Book Review: The Yoga of
Light: Hatha Yoga Pradipika: The Classic Esoteric Handbook of Kundalini Yoga –
by Hans-Ulrich Rieker, translated by Elsy Becherer (Dawn Horse Press, 1971)
This is the Hatha
Yoga Pradipika, by Yoga Swami Svatmarama with commentary by Rieker, who studied
intensively for many years with yogis in India. It was translated from Sanskrit
to German and here from German to English. The translator sees the Hatha Yoga
Pradipika as a “rare and fruitful combination of the two paths: hatha and raja
{yogas}.” Rieker says that his translation and commentary here were not written
from a desk but from the straw mats of India.
In the
introduction Rieker notes that success in yoga can occur but requires devoted
self-discipline. He notes the importance of the guru but also says that not
every guru is a teacher and yet not every teacher is a guru. He notes that his
kundalini guru (presumably Dr. Rammurti S. Mishra) was also quite learned in
the shastras (commentaries).
The author notes
that the text often reminds that the goal of yoga is to become a siddha, one who
has developed powers or accomplishments of a magical or spiritual nature.
However, striving for such powers can impede. In the opening stanzas Swami
Svatmarama invokes Siva and Parvati, praises the goal of accomplishing raja, or
‘royal’ yoga, then invokes the gurus and siddhas of the lineage, beginning with
Goraksha and Matsyendra. I should note that both of these yogis are part of
both Hindu and Buddhist yogic lineages – they appear as founders of the Nath
Yoga tradition and are also among the eighty-four Indian mahasiddhas of the
Tantric Buddhist tradition. The Swami states that some yogis conquered time and
roam still.
(10) [Therefore] hatha yoga is a refuge for
all those who are scorched by the three fires. To those who practice yoga,
hatha yoga is like the tortoise that supports the world.
The three fires
refer to the three sufferings that are difficult to avoid: self-created
suffering, suffering caused by higher powers, and suffering caused by other
beings. Rieker states that sufferings are unfulfilled desires.
The Swami states
that hatha yoga should be practiced in secret in a solitary place, preferably a
windowless cave laid daily with cow dung! This is of course a cultural notion,
but the idea is simply a quiet place free of distractions. Too much food,
fasting, labor, company, vow observances, and talking are discouraged. Thus,
moderation is encouraged. A cheerful disposition, perseverance, courage,
self-knowledge, avoidance of bad company, and faith in the guru’s instructions
are said to be the keys to success. Also, there is a passage that relates to
the yamas and niyamas from Patanjali: avoiding the causing of harm to the
living, avoiding stealing and lying, and to practice moderation – and to
practice austerities, cheerfulness, faith, charity, contemplation, modesty,
recitation of mantras, observing rules, and reading sacred works.
Before moving on
to the next chapter on Asanas, Rieker
gives some introductory information about the internal subtle body system of
chakras and about the related notions of Ayurveda. Interestingly, he notes that
the Tantric Buddhists posit that the yogi must ‘create’ the chakras. Many
people seem to view the chakras and subtle body system of winds, channels, and
drops sort of literally and fuss over details as if the ideas were
scientifically precise. The way I see it, these ideas are props that point us
toward drawing our senses inward (pratyahara)
and working extensively with these aids or supports allow us to “yoke” our mind
to them and reify an imagined perception of them – neurologically, an imagined
perception produces similar effects to a “real” perception. The three doshas of Ayurveda, what he calls “the
three dominant forces of man,” are explained since the links between yoga and
Ayurveda are close. The three doshas are Vata,
Pitta, and Kapha. Vata is wind or movement and is associated with the five
pranas and their movement throughout the subtle body. Pitta has been translated
as “gall” but is often related to temperament. It is the fire of digestion and
of asceticism. Kapha has been translated as “life-fluid” or “phlegm” and refers
to the liquids of the body and their roles. Kapha is also associated with soma
as the divine nectar. The three forces will be in balance for optimum health.
As said in the most famous Ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita:
“No pain without
vata (the stream of life), no inflammation without pitta (the fire of life),
and no swellings without kapha (the fluid of life).”
