Chapter 88 - Review of Pāśupata yoga

The Sages said:—

1. By what yoga do the good men obtain good attributes? How do the yogins become endowed with Aṇimā and other Siddhis? O Sūta, it behoves you to recount everything in detail now.

Sūta said:—

2. Henceforth, I shall recount the yoga, extremely difficult of access. At the outset, the devotee shall remember the eternal deity after fixing him in the mind in five^[1] different forms.

3-4. O excellent brahmins, he shall fix the lotus posture accompanied by the moon, sun and fire. It shall be combined with the twentysix Śaktis. Thereafter, O brahmins, the devotee shall remember the lord, the consort of Umā, in the middle first in eight ways, then in sixteen and again in twelve ways.

5-6. He shall remember the unborn lord of eight cosmic bodies,^[2] accompanied by eight Śaktis, along with them Rudras of eight types and then of sixty-four types. Similarly all the Śaktis endowed with the eight Guṇas are to be remembered. After obtaining perfect knowledge gradually one shall adopt this procedure.

7. The yoga pertaining to Paśupati is one that bestows salvation. O brahmins, only he who practices the yoga does get the attributes, Aṇimā, etc. and not otherwise, even through crores of holy rites.

8. There the Aiśvarya of the yogins is said to comprise of eight^[3] attributes. Understand all these being narrated in the proper order.

9-10. Aṇimā (minuteness), Laghimā (lightness), Mahimā (greatness), Prāpti (the power of obtaining anything), Prākāmya [prākāmyam] (irresistible will); Īśitva (lordship) over everything, Vaśitva (ability to make others subservient) and Kāmāvasāyitā (when everything happens according to one’s desires), these are eight types. This Aiśvarya desired by everyone should be known as of three types.

11-15. The three types are Sāvadya, Niravadya and Sūkṣma. What is termed Sāvadya is of the nature of five elements. The function of the Sūkṣma (subtle) is in respect of the sense organs, mind and ego. The function is again of the nature of five elements (?). The sense-organs, mind, will, intellect and ego—the Ātman comes into contact with all these. This threefold contact functions only in the subtle things. Again the eight attributes are laid down only in the subtle forms. I shall mention their nature as described by the lord and as they are known among all living beings of the three worlds.

16. The Aṇimā, etc. are self-evident. They are well established everywhere. They are cited as difficult of access to all living beings in the three worlds.

17- 19. On attaining the first Aiśvarya, the devotee gets the power of the yogins. This will make him assume such forms that will enable him to cross or float (on water or air). The second (Laghimā) is known as the attainment of great quickness (Śīghratva) among all living beings. In all the three worlds honour among all living beings is due to one’s greatness. Therefore, the third yoga (i.e. Aiśvarya) is called Mahitva (=Mahimā) in the world. Prāpti enables one to mix at one’s will and pleasure with all living beings in the three worlds.

20. By Prākāmya the devotee enjoys all desired objects. It is through obstruction somewhere that happiness and misery are brought about in all living beings in the three worlds.

21. The knower of the yoga Īśitva (sixth Aiśvarya) becomes the overlord everywhere in every stage. In the three worlds consisting of the mobile and immobile beings all the living beings become subservient to him. This is Vaśitva the seventh Aiśvarya.

22. Where there is Kāmāvasāyitva (the eighth and highest Aiśvarya) forms occur and cease to be as the devotee wishes among all the three worlds consisting of the mobile and immobile beings.

23. When all these Siddhis or Aiśvaryas are attained, sound, touch, taste, smell, colour and the mind, all function or cease to function as the devotee wishes.

24-27. He is neither born nor dies. He is neither cut nor pierced. He is neither burned nor illusioned. He is neither attracted nor afflicted by anything. He does not waste away nor does he perish. He is never depressed and he is not at all made to change or undergoes change. He is devoid of smell, taste and colour, touch or sound. He has no colour or caste. He has no tone; everywhere he is without an equal. He enjoys the objects of pleasure, but he does not become attached to any. Thanks to his being minute, he is extremely subtle. Thanks to his being subtle, he is worthy of salvation.

