoga and a part of raCa yoga.
A51B These are performed in eight different ways. "aily9 every three ho;rs. This :reates good and
eliminates evil. He who masters it has to pra:ti:e this ;n;s;al pro:ed;re only moderately.
)oth te?t and :ommentary are silent abo;t the eight different ways of pra:ti:e9 for therein lies a
se:ret tea:hing. The k;ndalini9 as we know9 rises from m;ladhara :hakra thro;gh five f;rther
:hakras to sahasrara :hakra9 so in all we have seven :hakras. However9 the seven stations are not
simply traversed progressively one after the other9 in the nat;ral :o;rse of systemati: pra:ti:e. (e
r;n into some diffi:;lties here9 for ea:h :hakra is assigned a spe:ifi: elementD
1. 1;ladhara :hakraD the element of earth
%. Svadhishthana :hakraD the element of water
5. 1anip;ra :hakraD the element of fire
4. Anahata :hakraD the element of air
0. 6ish;ddha :hakraD the :lement of ether
7. ACna :hakraD the element of :ons:io;sness
8. Sahasrara :hakraI the divine element.
These elements have nothing to do with what is known to ;s as the density of matter. !ather they
areplanes of vibrations as re<;ired for the :reation of the respe:tive forms of matter.
ACT#6' YOGA
+ow prana is9 as we know9 a life :;rrent9 and a :;rrent :onsists of vibrations. The k;ndalini was
aro;sed by the prana :;rrent9 as soon as this rea:hed the vibration level of m;ladhara :hakra9 that of
the Hearth elements.H #f the prana :;rrent is to traverse the other :hakras it will a::ordingly have to
be transformed or mod;lated seven times. #f the yogi is ;nable to do this9 he :annot rea:h the goal of
raCa yoga. And in order to realiGe this goal there ar:9 as this sloka says9 eight different ways of
pra:ti:e.5
5. (hy are eight varieties of pra:ti:e mentioned here when there areonly sevenK (ith this logi:al
<;estion we to;:h ;pon an area that will :a;se a great deal of dis:;ssion among (estern yoga
resear:hers9 for it :on:erns the revelation of a se:ret that is still kept :losely g;ardedD the tea:hing
that the k;ndalini sho;ld be led beyond sahasrara :hakra. 1any passages in the Tantras and the
;ranas point to this se:ret tea:hing in a veiled way. This will not be dis:;ssed f;rther in this book9
for in Hatha Yoga radipika there are9 apart from this passage9 no referen:es to it.
To be more spe:ifi:D these arenot methods of pra:ti:e in the sense of the hatha yoga pra:ti:es
dis:;ssed so far. They areyantra meditations and mantra re:itations.
To ea:h :hakra areattrib;ted a vis;al and verbal symbol9 whi:h are transmitted orally to the st;dent
by his g;r; only after an initiation :eremony. )oth are stri:tly se:ret9 and are ;nattainable to the
;ninitiated. AThe well@known :hakra :harts with the lot;s leaves and the so;nd symbols are not
identi:al with the se:ret yantras and mantras9 altho;gh they derive m;:h from them.B
The beginner nat;rally needs more time for ea:h individ;al pra:ti:e than the master do:s. So if he
goes thro;gh these eight pra:ti:es one by one every three ho;rs9 and if he needs an ho;r for ea:h Aas
is ;s;ally the :ase for beginnersB9 then he will need more than eight ho;rs of pra:ti:e dailyI this is
the least that is demanded from the beginner. 1oving from :hakra to :hakra9 a master of k;ndalini
yoga :ompletes all the stages with a single breath9 whi:h9 however9 may last for several ho;rs. ";e
to the p;rity of his nadis9 he now has the power to keep the prana in his body a:tive as long as he
likes9 so that the feeling of shortness of breath does not arise. The gross organs have been p;t o;t of
:ommission9 and the few fine organs that are still a:tive draw their o?ygen s;pply thro;gh the pores.
This :loses the des:ription of the first de:isive stages of raCa yogaD the s;::essf;l attempt to a:tivate
the k;ndalini. As stated9 it is a stage that proves important9 b;t is one that is still far from e?ha;sting
all the se:ret possibilities and the prere<;isites for :omplete s;::ess. (hat follows is even stranger
and9 ;nfort;nately9 even more diffi:;lt to ;nderstand. ,et-s try.
CHAT'! *
TH' +'CTA!
A5%@58B (hen the tong;e is bent ba:k into the g;llet and the eyes are fastened ;pon the point
between the eyebrows9 this is khe:ari m;dra. (hen the membrane below the tong;e is :;t9 and the
tong;e is shaken and milked9 one :an e?tend its length ;ntil it to;:hes the eyebrows. Then khe:ari
m;dra is s;::essf;l. @@Take a :lean9 shining knife and :;t the breadth of a hair into the fine
membrane that :onne:ts the tong;e with the lower part of the mo;th Mthe froen;m lign;mN. Then r;b
that area with a mi?t;re of salt and t;rmeri: powder. After seven days again :;t a hair-s breadth.
&ollow this for si? months. The membrane is then :ompletely separated. (hen the yogi now :;rls
his tong;e ;pward and ba:k he is able to :lose the pla:e where the three paths meet. The bending
ba:k of the tong;e is khe:ari m;dra and Mthe :losing of the three pathsN is akasha :hakra9
TH' +'CTA!
Here again some f;ndamental <;estions arise. The indignant obCe:tion of the reader9 altho;gh at this
point it represents a s;spe:t preC;di:e9 is <;ite ;nderstandable from a mortal point of view. );t9 as
we know9 a great deal of yoga is not a::essible to the logi:al mind9 and th;s the HreasonableH
average thinker will reCe:t the more essential part of yoga be:a;se m;:h of it Aseen from his point of
viewB is nonsense. He will even be right9 for a logi:al sense that satisfies the mind in a logi:al9
materially p;rposef;l manner9 is la:king in the key points of yoga. #t is non@sense for the s:ientifi:
e?plorer and deep@sense for the e?perien:er.
The Hthree pathsH are:losedD the nasal passage9 the pharyn?9 and the tra:hea. This is the vas bene
:la;s;m of the al:hemists.
There are three ways to :lose the gatesD with the nat;ral m;s:les of the organs :on:ernedI with the
fingersI and from the inside9 as ta;ght here. To the logi:ian it may all seem the same9 whi:hever
method is ;sed. );t let him test whether it really is all the same. Close yo;r eyes and mo;th and hold
yo;r breath. +othing happens. Then :lose yo;r ears with the th;mbs9 the eyes with the inde? fingers9
the nostrils with the middle fingers9 and the mo;th with the remaining fingers. How the sensation
with this type of :los;re differs from the first one is easily determined in this way. +ow9 in order to
get some impression of the third method des:ribed above9 have someone else :lose yo;r passages
a::ording to the se:ond set of instr;:tions. And again the sensation will be different. This be:omes
espe:ially impressive on:e the breath r;ns o;t. S;ddenly yo; areat the mer:y of anotherI yo;
e?perien:e dependen:y9 la:k of freedom. On a small s:ale yo; e?perien:e the fear of death9 this
feeling of being helplessly at the mer:y of death that a:t;ally means being handed over to one-s own
inade<;a:ies.
A5*B The yogi who remains b;t half a min;te in this position Mwith ;pt;rned tong;e and
impert;rbable :almN is free from illness9 old age and death.
Try to imagine the feelings of a person in this sit;ation. The tong;e is far ba:k in the throatI there is
no breath. There is9 however9 a growing fear as to what may happen if one does not s;::eed in
bringing the tong;e ba:k to normal. To have to remain for as little as half a min;te in this terrible
an?iety :an lead to insanity. );t as long as the danger of fear e?ists no g;r; will advo:ate this
pra:ti:e9 for the dreaded will most ass;redly happen the moment pani: arises. Only with :alm
refle:tion :an the tong;e be bro;ght ba:k to its nat;ral position9 and the fa:e of the yogi will tell the
apprehensive spe:tator how diffi:;lt it is9 and that it really is a matter of life or death. Yet he who is
so ;npert;rbed in the fa:e of death that even this possibility :annot serio;sly dist;rb his e<;ilibri;m9
has the means in his hand to pass :ons:io;sly thro;gh the darkest regions of :reation and dissol;tion.
He is free from that whi:h death represents to the average mortalD the final C;dgment that he m;st
fa:e in fetters.
A5.B &or him who masters this khe:ari m;dra there will be no more Mphysi:al helplessness in bodily
:onditioned sit;ations s;:h asN illness9 death9 mental sl;ggishness9 h;nger9 thirst9 or :lo;di@ness in
thinking.
He is no longer s;bCe:t to the overpowering law of nat;re9 whose most painf;l aspe:t is the fa:t that
all spirit;al pro:esses are sa:rifi:ed to this law. He remains ;ndist;rbed and :alm even at the time of
death9 and th;s deprives it of its dark power.
A43B He is free from Mthe laws ofN karma and time has no power over him.
TH' +'CTA!
&ear in the state of helplessness is :hiefly the pani:@stri:ken tho;ghtD H(hat is going to happenKH #t
is ;n:ertainty abo;t the f;t;re9 and th;s involvement in time. );t he for whom time does not e?ist is
not tro;bled by its ;n:ertainty. $arma9 the #ndian :on:ept of fate based on the imm;table law of
:a;sality9 of :a;se and effe:t9 is s;spended when time does not e?ist. Only a pro:ess9 i.e. a
time@:onditioned event9 :an :a;se a time@
:onditioned effe:t. A state@@a sit;ation ;n:onditioned by time Awhi:h we :annot :omprehend9
be:a;se thinking is a pro:ess9 not a stateB@@is :a;se and effe:t in not as dynami: se<;en:e b;t as
stati: ens. $arma is the effe:t Adynami:B of the deed Aa:tiveB. The self@:ontained9 meditative state
that has freed itself from the time@spa:e :onditioned o;tside world is karmi:ally ne;tral Astati:9
passiveB. (hen time is :on<;ered there is no more karma.
A41B The m;dra is :alled khe:ari by the siddhas be:a;se the mind as well as the tong;e remains in
HetherH for the d;ration of the pra:ti:e.4
'ther9 a vibration plane in the ;niverse9 is finer than all that is :omposed of atoms and mole:;les9
and th;s is an intermediary between the world of atoms and the world of :ons:io;sness. S:ien:e has
not as yet made a final de:ision :on:erning the e?isten:e or non@e?isten:e of ether9 the <;inta
essentia of matter. );t the yogi :annot waste his time with the :hanging fashion of s:ien:e. (hile
s:ien:e investigates9 he :ontin;es to b;ild with his H;nproven theories.H
A4%F45B On:e he has :losed the throat in khe:ari m;dra he :annot be aro;sed by the most passionate
embra:e9 and even if he were in the state of an e:stati: lover he still :o;ld negate the res;lt thro;gh
:ertain pra:ti:es.0
The e?ample of the most :ompelling temptation is presented here to prove that thro;gh khe:ari
m;dra the state of :omplete and
4. The :ommentary breaks down the word khe:ari into the root kha OO the empty sphere of the sky9
and the root :ar O to move. The real origin of $he:ari is khe:ar O s;n. The reason for this we will
see later.
0. These two slokas have been rather freely translated. The reason is given in art Three9 *4.
absol;te absorption in meditation is possible. (e know that one of the preparations of the yogis who
allow themseives to be b;ried for days or weeks is khe:ari m;dra. #n this state all bodily f;n:tions
are s;spended for the time being9 and the body appears to be dead9 be:a;se the a:tivating9
life@giving prana is absorbed in the s;sh;mna.
);t it is not only prana that is isolated. (hat elseK #s it really possible that the ;pt;rned tong;e :an
prod;:e s;:h mysterio;s res;ltsK
A44B He who with ;p:;rled tong;e and :on:entrated mind drinks the ne:tar :on<;ers death in #S
days@@provided he masters yoga.
(e re:all the legend of the :h;rning of the o:ean of milk where from this o:ean9 with the aid of the
TH' +'CTA!
world mo;ntain9 the ne:tar of life was to be prod;:ed. The mo;ntain of the world9 so we learned9 is9
in the h;man ;niverse9 the spinal :ol;mn9 the :arrier of the life :enters. The snake9 wo;nd aro;nd the
mo;ntain9 is k;ndalini9 the potential divine for:e of nat;re. The gods who p;lled on one end
symboliGe the higher life for:esI the demons on the other end represent sheer physi:al for:es. The
tortoise that s;pported the mo;ntain is the power of yoga9 of divine origin and ;niversal.
);t what is the o:ean of milk9 and what is the ne:tarK That is the theme of this :hapter. (e hear at
the beginning that the kapha :;rrent of the life for:e is :alled ne:tar AsomaB. And where is the so;r:e
of the :;rrent that is said to t;rn into poison if the st;dent-s balan:e is dist;rbedK
The :osmology of the H;ranas9H the an:ient #ndian garland of legends Aand a treas;re trove of the
se:ret tea:hings9 if one knows how to read itB tells ;s that the o:ean of milk lies
between the #sles of Shaka and ;shkara A)hagavata ;rana 69 %3B. Shaka is the mythologi:al name
for aCna :hakra9 between the eyebrows9 and ;shkara that of the sahasrara :hakra at the :rown of the
head. )etween these two :enters lies the o:ean of milk9 the so;r:e of the ne:tar. That is where the
kapha :;rrent originates.
This shows that kapha9 the ne:tar9 is not B;st any kind of se:retion9 for the primary f;n:tional and
str;:t;ral elements :annot be delineated so simply. Tr;e9 the e?planation that the inversion of the
tong;e diverts the kapha :;rrent9 i.:. the biologi:al pro:ess of evol;tion Aor at least part of itB is not
evidentI we have to a::ept this as a given fa:t. #rreg;larities in the :o;rse of this :;rrent or pro:ess9
whi:h as a r;le lead to illness9 are prod;:ed at will and ;tiliGed for positive p;rposes. Thro;gh
Hs;preme spirit;ality9QQ a physi:al pro:ess is transm;ted into a spirit;al one.
+o one :an tell what this fl;id is9 if indeed it is a fl;id. #s it a gland;lar se:retion K ossibly. 1ost
likely9 yes. );t this sho;ld not tempt ;s to make fr;itless spe:;lations. #n any :ase9 the tip of the
;p:;rled tong;e to;:hes a point on the m;:o;s membrane and thro;gh this to;:h some pro:ess of
endo:rine se:retion is altered.
A40B The yogi who daily sat;rates his body with the ne:tar that flows from the HmoonH is not harmed
by poisons even when bitten by the snake Taskshaka.
Yo; may think as yo; like abo;t khe:ari m;dra9 yo; may :onsider the matter of the Hne:tarH naive or
ridi:;lo;sI the fa:t remains that there are :o;ntless yogis who :an take even large <;antities of
deadly poisons witho;t any harm to their bodies. This fa:t has been verified by medi:al a;thorities.
A47B J;st as fire b;rns as long as there is wood9 as the lamp b;rns as long as the oil and the wi:k last9
so also the life germ MCivanN remains in the body while it is reg;lated by the Hbeams of the moonH
Mne:tarN.
The so;r:e of the ne:tar is the HmoonH in the area of the brain stem. The H:ooling beams of the
moon9H a term known in the mythologies of all :o;ntries9 drip into the Hfire of the s;nH that b;rns in
the region of the diaphragm and9 so to speak9 represents the flame of life Asolar ple?;sB. );t the
ne:tar is not f;el for this fireI to the :ontrary9 it s;bd;es and reg;lates the embers that are:onstantly
being fanned into new life by the vata :;rrent. #t is a dire:t9 a:tive messenger of :ons:io;sness to the
f;n:tions of the vegetative system. (hen the s;pply is impeded we have feverI with an overs;pply
the fire be:omes weak. (hen the demons of :oarse bodily nat;re9 while :h;rning the o:ean of milk9
premat;rely sampled the ne:tar before it had been wisely apportioned to them by the gods of mind9
they poisoned themselves be:a;se the organi: balan:e was dist;rbed.
TH' +'CTA!
A48@4.B "aily he may Heat the fiesh of the :owH and Hdrink wine9H still he will remain a son of noble
family. The word H:owH
MgoN means tong;e. (hen one lets it penetrate into the throat it is :alled Hto eat the flesh of the :ow9H
and this destroys all sins. @@(hen the tong;e enters the throat there ens;es great heat in the body.
This :a;ses the ne:tar to flow from Hthe moonH and that is what is :alled Hdrinking wineH
Mamara@var;niN.Q
TH#n the above two stanGas is given an e?:ellent instan:e of the way the Hind; o::;lt writers veil
their real meaning ;nder apparently abs;rd symbols. The prin:iple seems to be this. They tho;ght
that the very abs;rdity of the symbol and its in:onsisten:y with the s;bCe:t in hand wo;ld for:e the
reader to think that there was something ;nder it and so he sho;ld look deeper for an e?planation of
this abs;rdity. A mis:on:eption of this r;le seems to have given rise to many abs;rd interpretations
of really o::;lt symbols9 and many perni:io;s pra:ti:es that promote animal tenden:ies and
passions. As e?amples of these . . . the whole mysti: terminology of the Tantras that has given rise to
so many disg;sting pra:ti:es.H A#yangar9 of. :it9 p. 0* f.B @@Trans.
