Bhogar Shaking The Tree

SHAKING THE TREE
Kundalini Yoga, Spiritual Alchemy, & the My terie o! the "reath in "hogar# $%%%
Engli h Rendering &y 'ayne 'ittle [Editing and Layout by J. N. - Milan, Italy, June 2007]
Source : levity.com
Bhogar - Sha ing the !ree
(ontent Preface and Introduction Translation of Verses with Commentary
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Preface "Our normal waking consciousness rational consciousnessas we call it is !ut one s"ecial ty"e of consciousness whilst all a!out it "arted from it !y the filmiest of screens there lie "otential forms of consciousness entirely different." #$illiam %ames This work is a translation of the first eighty verses of the writings of the seventeenth century alchemist#"oet &hogar. $ritten in Tamil an ancient language still s"oken in the south of India these eighty verses deal s"ecifically with the 'ogic science of re#attuning the flow and distri!ution of su!tle energy in the !ody. The flow and distri!ution of this energy is thought to directly affect consciousness in the most crucial of ways. It is the !alance and flow of !reath in the two nostrils which guides the energy through the !ody. &reath and the movement of su!tle energy is said to directly affect how we think and feel. (ny o!)ective o!servation of the !reath as we go a!out our day reveals that the mind and it*s functioning is mirrored in the +uality of our !reathing "rocess. $hen we are rela,ed and in a calm state of mind our !reathing is slow and even. &reath flows gently into our !ody and on a "urely "hysiological level muscular tension is released with each e,halation. If we are nervous or e,"eriencing stress our !reath is shallow and ra"id often dis)ointed flowing in and out in a rather ha"ha-ard fashion. If our mental and emotional state so "rofoundly affects how we !reath one can in turn wonder if how we !reathe also affects our state of mind and how we feel. Perha"s it affects not only how we feel !ut also how we "erceive the world !oth our outer and our inner life. The 'ogic science it*s "ractices and "hiloso"hy is centered largely u"on altering consciousness and "sychological fine#tuning through the conscious control of our !reathing "rocess. This was also &hogar*s intention when he com"osed the eighty#two verses "resented in this work. .e has distilled the essence of /undalini 'oga into a kind of guided meditation that "resents the tradition*s set of sym!ols se+uentially structured for visuali-ation interwoven with technical advice on regulating the !reath. The key to a""lying the Siddhar teachings "resented in this work !egins with a "rocess of o!)ective and unwavering o!servation of the !reath and it*s direct relationshi" to the whole human organism. This "ractice of o!)ective o!servation is essential in cultivating the meditative awareness needed to discern the su!tle movement of the !reath. In order for meditation to truly take "lace the su!)ect must identify with the !reathing "rocess rather than the mind*s erratic wanderings. This allows the "ractitioner to o!serve the mind and it*s movements without !eing drawn !ack into the com"ulsive identification with thought. (t the initial outset of this "ractice one inevita!ly forgets the o!)ective o!servation of thought !reath and !ody again and again !ut tradition encourages the "ractitioner to sim"ly take note of the momentary loss of mindfulness and with "ersistence and "atience return to !eing conscious of !reath. &reath then !ecomes the anchor of mindful awareness. Once mindful awareness is esta!lished the meditator widens that s"here of awareness to include thought emotion !odily sensation and sound. .ere again the goal is to sim"ly o!serve "henomena our mind and !odies res"onse to that stimuli without identifying with that res"onse. (lthough &hogar*s work deals s"ecifically with using the !reath and various meditation "ractices to initiate a transformation in consciousness he seems to have made the assum"tion that his readers have achieved a certain level of "roficiency in the more fundamental of yogic disci"lines. This is "erha"s a !it of an understatement in that he does have a tendency to "resent his system concealed
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within the language of an ade"t and at times he makes no accommodations for even the "ractitioners from other schools of 'oga. $orks such as this were encoded in the secret languages of the varying schools to "reserve the tradition without revealing the inner mysteries to the uninitiated. (fter researching other works from &hogar*s school of Siddha Siddhanta as well as works from various Tantric 'oga schools I have "resented in the commentary some of the more common and recurring usages of &hogar*s o!scure language and what is inferred !y the same in the /undalini 'oga and meditation "ractices of the Siddha Siddhanta 0 Saiva Siddhanta schools. &hogar like other 'ogis of the various 'oga schools that have grown from tantric roots em"loyed a language of sym!ol myth and allegory to s"eak of the transmutation of su!tle energy which leads to the transformation of consciousness. The com"le, network of "athways 1nadi$% through which the su!tle energy moves is clearly defined. These "athways 23 444 in num!er are distri!uted throughout the etheri& body double, running "arallel to the Central 5ervous System. Their location and function are usually "resented in a fairly straight#forward way. &eing closely aligned to the "hysical !ody makes them not as a!stract as the si, nerve "le,us* known as &ha ra$. The term &ha ra 1literally "wheel"6 refers to si, centers of consciousness that run u"wards along the s"ine at s"ecific "oints where the nadi$ cluster together. These nadi#clusters form )um"#"oints where the fre+uency of this energy 1called 'Sha ti'6 vi!rates on new and higher levels. (s the s"ine*s vi!ratory fre+uency is +uickened neuron transmissions reach "eak out"ut and !rain activity is heightened. The senses are also heightened "ushing thought through new neural "athways o"ening u" une,"lored avenues of "erce"tion. It is in descri!ing these &ha ra$, situated at the a,is of the etheric !ody that 'ogis and 7ystics have had difficulty in descri!ing their su!tle and enigmatic nature. 8ong ago they discovered sym!olism as the most effective tool for conveying their insights and e,"eriences as to how the (undalini Sha ti is awakened and caused to "ro"el the human awareness u" the s"ine and through the si, &ha ra houses. This )ourney of consciousness culminates in the Saha$rara, the thousand "etalled lotus that crowns the to" of the head. Saha$rara is the seventh and final ste" of the )ourney the fa!led "un#&ha ra" where every "ossi!le level of consciousness is simultaneously "erceived and one is said to "erceive the universe from all vantage "oints at once fully identified with every as"ect of creation. Contem"lation of the sym!ol a""lying the sym!olic language to every as"ect of life o"ens u" roads that "enetrate into the su!tle inner realms. &reath then !ecomes the vehicle of the undefiled and crystalline awareness that transverses the secret inner terrain mounting u"wards to the !lossoming lotus of su"er#consciousness: Sahasrara.
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Introduction In all languages there have !een "oets and mystics who have "racticed an alchemy of words. Poets who have transformed the !aseness of a functional system of communication into an e,"ression infinitely more vast9 one that strives to enrich humanity in some essential way !reathing new life into human e,istence. The Tamil "oets have had the added advantage of using a language medium that is "erha"s not as heavily encum!ered as the rest9 where the +uality of sound and the im"act of meaning seem to share a common ground as far as function is concerned. (esthetics and a""lication need not !e relegated to o""osing ends of the s"ectrum of necessity. $ords are meant to convey !oth feeling and meaning. 5eed we set the human heart and mind in o""osition of one another when language is ado"ted as the vehicle of our e,"ression: Poets in all ages throughout the world have defied man*s tendency to cut asunder the union of heart and mind and have instead cele!rated this marriage as an invalua!le asset in reconciling the incongruities of life. The whole of the Tamil language is the "oet*s ally. It was !orn vi!rant and mallea!le ever ready to !e sha"ed into rhyme or reason. It sim"ly waits for the e,"elled !reath. ( !reath that is filled with a great "assion for life: !e it the sighing of heart or the winds of thought. ;ven the most dry and linear idea when voiced with the Tamil tongue is enlivened !y this e,"elled !reath. The sound "roduced has sha"e: fine curves 0 su!tle contours te,ture 0 color. The !eauty of Tamil does not rely on any trivial meaning which the mind might attach to it. The richness of the sound im!ues the words with a life of their own inde"endent of any meaning that our conce"ts strive to convey. There is an inherent sweetness to the Tamil tongue9 and to the Tamil "eo"le themselves "8ife" 1!irth growth love work death9 the struggle of it all6 has a sweetness all it*s own. 'Li e *oonlight and the $ y, li e the +arrior and hi$ $har, $+ord, li e the beauti-ul blo$$o* and it.$ -ragran&e, li e the &ro&odile-$ha,ed lute and it.$ *u$i&, li e the eye and it.$ lu$tre, $o i$ *y $+eet !a*il and I.' 'I- a $tranger a$ ed *e, +hat +a$ the na*e o- *y tribe, an ine/,re$$ible 0oy +ould ari$e in *y heart. .I a* a 1ra2idian,. I.d $ay, and *y tongue +ould be all honey, and *y ,ride and glory +ould rea&h the $ ie$.' #&haratidasan Origins The origins of these "eo"le and their language have !een lost in some distant "ast9 only legends remain... a handful of o!scure memories. One of which s"eaks of how the Tamil language came to !e... There were seven great Seers and one would su""ose that they are still around !eyond the realm of form watching the cogs of time s"in round and round. One of them was named (gastya. .e knew the secret of language: that all things are vi!rating9 that the name and its corres"onding form are closer than we think. (gastya "aid a visit long long ago to the Sanskrit College at &enares !ut he !eing a wandering hermit clad in rags hum!le#hearted and having the "om"ous airs and assum"tions of the scholar
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cons"icuously a!sent he was needless to say re)ected outright. <istraught and forsaken he returned to his little hut feeling very sad and terri!ly alone in the world. There he sought solace !y "raying to Chandraswami to teach him a language that was even sweeter than the sacred Sanskrit. (ll of a sudden his house !ecame fragrant. The =od s"oke softly "8ook in the corner". (gastya rushed to the corner of his house and in a nook in the wall he found a small "ackage. .e unwra""ed it and therein found a stack of Cad)an volumes. .is eyes darted over the inscri!ed words and he dro""ed to his knees shouting "Tamil> Tamil>" 1"Sweetness> Sweetness>"6. The =od taught (gastya the language of sweetness which he !rought to the south and taught to the <ravidian "eo"le. Thousands of years later the Siddhar alchemist &hogar sat at a small shrine on the to" of Palani .ill in the colonial days of ?2th century Tamil 5adu. They say he had come to Tamil Country from China and crafted the icon of the 7urugan of Palani .ill out of nine arsenics. $ater "oured in worshi" over that 7urugan is credited with mysterious healing "ro"erties. .e is said to have attained "erfection through yoga discovering all the universe hidden in the de"ths of consciousness. $ith a mind immersed in silent meditation he related in flowing verse how the ensuing serenity he en)oyed !ecame the gate to life*s mysteries. '4a2ing be&o*e &al*... I ,er&ei2ed the a&&o*,anying e/,erien&e. 4a2ing e/,erien&ed... I ha2e &o*,o$ed 7000.' Seven#thousand verses "oured forth gracefully from a foreigner*s hand. ( foreigner who re)ected much of grammar*s laws9 letting sound run wild in "laces letting Tamil*s sweetness s"eak for itself of 8ife*s secrets. These seven#thousand verses flow in graceful rhyme a com"le, echoing of sounds whose meanings convey a flu, of images: some humorous or straight forward !rimming with a sim"le wisdom9 others enigmatic encoded in the secret language of the mystic haunting if not !i-arre. 'My -ine -ello+, I- you $ee Nandi, then you +ill no+ al&he*y. '!o $ay e2en one +ord i$ 0u$t noi$y u$ele$$ tal . 'It.$ li e ha2ing a &hat +ith a &or,$e in the burning ground. '5nly by $eeing the light o- the 0e+elled root +ill the golden &hain o- the 6ir&le.$ End &o*e o,en.' (s this "receding verse infers &hogar makes little attem"t to e,"lain the Siddhar mysteries. .is work reads like a narration of his own free#flowing chain of consciousness as if he em!arked u"on some )ourney through the tangled forest of his own su!conscious ma""ing out the landmarks along the way as he "ro"elled himself dee"er and dee"er into the soil of human e,istence trying to ferret out the very root of consciousness. $ith each line he digs u" another shovelful of the mind*s soil "eeling !ack layer after layer of thought of ways of "erceiving "reality" until he could reveal the essential living root of !eing.
