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 !
CHAPTER – I
1. PARAM-DHYANA (the supreme meditation) should be upon Tejo-bindu (the seed or source of spiritual light), which is the Atma of the universe, which is seated in the heart, which is of the size of an atom, which pertains to Shiva, which is quiescent and which is gross and subtle, as also above these qualities.
2. That alone should be the Dhyana of the Munis as well as of men, which is full of pains, which is difficult to meditate on, which is difficult to perceive, which is the emancipated one, which is decayless and which is difficult to attain.
3. One whose food is moderate, whose anger has been controlled, who has given up all love for society, who has subdued his passions, who has overcome all pairs (heat and cold etc.), who has given up his egoism, who does not bless anyone nor take
anything from others;
4. And also who goes where they naturally ought not to go and naturally would not go where they like to go – such persons also obtain three in the face. Hamsa is said to have three seats.
5. Therefore know it is the greatest of mysteries, without sleep and without support. It is very subtle, of the form of Soma and is the supreme seat of Vishnu.
6. That seat has three faces, three gunas and three Dhatus and is formless, motionless, changeless, sizeless and supportless.
7. That seat is without Upadhi and is above the reach of speech and mind. It is Svabhava (Self or nature) reachable only by Bhava (being).
8. The indestructible seat is associateless, without bliss, beyond mind, difficult to perceive, emancipated and changeless. It should be meditated upon as the liberated, the eternal, the permanent and the indestructible.
9. It is Brahman, is Adhyatma (or the deity presiding as Atma) and is the highest seat of Vishnu. It is inconceivable, of the nature of Chidatma and above the Akasa.
11. It is not the universe. It is the highest space; it is neither supreme nor above the supreme. It is inconceivable, unknowable, non-truth and not the highest.
12. It is realised by the Munis, but the Devas do not know the supreme One. Avarice, delusion, fear, pride, passion, anger, sin;
13. Heat, cold, hunger, thirst, thought and fancy – (all these do not exist in It). (In It) there is no pride of (belonging to) the Brahmana caste, nor is there the collection of the knot of salvation.
14. (In It) there is no fear, no happiness, no pains, neither fame nor disgrace. That which is without these states is the supreme Brahman.
15. Yama (forbearance), Niyama (religious observance), Tyaga (renunciation), Mouna (silence) according to time and place, Asana (posture), Mulabandha, seeing all bodies as equal, the position of the eye;
16. Prana-samyamana (control of breath), Pratyahara (subjugation of the senses), Dharana, Atma-Dhyana and Samadhi – these are spoken of as the parts (of Yoga) in order.
17. That is called Yama in which one controls all his organs (of sense and actions) through the Vijnana that all is Brahman; this should be practised often and often.
18. Niyama, in which there is the supreme bliss enjoyed through the flowing (or inclination) of the mind towards things of the same (spiritual) kind, (viz., Brahman) and the abandoning of things differing from one another is practised by the sages as a rule.
19. In Tyaga (renunciation), one abandons the manifestation (or objects) of the universe through the cognition of Atman that is Sat and Chit. This is practised by the great and is the giver of immediate salvation.
20. Mouna (the silence), in which, without reaching That, speech returns along with mind, is fit to be attained by the Yogins and should be ever worshipped by the ignorant (even).
21. How is it possible to speak of ‘That’, from which speech returns ? How should it be described as the universe as there is no word to describe it ?
22. It is ‘That’ which is (really) called silence and which is naturally understood (as such). There is silence in children, but with words (latent); whereas the knowers of Brahman have it (silence) but without words.
23. That should be known as ‘the lonely seat’ in which there is no man in the beginning, middle, or end and through which all this (universe) is fully pervaded.
24-25. The illusion of Brahma and all other beings takes place within one twinkling (of His eye). That should be known as Asana (posture), in which one has with ease and without fatigue (uninterrupted) meditation of Brahman; that is described by the word Kala (time), that is endless bliss and that is secondless. Everything else is the destroyer of happiness.
26. That is called Siddhasana (Siddha-posture) in which the Siddhas (psychical personages) have succeeded in realising the endless One as the support of the universe containing all the elements, etc.
27. That is called the Mulabandha, which is the Mula (root) of all worlds and through which the root Chitta is (Bandha) bound. It should be always practised by the Rajayogins.
28. One after having known the equality of the Angas (or parts of Yoga) point to one and the same Brahman, should be absorbed in that equal (or uniform) Brahman; if not, there is not that equality (attained). Then like a dry tree, there is straightness (or uniformity throughout).
29. Making one’s vision full of spiritual wisdom, one should look upon the world as full of Brahman. That vision is very noble. It is (generally) aimed at the tip of the nose;
30. But it should be directed towards that seat (of Brahman) wherein the cessation of seer, the seen and sight will take place and not towards the tip of the nose.
31. That is called Pranayama (the control of breath), in which there is the control of the modifications (of mind) through the cognition of Brahman in all the states of Chitta and others.
32. The checking of (the conception of the reality of) the universe, is said to be expiration. The conception of ‘I am Brahman’ is inspiration.
33. The holding on (long) to this conception without agitation is cessation of breath. Such is the practice of the enlightened.
34. The ignorant close their nose. That should be known as Pratyahara, through which one sees Atman (even) in the objects of sense and pleases Chitta through Manas. It should be practised often and often.
35. Through seeing Brahman wherever the mind goes, the Dharana is meant that state where one indulges in the good thought:
36. ‘I am Brahman alone’, and is without any support. This Dhyana is the giver of supreme bliss.
37. Being first in a state of changelessness and then thoroughly forgetting (even) that state owing to the cognition of the (true) nature of Brahman – this is called Samadhi.
38. This kind of bliss should be practised (or enjoyed) by a wise person till his cognition itself united in a moment with the state of Pratyag (Atman).
39. Then this King of Yogins becomes a Siddha and is without any aid (outside himself). Then he will attain a state, inexpressible and unthinkable.
40. When Samadhi is practised, the following obstacles arise with great force – absence of right inquiry, laziness, inclination to enjoyment;
41. Absorption (in material object), Tamas, distraction, impatience, sweat and absent-mindedness. All these obstacles should be overcome by inquirers into Brahman.
42. Through Bhava-Vrittis (worldly thoughts), one gets into them. Through Sunya-Vrittis (void or empty thoughts), one gets into them. But through the Vrittis of Brahman, one gets fullness.
43. Therefore one should develop fullness through this means (of Brahman). He who abandons this Vritti of Brahman, which is very purifying and supreme – that man lives in vain like a beast.
44. But he who understands this Vritti (of Brahman) and having understood it makes advances in it, becomes a good and blessed person, deserving to be worshipped by the three worlds.
45. Those who are greatly developed through the ripening (of their past Karmas) attain the state of Brahman; others are simply reciters of words.
46. Those who are clever in arguments about Brahman, but are without the action pertaining to Brahman and who are greatly attached to the world – those certainly are born again and again (in this world) through their Ajnana;
47. (The former) never remain, even for half a moment – without the Vritti of Brahman, like Brahma and others, Sanaka, etc., Suka and others.
48. When a cause is subject to changes, it (as an effect) must also have its cause. When the cause ceases to exist in truth, the effect perishes through right discrimination. Then that substance (or principle) which is beyond the scope of words, remains pure.
49. After that, Vritti Jnana arises in their purified mind; through meditation with transcendental energy, there arises a firm certitude.
50. After reducing the visible into the invisible state, one should see everything as Brahman. The wise should ever stay in bliss with their understanding full of the essence of Chit.
Thus ends the first chapter.