#n order to fan the fire of Hb;rning as:eti:ismH the ne:tar has to be diverted from its ;s;al :o;rse into
the fire of life. );t the stream is not only divertedI it is also ;tiliGed in other ways.
A03@01B (hen it remains pressed in the throat passage9 the tong;e is able to re:eive the ne:tar
Hbeams of the moon9H whi:h are Msim;ltaneo;slyN salty9 hot9 and p;ngent9 b;t also lilke milk9 honey9
and ghee. Then all diseases are eliminated9 and also old age. Th;s he will be able to tea:h all the
6edas and the ShastrasI and he has power to attra:t the damsels of the siddhas. @@He who with
;pt;rned gaGe and tong;e in throat meditates on k;ndalini MparashaktiN and drinks from the p;re
so;r:e of the ne:tar stream that flows from the HmoonH in the head into the 17@petaled lot;s Mthe
vish;ddha :hakraN9 he will be free from all diseases and will live long with a bea;tif;l body9 deli:ate
as a lot;s petal@@if d;ring pra:ti:e he keeps prana ;nder :ontrol.
Here we have the answer to the <;estionD H(here does the ne:tar flow on:e it is deviated from its
nat;ral :o;rse9 the fire of life Asolar ple?;sBKH The tong;e g;ides it into the vish;ddha :hakra Ain the
throatB9 i.e. into the most important one9 the 17@petaled lot;s that :arries the so;nd a9 the primeval
so;nd whi:h even pre:edes 3m AA;mB. Th;s he is enabled to tea:h all the 6edas and the Shastras.
Here we :annot help b;t think of the sayingD HHis words flow like ne:tar from his lipsH @@like a
ne:tar that flows from his mind.
#n vish;ddha :hakra Aso the s:ript;res tell ;sB the birth of the word takes pla:e. Cognition here
be:omes word.
The fr;it from the Tree of $nowledge gets st;:k in Adam-s throat9 and paradis: is lost. The poison
that the gods :h;rn from the o:ean of milk is swallowed by Siva9 and it remains in his throat whi:h
be:omes bl;e. The fr;it gets st;:k in Snow (hite-s throat too@@@the ;ndigested fr;it of the dark
mother aspe:t9 whi:h she does not re:ogniGe as her fr;it and th;s is ;nable to Hdigest.H
The fr;it of the pro:ess of evol;tion is always twofoldD ne:tar for the perfe:t one9 poison for the
all@too@h;man one. The ne:tar is at the highest level9 in its noblest aspe:t9 p;re spirit. &or the
materialist it is C;st what its gross aspe:t representsD the manifold bodily se:retions. J;st as the :r;de
aspe:t of al:ohol is merely a li<;id@@;ntil it is imbibed. Then it shows its strength.
A0%B #nside of the ;pper part of 1o;nt 1erit@@that if the s;sh;mna@@there9 in the opening9 ne:tar is
TH' +'CTA!
se:reted. He who has a p;re sattva mind9 not overshadowed by raCas and tamos9 therein re:ogniGes
the Tr;th Uhis own AtmanN. #t is the g;lly into whi:h the :;rrents dis:harge themselves. &rom the
HmoonH flows the ne:tar9 the bodily essen:e9 and hen:e the death of the mortals. Therefore one
sho;ld pra:ti:e the benefi:ial khe:ari m;dra. Otherwise no siddhis will be attained.
A05B The s;sh;mna9 espe:ially its M;pperN opening9 is the pla:e of :onfl;en:e of the five rivers and
bestows divine knowledge. in the void of the opening whi:h is freed from the infl;en:e of ignoran:e
MavidyaN9 sorrow9 and del;sions Mof mayaN9 the khe:ari m;dra rea:hes perfe:tion.
J;st as breath Athe vata elementB has five :;rrents Athe five vay;sB9 so also has the ne:tar of the kapha
element9 and so there are five fires that b;rn inside. However9 the Has:eti:ism of the five firesH
Apan:agni tapasB is a little different from that whi:h is seen today at !ishikesh or )enares9 where
Siva sadh;s light fo;r great fires aro;nd themselves Athe s;n is :onsidered to be the fifthB and try to
slowly roast into the sainthood whi:h is more distant from them than the s;n.
A04B There is only one germ of evol;tion9 and that is 3mI there is only one m;draD khe:ariI only one
d;tyD to be:ome independent from everythingI and only one spirit;al state MavasthaND deep meditation
Mmano@maniN.
CHAT'! .
TH' )A+"HAS
before going any f;rther let ;s re:all one senten:eD H1aha@m;dra9 mahabandhaB mahavedha9
khe:ariI ;ddiyana bandha9 m;la bandha9 and Calandhara bandhaI viparitakarani9 vaCroli9 and
shakti:alanaI these are the ten m;dras whi:h :on<;er old age and death.H So far we have learned
only a few of these m;drasD
1aham;draD The Coining of prana and apana. 1ahabandhaD reventing prana and apana from
reverting their :o;rse.
1ahavedhaD Conne:ting the three nadis by beating the b;tto:ks on the floor. $he:ari m;draD
)ending ba:k the tong;e.
The following three bandhas arenot ;nknown to ;s9 b;t they are dis:;ssed below from a new point of
view.
A00@7%B /ddiyana bandha Mliterally Hto fly ;p9H Hto ariseHN is so :alled by the yogis be:a;se thereby
the prana flies ;p thro;gh the s;sh;mna. Thro;gh this bandha the great bird HpranaH :onstantly flies
;p thro;gh the s;sh;mnaI that is why it is :alled ;ddiyana banda. "rawing ;p the intestines above or
below the navel Mso that they to;:h the ba:k and the diaphragmN is :alled ;ddiyana bandha. #t is the
lion who :on<;ers the elephant9
death. @@He who :onstantly pra:ti:es ;ddiyana bandha as ta;ght by his g;r;9 and as it o::;rs in a
nat;ral way9 be:omes yo;ng tho;gh he may be old. @@He sho;ld draw ;p the intestines below or
above the navel9 and within a month he will :on<;er death9 witho;t a do;bt. Of alt the bandhas
;ddiyana bandha is the most e?:ellent. (hen it is mastered9 liberation Mm;ktiN follows nat;rally.
(e have en:o;ntered this bandha twi:e beforeD first in the p;rifi:ation pro:ess of shatkarma. There
it pre:eded the :h;rning of the intestines Aart Two9 55>54B. Then we met it in the ne?t :hapter when
TH' )A+"HAS
we had to raise the abdominal apana Aart Two9 40B. #n both :ases the pra:ti:e was mainly
me:hani:al. Here9 in the third :ase9 it saysD Hbe:a;se thro;gh this pra:ti:e prana flows thro;gh the
s;sh;mna . . .H (e now know :onsiderably more than we did at the previo;s levels of training. There
are more things happening internally9 so that ;ddiyana bandha has indeed a:<;ired a de:isive
meaning.
The inner pro:ess of this pra:ti:e is as followsD #n the two nadisB prana and apana have been ;nited
into one :ontin;o;s flow9 and neither a separation of the two nor a reversal of the :;rrent :an o::;r
after this point. &rom the nostrils to the m;ladhara :hakra a :;rrent@bearing path now e?tends9 or
rather two paths9 whi:h ;nite at the lower end of the s;sh;mna. &rom there the path again goes
;pward to the Hmoon.H The flow of ne:tar is diverted by the ;p:;rled tong;e9 so that the Hs;nH :an
now ;nfold its f;ll fiery power.
There still remains one important <;estionD to what end sho;ld the Hs;nH yield its strongest fireK
(e know that the s;n sits in the area of the fire :hakra Amanip;raB below the heart :hakra AanahataB9
within whi:h dwells Civan9 the germ of life. This Civan resembles the filament in the radio t;be that
sends o;t ele:trons as soon as it is warmed ;p. The H:athode raysH that the Civan sends o;t when
heated by the s;n are :on:entrated vital energy9 and the@pra:ti:ing yogi needs a great deal of this for
his k;ndalini. #n order to bring this abo;t the fire has to be led :loser to the Civan9 i.e. to the anahata
:hakra9 and ;ddiyana bandha a::omplishes C;st this. );t fire :annot kindle witho;t air9 so the flame
has a se:ond taskD to attra:t the prana@apana :;rrent by drawing it ;p thro;gh the s;sh;mna.
A71@74B ress the s:rot;m with the heel9 :ontra:t the an;s9 and for:e apana ;pward. This is m;la
bandha. Thro;gh :ontra:tion of the m;ladhara the normally downward flowing :;rrent of apana is
g;ided ;pward. This is why the yogis :all it m;la MrootN bandha. @@ress the an;s with the heel and
press apana for:ef;lly ;ntil it flows ;pward. Thro;gh m;la bandha9 prana and apana as well as nada
and bind; ;nite to give perfe:tion to the yogi. There is no do;bt abo;t this.
Thro;gh the press;re of the heel and the ta;t an;s m;s:le the ;pward tenden:y is f;rthered and the
:;rrent kept flowing. Here again9 a pra:ti:e that had little meaning for the beginner has taken on a
de:isive :hara:ter. (e will get a:<;ainted with nada and bind; at level #6.
A70B Thro;gh the ;nion of prana and apana9 se:retions are :onsiderably red;:ed. Thro;gh m;la
bandha a yogi9 tho;gh old9 be:omes yo;ng.
#ndeed9 for the fire that tempers the life germ is fanned into new vigor by this pra:ti:e.
A77@7.B (hen apana rises ;pward and rea:hes the fire orbit9 the flame be:omes large and bright9
fanned by apana. (hen apana and the fire Coin with prana whi:h by its nat;re is hot9 then the fire of
the body be:omes espe:ially bright and powerf;l. The k;ndalini feels the great heat thereby and
awakens from its sleep like a snake that is hit by a sti:k9 hisses and raises itself. Then it enters the
opening Mof s;sh;mnaN. Therefore the yogi sho;ld always pra:ti:e m;la bandha.
Sho;ld any ne:tar now flow into the fire9 all efforts wo;ld have been in vain9 for the organism wo;ld
at on:e revert to Hnormal.H Therefore we have to take pre:a;tionary meas;res whi:h will s;pport the
work of the tong;e9 so that it only needs to inter:ept9 b;t need not :ond;:t.
A83@85B Contra:t the throat and press the :hin against the breast. This is Calandhara bandha and
destroys old age and death. #t is :alled Calandhara bandha be:a;se it makes the nadis ta;t and stops
TH' )A+"HAS
the downward flow of the ne:tar whi:h iss;es from the throat. (hen Calandhara bandha is
a::omplished and the throat :ontra:ted9 not a single drop of ne:tar :an fall into the fire of life and
the breath does not take a wrong path. (hen the throat is firmly :ontra:ted9 the two nadis are dead.
Here in the throat sits the middle :hakra9 vish;ddha. Here the 17 life :enters are firmly bo;nd.
(e have also en:o;ntered before9 this Calandhara bandha at a time when it did not have m;:h
signifi:an:eI we are meeting it now for the fo;rth time. #t will help if we follow the evol;tionary
stages in :onne:tion with this bandha thro;gh all fo;r phases. #n the first pla:e it helped ;s to learn
k;mbhaka in pranayama Aart Two9 40B. There it had only a s;pporting role. #n the se:ond :ase it
s;ddenly had a strange res;lt Aart Two9 7*BD it :a;sed a state of mental absen:e. Tho;gh this was
only to give the st;dent the e?perien:e of s;:h a state it nevertheless
proved the overwhelming power of this bandha. Then it appeared in art Three A13@14B9 where the
first pra:ti:al e?periments were made with k;ndalini and the knowledge a:<;ired th;s far. The fire
merely glowed and no harm :o;ld :ome of it9 for the powerf;l key9 khe:hari m;dra9 was missing.
);t now the fire flares ;p9 and it has been bro;ght :loser to the life germ. +ow all the s;pplementary
pra:ti:es9 formerly so negligible9 have a tho;sandfold greater effe:t.
The nadis have died off9 so it says. #ndeed9 the prana@apana :;rrent now flows thro;gh the
s;sh;mna. The body appears to be dead9 while deep inside an infinitely intense life is b;rning9 more
intense than any of the many known vital manifestations of life. #f one to;:hes the :rown of the
yogi-s head in this state one :an feel a little of it. (hile the body is i:e@:old the :enter of his head
b;rns as tho;gh in a raging fever.
A84@87B ra:ti:e ;ddiyana bandha by :ontra:ting the an;s m;s:leI tighten the nadis ida and pingla
Mthro;gh Calandhara bandhaN and :a;se the prana to flow Mthro;gh the s;sh;mnaN to the ;pper part. in
this way the breath is absorbed Mit remains motionless in the s;sh;mnaN and old age9 disease and
death are :on<;ered. The yogi masters these three o;tstanding bandhas9 as pra:ti:ed by the great
siddhas M1atsyendra9 6ashishtha9 and othersN9 and thro;gh whi:h one a:<;ires the siddhis des:ribed
in the hatha yoga shastras.
The yogi now has the m;:h@debated ability to p;t himself into a deathlike state9 and to remain
b;ried for days or weeks Ato prove that he is not :heatingB. +o one who has read the te?t so far will
:ontend that this :ons:io;s death is now no longer a riddle. 'ven to the yogi who masters it9 it is
replete with mysteries. Only one thing m;st be rememberedD all this@@@that seems so strange to
;s@@is not essential. The yogi does not pra:ti:e the an:ient art of yoga in order to play dead9 to
remain for days or weeks ;nder gro;nd9 or to s<;at in the midst of five flaring fires9 on nail boards9
or in a blo:k of i:e. #f this were so we wo;ld be fools not to find something more worthy of o;r
interest. Something is at stake that seems m;:h less flamboyant than these imposing tri:ksD the
perfe:tion9 not the distortion9 of manI the development9 not the ab;se9 of inner powers. This is a fa:t9
and those who do not re:ogniGe it :annot :hange it9 not even those in the homeland of yoga itself.
'ven in #ndia it is hard to find a master. One en:o;nters magi:ians everywhere9 b;t the tr;e master
does not e?hibit himself p;bli:ly. +ow there is a se:ond method to divert the flow of the ne:tar.
A88@8.B 'very parti:le of ne:tar that flows from the ambrosial HmoonH is MnormallyN swallowed ;p
by the Hs;n.H Th;s the body grows old. M);tN there is an e?:ellent pra:ti:e whereby the s;n is
de:eived. );t this we :an learn only from the g;r;. +o theoreti:al st;dy even of a million shastras
:an el;:idate it. #t is viparitakarani9 whereby the attrib;tes of the HmoonH and those of the Hs;nH are
e?:hanged. The Hs;nH in the solar ple?;s and the HmoonH above the palate e?:hange pla:es. This
m;st be learned from the g;r;.
TH' )A+"HAS
On the s;rfa:e9 the pra:ti:e itself seems :omparatively simple9 as we will see. The diffi:;lties lie
on:e again within ;s. );t let the te?t lead ;s a little :loser to the se:ret.
A*3@*%B #n him who pra:ti:es daily the gastri: fire in:reases. Therefore the yogi sho;ld always have
an ample s;pply of food on hand. #f he restri:ts his food intake the fire will eat his body MinsteadN.
@@On the first day he sho;ld remain MonlyN a little while in the headstand9 with legs in the air. This is
viparitakarani. #n:rease the pra:ti:e time a little ea:h day. After si? months gray hair and wrinkles
disappear. He who pra:ti:es three ho;rs a day :on<;ers death9
Thro;gh a headstand9 val;es arereversed. And what is so diffi:;lt abo;t learning thisK
&irst of all9 we m;st know one thingD Among the asanas9 the physi:al e?er:ises treated in the first
book9 there is one that o;r te?t does not mention9 altho;gh it is :alled the <;een of asanas9 and this is
the headstand. This asana is :alled sirshasana.
As mentioned above9 there is no great diffi:;lty in this pra:ti:e. And it is not the headstand that is
referred to in the te?t as not being tea:hable thro;gh books or des:ription. #t is the pro:ess of
de:eiving the s;n that :an be learned from a g;r; only. How to e?:hange the position of the moon
and the s;nI that is what has to be learned from the g;r;9 for this e?:hange is not a::omplished by
simply standing on o;r head.
);t it does happen as soon as one has be:ome a::;stomed to this position9 as soon as the organism
f;n:tions e?a:tly as in the normal position. (e know that thro;gh a radi:al :hange in :ons:io;sness
organi: pro:esses :an be infl;en:ed. +ow we have to rea:h the point where :ons:io;sness does not
register this inverted position as ;n;s;al. Then all the organs will adC;st to it. How this is to be
a::omplished is the great problem dis:;ssed in this sloka. #f it were a problem of meditation9 it
wo;ld be a :omparatively simple matter for the e?perien:ed yogi. );t if he does not want to fall
down9 he has to keep f;lly awake@@and still :onvert his :ons:io;snessP This :annot be a:hieved
thro;gh any kind of te:hni<;e9 b;t only thro;gh the s;ggestive infl;en:e of the g;r;.
This pra:ti:e9 by the way9 is nowadays seldom en:o;ntered. #s it perhaps d;e to the fa:t that there are
not any more g;ms who have these s;ggestive powersK
A*5B (hen someone9 tho;gh leading a worldly life witho;t observing the laws of yama and niyama9
pra:ti:es vaCroli m;dra he will be:ome a vessel for siddhi powers.
