sign in sign up
<<
Home , Anahata, Bindu (symbol), Hatha yoga, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Samadhi, Shiva Samhita

International Journal of and Allied Sciences (ISSN: 2278 – 5159) Volume: 4, Issue: 1; Jan- June 2015

Meditation in Hatha Yogic Text: A review

Dr Somdutta Tiwary* & Dr Amit Tyagi** 1. Health Officer, All State Groups of Companies, Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharastra 2. Director, Divine School of Yoga, Gurgaon, Haryana

The Pradipika is a classic manual on Hatha yoga, written by Svami Svatmarama, a disciple of Swami . Said to be the oldest surviving text on the hatha yoga, it is one of the three classic texts of hatha yoga, the other two being the Gheranda and the Samhita. A fourth major text, written at a later date by Srinivasabhatta Mahayogaindra, is the Hatharatnavali.1

The text was written in 15th century CE. The work is derived from older Sanskrit texts and Swami Svatamarama's own yogic experiences. Many modern English translations of the text are available. The book consists four Upadeśas (chapters) which include information about , , , , bandhas, kriyas, , nadis and among other topics. It runs in the line of Hindu yoga (to distinguish from Buddhist and Jain yoga) and is dedicated to Lord Adinatha, a name for Lord Shiva (the Hindu god of destruction and renewal), who is believed to have imparted the secret of hatha yoga to his divine consort .

Hatha yoga or hatha (the science of In all, the text contains 390 verses (floras). hatha yoga) is commonly misunderstood and Out of these, about forty deal with asanas, misrepresented as being simply a physical approximately one hundred and ten with culture, divorced from spiritual goals. Hans- pranayama, one hundred and fifty with Ulrich Rieker shows the error of this idea by mudras, bandhas and and the rest explaining the changes which take place, with , dharana, dhyana and through the practice of hatha yoga, in the .3 practitioner's body, mind and self. He makes the reader aware of the subjective In explanation of the transformation that occurs as the mystical terms nada, and kala is penetrates inwards towards the praiseworthy. Nada means vibration or sound, Self, and as the Self diffuses outwards. He bindu is a dot or a seed and kala means a shows that hatha yoga is not just physical sprout, or to shine or glitter. Here, bindu exercise, but an integrated science leading represents the Self; kala, the sprout of the Self, towards .2 that is, consciousness; and nada the sound of the inner consciousness. A return journey The text is divided into four major chapters. from nada to kala, kala to bindu is the ultimate The first explains (restraints on in hatha yoga. Svatmarama says that if the behaviour), (observances), asanas consciousness is the seed, hatha yoga is the (posture) and food. The second describes field. He enjoins the student of yoga to water pranayama (control or restraint of energy), the field with the help of yogic practice and and the shatkarmas (internal cleansing renunciation so that the consciousness practices). The third deals with mudras becomes stainless and the Self shines forth. (seals), bandhas (locks), the nadis (channels of energy through which flows) and the In Pradipika this union of Human kundalini power. The fourth expounds Consciousness and Super Consciousness has pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), been explained in following steps: Arambha dharana (concentration), dhyana (), Avastha, Ghata Avastha, Parichaya Avastha and samadhi (absorption). and Nispatti Avastha.

49

International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences (ISSN: 2278 – 5159) Volume: 4, Issue: 1; Jan- June 2015

Arambha Avastha. . Conquering, then, the pleasures of the mind, ecstasy is spontaneously produced - which is devoid of evils, pains, old age, śünya- disease, hunger and sleep.

|| Nispatti Avastha divya-dehaś ca tejasvī divya-gandhas tvarogavān| - bhittvā śarva-pītha- sampürna- | 4 bhavet || -vīnā- kvano bhavet || Meaning: When the Brahma granthi (in the -yogābhidhānakam | heart) is pierced through by Pranayama, then a - -kartāsau yogīśvara-samo sort of happiness is experienced in the vacuum bhavet || of the heart, and the anahat sounds, like sukham| various tinkling sounds of ornaments, are layodbhavam -yogād heard in the body. In the arambha, a 's avāpyate|| body becomes divine, glowing, healthy, and rāja- - emits a divine smell. The whole of his heart becomes void. etān abhyāsino manye prayāsa-phala-varjitān || unmany- - Ghata Avastha. rāja-yoga- - cetasām | -samas tadā || s - ||7 -granthes tato bhedāt paramānanda-

atiśünye vimardaś ca bherī-śabdas tadā bhavet ||5 Meaning: When the Rudra granthi is pierced, and the air enters the seat of the Lord (the Meaning: In the second stage, the airs are space between the eyebrows), then the perfect united into one and begun moving in the sound like that of a flute is produced. The middle channel. The Yogi's posture becomes union of the mind and the sound is called the firm, and he becomes wise like a god. By this Raja-Yoga. The (real) Yogi becomes the means the Visnu knot (in the throat) is pierced creator and destroyer of the universe, like which is indicated by highest pleasure God. Perpetual Happiness is achieved by this; experienced, and then the Bheri sound (like I do not care if the mukti be not attained. This the beating of a kettle drum) is evolved in the happiness, resulting from absorption (in vacuum in the throat. Brama), is obtained by means of Raja- Yoga.

