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. I shall now describe Yoga-Tattva (Yoga-Truth) for the benefit of Yogins who are freed from all sins through the hearing and the studying of it.
2. The supreme Purusha called Vishnu, who is the great Yogin, the great being and the great Tapasvin, is seen as a lamp in the path of the truth.
3. The Grandfather (Brahma) having saluted the Lord of the universe (Vishnu) and having paid Him due respects, asked Him (thus): “Pray, explain to us the truth of Yoga which includes in it the eight subservients.”
4. To which Hrisikesha (the Lord of the senses or Vishnu) replied thus: “Listen. I shall explain its truth. All souls are immersed in happiness and sorrow through the snare of Maya.
5-6. Kaivalya, the supreme seat, is the path which gives them emancipation, which rends asunder the snare of Maya, which is the destroyer of birth, old age and disease and which enables one to overcome death. There are no other paths to salvation. Those who go round the net of Shastras are deluded by that knowledge.
7. It is impossible even for the Devas to describe that indescribable state. How can that which is self-shining be illuminated by the Shastras ?
8. That only which is without parts and stains and which is quiescent beyond all and free from decay becomes the Jiva (self) on account of the results of past virtues and sins.
9. How did that which is the seat of Paramatman, is eternal and above the state of all existing things and is of the form of wisdom and without stains attain the state of Jiva ?
10. A bubble arose in it as in water and in this (bubble) arose Ahankara. To it arose a ball (of body) made of the five (elements) and bound by Dhatus.
11. Know that to be Jiva which is associated with happiness and misery and hence is the term Jiva applied to Paramatman which is pure.
12-13. That Jiva is considered to be the Kevala (alone) which is freed from the stains of passion, anger, fear, delusion, greed, pride, lust, birth, death, miserliness, swoon, giddiness, hunger, thirst, ambition, shame, fright, heart-burning, grief and gladness.
14. So I shall tell you the means of destroying (these) sins. How could Jnana capable of giving Moksha arise certainly without Yoga ?
15. And even Yoga becomes powerless in (securing) Moksha when it is devoid of Jnana. So the aspirant after emancipation should practise (firmly) both Yoga and Jnana.
16. The cycle of births and deaths comes only through Jnana and perishes only through Jnana. Jnana alone was originally. It should be known as the only means (of salvation).
17-18(a). That is Jnana through which one cognises (in himself) the real nature of Kaivalya as the supreme seat, the stainless, the partless and of the nature of Sachchidananda without birth, existence and death and without motion and Jnana.
18(b)-19. Now I shall proceed to describe Yoga to you: Yoga is divided into many kinds on account of its actions: (viz.,) Mantra-Yoga, Laya-Yoga, Hatha-Yoga and Raja-Yoga.
20. There are four states common to all these: (viz.,) Arambha, Ghata, Parichaya and Nishpatti.
21. O Brahma, I shall describe these to you. Listen attentively. One should practise the Mantra along with its Matrikas (proper intonations of the sounds) and others for a period of twelve years;
22. Then he gradually obtains wisdom along with the Siddhis, (such as) Anima, etc. Persons of weak intellect who are the least qualified for Yoga practise this.
23-24(a). The (second) Laya-Yoga tends towards the absorption of the Chitta and is described in myriads of ways; (one of which is) – one should contemplate upon the Lord who is without parts (even) while walking, sitting, sleeping, or eating. This is called Laya-Yoga.
24(b)-25. Now hear (the description of) Hatha-Yoga. This Yoga is said to possess (the following) eight subservients, Yama (forbearance), Niyama (religious observance), Asana (posture), Pranayama (suppression of breath), Pratyahara (subjugation of the
senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana, the contemplation on Hari in the middle of the eyebrows and Samadhi that is the state of equality.
26-27. Maha-Mudra, Maha-Bandha and Khechari, Jalandhara, Uddiyana and Mula-Bandha, uttering without intermission Pranava (OM) for a long time and hearing the exposition of the supreme truths, Vajroli, Amaroli and Sahajoli, which form a triad – all these separately I shall give a true description of.
28-29(a). O four-faced one (Brahma), among (the duties of) Yama moderate eating – and not others – forms the principal factor; and non-injury is most important in Niyama.
29(b). (The chief postures are) four (viz.,) Siddha, Padma, Simha and Bhadra.
30-31. During the early stages of practice the following obstacles take place, O four-faced one, (viz.,) laziness, idle talk, association with bad characters, acquisition of Mantras, etc., playing with metals (alchemy) and woman, etc., and mirage. A wise man having found out these should abandon them by the force of his virtues.
32. Then assuming Padma posture, he should practise Pranayama. He should erect a beautiful monastery with a very small opening and with no crevices.
33. It should be well pasted with cow-dung or with white cement. It should be carefully freed from bugs, mosquitoes and lice.
34. It should be swept well every day with a broom. It should be perfumed with good odours; and fragrant resins should burn in it.
35-36(a). Having taken his seat neither too high nor too low on a cloth, deer-skin and Kusa grass spread, one over the other, the wise man should assume the Padma posture and keeping his body erect and his hands folded in respect, should salute his tutelary deity.