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&hogar*s work is com"letely s"ontaneous. 5ot a slave to order wonder e,"lodes as verse in the dece"tive guise of a child*s cons"iratorial mid#night whis"erings u"on waking from a dream. .e tells his secrets with gravity a touch of humor and a wealth of unrelenting "aternal warmth. &ending the laws of grammar he even re)ects !eing encum!ered !y the weight that our rigid meanings attri!ute to words. <iscarding reason he "aints in sound and image an ancient u"hill "ath to freedom. .e cast aside logic dismissing it as em"ty noise he sought essence. .e makes no "retence that the mind*s ceaseless ram!lings !ear any real fruit. (s he so "ointedly "uts it: '8ith +ord$ and logi& you get nothing.' &hogar has made no attem"t whatsoever to make his e,"erience of these altered states of consciousness at all intelligi!le to the common man. Over vast centuries of e,"erimentation with 'ogic disci"lines and meditation "eo"le like &hogar have re"orted their e,"eriences in their own uni+ue way. Oddly enough there is a staggering consistency to these re"orts that "articularly over the last hundred and fifty years has attracted the attention of western scholars and scientists. @nfortunately though they have always encountered some inherent difficulty in finding a way to a""ly the findings of these mystics to the e,isting models of the o!)ective scientific world. Tirumoolar &hogar*s a""roach to meditation and /undalini yoga as well as his a""lication of mythic images and .indu ritual are !y no means revolutionary. .e followed so closely in the footste"s of Saiva Siddhanta*s Ath century founder Tirumoolar that one is often ama-ed at the continuity of teaching and "rinci"le "reserved and sustained over a "eriod of one thousand years. &etween the 2th#??th century (.<. a strange synthesis of Indian esoteric schools was taking "lace. Saivite Tantrism alchemy magic Va)rayana &uddhism and .atha 'oga !egan to merge. The Tantric mysteries drawing together all of the mystic*s tools under one roof made such distinctions o!solete. Bunction over form !ecame the rule. 7ystics were no longer concerned with "ostulating the nature of the universe nor with "hiloso"hical conce"ts and the like9 they sought only that which "roduces a tangi!le effect only that which transforms consciousness in an unshaka!le way. Intellectual theories "ro"osing some "em"irical truth" and the de!ates that ensued lost their "redominance and credi!ility as an em"hasis on the "urely e,"eriential !ecame the rule. It is im"ossi!le to "aint an accurate historical "icture of this era of cataclysmic transition in India*s "hiloso"hical arena. The writings of this "eriod "ay no mind and render no aid to chronological accuracy and scholars !oth east and west endlessly "ro"ose a vast and conflicting array of dates for these works. 5ot wanting to flog a dead horse I make no attem"t at "ro"osing a way out of this historical ma-e !ut one thing can !e said for certain: after centuries that stretch !ack into "re#history living secluded on the furthest outskirts of society yoga came down out of its .imalayan sanctuary and entered the mainstream of Indian thought. Yoga Comes Down Sometime in the Ath century 1and even this vague date is su!)ect to much dis"ute6 there was a high yogi said to have reached the very "reci"ice of "erfection who came wandering southward from his home on the holy mountain /ailash in Ti!et. 8egend has it that his name was Sundarar and that he came to Tamil country in search of his friend and fellow#yogi (gastyar who had taken u"
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residence in the Pothiya .ills. (fter )oining his friend for a time Sundarar wandered dee"er into the south. One evening )ust after dusk on the outskirts of a little village called Tiruvavaduthurai he came u"on a small herd of cows lowing and !ellowing mournfully. (s he came nearer he saw that the cows o!viously very u"set were standing round the dead !ody of a cow#herd. ( few hours earlier 7oolan the cow#herd was stung on the heel !y a ser"ent. .is soul had gone to "asture and his !ody lay crum"led in the grassy field. It was getting +uite dark and Sundarar taking "ity on the "oor cows shifted his awareness into the !ody of 7oolan. 8eaving his original !ody hidden in the hollow of a log Sundarar !rought the much relieved cows home wearing the guise of the cow#herd 7oolan. The new :7oolan* was no longer your average cow#herd !ut a great yogi. 'ou can imagine the consternation of his wife when 7oolan refused to return home. In frustration she called together the village elders who e,amined 7oolan. They found that the little cow#herd had !ecome a saint. They had no recourse !ut to advise 7oolan*s wife to let the sage wander as he like. $hen the yogi went !ack to the grassy field in search of his !ody... it had disa""eared. The saint disregarded this minor inconvenience as Siva*s grace. .e went to Chidam!aram <ancing Siva*s holy city and seated himself at the !ase of a "i"al tree. Peo"le !egan to flock there to see the holy man. 7ost often he was lost in the trance#like ecstasy of samadhi !ut every now and again he would look out at the world and utter a few words a!out the wonders to !e found inside. .is words always came out in verse. '!he brin0al $eed$ +ere $o+n and the bitter gourd$ gre+9 +hen I dug out the du$t, I -ound the ,u*, in blo$$o*ing.' #Tirumantiram: 3ACD One legend says that only once a year the saint would leave his meditation and s"eak that one "recious verse that the faithful would note down. Tirumantiram the !ook that has com"iled these utterances is three#thousand verses long. So the "eo"le say that the sage sat under that "i"al tree for three#thousand years. Perha"s this seems a little far#fetched !ut it may very well !e true from 7oolan*s 1Tirumoolar*s6 "oint of view. 'ou see what the "eo"le don*t take into account is the Tirumantiram*s descri"tion of the Tantric &uddhist conce"t of /aalachakra. "/aalachakra is a system of yoga which stresses that 1a6 the universe with all it*s o!)ects and localities is situated in the !ody and 1!6 time with all it*s varieties 1vi-. day night month and year6 e,ists in the !ody in its "rocess of the "rana vayu 1the vital wind6. It !elieves that !y "ranayama 1the controlling of the "rana vayu6 time could !e controlled." (s in this case "ro!lems of inter"retation are always evident when one tries to a""ly one*s own sociological conventions and cultural "redis"osition to the o!scure musings of the mystic. 5aturally a "ursuit of a more scholarly inter"retation of mystical "oetry is no different. Understanding Tamil Poetry In Songs of ;,"erience 5orman Cutler discusses the "ro!lems that western critics have in a""lying their western set of literary values to the Tamil &hakti "oetry 1from which &hogar*s style ultimately develo"s6: "&ecause !hakti "oetry disres"ects and even undermines distinctions it is su!versive to certain hallowed "rinci"les favored !y many literary critics in the $est."
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In the $est "oetry generally takes an array of words and "hrases and through e,tensive ornamentation weaves them together !y relying on their decoration to create a sense of order and unity in the work. The ideas and images find integration !y dilution !y dulling the shar"#edge of the words with rhetoric. The stark im"act of the idea or image is sacrificed when the author em"loys his lavish dis"lay to convey a sense of cohesiveness to his audience. The western critic lets some Classical sense of order !e the )udge of !eauty. .e can rarely "enetrate the gaudy mask of ornamentation and discern what su!stance is there the many stark and coarser "arts of the skeleton that su""ort a shroud of order. "The !hakti "oet and even more so the sectarian inter"reters of the saints "oems offer a challenge to this way of looking at literature. @nlike many $estern critics who find multi"licity underlying the su"erficial a""earance of unity the commentators find unity underlying a seemingly multi"le surface." %ust look at our &hogar: shooting out in ra"id fire a )um!le of images that makes the mind*s train )um" its tracks and go s"eeding off into the wilderness of the human "syche. .is "oetry seems !ut a !arrage of images terse and shar" that gather momentum in the stillness and silence that frames them on the "age. It is the economy of language that em"owers the idea and makes the words resonant. &etter still are those chasm#like s"aces !etween words that make an image tower over the clutter of our mind*s em"ty noise. The s"ace !etween words "rovides us with an o"ening through which we can esca"e the tyranny of the mind. The Gate)ay o! Earth & Stone (t the to" of Palani .ill near the holy 7urugan which &hogar had crafted from nine arsenics there is an o"ening in the ;arth9 it is a hole in the ground9 the mouth of a cave which lies !elow. &hogar often lowered himself into the ;arth sat in the cave accessing 8ife*s hidden secrets. .e "erformed great austerities there the magnitude of which very few in this modern age can fathom. There at the o"ening &hogar erected a hum!le shrine to the =reat 7other: a few yantras a cou"le of five#metal icons !aring the form of the 7other and her son 7urugan. .e worshi""ed a small emerald lingam there a!out ten inches in height. .is one and only disci"le Puli"ani 1"erha"s the only one who truly understood the sage6 ke"t him com"any at the entrance to the underground cavern on the to" of Palani .ill. $hen &hogar felt that his outer work was done he entered the gateway of earth and stone and sat down in the darkness of the cave. Baithful Puli"ani heaved a stone sla! over the entrance sealing &hogar forever in the !lackness of his earthen wom!. Bor thirteen generations Puli"ani*s descendants have watched over that stone sla! that marks the gateway to the underground cham!er. 8ong ago &hogar*s little shrine was set ato" that hallowed s"ot and even today is still worshi""ed !y the vigilant sons of the faithful Puli"ani. They say that &hogar is seated +uietly in meditation even now9 alone in the darkness9 watching the slow "assage of time. .is !reath is still. .is mind is +uiet his heart unwavering9 !ut through the dense dark matter of his earthly form sta!s the vi!rant 0 relentless flame of the /undalini Shakti. There he waits...
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"H*GAR#S $%%%
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/aa"u .e has five hands and an ele"hants face. .e has that tusk like the sweet crescent moon. .e is Siva*s son the tender leaf of wisdom. Set within my consciousness I "raise his feet.
/aa"u 1""rotection"6 Tamil works like most .indu works often !egin with an o"ening invocation to =anesha the 8ord of O!stacles. This same verse a""ears as the /aa"u of Tirumoolar*s Tirumantiram !ut some !elieve that it is a latter addition. (s to whether &hogar selected this verse as his o"ening is also in +uestion. The fifth hand of the ele"hant#headed god is the Tutikai his trunk. I mention this only to "oint out some of the associations of =anesha*s trunk in the Saiva Siddhanta tradition... ( lovely verse of 7oolar*s dealing with the /undalini*s mysteries makes reference to the Tutikai... 'Le-t hand. <ight hand. Both hand$... 6hange= I- you eat 8ith the 4and o- 8or$hi, you need not be de,leted. I- you abandon $lee, and be&o*e a reali>ed ade,t you need not die. ?ou &an li2e -ore2er.' Tutikai means "the ele"hant*s trunk" !ut it*s literal meaning is a com!ination of the ver! tuti "to worshi"" and kai "hand" "the .and of $orshi"". Tirumoolar here s"eaks of eating amrita the nectar of immortality "the very su!stance of sky". $hen you eat with the left or right hand with ida and "ingala nadi you dine u"on the dual throng. Pleasure and "ain is served in endless hel"ings and your menu is limited. $hen one allows the "rana to stretch forth the Tutikai one can reach nectar. =anesha seated in 7uladhara can with his trunk that is Shushumna 5adi scoo" u" hel"ings of nectar on one*s !ehalf.
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? I "raise the feet of the ;le"hant#Baced One. I "raise the feet of =od. I "raise the feet of the mother who gave me !irth9 "roffering grace with !ut a glance. I "raise the feet of .ari and &rahma. I "raise the feet of Saraswati. I "raise the =race#&estowing 8akshmi*s feet like flowers. I "raise 7oolar*s feet my grandfather who dwells in the Slee"less Slee". I "raise the no!le feet of the kindly /alangi. I "raise the feet of the Seers who have attained the State of "$ithout <istinction". Oh> The fullness of the "lentitude of their genuine guard.
? &hogar refers to 7oolar 1Tirumoolar6 when s"eaking of his grandfather "dwelling in the Slee"less Slee"". Throughout the tradition the Siddhars s"eak with su"reme reverence for the fourth state: Turiya "the Slee"less Slee"". There are four "rimary states of consciousness: ?. 5anavu: I( %aagrat "the waking state9 consciousness" 3. /anavu: I( Swa"na "the dream state9 su!#consciousness" E. Tookam: I( Sushu!di "the dee" slee" state9 unconsciousness" F. Turiya: I( Turiya "the conscious slee" state9 the slee"less slee"" The first three states are within the s"here of our daily e,"erience while the fourth state is accessed only when the mind ever im"osing definitions ever striving to organi-e "henomena !ecomes +uiet entranced at rest GDE"aslee"". $hile consciousness "ure and unsullied !y assum"tion !ecomes awake to o!)ective reality and stands as a witness to life essentially as it is. "(nd 7ind too is unconscious according to Vedanta. Bor all that is not the conscious self is the unconscious o!)ect. This does not mean that it is unconscious in itself. On the contrary all is essentially conscious !ut that it is unconscious !ecause it is the o!)ect of the conscious self. Bor mind limits Consciousness so as to ena!le man to have finite e,"erience. There is no 7ind without consciousness as it*s !ackground though su"reme Consciousness is 7indless 1(manah6. $here there is no mind 1(manah6 there is no limitation. Consciousness remaining in one as"ect unchanged
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changes in its other as"ect as an active Power which manifests as 7ind and &ody. 7an then is Pure Consciousness 1Cit6 vehicled !y its Power as 7ind and &ody." This enigmatic forth state is this limitless consciousness Sir %ohn $oodroffe s"eaks of in his The Ser"ent Power !ut there is a fifth state even more of an enigma than The Slee"less Slee". Harely s"oken of they call it Turiyaatitam "&eyond the Slee"less Slee"". It is the su"er#conscious state the universal mind where there is no o!)ect only one vast and luminous self#awareness that contains within it all things.
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3 The .istory of the &ook It was Siva who told the 2444. I )ust noted down all of his shastra*s secrets. $ith seven cha"ters that !ook is the /ing of =urus9 "ouring forth it*s alchemical methods. I asked for =randfather*s secrets9 and learned from listening to the +uality of his direct teaching. I listened to sweet /alangi... and see> I have "ut forth these 2444.
3 The "oet !egins !y informing his readers that those secrets contained within his verse are what he a""rehended while seated in the "resence of the <ivine as though Siva himself gave &hogar a glim"se of some sacred work written !y the very hand of =od and containing all of the secrets of the universe. (s mentioned earlier these eighty#two verses are taken from &hogar*s collection of 2444 which he tells us here he has drawn from "the divine !ook" that ma"s out the movement of the individual awareness through all of the thousand#fold manifestations of s"irit on each of the seven "lanes. .ence his reference is "resented in seven cha"ters a thousand verses each. In The Poets of the Powers /amil Ivel!il gives us a list of the names of twenty#five Tamil Siddhas and their caste# origin which he ac+uired through some uns"ecified source. Po"ular legend s"eaks of &hogar as !eing of Chinese origin. 7ost scholars dismiss this claim as hear#say yet Ivel!il "resents this one o!scure and vital thread which su!stantiates this legend. &hogar*s caste is listed as 6inate&a uya2ar *a Chinese "otter*. .is guru /alangi also a""ears on the list as 6inattua&ari *a Chinese "rece"tor*. Perha"s &hogar*s relationshi" with /alangi !egan in the old country in some Chinese Tantric school. Certainly many of &hogar*s verses convey a faint whis"ering of Taoist thought not to mention the outstanding corres"ondences found !etween the Siddhar tradition 0 the Taoist alchemical schools of the "eriod. /alangi was a "oet in his own right com"osing the /alangi 5anavinda Hahasiyam#E4 and using his other name /amalamuni he com"osed the /amalamuni 5anasuttiram#2C.
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E 7uladhara &y looking the root seems egg#like in form. The reason !eing is that it is here that the tri#konam stands. ( ring adorns it*s three angles and outside... there are four "etals. &y a""roaching one "erceives the four lotus letters: the goodly @a 6ha Sa Sha. &y diving dee" one discovers the inner light of the triad... 5*#kaara> 7ake an effort and within it you*ll find A#kaaram.
E 'By loo ing the root $ee*$ egg-li e in -or*.' The word Moola* can mean either "root" or "source". It refers to the 7uladhara the chakra or nerve "le,us found at the !ase of the s"ine. The 7uladhara is the starting "oint of the )ourney of consciousness as awareness is "ro"elled u" the Shashumna 5adi !y the force of the awakened /undalini energy which lies in its dormant state in 7uladhara. In s"eaking of 7uladhara and this )ourney of consciousness the great tantric dictum '8hat i$ here i$ e2ery+here. 8hat i$ not here i$ no+here.' !ecomes essential to understand the "rocess of the transmutation of consciousness where the !eginning is the "erfect reflection of the end. $hen &hogar !egins his descri"tion of this )ourney of consciousness he !egins at its root 7uladhara. .e descri!es the root as !eing egg#like. The e,"ression he uses is another Tamil word ado"ted from the Sanskrit. The word Annda* carries a dou!le meaning. One !eing "egg" which im"lies unmanifest "otential9 while the other "universe" re"resents the com"leteness of that "otential made manifest. So this o"ening verse could also !e translated... 'By loo ing the root i$ li e the uni2er$e.' The movement of consciousness is like the movement of sound. 8ike a single note alighting on the air. It*s essential +uality does not change it e,"ands. .ow does consciousness a solitary "oint of awareness this "rimordial egg !ecome the universe:
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"5ada is the first "roduced movement in the ideating cosmic consciousness leading u" to the Sound#&rahman 1Sa!da# &rahman6 whence all ideas the language in which they are e,"ressed 1Sa!da6 and the o!)ects 1(rtha6 which they denote are derived. "&indu literally means a "oint and the dot 1(nusvara6 which denotes in Sanskrit the nasal !reathing. It is "laced in the Chandra#!indu nasal !reathing a!ove 5ada. In its technical 7antra sense it denotes the state of active Consciousness or Shakti in which the "I" or illuminating as"ect of Consciousness identifies itself with the total "This". It su!)ectifies the "This" there!y !ecoming a "oint 1&indu6 of consciousness with it."
