Demystifying Yoga: An Explication of the Yogakalpa in Svāmī Nigamānanda’s Yogīguru

    Whenever the word ‘yoga’ is uttered, a very conspicuous confusion arises in the mind of the ordinary folks as they are often beguiled by the popular misconception that yoga implies the strenuous practices of the āsanas and prāṇāyamas. However, theoretically speaking, it is not so. Indeed the āsanas and prāṇāyamas are indispensable parts of the yoga, but they are not the whole. Now, the question arises: ‘What is yoga?’ To answer that, Nigamānanda quotes:

संयोगोयोगइत्युक्तोजीवात्मपरमात्मनोः

[The adjunction of the ātmā and the paramātmā is called yoga.](Yogayājñavalaka Saṃhitā 1.43)

    However, he also points out some additional definitions of the term to make it more specific. He states that “yoga is the emboldening of the physique, the tranquilization of the mind, the unification of the citta (deeper psyche), the connection of the prāṇa vāyu and the apāna vāyu, the mingling of the nāda and the vindu, the captivity of the the prāṇa vāyu, the joining of the Kuṇḍalinī Śakti with the Paramaśiva situated in the Sahasrāra Cakra” (Nigamānanda 50). This has an acute reference to sage Patañjali’s definition of the yoga where he has stated that yoga is to incarcerate all the vṛttis (drives) of the citta. As the great sage has stated: योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः (Yogasūtra, Samādhi Pāda, 2).

    Nigamānanda expatiates that vṛtti is the desires, lust, and greed of the citta. This vṛtti flows from our unconsciousness to our sub-consciousness and then from the sub-consciousness to our consciousness. Although the citta always strives to attain its dominion, it is distracted by the sensory organs which drive it. Yoga is the means by which one can mitigate the external drives and influences and channel the flow of the citta to the self-realization. He uses a simile that just like a dirty robe cannot be dyed, the citta cannot be restrained unless and until it is clean (Nigamānanda 23). It is similar to how Patañjali defined this: “सर्वचिन्तापरित्यागोनिश्चन्तोयोगउच्यते” (when one relinquishes all his thoughts and anxieties, it is called yoga). It can be equated with the concept of tabula rasa. Nigamānanda explains this too with a lucid metaphor. He says:

“We cannot see the nadir of a pond. What is the reason behind it? Since the water of the pond is often contaminated, churned, and there is a constant wave. If the water becomes tranquil and clean, we will be able to see it. The nadir is our true self, the water is our citta, and their contaminants are our vṛttis”. (Nigamānanda 23)

    Nigamānanda mentions many methods of yoga which are prominent, such as the sāṃkhya yoga, kriyā yoga, laya yoga, haṭha yoga, rāja yoga, karma yoga, jñāna yoga, bhakti yoga, brahma yoga et cetera. Despite being so many different and contradictory methods of yoga, the purpose of all the methods remains one, uniform, and absolute. It is interesting to note that although there are fundamental differences between the yoga in the Sanātana dharma and the methods of worshipping in the Abrahamic religions such as Christianity and Islam, they also unconsciously practise yoga while they meditate upon the Almighty (Nigamānanda 17).

The Sublimity of the Yoga

    According to Nigamānanda, yoga is the basis and the sublimest of all the sādhanās. Due to the ignorance of pious wisdom, we have become oblivious of the fact that our true identity is that of the ātmā which is immortal. Thus, we have come to be ascribed as ‘jīva’ (that which is mortal). That is why we have been prone to suffering in three dimensions of life, videlicet ādhyātmika (spiritual), adhibhautika (metaphysical), and adhidaivika (celestial). The author advises us that yoga is the way to emancipate ourselves from the aforementioned pangs. It is stated that without practising yoga, one cannot evade from the clutches of the māyā. The māyā fails to sustain its labyrinth in front of the yogī and, therefore, gets defeated. That is why yoga has been hailed as the greatest of all sādhanās (Nigamanada 17).