The asanas, or
postures, of hatha yoga are said in the text to give the yogi strength, good
health, and make the limbs supple. The first few given (with illustrations) are
variations of sitting posture – some fairly easy, others difficult. The half
lotus posture is called virasana, or
hero’s posture. The tortoise posture, kurmasana,
is given, where one sits cross-legged pressing the anus with one heel. Here
Rieker digresses to note the tortoise symbolism in hatha yoga and Indian
mythology – noting the story of Vishnu appearing as a tortoise to dive into the
ocean and raise the mountain so the gods and demons (devas and asuras) can
successfully churn the ocean milk with the serpent Apesh to produce the nectar.
He suggests that this also has yogic symbolism related to raising kundalini. He
also notes the line noted previously that “hatha
yoga is like the tortoise that supports the world,” which confirms the
connection. Thus, it makes the transformation of ocean milk to nectar possible
or as Rieker suggests:
“Upon this “axis
of the [human] universe” we exert pressure in kurmasana, so that the combined
forces of the divine (subconscious) and the earthly (conscious) can accomplish
their task.”
Other asanas are
given – and most of these are not seen in any modern hatha yoga classes, at
least in these forms. They are most often modified to make them easier or in
many cases merely possible. A spinal twist posture called matsyendrasana is often modified in several ways to make it
do-able. The effect is of churning (think again of the Indian myth of churning
the milk ocean) and is sometimes referred to as chalasana (which refers to churning). From the text:
“(27) This matsyendrasana increases the
appetite by fanning the gastric fire [pitta], and destroys physical ailments.
Kundalini is awakened and the moon is made steady.”
This is said to
direct the kundalini or at least the upward-moving prana upward. Rieker notes
that variations in asanas and their names have come about from medieval times
to now. For example, postures in the much later Gheranda Samhita have changed from those of the Hatha Yoga
Pradipika. The kundalini is said to be wound into three and a half coils at the
base of the spine just like the snake in the story of the churning of the ocean
milk. The “moon” is said to refer to the upper point of the spinal column at
the medulla oblongata and is said to be massaged by the matsyendra posture.
The posture called
paccimasana is simply a seated forward
fold while grasping feet, ideally with head laid between the knees. This is
commonly practiced in modern hatha yoga classes and is often said to stimulate
the immune system. In HYP it is said to cause “the breath [prana] to flow through the shushumna [central channel.]”
The first product
of the ocean milk churning was sheer poison, called halahala. Shiva was said to swallow this poison which turned his
throat blue. (Oddly enough there is apparently an Irish myth that is quite
similar which suggests that the origin of this story may be of great antiquity
since the Celtic and Aryan lines of Indo-European separated possibly several
hundred to a few thousand years before the Vedas were thought to be composed). The
mayurasana posture of standing on
hands close to torso while in a horizontal position is said to neutralize the
halahala poison. This is a difficult posture that requires arm/wrist strength
and core strength. Rieker and the Swami see the churning of the ocean milk as
an allegory for yogic attainment. According to Rieker:
“In the course of
yoga training there occurs a transformation of consciousness from the “milk of
devotional thinking” through the “poison of imperfect development” to the
“nectar of enlightenment.”
Next the very well
known posture savasana, or corpse
pose, is given. It is simply lying on the back in a resting relaxation mode.
However, simple as it is it is also said to be necessary.
The Swami notes
that Siva taught 84 asanas. Next, he describes what are said to be the four
most important ones. Siddhasana is
simply sitting cross-legged with one heel pressing the perineum, the chin to
the chest, and eyes focused upward. These positions stimulate the muladhara, swadhisthana, vishuddhi,
and ajna chakras. There is another
form of siddhasana given where both heels are up without one under. Siddhasana
is said to be the most important of the asanas and is said to purify the 72,000
nadis. Nadis are channels throughout
the subtle body. The most important nadis, of course, are the three that rise up
along the spinal column: ida (left), pingala (right), and shushumna in the center.
The text states
that the yogi who meditates on the atman
eats moderately and practices siddhasana for twelve years attains siddhis. The
atman refers to the soul or self, which the Upanishads first elucidated but
which the Buddhists say doesn’t really exist.