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F @"on the A#kaaram =anesha stands in another angle the B#kaaram stands it is in the B#kaaram that Valla!ai Shakti stands. (nd in one ta"ering corner there is the "lantain flower. &elow the face of the Bhu#kaaram is the /undalini Shakti. She is like a ser"ent maiden coiled... (nd ready to strike. .aving "ierced the Circle*s ;nd she stands re)oicing. This "lane is !eyond even the Slee"less Slee".
F There is a universe within a s"eck of dust or a single grain of sand9 universes within universes. 8ikewise the whole universe flows within the sa" of the root 7uladhara. &y diving dee" one discovers the light of 5*- aara9 a triad of sound that creates sustains and dissolves the universe. It is a triad of the three sacred letters that unite to form the cry of the living universe "(#@#7". (ll things !orn all things living all things dying are contained within the sounds that form this triangle at 7uladhara. Shashumna like the sacred thread the holy vestment of the &rahmin is said to !e a three#fold one within the other: Shashumna 1the su!tle6 Va)ra 1the )ewel or thunder!olt6 and the innermost Chitrini. In the tantric work Sat#Chakra# 5iru"a it says that near the mouth of Shashumna*s inner nadi Va)ra and at the "ericar" of the 7uladhara "there shines the !eautifully luminous and soft lightning#like triangle which is /ama#ru"a" 1i.e. that which causes /ama "desireJlove" to !e felt6. The triangle is said to contain a wind 1Vayu6 named /andar"a which holds within the three "oints of the triangle every "oint in the universe. /andar"a is a name of /ama the =od of 8ove. '!he ignorant ,rate that Lo2e and Si2a are t+o, But none do no+ that Lo2e alone i$ Si2a. 8hen *en but no+ that Lo2e and Si2a are the $a*e, Lo2e a$ Si2a, they e.er re*ain.' The three "oints of the triangle are formed !y the movement of sound from ( to @ to 7. The "ure awareness of Siva encom"assing all "ours forth and is e,"ressed in the dynamic "ower of Shakti which manifests as matter the field in which consciousness "lays. 'By 5ne letter all +orld$ be&a*e9
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By !+o letter$ CADB%, 4e the !+o be&a*e Si2a and Sha ti9 By !hree letter$ CA,B,DM%, 4e the light be&a*e9 By letter M +a$ Maya u$hered in.' $hen !eginning the )ourney at the root of consciousness &hogar tells us that one meets the masculine "rinci"le standing u"on the sylla!le ( in the form of =anesha the 8ord of =ateways. .is consort Valla!hai Shakti stands u"on @ and a line unites them. Their union !ares an issue. &hogar tells us that this issue is each one of us we who stand u"on the sylla!le Bhu we who stand u"on the ;arth. Instead of using the Ma that is 7aya the 7other he uses Bhu that is the Sanskrit word for the 7other ;arth or "erha"s he intended to em"loy a "urer Tamil reading of the character. Then it would read as 'Eu' "erha"s inferring the Tamil word for flower "Poo". $hatever was his intent 1that clever fellow stacked the deck with endless layers of hidden meaning6 he chose to draw attention to the lower "oint of the triangle draw attention to the !irth of all manifestation as the "lantain flower. 'And in one ta,ering &orner there i$ the ,lantain -lo+er.' 8eaving out the Ma he says that here !eneath the face of Bhu at the very root of earthly e,istence one finds the /undalini Shakti dangerous and ser"entine. %ust to !ring awareness here is enough to make her enter Shashumna. %ust to !ring awareness here is to reach the root of consciousness9 that "lace !eyond even the slee"less slee". Shashumna in Sanskrit means literally "the Su!tle"9 while Sulimulai the Tamil word for Shashumna 5adi means "the Circle*s ;nd". This term "erha"s refers to the circle around this triangle from which Shashumna rises u"wards or "erha"s the term infers that Shashumna is the "ath through which one esca"es the endless cycle of death and re!irth.
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K This "lace is the root level of e,istence. .ere stands a !eautiful "lantain flower of eight "etals. To enter Siva is standing within her mouth. The goodly Siva is )ust Si#kaaram isn*t he: 8ike ten thousand suns. If your action is !ase she sim"ly won*t o"en her mouth and the flower will !e shut. Oh Son> In eight "etals there are eight shaktis. The shaktis are there to steal your "ower. If you ask what their eight names are fittingly so they*ll !e... "Si-e of an (tom" "Bloat on the (ir"
C They*ll !e... "&ecome =reat" "&e .eavy" $ith... ";ternal Sovereignshi"" "7esmeri-e" "(ttainment" (nd... "Transmigration" These eight renowned goddesses stand in the field kee"ing the "etals closed. $ho knows why: They won*t let you see 5andi
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and rise u". &ut you will drink nectar the very su!stance of sky. (s you !reath in say '@a' and immediately hold the !reath. Then "uff away.
K#C 5umerologically the num!er eight refers to the initial interaction of the four !asic elements that leads to their diffusion into the multitude of manifest forms that constitute this universe. (s long as the !asic elements are "erceived in their essential state consciousness is unified !ut once this interaction takes "lace 1at least at far as "erce"tion 0 inter"retation in concerned6 consciousness is diffused into the "ermutations of manifest matter and thus su!)ect to the limitations of nature*s laws. 7anifestation is "resided over !y A Shaktis who are "ersonifications of the A siddhis 1siddhi meaning ""ower" or ""erfection"6. These Shaktis stand outside of yet dictate nature*s laws and the laws of human limitation. To "erceive the root level of e,istence 1to "erceive manifest matter this ;arth reduced to its F essential elements and their initial eight#fold interaction6 is to look over creation from the outside in. It is to see the clockworks of the universe and sideste" the !arrier that su"erscri!es manifestation. This state is one of vast "ers"ective9 it )ust "recedes the dawning of true wisdom and it is this lack of wisdom which "uts the 'ogi in a dangerous "osition... where the shaktis may try to steal one*s "ower. This danger thi$ te*,tation o- the : $iddhi$ may !e e,"lained thus: Imagine having the insight !orn of closely o!serving the constituents of all the circumstances that cause the varieties of human res"onse. $e are the "roducts of our environment. Our environment defines who we are. Our sense of self our sense of who and what we are arises in res"onse to a set of ever changing circumstances. $hat if one were to "erceive that "attern mani"ulate those circumstances and !y e,tension the outlook of others for "ersonal gain: $hat drastic re"ercussions would ensue: $hen gaining this initial "ers"ective over the fundamental laws that govern the universe*s o"eration one is tem"ted !y these Shaktis to disregard such laws and to misuse one*s insight a!andoning the "ath of integrating the individual self into the (!solute. These siddhis are mentioned again and again in India*s vast 0 varied array of literatures. (n e,amination of these A siddhis com"lemented !y a study of the writings of 7ystics and 'ogis reveals that though these "owers are "redominantly taken at face value to infer an a!ility to mani"ulate matter and influence e,ternal "henomena through an act of will these siddhis conform "erfectly to the various narratives of the inner e,"eriences of the 7ystic. To the 7ystic the descri"tions of these siddhis s"eak of the way in which consciousness unfettered !y linear thinking !ecomes mallea!le flows out and returns e,"ands and contracts how it !y its own nature ad)usts and harmoni-es itself to the occilations of circumstance. It 1consciousness6 savours any o!)ect "laced within its sco"e !y "ouring itself into that o!)ect !ecoming all that the senses "erceive all that the mind creates and still its essential nature remains constant and its "urity undefiled. The siddhis are always s"oken of as a great stum!ling !lock something e,tremely dangerous and yet a "recious commodity9 not as "the goal" in and of themselves !ut as a tool for "erceiving the vastness of e,istence !oth su!)ectively and in its entirety. Tirumoolar descri!es the siddhis in verse CCA of the Tirumantiram... '!o be&o*e tiny a$ the ato* +ithin ato* CAni*a% !o be&o*e big in un$ha able ,ro,ortion$ CMahi*a% !o be&o*e light a$ 2a,our in le2itation CLaghi*a% !o enter into other bodie$ in tran$*igration CEra,ti% !o be in all thing$, o*ni-,er2a$i2e CEra a*ya% !o be lord o- all &reation in o*ni,oten&e CI$at2a*% !o be e2ery+here in o*ni,re$en&e C@a$it2a*% ---!he$e eight are the Siddhi$ Freat.'
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&hogar introduces them much more dramatically "ersonified as eight formida!le ladies occu"ying the eight "etals of the "lantain flower9 hidden at the root of consciousness. They govern over nature*s law limiting the self defining the multi"licity of form restricting the flow of consciousness. They are on the gross level the latent tendencies of the mind it*s movement 0 "rocesses. &hogar recommends the 'ogic disci"line of "ranayama !reathing with intent to win them over to soften their rigid gras" and to set their li!erating as"ects in motion. (t the root one finds Siva !y entering the mouth of the ser"ent. ( fore!oding image which foreshadows the coming confrontation with the infinitude of one*s own !eing. .e is hidden in the heart of the flower. If through the !reath awareness can !e turned u"on itself 5andi 1Siva6 is seen. One then finds the center of all "henomena. Then the flow and e,"ansion of consciousness can !e directed !y one*s own will irrevoca!ly united to the will of the =reat 7other... "'ou*ll make them Lthe eight shaktisM o!ey the 7other*s commands." To enter within the "lantain flower one cannot reach there !y striving. (wareness must sim"ly settle into its natural state. 5o amount of "effort" can make this de"th of meditation !e achieved. The mind cannot !e convinced to !ecome silent and rece"tive. Internal argument only com"ounds the "ro!lem. This is why 'oga has develo"ed a vast system of means to rectify and "acify the mind*s internal struggle. &hogar in verse num!er si, gives the first "iece of the "u--le in relating his system of "ranayama. This system which a""lies the sacred Panchakshara mantra to well esta!lished 'ogic !reath mani"ulations reinforces the traditional !reathing "ractices !y engaging the mind in mental re"etition of the Panchakshara sylla!les. This !ecomes )ust difficult enough to demand the mind*s full engagement and com"lete concentration on re"eating the mantra in "ro"er se+uence with the movement of the !reath. One !egins this "ractice !y drawing in the !reath with the sylla!le @a. The !reath is to !e then immediately retained !y the mental utterance of ?a. (s the mantra is s"oken in the mind one shifts the !reath into the lower dia"hragm and fi,es awareness at the !ase of the s"ine. The mind is held steadfast at the root and !efore one feels light#headed 1the !reath is controlled !ut never re"ressed6 one e,hales with the mantra Si. Si-@a*s name !ecomes the out and in flowing !reath. The sylla!le A 1transformed into 'a through Tamil*s grammatical law of sandhi6 the first sound to issue from "rimordial stillness is the mantra of retention. Helease with Si. Invite the !reath to come within !y mentally re"eating the mantra @a 1the Tamil word meaning "come"6. @sing Si-@a.s name to concentrate the mind !reath !egins to dee"en in e+ual measure. (fter some time as one !ecomes calm and listens to the sound of the !reath flowing in and out one !egins to hear the sylla!les @a 0 Si !eing made s"ontaneously !y the movement of !reath. @a-Si in Tamil means "!reath". Siva is hidden within vasi. &hogar*s ""uffing" "ractice hel"s to take firm hold of the mind*s reigns giving focus and direction to thought !y flooding the !rain with o,ygen o"ening the neural network and energi-ing cellular activity in a sudden and dynamic way. The technical term of this "ractice is /a"ala &hati 1"Skull Shining"6 and as one of the Bour Purifications is an ideal way of !eginning one*s daily 'oga "ractice. "/a"ala &hati is a series of forced e,halations: ;,hale and inhale +uickly and lightly through !oth nostrils. ;m"hasi-e the e,hale letting the inhalation come as a natural refle,.. (fter one series of e,halations which should last no longer than one minute rest and !reath naturally. Then re"eat." /a"ala &hati "roduces a rather into,ication effect in the "ractitioner making the mind 1and the eight shaktis6 swoon. The flood of o,ygen to the cells of the !ody and the !rain is e,hilarating. This "ractice wakes one u" centers awareness focuses concentration and is an e,cellent "reliminary to meditation. (nother ""uffing" "ractice similar to /a"ala &hati is &hastrika or "&ellows" which also offers the same "mental cleansing" effect. To "ractice &hastrika one must !e vigorous not "ausing !etween in#!reath and out#!reath. Throughout !oth in#!reath and out#!reath should !e of e+ual duration so !egin !y !reathing slowly !alancing in# !reath and out#!reath while fi,ing awareness at the "oint where the air first "asses into the nostrils focusing on that sensation. (s the in#!reathJout#!reath duration !ecomes !alanced one s"eeds u" the !reathing "rocess to a "oint where the intensity of air flow is short and +uick with a distinct feeling of im"act as !reath is drawn in and then "ushed out with the contraction of the dia"hragm. $hen this "ractice reaches a crescendo of s"eed and intensity 1after a!out 34#3K e,halations6 inhale slowly and com"letely and retain the !reath as long as it is comforta!le. This "ractice is the !ellows that fans the alchemical fire of the /undalini.
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2 If you "uff and make the eight shaktis swoon they*ll o"en all the "etals and go staggering off. &y using the heart of the flower you*ll make them o!ey the 7other*s commands. Try to enter it and if you see 5andi your yoga is sure to ha""en. &ut if you argue she won*t o"en the door. She*ll kee" it shut for ten years. Bi, the !reath within anyway you can. If it runs to the left say '@a'. 'ou*ll get it.