The following slokas9 *4@1359 des:ribe the vaCroli9 sahaColi and amaroli m;dras. These are pra:ti:es
that aim at reversing the flow of the semen virile in :oito. The p;rpose of s;:h pra:ti:es is :learD to
enCoy all the benefits of yoga witho;t sa:rifi:ing any of the worldly pleas;res.
#n leaving o;t these passages9 we merely bypass the des:ription of a few obs:;re and rep;gnant
pra:ti:es that arefollowed by only those yogis who la:k the will power to rea:h their goal otherwise.
#n these %3 slokas9 we en:o;nter a yoga that has nothing b;t its name in :ommon with the yoga of a
atanCali or a !amakrishna.
Any te:hni<;e that enables a yogi to s;blimate his virility within his organism merits approval.
(hatever he does o;tside his organism :annot be :alled yoga. &or a yoga witho;t yamas and
niyamas does not e?ist. 'ven the very profo;nd maith;na pra:ti:es Ai.e. rit;al :ohabitationB of the
Shaktism :;lt :an be a:knowledged as a symboli: ba:kgro;nd of a religio;s rit;al9 b;t not this
te:hni<;e of ;niting pleas;re with the benefits of yoga. So let ;s take a deto;r aro;nd Or:;s into the
TH' )A+"HAS
p;rer fields of k;ndalini.
CHAT'! 13
TH' SHA$T#
everything so far has really been only preparation. 'verything essential has been a::omplished9
e?:ept the most essentialD the raising of k;ndalini. To be s;re9 the yogi is now :apable ot going into
deep meditationI he :an p;t his body into a deathlike stateI and he :an fan or <;en:h the inner fire.
He has :omplete :ontrol over the f;n:tions of his body. All in all9 he is master of hatha yoga.
);t what of itK He is still only an insignifi:ant apprenti:e of raCa yoga. (e have already seen that it
is not the bodily f;n:tions and their :ontrol that :o;nt. "e:isive is the degree of total
perfe:tion@@physi:al9 mental9 and spirit;al. 1astery of hatha yoga is only a preliminary to the
mastery of raCa yoga.
This final :hapter of the third stage of training is :on:erned with the last9 tho;gh the most
magnifi:ent of all physi:al phenomenaD the g;iding of the k;ndalini serpent thro;gh the vario;s
:hakras to its highest goal9 the sahasrara. +ote9 however9 that it does not bring in the all@important
phenomena that :hara:teriGe absol;te :ons:io;sness9 the essen:e of raCa yoga. The
te:hni:al@dynami: pro:ess whi:h is ta;ght in the following will lead ;p to that goal to whi:h art
&o;r is devoted.
A134B # now des:ribe shakti :alana kriya MliterallyD the a:tion that loosens the inner power of nat;reN.
$;titangi9 k;ndalini9 bh;Cangi9 shkti9 ishvari9 k;ndali9 ar;ndhatiD all these are names for the same
shakti.
Shakti is the name for all dynami: for:es of nat;re. The release of the shakti in man :orresponds in
its effe:t dire:tly to the release of the latent shakti in the atom. Thro;gh n;:lear fission we do not
:all forth an e?ternal power9 b;t simply release the power latent in the atom. #n man too repose
;ns;spe:ted powers that do not manifest materially blit a:t with e<;al for:e on the mental plane9
whi:h in t;rn rea:ts on the spirit;al plane. (e need s;:h an atomi: spirit;al power in order to rea:h
the goal of the yogi. (ith o;r threadbare everyday intelle:t we get nowhere. #t leads ;s9 if anywhere9
into a hopeless blind alley.
(here else :an we find the needed for:es for the highest goal9 if not from within o;r own selvesK
Sin:e there is a path to liberation9 there also m;st e?ist the means to p;rs;e it to the end. And all the
means that we re<;ire to rea:h o;r ;ltimate goal9 however high it may be9 lie within ;s. The problem
is only how to release them.
A130@113B As one opens the door with a key9 so the yogi sho;ld open the gate to liberation
MmokshaN with the k;ndalini. The great goddess Mk;ndaliniN steeps9 :losing with her mo;th the
opening thro;gh whi:h one :an as:end to the brahmarandhra A:rown of the headB9 to that pla:e
where there is neither pain nor s;ffering. The k;ndalini sleeps above the kanda Mwhere the nadis
:onvergeN. She gives liberation to the yogi and bondage to the fool. He who knows k;ndalini knows
yoga. @@The k;ndalini9 it is said9 is :oiled like a serpent. He who :an ind;:e her to move M;pwardN
is liberated. There is no do;bt abo;t it. @@)etween Ganga and Yam;na sits a yo;ng widow9
aro;sing :ompassion. One sho;ld despoil her9 for this leads to the s;preme seat of 6ishn; Mher
spo;se in sahasraraN. The sa:red Ganga is ida MnodiN and Yam;na if pin gala MnodiN. )etween ida
TH' SHA$T#
and pingala sits the yo;ng widow k;ndalini.
A111B Yo; sho;ld awaken the sleeping serpent by grasping its tad. The shakti9 when aro;sed9 moves
;pward.
On:e more remember the :h;rning of the o:ean of milk. The demons seiGed the head of the snake9
the gods took hold of the tail9 and th;s the work was a::omplished.
Here we have the same pro:ess. The physi:ally manifested powers9 prana and apana9 p;ll on the
headI that is where the :;rrent flows into the s;sh;mna9 whi:h is :losed by the head of the serpent.
The spirit;al for:es9 however9 work from the tail. (e will presently learn abo;t the nat;re of these
spirit;al for:es.
A11%B After inhaling thro;gh the right nostril perform k;m@bhaka a::ording to the r;les. Then
manip;late the shakfi for an ho;r and a half9 both at s;nrise and at s;nset.
);t didn-t we learn before that we sho;ld pra:ti:e eight ho;rs a dayK And now s;ddenly only at
dawn and d;sk P Here we have an e?ample of bow easily the words of a se:ret tea:hing :an be
misleading.
(e have to ;nderstand that last senten:e symboli:ally. The shakti sho;ld be manip;lated for an ho;r
and a half from two sides Ahead and tailB9 from the side of the s;nrise AaboveB and from the side of
the s;nset AbelowB. Here we m;st know the followingD hatha yoga is :omprised of Byoti AlightB and
mantra Aso;ndB. This passage means that the powers are awakened by means of the ;pper sphere of
vibrations AlightB9 whi:h e?tends from the :osmi: ether rays thro;gh the ;ltra :olors to infrared9 the
rays of heatI and they are also awakened thro;gh the lower
sphere of vibrations9 from s;personi: so;nd down to the lowest plane of vibrations. These are the
means by whi:h the k;nda@lini sho;ld be manip;lated Hfrom the tail9H the means ;sed by the gods.
The attrib;tes that $rishna holds in his fo;r hands symboliGe these potentials. The symbol of prana is
with Siva.
A115B The kanda M;pon whi:h the k;ndatini rests with its tailN lies above the an;s and e?tends fo;r
in:hes. #t is des:ribed as of ro;nd shape9 and as tho;gh :overed by a pie:e of soft white :loth.
#n order to awaken the k;ndalini9 the yogi has to know the plane of light Aor :olorB vibrations as well
as the plane of so;nd vibrations that :orrespond to the m;landhara :hakra9 and has to proCe:t the
respe:tive light and so;nd symbols onto that white :loth Aof the kandaB. );t these two symbols are
C;st as se:ret as those of the other :hakras9 and only the initiated :an know them9 for they arethe keys
to the most vital gate of yoga9 to the spirit;al atomi: for:e that :an bring blessings or destr;:tion.
(hatever has been revealed in the :o;rse of the :ent;ries@@ :arelessly noted and dis:overed by
others9 betrayed by talkative st;dents@@these se:ret symbols have es:aped that fate. And even when
single elements be:ome known9 the system has remained impervio;s be:a;se the initiated have
always :aref;lly kept the essentials to themselves. This is d;e to the e?tremely dis:riminating :are of
the tea:her in sele:ting his st;dents9 and also to the fa:t that the spirit;al res;lts of this s:ien:e
mat;re only after the long and stren;o;s pra:ti:e of meditation. #f the ;ninitiated9 even a s:ientist9
dis:overed some of these things Aparti:;larly those :on:erning the mantra systemB9 he wo;ld not
know what to do with them. He is therefore skepti:al from the very beginningI and it is highly
do;btf;l that a skepti: wo;ld be willing to re:ite mantras that seem senseless to him for three ho;rs
daily. 'ven the non@skepti: seldom possesses the strength @to a::omplish this from 5D33 to 7D33
TH' SHA$T#
a.m. ersonal weakness is ;s;ally the best safeg;ard against the ab;se of se:ret tea:hings.
Three :omponents9 when ;nited9 lead to s;::ess in g;iding the k;ndalini ;pwardD the spirit;al9
mental9 and physi:al powers9 as represented in the pra:ti:e of asanas9 prana9 and light and so;nd
meditation. So on:e more body post;res are in:l;dedD
A114@117B Seated in the vaCrasana post;re Msee
&ig;re 1%B9 firmly hold the feet near the angles and beat against the kanda. #n the post;re of
vaCrasana the yogi sho;ld ind;:e the k;ndalini to move. Then he sho;ld do bhastrika k;mbhaka.
Th;s the k;ndalini will be <;i:kly awakened. Then he sho;ld :ontra:t the Hs;nH Mthro;gh ;ddiyana
bandhaN and th;s ind;:e the k;ndalini to rise. 'ven tho;gh he may be in the Caws of death9 the yogi
has nothing to fear.
The earlier referen:e to light and so;nd a:t;ally belongs in art &o;r9 whi:h is why the te?t referred
to it only indire:tly. Here in the last few slokas of art Three9 dis:;ssion is limited to the essentials
of a:tive yoga.
A118@1%%B (hen one moves the k;ndalini fearlessly for abo;t an ho;r and a half9 she is drawn
;pward a little thro;gh the s;sh;mna. #n this way she nat;rally leaves the opening of the s;sh;mna
free and is :arried ;pward by the prana :;rrent9 in this way one sho;ld daily move the k;ndaiini. The
yogi who does this is freed from disease. The yogi who moves the shakti gains the siddhis. (hy talk
abo;t it so m;:hK (ith ease he :on<;ers time. That yogi only who leads the life of a :elibate
Mbrahma:hariN and observes a moderate9 healthf;l diet will rea:h perfe:tion in the proper
manip;lation of the k;ndalini9 within 40 days. On:e the k;ndalini has been set into motion he sho;ld
persistently pra:ti:e bhastrika k;mbhaka. He who is perfe:t in yamas and pra:ti:es th;s need never
fear death Mthro;gh his own k;ndaliniN.
The alert reader will have noti:ed that in these and the previo;s slokas only the motion of the
k;ndalini is mentioned9 and that she Hrises slightly in the s;sh;mnaH@@that is9 so far as she does not
en:o;nter the resistan:e of the ne?t vibration level.
(e also note in the last senten:e that when the k;ndalini is p;t into motion we sho;ld do bhastrika
k;mbhaka. How is this possible when everything stops d;ring the deathlike state9 in:l;ding breathK
The real meaning of the sloka is thisD on:e we have s;::eeded in p;tting k;ndalini into motion we
sho;ld emphasiGe bhastrika k;mbhaka d;ring the daily hatha yoga pra:ti:e9 be:a;se this in:reases
prana prod;:tion. The amo;nt of prana available often makes the differen:e between life and death9
for if the k;ndalini is led ;pward and Athro;gh some error in pra:ti:eB the prana is premat;rely
e?ha;sted9 there is immediate danger of death for the yogi.
A1%5@1%0B (hat other ways are there to prevent the poll;tion of the 8%9333 nadisK @@The s;sh;mna
is straightened thro;gh asanas9 pranayama and the m;dras. @@He who pra:ti:es this with ;nflagging
:on:entration obtains siddhi powers thro;gh shambhavi and the m;dras.
The first senten:e :o;ld be translated into modern lang;age as followsI above all9 do not allow the
nadis to be:ome imp;re9 be:a;se then all else is in vain. The ne?t senten:e saysD keep on pra:ti:ing
the first and se:ond steps9 for if the s;sh;mna reverts to its old :rooked shape the path of the
k;ndalini is impeded. And the third senten:eD in any event remain tir:lessly :on:entrated.
A1%7@1%.B (itho;t raCa yoga there is no HearthHD witho;t raCa yoga no HnightHI ;seless are all m;dras
TH' SHA$T#
witho;t raCa yoga. All pranayamas sho;ld be :ond;:ted with :on:entrated mind. The wise man does
not permit his mind to wander d;ring the Mpra:ti:eN time. Th;s have the ten m;dras been des:ribed
by ,ord Siva. One who is replete with yama Mart 19
18N rea:hes siddhis thro;gh ea:h of the m;dras. @@He who tea:hes the se:ret of these m;dras as
transmitted from g;r; to g;r;9 he is the real g;r; and :an be :alled #shvara in h;man form.
The HearthH is the a:tivated m;ladhara :hakra9 HnightH is the state in whi:h the HlightH shines bright9
that light whi:h we will presently dis:;ss. &rom HearthH rises the k;ndalini9 winding itself ;p on the
Tree of ,ife to sahasrara9 the :rown of the headI and from her ;nion with the highest prin:iple
originates the
fr;it whi:h she tenders to the seeker9 the fr;it from the Tree of $nowledge. Th;s the yogi be:omes
#shvara AGodB in h;man formD 'ritis si:;t de;s9 s:ientes bon;m et mal;m AGen. 5.0B.
Over and over again the :on:entrated mind is mentioned9 the mind that m;st remain within itself.
(e haye learned the art of the m;dra. +ow let-s try to tra:k down its se:ret.
A153B He who :aref;lly follows the words of the g;r;9 and attentively pra:ti:es the m;dras will
obtain the siddhis9 as well as the art of de:eiving death.
And with this let ;s :limb to the last and highest step of yoga.
A!T &O/!
TH' SHA$T#
ASS#6' YOGA
CHAT'! ##
SA1A"H#
#magine that on the first morning after 'aster va:ation9 a professor enters his :lassroom and
anno;n:esD H,adies and gentlemen9 forget everything that yo; have learned so far. 'verything that
yo; have had to :ram into yo;r head so far was good and important9 b;t it was only ne:essary for the
lower :lasses. +ow that yo; are working for yo;r finals and are abo;t to grad;ate9 we will pay
attention only to the essential9 namely9 the knowledge of o;rselves.H
'veryone freeGes. All those years of worrying9 the wakef;l nights9 the e?pensive books9 the pain of
memoriGing@@everything ;seless9 senselessK The top st;dent C;mps ;p. He fights for the fr;its of
those painf;l yearsD his high grades whi:h are abo;t to be :ompletely forgotten.
The professor smiles. HYo; are now going from the seminar room o;t into real life. There yo; won-t
be asked whether yo; have :aref;lly analyGed lato9 b;t whether yo; :an be a ;sef;l member of the
State in the sense of the platoni: polis. Hardly any of yo; will have o::asion in his profession to
work with tangents and pi-s. &orget the r;les and laws@@b;t never forget that yo; have had the
opport;nity9 thro;gh the laws of mathemati:s9 to glimpse the great ;niversal lawsI and remember
that these laws are valid even where we do not yet have form;las. H&orget the senten:es that yo; had
to memoriGeI b;t remember that their meaning has now be:ome se:ond nat;re to yo;. #t is in the
forgetting of the me:hani:al pro:ess that the effe:t of real knowing is prod;:ed. +ow the mind is
:ompletely free and :an give f;ll attention to its own self. #f yo; still feel the need to have re:o;rse
to the first three stages9 yo; are not ready for the fo;rth stage. Yo; are ready only when all yo;r
spirit;al efforts are devoted to this fo;rth stage. On:e again9 forget the tea:hings9 for now yo; have
e?perien:e. ,et ;s beginDH
A1B 6eneration to Siva9 the g;r; who is in the form of nada9 bind; and kala. He who is th;s devoted
rea:he-s the maya@free state.
(e have to pay :aref;l attention here9 for this devotional senten:e harbors some vital informationD
Shiva who is in the form of nada9 bind; and kala.
#t is not diffi:;lt to ;nderstand this9 provided one is willing to st;dy the intri:ate symbolism of
#ndian tantra. However9 that is not the p;rpose of this book. (e want to t;rn dire:tly to the pra:ti:al
side of the problem.
,et ;s imagine the strange :ase of a man who wants to re:reate the ;niverse. &irst he m;st de:ide
what he re<;ires. His answer to this is H<;ite simplyH vibrations. (hat kind of vibrations wo;ld o;r
pres;mpt;o;s :reator needK
,et ;s :lassify. The highest range of vibration is that of :osmi: rays9 whi:h we term HlightH for shortI
the middle range is Hheat9H and the lowest range Hso;nd.H );t man too is part of the ;niverse9 and
sin:e every part of the :reation is s;bCe:t to the same laws9 let o;r H:reatorH limit himself for the time
being to the :reation of man from his arsenal of vibrations. This man is a me:hanism of the most
manifold for:es9 and tenden:ies that in their theoreti:al totality bear the name of Siva. And sin:e the
:omposition of the ;niverse is not different from that of man9
ASS#6' YOGA
and they both ares;bCe:t to the same great law9 this Siva is :reated o;t of the lower range of
vibrations9 Hso;ndH AnadaB and the highest9 HlightH AkalaB. A(e will speak abo;t the middle range
later.B
);t C;st as the ;niverse is not a dynamo9 neither is man a ma:hine9 for he ;nderstands Hso;ndH as a
:on:ept9 as a name9 and HlightH as image9 as form. #n this too he :orresponds to the :osmos9 where
divine for:es9 finer than matter9 r;le in profo;nd regions. );t let ;s remain with man.
