Eight Adhyaya, Sixth Khanda (6 mantras)

Mantra 8.6.1.

1. There are five vessels of the heart, in which dwell the five forms of the Lord in His subtle aspect:—In the vessel called Piṅgalā, dwells Saṅkarṣaṇa having Brown colour, in Nandini, dwells Vāsudeva having White colour; in the Iḍa [Īḍā/Iḍā?], dewlls Aniruddha having Blue colour; in the Vajrikā, dwells Pradyumna having Yellow colour; in the Suṣumnā, dwells Nārāyaṇa having Red colour. Thus one should meditate on the Lord.

There is also the sun, in these vessels; and in that sun in the heart, one should also meditate on these five forms Brown, White, Bule, Yellow, and Red—550.

Mantra 8.6.2.

2. As a highway stretches to both villages from where it starts to where it ends, similarly these rays of the sun go to both worlds, to this one and to the other. They start from the various forms of the Lord in the Sun and enter into the various forms of the Lord in these vessels of the heart; again these rays start from these various forms of the Lord dwelling in the vessels of the heart and enter into the various forms of the Lord dwelling in the sun.—551.

Note.—The Lord in the sun has five forms, as previously described in the Madhuvidyā. The Lord, in the Heart has also the same five forms as described here. There is constant communication between these. The rays from the Solar Logos enter into the heart, and the rays from the Cardiac Logos enter into the sun. Thus there is a constant interchange between these two Logoi the Solar and Cardiac.

Mantra 8.6.3.

3. This being so, when this Jīva sleeps, being at perfect rest and all senses withdrawn (experiencing the joy of his essential nature), and sees no dream, then he enters (into the Lord dwelling in) these vessels and there no evil one can touch him, because he is protected by the Light of the Lord.—552.

Mantra 8.6.4.

4. Now when this knower of Brahman becomes weak on account of illness, he is surrounded by his kinsmen, who say “do you recognise me, do you recognise me. As long as he does not go out of the body, he knows them.—553.

Mantra 8.6.5.

5. Now when he departs from the body, he soars upwards by those very solar rays in the vessels of the heart. He through the grace of the vehicle of Om, attains the condition of Divine consciousness. When Vāyu throws off the mind, he carries the soul upwards to the Lord, in the Sun which is the door to the world of Brahman. He is attained by the wise, but is shut off from the non-knowing.—554.

Mantra 8.6.6.

6. About this is the following verse:—One hundred and one are the arteries of the heart; out of them one penetrates the crown of the head. By that vessel going upwards, it reaches the Immortal; the others lead to different worlds, if the soul passes out through them: Yea to different worlds.—555.

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

In this Khaṇḍa, the live tubes or force vehicles of the heart, are described. It is not the physical description of the arteries of the heart, but of the five forms of Viṣṇu existing in the heart, in His most subtle aspect.

This Viṣṇu, called Paryaṅka Brahman, dwells in five forms, in the vessels of the heart. These are the five atomic aspects of Viṣṇu dwelling in the five Nāḍis or vessels. In the central vessel called Suṣumnā, is the form of the Lord having red colour, and called Nārāyaṇa. In the vessel called Nāḍini, is the form called Vāsudeva, and it has white colour, and is situated in the front part of this vessel. In the vessel called Piṅgalā is the form called Saṅkarṣaṇa, and it has brown colour. In the vessel called Vajrikā is the form called Pradyumna, and it has yellow-colour. In the vessel called Īḍa [Īḍā?] is the form called Aniruddha and it has blue colour.

In the Sun also are these five forms of the Lord. The sun is called Āditya and the Lord in the sun is also called so, because He is the Ādi or beginning, and because He pervades (tata) with His rays the wḥole Solar Orb. Thus all the solar rays are pervaded by the Divine Rays. In the Lord dwelling in the heart, in His five forms, in the various vessels of the heart, are Solar Rays also. These Solar Rays are interwoven with the rays of the Naḍis. The Jīva is in the midst of these rays and within the Jīva is the Lord Viṣṇu, regulating the Jīva through all these rays. When the Jīva is overpowered by the vibrations of the light rays (tejas) proceeding form Viṣṇu He is said to be in deep sleep.

Vāyu is the vehicle of Om, therefore He is called Omvāṭ (Om-vāḥ) or the carrier of Om. Through this Om Vāṭ or Vāyu, the Jīva obtains release, and proceeds upwards by the pleasant path called Vāma. The word Vāma means the condition of the Divine consciousness (Divya Cidrūpa Bhāva), when Vāyu desiring to raise up the souls of the pious, throws away the Manas (separates the soul from Manas); then the Jīva goes to Viṣṇu called Āditya, through this method of meditation Thus it is in the Paryaṅka Upāsanā.

Note:—At the time of death, the person who has been meditating on the Lord within the heart, in the method described above, quits the body through the help of Vāyu the Great Meditator, the Saviour. This Vāyu takes the soul up, and makes him attain the condition of Vāma or Divine consciousness. The souls of the wise only attain this consciousness, when they throw off their mental body. In other cases, the throwing off of the mental body is a prelude to unconsciousness. The majority of souls, who do not know the mystery of Vāyu, remain in this state of unconsciousness, when their Manas or mental vehicle drops down. The state of Vāmatva is only for those who know the secret of Om and of Vāyu, the vehicle of Om. A man must become the worshipper of Vāyu in order to get the grace of the Lord, whose beloved son is Vāyu, the meditator.