Parichaya Avastha. In next verses Hatha Pradipika states that - those who are ignorant of the Raja-Yoga and practice only the Hatha-Yoga, will, in my mahā- -- opinion, waste their energy fruitlessly. samāśrayam || on the space between the - eyebrows is, in my opinion, best for accomplishing soon the Unmani state. For - -jarā-vyādhi- -nidrā- 6 people of small intellect, it is a very easy method for obtaining perfection in the Raja-

Yoga. The Laya produced by nada, at once Meaning: In the third stage, the sound of a gives experience (of spiritual powers). drum is known to arise in the Sunya between the eyebrows, and then the goes to the Hatha Pradipika further discusses that the Mahasunya, which is the home of all the happiness which increases in the hearts of

50

International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences (ISSN: 2278 – 5159) Volume: 4, Issue: 1; Jan- June 2015

Yogiswaras, who have gained success in with clipped wings, becomes calm at once. Samadhi by means of attention to the nada, is Those desirous of the kingdom of Yoga, beyond description, and is known to Sri should take up the practice of hearing the Natha alone. The sound which a muni hears nada, with mind collected and free by closing his ears with his fingers, should be from all cares. heard attentively, till the mind becomes steady Nada is the snare for catching the mind; and, in it. By practicing with this nada, all other when it is caught like a deer, it can be killed external sounds are stopped. The Yogi also like it. Nada is the bolt of the stable door becomes happy by overcoming all distractions for the horse (the minds of the ). A Yogi within 15 days. In the beginning, the sounds should determine to practice constantly in the heard are of great variety and very loud; but, hearing of the nada sounds. as the practice increases, they become more and more subtle. Hatha Pradipika further states that the Mind gets the properties of calcined mercury. When In the first stage, the sounds are surging, deprived of its unsteadiness it is calcined, thundering like the beating of kettle drums and combined with the sulphur of nada, and then it jingling ones. In the intermediate stage, they roams like it in the supportless akasa or are like those produced by conch, Mridanga, Brahma. The mind is like a serpent, forgetting bells, etc. all its unsteadiness by hearing the nada, it does In the last stage, the sounds resemble those not run away anywhere. The fire, catching from tinklets, flute, Vina, bee, &c. These firewood, is extinguished along with it (after various kinds of sounds are heard as being burning it up); and so the mind also, working produced in the body. Though hearing loud with the nada, becomes latent along with it. sounds like those of thunder, kettle drums, The antahkarana (mind), like a deer, becomes &c., one should practice with the subtle absorbed and motionless on hearing the sound sounds also. of bells, etc.; and then it is very easy for an expert archer to kill it. The knowable Leaving the loudest, taking up the subtle one, interpenetrates the anahata sound when it is and leaving the subtle one, taking up the heard, and the mind interpenetrates the loudest, thus practicing, the distracted mind knowable. The mind becomes absorbed there, does not wander elsewhere. Wherever the which is the seat of the all-pervading, mind attaches itself first, it becomes steady almighty Lord. So long as the sounds there; and when it becomes absorbed in it. Just continue, there is the idea of akasa. When they as a bee, drinking sweet juice, does not care disappear, then it is called Para Brahma, for the smell of the flower; so the mind, Paramatmana. absorbed in the nada, does not desire the objects of enjoyment. The mind, like an Whatever is heard in the form of nada, is the elephant habituated to wander in the garden of sakti (power). That which is formless, the final enjoyments, is capable of being controlled by state of the Tatwas, is the Parameswara. All the sharp goad of anahata nada. the methods of Hatha are meant for gaining success in Raja-Yoga; for, the man, who is sarva- well-established in the Raja-Yoga, overcomes nāda evānusandheyo yoga-sāmrājyam icchatā || death. Tatwa is the seed, Hatha the field; and nādo’ntaraìga-sāraìga-bandhane vāgurāyate | Indifference () the water. By the antaraìga-kuraìgasya vadhe vyādhāyate’pi ca || action of these three, the creeper Unmani thrives very rapidly. All the accumulations of nādopāsti-rato nityam avadhāryā hi yoginā ||8 sins are destroyed by practicing always with

Meaning: The mind, captivated in the snare of the nada; and the mind and the airs do nada, gives up all its activity; and, like a bird certainly become latent in the colorless (Paramatmana). Such a one does not hear the

51

International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences (ISSN: 2278 – 5159) Volume: 4, Issue: 1; Jan- June 2015 noise of the conch and Dundubhi. Being in the neither sleeping, waking, remembering, Unmani avastha, his body becomes like a destitute of memory, disappearing nor piece of wood. There is no doubt, such a Yogi appearing, is liberated. He feels neither heat, becomes free from all states, from all cares, cold, pain, pleasure, respect nor disrespect. and remains like one dead. Such a Yogi is absorbed in Samadhi. He who, khādyate na ca kālena bādhyate na ca karmanā | though awake, appears like one sleeping, and is without inspiration and expiration, is certainly free. The Yogi, engaged in Samadhi, cannot be killed by any instrument, and is beyond the controlling powers of beings. He is samādhinā || beyond the reach of incantations and charms. - - varjitam| As long as the Prana does not enter and 9 in the middle channel and the vindu does not become firm by the control of the movements Meaning: He is not devoured by death, is not of the Prana; as long as the mind does not bound by his actions. The Yogi who is assume the form of Brahma without any effort engaged in Samadhi is overpowered by none. in contemplation, so long all the talk of The Yogi, engaged in Samadhi, feels neither knowledge and wisdom is merely the smell, taste, color, touch, sound, nor is nonsensical babbling of a mad man. conscious of his own self. He whose mind is

References: 1. Swami Muktibodhananda and Swami . Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Yoga Publications Trust, 2000 2. B K S Iyenger, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yoga-Age.com, 1991 3. Hans Ulrich Rieker Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yoga-Age.com, 1991 4. Hatha Yoga Pradipika 4/70,71 5. Hatha Yoga Pradipika 4/72,73 6. Hatha Yoga Pradipika 4/74, 75 7. Hatha Yoga Pradipika 4/76 – 80 8. Hatha Yoga Pradipika 4/ 93, 94, 95 9. Hatha Yoga Pradipika 4/ 108, 109, 110

52