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Kuṇḍalinī Rising and Liberation in the Yogavāsiṣṭha: The Story of Cūḍālā and Śikhidhvaja PDF

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religions Article Kundalin¯ı Rising and Liberation in the Yogava¯sistha: . . .. ´ The Story of Cu¯da¯la¯ and Sikhidhvaja . AnaLauraFunesMaderey PoliticalScience,PhilosophyandGeographyDepartment,EasternConnecticutStateUniversity,WebbHall348, 83WindhamStreet,Willimantic,CT06226,USA;[email protected]@gmail.com Received:4September2017;Accepted:10November2017;Published:14November2017 Abstract: VariousS´aivaTantricelementshavebeenidentifiedintheYogava¯sis..tha,butlittlehasbeen writtenabouttheroleofkun.d.alin¯ırisinginrelationtothistext’snotionoflivingliberation(j¯ıvanmukti). ThestoryofCu¯d.a¯la¯ andS´ikhidhvajaisrelevanttoexamineinTantricstudiesnotonlybecauseit includesoneofthefewdescriptionswithinSanskritliteratureofakun.d.alin¯ıexperienceasexplicitly pertainingtoawoman,butalsobecauseitofferskeyelementsofcomparisonbetweenexperiences ofenlightenment: oneincludingkun.d.alin¯ırising(Cu¯d.a¯la¯)andanotheronewithoutit(S´ikhidhvaja). ThispapercomparesCu¯d.a¯la¯’sexperienceofenlightenmentwiththatofS´ikhidhvaja’sinorderto understandwhatrolekun.d.alin¯ırisingplaysinthepursuitforliberation. Keywords: Cu¯d.a¯la¯ andS´ikhidhvaja;ha.thayoga;kun.d.alin¯ı;liberation;Tantra;yoga;Yogava¯sis..tha 1. Living/Bodiless/EmbodiedLiberation TheYogava¯sis..tha(YV)initslongerversioniscalledtheMaha¯ra¯ma¯yan.a,1 whichwasknownfor expoundingtheideaofthejivanmukta,orabeingwhoattainsemancipationwhilestillliving. Thistext narratesthesageVasis.t.ha’sphilosophicaladviceandinstructionstobecomeenlightenedtotheyoung and dejected prince Ra¯ma through a series of interconnected stories (a¯khya¯na). By the time that Vidya¯ran.ya(14thcentury)quotestheYVasthemainsourcefortheideaoflivingliberation,Advaita Veda¯nticovertonesareemphasizedinitsreading(Dasgupta1952,pp. 251–52;Slaje1998,p. 116). Both theYVandAdvaitaVeda¯ntaphilosophiessuchasthoseofGaud.apa¯da,S´an˙kara,andMan.d.anamis´ra understand living liberation as a state free from sorrow and delusion, only attainable through knowledge(jña¯na)oftheselfastheonlyreality. Bothagreethatthestateofultimatefreedomfrom bondage is not gained by almsgiving, performing austerities, strenuous yoga practices, or rituals, although some of these may assist in attaining knowledge. When it comes to details on how knowledgebringsaboutlivingliberation,theYVbuildsupontheessentialelementsofdetachment 1 IwillnotbeaddressingtheolderversionknownasMoks.opa¯ya(MU)ortheshorterversioncalledLaghuyogava¯sis.tha(LYV). ThesectionconcerningthepassagesIwillbeusingforthispaper(BookVIcalledNirva¯n.a-prakaran.a)hasnotbeencritically editedyet.(SeeSlaje2005).Thisessayoffersafirstapproachtothetopicofkun.d.alin¯ıintheYogava¯sis..tha(YV)andconsists mainlyonahermeneuticalandphilosophicalanalysisoftherelevantpassagesintherecentandmostprevailingrecension oftheYV—whichisamodifiedversionthatpresupposestheMUandtheLYVandisavailableinthethirdeditionofthe text,firstpublishedbyV.L.SharmaPansikarin1918. (SeePansikar2008). FordetailsontherelationbetweentheMU, theLYV,andtheYVsee(Hanneder2006).AphilologicalcomparisonbetweentheMUandtheYVwouldbedesirablein ordertodetectanyrelevantchangesfromtheearlierShaivastrataofthistextandthatofthelaterredactionwhichseems tohavereceivedastronginfluencefromAdvaitaVeda¯nta.PeterThomimentionsthatthereareabout30instanceswhere readingsoftheCu¯d.a¯la¯episodedifferbetweenversions.(SeeThomi1980;1983,p.109).Thisproject,however,isbeyondthe purposeofthisessay. Religions2017,8,248;doi:10.3390/rel8110248 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Religions2017,8,248 2of16 and discrimination to include the practices of becoming aware of one’s breath (pra¯n.acinta¯)2, inner calmness(antah.s´¯ıtalata¯)3,anddestructionofthemind(manona¯s´a)4. AndrewFort(2015,p. 248)callsthismodeloflivingliberation“YogicAdvaita”5andpointsout thatanimportantdistinctionismadeherebetweenlivingliberation(j¯ıvanmukti)andbodilessliberation (videhamukti). SuchadistinctionisaccountedforintheorthodoxIndianphilosophicaltraditionby appealingtotheideathat,afterenlightenment,thebodycontinuesitsexistenceduetotheresidual imprintoftheactivityofpastactions. Oncethosetracesofpastactionsareexhausted,final,bodiless liberationisattained. Theonlyreasonlivingliberationispossibleseemstobethatthephysicalbody cannotvanishatthesametimethattheminddoes. Sincefinalliberationcanonlyreallyhappenafter death,livingliberationseemstobetakenasaninevitablestepintheprocesstowardsfinalrelease ratherthanasanessentialcomponentofit. Thetensionbetweenliberationwithinthebodyandbodilessliberationisclearlyillustratedin thestoryofQueenCu¯d.a¯la¯ andKingS´ikhidhvajaintheYV.Thenarrativeofthisstorydevelopsalong 34chapters(YV VIa.77–110)inthefirst(pu¯rva¯rdha)sectionofBookVIcalledNirva¯n.aprakaran.aand offersadetaileddescriptionoftheprocessbywhicheachmemberofthisroyalcoupleattainsliberation. Mosttreatmentsonthetopicofembodiedliberationfocussolelyonthecharacteristicsoftheliberated beingwhilestillalive(seeFort1991). Yet,ifthefocusisshiftedtotheprocessbywhichapersonattains thestateoflivingliberation,ascanbedonebyanalyzingthestoryofCu¯d.a¯la¯ andS´ikhidhvaja,we seethatwhilea¯tmajña¯naorknowledgeoftheselfmayconstitutetheessentialelementinthepathby whichonebecomesenlightenedinthislife,itisnotnecessarilythemeansbywhichonecanremain freelyembodied. ThestoryofCu¯d.a¯la¯ andS´ikhidhvajaofferskeyelementsofcomparisonbetweenexperiencesof enlightenment: oneincludingkun.d.alin¯ırising—thatofthefemale,Cu¯d.a¯la¯—andanotheronewithout kun.d.alin¯ırising—thatofthemale,S´ikhidhvaja.However,itwillbeshownthatS´ikhidhvaja’sexperience ofenlightenmentonlyseemstolackkun.d.alin¯ıarising. Hisprocessofattainingembodiedliberation ismadepossiblebyCu¯d.a¯la¯’sintervention,which,Iargue,playstheroleofS´ikhidhvaja’skun.d.alin¯ı herself. ItisrelevanttoreviewthisstoryandtoexamineitinTantricstudiesbecauseitincludesone ofthefewdescriptionsintheSanskritliteratureofakun.d.alin¯ıexperienceasexplicitlypertainingto awoman. SomebhaktielementshavebeenidentifiedintheliberatingprocessundergonebyCu¯d.a¯la¯ andS´ikhidhvajabasedontheirrelationshipasfriends,lovers,andpartnersinamarriage. Isuggest, however,thattheliberatingprocessnarratedhereshould,firstofall,bereadthroughaS´aivaTantric lens.6 ThereisnotonlyastrongS´aktacomponentinthestory,asrepresentedbytheroleofCu¯d.a¯la¯ in S´ikhidhvaja’sliberation,butalsoanimportantcriticismtotheideathatjña¯nayogaaloneteachesus howtolivefreelyinthisworld;raisingthekun.d.alin¯ıisalsorequired. Thispaperanalyzeswhatthe “raising”ofthekun.d.alin¯ıconsistsofandtherolethatkun.d.alin¯ıplaysintheexperienceofliberationas presentedintheYV. 2 See Bhus´und.a’s story (bhus´und.opa¯khya¯na) in YV VI.24.8: a¯tmacinta¯vasya¯na¯m madhya¯dekatma¯ maya¯ sarvaduhkhaks.ayakar¯ı sarvasaubha¯gyavardhan¯ıka¯ran.amj¯ıvitasyehapra¯n.acinta¯sama¯s´rita¯. 3 See Inquiry into Meditation (dhya¯n˙avica¯ra), YV V.56.7: imam gun.asama¯ha¯ramana¯tmatvena pas´yatah. antahs´¯ıtalata¯ ya¯sau sama¯dhiritikathyate. 4 SeethestoryoftheDeer-likeMind(manoharan.ikopa¯khya¯nam),YVVIb.45.63:ja¯gratsvapnasus.upta¯na¯msvabha¯vamivaturyagah. va¯sanaivamanah. svavica¯ren.anas´yati. 5 SlajedisagreeswithFortsubsumingtheYVto“YogicAdvaita”onthegroundsthattheYVdoesnotadvocaterenouncement (sam.nya¯sa)asAdvaitaVeda¯ntaphilosophersusuallydoandthatthenotionofsama¯dhiintheYVisverydifferentfromthe wayitisdefinedintheAs.t.a¯n˙gayogaofPatañjali(SeeSlaje2000,pp.179–80).AlthoughitistruethattheYVdismissescertain yogicpracticessuchasbreathingtechniquesandothereffortfulandpainfulmethodstoattainknowledgeandliberation, itisnotlesstruethattheYVoffersitsownuniqueyogicwayofguidingtheseekertowardsthestateofenlightenment.Itis underabroadernotionof“yoga”thatitisacceptabletotalkabouta“YogicAdvaita”intheYV(SeeChapple2011). 6 Bhattacharyya(1951)hasshownsomespecificS´aivaelementspresentintheYVandtheimportanceofreadingitsstories withsuchabackgroundinmind.Hanneder(1988)demonstratesthataS´aivabackgroundisneededtounderstandapassage aboutthestoryofthecrowBhus´un.d.aintheYVNirva¯n.aprakaran.a. Religions2017,8,248 3of16 2. IntroductiontotheStory S´ikhidhvaja,averyhandsomeandvirtuousprince,assumedtheruleofthekingdomattheage of16yearsoldwhenhisfatherdied(YVVIa.77). Despitehisyoungage,hewasabletogovernwith courage, compassion, and fairness. One day, while walking through the beautiful gardens of the palace, he imagined what it would be like to someday share them with a beloved one. Soon after that,hisministersintroducedS´ikhidhvajatoaperfectmatchforhim: awomannamedCu¯d.a¯la¯. From the moment thatCu¯d.a¯la¯ and S´ikhidhvaja met, they connected deeply. Cu¯d.a¯la¯ was well-versedin the arts of dancing and playing musical instruments. They enjoyed each other’s company while wandering through the forests, playing in the gardens, and learning arts and sciences. Their love for each other grew so much that their “hearts were only meant to be for one another” (VIa.77.45 anyonya-hr.daya-sthatva¯diva). Cu¯d.a¯la¯ andS´ikhidhvajaweredelightedwitheachother’scompanyformanyyearsuntiltheir bodiesbegantoslowwithage. Realizingtheevanescenceoflife,theywentinsearchofwhatcould givethemhappinessinallstagesofexistence.Theystartedlearningthephilosophyofknowingtheself (a¯tmajña¯na)andpracticingmeditationwithmanysagesuntiltheybecamedetachedfromtheirbodies. Detachment (vaira¯gya) is one of the two essential elements on the path