the Vedas and Sastras; dancing, singing and
ornaments; harp, flute and drum; riding on elephants and horses;
wives and children, worldly enjoyments; all these are so many
impediments. These are the obstacles which arise from bhoga
(enjoyment). Hear now the impediments which arise from ritualistic
religion.
Dharma (ritualism of Religion.)
4. The following are the obstacles which dharma interposes:--
ablutions, worship of deities, observing the sacred days of the moon,
fire sacrifice, hankering after moksha, vows and penances, fasts,
religious observances, silence, the ascetic practices, contemplation
and the object of contemplation, mantras, and alms-giving, world-wide
fame, excavating and endowing of tanks, wells, ponds, convents and
groves: sacrifices, vows of starvation, Chandrayana, and pilgrimages.
Jnana (Knowledge-obstacles).
5. Now I shall describe, O Parvati, the obstacles which arise
from knowledge. Sitting in the Gomukh posture and practicing Dhauti
(washing the intestines by Hatha Yoga). Knowledge of the distribution
of the nadis (the vessels of the human body), learning of pratyahara
(subjugation of the senses), trying to awaken the kundalini force, by
moving quickly the belly (a process of Hatha Yoga), entering into the
path of the indriyas, and knowledge of the action of the nadis;
these are the obstacles. Now listen to the mistaken notions of diet,
O Parvati.
6. That samadhi (trance) can be at once induced by drinking
certain new chemical essences and by eating certain kinds of food, is
a mistake. Now hear about the mistaken notion of the influence of
company.
7. "Keep the company of the virtuous, and avoid that of the
viscous" (is a mistaken notion). Measuring the heaviness and lightness
of the inspired expired air (is an erroneous idea).
8. Brahman is in the body or He is the maker of form, or He
has a form, or He has no form, or He is everything -- all these
consoling doctrines are obstacles. Such notions are impediments in
the shape of Jnana (knowledge).
Four Kinds of Yoga.
9. The Yoga is of four kinds:-- First Mantra-Yoga, second
Hatha-Yoga, third Laya-Yoga, fourth Raj-Yoga, which discards duality.
Sadhaks (Aspirants).
10. Know that aspirants are of four orders:-- mild, moderate,
ardent and the most ardent-- the best who can cross the ocean of the
world.
(Mild) entitled to Mantra-Yoga.
11. Men of small enterprise, oblivious, sickly and finding
faults with the teachers; avaricious, sinful gourmands, and attached
helplessly to their wives; fickle, timid, diseased, not independent,
and cruel; those whose characters are bad and who are weak __ know
all the above to be mild sadhaks. With great efforts such men succeed
in twelve years; them the teachers should know fit for Mantra-Yoga.
(Moderate) entitled to Laya-Yoga.
12. Liberal-minded, merciful, desirous of virtue, sweet in
their speech; who never go to extremes in any undertaking -- these are
the middling. These are to be initiated by the teacher in Laya-Yoga.
(Ardent) entitled to Hatha Yoga.
13. Steady minded, knowing the Laya-Yoga, independent, full
of energy, magnanimous, full of sympathy, forgiving, truthful, courageous,
full of faith, worshippers of the lotus-feet of their Gurus, engaged
always in the practice of Yoga,-- know such men to be adhimatra. They
obtain success in the practice of Yoga within six years, and ought to
be initiated in Hatha-Yoga and its branches.
(The most ardent) entitled to all Yogas.
14. Those who have the largest amount of energy, are
enterprising, engaging, heroic, who know the sastras, and are
persevering, free from the effects of blind emotions, and,
not easily confused, who are in the prime of their youth, moderate
in their diet, rulers of their senses, fearless, clean, skillful,
charitable, a help to all; competent, firm, talented, contented,
forgiving, good-natured, religious, who keep their endeavors
secret, of sweet speech, peaceful, who have faith in scriptures
and are worshippers of God and Guru, who are averse to fritter
away their time in society, and are free from any grievous malady,
who are acquainted with the duties of the adhimatra, and are
the practitioners of every kind of Yoga --undoubtedly, they obtain
success in three years; they are entitled to be initiated in all
kinds of Yoga, without any hesitation.
Invocation of the shadow (pratikopasana).
15. The invocation of Pratika (shadow) gives to the devotee the
objects seen as well as unseen; undoubtedly, by its very sight, a man
becomes pure.
16. In a clear sun-lit sky, behold with a steady gaze your own
divine reflection; whenever this is seen even for a single second in the
sky, you behold God at once in the sky.
17. He who daily sees his shadow in the sky, will get his years
increased and will never die an accidental death.
18. When the shadow is seen fully reflected in the field of the
sky, then he obtains victory; and conquering the vayu, he goes
everywhere.
How to invoke.
18b. At the time of the rising sun, or by moon, let him steadily
fix his gaze on the neck of the shadow he throws; then, after sometime,
let him look into the sky; if he sees a full grey shadow in the sky,
it is auspicious.
19. He who always practices this and knows the Paramatma,
becomes fully happy, through the grace of his shadow.
20. At the time of commencing travel, marriage, or auspicious
work, or when in trouble, it is of great use. This invocation of the
shadow destroys sins and increases virtue.
21. By practicing it always, he begins at last to see it in
his heart, and the persevering Yogi gets liberation.
Raj Yoga.
22. Let him close the ears with his thumbs, the eyes with index
fingers, the nostrils with the middle fingers, and with the reaming
four fingers let him press together the upper and lower lips. The Yogi,
by having thus firmly confined the air, sees his soul in the shape of
light.
23. When one sees, without obstruction, this light for even a
moment, becoming free from sin, he reaches the highest end.
