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Yoga Kundalini Upanishad - Part 1
Yoga Kundalini Upanishad belongs to Yajurveda and deals with Kundalini Yoga
practices. Kundalini Yoga is considered as a practice of Tantric origin.
Possibly during later period of fusion of Upanishadic and Tantric systems it got
absorbed in Upanishads also. Without going into the debate of its origin it
remains a fact that awakening sleeping Kundalini marks a very important phase in
the spiritual life of a seeker. The Yoga Kundalini Upanishad describes awakening
of Kundalini in esoteric language just like many other ancient texts on the
subject. The teachings of Yoga Kundalini Upanishad are
discussed next.
Saraswatichalana
Mind stuff is a result of two ingredients namely desires and prana. The prana
can be controlled by moderate diet, Yoga postures and Shaktichalana.
A Yogi should consume sweet and nutritious food. Half of the stomach should
be filled with food, one quarter with water and the remaining quarter should be
left empty to please Shiva, the Lord of Yogis. This is moderate diet.
Place right foot on the left thigh and left thigh on the right thigh. This is
called as Padmasana and destroys all sins.
Place one heel below the Muladhara region and the other over it i.e.
Swadhisthana region. Stunk, neck and head should be in straight line. This is
called as Vajrasana.
A Yogi should take the Kundalini from Muladhara to Sahasrara. This practice
is called as Shaktichalana.
He should pass the Kundalini through Swadhisthana Chakra, Manipura Chakra,
Anahata Chakra, Vishudhi Chakra and Ajna Chakra.
Shaktichalana can be mastered with the help of two things - Saraswatichalana
and Pranayama.
Saraswatichalana refers to awakening of Saraswati Nadi which is also called
as Arundhati. Kundalini can be awakened only by rousing the Saraswati Nadi.
Normally during exhalation prana goes out 16 digits and during inhalation 12
digits. Thus 4 digits are lost during breathing. Sitting in Padmasana one
should lengthen inhalation by 4 digits. Thus inhalation and exhalation are
made equal. This awakens the sleeping Kundalini.
A Yogi should awaken the Saraswati Nadi with the help of lengthened breath
and holding both the lands near ribs and shaking the Kundalini from right to
left again and again. He should do so for 48 minutes. He should then force the
Kundalni into Sushumna. Along with Kundalini prana also finds its way in
Sushumna.
Then he should compress his neck and expand the navel region. Saraswati is
then to be shaken and prana is taken above the chest. Because of the compression
of the neck prana moves above chest.
This way Saraswati who has sound in her womb should be shaken every day.
Types of Pranayama
Prana is the vayu that circulates throughout the body. Holding the prana
inside is called as Kumbhaka. Kumbhaka is of two types viz. Sahita and Kevala.
Till Kevala Kumbhaka is not attained one should practice Sahita Kumbhaka.
There are four types of Pranayama - Suryabheda, Ujjayi, Sitali and Bhastrika.
Select a place that is pure and free of obstructions. It should be free from
cold, fire and water. Place seat to such a place which is not too high or too
low. Now sit in Padmasana and perform Saraswatichalana. Slowly inhale the breath
through the right nostril. Hold it as per capacity and then exhale through the
left nostril. This destroys all abnormalities caused by Vayu. It also destroys
worms in the intestine. This process should be done again and again. This is
called Suryabheda.
Closing the mouth inhale through both the nostrils. Hold it in the space
between the heart and neck. Then exhale through left nostril. This pranayama
removes heat caused in the head and also the phlegm. It destroys all diseases
(including dropsy), purifies the body and increases the gastric fire. It removes
all abnormalities in dhatus. This is called Ujjayi and can be practiced walking
or standing.
Inhale the breath over the tongue making hissing sound. Retain it to
capacity. Then slowly exhale through both the nostrils. This is called Sitali
Kumbhaka. It cools the body, destroys dyspepsia, diseases of spleen, bile,
fever, thirst and poison.
Sit in Padmasana with trunk and neck erect. Closing the mouth exhale through
both the nostrils. Then inhale slightly up to the neck such that the breath
fills between neck and skull. Just as the bellows of black smith move the air in
and out of the body. When you get tired inhale through the right nostril.
Perform Kumbhaka and then exhale through the left nostril. This pranayama
removes inflammation of throat, increases gastric fire. The practitioner of
Bhastrika knows Kundalini. It makes the practitioner pure, destroys sins and
removes phlegm which creates obstacle at the door of Sushumna. It pierces the
three Granthis (knots) namely Bramha Granthi, Vishnu Granthi and Rudra Granthi.
Bandhas
A Yoga aspirant should then practice the three Bandhas viz. Mula Bandha,
Uddiyana Bandha and Jalandhara Bandha.
Apana has a tendency to move downwards. This tendency is reversed by
contracting anal muscles. This is called Mula Bandha. When the raised Apana
reaches Agni it gives rise to psychic heat. This heat awakens the sleeping
Kundalini. She becomes straight making a hissing sound and enters Shushumna.