Padmasana, or lotus posture is next given. This is like so-called full
lotus posture with the arms crossed behind the back and grabbing the opposite
feet and with head bowed to chest. Many of us would consider it, like several
of the other postures, impossible. Perhaps medieval Indians had more anatomical
flexibility or early training in such matters or perhaps approximating the position
has a similar effect. Another padmasana is also given which is the basic full
lotus posture with eyes focused on nose and tongue at back of upper teeth. The
chin is pressed to the chest and the anus is contracted and this is done to
slowly raise the air or downward-moving prana (apana vayu). It is said to destroy all diseases. Padmasana is said
to straighten the spinal column and thus the shushumna and to draw the “bow of
the nadis” as Rieker’s guru stated it. The apana is one of the five pranas. It
flows in the lower regions below the diaphragm while prana only moves above the
diaphragm. Thus the idea is to tie the two together so that the prana can enter
the shushumna at the base of the spine. Apana is raised by frequent contraction
of the anus while contracting the throat to force prana down.
Next is simhasana, sitting on the bent legs on
the feet with the feet crossed underneath, again impossible for most. Hands are
on knees. This is said to “facilitate the
three bandhas.” The bandhas refer to
the binds or locks that control the pranas. Another is the simpler position of bhadrasana or gorakshasana, sitting on the feet with hands on thighs/knees. Goraksha
was the Buddhist Mahasiddha without legs or arms so that is perhaps a reference
to him. This pose is said to control unwanted desires.
The text then
mentions concentration on the inner sound (nada), moderation, (with the
celibacy of the brahmacharyin leading
to fast results) and renouncing the fruits of one’s actions (a theme noted in
the Bhagavad Gita). Moderation in diet means “pleasant, sweet food, leaving free one fourth of the stomach.” Sour,
pungent, and hot foods are not recommended. Wheat/bread, rice, milk, fats,
honey, cucumbers, ginger, water, and rock candy are recommended. In Ayurveda
the prescribed foods for yogis are sattvic (light, revealing) referring to the
theory of the three gunas (sattva
[light, revealing, pure]; tamas
[dark, concealing, heavy/inertial, impure]; and rajas [dynamic, passionate]) that are said to be the modes of
material nature.
After perfecting
the asanas comes pranayama:
“(2) When the breath “wanders” [ie., is
irregular] the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed, the mind
too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn
to control the breath.”
The practice of
pranayama (controlling the breath) is said to purify the nadis (channels). The
yogi is urged to practice “with the mind
in a sattvic state.”
Next is given a
version of alternate nostril breathing, or nadi
shodhana with kumbhaka, or
retention of the breath. There are many versions of this about these days from
many traditions. I personally have learned it in many different yoga classes,
in Tibetan Buddhism, in Tibetan Bon, in Hindu ashrams and centers, and even in occultism
– all more or less the same but also with significant variations, mostly surficial.
Rieker notes that asanas aim at the spinal column while pranayama in centered
in kumbhaka. The prescription in HYP is to practice kumbhaka four times a day. He
mentions a commentary that gives the three phases of kumbhaka as holding the
breath for 30, 60, and 90 seconds. The text says that the results of the three
phases are perspiration, bodily trembling, and prana reaching the center of the
head via the central channel (shushumna). Rieker also notes curiously that the
yogi when doing asanas should not overly concentrate on the body and bodily
position. He then talks about guyhasanas,
special asanas given to a student after initiation and describes the process
known as kriyavati, whereby the
yogi’s body is cold except for the top of the head which is hot (presumably
with raised prana) and impossible asanas are able to be performed through the
consciousness of the yogi as well as magical feats akin to siddhis.
Milk and ghee are
recommended early in a yogi’s practice. Signs of purified nadis are a perceived
lightness and brightness of the body. Breath retention improves, the gastric
fire is activated, and the inner sound (nada) can be heard. Good health is
experienced. Kumbhaka is the key to pranayama and to keeping the breath alive
with prana, says Rieker. He notes the stories of yogis living on one breath a
day, stories echoed also in the Tibetan tradition. The idea is to keep the
breath imbued with prana. Those prone to kapha disorders are prescribed the six
techniques of shatkarma. These are
also done in Ayurveda. The six techniques are dhauti, vasti, neti, trataka, nauli, and kapalabhati. Dhauti is
swallowing a clothing and retrieving it back out from the throat and esophagus.