24. The Yogi, free from sin, and practicing this continually,
forgets his physical, subtle and causal bodies, and becomes one with
that soul.
25. He who practices this in secrecy, is absorbed in the
Brahman, though he had been engaged in sinful works.
26. This should be kept secret; it at once produces conviction;
it gives nirvana to mankind. This is my most beloved Yoga. From
practicing this gradually, the Yogi begins to hear the mystic sounds
(nadas).
Anahad Sounds.
27. The first sound is like the hum of the honey-intoxicated
bee, next that of a flute, then a harp; after this, by gradual practice
of Yoga, the destroyer of the darkness of the world, he hears the sounds
of ringing bells; then sounds like roar of thunder. When one fixes his
full attention on this sound, being free from fear, he gets absorption,
O my beloved!
28. When the mind of the Yogi is exceedingly engaged in this
sound, he forgets all external things, ad is absorbed in this sound.
29. By practice of Yoga he conquers all the three qualities
(i.e., good, bad and indifferent); and being free from all states,
he is absorbed in chidakas (the ether of intelligence).
A Secret.
30. There is no posture like that of Siddhasana, no power
like that of Kumbha, no Mudra like the Khechari, and no
absorption like that of nada (the mystic sound).
31. Now I shall describe to thee, O dear, the foretaste of
salvation, knowing which even the sinful aspirant may obtain salvation.
32. Having adored the Lord God properly, and having completely
performed the best of the Yogas, and being in a calm and steady state
and posture, let the wise Yogi initiate himself into this Yoga by
pleasing his Guru.
33. Having given all his cattle and property to the Guru who
knows Yoga, and having satisfied him with great care, let the wise man
receive this initiation.
34. Having pleased the Brahmans (and priest), by giving them
all kinds of good things, let the wise man receive this auspicious Yoga
in my house (i.e., the temple of Shiva) with purity of heart.
35. Having renounced by the above methods all his previous
bodies (the results of his past karma), and being in his spiritual (or
luminous) body, let the Yogi receive this highest Yoga.
36. Sitting in the padmasana posture, renouncing the society
of men, let the Yogi press the two vijnana nadis (vessels of
consciousness, perhaps coronal arteries) with his two fingers.
37. By obtaining success in this, he becomes all happiness and
unstained; therefore, let him endeavor with all his might, in order to
ensure success.
38. He who practices this always, obtains success within a
short time; he gets also vayu-siddha in course of time.
39. The Yogi, who does it even once, verily destroys all sins;
and undoubtedly in him the vayus enter the middle channel.
40. The Yogi who practices this with perseverance is worshipped
even by the gods; he receives the psychic powers of anima, laghima
etc., and can go everywhere, throughout the three worlds, at pleasure.
41. According to the strength of one's practice in commanding
the vayu, he gets command over his body; the wise, remaining in the
spirit, enjoys the world in the present body.
42. This Yoga is a great secret, and not to be given to every
body; it might be revealed to him only, in whom all qualifications
of a Yogi are perceived.
Various kinds of Dharana.
43. Let the Yogi seat himself in the padmasana, and fix his
attention on the cavity of the throat, let him place his tongue at the
base of the palate; by this he will extinguish hunger and thirst.
44. Below the cavity of the throat, there is a beautiful nadi
(vessel) called kurma; when the Yogi fixes his attention on it, he
acquires great concentration of the thinking principle (chitta).
45. When the Yogi constantly thinks that he has got a third
eye -- the eye of Shiva -- in the middle of his forehead, he then
perceives a fire brilliant like lightening. By contemplating on this
light, all sins are destroyed, and even the most wicked person obtains
the highest end.
46. If the experienced Yogi thinks of this light day and night,
he sees the Siddhas, and can certainly converse with them.
47. He who contemplates on sunya (void or vacuum or space),
while walking or standing, dreaming or waking, becomes altogether
ethereal, and is absorbed in the chid Akasa.
48. The Yogi, desirous of success, should always obtain this
knowledge; by habitual exercise he becomes equal to me; through the
force of this knowledge, he becomes the beloved of all.
49. Having conquered all elements, and being void of all
hopes and worldly connections, when the Yogi sitting in the Padmasana,
fixes his gaze on the tip of the nose, his mind becomes dead and he
obtains the spiritual power called Khechari.
50. The great Yogi beholds light, pure as holy mountain (Kailas),
and through the force of his exercise in it, he becomes the lord and
guardian of the light.
51. Stretching himself on the ground, let him contemplate on
this light; by so doing all his weariness and fatigue are destroyed.
By contemplating on the back part of his head, he becomes the
conqueror of death. (We have described before the effect of fixing
one's attention on the space between the two eyebrows, so it need not
be enumerated here).
52. Of the four kinds of food (i.e., that which is chewed,
that which is sucked, that which is licked and that which is drunk),
which a man takes, the chyle fluid is converted into three parts. The
best part (or the finest extract of food) goes to nourish the linga
sharira or subtle body (the seat of force). The second or middle part
goes to nourish this gross body composed of seven dhatus (humors).
53. The third or the most inferior part goes out of the body in
the shape of excrement and urine. The first two essences of food are
found in the nadis, and being carried by them, they nourish the body
from head to foot.
54. When the vayu moves through all the , then, owing
to this vayu, the fluids of the body get extraordinary force and
energy.
55. The most important of these nadis are fourteen,
distributed in different parts of the body and performing various
functions. They are either weak or strong, and the prana flows
through them.
End of Part 1 of Chapter V of Siva Samhita.
| Contents | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 prt.1 | Chap.5 prt.2 |