2 .ere &hogar introduces "erha"s the most im"ortant "ranayama "ractice of all: 5adi Shodanam or "(lternate 5ostril &reathing". This "ractice is centered directly u"on !alancing the flow in the Ida 0 Pingala 5adis. This "ractice has had such a "rofound effect on its "ractitioners that its use has s"read into &rahminical tradition and is em"loyed !y the "riest at the !eginning of each .indu rite to focus the mind unify 0 direct the flow of "rana through the !ody and aid in !alancing and ma,imi-ing air intake for correct recitation of the mantra hymnals. The "ractitioner uses the thum! and fingers of the right hand to alternate the flow of air through the right 0 left nostrils. Placing the hand in the form of the Vishnu mudra the left nostril is closed as one !reathes in through the right. Through contraction of chest and a!domen the air is shifted downwards towards 7uladhara and retained as the right nostril is then closed. Then through intention or visuali-ation !reath is shifted to the left side of the !ody allowed to rise and !e e,"elled through the left nostril. One then !reathes in through the left shifts and retains the !reath and e,hales through the right. The "ractice continues re"eating itself in this manner. &efore !eginning this "ractice it is good to ascertain in which nostril is the air flow "redominant. &hogar offers a mantra "rescri"tion for the im!alanced flow of air in the nostrils.
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A In o!taining 5andi one retains the !reath with 'A'. If it runs to the right say 'Si' and draw it in. /ee" holding and retaining with 'A'. The si, streets !ecome level and are clearly "erceived. Haise it u" and it will a""ear like the light of a ru!y. 7y fine fellow at the root you will see the truth. Stay "ut. Valla!ai Shakti will come. She is glorious and green in color.
A '!he $i/ $treet$ be&o*e le2el and are &learly ,er&ei2ed.' (s awareness is refined through the "ranayama "ractice the s"ectrum of the various states of consciousness !ecomes a""arent. The work at 7uladhara is "erfected through "erceiving the manner in which the mind moves and e,"ands. It is like a gymnasium where the fluidity of awareness is e,ercised. &efore the 'ogi can move on from 7uladhara he must integrate the e,"ansiveness of his awareness with the "hysical constraints of the !ody the inconsistency of the emotions and the restlessness of the mind. (ll of the realms must !e !rought together reduced to their essence and traced !ack to the root. 5o as"ect of life can !e overlooked. The as"irant must sim"lify the manner in which he "erceives e/i$ten&e until all facets can !e addressed with the same com"lete attentiveness. &hogar "resents a set of e+uations in this work that define these facets or movements of the mind.
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D The green#hued Valla!ai will !ecome su!#servient and !ow down. She*ll tell you the a""ro"riate time for the a""ro"riate chakra. If the !asis of 7uladhara is "erfected... 'ou can go anywhere wandering freely throughout the three worlds. The dull#hued !ody will mellow and shine. (ll im"urities will !e removed and the si, chakras will !ecome visi!le to the eye. In the Slee"less Slee" all su!tlety can !e "erceived. 8ook and see.
D Valla!ai here em!odies the /undalini Shakti itself. &ecause when a "ersonali-ed relationshi" is esta!lished with the energy "ersonified than one "listens" with more care and understanding to it*s natural movement and need not fear the "remature e,"ansion of consciousness. &y !ecoming a !alanced and integrated individual on the earth "lane the root 17uladhara6 of the whole "erson is "ro"erly nurtured and set in !alance with nature. The !ody gains added lustre as the mind !ecomes calm clear and rece"tive entering the Turiya state where all the various levels of "henomenal e,istence !ecomes easily a""rehended.
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?4 $hat is seen is the eight elements merging into four. In a flash the flame of the root can !e seen. The light of the dark flame will !lind the eyes. This is when =ana"ati dances !efore you. .e will give your yoga the assurance it needs !y saying "Take your time." .e*ll relate the True Polymor"h (lchemy and he*ll tell you the very nature of Sadasiva !y saying ... "Straightness". If you sto" now there goes your yoga.
?4 The eight constituents su!#divide !ack into the fundamental state of the four elements 1earth wind fire 0 air6. These are the "rime !uilding !locks of manifest e,istence. (wareness withdraws dee"er within as the mind*s functions are +uieted !y the sim"licity of a universe com"osed in it*s entirety of only four !asic elements. $ithout the interference of restless and undirected thought awareness is contracted and refined like the sun*s light focused and intensified through the magnifying glass of the concentrated mind. Bocused on the root 1meta"horically6 it ignites. The four "etals of the 7uladhara "le,us are clusters of nadis each !aring 1at least in a sym!olic sense6 an elemental characteristic. These four elements !ecome the kindling that fuel the fire 1the aroused /undalini6 in which =anesha dances out this divine "lay that is e,istence. In Tantric 'oga and the Siddhar 'oga system the as"irant !egins at 7uladhara to set a!out recreating the universe inside himself in all it*s "anoramic glory: from the first s"ark of creation dividing and e,"anding into this we! of "!ecoming" and culminating into the ultimate dissolution in the "un#chakra" Sahasrara where all the "ossi!le "ermutations of manifestation are re"resented as the thousand "etals united in a single !lossoming flower. (lthough a great "ortion of &hogar*s work is devoted to the alchemical science his reference here to "the True Polymor"h (lchemy" has little to do with the act of changing !ase metals into gold. It is common for the Siddhars to s"eak of the awakening of the /undalini with alchemical terms. '4oney-li e $e*en i$ the *er&ury
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!he &ontrolled breath i$ the herb !he -ire at Muladhara i$ the o2en !he ,rodu&t i$ the Ehilo$o,her.$ Stone 5h *an= Gind thi$ $tone in the body And -ly in the $ y at +ill.' The True Polymor"h (lchemy is the attainment of the a!ility to let the awareness having !ecome mallea!le and unfettered !y the mind*s distinctions flow into and !ecome all that comes to "erce"tion*s doorste". $hen an o!)ect is "erceived the as"irant does not em"loy the mind to )udge it*s intrinsic +ualities and functions. 5or is the mind used to reinforce a sense of "self" !y defining the relationshi" of su!)ect to o!)ect. This kind of inference is an intrinsic +uality of the mind*s functioning. It makes us all "roducts of our environment. (ll victims of the "athways of inter"retation that thought takes in organi-ing and structuring the information gathered !y the senses. The sum total of this information and the way in which it is organi-ed in the dee"er recesses of the mind not only forms our conce"tion of "reality" and molds the ego it also dynamically affects our "erce"tion and inter"retation of all new in"ut that flows in through the senses. This information is filtered !y the intellect and immediately !ecomes su!)ect to our ha!itual and reactionary system of inter"retation. $e are creatures of ha!it. Our "atterns of thought have a tendency to get caught in a rut which the movement of the same recurring set of thought "atterns digs dee"er and dee"er. (s we grow older it !ecomes more and more difficult to o"en u" new "athways of intellectuali-ation. "'ou can*t teach an old dog new tricks" or assimilate new ways of thinking and so we suffer and stagnate in a dreary world which the mind has dug out for us. Often !y adulthood the mind grown sluggish and morose hounds us with its fears of change lack of !readth infle,i!ility and its stu!!orn com"lacency to remain stuck within the confines it has im"osed u"on us. 8ife loses its vitality and s"ontaneity and !est we can ho"e for is a little distraction from our monotonous life struggling and stum!ling through our "athetic little world.
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?? <on*t leave thinking it*s over. Hemain at the root. $hile going or while staying... Concentrate the mind. &e in a "lace where you don*t have to listen to the noise of other*s talk. Procure fi,ing the target !y working from the outside in. <on*t leave out the !reath thinking it*s im"ossi!le. %oin your mind to the root esta!lishing it there. Initially it seems so difficult you*ll think it*s a waste. &ut don*t )ust leave. $ith ceaseless effort merge the mind. Concentrate.
?? '8hile going or +hile $taying... &on&entrate the *ind.' In action or in inaction while seated in meditation or surrounded !y the hustle and !ustle of the market"lace mindfulness of !reath and concentration of mind should !e a""lied. 'oga and "articularly the Tantric teachings are of use only if a""lied to every as"ect of life. 7editation is not meant for giving sanctuary or esca"e. It is to !e "racticed continuously !ringing a rece"tive +uality to awareness and !ringing the care sensitivity and attention to detail that our "recious human e,istence deserves. 7editation is not a "articular way of sitting or thinking. 5or should it !e some vain struggle to su!due the mind. It is a +uality of seeing em!racing what i$ with eyes wide o"en. 5ot )udging not daydreaming not resisting )ust a sim"le and effortless acce"tance of things wherever and in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. "&e in a "lace where you don*t have to listen to the noise of others talk." &hogar seems to !e advising his readers to disregard what others say and let one*s own insights and understanding !e the guide. 8et one trust in one*s self. 8et one make an assessment of reality that is not com"ounded !y the )udgements of others or even the mind as in the 7ey)nana"ulam"al 1"the $ailing of True $isdom"6 where &attiragiriyar cries out the great Siddhar adage: "(rivai (rival (rinthu" 1"to know knowledge !y knowledge"6 in verse twenty#four.
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'Gorgetting tri2ial ha,,ine$$, (no+ing no+ledge by no+ledge it$el-, +hen $hall I &ut o-- thi$ &y&le o- -alling into +o*b$.' The knowledge he s"eaks of is a""rehended only !y "ersonal e,"erience. This is the difference !etween "!elieving" and "knowing" !etween that which is "learned" and that which is truly "understood".
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?3 It is difficult To get accustomed to thinking in these terms. &ut if you enter within and look you are sure to see the fire shining... 1That is until the mind gets scattered.6 If you see the "ure light you will !e ha""y. The intertwined Ida 0 Pingala will !e )oined and Shushumna will rise u" in the center. The ever a""roaching 8ord of <eath will !ecome frightened and run far away. ;very day will seem like a second. 'ou*ll see.
?3 %ust !y !alancing the flow of !reath in the right and left nostrils directing 1through visuali-ation6 the !reath*s movement to the s"ine*s !ase and fi,ing the mind in 7uladhara the fire of /undalini is kindled and the streams of Prana in the Ida and Pingala 5adis unite "ouring into the Shashumna 5adi. The "assage of time !ecomes meaningless as the mind merged with the root remains "erfectly !alanced in the immediate "resent.
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?E %ust !y !eing so inclined you can easily "erceive the root. Hetain the good !reath. Then !low and !low. In the life#sustaining chakra stand on and on. 7y fine fellow If you see 5andi then you will know alchemy. To say even one word is )ust noisy useless talk. It*s like having a chat with a cor"se in the !urning ground. Only !y seeing the light of the )eweled root will the golden chain of the Circle*s ;nd come o"en.
?E (nother inter"retation of the Tamil word "Sulimunai" would have "the circle*s end" !e more ideally rendered as "the s"iral*s end". Shushumna is the nadi that rises u" from the ser"ent coiled E : times around the lingam at the !ase of the s"ine. The lingam is the root of the divine in man. It is the cosmic "illar the a,is u"on which the world turns. It is the hu! of the wheel of Samskara. It is the cosmic a,is of the s"ine u"on which our senses and organs of action turn round. It is the center of our universe intimate and accessi!le to all. The great Siddhar saint of the nineteenth century Hamalingar descri!ed his )ourney u" the s"ine in a thirty#two verse "oem which !egins !y descri!ing the s"ine as a mountain of light the mythical mount 7eru a!ode of the gods Olym"us of the ;ast... 'A *ountain o- light a,,eared. Mother, in it there +a$ a $treet. !here +a$ a $treet=" Shushumna is the street that clim!s the mountain of the s"ine !ut until the /undalini awakens the s"ine kee"s us firmly chained to the earth to the realm of matter with the golden chain of attachment and aversion the sweet and !itter fruits of the Tree of 8ife.
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?F The time when the Circle*s ;nd is o"ened the mind will !e su!dued. It will !e like a "iece of straw caught in a whirl"ool. That !ecomes the end of all "aths for clim!ing the chakras. The eight great siddhis will manifest. $ithout !eing s"oiled !y the slee" of the Circle*s ;nd mount the horse of measured !reath. &ut if you die in the Corner of <egradation there will !e nothing. The mounting is difficult so clim! on gently.
?F The word *unai in Suli*unai is the same word translated here as "corner" in Ili*unai# "the Corner of <egradation". "The Slee" of the Circle*s ;nd" and "dying in the Corner of <egradation" are in !oth cases referring to the same danger. $hen one through consciousness e,"ansion and through a greater understanding of the mechanism that is this universe "ushes "ast the limitations of the individual self and gains the eight siddhis one will inevita!ly face the danger of identifying the ego as the actor as the worker of miracles as su"erior to the rest of this universe indivisi!le. So "the Slee" of the Circle*s ;nd" is when awareness having recogni-ed itself as "the One Consciousness" falls once again into dis"ersion and se"aration as the ego asserts itself and the individual will is reinforced.
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?K 7ount !y making the five senses into a "estle. ;sca"e !y transforming A#kaaram into the mortar. Cool off !y letting desire !e the form you grind. Tra" the sli""ery mind. =ain strength !y remaining still and then "ulveri-e the mind com"letely. Isn*t it tumultuous when you try to s"oil it*s work: .eal !y having !oth yoga and wisdom. $ithout knowing this krores have died.
?K The awareness anchored in the +uietude 1of (#kaaram6 o!serves the mind*s endless array of res"onses to sense o!)ects watches "atiently and without concern the "ushing and "ulling of the mind. $hen one*s very center is detached and still the mind cannot hel" !ut to follow suit and !ecome calm !ut at the outset it is one restless and "sli""ery" fish## try to take hold of it and it will sli" through your fingers. .old it gently however giving it room to roam and it can !e contained in the vastness of a more s"acious awareness.
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?C ;ven having worldly wants longing for ?4 444 human !irths. ;ven with the desire for fine dining. ;ven with !eing !affled !y the com"elling lust for women. ;ven with that hunger for gold that locks men in delusion. ;ven with the into,ication of seeking security in !ondage. The world !eckons... and all are !ewildered. 'et "eo"le*s mouths go on s"eaking of "wisdom".
?C .ere &hogar makes a striking o!servation: 'E2en +ith the into/i&ation o- $ee ing $e&urity in bondage !he +orld be& on$... and all are be+ildered." $e live in fear struggling day !y day to hoard u" wealth and resources so that we can endure. &ut wealth and resources must !e "rotected "ro"erty and livestock re+uire u"kee" and maintenance and !usiness needs careful strategy and hard work. Our fear and our struggle then e,tends !eyond the maintenance of our !odies. 8ife*s demands grow and e,"and !eyond our daily needs. Sim"le necessities +uickly !ecome very com"licated. $e forget the freedom of sim"licity and em!race instead "security in !ondage". The "ro!lem isn*t in working hard or having too much. The "ro!lem is living in fear and forgetting to savour our "recious and fleeting e,istence. Insecurity and fear wield the whi" that drives us to struggle on and on rather than letting love of life transform all we do into the sim"le )oy of e,istence of "artici"ating in life instead of fighting against the inevita!ility of death.