28. Thanks to salvation, he is all-pervasive. Being all-pervasive, he is called Puruṣa. Duc to his subtle nature, Puruṣa is stationed in the greatest Aiśvarya (prosperity and glory).

29-30. The Aiśvaryas are said to be subtler and greater in ascending order all round. After obtaining the excellent yoga and the unimpeded Aiśvaryas, one shall attain salvation. That is the greatest subtle goal. O leading sages, the yoga pertaining to Paśupati should be known thus.

31-32. It bestows the benefits of heaven and salvation. It is the cause of identity with Śiva. Or, one who has no perfect knowledge may perform holy rites due to attachments. After enjoying Rājasa and Tāmasa pleasures he is liberated there itself (i.e. in this world). Similarly, he who performs meritorious deeds attains the benefit in heaven.

33-37. But the moment his merits are exhausted the excellent man reverts to the mortal world from that abode. Hence Brahman is the greatest happiness. Brahman is the best and permanent goal. One shall resort to the Brahman alone. Brahman alone is the greatest happiness. All yajñas are mere waste of energy and no good results from them. One becomes a prey to death by resorting to Yajñas. So liberation is the sole happiness. After seeing the divine Puruṣa of universal names with faces all round, the devotee, engaged in meditation, devoutly engrossed in the principle of the Brahman cannot be dislodged even in hundreds of manvantaras. The divine Puruṣa has universal feet, heads and necks. He is lord of the universe. He has universal forms (colours) and smell. The universe is his garland. He is the lord wearing the universal clothes.

38-41. The rays of the sun fall on the earth but do not go back to the sun and reproduce him.

One can see the lord only through yoga and not by the eye—the lord who is the ancient sage, who is subtler than the subtlest, who is the chastiser, who is greater than the greatest, who is the golden-coloured Puruṣa without sense-organs, who has no symbol, who is devoid of attributes, who is perpetual, who is sentient, who is present always and everywhere, who is the essence of all. Devotees who are purified by Him see the deity shining with His splendour and possessing massive refulgence. He has neither hands nor feet^[4] nor belly nor sides nor tongue. He is beyond the scope of the sense-organs. He is one and very subtle. Though He has no eyes, yet He sees; though He has no ears yet He hears. He has no intellect; yet there is nothing that He does not understand. He knows everything but none knows him. So they call him the great and foremost Puruṣa.

42. The yogins who are in union with the deity see the Prakṛti of all living beings as acetanā (insentient) subtle, all-pervasive and habitually giving birth to many effects.

43. She has hands and feet all round. She has eyes, heads and faces all round. She has ears all round. She stands enveloping everything in the world.

44. One who is endowed with yoga and knows the eternal Puruṣa, the lord of all living beings, never gets disillusioned.

45. One who meditates on the unchanging, great and noble Brahman which is the soul of all living beings, and which is the greatest Ātman, does not get disillusioned.

46. Just as the wind moving amongst all bodies is perceptible so also the Puruṣa. Because he lies down in the puḥ^[5] so he is called Puruṣa [puri śete]. He is too difficult to be grasped.

47-48. If one neglects Dharma, that man is born in the womb^[6] with the residue of his activities.^[7] When a man and a woman indulge in intercourse and the semen gets mixed with the blood, in due course, the sperm becomes the foetus.

49-52. In due course, the foetus becomes a bubble.^[8] Just as the lump of clay assumes some form of an image on being whirled in the wheel and shaped by the potter’s hands so also the physical body is evolved, endowed with organic matter and filled with vital airs. As long as the external air^[9] does not touch the child in the womb he thinks thus—“when I leave off the vaginal passage^[10] I shall resort to Maheśvara and worship Mahādeva. The foetus becomes a human being according to the pre-ordained form and age.