Vasti involves inserting a bamboo pipe into the anus and flushing with water –
basically an enema. Neti involves pulling a thread or piece of cloth through
the nostrils and out the throat through the sinus cavities. One might also use
a neti pot although that is not prescribed in HYP. Trataka is gazing without
blinking on a small object such as a candle flame. The text says oddly that
trataka should be kept secret. Tantric mahasiddhas also practices “ritual
gazes” extensively, including willing things to move via a kind of
‘psychokinesis.” Nauli, said in the text to be the most important of the hatha
yoga practices, is described thus:
“33-34 With the head bent forward slowly
rotate the innards [intestines and stomach], like a whirlpool in a river,
toward the right and the left.”
Nauli is said to
remove sluggishness, stimulate the digestive fire, renmove disease, and produce
an agreeable feeling. It is also said to train the muscles for dhauti and
vasti. It is prescribed for the obese. Often it is given in the form of drawing
in the abdomen while leaning forward with hands on knees, then moving it
circular. Drawing in and up the abdomen in such a way combined with closing the
anal sphincter is also taught in Tibetan meditation as a way to help balance
the five pranas.
Kapalabhati, or
shining skull breath, refers to quickly inhaling and exhaling like the bellows
of a blacksmith, typically through the nose. It is a feature of modern yoga sometimes
called ‘fire breath.’
Shatkarma is
considered a nadi purification for the lower stages of hatha yoga while
pranayama is considered more sattvic and for the higher stages.
The next practice
given is closing the anal sphincter while drawing up apana (downward-moving
prana) toward the throat and regurgitating what is in the stomach. This is
called gajakarani and is said to
bring the nadi chakras under control. The apana cannot go to the throat but
pushes on the udana current which
causes regurgitation. Apparently, this is not much practiced today. The text
says that Brahma and the other gods practiced pranayama to remove fear of death
and thus we should too. When the nadis are purified the breath will find its
way into the central channel and this will bring steadiness of mind called unmani avastha. Kumbhakas are the key to
getting there.
Here eight forms
of kumbhaka are given along with bandhas, or locks. Jalandhara-bandha after inhalation and uddiyana-bandha after exhalation are given followed by kumbhaka.
Jalandhara-bandha involves the ‘moon’ or upper part of spinal column while
uddiyana-bandha involves the ‘sun’ or solar plexus. At the same time the throat
is contracted and the anus in contracted – this is mula-bandha. Apana is forced upward while prana is forced downward
from the throat which is said to lead to youthfulness. This bandha sequence
reminds me much of what was called among Indian and Tibetan siddhas –
“pot-belly breathing.”
The method for
alternate-nostril breathing, or nadi
shodhana, is given here in between periods of kumbhaka and also utilizing
the ujjayi breath (ocean breath – making
an ocean sound with the throat while breathing – this is taught in many modern
yoga classes). This is called suryabheda
kumbhaka.
Breathing in
through the mouth with tongue slightly protruding from the mouth while making a
hissing sound is practiced between kumbhakas. This is called sitkari and is said to make one
beautiful and strong.
Other pranayamas
and kumbhakas are given including bhastrika
kumbhaka which is another form of “bellows breath” here prescribed between
kumbhakas. Various yoga traditions teach bhastrika in somewhat different ways
as I have experienced. Bhastrika kumbhaka is said to cause kundalini to rise
and to pierce the three knots in the shushumna. This happens after the prana
enters the shushumna and the bandhas bring the solar and lunar currents face to
face so they can be knotted together. Bhastrika kumbhaka is a means of testing
the learning of previous practices.
The next kumbhaka
is rather cryptic – inhale rapidly making the sound of a male bee then exhale
making the sound of a female bee. This is called bhramari. Rieker says that only a humming sound is necessary.
Murccha kumbhaka involves slowly exhaling while doing
jalandhara-bandha and is said to produce an agreeable stupor.