    The root cause of miseries, especially for the wise men of our contemporary times, is owing to the fact that although they have mastered multifarious tarka śāstras and vyākaraṇas, they have not been able to grasp the quintessence of those fields, which can only be realized by practising yoga. Barring yoga from the discourse, no spiritual wisdom can stand firm. As it is stated:

अनेकशतसंख्याभिस्तर्कव्याकरणादिभिः।

पतिताशास्त्रजालेषुप्रज्ञयातेविमोहिताः।। (Yogabīja 8)

Establishing an analogy, the author has stated that whereas the yogīs have tasted the buttery cream of the milk after churning it, the pundits have only been able to taste the whey that remains. The author has most vociferously heralded that the knowledge procured by mugging the śāstras is mere petulant delirium, not the spiritual wisdom that ought to be sought (Nigamānanda 18). The very lesson has been testified theoretically as it has been reiterated:

मथित्वाचतुरोवेदान्सर्वशास्त्राणिचैवहि।

सारस्तुयोगिभिःपीतस्तक्रंपिबन्तिपण्डिताः।।(Jñānasaṅkalinī Tantraṃ 51)

    The author has further stated that true jñāna (wisdom) comes with efforts to refrain the itinerant mind, the digressive intellect, and sensory organs from the extrinsic circumstances. Once they are engineered properly and they have been channelled inwardly to our ‘supramental consciousness’, only then one can attain indissoluble wisdom. The author also incorporates an anecdote in which sage Bharadvāja questioned Brahmā about the true definition of the ‘jñāna’, to which Brahmā replied that true jñāna is the amalgamation of the self with the Brahma by restraining the extrinsic penchant of the five sensory organs, five acting organs, and the mind. Without practicing yoga, attaining jñāna is next to impossible. Thus, yoga is the path which leads us to the jñāna that has been mettle-tested (Nigamānanda 18-19). Even a wise man who is stoic to the mundanity, righteous, and pious, cannot attain mokṣa without yoga:

ज्ञाननिष्ठोबिरक्तोऽपिधर्मज्ञोऽपिजितेन्द्रियः।

विनायोगेनदेवोऽपिनमुक्तिंलभतेप्रिये।। (Yogabīja 31)

    Svāmī Nigamānanda observes in this regard that just like fire burns the uncouth elements of a matter and turns it pristine, yoga defenestrates our impiety and germinates the seed of eternal wisdom which leads us to the nirvāṇa. Practising yoga simply enables us to introspect into the bottommost territories of our own self which, in turn, causes the purgation of ignorance due to self-realization. The vista of the cosmic enlightenment would then unveil itself to a self-realized soul. Thus, unless one’s self-realization is precipitated by the yoga, his knowledge of the śāstras is only illusory. What Svāmī Nigamānanda explained so limpidly is esoterically stated in the Gorakṣa Saṃhitā (4.213):

यावन्नैवप्रविशतिचरन्मारुतोमध्यमार्गे।

यावद्विन्दूर्नभवतिदृढःप्राणवातप्रवन्धात्।।

यावत्ध्यानंसहजसदृशंजायतेनैवतत्त्वं।

तावज्ज्ञानंवदतितदिदंदम्भमिथ्याप्रलापः।।

Until the prāṇa vāyu is channelled through the lane of the suṣumṇā nāḍī to the brahmarandhra, until the semen is invigorated, until the horizon of the citta forms a unified flow of activity, the knowledge that we possess is merely codswallop. Without reigning dominance over the prāṇa (life-force), citta (deeper psyche, and the vīrya (semen or vital energy), there can be no true knowledge.

    Now, the complexity becomes evident while one endeavours to rein the mind or the flurry of thoughts. The mind has often been compared to a notorious monkey. Svāmī Nigamānanda demonstrates the process through which the mind can be controlled. He states that by practising the kumbhaka, the prāṇa vāyu can be tranquillized. During the kumbhaka, the prāṇa vāyu is driven to the mahākaśa of the brahmarandhra where it becomes calm and inveterate. It abides by the theory of the fifteenth century yogī Svātmārāma’s magnum opus: "इन्द्रियाणांमनोनाथोमनोनाथस्तुमारुतः" (Haṭhayoga Pradīpikā 29).

