MANASOLLASA - VII

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`She is neither existent nor non-existent nor partaking of

both characters; neither same nor different nor both. Neither

composed of parts nor an indivisible whole nor both. She is most

wonderful and cannot be described in words (109)'.

Since this Maya has no parts that have caused it to come into

existence (Maya is accepted to be begginningless by Vedanta), it

cannot be said to have parts. Nor is it partless since it has parts

in its effects. It is the cause that appears as effects. This Maya,

who appears when discrimination disappears, verily deceives the

Jivatman by her unreal dalliances. Some do not wish to cut down its

roots. In their case, how can the liberation of the mind come about?

It is the mind full of Vaasanas or impressions carried over from

previous lives that causes bondage. Hence liberation comes by

Manolaya, the dissolution of mind completely. All the three states of

mind, viz., waking, dream and deep sleep, being the primary causes of

the delusion of multiplicity, rotate like a wheel. As long as the

mind exists in the present form, the rotation of its three states

cannot be avoided. In these states, multiplicity is noticed, giving

rise to responses and reactions, adding fresh Vaasanas to the arsenal

mind. Thus, bondage is perpetuated. Though there is no perception of

duality in the deep sleep state, Avidya continues to exist in the

seed form.

The mind performs actions and is also bound, due to these

states. The supreme Atman, who is other than this mind, is only a

witness of the mind. Actually it is the Jiva, a reflection of the

Atman in the mind that is meant here. Let me quote a verse from the

Brahmabindu Upanishad: `For human beings, it is the mind that is said

to be the cause of bondage when attached to sense objects, cause of

liberation when freed from them'. Consider this verse from

Kathopanishad: `Just as the sun, the eye of the world, is not tainted

by the external defects of objects seen by the eye, even so, the one

Atman, the inner self of all beings, is not tainted by the sorrows of

the world, since he is outside them'. The very fact that we can

analyze our three states of consciousness shows that we are the

witnesses of our mind.

Just as the sun is not bound by the actions of the living

beings, so also, the Atman, being the witness, is not bound by the

actions of the mind. Living beings perform good, bad or indifferent

actions in the light of the sun. But he is not responsible for that.

Similarly, the mind acts impelled by the consciousness of the Atman.

The Atman being only a witness, is never affected by these actions.

That the Atman performs actions, is bound or is liberated, is only a

figurative conception, a mere fantasy. When a red hibiscus flower is

kept near a crystal, the latter appears to have become red. When the

former is removed, the latter becomes clear again. To say that the

crystal became red and then was freed from that color is only a

figurative conception or a fantasy. Similarly in this case also.

The sun appears to be covered by smoke, clouds, dust and fog,

though he is untouched by them. Similarly, the Atman also appears to

be covered by Maya, though he is untouched by it. A boy circling

round a pillar in play, sees the world also as circling and the sky

as consisting of a number of moons. Similarly, the Jiva being deluded

by Maya due to the influence of past impressions, sees this world

full of various forms and activities. The sun, due to reflection in

water, appears to be many and also shaking. Similarly, the Atman, due

to reflection in the mind, appears to undergo transmigration.

He, who has emptied his mind of all sense objects through the

practice of yoga, that person, retiring from the illusionary world,

becomes a Jivanmukta immediately. The yoga that we speak here is

actually Nidhidhyasana – contemplation on the Atman. Living in this

world had been necessitated by desires and attachments. When these

disappear, there is nothing to bind him to the world. Rising of the

Atma Jnana and liberation are simultaneous. There is no time lag

between them. It should be noted that liberation is not something

that can be obtained only after death. If that was so, the state of

Jivanmukta was impossible!

The Lord, out of Maya, became two birds united in friendship.

Enjoying the one Maya, though himself one, became many as it were.

Thus declare the Vedas. The ideas contained in two well-known

Upanishads have been brought together here. They are: `Two birds,

united in friendship, have taken refuge in the same tree. Between

them, one bird is eating the tasty fruit while the other, without

eating, is looking on (Mundaka – 3.1)'. `A he-goat is lying with a

she-goat of three colors (red, white and black), who has given birth

to several young ones similar to her, enjoying her. Another he-goat,

after having enjoyed her, has given her up (Sveta – 4.5)'. In both

these verses, the reference is to a bound soul and a free

soul. `Fruit' is the fruit of karma. `Ajaa', which normally refers to

a she-goat, also means the `unborn' i.e. Prakriti or Maya, which is

begginningless. The `young ones' are the created objects. The three

colors refer to the three Gunas.

