Here Vasishta interposed How didst thou manage to get out of the clutches of Yama (Death), engaged as thou wert in worldly actions?The Yogi said “ What good results will accrue to those who will not act up to the injunctions of the Great ones ? Though thou knowest this, I shall explain it to thee, inas much as thou hast asked of me. Yama will not in the least approach those whose minds have cast off the beads of the pearls of stains strung in the string of pains. Yama will not approach those minds without any chafings which chafings are to the mind, like a sword to the tree of certitude or cor roding vermin to the body.
Yama will not approach those wise persons who do not nourish in themselves the hissing serpent of desire which rests its head in the mind and twines itself round this tree of perishable body. Yama will not approach those Jnanis who are not bitten by the serpent of greed in the hole of their mind and emitting the venom of love and hatred. Yama will not approach those persons who have era dicated the root of anger in the ocean of the body without making the Vadava fire to spread itself without making the waters of discrimination to dry up. Yama will not approach those whose minds are not inflamed by Kama (passion) but are crushed like sesamum seeds in an oil-press. Yama will not approach those who attain quiescence in the imperishable and immaculate Nirvanic Seat without any pains through excessive meditation. It is the stains abovementioned that form the germs of existence.
But they will not affect those great minds that have become non-dual and without any differences (of conception). Those pains which arise through mental disease and produce all illusions will not even go near that non-dual mind divested of all differences.
They will not come in contact with that non-dual mind devoid of all differences, wherein the heart-Akasa isjnot obscured, and Raga and Dwesha (love and hatred) thoughts are destroyed. They will not in the least enter that non-dual mind which is free from bad thoughts, words, qualities or actions and whichever looks equally upon all.”
“ The mind should be rendered fit for salvation to reach the seat of That without delusion, vehicle or stains. It should be made to reach the seat of That wherein the ghosts of the impure differentiations do not reside, having previously been stripped of fear, its long standing associate. When Atma is known through it, all pains will be annihilated ; and then there will be no compeer to it in all the realms. It is difficult of attainment (even) to those like myself. Such a subjuga tion of the mind will enable one to reach a goal far above all actions. How can such a seat be attained by an intelligence steeped in ignorance ?. Through the Madhyagata (neutral) Jnana which is tantamount to Jnana vision and leads to the development of Jnana, I have developed one attribute which destroys all pleasures and pains and conduces to bliss. It is the control of Prana which paves the way for all the non- cognition of all the externals and is the cause of the arrest of death.”
Here Vasishta, though familiar with the control of Prana, asked him what he meant by it. To which the Yogi went on thus “In the cool lotus of the heart within this visible tenement of flesh composed of the five elements, there are two Vayus, Prana and Apana commingled in it. Those, who tread smoothly and without any the slightest effort the path of these two Vayus, will become the sun and the moon themselves in the heart-Akasa and will rove in the Akasa and yet be animating and carrying their fleshy tabernacle. These Vayus will go up and down to higher and lower states.
They are of the same nature in the waking, dreaming and dreamless sleeping states, and permeate all throughout. 1 am moving in the direction of these two Vayus and have rendered nilall my Vasanas (inthe waking state), like unto those of the dreamless sleeping state. Divide a filament of the lotus stalk into a thousand times and you will find these Vayus more subtle than that. Hence it is, it is difficult for me to treat about the nature of these Vayus (and their vibrations). Of these, Prana does ceaselessly vibrate in this body with an upward motion both externally and internal ly ; while Apana, having the same fluctuating tendency, vibrates both external and internal to the body, having a downward motion.
It will be beneficial if the Prana ex haled (to the extent of 16 digits) is inhaled to the same extent.Those who have brought to experience this (viz., the equalisation of Prana in exhalation and inhalation) will enjoy infinite bliss.”