of knowledge (jña¯na). The story tells us that both Cu¯d.a¯la¯ and S´ikhidhvaja attained it at the same time. However, it was Cu¯d.a¯la¯ whofirstexperiencedtheawakening(prabodha)tothetrueselfwithin(78.52). Herexperience ofenlightenmentisdescribedasastateofcontentmentandequanimity. Restinginastateofperfect blisswithoutpassionoraffliction,thequeenbecamesoradiant,youthful,andgracefulthattheking inquiredaboutthecauseofheralmostsupernaturalbeauty(79.1–11). Sheattemptedtoexplainto S´ikhidhvajathenatureofthischangebydescribingthestateofmindthathadledherthere,buthe ridiculedher. Itwasimpossibleforhimtounderstandwhatshemeantwhentalkingaboutherinsight andmeditations,havingnotexperiencedthesamefeelingsofcontentmentandequanimityhimself. Thequeenthuscontinuedwiththepracticeofsilentcontemplationontheselfasshealsomaintained herusualdailyactivitiesandresponsibilities(80.12). Althoughshewasalwayscontentandfreefrom desire,playfully,Cu¯d.a¯la¯ foundherselfwishingtofly.7 Howisitpossibletoentertainawishinone’sawakenedmindwhenoneofthemaincharacteristics of this state is to be free from desire? Traditionally, this is explained by the theory of residual karma(pra¯rabdha),whichholdsthattheeffectsofapastactionmustnecessarilybearfruit. Soeven whileitistruethatthequeenhadattainedknowledgeoftheself,theTa¯tparyapraka¯s´acommentary interpretsthearousalofherdesiretoflyasbeingduetothe“strengthoftheresidualkarma”acting uponher.8 Vidya¯ran.ya,inhisAdvaitaVeda¯nticinterpretationofthetext,considerstheliberatedin life(j¯ıvanmukta)tonotbeaffectedbytheseemingappearanceofpassionsandattachmentsforthe simplereasonthat,oncefirmlyestablishedinthetruth,thej¯ıvanmuktaknowsthemasmereillusory appearances(a¯bha¯sa).9 AlthoughAdvaitaVeda¯nticreadingsofferanon-dualistinterpretationofliving liberation,theyareunabletograspthenatureofCu¯d.a¯la¯’sembodiedexperience,whichwouldseem tobemoreappropriatelyunderstoodfromtheperspectiveoftheTrikasystemofKashmirS´aivism, asBhattacharyya(1951)oncesuggested. ItiswithinthisTantricphilosophythatonecanunderstand thatbeingliberatedwithinlife,andthereforehavingtranscendedone’sowndesires,doesnotimply thatonelacksvolition.Themaindifferencebetweenhavingadesire(ka¯ma)andhavingavolition(iccha¯) 7 YVVIa.80.13:ekada¯nityatr.pta¯ya¯niriccha¯ya¯apisvayam|cu¯d.a¯la¯ya¯babhu¯veccha¯l¯ılaya¯khagama¯game. 8 SeeTa¯tparyapraka¯s´acommentaryto80.13:khegama¯gamodevavatsamca¯rastadvis.ayeiccha¯babhu¯vata¯dr.s´apra¯rabdhas´es.abala¯ditibha¯vah.. 9 See(Dasgupta1952,p.252). Religions2017,8,248 4of16 isthatdesireappearsconditionedbyanoutcome10,whereasvolitionisself-determined(sva¯tantrya)or “playfully”willed,imitatingS´iva’swill(iccha¯s´akti)tocreateortodissolvetheworld. Inordertoacquirethepowertofly(khagama¯gama-siddhi),Cu¯d.a¯la¯ retreatedfromhermundane activitiesintoasecludedplaceanddevotedherselfaloneforalongtimetothepracticeofremaining stillandbringingtheflowofthebreathupwardstoapointinbetweentheeyebrows.11 AsifallowingCu¯d.a¯la¯tobebyherselfwhileshedidheryogicpractice,thenarrationisinterrupted byadialoguebetweenVasis.t.haandRa¯ma(80.16). Ra¯maasksaboutthepossibilityofproducinga bodilymovementupwardwhileatthesametimeimmobilizingthevibratingforces(spanda)thatcause theupwardactionofthelimbs. ThreechaptersarethendedicatedtorespondingtoRa¯ma’squestion. NotonlydoesVasis.t.hasharetechniquesforhowtofly,butalsoadetaileddescriptionofthekun.d.alin¯ı, includingwhereitislocatedandhowitrises;howitrelatestothevitalbreath,tohealth,tolongevity andtoothersupernaturalyogicpowerssuchasbecomingsmall,big,light,orheavy;andhowitoffers thepowertoenterintootherbodies. 3. DescribingKun.d.alin¯ı The technique of how to fly described by Vasis.t.ha in the YV is very different from the ones describedintheha.thayogamanuals.12 TheYVrejectspracticesinvolvingherbs,knives,gems,drugs, andmantras(80.27–29). Instead,thepracticethatCu¯d.a¯la¯ wasengagedwithinvolvedthe“practiceof restrainingthebreath-flow”(pra¯n.a¯yama-ghana-abhya¯sa),aswellasrenouncingthetendenciestowards anger,greed,attachment,aversion,andothernegativeemotions(80.33). ItiswhilerelatingtoRa¯ma thepracticeofholdingorrestrainingthebreaththatVasis.t.haoffersadetailedandvividdescriptionof kun.d.alin¯ı(80.37–48).13 pariman.d.alita¯ka¯ra¯ marmastha¯nam. sama¯s´rita¯ | a¯ntraves..tanika¯ na¯mana¯d.¯ına¯d.¯ıs´ata¯s´rita¯ ||36|| Thereisacircularlyshaped(pariman.d.alita¯ka¯ra¯)tubularvein(na¯d.¯ı)called‘intestinetwining’ (a¯ntraves..tanika¯na¯ma)thatrests(sama¯s´rita¯)inasecretvitalplace(marmastha¯nam. )[withinthe body]14amidsthundredsoftubularveins(na¯d.