Responses of Sriman Sribhashyam to two questions from a Member of ParakAla maTham e-mail list

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Sriman SribhAshyam is the Director of the Yogakshemam Institute in NIce ,

France

and is the son of one of the greatest Yoga Teachers and Practioners of Yoga

Saasthram ,

Sriman T.Krishnamacharya (1888-1989). He lived for 101 years as Swamy

Desikan .

Sriman Krishnamacharya"s famous students are two of his own children

(Sriman Desikachar

and Sriman Krishnamachari , jis youngest son ) and his brother in law ,

Sriman B.K.S.Iyengar (B 1918).

 

It is my privelege to know Sriman T.Krishnamachari and I hold him in high

regard his extraordinary services to the European community to learn about

the ancient Yoga Saasthram by AdhisEshan and Pathanjali Maharishi and

practise it along with Aayur Vedam .

 

I hope he does not mind my sharing in our lists , his informative answers

to two questions from

a Member about (1) PrANAyAmam and (2) the purpose of Shikha for a Vaidhikan

..

 

My thanks to Sriman SribhAshyam .

 

NamO NaarAyaNaaya ,

V.Sadagopan

 

 

 

 

-

<Sribhashyam

<parakalamatham>

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 4:13 AM

Re: [sriParakalaMatham] Some Questions

 

 

>

> Neither a sharp sword, nor an infuriated serpent is so much killing, as

> anger which resides in our own mind.

> Ni une épée pointue, ni un serpent exaspéré ne sont autant meurtrier, que

> la

> colère qui réside dans notre propre esprit.

>

> Namaskaram.

>

> There are many types of Pranayama, both in Yoga as well as in the

> Samhitha.

>

> The Pranayama in all vedic rituals as well as in Sandhya Vandanam is:

> Sitting facing East,

> Puraka from left nostril (inhalation) while mentally reciting the first

> Pada

> of Gayatri: Om Bhuhu upto Dhiyoyonah prachodaya-at

> Kumbhaka (holding the breath) while mentally reciting Om Apo jyothi upto

> Bhurbhuvasuvarom and om bhuhu, om bhuvaha

> Rechaka from right nostril (exhalation) while mentally reciting the

> entire

> Gayatri mantra (also called Vyahruthi) (Om bhuhu, Om bhuva upto

> bhurbhuvasuvarom.

> The Pranayama (both for bramhachari and for gruhasta) is done with the

> right

> hand in Mrigi Mudra (mrigi is the head of the deer). Bend the forefinger

> and the middle finger towards the palm. Place the thumb agaist the right

> nostril (between the nasal bone and the end of the lobe of the nose) and

> place the

> ringfinger and the little finger (anamika and tarjani) agaisnt the left

> nostril below the nasal bone.

>

> This makes one Prayanamama. Mathematically, this would have the ratio of

> 1:3:2

>

> Remember that in some cases we start with 3 Pranyamama (trih

> prananayamya),

> for example, when we want to change the yajnopavitha, when we start

> Aradhana

> etc. When 3 Prayanayama are done, the second cycle would be Puraka from

> right nostril and so on. So, the thrid pranayama ends like the first

> one.

>

> The other pranayama with the ration 1:4:2 is called Surya Bhedhana. This

> is

> found in Yajnyavalkya Samhitha, Upasnishads as also in many Yoga and

> Tantra

> works. This ratio very often advised in Matas. One Ashtakshari during

> Puraka, 4 ashtakshari during Kumbhaka and 2 Ashtakshari during Rechaka.

> Naturally, the Pranayama in this case would be 16 breaths which itself is

> called One

> Pranayama in Yajurveda (both Shukla and Krishna).

>

> The reason for Shika might be many: from social to religious!

>

> One of the reasons why both for men and woman Shika (not to confused with

> partial tufts) is that the hairs of the skull protects some vital points

> (Shirsha, Divya Chakshush, Piyusha, Kapala etc). Moreover, according to

> Rig veda,

> long hairs protects the bearer from demoniac influences. In Ayurveda,

> pregnant women are prohibited from cutting their hairs during pregnancy,

> in the same

> way as the prohibition of cutting children's hair till

> Bramhopadesha.(except

> in pilgrim centres)

> Naturally, the long hairs are not left 'free', they are kept under

> "knot":

> Shikha granthi.

> In fact, before each ritual (be it long or short, be it daiva or pitru),

> there is sort of Mimamsa check-list: Jusu like Asana for the posture to

> be

> taken, Upavithi or nivithi or prachina vithi for the Yajnopavitha,

> Achamana,

> urdhva pundra (for the type of dress), so too, for the Shikha.

>

> Keeping long hairs is also part of Diksha (social, religious?)

>

> According to Valmiki Ramayana, Rama and Lakshamana (and Bharata also) did

> not cut their hairs during the 14 years' life in forest. It is after

> their

> return to Ayodhya that Valmiki advises Rama to cut his hair, moustache

> and beard.

>

> Incidentally, one of the Samkhya philosophers is called Pancha Shika (= 5

> shikha)! In my youth, I had met some people in Varanasi, Allahabad and

> Bengal,

> wearing one shikha, two shikha etc., like Dvivedi, Trivedi and

> Chaturvedis.

>

>

>

> May God bless you. Que Dieu vous bénisse.

>

> T. K. Sribhashyam