Translated by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar
Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy,
May our study be vigorous and effective;
May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).
Om ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !
1. Even if sin should accumulate to a mountain extending over many Yojanas (distance), it is destroyed by Dhyana-Yoga. At no time has been found a destroyer of sins like this.
2. Bijakshara (seed-letter) is the supreme Bindu. Nada (spiritual sound) is above it. When that Nada ceases along with letter, then the Nada-less is supreme state.
3. The Yogin who considers as the highest that which is above Nada, which is Anahata, has all his doubts destroyed.
4. If the point of a hair be divided into one hundred thousand parts, this (Nada) is one-half of that still further divided; and when (even) this is absorbed, the Yogin attains to the stainless Brahman.
5-6. One who is of a firm mind and without the delusion (of sensual pleasures) and ever resting in Brahman, should see like the string (in a rosary of beads) all creatures (as existing) in Atman like odour in flowers, ghee in milk, oil in gingelly seeds and gold in quartz.
7. Again just as the oil depends for its manifestation upon gingelly seeds and odour upon flowers, so does the Purusha depend for its existence upon the body, both external and internal.
8. The tree is with parts and its shadow is without parts but with and without parts, Atman exists everywhere.
9(a). The one Akshara (letter OM) should be contemplated upon as Brahman by all who aspire for emancipation.
9(b)-10(a). Prithvi, Agni, Rig-Veda, Bhuh and Brahma — all these (are absorbed) when Akara (A), the first Amsa (part) of Pranava (OM) becomes absorbed.
10(b)-11(a). Antariksha, Yajur-Veda, Vayu, Bhuvah and Vishnu, the Janardana – all these (are absorbed) when Ukara (U), the second Amsa of Pranava becomes absorbed.
11(b)-12(a). Dyur, sun, Sama-Veda, Suvah and Maheshvara – all these (are absorbed) when Makara (M), the third Amsa of Pranava becomes absorbed.
12(b)-13(a). Akara is of (Pita) yellow colour and is said to be of Rajo-Guna; Ukara is of white colour and of Sattva-Guna; Makara is of dark colour and of Tamo-Guna.
13(b)-14(a). He who does not know Omkara as having eight Angas (parts), four Padas (feet), three Sthanas (seats) and five Devatas (presiding deities) is not a Brahmana.
14(b)-15. Pranava is the bow. Atman is the arrow and Brahman is said to be the aim. One should aim at it with great care and then he, like the arrow, becomes one with It. When that Highest is cognised, all Karmas return (from him, viz., do not affect him).
16. The Vedas have Omkara as their cause. The Swaras (sounds) have Omkara as their cause. The three worlds with (all) the locomotive and the fixed (ones in them) have Omkara as their cause.
17. The short (accent of OM) burns all sins, the long one is decayless and the bestower of prosperity. United with Ardha-Matra (half-metre of OM), the Pranava becomes the bestower of salvation.
18. That man is the knower of the Vedas who knows that the end (viz., Ardha-Matra) of Pranava should be worshipped (or recited) as uninterrupted as the flow of oil and (resounding) as long as the sound of a bell.
19. One should contemplate upon Omkara as Ishvara resembling an unshaken light, as of the size of a thumb and as motionless in the middle of the pericarp of the lotus of the heart.
20. Taking in Vayu through the left nostril and filling the stomach with it, one should contemplate upon Omkara as being in the middle of the body and as surrounded by circling flames.
21. Brahma is said to be inspiration, Vishnu is said to be cessation (of breath) and Rudra is said to be expiration. These are the Devatas of Pranayama.
22. Having made Atman as the (lower) Arani (sacrificial wood) and Pranava as the upper Arani, one should see the God in secret through the practice of churning which is Dhyana.
23. One should practise restraint of breath as much as it lies in his power along with (the uttering of) Omkara sound, until it ceases completely.
24. Those who look upon OM as of the form of Hamsa staying in all, shining like Crores of suns, being alone, staying in Gamagama (ever going and coming) and being devoid of motion – at last such persons are freed from sin.
25. That Manas which is the author of the actions (viz.,) creation, preservation and destruction of the three worlds, is (then) absorbed (in the supreme One). That is the highest state of Vishnu.
26. The lotus of the heart has eight petals and thirty-two filaments. The sun is in its midst; the moon is in the middle of the sun.
27. Agni is in the middle of the moon; the Prabha (spiritual light) is in the middle of Agni. Pitha (seat or centre) is in the midst of Prabha, being set in diverse gems.
28-29. One should meditate upon the stainless Lord Vasudeva as being (seated) upon the centre of Pitha, as having Srivatsa (black mark) and Kaustubha (garland of gems) on his chest and as adorned with gems and pearls resembling pure crystal in lustre and as resembling Crores of moons in brightness. He should meditate upon Maha-Vishnu as above or in the following manner.
30-31. (That is) he should meditate with inspiration (of breath) upon Maha-Vishnu as resembling the Atasi flower and as staying in the seat of navel with four hands; then with restraint of breath, he should meditate in the heart upon Brahma, the Grandfather as being on the lotus with the Gaura (pale-red) colour of gems and having four faces;
32-34(a). Then through expiration, he should meditate upon the three-eyed Shiva between the two eyebrows shining like the pure crystal, being stainless, destroying all sins, being in that which is like the lotus facing down with its flower (or face) below and the stalk above or like the flower of a plantain tree, being of the form of all Vedas, containing one hundred petals and one hundred leaves and having the pericarp full-expanded.