¯ıs´ata¯s´rita¯).15 10 SomepopulartranslationsoftheshortversionoftheYV(Laghuyogava¯sis..tha)addtothestorytheideathatCu¯d.a¯la¯wanted tolearnhowtoflysothatherhusbandcouldseethatshehadachievedself-knowledge. SeeAiyer(1896,p. 276)and Gherwal(1930).Thissenseis,however,absentintheoriginalSanskritversionofthePansikareditionusedhere.Athorough philologicaldiscussiononthispointwouldrequireacomparisonofthissectionwiththeMoks.opa¯ya,whichisunfortunately notyetpublished. 11 YV80.15ekaivaika¯ntanirata¯sva¯sana¯vasthata¯n.gika¯|u¯rdhvagapra¯n.apavanacira¯bhya¯samcaka¯raha|| 12 Thetechniquebywhichonedevelopsthepowerof“dwellinginthesky”wascalledkechar¯ımudra¯intheBhairava¯gama. Althoughnotalwaysassociatedwiththeabilitytofly(Mallinson2008,pp.183–84,n.113),kechar¯ımudra¯isstillassociated withflyingbyfolkyogictraditionsandyogapractitionersinIndia(Mallinson2008,p. 32,n. 153),perhapsbecauseits practicecancreateasenseofbodilylightness. Kechar¯ımudra¯ wasincorporatedintotheschoolsofha.thayogaduetoits associationwithmethodsofconqueringdeaththatinvolvedthedrinkingofabodilyfluidcalledamr.ta,consideredtobe capableoffreeingusfromoldageanddisease.Ha.thayogamanualsdescribethepracticeasinvolvingthelengtheningof thetongue(sometimesbycarefullycuttingthefrenum)tofreeitsothatitcanbeinsertedabovethepalateandblockthe passagethroughwhichtheelixirofimmortalityisbelievedtoflowdowntothedigestivefire,whereitgetsburntand wasted(Ha.thaprad¯ıpika¯3.32–42in(DigambarajiandKokaje1998)).ThestoryofCu¯d.a¯la¯andS´ikhidhvajaintheYVplaysboth withtheliteralandmetaphoricalsenseofflyingthroughthesky,foritisthroughtheliteralpowerofflyingthatCu¯d.a¯la¯is abletotransmittoS´ikhidhvajatheknowledgeofhowtodwellwithinthemetaphorical“sky”ofliberatedconsciousness. 13 Thetranslationofallthefollowingversesisoriginal.IwanttothanktheSanskritreadinggroupatLoyolaMarymount University,LosAngeleswherewereadanddiscussedthissectionduringthespringsemesterof2016.Iamgratefultothe editorsofthisjournal,whoinsistedonmyrefiningthefirstversionofthetranslation.Aspecialacknowledgmentisdueto JesseKnutsonforcorrectingtheprevioustranslationandguidingmetowardsabetterunderstandingoftheSanskritin thesepassages. 14 Accordingtoha.thayogatexts,thatsecretplaceisinthemu¯la¯dha¯ra,the“root-base,”usuallylocatedatthebottomofthespine betweentheanusandtheperineum.Thena¯d.¯ımentionedheremustbethecentralchannelofthesubtlebodyanatomy,known assus.umna¯.Seethecommentary:mu¯la¯dha¯resa¯rdhatrivalayaves..tana¯ntah.suptakun.d.alin¯ıs´aktigarbha¯msus.umna¯na¯d.¯ıvarn.ayati|| 15 Tubes,veinsspreadingthroughoutthewholebody.Thereare72,000veinsthatbranchoutofamainoneaccordingtothe yogicmapofsubtleanatomy.Seecommentary:sarvadehaprasr.tadva¯saptatisahasras´a¯khapradha¯nana¯d.¯ıs´ata¯s´rita¯m|| Religions2017,8,248 5of16 v¯ın.a¯gra¯vartasadr.s´¯ısalila¯vartasannibha¯ | lipya¯rdhom. ka¯ra¯samstha¯na¯ kun.d.ala¯vartasamsthita¯ ||37|| It is curled like the uppermost part of the Indian lute (v¯ın.a¯gra¯vartasadr.s´¯ı); it swirls like the eddy of a whirlpool (salila¯vartasannibha¯); it is shaped like half of the written form of the syllable “om” (lipya¯rdhom. ka¯ra¯samstha¯na¯); it is arranged like the coil of an earring (kun.d.ala¯vartasamsthita¯). deva¯suramanus.yes.umr.ganakrakhaga¯dis.u| k¯ı.ta¯dis.vabjaja¯ntes.usarves.upra¯n.is.u¯dita¯ ||38|| It is present in all living beings (sarves.u pra¯n.is.u¯dita¯): in gods, demons, and humans (deva¯suramanus.yes.u);interrestrial,aquatic,andaerialanimals(mr.ganakrakhaga¯dis.u);inbeings borninthewatersuchasinsects,worms,etc. (k¯ı.ta¯dis.vabjaja¯ntes.u). s´¯ıta¯rtasuptabhog¯ındrabhogavadbaddhaman.d.ala¯ | sita¯ kalpa¯gnivigaladinduvadbaddhakun.d.al¯ı||39|| It is coiled in tight circles (baddhaman.d.ala¯) like the sleeping cosmic serpent Ananta when suffering from cold (s´¯ıta¯rtasuptabhog¯ındrabhogavad). It is bright (sita¯) and tightly coiled (baddhakun.d.al¯ı) like the moon falling down into the cosmic fire [of dissolution] (kalpa¯gnivigaladinduvad).16 u¯rorbhru¯madhyarandhra¯n.ispr.s´ant¯ıvr.ttacañcala¯ | ana¯ratamcasaspanda¯ pavama¯nenatis..thati||40|| It is fluctuating in its movement (vr.ttacañcala¯) as it touches (spr.s´ant¯ı) the inner cavities (randhra¯n.i) from the anus to the middle of the eyebrows (u¯rorbhru¯madhya) and remains (tis..thati)pulsatingcontinuously(ana¯ratamcasaspanda¯)alongwiththeflowofthebreath (pavama¯nena).17 tasya¯stvabhyantaretasminkadal¯ıkos´akomale| ya¯ para¯ s´aktih. sphurativ¯ın.a¯vegalasadgatih. ||41|| Initsinterior(tasya¯stvabhyantare),whichistenderlikeaplantainsheath(tasminkadal¯ıkos´akomale), thatwhichisthesupremecreativepower(ya¯ para¯ s´aktih.)vibrates(sphurati)lightning-fast likethestringsofawell-playedIndianlute(v¯ın.a¯vegalasadgatih.). sa¯ cokta¯ kun.d.al¯ına¯mna¯ kun.d.ala¯ka¯rava¯hin¯ı| pra¯n.ina¯mparama¯ s´a¯ktih. sarvas´aktijavaprada¯ ||42|| 16 The image alluded here is that of the serpent Ananta or S´es.a, who remains lying down, coiled up in the original waters of creation after each cycle of