It is now time to examine how this Maya can be dispelled. The

answer is contemplation on Ishwara. Out of the thirty-six principles,

which are like forms of the supreme Lord, eight forms are directly

perceived by all. The agama Shastra enumerates the total principles

of creation as thirty-six. Since it is Ishwara who has `evolved' into

this creation, all these principles are his Moortis or forms. A well-

known verse defines these forms of Shiva thus: `These are the eight

forms of Shiva – water, fire, the sacrificing priest, sun, moon, sky,

air and earth'. Since the mind cannot quickly apprehend the

immeasurable principles, the Guru (here the guru is Sri

Shankaracharya or Lord Mahadeva himself) is teaching meditation on

the eight forms of the Lord who is the Self of all.

The meditator or Upasaka should imagine the identity between

the five elements in his body and the cosmic elements. He should

merge his Prana and Apana, the two vital airs in his body, with the

sun and the moon. He should consider himself as identical with

Parameshwara, the supreme Lord. This meditation of identity with the

Lord will gradually lead to the experience of that identity. The area

of operation of the individual mind is within this individual body

only. Therefore, the meditator should contemplate on this world,

which has Ishwara for its self, as his own body. To transcend the

body-consciousness and rise to identity with Ishwara, the path lies

through the body itself, by the meditation prescribed here.

The seven worlds starting from BhooH or earth are said to be

situated in the cosmos. They reside in the seven Chakras starting

from the Moolaadhaara and ending in the Brahmarandhra. One should

meditate that the seven worlds exist in the seven Chakras. The

backbone is said to be the great Meru, the various other bones the

Kula mountains, the nadis Pingala and Ida respectively, the rivers

Ganga and Yamuna. The Sushumna nadi is said to be the river

Saraswati. Other nadis are the other holy rivers. The seven dhatus

(skin, blood, muscles, fat, bones, marrow and semen) are the islands.

Sweat, tears and other excretions are the seven seas. Kalagni, the

fire that engulfs the world at the time of dissolution, resides in

the Moolaadhaara. The Vaadavaagni or the fierce fire residing in the

oceans is in the midst of the bones. The Vidyutagni or the fire of

lightening is in the Sushumna and Paarthivaagni or the fire in the

depths of the earth is in the navel. The fire of the sun is

established in the heart and the full-moon in the skull. The eyes, as

also the other senses, are said to be stars. Just as the worlds are

sustained by the winds, so also, the body is sustained by the ten

kinds of Pranas. The prana, in the form of the sun, having reached

Ida and Pingala which have risen from Moolaadhaara, and going out

through the two nostrils, disappears at a distance of twelve angulas.

The same prana, in the form of moon, enters into the body from a

distance of eight angulas, through the two nadis. Impelled by it, the

apana excretes faeces, urine, wind and semen. The Udana, taking the

combined form of fire and moon, reaching the passage of Sushumna

rises up to the Brahmarandhra, growing all the while. The Udana

actually becomes active during Utkraanti or the Jiva leaving the body

at the time of death. The Vyaana, always spreads the essence of the

food that is eaten in the body. The Samaana however, is always

engaged in maintaining the heat of the body. The Naaga causes

hiccups, Koorma causes the eyelids to open and close, Krikara

produces sneezing and Devadutta, yawning. The Dhananjaya causes

obesity and does not give up even a dead person! The Akasha is

responsible for space both inside and outside the body.

The sun and the moon who regulate time, are the Prana and

Apaana of the embodied beings. The supreme Lord is the Jiva or the

witness. In contemplating the eightfold form of the supreme Lord by

identifying the various parts of the body with their cosmic

counterparts, the mind has played a very important part. But this

gradually takes the contemplator to the state beyond the mind.

The disciplines, which can be achieved through the mind, are

said to be the Yamas. These are:

1. Peace of mind – absence of distractions and excitement.

2. Contentment - with regard to the things of the world,

to be satisfied with whatever chance brings.

3. Silence – controlling the tendency to speak

unnecessarily.

4. Control of sense organs – keeping all the ten sense

organs, the five of knowledge and five of action, under one's

mastery.

5. Compassion – not going against any living beings, but

helping them.

6. Politeness – Dakshinya may also mean efficiency in

action.