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?2 If you say it*s over then nothing*s "ossi!le. %ust take a close look at the "recious scri"tures. 'ou*ll see that everyone who su""ressed the !reath died. $ithout killing yourself !y su""ressing the !reath try asking... (t the steadfast center in the !ase of the neck there is a "!ag". Tirelessly !ind !reath within Vayu*s house. Briend the donkey that is !ound and tethered won*t run anywhere. It is within the si,teen that the soul*s !eauty manifests.
?2 The "ractice of Pranayama should always !e comforta!le if not eu"horic. One need never su""ress the !reath. Pranayama should not !e an act of effort or a struggle. The !ody knows instinctively what it re+uires and so the Pranayama "ractitioner should always remain attentive 0 listen to the !ody*s needs. ( mastery of the @))ayi Pranayama 1the "Victorious &reath"6 is a crucial aid in controlling the !reath. The "ractice hel"s to reveal the terrain of the res"iratory system. @))ayi is the "rinci"le "ractice used to control the flow of "rana. "@))ayi means *victorious*9 !y this "ranayama one can gain control over "rana. This "ranayama has a heating effect. &efore doing u))ayi it is hel"ful to wash the tongue and rinse the throat to loosen "hlegm." This instruction in the "ractice of the @))ayi Pranayama comes from &a!a .ari <ass* (shtanga 'oga Primer. 8ike &a!a .ari <ass &hogar also recommends cleansing the throat as one as"ect of "urification in "re"aration for daily "ractice. "Close the mouth and inhale through !oth nostrils slightly tightening the glottis !y !ending the head forward to "roduce a choking so! accom"anied !y a slight sniff. it should sound like a child so!!ing. In the !eginning one can inhale in five so!s9 when it is "erfected the so!s can run into each other. .old the !reath in the u""er "art of the chest for two to three seconds then close the right nostril and e,hale through the left. Immediately after e,halation inhale again through !oth nostrils and re"eat. &egin with ten rounds and increase to forty over a "eriod of three months. "Note+ One may also e,hale through !oth nostrils." 1$hich is the more common "ractice.6
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This "ractice is e,tremely useful in defining where the !reath moves and shifts in the !ody. The sensation of the !reath*s movement during "ractice is intense and will hel" to +uite effortlessly draw the mind along the !reath*s "assage through the res"iratory system. Sensation in the region of the throat is es"ecially "ronounced. .ere is where one gains a sense of "the !ag" that &hogar mentions. .is reference here to Vayu*s .ouse 1the house that rules the air element6 is allocated to the throat chakra 1Vishuddha6. @nlike the attri!utions given in other schools &hogar has designated Vishuddha to govern air rather than (nahata. The reader will note that &hogar*s elemental attri!utions for the chakras trans"ose the more common allocations of the Sat# Cakra#5iru"u u" one level leaving 7uladhara without clear definition an am!iguous root from whence the muddied mi,ture of elements rise u" to levels of "urer e,"ression as !lossoms on the vine. %alandhara &andha 1Throat 8ock6 !inds the !reath after inhalation "tethers the donkey " !y sim"ly tilting the head forward and "ressing the chin tightly into the hollow of the neck. &a!a .ari <ass "oints out that "(ccording to 'oga "hysiology a su!tle nectar flows from $aha$rara &ha ra falls to *ani,ura &ha ra and is consumed !y gastric fire. Jalandhara bandha "revents the nectar from falling which !rings calmness long life and good health. Thus the name 0alandhara which means *cloud#holding rece"tacle of vital fluid*."
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?A (t the root is =anesha*s feet. Birmly "laced let the !reath !e ignited there. Inevita!ly if the Pranayama goes wrong ... )ust sto". Then inhale !ringing the !reath down to the floor. The em!ryonic unit of time goes u" and u" and the knowledge of all the s"ecific sym"toms a""ears. &ut the one who allows the !acktracking !reath to esca"e... .e is not a man. The word for him... Is ,co),.
?A (s !reath and mind !ecomes firmly fi,ed at the root one !ecomes !alanced standing at the hu! of the wheel of change. .ere time looses all meaning. ( single moment seems to stretch on into eternity as the mind teeters "recariously towards it*s old tendencies of ha!itual res"onse and other conditioned modes of thinking. The mind struggles to thrust u" images !efore the immova!le awareness. These images reveal "the s"ecific sym"toms" of latent "athways along which the mind moves and in which the mind is stuck una!le to divert it*s course of movement to new and !roader avenues of "erce"tion.
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?D $ith words and logic... you get nothing> $ith great strength hold !ack the senses and !ind them u". $ith great effort fi, the letter in the two eyes esta!lishing the mind therein. $ith a little skill &reath the horse can !e saddled with Si Saddle of the Birm =ri". $ith silence you can hitch the horse to the root. 'ou need only set the Circle*s ;nd alight and see>
?D The mantra of ()na the third eye chakra is "Om". 'ogis when seated in meditation will roll u" the eyes and fi, the awareness at the "oint !etween the !rows. The Tamil character for Om resem!les a "eacock standing on one leg with its tail fanned out. The Siddhar Hamalingar makes use of this image in one of his verses descri!ing his e,"eriences in meditation: "B, in the $ y I $a+ the ,ea&o& .$ dan&e !he ,ea&o& be&a*e a &u& oo, $i$ter. !he ,ea&o& be&a*e a &u& oo." In the thoughtless s"ace !etween the !rows he saw the Om#kaara vi!rating. It manifests as sound resounding 1the cuckoo6. Often in the +uietude of meditation one will discern the sound in the ears. 7ystics around the world descri!e it variously as the voice of angels running water the chir"ing of crickets the tinkling of !ells or the humming of !ees. &hogar mentions the "henomenon of hearing the sound as he !egins the movement from 7uladhara to Svadishtana in verse 3F as the sweet chime of =od*s anklets as .e dances out this "lay of e,istence: "!he +onder= Being *erged in the $ound
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o- 4i$ an let$." ()it 7ooker)ee in /undalini: the (rousal of the Inner ;nergy descri!es the s"ecific sounds heard in each of the five lower chakras "$hen /undalini awakens the as"irant listens to cosmic sound. $hen the /undalini leaves 7uladhara he hears the chir"ing of a cricket9 when he crosses to Svadishtana the tinkling of an anklet9 in the 7ani"ura the sound of a !ell9 at the (nahata the music of a flute and finally when /undalini crosses to Vishuddha the cosmic sound Om the first manifestation of Shiva#Shakti as Sonic Consciousness. The "ro"er knowledge and understanding of Sonic Consciousness leads to the attainment of Su"reme Consciousness."
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34 Once ignited... <ine on honey. <ine on kar"am. Perfect this !ody which is the ancient universe. Once revealed... <ine on the heavy 7oolikai her!. Purge yourself of filth and in one*s face the light of the eye goes !eyond all limits. Tilt the head and cough u" the "hlegm from the !ack of the throat. Hemove that which is unri"ened from within the layers of the si, realms. Once starved... Cleave the five senses with the sword. <on*t forget... &oth night and day you must fi, the !reath.
34 '!i*e +a$ +hen I de$,i$ed the body9 but then I $a+ the Fod +ithin. !he body, I reali>ed, i$ the Lord.$ te*,le9 And $o I began ,re$er2ing it +ith &are in-inite.' The Siddhar 'oga system as with other schools of 'oga that grew out of the Tantric traditions is a holistic system intended to transform the "erson on all levels: s"iritual mental emotional and "hysical. Purification of the !ody has often !een a "rere+uisite !efore the more advanced 'oga "ractices can !e "erfected. ;m"hasis on the necessity of the well#!eing of the "hysical instrument has led the Siddhars to develo" a vast system of her!al medicines and other "rescri"tions for "reventative maintenance geared towards giving the "ractitioner good health and longevity. /ar"ams are "redominantly used for longevity !ut these mysterious medical "re"arations com"osed of her!s metal o,ides and arsenics are also said to confer siddhis to the user. "(""lication of her!s for the attainment of siddhis is mentioned even in the 'oga Sutras of Patan)ali. In the Tamil Siddha works these /ar"ams are recommended as an ad)unct to the /undalini 'oga "ractice." I must confess that I have !een una!le to find any reference to what "the heavy 7oolikai her!" actually is !ut it is common for the earlier Siddhar medical terms and their names for her!s to !e forgotten. 5onetheless Siddhar medicine is !ecoming more and more in vogue in "resent day Tamil 5adu as scores of clinics o"en and "ractitioners gain wider recognition.
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3? Bi, the "ath. Stand at the root. <on*t forget to stand in the One. $hen your clear... Shake the !ase of the tree. .o""ing along... 'ou can clim! u"wards. $hat a wonder> 'ou can even clim! to the "eak> $hen you have !ecome accustomed to igniting the root... 'ou can cross the river lea"ing !eyond the 8ast Out"ost. Haise the Twelve Inch Blame and enter it. /nowing Sound*s ;nd you will reach the goal.
3? "To shake the !ase of the tree" means to "vi!rate the s"ine" while clim!ing u"wards !y "ho""ing" refers to the )um"s in states of consciousness that one takes as he moves from chakra to chakra. It is the /undalini that is the river of consciousness through which the individual awareness crosses over into the @niversal 7ind. &hogar has devoted a section of this work 1verses 2? # 2D6 entirely to the <vadashantam the "?3#inch flame". (lternately it is descri!ed as rising either from ()na chakra the "oint !etween the !rows or from Sahasrara at the crown of the head and ta"ers into s"ace ?3 inches a!ove its "oint of origin. It is the divine flame in which the individual s"irit is consumed: dissolved into eternity.
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33 &y )oining the Sahasrara lotus flower you reach and mount the 7oon*s s"here. ;ntering there... The sum"tuous mind is "lucked !y the one with an ele"hant*s face. To Valla!ai she who manifests herself as /undalini to that mother... ;ven from far away... worshi" those feet with incense and many twinkling lam"s. <o service9 and !y em"loying discrimination... ;ven from far away... you can give freely the 7ilk of Soma and can fi, Victory*s !anner. There at the !ase hitch your horse.
33 "Neither *antra, nor $ong, nor art$ -our and $i/ty E2er $undereth birth and it$ a&&ur$ed bond$. !hen did I ta e ?oga.$ +ay, and lo= I *et the Sun, Moon and Gire on the +ay to 6raniu*, And they $ho+ed the Su,re*e 8ay=" The tradition divides the !ody into three "arts. The stomach and a!domen is ruled !y (gni the =od of Bire. The !reast houses the Sun and the head is the rounded s"here of the 7oon crowned !y the Sahasrara lotus flower. &hogar "ortrays =anesha holding aloft the mind*s flower gras"ed in his tutikai 1Shashumna6 lifted u"wards into the sky 1(kasha6. The great mother Valla!ai Shakti gives !irth to the shakti in us all and in turn &hogar advises us to redirect that force of life in us !ack to its source: the =reat 7other. ;ven from far away through 7anasa Pu)a 1mental worshi"6 one can reach !eyond the we!#like matri, of matter transmuting thought itself into the image the very !eing of the <ivine 7other. The 7ilk of Soma the su!limated seed the 5ectar of Immortality hidden within the !ody "ours outward giving life to all things. Sustaining all things the !anner of awareness is raised to the -enith of the flag"ole Shashumna
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3E Once !ound offer your folded hands to 7other /undalini. Place =ana"ati and Valla!ai in your mind and say... 'Fi2e *e the ,ath to &o*e &ra$hing again$t the bud *a ing it o,en.' &y em!racing the eight shar"#edged shaktis it*s all over. =ather nectar and drink. Briend It*s !y a!andoning "doing" that they o"en the door. Take the lea"... &ow down and "raise 5andi*s feet. (ll the means for rising will easily manifest.
3E The secret of action as taught in the &hagavad =ita lies in the +uality of awareness !rought to activity. If the mind is clear and rece"tive unattached to the fruits of action 1!e they "good" or "!ad"6 then one*s inner nature takes over and one !egins to act in accord with the @niversal $ill. Then the universe enacts it*s will through the individual. (!andoning selfish desire a!andoning attachment and aversion one does without "doing".
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3F 5andi can come here easily. &eing friendly he will give the eight into eight9 the si,ty#four. The mallea!le alchemy will stand !efore you with folded arms. The hidden essence will a""ear e,"licit and com"lete. .a""ily the !ody reaches the state where it ceases to decay. Bi,ing thought you !ecome merged in .im. 'ou see the dance of .e whom they say drank "oison. The wonder> &eing merged in the sound of his anklets>
3F (s testified !y the ancient chinese te,t the I Ching the essential characteristics of the universe can !e reduced to the same e+uation which denotes the Vastu Purusha 7andala: A,ANCF. In this e+uation A,A reflects the universes alchemical transmutation of the A com"onents interacting with one another to "roduce the CF "rimary characteristics or essences that com"ose the manifest universe. The four elements !ecome eight. The eight !ecomes si,ty#four. The si,ty# four manifest as all "ossi!ility the same CF +ualities that com"ose the things outside us are also found within. $hen the mallea!le alchemy is revealed all these "rimary +ualities are effortlessly "erceived . The mind !ecomes fluid mirroring the CF facets of nature as they arise and fall from view and the essence hidden !ehind "henomena the One hidden !ehind the many a""ears "e,"licit and com"lete".
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3K &eing free... <on*t fall into 8onging*s fire. ;very day see Vedanta to the very end. <on*t engage others in unnecessary idle chatter. Play dum! !ut watch very very carefully. <on*t kill lie or s"read confusion. 7erge and there!y mount the horse of measured !reath. <on*t let the delirious li!ation of the ego destroy you. Hemove illusion.
3K '!he uni2er$e$ $e2en, !he &o$*i& $,a&e beyond, !he li-e---ani*ate and inani*ate--!he guna$ three, the @eda$ an&ient, !he Fod$ that &reate and ,re$er2e And their Eri*al Lord that i$ Si2a--All they are but in *e.' Vedanta 1lit. "the end of the Vedas"6 whose name infers "the end of all knowledge" is the all#encom"assing vision of the intricate mechanism that is this universe. It allows the viewer to ferret out the cause !ehind the !ewildering array of effects. One sees Vedanta to it*s very end !y once and for all reconciling the dichotomy within. This reconciliation !egins !y merging the solar 0 lunar nadis 1Ida 0 Pingala6 into Shashumna !y !alancing and integrating the flow of !reath through the two nostrils !y mounting the horse of measured !reath.
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3C Once removed... The senses are severed and com"letely re)ected. In the morning "ush the slee"iness out and eat... 8ifting in#!reath and out#!reath. (dorn then the Self with measures of !reathlessness awareness !orn of itself. This is the attack... and a flood of nectar comes in res"onse so eat... Stri" off your mantle of attachment and aversion. Proffer an even row of Pranayamas. <on*t forget to stay firmly set u"on the "ath.
