Verse 50

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 50:

हूंकारेणैव देवीं यमनियमसमभ्यासशिलः सुशीलो
  ज्ञात्व श्रीणाथवक्त्रात्-क्रममिति च महामोक्षवर्त्मप्रकाशं ।
ब्रह्मद्वारस्य मध्ये विरचवति स तां शुद्धबुद्धिस्वभावो
  भित्वा तल्लिङ्गरूपं पवनदहनयोराक्रमेणैव गुप्तं ॥ ५० ॥

hūṃkāreṇaiva devīṃ yamaniyamasamabhyāsaśilaḥ suśīlo
  jñātva śrīṇāthavaktrāt-kramamiti ca mahāmokṣavartmaprakāśaṃ |
brahmadvārasya madhye viracavati sa tāṃ śuddhabuddhisvabhāvo
  bhitvā talliṅgarūpaṃ pavanadahanayorākrameṇaiva guptaṃ || 50 ||

He whose nature is purified by the practice of Yama, Niyama, and the like,^[1] learns from the mouth of his Guru the process which opens the way to the discovery of the great Liberation. He whose whole being is immersed in the Brahman then rouses the Devī by Hūṃ-kāra, pierces the centre of the Liṅga, the mouth of which, is closed, and is therefore invisible, and by means of the Air and Fire (within him) places Her within the Brahmadvāra.^[2]

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

Having described the Cakras ending with the Sahasrāra, he now wishes to speak of the union of Kuṇḍalinī, and preliminary to that he refers to the mode of rousing Kuṇḍalinī.^[3]

The sense conveyed by this verse is that the man who has attained success in Yoga learns from his Guru the process, which consists of contracting the heart, rousing Kuṇḍalinī by the power of the air and fire, and so forth^[4]; and having learned it from the mouth of his Guru, he rouses Kuṇḍalinī, attacking Her with air and fire, and by uttering the Kūrca

“Hūṃ” and piercing the mouth of the Svayambhu-Liṅga places Kuṇḍalinī within Brahmadvāra, or, in other words, within the mouth of the Nāḍī Citriṇī.

“He whose nature is purified” (Suṣīla [suśīla?])—i.e., the man who regularly practises Yama and so forth, and has trained himself.

“By practising Yama, Niyama” etc, (Yama-niyama-sama-bhyāsaśīla).—It must be observed that it is not merely by the practice of Yama and Niyama that perfection in the preliminary Yoga practices^[5] is attained. But the Sādhaka has by practice to destroy such inclinations as lust, anger, and the like which interfere with Yoga, and cultivate others, such as controlling the inner air, steadiness of mind, and so forth, which are helpful in Yoga practice. It is because of this that in v. 54 the Author has used the word “Yamādyaiḥ” in the plural. Practising Yama and the like is necessary, however, for those whose minds are disturbed by lust and other propensities. If, however, a man by reason of merit and good fortune acquired in a previous birth, and by his nature, is free from anger, lust, and other passions, then he is capable of real Yoga without the preliminary practices. This must be well understood.

“From the mouth of his Guru” (Śrī-nātha-vaktrāt).—The process cannot be learnt without the instructions of the Guru. Hence it has been said: “It can be learnt from the Guru alone, and not from ten million Śāstras.”

“Process” (Krama).—Steps, order.

“Which opens the way to the discovery of the great Liberation” (Mahā- mokṣa-vartma-prakāśa).—By this is meant the ‘process’ by which the entrance into the channel of the Nāḍī Citriṇī is opened out. ‘Way of Liberation’ (Mokṣa-vartma) is the way through the channel within Citriṇī. The ‘discovery’ (Prakāśa) is made of this by making one’s way through it.

“He” (Saḥ)—i.e., the man who has distinguished himself by his success in Yoga practices.