He :omprehends. #n other words9 he not only e?ists b;t he knows himself. 'verything in him is a
pro:ess s;stained by a for:e9 a pro:ess that is in fa:t itself this for:e9 the for:e of nat;re. And this
for:e of nat;re Aprakriti or shaktiB is inseparable from him9 the Siva. #n fa:t9 witho;t this for:e he
wo;ld not e?ist9 for their relationship is the polarity of all beings.
Th;s9 as stated9 man :omprehends himself. And what he :omprehends is not only the te:hni:al
pro:ess of vibrations9 b;t also the finer aspe:t of bind;9 the prin:iple of intelligen:e. Th;s Siva is not
only nada Aso;ndB and kala AlightB b;t also bind; AsenseB.
The middle range of vibrations AheatB is9 as we already know9 the metabolism. );t this HfireH is not
sheerly biologi:alI it too has its finer aspe:t9 its bind;. #n art Three9 we saw how we :an infl;en:e
this fire in an indire:t way by inhibiting it thro;gh the Hne:tar.H
+ow when the yogi wishes to prod;:e his highest and lowest vibration fields to give new :hara:ter
to his personality Awhi:h :onsists of these two ranges of vibrationB9 he wo;ld fo;nder hopelessly if
he addressed himself dire:tly to his whole personality with all its fields of vibrations.
#nstead9 he has to learn to work on the H:entersH of energy9 the :hakras. And his whole ed;:ation is
pointed in this dire:tion. (hat part do these :hakras play on the different levels of vibrationK ,et-s
analyGe a word@@something that has had a magi:al :hara:ter from time immemorial@@and let-s try9
with this word as an e?ample9 to :larify the inner pro:esses.
Take yo;r own name and prono;n:e it slowly9 :learly9 and a;dibly. A m;ltiple rea:tion takes pla:eD
1. The prono;n:ed word evoked by the throat :hakra rings o;t9 );t if yo; have :aref;lly
registered this so;nd with the physi:al :ar9 yo; have heard the so;nd and nothing more.
%. +ow pay attention not to the so;nd9 b;t to the sense. +ot the s;::ession of letters b;t the
name is o;r :hief interest. This involves the heart :hakra. The word evokes a feeling9 be:a;se
this time yo; did not listen as attentively9 b;t be:ame more deeply involved internally.
5. +ow don-t pay attention atallI try to o::;py yo;r mind elsewhere9 and let yo;rself be
spoken to by yo;r own name. '?pe:t nothing9 C;st be addressed ;n:ons:io;sly by yo;r name.
Again something else happensD yo; are startled. #t is as tho;gh someone s;ddenly9
;ne?pe:tedly9 :alled yo; by nameD something like an ina;dible signal res;lts every time. And
this third plane of vibrations9 the so;r:e of yo;r personality9 lies in the root :hakra9 the
m;ladhara :hakra9 at the lowest end of the spinal :ol;mn9 seat of the k;ndalini. (ith this
e?ample we have presented the three levels on whi:h vibrations9 both light and so;nd9 :an
manifestD :oarse9 fine9 and abstra:tI orD per:eptible thro;gh the senses9 per:eptible thro;gh
feeling9 and per:eptible thro;gh int;ition.
The :orresponding manifestations of these three levels of re:eption are also threefoldD physi:al
ASS#6' YOGA
per:eption thro;gh :on:entration AdharanaB9 mental per:eption thro;gh meditation AdhyanaB9 and
spirit;al per:eption in :omplete absorption AsamadhiB.
)efore dis:;ssing these three methods of per:eption e?tensively in their relation to raCa yoga9 let ;s
:ompare them with the above e?ample of the name.
1. +oting with the senses Atone with ears or image with eyesB.
%. !e:eption thro;gh feeling A(hat is the meaning of this or that symbolKB
5. +othingI the re:eption Hspeaks for itselfH be:a;se everything :on:ept;al is eliminated.
+othing m;:h :an be said abo;t +o. 1. #t means per:eption and nothing more9 in the way an animal
per:eivesD p;re sensory per:eption. This is the area of me:hani:al learning.
ro:esses on the se:ond plane are :onsidered more :ompli:ated9 for here we have to pres;me an
immanent spirit;al primordial entity9 whi:h resembles a t;ning fork in that when approa:hed by a
similar fre<;en:y of so;nd Aor imageB it will vibrate with it. Here the HmeaningH penetrates the shell
of appearan:es and hits the hidden opposite pole of :ons:io;sness9 with whi:h it :ondenses into a
dynami: mental pro:ess. The fa:t that HmeaningH here does not ne:essarily indi:ate the Hlogi:al
meaning of the wordH is intelle:t;ally diffi:;lt to grasp.
)efore the st;dent begins his meditation on the symbols s;ggested by his g;r; he has to root them
and their inner meaning within himself9 for it is not eno;gh to adopt an apparently meaningless
pattern of so;nd or form Mmantra and yantraN and give them an arbitrary sense. He has to absorb the
symbols so that they :an freely ;nfold their nat;ral for:es to mobiliGe the ar:hetypal spirit;al
powers9 for s;:h is their p;rpose. They m;st be:ome as meaningf;l as one-s proper name or one-s
own mirror image.
)efore beginning to work with these symbols meditatively he m;st take his main ArosaryB and
prono;n:e every syllable of the given so;nd symbol AmantraB 1339333 times ACapaB while viewing
the :orresponding form symbol AyantraB. On:e this is done@@and he starts pra:ti:e early Msee art
One9 :hapter 18N@@ he has rea:hed the beginning of his powers. )y then the mantra has be:ome
nameD the name of the deity that dwells within him. #t is the name of Siva Aor one of his powersB9 for
every yogi knows HSivoham9H # am Siva.
1antra be:omes the key word9 yantra the g;idepost to the inner worlds whose so;r:e he m;st find.
These inner spheres are f;ndamentally9 primordially a dark9 ine?tri:able9 labyrinth and even he who
knows the ;ltimate goal needs a g;ide in order not to go hopelessly astray9 for the intelle:t9 like an
;n:lean garment9 is dis:arded at the entran:e to this mysterio;s world. #t wo;ld be of absol;tely no
help anyway. The symbol alone is Ariadne-s thread9 the magnet that p;lls the seeker toward the other
pole that is part of himself. #n the light of everyday reason the symbol seems strange and
in:omprehensible9 b;t in the depth of the ;n:ons:io;s it rea:hes a :larity that tho;ght has never
e?perien:ed. All this9 of :o;rse9 is valid only for one who has learned to delve below the s;rfa:e of
:ons:io;sness into the s;b:ons:io;s9 for him who has mastered the art of meditation9 the art of
samadhi.
A%@8B # now will speak of samadhi9 whi:h :on<;ers death and whi:h leads to bliss and ;nion with
)rahman. @@!aCa yoga9 samadhi9 ;nmani9 manomani9 immortality9 dissol;tion9
empti@ness@b;t@not@emptiness9 the highest state9 passivity of the intelle:t9 non@d;alism9
ASS#6' YOGA
beginninglessness9 p;rity9 liberation in this lifetime9 the primordial state9 and t;riya Athe &o;rth
StateB9 all these are synonyms. @@J;st as a grain of salt dissolves in water and be:omes one with it9
so also in samadhi there o::;rs the ;nion of mind with atman. 1ind dissolves in breath and breath
s;bsides. )oth be:ome one in samadhi. This state of e<;ilibri;m res;lts
from the ;nion of the Civatman and the paramatman. (hen mind th;s is :alm we are in samadhi.
The last two slokas :ontain three pairs of C;?taposed termsD mind and atmanI mind and prana
AbreathBI Civatman and paramatman. To ;nderstand the meaning of samadhi9 we m;st ;nderstand the
signifi:an:e of these paired terms.
1ind and atmanD HA.
tho;ght MmindN has C;st :ome to me MatmanN9H says the st;dent. HTo whomKH asks the g;r;. HTo
whom :ame what9 and where did it :ome from K Are these three separate thingsD yo;9 yo;r mind9 and
the tho;ght pro:essKH
1ind and breath-.
HHere is a pro:ess9H the st;dent thinks d;ring pranayama9 Hand # am deta:hed9 wat:hing the pro:ess.H
This refle:tion is the :ontrary of samadhi9 the ;nifi:ation. J;st as the theatergoer does not thinkD
HHere # am and there is the play9H b;t identifies with the play9 forgets himself9 forgets the pro:ess9 is
absorbed in the play9 in the immedia:y of a deep e?perien:e. As soon as he be:omes aware of
himself and knows he is here and the theater there9 it is the intelle:t at work that destroys his
involvement and with this he loses the essential9 the spirit;al e?perien:e.
Jivatman and paramatmanD
Jivatman is the individ;al self9 paramatman the absol;te9 the divine Self. The ;niverse :onsists of
energy and matter9 nothing more. This energy is always one and the same9 regardless of how it
manifests itself to o;r sensesD as ele:tri:ity9 the motion of the air9 the density of matter9 or the beating
of the heart. #t is the energy that is inherent in prayer and the energy that answers prayer. The
meas;re and the mass of this energy seems diverse only be:a;se of the vario;s kinds of matter
thro;gh whi:h it manifests. 'nergy@in@itself is param@atman9 Hthe energy whi:h :reates the
personality of the living self.H #f # now s;::eed in e?perien:ing the inner meaning9 the
interrelationship of this threefold C;?taposition Asheer intelle:t;al refle:tion is of little ;seB9 then
samadhi Athe esstablishtnent of onenessB is realiGed. The real One is then re:ogniGed.
A*@.B He who re:ogniGes the tr;e meaning of raCa yoga :an by the gra:e of the g;r; a:hieve
realiGation9 liberation9 inner steadfastness and the siddhis. (itho;t the gra:e of the g;r; and witho;t
indifferen:e to worldly things re:ognition of Tr;th9 Mattainment ofN samadhi9 is impossible.
The Hgra:e of the g;r;H is his readiness to hand the st;dent the key to s;::essD the yantras9 the
mantras9 and their appli:ation.
1ore important at this stage is the Hindifferen:e to worldly things.H The professional theater :riti: is
not s;pposed to be deta:hed from the world9 he m;st keep his intelle:t alert. Only when he no longer
s;::eeds in this and is :arried away by the a:tion does he re:ogniGe and admit that what has
happened to him is that whi:h from time immemorial has been most important to man. There was a
real e?perien:eI the so;l was to;:hedI worldly matters s;ddenly lost their attra:tion. (hat is really
ASS#6' YOGA
gripping is always the spirit;al e?perien:e and never the intelle:t;al9 and the more ne;tral we
be:ome toward worldly Aintelle:t;alB things9 the more open we be:ome to real e?perien:e. The less
:riti:ally we wat:h the magi:ian-s fingers9 the more startling are his tri:ks. The :riti: may know
more9 b;t he e?perien:es less.
Yet it wo;ld be an error to ;nderstand this ;n:riti:al attit;de as blind a::eptan:e of every de:eption.
The :riti:al intelle:t :an absorb only the ;nessential part of a so@:alled tr;th9 while real Tr;th
reveals itself on a higher level9 in the realm of the so;l. CiviliGed man differs from primitive man in
that9 among other things9 he separates and obCe:tifies with :riti:al intelle:t.
);t with this he immediately :loses the door to a real ;nderstanding of spirit;al prin:iples or
religion.
,a:k of tho;ght is not advo:ated as a prin:ipleI the :apa:ity to break the fetters of the intelle:t at the
:r;:ial moment is what really :o;nts. Similarly9 the ideal is not the blind f;ry of the raging elements9
b;t the art to release those for:es and then :ontrol them.
A13B (hen the k;ndalini has been raised thro;gh the pra:ti:e of osanas9 k;mbhakas and m;dras9 then
emptiness
Ms;nyaN absorbs prana.
'mptiness Afrom any dis:riminating intelle:tB and the pro:ess of the prana :;rrent be:ome oneI th;s
all inner for:es are:on:entrated on the one pro:ess9 the rising of the k;ndalini.
A11B The yogi who has raised the k;ndalini and has freed himself from all :linging karma will rea:h
samadhi nat;rally.
A1%B (hen prana flows thro;gh the s;sh;mna and the mind is dissolved in emptiness
Ms;nyaN then the perfe:t yogi destroys all karma.
Th;s Samadhi is the karma@free state. One :o;ld also sayD the state of :ons:io;sness established in
oneness ne;traliGes the effe:ts of fate.
#ndian religion ass;mes that the fate of man is the nat;ral res;lt of his deeds. HAs yo; think and a:t9
so yo; :reate yo;r fate9H is the saying. The less we :ontrol o;r tho;ghts9 the more haphaGard will be
the :o;rse of o;r life. This is not a <;estion of good and evil9 b;t simply of doing or not doing9 of a
dire:ting of o;r intentions and of their nat;ral effe:t on o;r endeavors. This view is p;rely
psy:hologi:al and to be ;nderstood only as s;:h. A divine power is at play only in so far as this
logi:al law e?ists at all.
This karma Ares;lt of a:tionB e?ists only as long as man is dependent on the relative val;es of this
world. #f his :ons:io;sness is established in the Absol;te9 independent of time and spa:e9
independent from all dynami:s in stati: :ondition9 then there is for him no a:tion Anot even a mental
a:tion or a:tion of willB and no effe:t :an take pla:e9 be:a;se effe:t only res;lts from :a;se9 and
absol;te9 stati: )eing :annot prod;:e :a;se. Sin:e karma is a time@:onditioned :on:ept9 it is
eliminated as soon as time no longer e?ists. &or where there is no flow of time there :an be no
happenings9 and when nothing happens there is no :a;se for an effe:t9 and H:a;se@effe:tH is a
synonym for karma.
ASS#6' YOGA
A15B Sal;tation to Thee9 oh #mmortal One. 'ven time9 into whose Caws falls the movable and
immovable ;niverse9 has been :on<;ered by Thee.
Samadhi is the most prodigio;s9 the most far@rea:hing a:hievement of a yogi. &or9 being free from
time9 as he is in this state9 he is also beyond the bonds of death9 beyond rebirth9 beyond all karmas9
whi:h hold in their :l;t:hes all the world-s pain.
Of :o;rse he is not liberated with his first s;::essf;l pra:ti:e9 for in this samadhi the karmi: seeds
that lie dormant within him are not destroyed. 'a:h :hakra :ontrols :ertain karmi: tenden:ies. Only
when the k;ndalini for:e a:tivates one :hakra after another will the respe:tive binding for:e be
dissolved. &or a:tivating the :hakras means gaining insight into the parti:;lar plane that has been
rea:hed. And gaining insight means dissol;tion of that spe:ifi: karma. To mention C;st a few
e?amplesD #n the m;ladhara :hakra there is the karma of e?isten:eI in svadhisthana :hakra that whi:h
is born from the # Tho; rela@
tionshipI in manip;ra :hakra the karma res;lting from ambitions for power.
Samadhi9 of :o;rse9 is not the only way to liberation9 b;t it is the most radi:al and within the
framework of this parti:;lar yoga the most essential.
CHAT'! 1%
1#+" A+" )!'ATH
mind and prana9 so it is said9 are one9 and th;s mind and breath are interdependent. (here there is
breath there is tho;ghtI witho;t breath the a:tivities of the mind will dry ;p.
These rather ;n;s;al assertions m;st be investigated f;rther9 for they are the :ore of raCa yoga. #t is
not by a::ident that the German word Atem AbreathB9 and the Sanskrit term atman Athe selfB have the
same root. #n o;r ;nderstanding9 to :ease breathing means to die. #n yoga tea:hing it may mean death
b;t does not ne:essarily. Certainly9 :ons:io;sness in a general sense disappears along with breath9
b;t what really happens after that we do not know. H/n:ons:io;snessH is a meaningless term. "o we
really know whether dying and being dead arethe same thing9 whether so@:alled ;n:ons:io;sness
does not en:ompass inn;merable s;b:ons:io;s statesK These are C;st a few problems relating to
:ons:io;sness. (e :an be:ome :ons:io;s only of events that refle:t states9 never of states. (e are
;nable to grasp with o;r :ons:io;s mind a state that is not refle:ted by an event.
(e are aware of some of o;r tho;ght pro:esses9 among others those that bring the self into realityD
this is Hself@:ons:io;sness.H 'verything that # per:eive9 re:ogniGe and C;dge is a part of my self9 for
my already e?isting relationship to the per:eived indi:ates that the image of the obCe:t is already part
of my store
of e?perien:e9 and that # therefore already have that karma@prod;:ing element Athe
previo;sly@e?perien:ed obCe:tB HwithinH me. And my relation to the obCe:t is karmi:ally
:onditioned9 as well as karma@prod;:ing. #t is th;s an integral part of my personality.
To the #ndian mind it means that we are ;nder an ill;sion so long as we :onsider the self as a
:onstant ;nit that whi:h e?ists in itself and does not res;lt from the s;m total of :ons:io;sness
fa:tors. Th;s the total of what # HknowH Aeven s;b:ons:io;slyB is my self.