cosmic destruction caused by fire at the end of a cosmic era (kalpa). It is said that Ananta uncoils into straight white lines at the time of creation. See commentary: s´¯ıtena¯rtah. s´¯ıta¯rtiniva¯ran.a¯ya dr.d.habaddhaman.d.alaitiya¯vat|tatha¯vidhasyasuptasyabhog¯ındrasyabhogah. ka¯yastadvadbaddhamman.d.alamyaya¯|sita¯s´ubhra¯ |kalpa¯gnina¯ vigalata¯ antarvalaya¯ka¯rarekha¯sphu¯.titenenduna¯ |Anotherwaytotranslatekalpa¯gniisas“digestivefire”. See commentary:tulyambaddha¯kun.d.al¯ıvalaya¯kr.tiryaya¯|athava¯kalpatejaran.asamarthobhavat¯ıtikalpo’agnirja¯.tha¯ra¯gnistenavigalanyo mu¯rdhniyogas´a¯straprasiddhas´candrah. saevavil¯ıyamu¯la¯dha¯reprasr.toghan¯ıbhu¯yatatrabaddhakun.d.ala¯kr.tistadvatsthitetyutpreks.a¯ ||.Themoon-dropreferstoanesotericsubstancebelievedtobestoredinthecenteroftheheadcalledamr.taor“nectarof immortality,”whichisseenasconstantlyflowingdownfromtherootofthepalateintothedigestivefire,whereitgetsburnt and“cooked,”latertobetransformedandwastedinthesemen(Goraks.as´ataka3.29inMallinson2012,Hat.haprad¯ıpika¯ 3.100inDigambarajiandKokaje1998). Theha.thayogatraditionconsidersthatbykeepingthesubstancewithoutfalling intothatfireandwithoutbeingejectedthroughthepenis,itwouldpreventtheagingprocessandguaranteelonglife (Ha.thaprad¯ıpika¯3.42,3.87–90,4.28). 17 Theflowofbreathreferstothefivepra¯n.asorbodilywindsthatareconsideredtoflowthroughoutthebodilyorgans.See commentary:pavama¯nenapra¯n.a¯dina¯saspanda¯|| Religions2017,8,248 6of16 Andsheiscalled(sa¯ cokta¯)Kun.d.alin¯ı(kun.d.al¯ına¯mna¯),sincesheflowsinaspiralingshape (kun.d.ala¯ka¯rava¯hin¯ı). She is the supreme power of living beings (pra¯n.ina¯m parama¯ s´a¯ktih.), providingtheenergyforalltheircapacities(sarvas´aktijavaprada¯). anis´amnih.s´vasadru¯pa¯ rus.itevabhujan˙gam¯ı| sam. sthitordhv¯ıkr.tamukh¯ıspandana¯hetuta¯mgata¯ ||43|| Breathinginandout(nih.s´vasadru¯pa¯)incessantly(anis´am)likeafuriousfemalesnake(rus.iteva bhujan˙gam¯ı)whichispositionedfacingupward(sam. sthitordhv¯ıkr.tamukh¯ı),sheisthecause ofallvibration[inthebody](spandana¯hetuta¯mgata¯). yada¯ pra¯n.a¯niloya¯tihr.dikun.d.alin¯ıpadam| tada¯ sam. vidudetyantarbhu¯tatanma¯trab¯ıjabhu¯h. ||44|| Whenthewindofthevitalbreath(yada¯pra¯n.a¯nilo)intheheart(hr.di)goes(ya¯ti)totheplace ofthekun.d.alin¯ı(kun.d.alin¯ıpadam),then(tada¯)anawarenessarises(sam. vidudeti),theseedof allasyetundifferentiatedgrossandsubtleelements(antarbhu¯tatanma¯trab¯ıjabhu¯h.).18 yatha¯ kun.d.alin¯ıdehesphuratyabjaiva¯lin¯ı| tatha¯ sam. vidudetyantarmr.duspars´avas´odaya¯ ||45|| As(yatha¯)kun.d.alin¯ıvibratesinthebody(kun.d.alin¯ıdehesphurati)likeafemalebeeinside alotus(abjaiva¯lin¯ı),consciousnessariseswithin(tatha¯ samvidudetiantar)astheemerging desire(vas´odaya¯)[forthosethings—thesenseobjects]whosetouchistender(mr.duspars´a). spars´anam. mr.duna¯nyonya¯lin.gika¯ tatrayantrayoh. | yatha¯ sam. vidudetyuccaistatha¯ kun.d.alin¯ıjava¯t||46|| Contact arises tenderly (spars´anam. mr.duna¯), as there is (tatra) the mutual embrace (anyonya¯lin.gika¯) of both mechanisms (yantrayoh.) [of awareness (samvid) and kun.d.alin¯ı]. Whentheawareness[ofanobject]arisesintensely(yatha¯sam. vidudetyuccais),kun.d.alin¯ıalso risesupswiftly(kun.d.alin¯ıjava¯t). tasya¯msamastha¯ sam. baddha¯ na¯d.yohr.dayakos´aga¯h. | utpadyantevil¯ıyantemaha¯rn.avaiva¯paga¯h. ||47|| Allthetubularchannelsareconnectedtogetherinkun.d.alin¯ı(tasya¯msamastha¯ sam. baddha¯ na¯d.yo)andruntotheheart(hr.dayakos´aga¯h.). Theyflowoutwardandconvergebacktogether again(utpadyantevil¯ıyante)likeriversontheirwaytotheocean(maha¯rn.avaiva¯paga¯h.). nityampa¯totsukataya¯ praves´onmukhaya¯ taya¯ | sa¯ sarvasam. vida¯mb¯ıjamhyeka¯ sa¯ma¯nyuda¯hr.ta¯ ||48|| Sheconstantly(nityam)descendsandexistsasthea¯pana(pa¯totsukataya¯)andentersasthe pra¯n.a(praves´onmukhaya¯taya¯). Sheistheseedofallawareness(sarvasam. vida¯mb¯ıjam),indeed sheiscalled‘theuniversalone’(hyeka¯ sa¯ma¯nyuda¯hr.ta¯). Kun.d.alin¯ı is characterized by Vasis.t.ha as the most powerful vital force that, with its touch, producesawarenessorconsciousnessintheformofsensationsandthoughts.Buthowcouldsomething 18 Thegrosselementsarethefivenaturalelements:space,air,water,fire,andearth(bhu¯ta-s).Thesubtleelementsarethefive qualitativeelements:sound,touch,taste,form,andsmell(tanma¯tra-s).Thepassagereferstoaninitialawarenessthatariseseven beforethenaturalelementsaredividedintofive,thatis,evenbeforetheworldofmultiplicityappears.Seecommentary:yada¯hr.di sthitah.pra¯n.ah.kun.d.alinya¯a¯kr.s..tah.sanapa¯navr.ttya¯kun.d.alin¯ıpadamya¯titada¯bhu¯tatanma¯tra¯n.yapañc¯ıkr.tabhu¯ta¯nyevab¯ıjamupa¯da¯namyasya tatha¯vidheantah.karan.ebhavat¯ıtibhu¯j¯ırvasam.vitsmr.tisam.kalpa¯dhyavasa¯ya¯bhima¯nara¯ga¯divr.ttibhedairantarudet¯ıtyarthah. || Religions2017,8,248 7of16 produce consciousness