“Whose whole being is immersed in the Brahman” (Śuddha-buddhi-svabhāva^[6]).—Śuddha-buddhi means the Brahman, and he whose Svabhāva (own being) is in Him. This compound word may also mean ‘He whose being (Bhāva) by reason of the purity of his mind (Śuddha-buddhi) is immersed in the Spirit (Sva=Ātmā).”

“Rouses the Devī by Hūṃ-kāra” (Hūṃ-kāreṇaiva Devīṃ).—The Āgama-kalpadruma says: “Then having mentally recited Haṃsa, gently contract the anus.”^[7] It therefore follows that in moving Kuṇḍalinī the Haṃsa-Mantra should be uttered. The Author of the Lalitā-rahasya, following this, says that in moving Kuṇḍalinī the Mantra “Hūṃ Haṃsaḥ” should be employed. But from the fact that the part is to be contracted after the Haṃsa-Mantra is recited, the intention appears to be that the Jīvātmā, which is of the shape of the flame of a lamp, should by the recitation of the Haṃsa-Mantra be brought from the heart to the Mūlādhāra, and then moved along with Kuṇḍalinī.

The Āgama-kalpa-druma in a subsequent passage says: “Raising and again raising the Śakti with the Ātmā from the abode of Brahmā,^[8] the excellent Sādhaka should (and so forth).” This shows that She should be led away along with Atmā or Jīvātmā. The Kālī-Kulāmṛta has: Having led Jīva from the heart by the Haṃsa-Mantra to the Mūla Lotus,^[9] and having roused the Paradevatā Kuṇḍalinī by Hūṃ-kāra.” The Kaṅkāla-māliṃ [Kaṅkālamālī?] says: “O daughter of the King of Mountains, having drawn the Jīvātmā by the Praṇava, let the Sādhaka move Prāṇa and Gandha^[10] with Kuṇḍalinī by the aid of the ‘So'haṃ’ Mantra, and make the Devī enter the Svādhiṣṭāna.”

The wise should, from the above texts, understand that the Jīvātmā should be brought from the heart by the aid of either the Praṇava or Haṃsa Mantra, and then Kuṇḍalinī should be roused by the Kūrca- bīja alone.

“The mouth of which is closed” etc, (Gupta [guptaṃ]).—This word may be read either as an adjective qualifying Liṅga, and mean unmanifested by reason of its mouth being closed,^[11] or may be read as an adverb qualifying “places” and then the word would mean “imperceptibly”.

In the Āgama-kalpa-druma, Pañcama-śākhā, the mode of rousing the Kuṇḍalinī is described in detail thus: “Having seated oneself in the Padmāsana posture, the two hands should be placed in the lap. Thereafter, having mentally recited the Haṃsa Mantra, the anus should be gently contracted. One should then repeatedly raise the air by the same way,^[12] and having raised it let him pierce the Cakra. I now speak of its processes. In the Mūlādhāra Lotus is a very beautiful triangle. Inside it is Kāma^[13] (lustrous) like ten million young suns; above Him (Kāma) and surrounding Svayambhu-Liṅga, is Kuṇḍalinī-Śakti.” Also cf. As the result of excitation by the Kāmāgni and the action of the Kūrca-mantra on Her, She is seized with desire for Para-Haṃsa.”^[14]

The Bhūta-śuddhi^[15] also says: “O Śivā, the Sādhaka should contract the chest (lit., heart), letting his breath remain there,^[16] and he should control the base of the throat and other parts of the body,^[17] and then suddenly opening the door by means of a key-like motion (Kuñcikā)^[18] and (the fire of desire) should be kindled, O Parameśvarī, by means of the air (Pavana).” “Then the Serpent,^[19] who is sleeping on the Liṅga in the Mūlādhāra and who is stung by the heat of the fire, should be awakened in the Liṅga at the mouth of the Yoni and by the heat (of her desire) be led forcibly upwards.”^[20] “Move the air into the Nādī according to the rules of Kuṃbhaka (retention of breath) and the method shown by the Guru. Let the Jīva thus controlled be led by the concealed passage, and by the upward breath make all the Lotuses turn their heads upwards. Having fully awakened Her, let the wise one lead Her to Bhānu (the Sun) at the summit of the Meru the Sahasrāra).”