1#+" A+" )!'ATH
The ill;sion abo;t h;man personality is f;ndamental. (here do we get o;r :on:ept of h;man
personalityK As long as we do not get to the root of this <;estion9 we fall vi:tim to ill;sion after
ill;sion.
(e wat:h o;r :onversation partner9 re:ogniGing Hin himH his personality. (e :ons:io;sly look above
all at the eyes9 pres;ming that these organs9 designed for seeing9 arealso the mirror of the personality.
);t while we are th;s wat:hing the eyes in m;:h the same way as we previo;sly observed the so;nd
of o;r name9 they s;ddenly do not seem so important any moreI in fa:t9 they be:ome insignifi:ant in
relationship to the whole personality. The same is tr;e when we observe other single :omponentsD
mo;th9 nose9 :he:ks9 or forehead. Only the s;m total of all makes ;p the personality. (e realiGe that
by observing the details we miss the essen:e. #t is as tho;gh we were wat:hing the glass rather than
the image in the mirror. Then we realiGe that not even the s;m total of all these details gives ;s the
living image of the whole. );t what is itK
The h;man personality is not Hin@itsdf9H it only be:omes9 within ;s. #f we look me:hani:ally at the
s;rfa:e we see nothing b;t the s;rfa:e. O;r inner being alone9 not the eye9 :an see behind the
s;rfa:e. (e have no spe:ifi: name for this s;btle inner organ. Heart9 int;ition9 feeling9 so;l9 inner
eye@@all these are :;rrent e?pressions whi:h are as familiar as they are vag;e9 altho;gh they all
e?press the right thing.
So let ;s look with nonme:hani:al eyes behind the s;rfa:e9 then we see the image of the obCe:t
within o;rselves inwardly. HSeeingH is only a small fra:tion of per:eiving whi:h essentially means to
melt the Ao;terB image and the AinteriorB :on:ept into oneD sim;ltaneo;sly to see and :o feel. And it is
the same way with everything that we per:eive with o;r sense organs. #n reality it is not only sense
per:eption9 for all senses are only tools9 organs of :omm;ni:ation.
This9 o;r personality@shaping inner world in its s;m total9 is atman. Yet the tho;sand little stones
that make ;p a mosai: are9 in their m;ltit;de9 far from being a pi:t;re. "e:isive is the manner in
whi:h they are p;t together into a pattern. #t is this ;nity alone that :reates the :omplete impression9
not analyti:al observationI it is the inner per:eption that is based on something higher than the s;m
total of the individ;al pie:es.
These :o;ntless elements of :ons:io;sness are ;nited into the living total personality thro;gh prana9
whi:h has its so;r:e in breath. Th;s the spirit9 the h;man essen:e9 is born of breath. And so9 in a
way9 we breathe in the world9 and breathe it o;t in the HformH of the personality th;s :reated. The
problem that :on:erns yoga is the :reation of a harmonio;s relationship between the stati:
personality :omponents Athe atman9 the mosai: pi:t;reB and the dynami: personality Athe :reative
artist-s mindB. #n #ndian terms9 this means the harmonio;s marriage between stati: ;r;sha and
dynami: rakriti AshaktiB9 between the h;man personality and its inherent for:es9
A14B (hen the mind it still9 ;nited with the atman9 and prana flows thro;gh the s;sh;mna then Meven
the e?traordinaryN amaroli9 vayoli and sahoColi :an be rea:hed Mthat is. to vol;ntarily reverse the flow
of semenN.
#n other words9 there is no limit to the e?tent of a::omplishments.
A10B How :an one rea:h perfe:tion of knowledge
MCnanaN when the breath is still living Min :ons:io;sness- and the mind Mas a manifesting for:e
separate from itN has not diedK He who :an :a;se prana and mind to be:ome s;spended9 one
1#+" A+" )!'ATH
thro;gh the other9 rea:hes liberation.
A17B On:e he knows the se:ret9 how to find the way to the s;sh;mna and how to ind;:e the air to
enter it9 he sho;ld settle down in a s;itable pla:e Mand not restN ;ntil Mthe k;ndalini has rea:hedN the
:rown of the head MbrahmarandhraN.
(e already know why this is ne:essary. The :hakras9 these a:tivity :enters of karma9 have been
penetrated9 and sin:e the yogi-s karma has th;s been eliminated so that his mind is no longer s;llied
and led astray by blindness and ignoran:e9 this ill;minated mind :an now melt with the atman into
perfe:t ;nion. This takes pla:e in the brahmarandhra9 in the sahashrara :hakra.
A18B S;n and moon :a;se day and night. The s;sh;mna MhoweverN swallows time. This is a se:ret.
Here is an odd fa:tD if yo; observe the flow of breath for a whole day yo; will observe that yo;
breathe more intensely at times thro;gh the right nostril and at other times thro;gh the leftI now the
right nostril seems stopped ;p and now the left. #t seldom o::;rs that we breathe evenly thro;gh both
nostrils. There is always a differen:e9 no matter how slight. This is not d;e to a :old9 b;t to the fa:t
that the s;pply of breath thro;gh the one nostril has a different effe:t on the prana than that thro;gh
the other. )reathing thro;gh the right nostril f;rthers e?troversionI thro;gh the left9 introversion. The
breathing apparat;s reg;lates itself a;tomati:ally9 so that thro;gh the la:k of a:tive elements the left
nostril :loses ;p slightly from the inside9 :a;sing the breath to flow :hiefly thro;gh the right9 and the
a:tive side of the body gets the greater s;pply. 1ental fatig;e is mostly pre:eded by a lengthy period
of breathing thro;gh the left nostril.
One :an Aand fre<;ently doesB even o;t the imbalan:e by intensified one@sided pranayama. );t the
yogi has another method whi:h9 tho;gh applied e?ternally9 has an internal effe:tD He p;ts press;re on
the side of the body whi:h is overa:tive by lying on that side with arm strongly pressed to the body.
Or he ;ses a spe:ial tool that he :arries with himD a short :r;t:h with a :ross beam whi:h he :lamps
into his armpit9 while resting the lower end on the gro;nd where he is sitting. After a few min;tes the
nostril of the side ;pon whi:h press;re is being e?erted will :lose ;p9 and with this the field of prana
:hanges over to the other side.
+ormally the prana flow a;tomati:ally :hanges in a reg;lar rhythm9 ;s;ally every two ho;rs.
The referen:e here to the s;n and the moon is not9 as previo;sly implied9 to the so;r:e of ne:tar and
its opposite pole in the area of the diaphragm9 b;t to the ida nadi AmoonB and the pingala nadi As;nB.
H"ayH means prana s;pply to the pingala nadi Aright nostrilB and HnightH prana to the ida nadi Aleft
nostrilB. The :leansing of the nostrils AnetiB whi:h is part of the shatkarma Asi?fold :leansing pro:essB
is designed to prevent an ;nnat;ral :logging that :an blo:k the nat;ral breathing rhythm.
#f prana is to enter s;sh;mna then there m;st be neither HdayH nor HnightHI breath m;st flow
pre:isely evenly thro;gh both nostrils. This in t;rn pres;pposes an e?a:t balan:e of a:tive and
passive elements. #n short9 only he who has a:hieved :omplete inner e<;ilibri;m :an have s;::ess in
k;ndalini.
A1*@%5B There are 8%9333 nadis in this :age MbodyN. S;sh;mna is the :entral nadi whi:h :ontains the
shabhavi shakti. This has the property of bestowing bliss ;pon the yogi. All others are then ;seless.
@@G;ide the prana into the s;sh;mna and kindle the gastri: fire and awaken the k;ndalini. Only
when prana fiows thro;gh the s;sh;mna wilt there be samadhi. All other methods are f;tile. (hen
breath is s;spended then Mdis:;rsiveN thinking also is s;spended. He who has power over his mind
1#+" A+" )!'ATH
:an also :ontrol prana.
M&orN the two :a;ses that a:tivate the mind are prana MrespirationN and the so;r:es of karma
Mvasanas9 latent tenden:iesN. "eath of one Mof theseN is the death of the other. (hen mind is
absorbed9 breathing s;bsidesD when prana is absorbed in the s;sh;mna Mnot available to the bodyN
then mind also is absorbed.
The deepest sense of this yoga will be ;nderstood only by one who is :onvin:ed that from physi:al
pro:ess to psy:hologi:al e?perien:e and religio;s phenomena there is one straight Aif ;s;ally se:retB
path9 and that none of the three :an e?ist and f;n:tion by itself. He who is prepared to familiariGe
himself with what nat;rally seems to be a strange terminology will find not only :onfirmation of the
most modern knowledge9 b;t the possibility of new insights as well9 for the problem of relationship
between the inner and o;ter worlds will always be a
topi:al one as long as the h;man ra:e e?ists. The last word on it :an never be e?pe:ted9 for ea:h
:;lt;re9 even ea:h phase of individ;al life presents new perspe:tives. #t is by the great visionary
works of anti<;ity that we are most deeply to;:hed@@ we who have be:ome so :lever.
A%4B 1ind and prana are related to ea:h other like milk and water. #f the one dries ;p the other one
also dries ;p. #n whatever :hakra the prana is :on:entrated mind be:omes fi?ed9 and where the mind
is fi?ed prana is :on<;ered.
The fa:t that men-s :;lt;ral levels differ so greatly is not simply a problem of so:ietyI nor does it
depend on ambition9 or even on intelligen:e. #t is really the :hakras that :a;se stratifi:ation in
:;lt;re.
Geni;s is the prod;:t of the highest development potential of that :hakra by whi:h it lives. As long
as o;r mind is not no;rished by that same :hakra we only :omprehend the lower levels. At the
highest level o;r ;nderstanding is no longer limited. There we need no intelle:t;al hintsI we per:eive
the spirit everywhere9 even in silen:e.
The :hakra determines whatever level of development we are on9 and this level determines the
meas;re of o;r :ons:io;sness.
A%0@%8B The one is dependent on the other. They
Mmind and pranaN a:t in ;nison. S;spension of one :a;ses s;spension of the other. (itho;t
intervention the senses Mthe indriyasN be:ome vi:torio;s. #f they Mmind and pranaN are s;spended
there is liberation MmokshaN. The nat;re of mind is like mer:;ryD in :easeless motion. (hen both are
made motionless what on earth :annot be a::omplishedK Oh arvatiP 1er:;ry is held fast and
prana steadyP +ow all diseases are :on<;ered and it is possible to rise into the air.
Al:hemy and magi:@@or only kindred symbolsK 1er:;ry is the symboli: s<;are of the earth9 the
m;landhara :hakra. The al:hemi:al pro:ess represents the rising to the se:ond :hakra9 svadhisthana.
He who trans:ends the three lowest :enters attains the fo;rth :hakra9 anahata9 the vibration domain
of the air. HHe rises into the air.H That is9 he ;ltimately rises above the worldly spheres of earth9
water and fire9 into higher regions. As long as the spirit is not free from the lower spheres9 it is not
Hheld fast.H
A%*B (hen mind is held fast9 prana is also held fast9 as is the bind; in whi:h the sattva element of the
1#+" A+" )!'ATH
body is established.
#n the first sloka of art &o;r we translated the word bind; as Hsense9H Athat is9 the prin:iple of
intelligen:eB. However9 the word is so ambig;o;s that this translation is C;st a stopgap. )ind; may
stand forD drop9 period9 Gero9 seed9 the void. These appear to be <;ite different :on:epts9 and one asks
how the translator :an add a si?th. Here we get a glimpse of the depth of the Sanskrit lang;age9 for
ea:h of these :on:epts has enormo;s signifi:an:e.
eriod AdotB.
#t does not stand like a tombstone at the end of a Sanskrit senten:e9 b;t is the sign for vo:al
vivifi:ation. The dot above the :onsonant Awhi:h is always :onne:ted with a vowelB :hanges a d;ll
ka into a ri:h kam or kang9 a ta into tarn or tang9 pa into pam9 and so on9 thro;gh all the :onsonants.
#t adds vibration to the d;ll so;nd. #t is espe:ially signifi:ant that it raises o from the :hest vibration
to the 3m so;nd in the head9 the higher sphere. Th;s it raises the physi:al so;nd to the :hakra of
:ons:io;sness9 the aCna :hakra between the eyebrows9 and gives it meaning. #n this way9 the dot
be:omes the symbol for Hsense.H
The Gero.
J;st as the dot is both a HnothingH and the symbol for sense9 so is Gero. )y itself it is a symbol of
no@thing. Added to a fig;re it in:reases its val;e tenfold. #t gives the fig;re a val;e9 a val;e that the
fig;re by itself possesses only potentially. #t :atalyGes something essential witho;t possessing a
tangible val;e of its own.
The seed.
Only when it falls ;pon fertile gro;nd :an it spro;t. ,ike the dot9 like the Gero. And here the latent
val;e is espe:ially :lear.
The void.
Here again it is the meaning that makes emptiness p;rposef;l.
Thirty spokes ;nite aro;nd the nave. The void between them makes them ;sef;l as a wheel. (e
shape a pot from day.
#ts ;sef;lness depends ;pon the void that :lay s;rro;nds. The ho;se is made of walls9 windows and
doors. The void between the walls makes it a habitation. (e need what isI (hat@is@not makes it
;sef;l. ,ao@tG;9 Too Te Ching ##
+ow it sho;ld be :lear why bind; means Hsense.H The sattva prin:iple in whi:h the HsenseH is
fo;nded is f;lfilled p;rity in the saint9 who is all sattva.
A%.@53B "issol;tion
MlayaN depends on nada. ,aya prod;:es prana. rana is the lord of the mind MmanoNI mind is the
lord of the senses MindriyasN. (hen mind is absorbed in itself it is :alled moksha MliberationN. Call it
this or thatI when mind and prana are absorbed in ea:h other the immeas;rable Coy of samadhi
ens;es.
1#+" A+" )!'ATH
(e enter a :h;r:h and feel the sattva element that governs the lofty sa:red room. Something like a
shiver of en:hantment pene@
trates ;s. #t is bind; that Afor a momentB transfig;res ;s. (e know that it has to do with the divine9 to
whi:h this pla:e is dedi:ated. (e know it9 b;t the inner :on:ept of this HdivineH is more than the
wordI it is that whi:h speaks within ;s9 nada. ,et ;s re:ogniGe thisD not the spe:ifi: term Hthe divineH
e?er:ises its power9 b;t the Hinner somethingH that vibrates with this :on:ept. Then the :on:ept as
s;:h9 with its tho;ght :ontent9 dissolves AlayaB9 and what remains is the e?perien:e of the spirit. This
phrase9 He?perien:e of the spirit9H already :ontains the d;alityD prana Ae?perien:eB and spirit.
So m;:h for o;r everyday e?perien:e. &or the yogi approa:hing samadhi9 the pro:ess is reversedD he
has re:ogniGed the meaningf;l germ9 bind;9 within himself9 and knows that the divine vibrations in
him were merely released by the sattva element in the o;tside stim;lation.
Therefore9 like the an:ient master mysti:s9 he t;rns inward and finds liberation in deta:hment from
the releasing element. &or liberation means Hnothing b;tH freedom from e?terior infl;en:es.
CHAT'! 15
TH' "#SSO,/T#O+
on a :old winter night a wandering monk so;ght shelter in a desolate mo;ntain temple. A :old wind
was whistling thro;gh the paper walls and the froGen stranger h;ddled into a :orner9 shivering. He
longed for a fire. Then he rose9 for he had dis:overed the firewood he neededD the an:ient gold
la:<;ered wooden stat;e of the );ddha. He broke it into pie:es9 and soon bright flames were leaping
;p. (ith a :ry of distress the g;ard r;shed in. HAre yo; a demon9 brotherK (hat have yo; donePH
The strange monk looked s;rprised. H(hat did # doKH
HYo; are b;rning the sa:red image of o;r ,ordP Can-t yo; seeK #t is the );ddha yo; areb;rningPH
The monk smiled. H"o yo; believe we :an b;rn o;r ,ordK "on-t yo; know that the spirit of
enlightenment is indestr;:tibleK (ait ;ntil this mortal wood is b;rnt ;p9 then we will sear:h in the
ashes for what is sa:red.H
The g;ardian shook his fists. H#t will be too late. Yo; will find nothing in the ashes.H H+othingKH
e?:laimed the stranger. HTell me9 did yo; hold sa:red something that :o;ld so readily be destroyed
by fireKH
The strange monk was +anGen9 one of the great patriar:hs of Len.
'veryone :an test his relationship to the essen:e of a :on:ept. #s it the thing itself that represents the
val;e9 or is it something
s;btler9 something intangibleK (hat is saintly in the saintK (hat is bea;tif;l in the bea;tif;lK #t is
o;r s;bCe:tive thinking that :reates val;es9 and at times even eternal val;es. The thing itself is
nothing b;t a :lear mirror whi:h will refle:t that whi:h we know within o;rselves to be saintly or
bea;tif;l. This holds tr;e not only for things from the o;tside world9 b;t for o;r own tho;ghts and
a:tions as well.
TH' "#SSO,/T#O+
The a:tivity of the mind always proCe:ts beyond o;r momentary sit;ation9 overlooks the essential9
the )eing9 and fo:;ses on )e:oming. );t it is only in )eing that we :an per:eive the Absol;teI
)e:oming is the relative. #t is only when mind has be:ome passive9 dissolved in itself Ai.e. separated
from image and :on:eptB9 ;naffe:ted by o;tside infl;en:es9 that the Absol;te presents itself in all as
the tr;e essen:e of things.