    Once the prāṇa vāyu is calm and unflinching, the citta would fall under our regulation by default. Once the citta is regulated, the vīrya will be condensed. It is at this juncture the knowledge of the self is consecrated into a realized entity (i.e. true wisdom). The mind drives our sensory organs, but the mind itself is driven by the prāṇa vāyu. Therefore, once we can put a firm grasp over the prāṇa vāyu which governs over the citta, our jñānacakṣu will attain cosmic vision (or, in other words, our self-realization will become an established feat). The self-realization is synonymous to the mokṣa as it leads us to form union with the Brahma (the supreme self). That is why Nigamānanda hails yoga as the greatest way to attain mokṣa (20-21).

    A siddha (self-realized) yogī can live to the content of his will and access the eight types of superhuman feats known as aṣṭasiddhi. They are animā (minimizing the self into a microcosm), mahimā (maximizing the self into macrocosm), garimā (increasing the weight), laghimā (decreasing the weight), prāpti (achievement or the ability to move anywhere without physical obstruction), prakāmya (reading others’ mind), īśitva (establishing dominion over anything), and vaśitva (mesmerism). Except these, he can also enter into other people’s mind and create a ṭulpā. However, Svāmī Nigamānanda warns everyone to shun those distractions and only concentrate on self-realization. He also warns us about one quintessential distraction that emerges from dubious and doubtful endeavour. Constantly inferring about the validity of the yoga can cause unnecessary psychological hindrances. However, he also assures the practitioner that since yoga is a voyage to eternity, there is no way the reward of the activity can get confiscated. One will only advance further and further. Even if he fails to attain the ultimatum in the present life, he would be bestowed with immense possibilities at the onset in his next incarnation. This goes in pair with the Bhagavad Gītā  (6.41-42):

प्राप्य पुण्यकृतां लोकानुषित्वा शाश्र्वती: समाः।

श्रुचीनां श्रीमतां ग्रेहे योगभ्रष्टोSभिजायते ।।

अथवा योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम्।
एतद्धि दुर्लभतरं लोके जन्म यदीदृशम्।।                                         

The Śarīra Tattva: The Theory of the Body

    Nigamānanda, then, goes on to demonstrate the functions of the body in the yogic system. These are the prerequisite lessons the once must be inculcated before he is introduced to the practice of the yoga. He states that one must learn to differentiate between the kāya (the body) and the prāṇa (the life force). There are Navacarkras (the nine cakras), the ṣoḍaśādhāra (the sixteen neurotic organs of the body), the trilakṣya (the three sigils), and the pañcākāśa or byomapañcakaṃ (the five firmaments). Without having clarity in these fundamental positions of the body and their functions, yoga is only a vainglorious effort. To substantiate the claim, he quotes:

नवचक्रंषोडशाधारंत्रिलक्ष्यंवोमपञ्चकं।

स्वदेहेनजानन्तिकथंसिध्यन्तियोगिनः।। (Uthpatti Tantraṃ)

The ṣoḍaśādhāra are: 1) the right foot fingers, 2) the heel, 3) the anus, 4) the penis, 5) the naval, 6) the heart, 7) the throat, 8) the tip of the tongue, 9) the teeth, 10) the palm, 11) the nasal tip, 12) between the eyebrows, 13) the eyes, 14) the forehead, 15) the hard palate, and 16) the crown. The three lakṣyas are: the sigil of svayambhu lingaṃ, the sigil of the vāṇa lingaṃ, and the sigil of the itara lingaṃ. The pañcākāśa are: the ākāśa (the sky), the mahākāśa (the firmament), the parākāśa (the space), the tattvākāśa (the multidimensional space), and the sūryākāśa (the lighting space). Flabbergasting it may sound, but all these regions and dimensions are there in our body— Nigamānanda states this and so say all the masterpieces of yogic literature. As the Ādi Yogī (a byname of Lord Śiva) himself states:

त्रैलोक्येयानिभूतानितानिसर्वाणिदेहतः।

मेरुंसंवेष्ट्यसर्वत्रव्यवहारःप्रवर्तते।। (Śiva Saṃhitā, 2.4)

Whatever there is in the cosmos, so are they in our body. They all have their own dimensions in which they have been functioning accordingly. The seven continents, the five oceans, the two poles, all the mountains, rivers, and seas – all that we are surrounded by, are also there inside our body. The planets, the stars, the galaxies, the cosmos – all reside in our body too. One, who has realized it, is to be called a yogī.