7. Faith in things ordained by the scriptures.

8. Straightforwardness.

9. Softness.

10. Forgiveness – towards even those who try to harm.

11. Purity of emotions.

12. Non-injury.

13. Celibacy.

14. Remembrance – remembering the intrinsic defects in birth, death,

old age, disease, sorrow etc. This helps in acquiring detachment.

15. Courage - this refers to energizing the body, senses and the

vital airs even in enervating situations.

 

Bath (physical cleanliness, as also keeping the dwelling place

clean), worship (of the God and deities), speaking the truth,

repetition of the mantras, oblation into the fire, obsequial

offerings (to the departed manes), austerities (of body, mind and

speech), giving gifts (to the right person at the right time and

place), forbearance (putting up patiently with all pairs of opposites

like heat and cold, praise and blame etc.), obeisance (accompanied by

the inner feeling as na mama `not mine but thine'), circumambulation

(to the deity, elders and the guru), keeping religious vows, keeping

fasts (according to one's capacity) and such other disciplines

pertaining to the body are called Niyamas.

The various Yogic Aasanas are physiological-mystical

exercises aimed at building up one's health and stamina as also

rousing latent psychic powers. They are expounded in works like

Hathayogapradipika and Gherundasamhita. These postures are grouped

according to the deities (Pancha Pretas and Sridevi). I have avoided

more discussion of these here. Actually for Niralambana yoga (yoga

that transcends the need for all kinds of support or symbols), not

having any support itself is the Aasana. Controlling the vital energy

is called Pranayama and it consists of Rechaka (exhalation), Pooraka

(inhalation) and Kumbhaka (of breath). Preventing all the sense

organs from flowing towards their respective objects has been defined

as Pratyahara. Fixing the mind in some support (like the Chakras or

on forms of the Lord) is said to be Dharana. Dhyana is similar to

Dharana, but meditation is continuous in Dhyana. Absence of all

movement in the Buddhi due to the perfection of Dhyana is Samadhi.

The first stage is the Savikalpa Samadhi, in which the division of

the knower and the known persists. In the second Samadhi, the mind is

dissolved in its cause and hence no vibrations of any type exist.

There, Atman alone shines.

When the mind becomes steady, the prana also becomes steady.

One should practice yoga along with Dhyana in order to steady the

mind. The emphasis should be on making the mind steady through Dhyana

and not indirectly through Pranayama. Bandhas, Kumbhaka (kevala to be

precise) and Khechari Mudra are the means of attaining this. When the

mind attains steadiness, and the prana enters the Sushumna, the

following signs manifest themselves separately, due to the conquest

of five elements. As a result of the conquest of the earth element,

excretion of faeces, urine and phlegm becomes sparingly low. Health,

lightness of body as also fine smell and golden color are other

signs. Not being pierced by the points of thorns, not getting drowned

in water, nor sinking in quagmire, forbearance of hunger, thirst

etc., are the signs of the conquest of water element. Consuming large

quantities of food and water, bearing the heat of sun and fire,

clairvoyance, clairaudience, these are the signs of conquering the

fire element. Hopping like a frog on the ground, flying in the sky

etc., are some of the signs of conquest over air element. Knowledge

of the past, present and the future, powers like Anima etc., are the

signs of conquest of Akasha element.

When the prana enters the Sushumna nadi, we hear eight kinds

of sounds: those of bell, kettle-drum, conch, sea waves, lute, flute

and cymbals. The Sadhaka perceives the form of Ishwara, shining

brightly like the fire and the lightening. As many times a man

breathes in a day, so many yojanas does the sun move in the sky

during each breathing of man. A man breathes 21,600 times per day of

twenty-four hours. So, the sun moves a distance of 21,600 yojanas

(each yojana being roughly equal to eight and a half miles) during

the period taken by one breath i.e. 4 seconds. This works to nearly

46,000 miles per second. In order to live in the body, the Atman

repeats the mantra, `So ham' – `I am he', 21,6000 times per day. This

mantra, when the letters `sa' and `ha' are elided and the rules of

the Poorvaroopa sandhi are applied, becomes Pranava.

The Pranava consists of the letters – a, u, ma, bindu and

nada. The chanting of this syllable will lead to the indestructible

(Akshara) result of knowledge of Atman. Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra,

Ishwara and Sadashiva are respectively the deities of these letters

of Pranava.

 

Sri Mahatripurasundari chandramauleeshwarebhyo namaH !