Then filling the
lungs with air the yogi “floats upon the
water like a lotus leaf. This is plavini
kumbhaka.
The text states
there are three types of pranayama: inhalation, exhalation, and breath
retention (kumbhaka). Two kinds of kumbhaka are also given: sahita and kevala. The text says one should practice sahita kumbhaka until one
is able to practice kevala kumbhaka. Rieker notes that sahita refers to holding
the breath without force or exertion and kevala refers to holding the breath
when the blood is overoxygenized.
Arousing kundalini
is paramount and can be initiated by the guru and by the practice of certain
mudras. Kundalini asleep coiled at the base of the spine closes the gate to the
shushumna. Regarding mudras the text states:
“6-9 Mahamudra, mahabandha, mahavedha,
khecari, uddiyana bandha, mula bandha, and jalandhara bandha, viparitaka rani,
vajroli, and shakticalana; these are the ten mudras which conquer old age and
death. – They have been given by Siva and confer the eight siddhis.”
Mahamudra involves
pressing the anus with the left heal with right leg extended while practicing
jalandhara bandha. This can cause the kundalini to stretch out or uncoil. The
prerequisites for mahamudra are purification of the nadis and pranayama. Rieker
notes that the goal of mahamudra is to guide the newly unified prana-apana
stream into the now opened gate to the shushumna. At this point the two other
nadis “die off” and the yogi appears dead and cold like a corpse with only the
crown of the head warm. The prana-apana stream is said to carry the kundalini
up through the shushumna. Mahavedha involves sitting in full lotus then putting
the palms on the ground and lifting up and striking the ground several times
with the buttock. It is said to make the prana leave ida and pingala and enter
shushumna. Thus, it is the union of the three: sun, moon, and fire.
Next the khecari
mudra which can be done by stretching the tongue over a period of months by gradually
cutting further into the membrane which connects the tongue to the lower part
of the mouth. In such a way it is said that the tongue can be made to reach the
eyebrows. The mudra, however, has the tongue curled back into the throat for
the yogic purpose of closing “the place
where the three paths meet.” This mudra is said to free one from karma
presumably due to the suspension of time, according to Rieker. He says the
khecari mudra (the word khecari means to ‘move through the empty sky) aids an undisturbable
meditative absorption. The mudra is thought to affect some process of endocrine
secretion, possibly a glandular secretion that is equivalent to the kapha
secretion. This kapha secretion is the soma, or nectar – the same as that
hinted in the lore of the churning of the ocean of milk but here in allegorical
form. It is said that yogis who perform miraculous feats like being buried for
days or eating poisons do so by preparation with khecari mudra so that they
will be immune to the dangers. The nectar (of the moon, soma) becomes like a
fuel that protects as long as it can be produced. The nectar may cause one to
be able to teach all the Vedas and Shastras due to the power of the throat
chakra vishuddhi where cognition can
be transformed into word. The poison from the churned milk ocean is sequestered
in Siva’s throat. The throat where the nectar is secreted represents the “upper part of Mount Meru – that is the shushumna.”
Now he and the
text return to the bandhas, first summarizing:
“Mahamudra: the
joining of prana and apana.
Mahabandha: preventing
prana and apana from reverting their course
Mahavedha:
connecting the three nadis by beating the buttocks on the floor
Khecari mudra:
bending back the tongue”
Uddiyana bandha
– drawing up the intestines toward the navel so that they touch the back and diaphragm.
This causes the prana to “fly up” through the shushumna. Mula bandha – pressing
scrotum with heel with contacted anus – guides apana upward. Mula bandha
awakens the dormant kundalini. “Through
mula bandha, prana and apana as well as nada and bindu unite to give perfection
to the yogi.” Jalandhara bandha – pressing chin against breast with
contracted throat – is said to make the nadis taut and prevent downward flow of
nectar from throat. The nectar of the moon is prevented from being swallowed by
the sun where it would drop. This is said to stop the aging process. Another
practice is mentioned but not elaborated since it can only be learned from a
guru. That is the process called viparitakarani,
whereby the sun in the solar plexus and the moon in the throat change places.