if it is not already conscious itself? And if consciousness itself (citsam. vit) is infinite, how then can it be confined within the body? In other words, how could the infinite becomelessinfinite? Ra¯ma’squestions(49)areansweredbyVasis.t.hawithanon-dualistcosmology. Thesageexplainsthatconsciousness(cinma¯tra)inhabitsthefiveelementalparticlesofspace,air,water, fire, andearth(bhu¯tatanma¯tra-s)andthatthroughtheircombination(56)—averycomplicatedand repeated process of quintuplication—they form our bodies and everything else reflecting various degreesofawareness(52–53). Thecombinationofthefiveelements(pañcaka)providesthematerialfor embodiment,butitisthelivingprinciplewithinorj¯ıvaanditswind-likevibration(anilaspanda)that setsthebodiesinmotion(63)accordingtotheirvolition(san˙kalpa)(57). Tobealiveisthustoembodyacertainvolition(san˙kalpa). Thenaturaldirectionalitiesofinner psychosomaticmovementsaretheplacefromwhichourvariousdesires(va¯sana¯-s)areproduced. They disposeourbodyanditssensory–motorfacultiestoactincertainways(goodorbad)accordingtothe useofone’sintelligence(prajña¯)inordertoenjoythefruitsofone’sactions(66–68). Itistheva¯sana¯-s19 (ourdeterminateaffections, tendencies, anddesires)thatthewisecanguide, harness, orsuppress (65–66)whileliving,notourvolitionorsan˙kalpa(ourwilltoactinonewayoranother). Atreecan remainhealthy,firm,andalivewiththebranchesandfruitscut,butitwouldnotbepossibleforitto continuetolivewithouttheroots. Inthesameway,aliberatedpersoncancutthefloweringdesires, andtheirfruits,butitwouldstopbeingalivingliberatedbeingwerethatpersontocuttheinward movementsandprinciplesofactionthatkeepthebodyalive. Itisonethingtolettheelementsofone’s bodyperishontheirown(79),butitisanotherthingentirelytoinducetheirextinctionthroughthe willfuldenialofthecapacitytoproduceactivity.TheYVacknowledgesthepossibilityofself-extinction oryogicsuicide(utkra¯nti)asapossibleoutcomeofone’senlightenedexperience—thusthedistinction betweenlivingandbodilessliberation—butitcriticizestakingitasanecessaryandmorevaluable procedurefortheultimateconsummationofone’sself-knowledge. Asanon-dualistyogicphilosophy, itholdsthatitwouldnotbereasonabletorejectthebodysinceitis,ultimately,consciousnessitself.20 etatpañcakab¯ıjamtukun.d.alinya¯mtadantare| pra¯n.amarutaru¯pen.atasya¯msphuratisarvada¯ ||81.1|| Theseedofthefive-foldelements21 (etatpañcakab¯ıjam)isinthekun.d.alin¯ı(tukun.d.alinya¯m tadantare)whopalpitatesconstantly(sphuratisarvada¯)asthewind-likeformofpra¯n.a,thelife force(pra¯n.amarutaru¯pen.a). sa¯ntah.kun.d.alin¯ıspandaspars´asam. vitkala¯mala¯ | kalokta¯ kalanena¯s´ukathita¯ cetanenacit||2|| Fromcontactwithkun.d.alin¯ı’svibration(sa¯ntahkun.d.alin¯ıspandaspars´a)thereisthepurepart (kala¯mala¯)thatisconsciousness(sam. vit). Itissaidtobesmall(kalokta¯)becauseofitsinstant andquickactivity(kalanena¯s´u). Becauseofitsthinkingnature(cetanena)itissaid(kathita¯)to beawareness(cit). j¯ıvana¯jj¯ıvata¯mya¯ta¯ manana¯ccamanah.sthita¯ | sam. kalpa¯ccaivasan˙kalpa¯ bodha¯dbudhiritismr.ta¯ ||3|| Sheisthoughtof(smr.ta¯)asgivinglifebecauseofherbeingthelifeforce(j¯ıvana¯jj¯ıvata¯mya¯ta¯); and(ca)sheisthoughtofasabidinginthemind(manah.sthita¯)becauseofherbeingthought 19 Dasguptatranslatesva¯sana¯ inthecontextoftheYVas“instinctiverootdesires”(Dasgupta1952,p. 252);WalterSlaje translates:“latentpsychicimpressions”(Slaje2000,p.178). 20 ThestoryofPrahla¯daintheYV(V.39.25andV.40.12)narrateshowVis.n.upreventshimfromleavingthebodyduringhis deepmeditationandscoldshimfornotenjoyinghisbody. 21 Thisversepicksuptheideafrom44above.Pañcakaisthe“setofthefive”naturalelements(bothgrossandsubtle)that constitutethebody. Religions2017,8,248 8of16 itself(manana¯t). Indeed(eva),sheisthecreativevolition(san˙kalpa¯)22thatcomesfromthe will (san˙kalpa¯t) and (ca) also the intelligence that comes from awakened consciousness (bodha¯dbudhiriti). aham. ka¯ra¯tmata¯mya¯ta¯ sais.a¯ puryas..taka¯bhidha¯ | sthita¯ kun.d.alin¯ıdehej¯ıvas´aktiranuttama¯ ||4|| She becomes the ego (aham. ka¯ra¯tmata¯m ya¯ta¯) as well as the “Citadel of Eight” (sais.a¯ puryas..taka¯bhidha¯).23 Thekun.d.alin¯ıremainsinthisbody(sthita¯kun.d.alin¯ıdehe)asthesupreme poweroflife(j¯ıvas´aktiranuttama¯). Incontrasttothemorepopularviewthatdepictskun.d.alin¯ıonlyasadormantenergylocalized inthebottomofthespinespiralinguptothetopoftheheadwhenitisawakened,wefindthatin Vasis.t.ha’saccountsheisprimarilycharacterizedasanintelligentflowoflifethatcontinuouslyruns throughallspacesinourbody,acquiringdifferentnamesaccordingtothedirectioninwhichitnaturally flows.Kun.d.alin¯ıisalsounderstoodhereasthelifeforce(pra¯n.a)thatiscontainedwithinthebalancedplay ofthemovementsmadebyourbowels,feelings,thoughts,sensations,intentions,andefforts. apa¯nata¯mupagatyasatatampravahatyadhah. | sama¯na¯ na¯bhimadhyastha¯ uda¯na¯khyoparisthita¯ ||5|| As apa¯na the life-force constantly (apa¯nata¯mupagatya satatam) flows to the lower region (pravahatyadhah.);assama¯naitremainsinthemiddleareabetweentheheartandthenavel (sama¯na¯na¯bhimadhyastha¯);asuda¯naitdirectsitselfupwards(uda¯na¯khyoparisthita¯)[fromthe chesttothetopofthehead]. adhastvapa¯naru¯paivamadhyesaumyaivasarvada¯ | pus..ta¯pyuda¯naru¯paivapum. sah. svasthaivatis..thati||6|| Indeed,inthelowerarea(adhastv)itsformisthatofapa¯na(apa¯naru¯paiva);inthemiddle (madhye),itisalwaysthepleasantdigestivefire(saumyaivasarvada¯). Althoughpowerful (pus..ta¯py), in its form as uda¯na (uda¯naru¯paiva) it maintains a person healthy (pum. sah. svasthaivatis..thati). sarvayatnamadhoya¯tiyadiyatna¯nnadha¯ryate| tatpuma¯nmr.tima¯ya¯titaya¯ nirgataya¯ bala¯t||7|| Ifthelowerflowisnotrestrainedthrougheffort(yadiyatna¯nnadha¯ryate),thenalleffortgoes tothelowerregion(sarvayatnamadhoya¯ti),thenthepersondies(tatpuma¯nmr.tima¯ya¯ti)dueto thekun.dalin¯ıexiting[thebody]forcefully(taya¯ nirgataya¯ bala¯t). samastaivordhvama¯ya¯tiyadiyuktya¯ nadha¯ryate| tatpuma¯nmr.tima¯ya¯titaya¯ nirgataya¯ bala¯t||8|| Iftheupperflowisnotrestrainedefficiently(yadiyuktya¯ nadha¯ryate),itallflowsupward (samastaivordhvama¯ya¯ti); then the person dies (tatpuma¯nmr.tima¯ya¯ti) due to the kun.d.alin¯ı exiting[thebody]forcefully(taya¯ nirgataya¯ bala¯t). 22 Shulman(2012,p.112),inhismagnificentdiscussiononimaginationinIndianliterature,MoreThanReal,commentsthat san˙kalpa,especiallyinthecontextoftheYogava¯sis..tha,means“athoughtheavywithintentionorresolutionordetermination” and“commonlyservesinthistextforanimaginativeact”,a“thoughtcrystallizingintoactiveandvividimages”.Ihave translatedithereas“creativevolition”becausesan˙kalpa,asShulmanexplains,carrieswithitacertainforceandbecausethe imaginativeproductionofconsciousnessdoesnothappenwithoutitwillingitsownact. 23 The“CitadelofEight”referstotheeightelementsthatcomposethesubtlebody:fivesubtleelements(tanma¯tra-s),theego (ahamka¯ra),thecapacityforthought(manas),andtheintellect(buddhi). Religions2017,8,248 9of16 sarvatha¯tmanitis..theccettyaktvordhva¯dhogama¯gamau| tajjantorh¯ıyatevya¯dhirantarma¯rutarodhatah. ||9|| If it stays still in every way within the body (sarvatha¯tmani tis..theccettyaktva¯), avoiding upwardanddownwardmovements(urdhva¯dhogama¯gamau),thenapersonavoidsdisease (tajjantorh¯ıyatevya¯dhih.)fromrestrainingtheinternalwind(antarma¯rutarodhatah.).24 sa¯ma¯nyana¯d.¯ıvaidhurya¯tsa¯ma¯nyavya¯dhisam. bhavah. | pradha¯nana¯d.¯ıvaidhurya¯tpradha¯navya¯dhisam. bhavah. ||10|| Theappearance(sam. bhavah.)ofordinarydiseases(sa¯ma¯nyavya¯dhi)isduetothedisturbance (vaidhurya¯t)ofthesecondaryna¯d.¯ıs(sa¯ma¯nyana¯d.¯ı). Theappearance(sam. bhavah.)ofmajor diseases(pradha¯navya¯dhi)isduetotheagitationintheprincipalna¯d.¯ıs.25 What follows from this characterization in Vasis.t.ha’s discourse is a philosophy of health, a physiological metaphysics where disease is related to the imbalanced flow of the upward and downward, heating and cooling, forces within the body, and the uncontrolled agitation of subtle channelsthroughwhichthelifeforceruns. Sincepra¯n.amovesaccordingtoone’sinnervolitionandthe innertendenciestoactareofthenatureofamentalintention(san˙kalpa),thenitistheagitationwithin one’smind(citta)thatcausesdisturbancesintherhythmoftheinnermovementsflowingthroughthe tubularchannels(81.30),thusbringingdisordertotheorgansandweakeningtheirfunctions. Thedescriptionofthetechniqueonhowtoflyisnotgivenuntilafteralongdiscourseonhowthe vitalbreathorpra¯n.amovesthroughoutthebody,producinghealthordisease. Thus,itseemsthatin ordertolearnhowtoflyoracquireanyotheryogicpower(siddhi),onemustknowthewaysinwhich thelifeforceflowswithinone’sownbody,andhowitisaffectedbytheintentionsorcreativevolitions thatariseinthatseed-consciousnessthatdirectlytouchesthebodywithitsvibration. ThisintermediarydialoguebetweenVasis.t.haandRa¯maservesasthephilosophicalbackground tounderstandingCu¯d.a¯la¯’sexperienceofenlightenmentandtheparadoxicalstateofwantingtodo somethingeventhoughoneissupposedtobedesireless. Incontrasttothewell-knowndilemmain theBhagavadG¯ıta¯ wheredesirelessaction(nis.ka¯makarma)isframedwithinthediscourseofdutyand dharma,hereintheYogava¯sis..thaenlightenedactionisreconstructedasanexpressionofthenatural spontaneityofbeingalive. Thus,Cu¯d.a¯la¯’simpulseofwantingtolearnhowtoflyshouldnotberead inthelightofa“desiretodooraccomplish”something,butasanatural,embodiedprocessofthe inner,enlightenedstatethat“risesabove”alldesires. 