    Every living being is made of seven dhātus which are śukra (semen), śoṇita (blood), majjā (marrow), meda (adipose), māsa (flesh), asthi (bones), tvaka (skin). These seven dhātus have been formed by the five basic elements (earth, water, air, fire, and sky or sound). Because of this, the body is called a ‘bhautika deha’ (physical entity).

The Nāḍī Tattva: The Theory of the Nāḍī

    Nigamānanda begins this section by referring to the words of Lord Śiva:

सार्धलक्षत्रयंनाड्यःसन्तिदेहान्तरेनृणाम्।

प्रधानभूतानाड्यस्तूतासुमुख्याश्चतुर्दशः।।

सुषुम्नेडापिङ्गलाचगान्धारीहस्तिजिह्विका।

कुहूःसरस्वतीपूषाशङ्खिनीचपयस्विनी।।

वारुण्यलमबुषाचैवविश्वोदरीयशस्विनी।

एतासुतिस्रोमुख्याःस्युःपिङ्गलेडासुषुम्निका।। (Śiva Saṃhitā 2.13-15)

    There are three and half lakhs veins in our body among which fourteen are fundamental. They are Iḍā, Piṅgalā, Suṣumṇā, Gandhārī, Hastijihvā, Kuhū, Sarasvatī, Pūṣā, Saṇkhinī, Payasvinī, Vāruṇī, Alambuṣā, Viśvodarī, and Yaśasvinī. Among these, Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and the Suṣumṇā are fundamental.

    The Suṣumṇā Nāḍī has originated from the Mūlādhāra Cakra and mingled into the brahmarandhra (the top of the cerebral region) like a straight vertical line. The Iḍā has originated from the left side of this Suṣumṇā Nāḍī and the Piṅgalā has originated from the right. They both have coiled around the Suṣumṇā Nāḍī like two serpents, and ended in the right nostril and the left nostril, respectively.

    All the other Nāḍīs have originated from either sides of the Suṣumṇā Nāḍī and proliferated up to different regions of the body. The Kuhū Nāḍī expands up to the foreskin of the penis; the Vāruṇī Nāḍī expands nearly up to all parts of the body; the Yaśasvinī Nāḍī travels to the fingers of our the right foot; the Pūṣā Nāḍī expands up to the right eye; the Payasvinī Nāḍī goes to the right ear; the Sarasvatī Nāḍī reaches to the tongue; the Saṇkhinī Nāḍī goes to the left ear; the Gandhārī Nāḍī travel to the left eye; the Hastijihvā expands to the tip of the fingers of the left foot; the Alambuṣā Nāḍī expands all over the face; and the Viśvodarī Nāḍī spans all over the belly.

    Nigamānanda makes a startling claim at this juncture. He states that the yogīs have compared these fourteen Nāḍīs of our body with the fourteen sacred rivers of India. The Kuhū Nāḍī has been compared to the Narmadā river, the Samkhini Nāḍī to the Taptī river, the Alambuṣa Nāḍī to the Gomatī river, the Saṇkhinī Nāḍī to the Kāverī river, the Pūṣā Nāḍī to the Tāmraparṇī river, and the Hastijihvā Nāḍī to the Sindhu river. The three primary Nāḍīs have been compared to the three most revered rivers of India (i.e. Iḍā Nāḍī has been compared to the river Gangā, the Piṅgalā Nāḍī to the river Yamunā, and the Suṣumṇā Nāḍī to the river Sarasvatī, respectively). The spot of the Ajñā Cakra where these three primary Nāḍīs commingle has been compared to the Triveṇī Saṅgama of Prayagraj. Every twelve years, there takes place the Kumbha Mela in Prayagraj in which the world’s largest congregation takes part in hope of redemption from the sins by taking dives into the holy water of the Triveṇī Saṅgama. However, Nigamānanda asserts that “without activating the Triveṇī Saṅgama that is there in our body, the mere dives into water of the Triveṇī Saṅgama of Prayagraj are futile” (28).