It involves practicing the head stand and is said to be able to reverse aging. I
assume the reverse of position changes the relative gravity.
Rieker actually
leaves out a section of HYP, slokas 84-103. These describe vajroli mudra, sahajoli
mudra, and amaroli mudra. The text
says that if one practices the yamas and niyamas one can attain siddhis through
the vajroli mudra, even if one maintains a worldly life. I think this is unfortunate.
Vajroli mudra is practiced as cutting off the flow of urine in a specific way.
It is said that a male can control ejaculation in such a way and females can
strengthen vaginal control. I am guessing that perhaps he leaves this section
out because he and/or his guru were influenced by the anti-Tantric sentiments
among some Hindus, especially toward sexual practices, who were in turn
influenced by the morality of Victorian English sentiments. Rieker notes them
as “obscure and repugnant practices that are followed by only those yogis who
lack the will power to reach their goal otherwise.” That certainly suggests a bias.
Shakti is often
defined as the feminine energetic aspect of divinity. Kundalini is also shakti
and may be called kundalini-shakti. The text describes the raising of kundalini
– shakti calana kriya. She is
described as a young widow. Her spouse in sahasrara
(crown chakra) is Vishnu. The kundalini serpent should be aroused by grasping
it by the tail. Rieker says that prana and apana pull on the head of the
serpent. This the allegory continues where the gods (devas) pull the tail and
the demons (asuras) pull on the head of the great serpent to churn the milk ocean.
Rieker also notes that: “Hatha yoga is composed of jyoti (light) and mantra (sound).” Light and sound are the means to
manipulate kundalini through the tail. The kanda
where lies the coiled and sleeping kundalini is said to be four inches above
the anus. The asanas, pranayama, and mudras purify the nadis and straighten the
shushumna so that the kundalini can flow unimpeded.
According to
the text, the guru, Siva, is said to be in the form of nada, bindu, and kala.
Nada is the lower range of vibration – sound and kala is the higher range of vibration
– light. Rieker calls bindu the principle of intelligence. He also calls bindu –
sense. Bindu is also “drop, period, zero, seed, the void.” Rieker speaks of
three levels of reception of vibrations. The text speaks now of samadhi (meditative absorption) and
gives synonyms: “Raja yoga, samadhi, unmani,
manomani, immortality, dissolution, emptiness-but-not-emptiness, the highest
state, passivity of the intellect, non-dualism, beginninglessness, purity, liberation
in this lifetime, the primordial state, and turiya (the Fourth State),…”
It is also the
union of mind with atman/Brahman and the union of jivatman and paramatman
(individual self and divine self). It is also the union of mind and prana/breath.
“(8-9) He who recognizes the true meaning
of raja yoga can by the grace of the guru achieve realization, liberation,
inner steadfastness, and the siddhis. Without the grace of the guru and without
indifference to worldly things recognition of Truth, [attainment of] samadhi,
is impossible.”
The grace of
the guru as a requirement and spur to liberation is well attested in Tantra and
among the Mahasiddhas.
The text notes
that after kundalini is successfully raised then “emptiness [sunya] absorbs prana.” This leads to samadhi and the destruction
of karma. Rieker calls samadhi the karma-free state. What he doesn’t say is
that samadhi is often considered to be a temporary state with several different
forms, at least in other systems such as Buddhism. Samadhi may have different
meanings in this regard. Buddhists might say that karma is not created during samadhi
but resumes when one comes out of the meditative absorption, unless the state
is the irreversible state of enlightenment, which might be considered a
sustained samadhi.
“(17) Sun and moon cause day and night. The
shushumna [however] swallows time. This is a secret.”
There the sun
refers to pingala nadi and the right nostril and the moon refers to ida nadi
and the left nostril. Equilibrium between both nostrils and all inner functions
is required. The text also notes that mind and prana depend on one another and
often change together, where one goes so goes the other.
“(29-30) Dissolution [laya] depends on nada
{sound}. Laya produces prana. Prana is the lord of the mind [mano]; mind is the
lord of the senses [indriyas]. When mind is absorbed in itself it is called moksha
[liberation]. Call it this or that; when mind and prana are absorbed in each
other the immeasurable joy of samadhi ensues.”