4. OnLearningHowtoFly Thetechniquetoacquirethepowertoflyisdescribedthus: yada¯ pu¯rakapu¯rn.a¯ntara¯yatapra¯n.ama¯rutam| n¯ıyatesam. videvordhvamsod.humdharmaklamams´ramam||46|| When (yada¯) the wind of pra¯n.a (pra¯n.ama¯rutam) is fully extended through the internal bodybythepracticeof‘fillingup’(pu¯rakapu¯rn.a¯ntara¯yata),26consciousnessitselfisdrawn upwards(n¯ıyatesam. videvordhvam)andmadeabletoenduretheexhaustionofoverheating [fromintenseyoga](sod.humdharmaklamams´ramam). 24 Seecommentary: sarva¯n.gesama¯navr.ttyetaravr.ttijayesarvavya¯dhiks.ayamr.tyujayasiddhiritya¯ha|a¯tmanidehe||Diseasesare consideredtobethemanifestationofthedisequilibriumofthewind-flowswithinthebody(pra¯n.a,apa¯na,sama¯na,uda¯na, vya¯n˙a).Bystoppingthenormaldownwardandupwardwind-flowsandbymakingthemmixinthecenterwheresama¯nais, internalbalanceisthoughttobeachieved,diseasesexpelled,andtherightwind-flowretained. 25 Accordingtothecommentary,thereare101principalna¯d.¯ıs:ekas´atampradha¯nana¯d.ya¯staccha¯kha¯stu. 26 Thepracticeofpu¯rakainvolvestheretentionofthebreath,whichgenerateswarmththroughoutthebody. Religions2017,8,248 10of16 sarp¯ıvatvaritaivordhvamya¯tidan.d.opama¯mgata¯ | na¯d.¯ıh. sarva¯h. sama¯da¯yadehabaddha¯ latopama¯h. ||47|| Likeafemaleserpent(sarp¯ıva),kun.d.alin¯ıgoesupswiftly(tvaritaivordhvamya¯ti)andlooks likeastick(dan.d.opama¯mgata¯)collecting(sama¯da¯ya)allthebodilychannelstogether(na¯d.¯ıh. sarva¯h.),likevines(latopama¯h.)attachedtothebody(dehabaddha¯). tada¯ samastamevedamutpla¯vayatidehakam| n¯ırandhrampavana¯pu¯rn.ambhastreva¯mbutata¯ntaram||48|| Then(tada¯)itlifts(utpla¯vayati)theentirebody(samastamevedamdehakam)which,filledupwith air(pavana¯pu¯rn.am)andwithoutanyopenings(n¯ırandhram)fromwithin(tata¯ntaram),resembles aleatherwineskin(bhastreva¯mbu)[liftingwaterfromawellwhenitisfullyfilled].27 ityabhya¯savila¯senayogenavyomaga¯mina¯ | yoginah. pra¯pnuvantyuccaird¯ına¯ indradas´a¯miva||49|| It is said (iti) that by the delightful practice of yoga (abhya¯savila¯sena yogena), the yogins (yoginah.)attain(pra¯pnuvanti)[thepowerof]roamingthroughspace(vyomaga¯mina¯),flying upwardslikeabirth(uccaird¯ına¯);theyresembleIndra,thelordoftheskies(indradas´a¯miva). brahmana¯d.¯ıprava¯hen.as´aktih. kun.d.alin¯ıyada¯ | bahiru¯rdhvamkapa¯.tasyadvadas´a¯n˙gulamu¯rdhani||50|| recakenaprayogen.ana¯d.yantaranirodhina¯ | muhu¯rtamsthitimapnotitada¯ vyomagadars´anam||51|| When (yada¯) the kun.d.alin¯ı power (s´aktih. kun.d.alin¯ı) goes by the course of (prava¯hen.a) the brahmana¯d.¯ı28 up through the gate between the eyebrows (bahiru¯rdhvam kapa¯.tasya) to twelve inches above the head (dvadas´a¯n˙gulamu¯rdhani), then (tada¯) by the practice of “emptying” (recakena prayogen.a), while suspending the pra¯n.ic flow within the na¯d.¯ıs (na¯d.yantaranirodhina¯),29 foramoment(muhu¯rtamsthitim)30 theyogiattains(apnoti)[astate bywhich]siddhasandotherbeingswhoflythroughtheaircanbeseen(vyomagadars´anam). No more instructions are given. A still body, regulation of the inner and outer breath-flows, andaconsciouseffortdirectinginnermovementsexecutedbythekun.d.alin¯ıareallthatisneededto attainyogicpowers,includingthoseofmodifyingone’sbodilydimensions,enteringintootherbodies, andchanginggenderappearance. Vasis.t.haassertstoRa¯mathatthesepowersarealsoattainableby meansofknowledgealone,orthroughjña¯nasa¯dhana(VIa.82.14),foroncetheyogapractitionerhas knowledge of the intelligent force (cinma¯tra) confined within their body, they understand that the bodyisnothingbuttheindividualshapeassumedbyconsciousnessitselfthroughthepowerofits ownintentionorwill(cidsvasan˙kalpa)(16). Vasis.t.haoffershereapathofliberatingknowledge,ajña¯na sa¯dhana,thatfindsinthevisionoftheselfadeepknowledgeofthemechanismsofthebody,forthose mechanismsareultimatelythemovementsthatinfiniteconsciousnessexertsintheconfinedformthat itassumesasalivingbeing. 27 Thecommentarymakesclearthatbhastraissomekindofleatherbagforbringingwaterupfromawell. 28 Thebrahmana¯d.¯ıisthesameasthecentraltubularchannelthatrunsalongthespinecalledsus´umna¯. 29 Intheha.thayogatradition,suspensionwithrecakaispracticedbyholdingthebreathoutafteranexhalation,allowingthe lungstoemptyofallairandsuspendingthebreathoutside. Thistechniqueisthoughttoreversetheflowofapa¯naby sendingitupwardsthroughthesus´u¯mna. Suspensionwithpu¯raka,onthecontrary,isthepracticeofsuspendingtheair withinafteraninhalation,anditisthoughttoreversetheflowofpra¯n.abysendingitdowntothenaveltomeetwithapa¯na andcreateequilibriumwiththehelpofsama¯na. 30 Accordingtothecommentary,amuhu¯rtaisequivalentto16unitsoftime(... s.od.as´a¯nta¯khyemuhu¯rtam... ).

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Vidy¯aran. ya (14th century) quotes the YV as the main source for the idea of living liberation, Advaita . give them happiness in all stages of existence. within after an inhalation, and it is thought to reverse the flow of pr¯an. a by
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