post on sixth adhyaya-2.

                           

                                                          

         

         

 In the first post on sixth adhyaya, we saw that an accomplished yogi has been praised by the Lord in ovi 482 saying that such yogi should be recognized as God of Gods, and that he is my life spirit, sole happiness and everything else for me. 

अगा योगी जो म्हणिजे । तो देवांचा देव जाणिजे । 

आणि सुखसर्वस्व माझें । चैतन्य तो ॥ ४८२ ॥

As per shloka 46 of this adhyaya, such yogi is rated by the Lord to be superior to a tapaswi (i.e. an aspirant practicing penance), or a dnyani i.e. dnyana yogi or a karmi i.e. karma yogi.

    तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः ।

    कर्मिभ्यश्चाधिको योगी तस्मात् योगी भवार्जुन ॥ ४६ ॥

          While the expressions dnyani and karmi in the shloka can be understood in the context of sankhya yoga and karma yoga explained in second and third adhyaya respectively, a question arises as to who is a tapaswi? Apparently, he can not be the aspirant practicing Kundalini yoga described in this adhyaya, because this shloka comes much after description of Kundalini yoga.

          This takes me back to the question posed in the post dated 17^th April 2012, as to which is the yoga professed by Lord Krishna in the fourth adhyaya? Bhagwad Geeta and for that purpose Dnyaneshwari also, do not contain direct answer to this issue. In this shloka, Lord directs Arjuna to become superior yogi than dnyana yogi or karma yogi or a penancing tapaswi. However, here again it is not clear, which is the yoga in the mind of Lord.

          In the days of Mahabharata, various methods of penance and austerities propounded by the Vedas would have been in vogue. In the post on second adhyaya, I had recorded a view that after churning all the Vedic literature and after examining different types of then prevalent yogas such as dnyana yoga, karma yoga, dhyana yoga and Bhakti yoga etc. Lord Krishna improvised them by adding to them the element of Buddhi i.e. intellect and named that improved version as Buddhi yoga. This was a special contribution and great innovation in the field of spirituality of his time by Lord Krishna. The source and importance of Buddhi yoga can be gauged from assertion of the Lord in tenth shloka of tenth adhyaya that I myself confer Buddhi yoga on the eligible devotees, by practicing which, they reach me ultimately.

  तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकम् ।

  ददामि बुद्धियोगं तं येन मामुपयान्ति ते ॥ १०॥

          Thus, the Buddhi yoga  awarded by  Lord himself to a devotee would certainly be superior to any other type of yoga being practiced by that devotee.  

          In many of the shlokas of other adhyayas, the Lord has again and again underlined importance of Buddhi yoga. I have a feeling that Buddhi (intellect) being ateendriya (beyond senses) and firmer in comparison with mind, the yoga i.e. union with Supreme Self to be achieved through it would be superior than the union to be achieved by practicing other yogas, whose achievements depend on the physical  or psychological levels.

          Subject to correction of my opinion and thoughts, may I request the readers to consider possibility of the Lord having advised Arjuna in this shloka for adoption of Buddhi yoga that the Lord himself would confer on him?  

          Any way, let us come out of this discussion on for some time and see a wonderful observation of Dnyanadeva in the following ovi describing the type of aspirants, who would take interest in practice of spiritual science promoted by Bhagwad Geeta and Dnyaneshwari:

 जिहीं आत्मबोधाचिया आवडी । केली स्वर्गसंसाराचि कुरोंडी । ते वांचुनी एथींची गोडी । नेणती आणिक ॥ २८ ॥

          This ovi implies that except those who have sacrificed their worldly and heavenly pleasures for enjoying the eternal bliss of Atman, no one else would indeed appreciate the flavour and importance of this subject.    

          I now propose to introduce commencing part of main subject of this adhyaya that is the Kundalini yoga.  Following ovis written by Mauli narrate the wish of Arjuna to become Brahman and the Lord’s response to it.