53. Wind originates from the firmament, from wind water is evolved; from water originates the vital air and the semen is generated and it flourishes through the vital airs.

54. Thirty-three parts of blood are mixed with fourteen parts of semen. When halves of these parts mix together the foetus is evolved.

55. Then the child in the womb is encircled by the five vital airs. The child’s form is evolved limb by limb from the physical body of the father.

56. Through the umbilical region the child is sustained by the food taken in by the mother, by the liquid drink and by the laxnbatives licked.

57. For nine months the child undergoes the pain and strain; his neck is encircled by the umbilical cord. His body is curled up as the space within the womb is. not sufficient.

58. After spending nine months in the womb the child falls down through the vaginal passage with his head downwards. Then in the course of his life on the earth he commits sins and due to these sins he falls into hell after death.

59. For example, he may fall into the hells of Asipatravana and Śālmalicchedana. There he may have to suffer being beaten, eaten or forced to partake of foeted blood.

60-61. Just as the water becomes sticky and binding together when things are cut and thrown in, so also the living beings are cut and thrown into the places of torture. They are scorched by means of the sins committed by themselves. They shall attain misery or happiness according to the residue of their actions.

62. One has to go alone after leaving off all people. One has to experience pleasure or pain all alone. Hence, one shall perform meritorious rites.

63. When he starts on his journey after death, none follows him as he goes ahead. The action performed by him follows him.

64. They function thus in the realms of Yama. When the treatment is against their liking they always groan loudly. Their bodies are dessicated by diversified tortures and surrounded by torments and agonies.

65. The practice of what one repeatedly resorts to mentally, physically and verbally influences him. Hence, one shall perform auspicious things always.

66. The uninterrupted series of previous actions of the embodied soul has no beginning: The individual soul adopts six types of terrible worldly existence full of tamaoguṇa.

67-71. From human form it adopts the form of cow (domestic animal); from that of a cow, the domestic animal, he may become a wild animal; from that of a wild animal he may attain birthhood; from that the form of a reptile and from that he may attain the form of an immobile being. When he attains the form of an immobile being it whirls like the wheel of the potter there itself till the soul is uplifted. Thus is the worldly existence beginning from human being and ending with the immobile being. It should be known as Tāmasa. The soul revolves there itself. The existence of Brahmā, etc. is Sāttvika worldly existence. The existence of embodied beings beginning with Brahmā and ending with Piśāca should be known as existing in the heavenly abodes. The existence of Brahmā is purely of the nature of Sattva, that of the immobile being is of the nature of Tāmasa alone.

72-75. In the middle of the fourteen abodes, Rajas is that which impedes or fixes firmly even as the vital parts of the body of the embodied being who is in agony, are being cut and pierced. How can the brahmin then remember the greatest Brahman? The worldly existence is prompted by the impression and effects of the previous Dharma and accordingly human birth is achieved. Hence one shall practise meditation always. One shall realise that the zone of the worlds is of fourteen types and so shall be frightened of it and begin to practise Dharma. Then, he changes and gradually crosses worldly existence.

76. Hence, one shall always be engaged in yoga and interested in meditation. He shall meditate on the greatest being. He shall so begin the practice of yoga that he sees the Ātman within himself.

77-78. He is the waters. He is the greatest light. He is the excellent bridge. He is the cause of all living beings by means of evolution and combination. He is the permanent one. Hence, one shall worship Maheśvara the bridge, the Atman, the fire with faces all round, and stationed in the heart of all living beings.