3C &reath sustains us. It*s gift of life deserves our attentive recognition of this sim"le fact. &hogar acknowledges the im"ortance of daily "ractice a daily need to set aside a time of +uiet reflection9 savouring !reath*s gift9 dining on the !reath of life.
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32 .aving done so... Study the mind carefully !y fi,ing thought. <on*t let the senses confuse you. 'ou*ll see =anesha. =ather flowers do "u)a and knock. Cultivate mindfulness and retain the !reath. .ow suita!le... '5* Shree* 4ree* (lee*=' .igher still to s"ell out... 'Fu* Fu* Fana,ati=' .ow +uickly 5andi shines like ten thousand suns. If you see the light in the =ood Circle... <eath won*t dance.
32 There is a "ractice in South India of su""licating =anesha !y knocking three times on the tem"les. This is said to momentarily unite the Ida 0 Pingala currents and send a flood of nectar down to 7uladhara a flood of nectar which "ours over =anesha awakens the =od within filling him with )oy !athing him with ecstacy. It transforms the !ody into the sanctum of "ure s"irit. (nother means of su""licating =anesha is the re"etition of the mantra: 5* Shree* 4ree* (lee* Fu* Fu* Fana,ati The word ,u0a means "worshi"" while "the =ood Circle" refers to the circle at 7uladhara in which the trikonam stands.
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3A In asking what acts without desire... Bine sound and touch form and smell taste unhindered... (ll the senses five. The mind should go along the "ro"er "ath: Incessantly clinging to discrimination without ever letting go. 'ou li!erate the senses !y cho""ing them off and throwing them away. Touch nothing> =et rid of your ears> <on*t ask even a single word>... Then look all around you.
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3D 8ook around... (nd hear yet the test. $ithout eyes s"arkling one cannot see the form. Bire it u" and see... If you kee" the nostrils shut the fertile scent won*t !e discerned. Beed it and see... If you dro" salt into your mouth it is com"letely salty. One "erceives there only that salty taste. Cause an ant to clim! and see... If it clim!s slowly u"on your !ody it is knowledge too that has clim!ed to a "oint where sensation is "erceived.
3D (ll that is discerned !y the sense faculties is a reflection of the level of consciousness at which we function. (ll is an e,tension of the state in which awareness is situated. (s conscious e,"ands so does the "eri"hery of "erce"tion.
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E4 If you get the mind to stand se"arate from the Self then you will have the discrimination of the <ivine 7inister of /nowledge. (t your leisure engage the mind in your daily Pranayama. Hise and clim! u"wards. Inhale in the left nostril then let the !reath ri"en as you retain it at the root. <on*t fail to inhale shar"ly through the right. Then kee" the !reath standing at the root. Clearly "erceiving the other shore clim! u" and u".
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E? It was my =randfather who said "Clim! and see." &ut it was /alangi 5athar who gave me !irth. Patan)ali Viyagiramar and Sivayogi 7uni all so rightly said "8ook> This is the "ath>" They e,"lained how to mount and go !eyond. (nd it was the =reat 7other su"reme who said "This is it>" .aving !ecome calm... I "erceived the accom"anying e,"erience. .aving e,"erienced... I have com"osed 2444.
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E3 Bi,ing the Si#kaaram letter 'ogis contem"late it outside. &ut True /nowledge is not something to !e amassed and held. There are those who talk9 !antering "&lah &lah &lah" in em"ty s"ace. 8ingering on... $ith )ust one word 24 444 have gone to hell. ;ntering !irth is !eing washed out to sea. &ut !ecoming ri"ened the Siddhars all s"eak the Si within the root. There in contem"lation and meditation they can see.
E3 (ll the various "ermutations of sound are contained within the !ody. ;ach sound hangs on the Tree of Shashumna like ri"ened fruit vi!rating as the "ranic winds move 0 flow through the nadis. $e see all fifty characters of the Sanskrit al"ha!et inscri!ed u"on the "etals of the flowering vine of the s"ine. To outwardly vi!rate the mantra cannot com"are to the im"act of the mantra that resonates within. (s testified !y the "ower of the Sanskrit vowels in Schrader*s Introduction to the Pancharatna "the fourteen vowels gradually emerge from their latent condition Lin A#/aaramM !y "roceeding with the /undalini Shakti from the 7uladhara to the navel the heart and finally the throat where the first uttered sound arising is the as"irate for which reason the Visarga Lthe as"irationM is inter"reted literally as *creation* its counter"art the (nusvara or &indu is an analogous way declared to re"resent the *withdrawal* of s"eech. The (nusvara is also called *sun* and the Visarga *moon* and the sounds a, i, u, r, l, e, o, and aa, ee, oo, rr, ll, ai, au are res"ectively *sun!eams* and *moon!eams* and as such connected with day and night and with the nadis called Pingala and Ida."
3" ["0#]
EE &y meditation and inner restrain they "erform worshi". The sound of the drum and the conch is heard in the ears. Those who meditate hear the sound of the anklet*s movement. They see the "erformance of Chidam!aara*s great dance. Those who meditate drink endlessly from the torrent of Satchitananda that <evi "ours forth. Those who meditate daily fi, the chain of the firm mind to Siva 0 <evi*s feet.
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EF Once you fi, the mind*s chain 'ou need only lock it u" and you will !ecome )oyous !liss com"lete. Once locked... retaining the !reath they stand as the Immova!le Pillar. (iyaa> In that single instant when the mind is fi,ed they seek out the Sound*s ;nd in the vastness of s"ace. .aving raised the Twelve#inch Blame it is entered. There they offer worshi" residing at the Sound*s ;nd.
EF The Immova!le Pillar is the hu! of the $heel of Time. It is the still silent and changeless s"ace at the center of all things. $hen awareness is "ositioned where "the mind stands se"arate from the self" all of s"ace all of time seems to simultaneously come into view. The mind held in the silence "having fallen into the silence that lies !etween words" the silence which holds the Om#kaara the s"ace which frames the character1s6 on the "age all lie at the ;nd of Sound at the (antam. The Sanskrit root anta 1tamil: aantam6 can !e found suffi,ed to words like 5aath#(antam "Sound*s ;nd" or "refi,ed to words like antaati. (ntaati refers to a "rosodic device which &hogar ha""ens to em"loy through the !ulk of his 2444 verses. This device !rings continuity to the work gives a cohesiveness to all that is e,"ressed and guides the train of thought from one verse to the ne,t without leaving room for the mind*s ram!lings to reassert themselves. The antaati is where the verse &egin )ith the end of the "revious verse !egins with the final word or "hrase of the verse that came !efore. Strangely enough this is in no way confining for &hogar. Ouite the contrary: .e goes into each new verse carrying with him the momentum of the last. One is ama-ed at the richness of meaning that he draws from the closing "hrase as he dramatically turns the movement of each new verse on a single word towards a new and sur"rising destination. 5ow and again this device can "roduce in the reader the sudden satori#like flash of insight turning awareness much like a -en koan towards the "lace where "the mind stands se"arate from itself". It is where the mind held in the silence that holds the Om#kaara !ecomes "acified !y the ensuing ecstacy of viewing all things from the inside out. It is the "oint of view of the Immova!le Point that is !oth everywhere and nowhere. $here one looks u"on all of creation simultaneously from each and every "ers"ective.
3# ["0#]
EK Svadishtana .aving worshi"ed the root and lea"t !eyond one learns that there is a tre"idatious four inches scaled in the lea"ing. The 8ord has made this &rahma*s house. $hat is s"oken of as Svadishtana is it*s name. Su"erscri!ed a!out it*s four circles there are si, "etals. In those "etals there are letters fi,ed... Ba Bha Ma ?a <a La. (nd a""ro"riately the seed in the center is Na-La.
EC The letter Na also !elongs to &rahma. &ut the letter La is the ;arth*s seed. $hile the letter Bhu is the dwelling "lace of Turiya and the like. It manifests itself as the cele!rated Veda. The letter A is the swan vehicle. It*s color is golden. One as"ect of &rahma*s action o"erates u"on hair and !one flesh and skin and the nerves. These five.
3) ["0#]
EK#EC Bour inches a!ove the root is Svadishtana. In this system Svadishtana incor"orates some of the earth element associations and sym!olism that is attri!uted in other traditions to 7uladhara. The Siddhar system "lacing =anesha at the root rather then &rahma trans"oses the attri!utions of the =ods one station. So Svadishtana !ecomes &rahma*s .ouse. (lthough the "lacement of all the elements 0 "residing <eities is shifted a station in the Siddhar allocations still the num!er of "etals and the distri!ution of the letters remains for the most "art consistent with the other systems. &hogar gives this chakra two !i)u 1"seed"6 mantras: the !i)u of &rahma 'Na*' 0 the earth !i)u 'La*'. The !i)u 'Bhu' here also mentioned is the name of earth. The letter A !eing the !eginning of creation takes the form of the Creator*s swan vehicle. 8ikewise this chakra is associated with the creative "owers of "rocreation. ;ach chakra governs a s"ecific "ortions of our "hysical !ody and it*s functions9 in this case they !eing hair !one flesh skin and nerve.
33 ["0#]
E2 (t the side of =olden#colored &rahma who rules the five stands the deathless Vaani. /now this> The "rotective Bour#faced 8ord who gives (!aaya 0 Vatham is !eautiful. $ith a yogi*s armrest water"ot and rosary. $ith the soft "etals of the lotus strung onto a garland of )ewels. $ith nine telling gems that adorn his crown. Perfect your meditation and sto" the !reath. 8et the 5o!le Silence !e the mantra you recite. There contem"late...
E2 Vaani &rahma*s "deathless" consort is another name of Saraswati =oddess of /nowledge. She together with &rahma sets a!out creating matter from energy. The four#faced &rahma a""ears here with the "nine telling gems" that adorn his crown. They are called the 5avaratna the nine "lanetary !odies !elieved to radiate "otent influences that mold fate and guide the soul along life*s "ath.
37 ["0#]
EA .aving contem"lated... 7editate u"on Saraswati. Praise her. To em"ower your ascent ask for truth. She alone is the mother who confers all knowledge. The Treasure of Com"assion the mother who wears the tongue. .aving come !efore you one would !e a fool ever to leave. Iealously standing in her "resence one !ecomes free. The Virgin =oddess reveals the "erfection of yoga and alchemy immortality and wisdom )ust !y !atting her eyelids.
EA Saraswati governs s"eech 0 the im"arting of knowledge this is why she is said to !e "the 7other who wears the tongue".
37 ["0#]
ED .aving s"oken thus... 7editate "lacing the !reath there. (s you "ull it in say 'Na' "lace it and then retain it. The fine letter Na has given !irth to thousands. They say it is the Borest of =ood and $icked (cts. They say that to leave !irth !ehind one should gather the a""ro"riate flowers "erform aarchana and sing "raises. Then leave the holy realm of the Bour#faced One and enter the sacred realm of holy 7aal who measured the ;arth.
ED &rahma*s letter Na is the essence of creation the giver of life the "rogenitor of the field of action: "the forest of good and wicked acts". The term aar&hana refers to a form of ritual worshi".
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F4 7ani"ura .oly 7aal*s house is si, inches u"ward. ( fortress sha"ed like the flawless crescent surrounded !y ten "etals white as milk. The "etals I s"eak of have ten letters... 1a, 1ha, Nna, !a, !ha, 1da, 1dha of the tongue9 and the unwavering Na Ea Ga. In the center of the element water stands a &anyan Tree called Ma. It*s seed: @a can !e reali-ed.
F4 7aal*s realm is the chakra 7ani"ura the "City of =ems". This is the seat of the intellect. It is the mind*s fortress formed in the sha"e of the watery crescent. Hising from the waters is a &anyon Tree that grows from it*s mantra seed Ma*. This is the /al"ataru the $ish#fulfilling Tree of Indra*s heaven. Bound at the heart of the mind lotus it*s roots "enetrate into the dee" dark waters of the su!conscious. It is yet another of the many recurring Cosmic (,is motifs littered throughout the te,t where awareness "oised at the silent center of thought shades the !ody of the =od 1Vishnu6 who is seated !eneath the ancient tree found at the center of the City of =ems.
3; ["0#]
F? In the reali-ed .ouse of 7ani"ura is where the Slee"less Slee" a!ides. The inse"ara!le left#hand side of the 'a)ur Veda is of an undiminishing crystalline color. The si, ri"ened tastes will !e "erceived. The five will manifest: water#like secretions marrow 0 !lood !rain 0 the e,cited seed. There is the great conch the chakra and the vehicle =aruda.
70 ["0#]
F3 The vehicle manifests. (s does .e the one !y 8akshmi*s side. $ith !reath hold and retain Ma. $ith great weight say '5* Na*o Narayana'. (d)ust yourself. He"eat the name. Offer your "rayerful hands. This !ody that is all the universe the 7other "rotects. In the Concealment*s Confusion the 7other is s"inning round. &eauty all that which com"els us !ecame the house. It is the ancient that resides within the ri"ened house.
F3 'In the 6on&eal*ent.$ 6on-u$ion the Mother i$ $,inning round.' Caught in the we! of her own illusion 17aya6. The 7other s"ins round within us as our own mind ego and feelings: The mind*s latent tendencies define "henomena and in turn !uild the .ouse of 7ani"ura. The mind makes distinctions naming some o!)ects as "!eautifulJdesira!leJgood" while others "uglyJundesira!leJ!ad" and thus sets the !ait that motivates us to "ursue some e,ternal ideal9 !ut in the "erfected 7ani"ura within the ri"ened intellect one discovers the ancient mystery of the mind turned u"on itself.
7" ["0#]
FE This house !ecame the Shakti of Concealment*s house. So many en)oyments and desire a!andoned this house. The withered mind fretted away in this house. (ll manner of illusion dwells in this great house. 5eutral thought destroyed lost in a ghost*s dance the girl is sought while wandering a!out throughout this vast house. Caste is com"letely decimated in this house. &ecome assimilated. Hetain the !reath... (nd attack>
FE .ere again &hogar s"eaks of the 7ani"ura the lotus of the intellect as the house that conceals o!)ective reality that vainly seeks )oy in transient o!)ects. $hen the mind*s latent unity is dychotomi-ed !y attachment and aversion one wanders aimlessly in thought trying to uncover the girl 1Shakti6 who sets these winds of thought 1Creation*s "lay6 in motion.
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FF &y attacking... The Blower of the 7oon*s Or! Sahasrara*s lotus "etals are worn. $ith all the remaining incense and twinkling lam"s use the mind "ro"erly do the mental worshi". 'ou can make it ha""en9 )ust !y saying 'Frant *e the gra&e to &li*b.' Say 'Frant *e the eight $iddhi$. Send the* to *e.' =et rid of the five senses and the organs along with them. Say 'Sto, *e -ro* $iding +ith the*.' $orshi" this way.