मग ऐका जें पांडवें। म्हणितले ब्रह्म म्यां होआवें। तें अशेषही देवें। अवधारिलें ॥ १४७ ॥

तेथ ऐसेंचि एक विचारिलें । जे या ब्रह्मत्वाचे डोहळे जाहले। परि उदरा वैराग्य आहे आलें। बुध्दीचिया ॥ १४८ ॥

म्हणे जें जें हा अधिष्ठील। तें आरंभींच यया फळेल । म्हणौनि सांगितला न वचेल । अभ्यासु वायां ॥ १५१ ॥

          Arjuna was most eligible aspirant for enjoying the eternal bliss of Atman, so when he expressed wish to unite with the Brahman, Lord Krishna heard it and thought that in the womb of Arjuna’s intellect, foetus in the form of dispassion has already grown. So, he would not take long to attain Brahman. The Lord was also sure that Arjuna will practice everything advised to him, gain its fruits and his exercise will not go waste. 

ऐसें विवरोनियां श्रीहरी । म्हणितलें तिये अवसरीं । अर्जुना हा अवधारीं। पंथराजु ॥ १५२ ॥

        

          Thinking in this manner, the Lord said, “O Arjuna, pay attention to and go ahead with yogic practice on this Royal path (Pantharaj) that I am showing to you". 

          

          Here, Lord Krishna bestowed subtle experience on Arjuna 

of transcending the Prana energy along with Kundalini Shakti and Ahankara 

through Sushumna, from Muladhar Chakra at the bottom of spinal column

 to Sahsrar Chakra, supposed to be seat of Buddhi in the crown. 

The yogis experience and believe that Sushumna existing in spinal 

column is a channel or passage of Prana energy. 

They call it Pantharaj in yogic parlance, meaning that it is a 

royal road to Self-realization. It is not possible to physically locate 

this Sushumna in the body because it is also an ateendriya 

channel to carry ateendriya forces. An individual seeker 

(sadhaka) does, however experience and realize its existence 

without any doubt.  When the energies of Prana, Kundalini and 

Ahankara travel through Sushumna up to Buddhi and unite with 

Buddhi; this congregation goes beyond and merges into Atman, 

which is proclaimed by the Vedas and Upanishads to be beyond 

Buddhi.“यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः”। Here the process of Self-realization i.e. 

आत्म-साक्षात्कार gets completed.  

          All this may sound to be technical, but it is part of actual individual experiences that a seeker undergoes while proceeding with the practice of Kundalini yoga under guidance of his Guru as  described in this adhyaya.

          Before we close today’s post, we should see in nutshell following ovis in the adhyaya that enumerate importance of Pantharaj in the advanced practice of Kundalini yoga.    

तेथ प्रवृत्तितरुच्या बुडीं । दिसती निवृत्तिफळाचिया कोडी । जिये मार्गीचा कापडी । महेशु आझुनि ॥ १५३ ॥

पैं योगवृंदे वहिलीं । आडवीं आकाशीं निघालीं । कीं तेथ अनुभवाच्या पाउलीं । धोरणु पडिला ॥ १५४ ॥

तिहीं आत्मबोधाचेनि उजुकारें । धांव घेतली एकसरें । कीं येर सकळ मार्ग निदसुरे । सांडुनियां ॥ १५५ ॥

पाठीं महर्षी येणें आले । साधकांचे सिध्द जाहाले । आत्मविद थोरावले । येणेंचि पंथें ॥ १५६ ॥

ऐसें आपुले पायवरी । चालिजे आपुले पाठीवरी । हें पार्था नागवे तरी । आन ऐकें ॥ ३९०॥         

While advising greatness of this royal path, the Lord told certain facts to Arjuna. --- Lord Shankara (mythologically believed to be initiator of this yoga), still continues to travel by the same path in his practice of yoga. --- Some initial groups of yoga seekers, who while trying different yogic ways to reach the Brahman, found this ultimate royal path and adopted it for attaining self-realization. --- Subsequently, quite a few sages became accomplished Siddhas from the stage of learning sadhakas by adopting and practicing yoga through this Pantharaj. ---- Experience of practicing this yoga through Pantharaj is something like walking on our own back with our own feet O Partha.

           I believe this much introduction of Kundalini yoga is enough for the present. The true technical part of Kundalini yoga can be studied by us in the next round of sixth adhyaya. 

          In our next post we will discuss some serious aspects of dnyana (knowledge) and playful character of Maya (illusion) as described by Dnyaneshwar Mauli in the seventh adhyaya.