Hence, Yogis should practice Mula Bandha often.
In the state of Kumbhaka Uddiyana Bandha is to be performed. It is called so
because prana flies inside Sushumna because of this Bandha.
Sitting in Vajrasana hold toes by hand. Press Kanda and region near ankles.
As the prana reaches navel it removes impurities and diseases. Hence, this
should be practiced often.
At the end of inhalation practice Jalandhara Bandha. It is performed by
contracting neck on the chest and acts as a barrier to the flow of prana
upwards. Assuming this position a Yogi should perform Saraswatichalana and
Pranayama.
On the first day a Yogi should practice Kumbhaka four times. On the second
day it should be done ten times each. On the third day it should be done twenty
times. After this it should be practiced with the three Bandhas increasing the
number by five each day.
Obstacles to Yoga Practice
Diseases are born because of seven causes. They are - sleeping during the day
time, late vigils, excess sexual activities, moving in crowd, wrong diet,
restraining excretion of urine and faces and too much mental activity.
A Yogi suffering from any of these diseases thinks that his practice is the
cause of these diseases and discontinues the practice. This is the first
obstacle in Yoga. The other obstacles are - doubt about the practice, confusion,
laziness, over sleeping, slavery of senses and delusion, material enjoyment,
lack of faith and failure to attain truth of Yoga. A wise Yogi should avoid all
these ten obstacles.
With a concentrated mind the Pranayama should be performed daily. Then the
mind rests in Sushumna and Prana becomes stable. One becomes Yogi only
when impurities of the mind are destroyed and prana enters Sushumna.
After removing all the impurities from Sushumna a Yogi should force Apana to
move upwards by the practice of Mula Bandha. The raised up Aprana mixes with
Prana and they reach the sleeping Kundalini. Heated by fire and shaken by Prana
the Kundalini stretches its body in the Sushumna.
Piercing the three knots
The awakened Kundalini pierces Bramha Granthi which is representation of
Rajoguna. Like lightening it flashes at the door of the Sushumna.
Then Kundalini goes to Vishnu Granthi at the heart center. Then to Rudra
Granthi and finally to Ajna Chakra.
After piercing the three Granthis she goes to mandala of the moon. The
moisture produced by the moon in the Anahata Chakra is dried up.
Because of the flow of Prana the blood in the sun region becomes bile because
of heat. When it reaches the moon it becomes of the nature of phlegm.
The white moon also gets quickly heated. The awakened Kundalini moves up and
shower of nectar starts flowing heavily.
By drinking this nectar mind of the Yogi moves away from sensual enjoyments.
The Yogi is established in Self. He attains the highest state and peace.
Union of Shiva and Shakti
The awakened Kundalini then goes to Sahasrara. It gives up the eight forms of
the Prakriti namely earth, water, fire, air, eather, mind, intellect and ego.
After embracing eyes, mind, prana and others the Kundalini goes to Shiva and
dissolves herself in the Sahasrara.
The rajas-shukla bindu goes to Shiva along with vayu. Prana and Apana become
equal.
Prana flows in all things like brightness of gold. The breath also dissolves
itself.
Prana and Apana also dissolve themselves in Shiva situated in the Sahasrara.
Since they are now balanced their upward and downward movement stops.
The prana and vital airs spread in the body of the Yogi just as gold in
heated crucible.
True Knowledge
The body of such a Yogi becomes very subtle state of Bramhan. His gross body
made up of five elements is transformed in a subtle form of Paramatman.
The Truth that is released only in the state of Samadhi and is free from
impurities.
The one which is absolute consciousness, which is "I" in all beings,
the Bramhan, the subtle form of That is the Truth behind all the things.
Like the false impression of snake in a rope, the idea of release from life
and Samsara is a delusion.
Everything that appears is unreal. Everything that is absorbed is unreal.
Like the false idea of silver in the shell of a pearl, so is the idea of men and
women.
The microcosm and macrocosm are one and the same.
Samadhi
The Kundalini is like a thread in the lotus. she is magnificent. She is
biting the upper end of its body, at the root of the lotus, the Muladhara with
her mouth.
She resides in the hole of Bramhanadi of Sushumna taking her tail in the
mouth.
A Yogi having assumed Padmasana, performing Mula Bandha makes the Vayu move
upwards which his mind absorbed in Kumbhaka. Because of the Vayu the fire comes
to Swadhisthana.
Because of the Vayu and fire the Kundalini pierces open the Bramha Granthi
and then Vishnu Granthi.
She then pierces Rudra Granthi. After that, she pierces all the six Chakras.
She then dissolves with Shiva in the Sahasrara. This is the highest state. This
state alone can give supreme bliss.
-- End of Chapter 1 --
Yoga may help your mind's
eye, but nothing
helps your regular eyes better than
eye
glasses. Buy
designer glasses at one convenient location. Grab a pair of
cheap spectacles that you won't
mind bring onto the yoga mat. Whatever your
vision, we got you
covered. Shanti.