FF The 7oon*s Or! is the head and it*s flower Sahasrara. Mana$a Eu0a 1mental worshi"6 is the "ractice of visuali-ing every ritual com"onent and the act of offering. It com"letely internali-es not only the act of worshi" !ut the o!)ect of worshi" as well !ridging the rift !etween the <ivine and man.
7# ["0#]
FK &y doing this... 7aal 0 8akshmi*s minds will !e "leased. They*ll give you the siddhis. They*ll tell you why it*s im"ortant to clim! slowly. They*ll tell you how action is timely done so that you may gain the )oyous !ody !eyond death. They*ll tell you the truth a!out making your yoga steadfast. Bor su!tlety... They*ll announce from lim! to lim! all the as"ects of (shtanga 'oga and how one goes a!out em"loying it to stir u" the Self.
FK A$htanga ?oga is "the ;ight#lim!ed 'oga" first systemati-ed !y Patan)ali !etween the Ath#Dth centuries &.C. .is work the 'oga Sutras of Patan)ali defines these eight lim!s as.. ?6 'ama 1restraints6 36 5iyama 1o!servances6 E6 (sana 1a "hysical "osture or "ose9 a way of sitting6 F6 Pranayama 1control of "rana !reath6 K6 Pratyahara 1withdrawing the mind from sense "erce"tion6 C6 <harana 1concentration6 26 <hyana 1meditation6 A6 Samadhi 1su"er#consciousness6
7) ["0#]
FC (nahata %ust clim! u" eight inches !eyond /nowledge and listen for the .ouse of (nahata. To !reak in a triangle stands a ri"ened circle and twelve "etals. Consider... (a, (ha, Fa, Fha, Nga, 6ha, 6hha (nd that which is named... Ja, Jha, Nya, !a, !ha. Bor com"letion the letters stand within the ri"ened "etals. There is found the @"wards Slee".
FC "/nowledge" refers to the .ouse of 7ani"ura. .ere we see the ascending triangle in the heart lotus (nahata which mirrors the descending triangle in 7uladhara. The triangle in (nahata is the gate through which one "asses into the realms !eyond the "hysical. The @"wards Slee" "ro"orts the coming of the fifth state.
73 ["0#]
F2 The Shikaara letter is in the middle. It is the (anmai. It is the element fire co""ery#red in color. The fire*s seed is <a*. The light of Om is like ?4 444 suns. Hudra and Hudri stand in the middle. In asking what their +ualities are... Veracious eating sloth fear and slee".
F2 In this verse &hogar em"loys a clever "un: The word Shi aara refers to the central tower of a .indu tem"le which indicates where the deity has !een installed in the cham!er !elow9 !ut he simultaneously is referring to the Si#kaaram the fiery letter Si "oised at the center of the Panchakshatra 7antra 5a#7a#Si#Va#'a.
77 ["0#]
FA (s for slee"... $ake u"> (nd softly )oin the girl. 7y friend It is Siva 0 @ma*s duty to give the Bive <elights. =rowing u"wards there is the )eweled throne. Together with @ma .e of the 7atted 8ocks with deer and clu! and the stri"ed tiger skin. ;ffulgent like ?4 444 suns. .e who su""orts. Smeared with sacred ash. =od of =ods> The Com"assionate One wearing a snake for an ornament.
FA (gain "the girl" is the Shakti.
77 ["0#]
FD 7editate on him. Place the !reath at the "illar and say '5* Aa* Au* Si2aya Na*aha'. Say '5*' and there contem"late the feet of 7other Hudri. 7ake the rigid mind com"ati!le. Say 'Aa*' and em"loy knowledge to "ush aside the five senses. Say '!he Mother +ithout beginning or end.' Say 'Fi2e *e the gra&e o- your glan&e.' (nd kee" the cautious mind in the light.
FD Hudra is the "residing deity of this chakra and Hudri his consort.
7: ["0#]
K4 That light is 5andi. It !ecomes the vehicle. It !ecomes one lim! of the Sam Veda. 8ea" over the 7erry 7ilk of 8ust. =rey hair and wrinkles the clouded eye and inert s"ace are to !e destroyed and wonder is to !e "oured forth. One who holds to it watching .is dance sees the meager dance of all wisdom as a waste. Hetain with an aim and watch carefully.
7; ["0#]
K? O!serve carefully... (t the "ro" in the middle an effulgence will !e seen. It is )ust like how to the eagle the target is visi!le even at night. Concentrate... Better your mind to .is feet. $ith knowledge stay in the stillness. Systematically... (sk which "ath to clim! and receive the A,A siddhis. &eing molded... 8isten to all of the alchemical secrets. (sk s"ecifically for the "ath to the Perfection of <eathlessness.
K? (s the s"ine was once the chain that !inds us to matter when the /undalini is awakened the s"ine !ecomes a "ro" that su""orts the universe. ;ven the siddhis acting u"on themselves 1A,A6 numerically mimic the si,ty#four essences that create the various evolutes of matter.
70 ["0#]
K3 &ut without having to ask... the 7oon*s S"here will !e entered. $ithout delay... Pluck a flower from the vine and "lace it at the feet of Shiva and Shakti. The undistorted mind shall merge into the soles of the sacred feet. <on*t )ust sit there> Think the mantra> Think the mantra> <on*t forget the !reath> Bi, it and lock it. Hesidue still remains... =et rid of it> $ith incense and lam"s "raise =od and then !id him "(dieu". 'ou can clim! easily now.
K3 (s each chakra is reached it should !e offered. The lotus should !e mentally "lucked from the vine 1of the s"ine6 and offered to Siva 0 Shakti.
7" ["0#]
KE Vishuddha .aving Clim!ed... One finds that there is a twelve inch )um" a rising to the Shrine of Vishuddha. It transforms itself into a si,#"ointed star and a circle. The =reat One has si,teen "etals for it*s si, "oints. In the "etals there are letters: A 0 Aa I 0 Ee B 0 5o The ever "resent... <u 0 <oo Lu with Loo &ecoming the su""ort... Ae-Ai 5h-Au A*-Aha=
KE The si,#"ointed star ascending and descending triangles intertwined is the meeting of heaven and earth the union of Siva and Shakti whose final merging takes "lace in ()na.
72 ["0#]
KF In the !eginning was A "laced as the first of the si,teen letters. In the center of the si, "oints the letter @a stands. In the !eginning @a stood as 7aheshwar and 7aheshwari. It is the realm of the =reat <ream. In the !eginning Bhu* !ecame the element wind. In the !eginning the renowned seed#sylla!le ?a !ecame the (tharva Veda. $ith a good mind one can esta!lish the vehicle.
KF @a is the !i)u of the water element which in the !eginning stood as the Causal Sea: an infinite ocean of all#"ossi!ility from which all things arise. It holds within it*s de"ths the =reat <ream of the multi"licity of e,istence. ?a is the !i)u of the air also allocated to this chakra as in $oodroffe*s works.
7# ["0#]
KK It is .is duty to esta!lish friendshi". $alking and running lying inert in a drunken stu"or remaining in stillness and !eing in a state of e+uanimity. (sk the details for sustaining these states. (dorning ourselves eating listening to our desires !u!!ling with anger and fighting... The !aring of these !urdens !ecomes like a running race. &ut if you see the very flesh of 5*#kaara. The mouth of the s"irit will o"en. Of this I*m sure. 'ou*ll see.
7) ["0#]
KC Surely the Si, Tastes are in the mouth. These tastes are only "resent in the mouth and not !eyond. Briend the Circle Su"reme is in the !ase. The Su"reme &ase is ever of fine +uality. The =rand Binale is "ulling out the eight weeds. ;+ually )oin the flawless four into itself. @ndou!tedly you*ll see all the chakras. Briend you are invited to enter into the four.
KC '!he$e ta$te$ are only in the *outh and not beyond.' $hat we "erceive through the sense organs does not necessarily ensure that we are getting an accurate inter"retation of "reality".
73 ["0#]
K2 'ou !ring @a within the four as food. The "rimordial 5* Na*a Si2aya sends !reath u"wards into the .ouse of the $ind. (dding dro" !y dro" !ound u" within it shan*t esca"e. $ith the ?C surfaces s"read wide the natural !eauty of the soul will manifest. &ecause of the a!undance of the soul*s !eauty one will evoke su"er!ly and !ecome skilled.
K2 @a is the raechaka mantra which &hogar a""lies to the in#!reath. The in#!reath enters and sustains the four elements that com"rise the !ody. The .ouse of the $ind is Vishuddha and the "?C surfaces" it*s "etals. .ere the individual soul !egins it*s "rocess of dissolution into the a!solute.
77 ["0#]
KA &ecoming skillful one relishes the taste. The soul*s !eauty remains and eight merges into four. &eing in the outer world four !ecomes s"ace. The !eautiful soul and the intellect wanes like the moon. &ecoming em"ty grey haired and wrinkled9 it dies. &ut they will not see the good soul*s de"arture. Bor an instant the sound will !e discerned in the neck. (long with the s"ecifics of O!scuration*s <ance.
77 ["0#]
KD Standing in the .ouse of the $ind remain still9 and lock the chain to the .oly 7other*s feet. In the =olden 7oon 7andala with flowers salute her. $orshi" her feet and lock the !reath. Say 'Fi2e *e the *ean$ to &li*b u, the $te,$ o- the ladder.' Praise the "ure Princi"le of Intelligence. (sk the way to the Perfection of (lchemy to the Perfection of 'oga to the Perfection of the =reat <eathlessness vast as s"ace.
7: ["0#]
C4 The "ath will manifest. Think the mantra again and again. <on*t forget to em!race the !reath and lock it within. It is attaina!le !y all... %ust say A and if you remain retaining the !reath... 7other and Bather will !e "leased at heart. The "ath will manifest and they*ll tell you the alchemical "rocess. They*ll tell you the "rocess of clim!ing with the !reath. Then leave the a!ode of the vi!rant 7aheshwar. %ust rise u"wards going eleven inches a!ove. Clim!.
7; ["0#]
C? ()na .aving clim!ed u" to the center of the eye!rows something will stand there e,ceeding the vastness of the universe. Clim! u" it*s tail. It is like a circular house. There will !e a ring with 4a and La for it*s "etals. @se them to clim! to the center where you will find the letter ?a. Clim! u"wards with @a the elemental seed of the ethers and you will find 7anomani and Sadasiva standing !efore you. This state is the .ouse of (wakening.
C? The !i)u of the ()na chakra is 5*. The Tamil character a""ears to have a tail. It is surrounded !y a circle that has two "etals. The ?a referred to here is not the !i)u of the air element !ut rather it is the final sylla!le of the Panchakshara. The mantra !egins in 7uladhara with Om### then moves u" the s"ine a""lying one sylla!le to each chakra 5a#7a#Si#Va# Ya which then culminates in the "ristine silence of Sahasrara. I can offer little e,"lanation for his attri!ution of the !i)u @a to the element ether. @a in other systems is attri!uted to the element water and "laced in Svadishtana. I can only sus"ect that this is another reference to the Panchakshara @a used to accom"any the inward flowing !reath.
:0 ["0#]
C3 This house has the color of the cloud. It*s role is to cultivate the five: lust and anger withering miserliness delusion and im"osing )ealousy. Come closer and you*ll see the Bour#faced One 7aal Siva and 7aheshwar guarding well the four directions. &ut it is Sadasiva that rules he is the ca"tain... (nd if you*ve seen the ca"tain you*ve seen everything.
:" ["0#]
CE If you see the ca"tain all of your dou!ts will !e resolved. The tunic of desire and differentiation will !e a!andoned. Those who see the ca"tain merge with the 7other. They see the nature of Satchitananda. Those who see the ca"tain attain the "erfections all. ( !andit at the ca"tain*s side can even steal the five colors. 7y friend the ca"tain cannot !e seen !y any other means. 5aturally ... .e*ll tell you how to fi, the !reath.
:2 ["0#]
CF .aving said this ()na will manifest. In this chakra relish 7anomani as she is s"elled out !efore you. 8isten to the mantra I tell you secretly... The uniting... (a Ea Ee La 4ree* and in the middle... 4a Sa (a La 4ree* and then... Sa (a La 4ree* These are the three "arts of the Panchadaasakshaari the fifteen letters. S"ell them out carefully... (nd set yourself on fire>
CF In the si,ty#fourth verse a numerically significant "oint in &hogar*s work the A constituents 0 the A shaktis intermingle to "roduce the CF com"onents that make u" the universe 1all that can !e "known"6. .ere &hogar reveals the Panchadaasakshaari 7antra 1lit. "the ?K sylla!le mantra6. This is the 7other*s secret mantra a closely guarded secret of amongst &rahmins even today. This mantra is so highly esteemed among them that they will even interweave its sylla!les with the ancient =ayatri of the Hig Veda. &hogar gives this fifteen sylla!le mantra garland of 7anomani to his readers not without some reservation. If you count the num!er of sylla!les he relates the num!er comes u" fourteen. .e has intentionally left one crucial sylla!le out of the verse. The e+uation is incom"lete. Hendered useless !y the omission of a single character. $ere it com"lete it would "ut one in direct contact with the goddess 7anomani the /undalini "ersonified. It forms the very heart of this !ody of verse addressing the mysteries of /undalini.
:# ["0#]
CK &eing set aflame... If you see the 7other*s feet all of your devilish delusions will !e destroyed. &eing fi,ed... ;ight will !e added to four and all the siddhi*s of Sound*s ;nd will manifest in an instant. &eing locked... 'ou can enter the !ody of your loved one. 'ou can cross the .air &ridge over the Hiver of Bire. &eing lengthened... 'ou come to know that which needs no su""ort and the sym!ol !ecomes clearly defined in thought.
CK ";ight will !e added unto four..." i.e. the eight siddhis will !e a""lied to the four elements that com"ose earthly matter. "'ou can enter the !ody of your loved one." means that you can "ro)ect awareness into organic matter see the world through others eyes savour union with all !eings and lea" the !oundaries of flesh and form. '?ou &an &ro$$ the hair bridge o2er the <i2er o- Gire.' This line gives us one of &hogar*s more vivid allegorical images: of the tre"idatious crossing over from the realm of matter into the realm of s"irit. The hair !ridge is the Chitrini 5adi the innermost thread of Shashumna. The Hiver of Bire is the /undalini Shakti. '...and the $y*bol be&o*e$ &learly de-ined in thought.' .aving a concentrated mind fi,ed on the sym!ol is a crucial "art of &hogar*s system. The sym!olism is indis"ensa!le. One must have a reference "oint in order to direct the movement of awareness and an o!)ect with which to engage the mind. &hogar*s system gives three "rimary tools to awaken and direct the /undalini Shakti: ?6 Pranayama 36 7antra E6 Sym!ols for visuali-ation
:) ["0#]
Throughout this work he has given a rough draft of the se+uence of their a""lication trou!le shoots some of the dangers to !e encountered and offers his own uni+ue kind of fatherly advice on how one lives with 'ogic insight.