The Vāyu Tattva: The Theory of the Vāyu

    Nigamānanda states that there is a vāyu (air force) working behind every body movement or action that we perform. That is why, it is necessary to have a hold over the mechanism of the air-flow. Yoga is the way by which we can control the flow of the air in our body, including breathing. Once we learn to control the flow of the air, we get the access to tranquillize our mind. Once the mind is controlled, the sensory organs would fall under our control. Once we accomplish that, there is no task impossible for us (30). He mentions that there are ten vāyus that regulate the activities of the body. They are the Prāṇa Vāyu, the Apāna Vāyu, Samāna Vāyu, Udāna Vāyu, Vyāna Vāyu, Nāga Vāyu, Kūrma Vāyu, Kṛkara Vāyu, Devadatta Vāyu, and the Dhanañjaya Vāyu. As the śāstra states:

प्राणोऽपानःसमानश्चोदानव्यानौचवायवः।

नागःकूर्मोऽथकृकरोदेवदत्तःधनञ्जयः।।

हृदिप्राणोवसेन्नित्यमपानोगुह्यमण्डले।।

समानोनाभिदेशेतुउदानःकण्ठमध्यगः।

व्यानोव्यापीशरीरेतुप्रधानाःपञ्चवायवः।। (Gorakṣa Saṃhitā, 1.29-30)

The Prāṇa Vāyu regulates the function of the breathing system, the Apāna Vāyu regulates the digestive system, the Samāna Vāyu regulates the nutrition, the Udāna Vāyu regulates the growth of the body, and the Vyāna Vāyu controls the function of the eyes, ears, and nose etc. These five vāyus are called the fundamental vāyus of our body. The Nāga Vāyu regulates the act of vomiting, the Kūrma Vāyu regulates the inflation and deflation, the Kṛkara Vāyu regulates the drives of hunger and thirst, the Devadatta Vāyu regulates our sleep and fatigue, and the Dhanañjaya Vāyu regulates the act of extraction.

    The Prāṇa Vāyu flows from the nostrils to the naval whereas the Apāna Vāyu flows from the anus to the naval, causing a constant friction inside our body. This friction keeps our life going. Once the Prāṇa Vāyu and the Apāna Vāyu mingle with each other (i.e. the friction is stopped), our body passes away.

Kuṇdalinī Tattva: The Theory of Kuṇdalinī

    A little above the anus and a little below the penis, there is the Mūlādhāra Cakra inside which resides the Svayambhulingaṃ which the Kuṇdalinī Śakti has coiled it thrice and half. The former is the puruṣa (the one who enjoys) whereas the latter is the prakṛti (the one who is enjoyed). The Kuṇdalinī is the source of energy that lies dormant within us. Nigamānanda says that the prime task of the yogī is to activate it from its dormancy and channel its energy upwards. He remarks that without the activation of the Kuṇdalinī, the chanting of mantras, the worships, and the japa are fruitless. The power that lies dormant in the Kuṇdalinī must be channelled upwards to the Navacakras to attain mokṣa.

The Navacakra: The Nine Cakras

    Nigamānanda asserts that the practitioner of yoga must be completely aware about the function of the Navacakras beforehand. The Navacakras are: 1) Mūlādhāra Cakra, 2) Svādhiṣṭhāna Cakra, 3) Maṇipūra Cakra, 4) Anāhata Cakra, 5) Viśuddha Cakra, 6) Ājñā Cakra, 7) Lalanā Cakra or the Jñāna Cakra, 8) Guru Cakra, and 9) Sahasrāra Cakra. All these cakras look like various types of padma (lotus). To define the Navacakras and their components, he quotes:

