To JK / Jiva Nyasa

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Nyasa

 

 

This word, which comes from the root " to place, " means placing the

tips of the fingers and palm of the right hand on various parts of

the body, accompanied by particular mantra. The nyasa are of various

kinds. Jiva-nyasa follows upon bhuta-shuddhi. After the purification

of the old, and the formation of the celestial body, the sadhaka

proceeds by jiva-nyasa to infuse the body with the life of the Devi.

Placing his hand on his heart, he says the " so''hang " mantra ( " I am

He " ), thereby identifying himself with the Devi. Then, placing the

eight Kula-kundalini in their several places he says the following

mantra: Ang, Kring, Kring, Yang, Rang, Lang, Vang, Shang, Shang,

Sang, Hong, Haung, Hangsah: the vital airs of the highly blessed and

auspicious Primordial Kalika are here. " Ang, etc., the embodied

spirit of the highly blessed and auspicious Kalika is placed

here. " " Ang, etc., here are all the senses of the highly auspicious

and blessed Kalika, " and, lastly, " Ang, etc., may the speech, mind,

sight, hearing, smell, and vital airs of the highly blessed and

auspicious Kalika coming here always abide here in peace and

happiness Svaha. " The sadhaka then becomes devata-maya. After having

thus dissolved the sinful body, made a new Deva body, and infused it

with the life of the Devi, he proceeds to matrika-nyasa. Mahika are

the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet; for as from a mother

comes birth, so from matrika, or sound, the world proceeds. Shabda-

brahman, the " Sound, " " Logos, " or " Word, " is the Creator of the

worlds of name and of form.

 

The bodies of the Devata are composed of the fifty matrika. The

sadhaka, therefore, first sets mentally (antar-matrika-nyasa) in

their several places in the six chakra, and then externally by

physical action (Vahy-amatrika-nyasa) the letters of the alphabet

which form the different parts of the body of the Devata, which is

thus built up in the sadhaka himself. He places his hand on different

parts of his body, uttering distinctly at the same time the

appropriate matrika for that part.

 

The mental disposition in the chakra is as follows: In the Ajna

Lotus, Hang, Kshang (each letter in this and the succeeding cases is

said, followed by the mantra namah); in the Vishuddha Lotus Ang, Ang,

and the rest of the vowels; in the Anahata Lotus kang, khang to

thang; in the Manipura Lotus, dang dhang, etc., to Phang; in the

Svadisthana Lotus bang, bhang to lang; and, lastly, in the Muladhara

Lotus, vang, shang, shang, sang. The external disposition then

follows. The vowels in their order with anusvara and visarga are

placed on the forehead, face, right and left eye, right and left ear,

right and left nostril, right and left cheek, upper and lower lip,

upper and lower teeth, head, and hollow of the mouth. The consonants

kang to vang are placed on base of right arm and the elbow, wrist,

base and tips of fingers, left arm, right and left leg, right and

left side, back, navel, belly, heart, right and left shoulder, space

between the shoulders (kakuda), and then from the heart to the right

palm shang is placed; and from the heart to the left palm the

(second) shang; from the heart to the right foot, sang; from the

heart to the left foot, hang; and, lastly, from the heart to the

belly, and from the heart to the mouth, kshang. In each case ong is

said at the beginning and namah at the end. According to the Tantra-

sara, matrika-nyasa is also classified into four kinds, performed

with different aims –– viz.: kevala where the matrika is pronounced

without vindu; vindu-sangyuta with vindu; sangsarga with visarga; and

sobhya with visarga and vindu.

 

Rishi-nyasa then follows for the attainment of the chatur-varga. The

assignment of the mantra is to the head, mouth, heart, anus, the two

feet, and all the body generally. The mantra commonly employed

are: " In the head, salutation to the Rishi (Revealer) Brahma; in the

mouth, salutation to the mantra Gayatri, in the heart, salutation to

the Devi Mother Sarasvati; in the hidden part, salutation to the

vija, the consonants; salutation to the shakti, the vowels in the

feet, salutation to visargah, the kilaka in the whole body. " Another

form in which the vija employed is that of the Aiya: it is referred

to but not given in Chap. V., verse 123, and is: " In the head,

salutation to Brahma and the Brahmarshis, in the mouth, salutation to

Gayatri and the other forms of verse; in the heart, salutation to the

primordial Devata Kali, in the hidden part, salutation to the vija,

kring; in the two feet, salutation to the shakti, Hring; in all the

body, salutation to the Kalika Shring. "

 

Then follows anga-nyasa and kara-nyasa. These are both forms of shad-

anga-nyasa. When shad-anga-nyasa is performed on the body, it is

called hridayadi-shad-anga-nyasa; and when done with the five fingers

and palms of the hands only, angushthadi-shad-anga-nyasa. The former

kind is done as follows: The short vowel a, the consonants of the ka-

varga group, and the long vowel a, are recited with " hridayaya namah "

(namah salutation to the heart). The short vowel i, the consonants of

the cha-varga group, and the long vowel i, are said with " shirasi

svaha " (svaha to the head). The hard ta-varga consonants set between

the two vowels u are recited with " shikhayai vashat " (vashat to the

crown lock); similarly the soft ta-varga between the vowels e and ai

are said with " kavachaya hung. " The short vowel o, the pavarga, and

the long vowel o are recited with netra-trayaya vaushat (vaushat to

the three eyes). Lastly, between vindu and visargah the consonants ya

to ksha with " kara-tala-prishthabhyang astraya phat " (phat to the

front and back of the palm).

 

The mantras of shadanga-nyasa on the body are used for Kara-nyasa, in

which they are assigned to the thumbs, the " threatening " or index

fingers, the middle fingers, the fourth, little fingers, and the

front and back of the palm.

 

These actions on the body, fingers, and palms also stimulate the

nerve centres and nerves therein.

 

In pitha-nyasa the pitha are established in place of the matrika. The

pitha, in their ordinary sense, are Kama-rupa and the other places, a

list of which is given in the Yogini-hridaya.

For the attainment of that state in which the sadhaka feels that the

bhava (nature, disposition) of the Devata has come upon him nyasa is

a great auxiliary. It is, as it were, the wearing of jewels on

different parts of the body. The vija of the Devata are the jewels

which the sudkaka places on the different parts of his body. By nyasa

he places his Abhishta-devata in such parts, and by vyapaka-nyasa he

spreads Its presence throughout himself. He becomes permeated by it

losing himself in the divine Self.

 

Nyasa is also of use in effecting the proper distribution of the

shaktis of the human frame in their proper positions so as to avoid

the production of discord and distraction in worship. Nyasa as well

as Asana are necessary for the production of the desired state of

mind and of chitta-shuddhi (its purification). " Das denken ist der

mass der Dinge. " Transformation of thought is Transformation of

being. This is the essential principle and rational basis of all this

and similar Tantrik sadhana.

 

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Note: The last fourth paragraph mentions thus:

 

" The mantras of shadanga-nyasa on the body are used for Kara-nyasa,

in which they are assigned to the thumbs, the " threatening " or index

fingers, the middle fingers, the fourth, little fingers, and the

front and back of the palm. "