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CC To think of it... #is to a!sor! the five senses. #is to have disease old age and death grey hair and wrinkles de"art. "5eighing" like a horse... #one can in the !link of an eye +uickly reca"ture the de"arting soul. &y em!racing it... #one maintains it even in the waking state. #one sees the 7other dancing with the Bather. &eing "ros"erous... #those who have "erfected service action and yoga !ecome wisdom itself.
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C2 The =uru*s Beet 'ou lea" !ehind even that "art of the self that is the 7other. 8isten as I tell you of the 8onely Place eight inches a!ove. There strive to unite with the =uru*s feet... In the ?44A "etals is the "entacle "Invinci!le". (ll the five... the A#kaaram the B#kaaram the M#kaaram the full s"ectrum of vi!ration and the !indu stand within these five angles. 'ou will see.
C2 "That "art of the self that is the 7other" encom"asses all of us e,ce"t that one "rimordial s"ark of changeless awareness. She is all thought all e,"erience flesh 0 fluid the senses 0 their o!)ects the mind 0 the su!conscious !oth ego 0 id. 8ea"ing !eyond .er all manifestation is dissolved !ack into the =reat Self that is .e: Sada Siva.
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CA 8ook at the 5*#kaara. It !ecomes "ure light and rises u"wards. It assumes a form that is !odiless and undefiled. Place within it the s"reading !reath e,"anding outwards. If you want the union to take "lace don*t let it run out of control. Sto" it and see into it. 8et it !e said outright... The thing in the !eginning the Self that is the very !asis of Vedanta one need not even try to com"rehend.
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CD =ayatri It is called "the Incom"rehensi!le &rahmarantiram". It is clear as crystal. The "ath cannot !e had !y striving. ;ternal yet fleeting it is without form. It is Truth... eternal unstained and ever full. This fullness of Satchitananda cannot !e sim"ly "lucked like a flower. Harely s"oken of... It is the Pathless Path: Niran0anaaya @id*ahe Niraabaa$aaya 1hi*ahi Soonu $h*a Era&hodaayat.
CD =ayatri is a "articular form of mantra introduced in the Hig Veda. This "articular =ayatri translates: 'I under$tand the -la+le$$. I *editate u,on that +hi&h &a$t$ no re-le&tion. May that $ubtle ,rin&i,le be$to+ gra&e u,on u$.'
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24 They !eing light re"eat the twenty#four sylla!les which stand as the crystalline gayatri. $ithout letting the mind run along the sense organs "ath call the !reath to you sto" it*s movement and "lace it there. That region !ecomes light as one in stillness retains the !reath. He"eat the Chitsaru"a =ayatri sever earthly !irth and you will !ecome a!sor!ed in fullness. 5o more going. 5o more coming. Only That which is manifest.
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2? <wadashanta 1the Twelve#inch Blame6 In clim!ing a!ove there is the Twelve#inch Blame. Hunning along that "ath one divides the eleven and sees... The gracious 7other @nmai with the eight siddhis ... Parai full of grace and .e who is the su"reme. I*ve clearly revealed these eleven and that is not easy... considering "I" my lowly self have not seen it. &ut the gracious 5andi has so nicely esta!lished it in these 2444. That which "I" have not seen.
2? One*s individual self !urns away "assing through the first eleven inches of the Twelve Inch Blame. Then at its "eak within the final unit !eyond the as"irant discovers the su"reme. Of what e,ists there cannot !e claimed to have !een seen !y anyone for the "I" has !een !urnt away and the mystery of that twelfth inch stands as witness to itself. There is no room here for the su!)ect#o!)ect dichotomy. Only !eing It can !are testament to It*s validity.
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23 'ou will see all of the hidden "athways. It is difficult !ut if you !ite onto the ti" of the nose there will !e union. If you eat without eating and firmly focus your ga-e within the na"e of the neck you will see what is there. One sees that /undalini 'oga is not crooked. Bi, your ga-e. 'ou will see the eleven and the One. $hen you look into the center it is not a coy thing. There the good Siva with Hudra are shining like ?4 444 suns.
23 In verse 23 the "oet tells us "'ou will see all of the hidden "athways". These of coarse !eing the 23 444 nadis through which the vital force 1"rana6 is "ro"elled. One need only center awareness on the "oint where air first "asses into the nostrils 1"...if you !ite on the ti" of the nose there will !e union."6 there the air flow can !e !alanced and the streams of !reath united. ";at without eating" dine on the @))ayi !reath shifting awareness to the distinctive sensation in the throat and "you will see what is there". Since the /undalini Shakti is coiled around the lingam at 7uladhara she is called */u!)ika* 1"the .unch!ack"6 !ut from the "oint of view of the Twelve Inch Blame she is a straight line which stretches on into infinity.
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2E It all ha""ens in accordance with what is written in the !ook that is likened unto the Sun. $hen you get ac+uainted with how the !reath s"reads and flows and when you have seen the $ord that is likened unto the Sky... (ll will !ecome fertile !aring the tender coconut in vast a!undance. Then one wonders... "$hat*s the use of a coconut to a dog like me:" This is the time to look u"on the goodness of one*s yogic attainments. 8ook to the very end of that which is /ingly <ivinity and listen to the method of the residing !reath.
2E There is an old Tamil "rover! which says: '8hat.$ the u$e o- a &o&onut to a dogH' ( dog cannot "enetrate its hard outer shell and savour its sweet milk 0 tender fruit. The mind continually s"ews forth its dou!ts and insecurities 1and the 'ogi*s mind is no different6 &ut thoughts such as these should !e com!ated with reflection reason and the renewed vigor to "ractice "the method of the residing !reath" with unwavering diligence.
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2F 8isten. (t the root you are s"ewing forth @a#kaaram. <own dee" do worshi". Si#kaaram won*t leave you. &reath in. &reath in for a long time then e,hale and see... In the stainless /undalini 5andi will !e "erceived. 7y useful friend There see the $ord which comes from 5andi. Bor the great siddhis eight and )nana... daily you must "lace the !reath with the Ma#kaaram mantra. 'ou have seen the finer "ath now see that you esta!lish it.
2F .ere the "ath re"eats itself as &hogar guides us once again through the whole ela!orate "rocess 1of scaling the chakras6 in only si, verses: Ma sends !reath down to the &anyon Tree that rises u" from Svadishtana. Its left 0 right roots are )oined in 7uladhara and rise u"wards as the celestial tree /al"ataru.
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2K &eing esta!lished... after lea"ing the root one reaches the (!ode of /anchan. &eing merged fi, your ga-e u"on @a#kaaram. $hen Si#kaaram shines within e,hale. Then your "ast !irths will leave you. &ecause the "ro"rietous Bour#faced One is seen one can take the lea" from /anchan*s a!ode. Then em!race the Healm of 7aal.
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2C .aving em!raced .im one !ecomes filled u" with @a#kaaram. This !ecomes the =reat Ta"as: e,haling from within the Si#kaaram. &eing e,"ansive... The five grey hairs are removed. Then you will !ecome a !oy again. Si,teen years of age you*ll !e. Slithering on you can cross over 7aal into Hudra*s a!ode. Bi, awareness on the sensation of !reath and attack. Once !rought in then e,hale the Si-kaaram. The !ody will run red and the siddhi will manifest.
2C "The five grey hairs" refers to the hair found at the to" of the head the moustache the !eard on the chest and in the "u!ic region. The !ody turns a reddish hue as the /undalini is aroused. There will also !e a concentration of heat in the region of the awakened chakra as $oodroffe also attests to in The Ser"ent Power "There is one sim"le test whether the Shakti is actually aroused. $hen she is aroused intense heat is felt at that s"ot !ut when she leaves a "articular centre that "art so left !ecomes as cold and a""arently lifeless as a cor"se. The "rogress u"wards may thus !e e,ternally verified !y others. $hen the Shakti 1Power6 has reached the u""er#!rain 1Sahasrara6 the whole !ody is cold and cor"se#like9 e,ce"t the to" of the skull where some warmth is felt this !eing the "lace where the static and kinetic as"ects of Consciousness unite." (t this "oint the !ody a""ears "ale cool and glows with a soft lustre.
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22 The siddhi !eing manifest lea" from Hudra*s a!ode entering the clear realm of 7aheshwar. Hemain still and inhale the ele"hantine @a#kaaram. Then from within that e,hale Si#kaaram. 'ou will !ecome a ten year old !oy. It is said that this is like !ecoming the myro!alam fruit. &ecome like a !ellows. Practice Siva 'oga. 'ou*ll have all the 7edicines of ;nergy in no time.
22 The myro!alam fruit is clear in color. It allegorically refers to ado"ting the fluid character of the changing environment. Placed in the hand it takes on the color of the skin inferring the mallea!ility of "ure consciousness.
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2A In no time you will lea" "ast 7aheshwar*s a!ode. Stand in the encircling Sadasiva. Position the irrefuta!le Si#kaaram and ga-e into it. The de"arture of the =reat (wareness will come to "ass. (t the feet of 7other 7anomani she who will not "unish her children one should !e watchful with the same care as when one "laces the !reath. The True /nowledge !eyond disdain is actually formless. The True Bragrance you are sure to manifest.
2A It has !een said that the enlightened sage e,udes a "articular fragrance what &hogar calls "the True Bragrance" the scent of the <ivine.
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2D If you stand at the =uru*s feet &reath called "the 8ong Siva 'oga" will !e offered as food. One comes to witness the 7other*s vast "lentitude that is all e,istence. The eternal "ath of a""lying the @a 0 Sa letters !eing what is on hand is a""lied !oth here and there. Intelligently o!serve the mind and the attainment will !e great. The fiery "oison that has !een removed will !e severed com"letely and a uni+ue a!undance will manifest as the Princi"le of Intelligence.
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A4 &hogar*s 8ea" Into the @niverse (s the Princi"le of Intelligence itself I lea"t into the universe. 5andi clearly elucidated the nature of the universe. Bor the sake of all !eings there is a "ath that !ecomes a vehicle for the five senses. The universe that a""eared !efore me was arranged in layers. =randfather said ";nter the tenth one." I took what was given me and "ut it in my mouth. (nother !unch of mercurial amalgams I tied onto my wrist. Off I went. ;ntering the universe of fire and light.
A4 7ercurial amalgams were em"loyed !y the Siddhars for various works. One of which !eing to gain the "ower of flight9 !ut it is difficult to say whether this infers a "hysical "henomenon or a kind of astral "ro)ection. $hichever it may !e &hogar used the mercurial amalgam to take him to the furthest frontiers of creation !eyond s"ace and time to the "eri"hery of the universe the farthest shores of his own !eing.
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DF 1In Conclusion6 Invite the !reath the outer s"ace to come within your house. If you are unwavering "lacing it there as though you were "utting oil in a lam" ... They shall meet. &reath and =od !ecoming one. 8ike wind !ecoming !reath there is no individual intelligence. The =reat (wareness !ecomes Siva. .e and !reath merge into one. It is this light !ecoming !reath that redeems the soul. Surely this is the truth of Siva 'oga>
DK In fact... There is no "erfection as easy as this... 7y dear lad there is nothing else> There have !een so very many souls throughout time that even if you searched this whole ;arth you shan*t find them all. Su!tle and yet of high regard this !reath. The Sound*s ;nd manifests easily... The Su!tle manifests... The generous (lchemists the Siddhars the Hishis the 'ogis... They are like the !reath. There is nothing to !e accom"lished.
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Turn !ack and look. $.(T IT (88 7;(5S...
DF#DK
I have added these two closing verses to convey &hogar*s most intimate insights on the true character of the !reath: The mindJ!ody is a vessel into which Siva "ours as the !reath of life. &reath and Siva are one. $e all share a common soul a common !reath a common life. Siva flows through creation entering the !ody as !reath9 !ut then 7ind rises u" surveying the a""arent multi"licity of e,istence asserting its individuality stating "I am the doer". This marks the !irth of the ego and the !eginning of a life in isolation cut off from a universe which all are irrevoca!ly connected to. &ut there is no need to struggle in our alienation and aloneness. $e are alone !ecause there is only One: the =reat (wareness 1which !ecomes Siva who in turn !ecomes !reath6. If we are unwavering always mindful of !reath 1the giver of life69 receiving it with reverence gratitude 0 humility9 receiving it as .oly Communion9 there is no longer any need for struggling 0 striving. "reathing in+ =od !ecomes many9 and each and every !eing may savour the <ivine within. "reathing out+ One need not have any reservation !ut let the vessel !ecome em"tied into the <ivine Ocean of s"ace... vi!rant with the "ranic essence infinite 0 indivisi!le. '!here i$ nothing to be a&&o*,li$hed. !urn ba& [the 4oly Breath] and loo .'
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-i claimer '4e alone +ho ha$ been a&Iuainted +ith the +ealth o- the $i/ lotu$e$ by Maha-?oga i$ able to e/,lain the inner ,rin&i,le$ thereo-. Not e2en the *o$t e/&ellent a*ong the +i$e, nor the olde$t in e/,erien&e, i$ able, +ithout the *er&y o- the Furu, to e/,lain the inner ,rin&i,le$ relating to the $i/ Lotu$e$...' In most cases I have resisted the tem"tation to rearrange the order of &hogar*s words. This refusal on my "art may make the translated "ortion of this work seem more cho""y and dis)ointed in "laces !ut I feel that the se+uence in which &hogar "resents these words and images is im"ortant and that any attem"t on my "art to make &hogar*s 2444 "more reada!le" would su!vert the effect that his work was intended to instill in the reader. This is more that )ust a ma" of consciousness or a technical manual on /undalini 'oga. $hat may at first a""ear as &hogar*s ina!ility to !e clear and concise I assure you is neither em"ty em!ellishment nor the rantings of a madman. The images which he uses are not digressions in the narrative !ut a carefully structured stream of ideas and sym!ols. This is not )ust a "oem !ut a guided meditation where &hogar "resents more than )ust a ma" of the inner terrain: .e s"ecifies what the tools are when 0 where they are to !e em"loyed. (ll is given freely... encoded within the conte,t of these haunting visions with which the mind must !usy itself !y con)uring u" lest the )ourney*s momentum !e lost in clinging to "altry matters of techni+ue.
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Bhogar Shaking The Tree

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SHAKING THE TREE

Bhogar - Sha ing the !ree

(ontent Preface and Introduction Translation of Verses with Commentary

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