Laya yoga, the
yoga of dissolution, is called passive yoga by Rieker. Dissolution is into the
Absolute, into Brahman, and there is no breath (prana) or mind and no longer
any subjective experience. The text says that laya is the state of forgetting, forgetting
subjectivity in the form of sense objects and impressions (samskaras) on consciousness that become the seeds of karma.
The next topic
is shambhavi mudra. Riekers says that:
“Dissolution is samadhi; re-creation is shambhavi mudra, work with the sound
symbol (mantra) and the image symbol (yantra), the source of inner light.” It
involves focusing the eyes outwardly on an external object and the mind inwardly
on a chakra. When mind and prana are absorbed by the object(s?) it becomes shambhavi
mudra. The word shambhavi refers to Siva as Shambu. Shambhavi mudra and khecari
mudra are one in that they both “bring
about the state of bliss in the concentrated consciousness of the mind absorbed
in atman.” Realization of Truth via shambhavi mudra (as learned from one’s
guru) manifests in the form of an inner light. This inner light is said to be
the source of all and the highest realization. The lingham, or phallus (of God or Siva), is a symbol of the inner
light. Rieker points out that shambhavi mudra is an inner process while khecari
mudra is a technical process - blocking the shushumna at the throat with the
curled back tongue to stoke the fire. Khecari mudra is the prerequisite for
shambhavi mudra. The text also says that through meditation the shakti and mind
become one. At this stage the yogi is said to become like an empty pot at the
bottom of the sea – simultaneously both empty and full.
The last topic
is nada (sound) as described by Gorakshanath. The Swami says that while there
are numerous paths to laya, that he thinks nada is the best. The text gives
four stages of yoga practice: introduction, transition, attainment, and
perfection. In each stage prana pierces one or more of the three knots (granthis) except in the second stage
where it also enters the heart chakra – so first the brahma granthi at the
heart chakra is pierced which has associated tinkling sounds, then entered into
when nada and prana are unified. Then the vishnu granthi at the throat is pierced
which is accompanied by a complex sound like that of a big drum, followed by
the piercing of the granthi at the agna chakra at the forehead. This initiates
the fourth stage which is accompanied by the sound of the flute and the vina
(guitar). The Swami states that: “I believe that concentration on the space
between the eyebrows is the best way to reach samadhi in a short time. For
those of small intellect this is the easiest means to attain to raja yoga.”
This statement is likely the basis for some of the modern nada yoga cults. The
nada is said to progress from ocean-like and drum-like sounds to sounds like
flutes and harps experienced from the center of the body. The text speaks of
the dissolution of the sensory world into the nada laya so that concentration
on the non-conceptual inner sound (nada) after such is developed, effectively replaces
any concentration on sense objects and conceptuality. The inner light (kala) and
the inner sound (nada) are revealed as indistinguishable. In the Vedas and Upanishads
it is said that sound came to be when space (akasha) came to be. “In soundlessness
atman and Brahman are one. Whatever is manifested as sound is a power of nature
[shakti]. The state of dissolution [laya] of conceptual thought is beyond all form.
It is divine [paramesvara]”
The perfected
yogi can only be described in contradictory terms: his mind is neither awake
nor asleep, he is free from remembering or forgetting, not dead yet not living,
seemingly asleep yet awake, etc. He is transcendent yet seemingly immanent.
The Hatha Yoga
Pradapika is certainly an enigmatic text. This translation and commentary is fair
but informative and with some bias – certainly more has been learned in the 46
years since this one was published. The actual yogic path described in HYP is
quite difficult, sometimes seemingly impossible, and often unclear. Embarking
on such a path without a guru in a well-defined lineage is likely untenable.
However, the principles of the text do give insight and support to a detailed
and intricate philosophy of yoga and tantra practiced by both Hindus and Buddhists
and possibly Jains. and more recently by a small percentage of Sikhs and modern
Western yoga practitioners, at least those who follow Yogi Bhajan’s tradition which
is often the main form of “kundalini yoga” presented in the west as such.