“Now hear about the characteristics of Pranas. The inhalation, to the length of 12 digits, of the Prana which has been exhaled is called (the internal) Puraka (inhalation.) It is also called the (internal) Puraka, when Apana Vayu re- enters the body from the outside without any effort. When Apana Vayu ceases to manifest itself and Prana gets absorbed in the heart, then the time occupied in such a state is (the in ternal) Kumbhaka (cessation of the breath). Oh Rama vers ed in all Vedas, Yogis are able to experience all these. When the Prana in the Akasa of the heart manifests itself externally (to the heart within) in diverse aspects with out any affliction to the mind, then it is called (the internal) Rechaka (exhalation). When the externally fluctuating Prana enters the nose and stops there at its tip, then it is called the external Puraka ; but if passing from the tip of the full-blown nose, it goes (down 12 digits, then it is also called the external Puraka. When Prana goes arrested without and Apana within, then it is called the external Kumbhaka.
When the shining Apana- Vayu takes an upward bent within, then it is styled the external Rechaka. All these practices lead to Moksha. Therefore they should ever be meditated upon.
Those who have understood and practised well all the external and internal Kumbhakas and others will never after be re-born.
All the 8 courses I have given out before are capable of yielding Moksha. They should be sought after by day and by night. Those who are associated with these practices smoothly and control their minds by not letting them run in other directions will, in course of time, reach Nirvana. Such practitioners will never thirst after material pleasures, like Brahmins who will not defile their hands by the touch of a dog s skin.
They will ever be in this uniform practice, whether walking or standing, whether waking, dreaming or soundly sleeping. They will never be afflicted with bondage or pains. They will encompass all legitimate longed-for results. Prana having flown out, will again be absorbed in the heart having run back 12 digits. Similarly will Apana be absorbed in the heart, having issued out of the heart and running back 12 digits to it. Apana, being the moon, will cool the whole body in its passage. But Prana, being the sun, will generate heat in the system and cook (or digest) every thing in it.
Will pains arise in one who has reached that supreme state when the Kalzls (rays) of Apana, the moon, are drowned by Prdna, the sun? Will re-birth arise in one who has reached that powerful Seat when the Kalas of Prana, the sun are devoured by Apana, the moon ? Those will arrest at once the seven births who reach that neutral state when they find Apana Vayu consumed by Prana and vice versa. I eulogise that Chidatma who is in that intermediate state when Prana and Apana are absorbed in one another. I meditate ceaselessly upon that Chidatma who is in the Akasa directly in front of the end of my nose, when Prana and Apana become both extinct.
Thus I attained the Supreme Seat worshipped by Devas through my faultless vision and surrounded by rays. Thus it is, through this path of Prana s control, that I attained the Supreme and immaculate Tatwa devoid of pains. Through this vision palpably in me, I never look back (with any re morse) upon the past or the future. I concern myself with the present only. And the result has been that I have reached this state. Never will I contemplate upon this or that, as my goal. Through such a course have I been able to prolong my life from age to age without any cares at all.
In the com pany of merry persons, I would be merry; in the company of the afflicted, I would also be afflicted. As I am the friend of the whole universe, I have been able to live long and happy without any pains. I would never droop amidst excessive prosperity or dire adversity. I would be an universal bene factor. My longevity is due to the absence of Ahankara in me, oh Lord of Munis. Moreover it is due to thy grace that I have been blessed with much of Tatwa-Jnana and long life.”
Thus did Bhusunda end, when Vasishta addressed him thus “ That which you have deigned to relate to me is equally marvellous. It has enchanted my ears and captivated my heart. Whoever on lending his ears to it will not be in raptures over it P May you prosper gloriously. As the sun is about to reach the meridian now, I shall wend my way to Devaloka. May prosperity be with you.”
So saying I rose and steered my way in the Akasa, where in spite of all my entreaties to stay where he was, he accom panied me many Yojanas. Then through dint of sheer force, I compelled him to stay and return.
Is it not, oh Rama, heart-rending to part from pure Jnanis ? I parted from Bhusunda, the great Yogi once in Krita Yuga. Then I visited him again in this Treta-Yuga, when, Rama, thou didst incarnate. Therefore thou shouldst know that this is the path of Bhusunda, the great Yogi.