Now pay attention to the procedure established by a careful consideration of the above text^[21]: The Yogī should sit in the proper posture and place his two hands with palms upwards in his lap and, steady his mind (Citta) by the Khecharī Mudrā. He should next fill the interior of his body with air and hold it in by Kuṃbhaka,^[22] and contract the heart.^[23] By so doing the escape of the upward breath is stopped. Then, when he feels that the air within him from the belly to the throat is tending downward through the channels in the Nādīs, he should contract the anus and stop the downward air (Apāna); then, again having raised the air, let him give the Kāma^[24] within the triangle in the pericarp of the Mūlādhāra Lotus a turn from the left to the right (Vāmāvartena); by so doing the fire of Kāma there is kindled, and Kuṇḍalinī gets heated (excited) thereby. He should then pierce the mouth of the Svayaṃbhu-Liṅga, and through its aperture with the aid of the “Hūṃ” Bīja, lead Her who desires union^[25] with Parama-Śiva, within the mouth of the Citriṇī-Nāḍī. This is the clear sense of texts.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See Introduction.

[2]:

That is, within Citriṇī-Nāḍī.

[3]:

In the Yoga-process known as Ṣaṭcakrabheda, generally described in the Introduction, but which practically must be learned of the Guru.

[4]:

The Commentator Śaṃkara, citing Gorakṣa Saṃhitā, says that air makes the fire go upwards, and the fire awakens Kuṇḍalinī and She also goes upwards.

[5]:

Aṅga-yoga. See Introduction, and Viśvanātha citing Gautamīya- Tantra (See post, p. 123.)

[6]:

Śaṃkara reads prabhāva, and renders the passage as “He whose power is due to the purity of the Buddhi”.

[7]:

Śanair ākuñcayed gudaṃ—that is, by Aśvinī-mudrā.

[8]:

Brahmā is in Mūlādhāra.

[9]:

Mukhāṃbhuja. This may be a mis-script for Mūlaṃbuja.

[10]:

i.e., Pṛthivī.

[11]:

On the top of the Liṅga is Nāda-bindu—i.e., Candra-Biṇḍu. The mouth is the Bindu which Kuṇḍalinī pierces.

[12]:

Tena vartmanā—that by which Kuṇḍalinī is to go.

[13]:

The Kāma-vāyu, or Air of Kāma.

[14]:

Paraṃ Haṃsābhilāṣiṇī—i.e., passion is excited in Her, and She is impelled by the fire of Kāma towards the Paraṃ Haṃsa in the Sahasrāra.

[15]:

This passage is obscure, and cannot be traced in the only published edition of the Tantra, but is similar to certain passages in the Haṭhayoga- pradīpikā which deal with Bhūta-śuddhi. It seems to contain passages from various texts to illustrate the process of Bhūta-śuddhi. The Commentator has, however, more clearly described the process in his own words.

[16]:

He thus closes the passage of the upward breath.

[17]:

That is, the chest and the anus, thus closing the passage of the- upward and downward airs.

[18]:

That is, the motion of the Kāma-vāyu spoken of post.

[19]:

Nāginī; one of the names of Kuṇḍalinī.

[20]:

That is, the Trikoṇa in the Mūlādhāra which surrounds the Svayambhu-Liṅga.

[21]:

The passages in quotation marks are here cited from different books on Haṭhayoga.

[22]:

Retention of breath in Prāṇāyāma.

[23]:

Hṛdayaṃ ākuñcayet—that is, by Jālaṃdhara-Bandha, etc. See Introduction.

[24]:

Kāma-vāyu.

[25]:

Sāma-rasya, a term used on the material plane to denote sexual union.