(ill9 however9 is the great protagonist of passive :ontemplation. The more a:tive elements the yogi
:an dis:ard@@breathing9 thinking9 desiring9 a:ting@@the more passive prin:iples :an manifest. And
ea:h passive element is a mirror of self@knowledge.
+ot@doing in doing. ra:ti:e this And know the ;nknowable.
,ao@tG;9 Tao Te Ching 75
A51@55B The yogi who does not inhale or e?hale and whose senses have be:ome passive9 whose
mind does not register anything Mno longer e?perien:es s;bCe:tive in:linations- has rea:hed laya yoga
Mdissol;tion-. @@(hen mental and physi:al a:tivities have entirely :eased there res;lts the
indes:ribable state of laya yoga whi:h only the yogi :an e?perien:e9 @@(hen s;bCe:tive views have
been s;spended avidya Mignoran:eN9 whi:h is ;sed to :ontrol the indriyas MsensesN9 dissolves9 and the
power of :ognition MCnanashaktiN dissolves into )rahman Mbe:omes one with the Absol;teN.
Avidya Aignoran:eB :ontrols the senses. #n other words9 the attra:tion of the satisfying9 p;rposef;l9
agreeable@seeming9 infl;@en:es the senses and in this way keeps :aptive the whole personality9
whi:h seems to have no higher means of :ognition at its disposal.
To hear this fa:t and read abo;t it will not :a;se any inner :hangeI only when yo; yo;rself re:ogniGe
it :an yo; master the senses. #ntelle:t;al :onvi:tion9 tho;gh well@intentioned9 is only a sign of
preC;di:e here9 of press;re in the dire:tion of a belief whi:h :an :hange nothing. And it is the :hange
alone that :o;nts. He who sees Tr;th is a;tomati:ally :hanged. He who for:es himself to :hange has
only :hanged his opinions9 b;t not himself.
This is the prin:iple of the power of :ognitionD not to develop a new opinion9 b;t to dissolve all
dynami: a:tive elements in )rahman. To :ontemplate and to be :hanged by that.
A man rising before s;nrise sear:hes for a lantern and :annot be pers;aded by his friend that he does
not need it. (hen he steps o;t of the ho;se the s;n rises9 and he dire:tly e?perien:es the ;sel:ssness
of the lantern. The tho;ght of a lantern did not dissolve into another9 better tho;ght9 b;t into dire:t
pro:ess of realiGation9 into H)rahman.H
All opinions that do not res;lt from dire:t e?perien:e are formed ;nder the infl;en:e of relative
e?perien:e. '?perien:e is fate9 e?perien:e is karma. H# have had this e?perien:e9H says one opinion to
another9 one karma to another9 one fate to another. #n the light of knowledge there is nothing more to
say9 for man stands as living proof. The seed of karma lies in the stim;lations of the o;tside world
whi:h :an attra:t or rep;lse ;s. /nder the infl;en:e of dire:t e?perien:e9 a transformation o::;rs in
whi:h the senses lose their signifi:an:e and sense e?perien:es reveal themselves as :onditioned and
limited.
A54B ,aya9 laya9 people say. );t what if layaK @@,aya if the state of forgetting Mthe s;bCe:tively
TH' "#SSO,/T#O+
:olored images ofN the obCe:ts of the senses9 when the samskaras Mimpressions on :ons:io;sness9 the
seeds of karmaN are no longer effe:tive b;t are :on<;ered.
);t this :annot be a::omplished by an a:t of will9 for it is the a:ts of will themselves that blo:k the
way to evol;tion. There is only one wayD to :ogniGe and thereby know. As long as :ognition is not
spontaneo;s nothing really has happened and the pro:ess of dissol;tion has not taken pla:e. (ill
always relates to the e?terior9 b;t dissol;tion takes pla:e in the interior. So it is a <;estion of letting
the will die o;t9 so that the :lear pi:t;re of reality appears. Only in the vision of the inner image
Awhi:h we :annot for:eB will relativity dissolve and :ease to obstr;:t higher knowledge. Tr;e9 o;t
imagination is e?tensive9 b;t never e?tensive eno;gh to have a presentiment of things to :ome.
Only the s;ddenly rising s;n whi:h ill;mines the whole path ahead of ;s :an show ;s not only the
windings of the road that we read on the map9 b;t all that whi:h the best of maps :annot showD the
grasses9 b;shes9 stones9 and grains of sand9 the lands:ape of the tr;e world in all its fab;lo;s9 infinite
diversity. Are not all artifi:ial means to stim;late presentiment ridi:;lo;sK
CHAT'! 14
TH' SHA1)HA6# 1/"!A A+" TH' #++'! ,#GHT
A50B The 6edas9 the Shastras and the ;ranas are like prostit;tes Mattainable to allN. The shambhavi
m;dra9 however9 is like a :haste woman9 :aref;lly g;arded.
(isdom was never se:ret in the Orient Se:ret areonly the paths to wisdom.
The intelle:t;ally :reated world of :on:epts has been dissolved. +ow let-s ret;rn to the man who
:reated a new world by the two levels of vibration Alight and so;ndB9 that interior world of a higher
life9 whi:h re<;ires the stronger flame9 the flame whi:h he learned to fan by khe:ari m;dra.
"issol;tion is samadhiI re@:reation is shambhavi m;dra9 work with the so;nd symbol AmantraB and
the image symbol AyantraB9 the so;r:e of inner light.
A57B Shambhavi m;dra :onsists in fi?ing the mind inwardly Mon any one of the :hakrasN9 and fi?ing
the eyes witho;t blinking on an e?ternal obCe:t. This m;dra is left se:ret by the 6edas and Shastras.
(hat does the yogi do at this stage of trainingK How does he pra:ti:eK
He rises at 4D33 a.m.9 the ho;r of )rahma9 :leans his breathing organs and sits down on bis tiger
skin.7 After the introd;:tory pra:ti:es As;:h as the nadi p;rifi:ationB he venerates the three aspe:ts of
his sadhana Ahis personal deityBD $eshava9 +arayana9 and 1adhava as the three aspe:ts of 6ishn;I or
Siva9 Ganesh9 and )ala as aspe:ts of Siva. Then follows a :ompli:ated fivefold introd;:tory rit;al
whi:h leads him to his main pra:ti:e9 the shambhavi m;dra. This takes the following :o;rseD &irst he
speaks his mantra9 :learly and a;dibly9 in e?pression and intonation e?a:tly as he has learned it from
his g;r;9 and retains the so;nd in his ear.
(e will not analyGe the so;nd in the ear here Ase: Chapter 10B9 b;t will :on:ern o;rselves merely
with the <;estion of what happens to this so;nd. The yogi m;st imagine that the so;nd is :oming
from one of the :hakras. AThe :hakra varies a::ording to his sadhana and his state of development.B
And this so;nd is :on:eived of as so en:ompassing that it not only vibrates in the given :hakra b;t is
passed on@@and this is the roost important pro:ess@@from :hakra to :hakra.
TH' SHA1)HA6# 1/"!A A+" TH' #++'! ,#GHT
The mantra :onsists of vario;s so;nd elements9 ea:h of whi:h has a different f;n:tion to f;lfill. The
introd;:tion ;s;ally :onsists of the pranava 3m9 while the :ore9 the shakti mantra9 is a so;nd whi:h
infl;en:es the k;ndalini by its vibration str;:@t;re. The framework of the mantra is t;ned in part to
the respe:tive :hakraI in part it :ontains other a:tivating vibrations.
At the same time9 if the yogi is not f;lly in possession of the yantra inwardly9 he fastens his gaGe
;pon the form symbol9 the yantra9 and imagines that this is the :hakra :on:erned9 the mantra that
so;nds within. &or the deity9 the :hakra9 the mantra9 and the yantra9 are one as name9 image9
proCe:tion9 and
7. Only yogis who lead a stri:tly :elibate life ;se tiger skin. The others ;se antelope skin. The reason
for this is the differen:e in the power of the respe:tive skins to isolate earth magnetism.
s:at of the deity. The deity reposes in the :hakra9 the yantra is the e?pression of the divinity and of
the :ha:ra9 the mantra syn:hroniGes with the vibration level of the :hakra9 fashions the name of the
deity9 and is analogo;s to the yantra.
Add to this the pros:ribed :olor s:ale of the emanation of divine light and there is little room left for
distra:ting tho;ghts. 1any #ndian and Tibetan te?ts whi:h devote so m;:h spa:e to the des:ription
of the divine manifestations serve the yogi solely as means to rea:h the perfe:tion of shambhavi
m;dra.
A58B #t if rightf;lly :alled thambhavi m;dra9 when mind and prana are absorbed by the obCe:t9 when
the eyes be:ome rigid in the :ontemplation of the obCe:t. On:e this state has been rea:hed by the
gra:e of the g;r; Mwho gives the binding yantra as obCe:tN9 everything per:eived be:omes a
manifestation of the great Shamb; ASivaB and is th;s beyond emptiness and not@emptiness.
'verything is SivaD everything is kala Aligfit@waves9 form9 yantra9 manifestation of the divine image
in all its formsB9 nada Aso;nd waves9 so;ndB mantra9 divine name in all its formsB9 and bind;
Ameaning9 the divineB and the logos :ommon to both the other spheresB.
)efore getting to the :entral point of this :hapter we have to answer a <;estion. The :;lminating
point of art Three was khe:ari m;dra Athe ;p:;rled tong;eB whereby the life pro:ess was intensified
by the fanning of the inner fire9 the middle plane of vibration. #n what relation does the inner fire
stand to shambhavi m;draK
A5*B Shambhavi m;dra and khe:ari m;dra9 altho;gh they differ in the position of the eyes and the
point of :on:entration9 are one in that they bring abo;t the state of bliss in the :on:entrated
:ons:io;sness of the mind absorbed in atman.
The position of the eyes :orresponds to the dire:tion of :on:entration. #n khe:ari ro;dra the point lies
between the eyebrows from where the ne:tar flowsI in shambhavi m;dra it is the heart :hakra9 and
therefore the eyes are dire:ted that way9 i.e. to the tip of the nose. );t this is not the essential
differen:e9 altho;gh the real differen:e may be s;ggested by the dire:tion of the eyes. "e:isive9
rather9 is the fa:t that khe:ari m;dra a:ti@vates the middle plane of vibrations9 whereas in shambhavi
m;dra the highest and the lowest planes are affe:ted.
#n the region of heat animal life manifests9 while there is little infl;en:e of the logos Abind;B.
However9 in the region of kala Athe ;pper Gone of vibration9 lightB and nada Athe lower Gone9 so;ndB
there is present Hthe golden germ9H bind; in its plenit;de. Th;s the step from khe:ari m;dra to
TH' SHA1)HA6# 1/"!A A+" TH' #++'! ,#GHT
shambhavi m;dra means a deepening of meditation and e?tension of possibilities9
,et ;s :onsider the form symbol in all its varied aspe:tsD The :ross in Christianity9 the half@moon in
#slam9 the star in J;daism. The yantra has a form that we per:eive and en:ompass with o;r eyesI this
is the :oarse aspe:t. #t also :ontains a HlightH that we per:eive thro;gh o;r heartI this is the finer
aspe:t9 whi:h we will presently dis:;ssI and finally the yantra :ontains a sense Ameaning9 logosB9 the
bind;9 the point in whi:h yantra9 mantra9 :hakra9 and the divine ;nite.
This light9 altho;gh it has its s;btler aspe:t9 sho;ld not be :onsidered mysti:al. #t is first of all
something that appears <;ite nat;rally. The light that emanates from the :ross has more radian:e for
the Christian than for the 1;slim9 while the light of the half@moon is :onsiderably more radiant for
the 1;slim than for the Christian. &or these symbols have no radian:e in themselves. !adian:e only
;nfolds in the heart of the devotee thro;gh his devotion9 and even differs@a::ording to the intensity
of the devotion.
The Hinner lightH does not imply an immanent meaning for the image symbol9 b;t has a p;rely
emotional val;e. #t is not the meaning that is essential9 b;t the kind of mood that it spontaneo;sly
ind;:es.
A5.@43B "ire:t yo;r MinnerN gaGe ;pon HlightH by slightly raising the eyebrows. Then perform
shambhavi m;dra as yo; have learned it. This ind;:es samadhi. @@Some :onf;se themselves by the
all;ring promises of the shastras and tantras9 others by the 6edi: $armas9 and still others by logi:.
+one of them re:ogniGes the real val;e of this m;dra9 by the aid of whi:h one :an :ross the o:ean of
e?isten:e.
One haGard whi:h is more or less inherent in all religions is that they promise more to the devotee
than he will be able to e?perien:e9 ;nless he p;rs;es his goal with e?traordinary Geal. )e:a;se the
);ddha did not make s;:h e?alted promises in regard to the divine. );ddhism has often been
a::;sed of being atheisti:. );t it is perhaps the greatest psy:ho@religio;s deed of the );ddha that9
rather than promising bliss in the heavenly realms9 he gave everything man needs to rea:h the goal of
tr;e religion9 witho;t obstr;:ting the path with pre:on:eived fantasies. God :annot be Hspoken.H He
:an only be e?perien:ed9 and that is very different from anything proCe:ted thro;gh words. All too
often a devotee is said to have He?perien:ed God9H when a:t;ally he has only seen the pre:on:eived
image of his own fantasy.
1antra as divine name and yantra as divine form leave no room for fantasy. And th;s these a:tive
for:es of realiGation9 to whi:h even the physi:al sometimes s;bmit9 :an be dire:ted witho;t
hindran:e on their way. &or this path demands the whole man and does not permit any one for:e to
deviate. +o@body has ever rea:hed a high goal thro;gh dreaming alone.
A41B (ith half@:losed eyes fo:;sed on the tip of the nose9 the mind steadily fastened
Mon its obCe:tN9 and the a:tive prana :;rrent of the ida and pingala nadis s;spended Mby g;iding it
into the s;sh;mnaN9 th;s the yogi rea:hes the slate of realiGation of Tr;th in the form of a radiating
light whi:h is the so;r:e of all things9 and the highest obCe:tive to be rea:hed. (hat higher state is
there that he might e?pe:tK
H#n the form of radiating light.H does this mean that the divine image here be:omes the physi:ally
per:eptible Hradiating lightHK Yes9 indeed. '?perien:ed mysti:s have testified that in their deepest
:on:entration a radiating brilliant light appears before their eyes. Here the same phenomena are
TH' SHA1)HA6# 1/"!A A+" TH' #++'! ,#GHT
evidently being des:ribed. (hat is happeningK
#t is not the obCe:t per:eived thro;gh the senses that radiates9 nor is it radian:e from the heavenly
spheres. A new organ of per:eption9 so to speak9 opens ;p thro;gh whi:h the finer nat;re of the
:ontemplated obCe:t is per:eived. This organ has nothing to do with the senses. #t lies in the heart
:hakra. #t is so e?tremely s;btle that the :orporeality of the obCe:t is too :oarse to be per:eived by it9
while it rea:ts dire:tly to the finer nat;re9 the lightB whi:h is dire:tly s;s:eptible to emotional val;es.
He who fa:es this stage of :ognition ;n:riti:ally witho;t
8. hilo f;dae;sD H. . . and the divine light pre:ipitated itself like a flood ;pon the so;l9 and it is
blind:d by its radian:e.H lotin;iD HThe vision flooded the seeker-s eyes with light9 b;t he sees
nothing else9 the light is the vision.H Jakob )oehmeD H&inally the gates of eternity openedI #
penetrated to the inmost being and a wonderf;l light radiated in my so;l. #t was a light that did not at
all fit the person that # have been.H
re:ogniGing its psy:ho@physi:al nat;re inevitably falls into the error of taking the l;mino;s image as
something self@e?isting. He believes that God has revealed himself to him in light9 as it is often said9
whereas he himself has only developed the :apa:ity to re:ogniGe the divine omnipresen:e for the
per:eption of whi:h the average man has no developed organ. #t is not that God has revealed himself
to him9 b;t that be has learned to :ogniGe the "ivine. A small b;t essential differen:e. The emotional
val;e AlightB of the "ivine remains the same9 b;t the devotee is now in a position to e?perien:e it
dire:tly.
At present everything :onne:ted with this s;btle organ and the HlightH is9 as far as s:ien:e is
:on:erned9 a matter of faith9 C;st as the theory of the atom p;t forth by the 6aisheshika s:hool of
#ndian philosophy was a <;estion of faith ;ntil a few de:ades ago. The Hrevelation of the atomH was
not a work of divine gra:e b;t of mathemati:s and of the ele:troni: mi:ros:opeI of refined
observation. (hat was at that time divine in the atom still is today. And when some day the s;btler
organ in the heart :hakra is re:ogniGed with the aid of a still s;btler s:ientifi: tool9 then the (est will
be more tolerant of the statements of yogis and mysti:s and possibly even s;rpass them. );t the
divine aspe:t will in no way be :hanged. Only one will perhaps a::ord it a pla:e in the system of
fonn;lae9 perhaps as Gero9 perhaps as bind;9 perhaps as logos. Then one :o;ld also gain s:ientifi:
knowledge from the )ible9 for there it saysD H#n the beginning was the logos Abind;B .... and the logos
Abind;B was GodH AJohn #.#B. HThat was the tr;e light that lighteth every man who :ometh into the
worldH AJobn 1..B.