34(b)-35. There he should meditate upon the sun, the moon and the Agni, one above another. Passing above through the lotus which has the brightness of the sun, moon and Agni and taking its Hrim Bija (letter), one leads his Atman firmly.
36. He is the knower of Vedas who knows the three seats, the three Matras, the three Brahmas, the three Aksharas (letters) and the three Matras associated with the Ardha-Matra.
37. He who knows that which is above Bindu, Nada and Kala as uninterrupted as the flow of oil and (resounding) as long as the sound of a bell – that man is a knower of the Vedas.
38. Just as a man would draw up (with his mouth) the water through the (pores of the) lotus-stalk, so the Yogin treading the path of Yoga should draw up the breath.
39. Having made the lotus-sheath of the form of Ardha-Matra, one should draw up the breath through the stalk (of the Nadis Susumna, Ida and Pingala) and absorb it in the middle of the eyebrows.
40. He should know that the middle of the eyebrows in the forehead which is also the root of the nose is the seat of nectar. That is the great place of Brahman.
41. Postures, restraint of breath, subjugation of the senses, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are the six parts of Yoga.
42. There are as many postures as there are living creatures; and Maheshvara (the great Lord) knows their distinguishing features.
43. Siddha, Bhadra, Simha and Padma are the four (chief) postures. Muladhara is the first Chakra. Svadhisthana is the second.
44. Between these two is said to be the seat of Yoni (perineum), having the form of Kama (God of love). In the Adhara of the anus, there is the lotus of four petals.
45-46. In its midst is said to be the Yoni called Kama and worshipped by the Siddhas. In the midst of the Yoni is the Linga facing the west and split at its head like the gem. He who knows this, is a knower of the Vedas.
47. A four-sided figure is situated above Agni and below the genital organ, of the form of molten gold and shining like streaks of lightning. Prana is with its Sva (own) sound, having Svadhisthana as its Adhisthana (seat), (or since Sva or Prana arises from it).
48. The Chakra Svadhisthana is spoken of as the genital organ itself. The Chakra in the sphere of the navel is called Manipuraka, since the body is pierced through by Vayu like Manis (gems) by string.
49-50(a). The Jiva (ego) urged to actions by its past virtuous and sinful Karmas whirls about in this great Chakra of twelve spokes, so long as it does not grasp the truth.
50(b). Above the genital organ and below the navel is Kanda of the shape of a bird’s egg.
51. There arise (from it) Nadis seventy-two thousand in number. Of these seventy-two are generally known.
52-53. Of these, the chief ones are ten and carry the Pranas. Ida, Pingala, Susumna, Gandhari, Hastijihva, Pusha, Yasasvini, Alambusa, Kuhuh and Sankhini are said to be the ten.
54-55(a). This Chakra of the Nadis should ever be known by the Yogins. The three Nadis Ida, Pingala and Susumna are said to carry Prana always and have as their Devatas, moon, sun and Agni.
55(b)-56(a). Ida is on the left side and Pingala on the right side, while the Susumna is in the middle. These three are known to be the paths of Prana.
56(b)-57. Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana and Vyana; Naga, Kurma, Krikara, Devadatta and Dhananjaya; of these, the first five are called Pranas, etc., and last five Naga, etc., are called Vayus (or sub-Pranas).
58. All these are situated (or run along) the one thousand Nadis, (being) in the form of (or producing) life. Jiva which is under the influence of Prana and Apana goes up and down.
59-60(a). Jiva on account of its ever moving by the left and right paths is not visible. Just as a ball struck down (on the earth) with the bat of the hand springs up, so Jiva ever tossed by Prana and Apana is never at rest.
60(b)-61(a). He is knower of Yoga who knows that Prana always draws itself from Apana and Apana draws itself from Prana, like a bird (drawing itself from and yet not freeing itself) from the string (to which it is tied).
61(b)-63. The Jiva comes out with the letter ‘Ha’ and gets in again with the letter ‘Sa’. Thus Jiva always utters the Mantra ‘Hamsa’, ‘Hamsa’. The Jiva always utters the Mantra twenty-one thousand and six hundred times in one day and night. This is called Ajapa Gayatri and is ever the bestower of Nirvana to the Yogins.
64-66(a). Through its very thought, man is freed from sins. Neither in the past nor in the future is there a science equal to this, a Japa equal to this or a meritorious action equal to this. Parameshvari (viz., Kundalini Sakti) sleeps shutting with her mouth that door which leads to the decayless Brahma-hole.
66(b)-68. Being aroused by the contact of Agni with Manas and Prana, she takes the form of a needle and pierces up through Susumna. The Yogin should open with great effort this door which is shut. Then he will pierce the door to salvation by means of Kundalini.
69. Folding firmly the fingers of the hands, assuming firmly the Padma posture, placing the chin firmly on the breast and fixing the mind in Dhyana, one should frequently raise up the Apana, fill up with air and then leave the Prana. Then the wise man gets matchless wisdom through (this) Sakti.
70. That Yogin who assuming Padma posture worships (i.e., controls) Vayu at the door of the Nadis and then performs restraint of breath is released without doubt.