79-84. The devotee shall meditate on Rudra, the lord who is stationed within who is embellished by his own Śakti who, for the sake of creation, is stationed in a series of eight^[11] different forms and who is stationed in the heart by compressing the fire. With the mind contemplating the fire stationed in the heart he shall perform five offerings. He shall drink pure water silently once (in the ritualistic way) in the squatting position. He shall utter “Prāṇāya Svāhā”. This is the first offering. The second offering is for Apāna, the third for Vyāna, the fourth for Udāna and the fifth for Samāna. After offering these severally with the utterance of Svāhā, the devotee shall partake of the remaining offering as he pleases. He shall drink water once again and perform the rite of Ācamana. After that he shall touch the heart.

85. He shall perform the rite of satiety with this mantra:—“you are the knot of the vital airs.^[12] Rudra is Ātman. Ātman is the destroyer of the subjects. Rudra, indeed, is the vital air of the Atman.”

86-87. At the time of Śrāddha he shall perform five offerings as per injunction:—(1) Indeed, Rudra is embedded in. Prāṇa (2) Hence, he himself is identical with Prāṇa, (3) One performs the excellent nectar unto Prāṇa and Rudra, (4) O Śiva, O Īśa, enter me, (5) Svāhā unto Brahmātman himself.

88-90. The Homa shall be concluded with the following mantras:—You are Puruṣa. You lie down in the body, in the size of the thumb. Īśa is the great cause of all though based on the thumb.^[13] May the permanent lord of all the Universe be pleased. You are the eldest of all Devas. You are Rudra. Formerly you were Indra. You are soft by nature. May this sacrificial offering unto you be our food.

Thus, everything has been mentioned with special emphasis on the attainment of good attributes.

91-93- The practice of yoga has been formerly mentioned by Brahmā himself. Thus, the perfect knowledge belonging to Paśupati should be known with effort. One shall take bath with Bhasman. One shall smear Bhasman. He who reads this, listens to this or narrates this to excellent brahmins in divine rites or in those of the Pitṛs attains the greatest goal.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

pañcadhā—in five forms i.e. Sadyojāta and others,

[2]:

aṣṭaśakti—eight powers personified and named. Cf.—[vāmā jyeṣṭhā tathā raudrī kālī vikariṇī tathā | balapūrvā vikariṇī balapramathinī tathā || manonmanī tathā cāṣṭhī]—Śivarahasya—cited in Śivatoṣiṇī.

[3]:

See p. 134 note 241.

[4]:

This verse is found in most of the Upaniṣads.

[5]:

puri śete iti puruṣaḥ. puri=liṅga-śarīre, in the subtle body. Puruṣa is so called because he is stationed in the subtle body.

[6]:

brahma-garbha—brāhmaṇa-yonau [?=brāhmaṇayoni?] Śivatoṣiṇī. He is born in the brāhmaṇa caste. Cf. śucīnāṃ śrīmatām gehe yogabhraṣṭo'bhijāyate.—Bhagavad gītā.

[7]:

avaśiṣṭaiḥ karmabhiḥ.—[kevalaṃ cāśubhaṃ narakāya bhavediha | śubhaṃ svargāya jāyeta ubhābhyāṃ mānuṣaṃ smṛtam ||]—Śiva-Purāṇa.—cited in Śivatoṣiṇī.

[8]:

vaiṣṇava [vaiṣṇavam]—the external air which the babe breathes when he comet out of the womb.

[9]:

vaiṣṇava [vaiṣṇavam]—the external air which the babe breathes when he comet out of the womb.

[10]:

Cf. [evaṃ smaran purā prāptā nānājālīśca yātanāḥ | mokṣopāyamabhidhyāyan vartate'bhyāsatatparaḥ]

[11]:

The lord is stationed in the heart in the eight-fold way, viz., earth, etc., or in eight forms, viz., Bhava, etc., or in eight mūrtis—Vāmadeva etc.

[12]:

“prāṇānāṃ granthir asi” Taittirīya Āraṇyaka. 10.31.1; Mahan. U. 16.2.

[13]:

aṅguṣṭhmātro'yam. Taittirīya Āraṇyaka. 10.38. 1; Mahan. U. 16. 3.