A4%B "o not worship the lingam9 neither by day nor by night. Only when day and night have been
trans:ended sho;ld the lingam be worshipped@@;n:easingly.
This important sloka throws a signifi:ant light ;pon the whole of Hind; religiosity.
The lingam9 the m;:h disp;ted phalli: symbol of the Sivaites9 stands for this s;btler aspe:t of all
things9 for the divine lightI the primeval lingam :onsisted of fire. This is what is meant by the
previo;s warning9 not to mistake the radiant light for the manifestation of the God.
H+either by day nor by night.H (e remember that ida and pingala stand for s;n and moon9 th;s for
day and night. "ay and night are over:ome as soon as the two prana :;rrents are ;nited in the
s;sh;mna9 i.e. in samadhi. Only now is devotion real devotion and th;s it says in the $;lamava
TantraD H;Ca MdevotionN lasts only as long as saroadhi lasts.H
TH' SHA1)HA6# 1/"!A A+" TH' #++'! ,#GHT
"ay and night are also the signs of time9 whi:h is :on<;ered in samadhi. 'verything that o::;rs in
time belongs to worldly :ons:io;sness9 to the image@forming9 :on:ept@bo;nd way of thinking.
A worship that venerates the lingam as a :on:ept is not the kind of devotion that is re<;ired for deep
res;lts9 deep e?perien:e. The #ndian does not make an image of his God for himself. This statement9
whi:h seems so parado?i:al in view of the ine?ha;stible Hind; pantheon9 a:t;ally finds its
:onfirmation here. &or all the images of deides are nothing b;t representations of vario;s aspe:ts of
manifesting divine powers@@with the e?:eption of )rahman9 who is ;nrepresentable. +ow some
te:hni:al remarksD
A45@03B (hen prana flows nat;rally thro;gh the two nadis then there is no obsta:le to khe:ari
m;dra. This is beyond do;bt. @@(hen the prana :;rrent enters the s;sh;mna between ida and
pingala then khe:ari m;dra begins to be:ome meaningf;l. @@)etween ida and pingala there is an
;ns;pplied
Mi.e.9 with pranaN spa:e. #t is there where the tong;e performs khe:ari m;dra. @@The khe:hari
m;dra in whi:h the ne:tar from the HmoonH is :olle:ted stands in high esteem with Siva Mwho is kala9
nada and bind;N. The in:omparable9 divine s;sh;mna is blo:ked off by the inverted tong;e. @@The
s;sh;mna will also be :losed when the prana :;rrent is s;spended Mby entering the s;sh;mnaN. This
is the perfe:t khe:ari m;dra that leads to samadhi M;nmani9 mindlessnessN. @@)etween the eyebrows
is the seat of Siva Mof higher :ons:io;snessN. There :on:eptional thinking is absorbed. This state is
samadhi Mt;riyaN where death has no a::ess. @@One sho;ld pra:ti:e khe:ari m;dra ;ntil the state of
samadhi MYoga nidra. Yoga sleepN is a:hieved. He who s;::eeds in this will :on<;er death. @@After
mind has been freed from :linging Mwithdrawn from :on:ept;aliGing obCe:tsN it sho;ld not prod;:e
f;rther tho;ghts. Then it resembles an empty pot s;rro;nded and filled with spa:e Makasha9 etherN.
);t what has happened to yantra arid mantraK (hy are we going ba:k to art ThreeK
On:e the yogi has rea:hed the fo;rth stage9 he is all too apt to forget the te:hni:al re<;irements9
whi:h :an lead him into the greatest diffi:;lties. Again and again it m;st be emphasiGedD on the
highest level of :ons:io;sness the inner fire m;st b;rn fier:ely if the prana flow is not to :ease Aand
with it the yogi-s lifeB. );t the fire will only blaGe when the flow of ne:tar is deviated9 i.e. thro;gh
khe:ari m;dra. Th;s on:e again high praise is bestowed on this m;dra.
#f no mention is made here of the shambhavi m;dra9 of mantras and yantras9 we m;st not forget that
these are inner events9 while khe:ari m;dra is a te:hni:al pro:ess. One :annot mi? two
f;ndamentally different :on:epts. Shambhavi m;dra be:omes signifi:ant only when khe:ari ro;dra
has prepared the :onditions for it and :onstantly renews them.
A01B (hen the o;ter breath :eases9 the inner breath Mprana prod;:tionN also :eases. rana :;rrent and
mind :;rrent be:ome passive when they rea:h their :enter of a:tivity.
H;man spirit is impelled only as long as it has a goal before its eyes. On:e the goal is rea:hed9 the
spirit remains there for a :ertain time. This period of abiding is ;s;ally the reason for man-s striving
at all. An artist often sear:hes for the :onfli:t of s;ffering in order to bring it into ;nity by resolving
it in his work. To be Hdesirelessly happyH is possible only when an ;rgent desire is f;lfilled9 and
rela?ation th;s ind;:ed@@;s;ally the :alm before the storm of new tensions.
(hen the mind of the yogi ret;rns to its own Self after its everyday sense@related a:tivities it is
rela?ed9 for with the s;bsiding breath d;ring pra:ti:e the a:tive mind whi:h lives from prana
TH' SHA1)HA6# 1/"!A A+" TH' #++'! ,#GHT
s;bsides as well.
The prana he needs is in the s;sh;mna and is kept a:tive there by the blaGing flame of life. All life is
:on:entrated there.
A0%B (hen one th;s pra:ti:es :ontrol of breath day and night9 the prana be:omes more passive in the
:o;rse of time and mind is nat;rally :ompelled to follow the same :o;rse.
&or as soon as the prana be:omes passive it ;nfolds its highest effe:tiveness in the s;sh;mnaI and as
soon as mind is passive the real nat;re of the world of appearan:es is re:ogniGed.
A05B (hen the body is th;s bathed in the ne:tar stream of the moon it be:omes strong and hardy.
#n other words9 when the fire is b;rning fier:ely eno;gh there is no danger to life and limb.
A04B la:e the mind in the shakti9 Mthe manifesting power of nat;re9 k;ndaliniN and the shakti Mas
Hlighf--N in the mind thro;gh meditationI then mind and shakti be:ome one. AwaUen the shakti by
listening to the mind Hwith ear in heartH and th;s strive for the highest goal of samadhi.
To listen Hwith ear in heartH is the most :r;:ial fa:tor in the whole pro:ess of meditation. This is the
tr;e insight9 the prere<;isite of all 'astern methods of spirit;al training. +othing else is of as s;:h
de:isive importan:e from the first step to self@realiGation ;p to the aro;sing of k;ndalini9 the inner
light on the highest level.
A00@07B The # MatmanN alt in MemptyN spa:e9 and empty the # Aof :on:ept;al beingB. (hen th;s
everything is empty Mwitho;t lime and spa:eN then the Mdynami:N intelle:t hoi s;bsided. MTh;s the
yogi isN empty within and witho;t like an empty pot in spa:e
Makasha9 etherN9 and also filed within and witho;t like a pot in the o:ean.
A pertinent simileP An empty pot at the bottom of the o:ean. (ater inside and o;t. #s the pot empty
or f;llK 'mpty yet f;llI f;ll yet empty. He who has inwardly ;nderstood this simile has
:omprehended the essen:e of raCa yoga. &or it is emptiness@@ tho;gh hard to grasp@@whi:h is the
de:isive fa:tor in samadhi. );t this is in no way a mortified spirit b;t a spirit that has been :almed.
(hat this means9 only he :an ;nderstand whose mind has been :ompletely absorbed in a great
e?perien:e at least on:e.
A08@0*B He sho;ld not think of e?ternal thingsI all personal tho;ghts he sho;ld give ;p alsoD
abandon all s;bCe:tive and obCe:tive tho;ghts. @@The e?ternal ;niverse Min its :on:ept;al diversityN
is a :reation of o;r mindI so also is the world of imagination. (hen the idea has been abandoned that
these proCe:tions of tho;ght are permanent and mind is :on:entrated on that whi:h is witho;t
:hange9 oh !am9 eternal and :ertain pea:e has been rea:hed.
A0.B 1ind :on:entrated on the atman be:omes one with it like :amphor with the flame9 like salt with
the water of the o:ean.
Then there is no # of whi:h tho;ght is aware9 for # and tho;ght have been absorbed into ea:h other9
be:a;se thinking is no longer atta:hed to the obCe:t or :on:ept b;t e?perien:es p;rely the
:ontemplative state. #t is the absorbed observer of a great game in whi:h it parti:ipates9 and whi:h is
no longer a strange event to be analyGed and :riti:iGed.
TH' SHA1)HA6# 1/"!A A+" TH' #++'! ,#GHT
A73B 1ind and obCe:t of :ontemplation have been absorbed in ea:h other so that there is no longer
any d;ality.
The great symbol of this ;nion is the ;nion in love of man and woman. Therefore the /panisbads
sayD HThe atman is as great as man and woman in :lose embra:e.H The bliss that ens;es is neither #
nor yo;9 b;t the melting together of # and yo; in the m;t;al e?perien:e of the paramatman9 the
divine Self that is inherent in all that is :reated.
A71@74B The animate and the inanimate ;niverse is a :reation of the mind. in samadhi there is only
oneness. (hen all sense per:eptions are s;spended there remains only the Absol;te. @@The great
an:ient seers e?perien:ed these vario;s paths to samadhi9 then ta;ght them to others. @@Sal;tations
to the s;@sh;mna9 to the ne:tar@flow of the moon9 to samadhi9 and to
Mthe great :it ShaktiN9 the power of absol;te knowledge.
CHAT'! 10
+A"A9 TH' #++'! SO/+"
the :on:ept of prayer is well known. Here9 however9 we are not :on:erned with prayer b;t with
mantra9 tho;gh a :ertain relationship does e?ist between the two. rayer is mostly e?pressed in the
spontaneo;s9 freely@:hosen words of the devotee9 while the mantra is bo;nd not only in its so;nd b;t
also in its intonation. #n prayer the divinity is import;nedI in mantra it is e?pressed. The prayer goes
to the divinityI the mantra is an essential attrib;te of the divine9 its Hname.H The prayer is a message
bearerI the mantra is itself the message. The prayer is born in the mindI the mantra does not originate
in the mind b;t it goes to the mind. rayer :ontains the tenden:y that be:omes :learly e?pressed in
the mantra.
&or e?ampleD every Christian prayer :loses with an HAmen.H HAmenH is in itself :ompletely ne;tral
;ntil it is pre:eded by a prayer. #n that :ase9 HAmenH is the e?pression of all that the prayer implies.
HAmenH is what makes a prayer a prayerI in fa:t it is the real prayer. The words that pre:eded it pla:e
it mentally and spirit;ally. HAmenH is the arti:;late power@potential of the divinity9 the mantra. The
mantra Ain this e?ample HAmenHB is p;re sattva prin:iple. 'verybody who enters a :h;r:h9 prays9
parti:ipates in a rit;al9 or :ontemplates a sa:red symbol e?perien:es this sattva prin:iple. 'verything
non@sattvi:
has a dist;rbing infl;en:e and is immediately :onspi:;o;s. Th;s we go to :h;r:h festively dressed
so as to attra:t the f;ll meas;re of sattvi: vibrations.
J;st as the inward light is kindled by the image symbol9 so also thro;gh the so;nd symbol the inner
so;nd is awakened9 the nada9 the most s;btle aspe:t of the mantra9 the so;nd in the Hear of the heart.H
A70B # now shall des:ribe the pra:ti:e of nada9 as has been pro:laimed by Gorakshanath9 and as it is
a::epted even by those who are ;nable to realiGe Tr;th be:a;se they have not st;died the shastras.
#t is Hthe dissol;tion of image and :on:eptH AlayaB in a spontaneo;s e?perien:e whi:h has from time
immemorial been :onsidered the highest spirit;al pro:ess. #t is also the goal of the highest yoga9 and
all paths of yoga :;lminate in laya.
+A"A9 TH' #++'! SO/+"
A77B ,ord Siva has shown inn;merable paths to laya9 b;t it seems to me that the pra:ti:e of nada is
the best of them all.
The reason for this is perhaps the fa:t that it seems easier to deal with the so;nd symbol than with
the image9 and that the inner so;nd is easier to prod;:e than the inward light. The time has now
:ome for the yogi to pra:ti:e dailyD
A78B He seats himself in siddhasana and ass;mes shambhavi m;dra9 listening to the inner so;nd that
rings in his right ear9
And why not in the left :arK "akshina means HrightH b;t also Hgood9 propitio;s9 :apable.H So it really
says here Hin the tr;e ear9H and this is the H:ar of the heart.H
A7*B Close ears9 nose9 mo;th9 and eyes9 then yo; will distin:tly hear a :lear so;nd in the s;sh;mna9
whi:h has been p;rified by pranayama.
The reader will perhaps feel impelled to make an e?periment and to listen inwardly. &;tile effortP He
will hear nothing like this Hso;nd.H (hyK
(o;ld the yogi be :ompelled to go thro;gh three stages of hard pra:ti:e if he only needs to :lose ;p
his ears in order to per:eive the inner so;ndK Are o;r nadis p;re9 is the flame9 the so;r:e of higher
life9 ablaGeK #s the symbol of the divine rooted in o;r beingK "o we f;lfill even the minimal
re<;isites of deep religio;s devotionK Answer these <;estions before trying to listen to that whi:h
has from time immemorial been the mysti:-s most profo;nd e?perien:e of God.
A7.B All yoga pra:ti:es :ontain fo;r stagesD introd;:tion Maram@bhaN. transition MghataN9 attainment
Mpari:ayaN9 and perfe:tion MnishpattiN.
This is valid for yoga in general9 for the individ;al systems as shown by the division of o;r te?t9 as
well as for ea:h spe:ifi: pra:ti:eI in fa:t for all things in life. There is great psy:hologi:al insight in
this senten:e. 1ay we learn that the third step9 the attainment9 is not the last.
A83@81B #n the first stage MarambhavasthaN9 when the heart :hakra Mbrahma granthiN is pier:ed9 we
hear tinging so;nds tiFe Cewels in the spa:e of the heart in the :enter of the body. As soon as these
so;nds be:ome a;dible in the MinteriorN void9 the yogi be:omes god@like9 radiant9 healthy and
fragrant. His heart be:omes the void.
The so;nd whi:h in the region of the throat was still so;nd9 has now penetrated to the heart and there
meets prana. A feeling rises like a deep happy breath and fills the heart9 and the inner so;nd of the
mantra falls like a golden dewdrop on this b;dding happiness. 'verything that was benefi:ial on the
te:hni:al path of the asanas is a:hieved in one moment of real e?perien:e9 forD
A8%B #n the se:ond stage prana and nada be:ome one9 and Mthis oneN enterMsN the middle MheartN
:hakra. The asanas be:ome effe:tive now and divine wisdom arises.
/nion is a::omplished and the :hali:e with its golden pearl@@ that pearl whi:h will later e?pand into
a whole new world@@ e?tends ;pward toward higher spheres. (hat does it mean to grow ;pwardK
(hy sho;ld we raise a lower sphere rather than simply go from the lower sphere into the higherK
(e remember that the inner so;nd of the mantra is to emanate from one of the :hakras. The so;nd
+A"A9 TH' #++'! SO/+"
then takes on the vibration fre<;en:y of the respe:tive :hakraI it be:omes the prin:iple that the
:hakra represents.
#n order not to ;nderestimate the val;e of this pra:ti:e9 we m;st remember an earlier pra:ti:e that
related to the physi:al aspe:t of so;nd9 the a;dible so;nd in bhramari k;mbhaka. Aart Two9 78B
After the nadis were p;rified9 the so;nd of a h;mming bee was prod;:ed. This happened9 and the
so;nd grew to a r;mbling roar that made the world tremble. #t was one of the first great e?perien:es
of hatha yoga.
At that time we knew no more than what we heard. +ow9 this impressive so;nd9 :reated with the aid
of the personal mantra9 is not proCe:ted into spa:e9 b;t dire:ted inward to a :hakraI and this is o;r
present sit;ation9
A85B (hen the vishn; granthi in the throat is pier:ed Mby the vibrationsN it is a sign that divine bliss
Mbrahma anandaN will follow. #n the so;nd bo? of the throat :hakra Mati sh;nyataN there a :omple?
so;nd arises9 like that of a big dr;m.
This is the s;btler aspe:t of the r;mbling and roaring that we :ame to know in the bhramari
k;mbhaka9 the effe:t of whi:h is here even more impressive.
A84B On the third stage a so;nd like that of a mardala Ma different kind of dr;mN is per:eived9 in the
spa:e between the eyebrows. (ith this the vibrations enter into the great void Mmaha sh;nyata9 i.e.
s;sh;mnaN9 the seat of all the siddhis.
This too we have en:o;ntered in its gross physi:al form in the bhramari k;mbhaka9 b;t sin:e now
the so;nd is not prod;:ed by the vo:al :ords it is p;rely mental and that means more profo;nd. #t is
not easy to find an e?ample of this in o;r arsenal of religio;s e?perien:eB as a :ertain inner devotion
and prayer are prere<;isites. Still even the sober modern man will be no stranger to e?perien:es
;nder the spell of m;si:.
HArisePH the angel :alls o;t to 1ohammed in the desert9 and the so;nd symbol of the warning angel-s
voi:e is the so;nd of bells9 and th;s prayer9 or9 on a higher level9 revelation9 be:omes passionate Coy.