36(b)-40. Then closing the right nostril with his right thumb, he should gradually draw in the air through the left nostril. Having restrained it as long as possible, he should again expel it through the right nostril slowly and not very fast. Then filling the stomach through the right nostril, he should retain it as long as he can and then expel it through the left nostril. Drawing the air through that nostril by which he expels, he should continue this in uninterrupted succession. The time taken in making a round of the knee with the palm of the hand, neither very slowly nor vary rapidly and snapping the fingers once is called a Matra.
41-44. Drawing the air through the left nostril for about sixteen Matras and having retained it (within) for about sixty-four Matras, one should expel it again through the right nostril for about thirty-two Matras. Again fill the right nostril as before (and continue the rest). Practise cessation of breath four times daily (viz.,) at sunrise, noon, sunset and midnight, till eighty (times are reached). By a continual practice for about three months, the purification of the Nadis takes place. When the Nadis have become purified, certain external signs appear on the body of the Yogin.
45-46(a). I shall proceed to describe them. (They are) lightness of the body, brilliancy of complexion, increase of the gastric fire, leanness of the body and along with these, absence of restlessness in the body.
46(b)-49. The proficient in Yoga should abandon the food detrimental to the practice of Yoga. He should give up salt, mustard; things sour, hot, pungent, or bitter vegetables; asafoetida, etc., worship of fire, women, walking, bathing at sunrise, emaciation of the body by fasts, etc. During the early stages of practice, food of milk and ghee is ordained; also food consisting of wheat, green pulse and red rice are said to favour the progress. Then he will be able to retain his breath as long as he likes.
50-53. By thus retaining the breath as long as he likes, Kevala Kumbhaka (cessation of breath without inspiration and expiration) is attained. When Kevala Kumbhaka is attained by one and thus expiration and inspiration are dispensed with, there is nothing unattainable in the three worlds to him. In the commencement (of his practice), sweat is given out; he should wipe it off. Even after that, owing to the retaining of the breath, the person practising it gets phlegm. Then by an increased practice of Dharana, sweat arises.
54. As a frog moves by leaps, so the Yogin sitting in the Padma posture moves on the earth. With a (further) increased practice, he is able to rise from the ground.
55. He, while seated in Padma posture, levitates. There arises to him the power to perform extraordinary feats.
56. He does (or should) not disclose to others his feats of great powers (in the path). Any pain small or great, does not affect the Yogin.
57. Then excretions and sleep are diminished; tears, rheum in the eye, salivary flow, sweat and bad smell in the mouth do not arise in him.
58-60. With a still further practice, he acquires great strength by which he attains Bhuchara Siddhi, which enables him to bring under his control all the creatures that tread this earth; tigers, Sarabhas (an animal with eight legs), elephants, with bulls or lions die on being struck by the palm of the Yogin. He becomes as beautiful as the god of love himself.
61-62. All females being taken up with the beauty of his person will desire to have intercourse with him. If he so keeps connection, his virility will be lost; so abandoning all copulation with women, he should continue his practice with great assiduity. By the preservation of the semen, a good odour pervades the body of the Yogin.
63. Then sitting in a secluded place, he should repeat Pranava (OM) with three Pluta-Matras (or prolonged intonation) for the destruction of his former sins.
64. The Mantra, Pranava (OM) destroys all obstacles and all sins. By practising thus he attains the Arambha (beginning or first) state.
65-66. Then follows the Ghata (second State) – one which is acquired by constantly practising suppression of breath. When a perfect union takes place between Prana and Apana, Manas and Buddhi, or Jivatma and Paramatman without opposition, it is called the Ghata state. I shall describe its signs.
67. He may now practise only for about one-fourth of the period prescribed for practice before. By day and evening, let him practise only for a Yama (3 hours).
68-69(a). Let him practise Kevala Kumbhaka once a day. Drawing away completely the organs from the objects of sense during cessation of breath is called Pratyahara.
69(b). Whatever he sees with his eyes, let him consider as Atman.
70. Whatever he hears with his ears, let him consider as Atman. Whatever he smells with his nose, let him consider as Atman.
71. Whatever he tastes with his tongue, let him consider as Atman. Whatever the Yogin touches with his skin, let him consider as Atman.
72. The Yogin should thus unwearied gratify his organs of sense for a period of one Yama every day with great effort.
73-74. Then various wonderful powers are attained by the Yogin, such as clairvoyance, clair-audience, ability to transport himself to great distances within a moment, great power of speech, ability to take any form, ability to become invisible and the transmutation
of iron into gold when the former is smeared over with his excretion.
75-76. That Yogin who is constantly practising Yoga attains the power to levitate. Then should the wise Yogin think that these powers are great obstacles to the attainment of Yoga and so he should never take delight in them. The king of Yogins should not exercise his powers before any person whatsoever.
77. He should live in the world as a fool, an idiot, or a deaf man, in order to keep his powers concealed.
78-79. His disciples would, without doubt, request him to show his powers for the gratification of their own desires. One who is actively engaged in one’s duties forgets to practise (Yoga); so he should practise day and night Yoga without forgetting the words of the Guru. Thus passes the Ghata state to one who is constantly engaged in Yoga practice.
80. To one nothing is gained by useless company, since thereby he does not practise Yoga. So one should with great effort practise Yoga.