The pres:ient so;nd of bells is the preliminary to the revelation of the angelI prayer is the e:stati:
revelation. rayer lives in the heart :hakra9 revelation in the throat :hakra.
A80B Having over:ome the blissf;l slate of the mind he e?perien:es the happiness that arises from
:ognition of the atman. Then he is delivered of all fa;lts9 pains9 old age9 disease9 h;nger9 and
tiredness.
Greater than happiness is e<;animity. Happiness is the goal of man9 e<;animity is the divine goal.
#mm;table are the gods
alone. H;manity swings like a pend;l;m between desire for happiness and enCoyment of happiness.
He who vol;ntarily reno;n:es his happiness and nevertheless remains happy :an no longer be
meas;red by h;man standards Aaltho;gh not always by divine ones eitherB.
A87B After the vibration has pier:ed the last kAnot
Mthe agna :hakraN9 the forehead-s :enter Mof :ons:io;snessN9 it rises to the divine pla:e. (ith this the
fo;rth stage sets in9 where one hears the so;nd of the fl;te and the vina.
+A"A9 TH' #++'! SO/+"
,et ;s stop analyGing. O;r e?perien:e does not s;ffi:e to ;nderstand the meaning of the so;nd of the
fl;te of $rishna9 or the vina of the divine messenger9 +arada. Those who have e?perien:ed this high
state have be:ome tea:hers from whose lips flowed the 6edas9 the 'ddas9 the Avestas9 the Sermon of
the 1o;nt9 the $oran. The so;nds now grow ever more s;btle9 yet more powerf;l. They are so;nds
that pro:laim the 'ternal (isdom of God9 the power of /ltimate Tr;th ;ndist;rbed and ;nimpeded
by the word. +othing is ;nderstood9 everything known. The gates of the $ingdom of Heaven fly
open9 the eternal light is manifestB the m;si: of the spheres rings o;t.
A88@*5B (hen the mind be:omes ;nified9 this is raCa yoga. The yogi9 now master of :reation and
destr;:tion9 be:omes one with God. @@(hether or not yo; :all it liberation9 here is eternal bliss. The
bliss of dissol;tion MlayaN is obtained only thro;gh raCa yoga. @@There are many who are merely
hatha yogins9 witho;t the kAnowledge of raCa yoga. They are simple pra:ti@:ers who will never reap
the MrealN fr;its of their efforts. @@1 believe that :on:entration on the spa:e between the eyebrows is
the best way to rea:h samadhi in a short time. &or those of small intelle:t this is the easiest means to
attain to raCa yoga.
The state of dissol;tion MlayaN arising from the Minner so;ndN nada :reates this spontaneo;s
e?perien:e. @@MAllN yogis who have rea:hed the state of samadhi thro;gh this :on:entration on nada
have e?perien:ed a bliss in their hearts that s;rpasses all des:ription and :an be known only by a
god. @@The silent as:eti:9 having :losed his ears9 listens MattentivelyN to the so;nd in his heart ;ntil
he attains the state of oneness with all MsamadhiN. @@The power of inner so;nd grad;ally s;rpasses
the e?ternal so;nds. Th;s the yogi :an over:ome the weakness of the mind and rea:h his goal in 10
days.
The power of the internal so;nd9 its meaning as an a;dible designation of o;r personality9 is a
tho;sand times stronger than the logi:al :ombination of the so;nds of letters whi:h has really no
meaning at all. The prono;n:ing of the name@word is p;rely inner so;nd.
+ow the mantra is that name whi:h is the :ommon property of both the Civatman and the
paramatman Athe self and the SelfB.
At first it is separateness that impinges ;pon o;r ears. There is still an # and a Tho;9 the one who
per:eives and the one who is per:eivedD the dynami: mind is a:tive. #n the inner sense9 however9 all
separative tenden:ies9 all so;nd@:onditioned differentiations :ease a::ording to the degree of their
inner refinement9 i.e. the degree to whi:h they sink and be:ome one with the stati: mind. The mantra
be:omes the tr;e name.
At the beginning of an a:<;aintan:e a name only tells ;s who the person is. ,ater on it stands for the
s;m total of what the person is9 what we have e?perien:ed with that person. The name then does not
merely speak of the HTho;9H b;t e<;ally of the H#H and its relationship to HTho;.H
A*4@*0B ";ring the initial stage of pra:ti:e vario;s strong so;nds are a;dible9 b;t as progress is
made they be:ome more and more refined. @@At first they so;nd like the roaring of the o:ean or like
th;nder9 like kettle dr;ms9 or tr;mpets. Then they be:ome more and more s;btle ;ntil they so;nd
like fl;tes and harps9 like the h;mming of bees. #n this way one hears them in the :enter of the body.
#n )hramari k;mbhaka the yogi-s ears may ring. #n shambhavi m;dra his physi:al ears are deaf9 b;t
the ear in the heart hears the fortissimo of inner prayer. So ,ao@tG; saysD
The m;ltiple :olors blind the eyes The m;ltiple so;nds deafen the ear
+A"A9 TH' #++'! SO/+"
Therefore the sage :;ltivates his person And does not :rave to see.
Too Te Ching. 1%
A*8@*.B 'ven as the lo;d so;nds MstillN ring o;t9 one sho;ld :on:entrate on the s;btle so;nd Min the
heartN. @@One may well let the attention swing between these two so;nds9 b;t the mind sho;ld never
be allowed to wander to e?ternal obCe:ts. @@The attention t;rns nat;rally to the so;nd that has the
strongest attra:tion.
"o not be:ome impatientP #f yo; are again and again :aptivated by the roaring so;nd in the physi:al
:ar then the wat:hword is pra:ti:e and wait. 1at;ration brings perfe:tion. Tone is o;tside9 the
ringing so;nd is inward. The tone releases the ringing so;nd9 and that so;nd is f;ller and p;rer than
any that the ear :an absorb. Cons:io;sness dire:ts itself to where it :an e?pe:t the ripest fr;its. +o
need here for tho;ght. (ho wo;ld ever :omprehend m;si: with the intelle:tK The mind resembles
the bee9 forD
A.3B J;st as the bee who drinks the flower-s honey is not :on:erned with its s:ent9 so also the mind9
when absorbed in so;nd9 does not :are abo;t the pleas;re@bo;nd senses.
The s:ent attra:ts the bee who forgets it while s;:king the honey. The senses attra:t :ons:io;sness
whi:h9 in nada9 the e?perien:e beyond the senses9 forgets them.
A.1@.%B The sharp iron prong of nada :an effe:tively :;rb the MelephantN mind when it wants to
gambol in the pleas;re garden of the sense@obCe:ts. @@(hen the mind has been divested of its fi:kle
nat;re and has been fettered by the ropes of the inner so;nd9 then it rea:hes the highest state of
:on:entration and remains still9 like a bird that has lost its wings.
A.5B He who wishes to rea:h the mastery of yoga sho;ld reno;n:e all his MrestlessN tho;ghts and
pra:ti:e with :aref;lly :on:entrated mind the dissol;tion Mof the world of sensesN in nada laya.
#n a :on:ert9 in the :athedral or in the poet-s word9 the Hso;ndH is always there where an immortal
spirit has dipped into the deepest so;r:es of life.
A.4B The inner so;nd Mthe bind;N is like a trap to :apt;re the gaGelle Mthe mindNI like a h;nter9 it kills
the animal M:on:ept;al tho;ghtN.
'very word of every lang;age has this inner so;nd. (e hear it readily in the words of o;r own
lang;age whi:h are to ;s more than sheer letter formations. );t when we want to learn a foreign
lang;age@@and the mantra in a sense belongs to a foreign lang;age@@then we have to start with the
a;dible so;nd
;ntil one fine day the inner so;nd of the new words manifests itself. Con:ept;al tho;ght then
be:omes s;perfl;o;s. As long as one has to think abo;t a foreign word9 the inner so;nd is missing.
(e have adopted many Hforeign wordsH whose inner so;nds we have learned to hear and that have a
meaning for ;s that :annot be e?pressed in o;r own lang;age. The Japanese word HharakiriH tells ;s
more than the word Hs;i:ide9H the Chinese word HkowtowH more than the words Hto bow.H These are
not words that stand for somethingI they have be:ome iden@ti:al with :learly defined :on:epts.
+A"A9 TH' #++'! SO/+"
A.P@.7B The inner so;nd is like a bolt on the stable door that keeps the horse M:on:ept;al thinkingN
from roaming abo;t9 Therefore the yogi sho;ld daily pra:ti:e :on:entration on this nada. @@1er:;ry
distilled with s;lph;r be:omet solid and divested of its a:tive nat;re. #t be:omes :apable of rising
into the air. Similarly9 the mind it made steady by the infl;en:e of nada and be:omes ;nited with the
all@pervading )rahman.
)rahman is 3m AA;rnB9 and this is kala9 nada9 and bind;I Siva is the aspe:t of )rahman as destroyer.
He who destroys :on:epts and liberates the Absol;te. Siva9 the dark aspe:t of )rahman9 appears
terrifying only to those who are afraid they will lose the world of :on:ept9 not s;spe:ting that beyond
this world there is eternity.
A.8B (hen the mind Mfree of :on:eptsN :omes to know9 it does not r;n toward the ringing so;nd Min
the physi:al earN like a M:;rio;sN serpent.
This is the famo;s :hara:teristi: of the wise manD la:k of :;riosity9 be:a;se he e?perien:es greater
things within himself. Only he who is not self@s;ffi:ient seeks f;lfillment in things. He who is
inwardly poor seeks wealth in the relative world.Q
A.*@..B The fire that b;rns a pie:e of wood dies o;t when the wood has been :ons;med. So also the
mind when it remains :on:entrated on nadam Aand does not sear:h for new f;elB gets absorbed in it.
@@(hen the fo;rfold mind AantakharanaB has been attra:ted by the so;nd of bells et:.9 like a gaGelle9
a skillf;l ar:her :an hit it with his arrow.
The /panishad saysD Hrana is the bow9 atman the arrow9 )rahman the target. He who :aref;lly aims
at the target be:omes one with it.H Atman and )rahman be:ome one.
A133@13%B The absol;te :ons:io;sness M:aitanyaN :ogniGes the nada@so;nd in the heart while the
antakharana MmindN be:omes one with :aitanya. (hen this has happened in samadhi
Mpara@vairagyaN all modifi:ations dissolve and be:ome abstra:t tho;ght. This is the p;re atman9 free
from all e?ternal adC;n:ts M;padhisN. @@Spa:e MakashaN e?ists only as long as the so;nd is heard Mby
the physi:al earN. #n so;ndlessness atman and )rahman are one MparamatmanN. (hatever is
manifested as so;nd Min the heart or in the earN is a power of nat;re MshaktiN. The state of dissol;tion
MlayaN of :on:ept;al tho;ght is beyond all form. #t is divine MparamesvaraN.
As we have now as:ertained9 there is no real differen:e between the Hinner lightH AkalaB as des:ribed
in the previo;s :hapter and the inner so;nd AnadaB be:a;se in essen:e they are ;nited by
QThis is the only :ase where !i:ker-s translation deviates from the literal translation of the te?t9
whi:h readsD HThe mind is like a serpentI forgetQ ting all its ;nsteadiness by hearing the nada9 it does
not r;n away anywhereH Aan:ham Sinh9 of. dtS p. 174B. @@Trans.
bind;9 the sense. All three powers Akala9 nada and bind;B in absol;te form are SivaI in their a:tive
power they are shakti. Siva and Shakti are one as the inseparable :osmi: loversD energy and matter
are one as so;r:e of the world.
O;r imaginary h;man :reator now has everything that he needsD energy and matter in all their
aspe:ts. The gross material aspe:t as so;nd and lightI the s;btle aspe:t as inner so;nd and inner
radian:eI the :a;sal aspe:t as the divine e?perien:e of samadhi where there is no longer any
differen:e between the three realms9 where they on:e more are what they have eternally beenD Siva9
+A"A9 TH' #++'! SO/+"
the aspe:t of dissol;tion of )rahaman.
A135B All hatha yoga pra:ti:es serve only for the attainment of raCa yoga. He who is a::omplished in
raCa yoga over:omes death.
To Hover:ome deathH does not mean to be:ome immortal9 for what is the bodyK #t means power over
all that whi:h es:apes :ons:io;sness at the time of death. Samadhi is more :losely related to death
than sleep. He who has rea:hed the inner vision of samadhi will meet death with :lear ;nderstanding
of what awaits him. He has :ontrol over the state after death and the way to rebirth.
A134@114B 1ind is the seed9 pranayama the soil9 dispassion
MvairagyaN the water. O;t of these three grows the tree that f;lfills all wishes. @@Thro;gh assid;o;s
pra:ti:e of :on:entration on nada9 all sins are destroyed9 and mind and prana be:ome dissolved in
absol;te :ons:io;sness MniranCana9 the absol;tely spotless9 devoid of all g;nasN. @@";ring samadhi
M;nmani avastha9 the mindless stateN the MmaterialN body be:omes like a log. The so;nd of the :on:h
and of the big dr;m pass by his Mphysi:alN ear Mfor the ear in his heart is t;ned to s;btler so;ndsN.
@@The yogi is free from all states Mavasthas9 :onditioned statesN9 from all tho;ghts. He is like one
dead. And yet he is master of death9 of his fate9 and his enemies. His senses have died awayI he
Anows not himself or others. He is one who it liberated in this lifetime MCivanm;ktaN9 when his mind is
neither awake nor asleep9 and when he is free from remembering and forgetting. He does not live9
and yet he is not dead. @@He is impervio;s to heat and :old9 to pain and bliss9 to honor and ins;lt.
@@He seems to be sleeping9 and yet he is awake. inhalation and e?halation have s;bsided. MHe is in
Cagra avastha.N @@(eapons :annot harm him Mi.e.9 his now manifest real beingN9 no h;man power
:an over:ome him. He is beyond :;rses Mthro;gh mantraN and :harms MyantraN. @@);t as long as
prana does not enter the s;sh;mna and rea:h its highest goal at the :rown of the head Mthe
bramaradhraN9 as long as the absol;te is not manifested in samadhi9 Mas long as the bind; does not
:ome ;nder :ontrol by restraint of breath9N as long as the # does not be:ome one with the it9 so long
are those who talk abo;t dissol;tion in )rahman mere babblers and prevari:ators.
+A"A9 TH' #++'! SO/+"
'#,OG/'
when # review what # :o;ld gather from the few hidden saints # met in #ndia my impression is
twofold. The state of enlightenment9 the state that pre:edes sainthood9 is positively the greatest and
most desirable goal of all. One still is a h;man being9 b;t no longer a vi:tim of nat;reI nat;ral laws
still prevail9 b;t impose no b;rdens. One still has needs9 b;t is not dependent on them. One feels and
a:ts9 b;t one does not a:t d;e to feelingsI the aim is always to be in t;ne with :osmi: harmony rather
than to give satisfa:tion to the ego. The Tr;th of absol;te harmony whi:h in:l;des the :reat;res and
the CreatorD that is the sign of enlightenment9 absol;te h;manness. );t the saint of the last stage is
beyond everything h;man. He is a single so;nd that does not blend into a harmony of any kind9 for
he already o::;pies a higher plane of e?isten:e9 one thro;gh whi:h the enlightened one passes only
at the time of death9 or rather after death9 when his individ;ality is dissolved. A man who begins to
o;tgrow worldly :onditions will be reborn into the level of e?isten:e he has rea:hed. The saint of the
highest stage passes thro;gh this :ondition in his inner :ons:io;sness before his earthly death9
be:a;se he has s;::eeded in freeing himself from everything that binds others to the world. Again
and again # had the impression9 and saw it :onfirmed from many sides9 that the enlightened one
represents the most perfe:t h;man being9 while the saint on the highest level :o;ld in many respe:ts
no longer be meas;red by h;man standardsD obvio;s omnis:ien:e paired with the symptoms of
insanity9 b;t nevertheless with the disting;ishing signs oi a geni;s. henomenal manifestations s;:h
as :omplete ren;n:iation of sleep and foodI s;spension of all nat;ral f;n:tions s;:h as growth of hair
on the head9 perspiration9 eliminationI :omplete absen:e of signs of age9 :ombined with the
proverbial siddhis9 the mira:;lo;s powers whi:h nobody has a right to do;bt. 'ven today one may be
fort;nate eno;gh to meet siddhas in So;th #ndia in whom all these phenomena are ;nited. These few
areliving proof that saints of the highest level are not legendary fig;res.
The reader who now :on:l;des A<;ite ;nderstandablyB that despite his desire for the power of a
siddha9 the pra:tise of yoga is not for (estern man9 is like a st;dent who abandons the ;niversity
be:a;se he has heard that geni;s borders on insanity9 and he no longer wants to attempt to be:ome a
geni;s.
There are today in #ndia tho;sands of yogis and h;ndreds of masters. There are perhaps a few doGen
who have realiGed the highest level of raCa yoga9 and appro?imately half a doGen saints on the
highest level.
Sho;ld we not at least make a beginning and take a few steps toward masteryK &or the danger of
developing too little yoga and be:oming a vi:tim of o;r inade<;ate world is far greater than that of
be:oming an ;nearthly s;perman.
'#,OG/' 133

Hath A Yoga Pradipika

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Hath A Yoga Pradipika

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Yoga Swami Svatmarama.

Hatha yoga pradipika

You might also like