मूलाधारं चतुष्पत्रं गुदोर्ध्वे वर्तते महत्।

लिङ्गमूले तुपीताभं स्वाधिष्ठानन्तुषड्दलम्।।

तृतीयं नाभिदेशेतु दिग्दलं परमाद्भुतम्।

अनाहत मिष्टपीठं चतुर्थ कमलंहृदि।।

कलापत्रंपञ्चमन्तु विशुद्धंकण्ठदेशतः।

आज्ञायांषष्ठकंचक्रं भ्रुवोर्मध्येद्विपत्रकम्।।

चतुःषष्ठिदलं तालुमध्येचक्रन्तु मध्यमम्।

ब्रह्मरन्ध्रेऽष्टमंचक्रं शतपत्रंमहाप्रभम्।।

नवमन्तु महाशून्यं चक्रन्तु तत्परात्परम्।

तन्मध्ये वर्तते पद्मं सहस्रदलमद्भुतम्। (Prāṇatoṣiṇī Tantravacanaṃ)

As explained in the Kuṇdalinī Tattva, the Mūlādhāra Cakra is located just little above the anus and just little beneath the penis (or vagina). It is like a red lotus with four petals. In each petal, there is a varṇa (viz. वं, शं, षं, and सं). These four varṇas are golden in colour. Inside the lotus, there is Pṛthvīmaṅdala with eight dents. Beside this, there is the Pṛthvī bīja called लं inside which Lord Indra resides. Dressed in yellow, he has four hands and he rides the white elephant called Airāvata. Upon his lap, there is young Brahmā. Upon Brahmā’s lap, there is Dākinī Śakti. It is in this Mūlādhāra Cakra where the Kuṇdalinī Śakti resides. Since without activating it no yogī can attain his goal, it has been named as the ‘ādhāra padma’ (the basis).

    The Svādhiṣṭhāna Cakra is like a yellow lotus with six petals, containing the six bījas — वं, भं, मं, यं, रं, and लं – which signify abjuration, swooning, complacency, disbelief, annihilation, and crudity, respectively. Inside this lotus, there is the Varuṇa Maṇdala which contains the बं bīja. There resides the Varuṇa Deva, situated on the Makara. Upon his lap, there is young Hari who is four-handed, holding a conch, a cakra (weapon), a mace, and a lotus respectively. He is cladded in yellow, and upon his lap there is Rākinī Śakti.

    The Maṇipura Cakra resembles a dark blue lotus with ten petals, containing ten bījas (viz. डं, ढं, णं, तं, थं, दं, धं, नं, पं, and फं). These bījas are of blue colour, and symbolize shame, malice, envy, slumber, boredom, bitterness, thirst, illusion, hatred, and fear, respectively. There is the Agni Mandala in a triangular shape which contains the रं bīja of reddish hue. Agni Deva resides here, riding upon a buffalo. Lord Rudra is sitting upon his lap, holding the Lākinī Śakti.

    The Anāhata Cakra is like a green lotus with twelve petals, containing twelve bījas (viz. कं, खं, गं, घं, ङं, चं, छं, जं, झं, ञं, टं, and ठं). All these bījas are of crimson colour, each symbolizing hope, thought, endeavour, cordiality, hubris, disability, conscience, pride, greed, hypocrisy, argument, and remorse, respectively). There is Vāyu Maṇdala inside that, containing the grayish यं bīja. Vāyu Deva is residing there, holding the Kākinī Śakti.

    The Viśuddha Cakra resembles a grayish lotus with sixteen petals, containing sixteen bījas (viz. अं, आं, इं, ईं, उं, ऊं, ऋं, ऋृं, ऌं, ऌॢं, एं, ऐं, ओं, औं, ं, and ः). Each petals stand for the seven mundane sounds (Niṣāda, Ṛṣabha, Gāndhāra, Ṣaḍaja, Madhyama, Dhaivata, Pañcama) and the nine celestial sounds (Huṃ, Faṭ, Vouṣaṭ, Vaṣaṭ,  Svadhā, Svāhā, Namaḥ, Viṣa, and Amṛta). Inside the lotus, there is हं bīja which contains the Ākaśa Deva who holds the Sadāśiva upon whose lap Śākinī Śakti resides.

    The Ajñā Cakra is like a white lotus with two petals. These two petals consist of the हं bīja and the क्षं bīja. There is a triangle inside the lotus which signifies the three guṇas – sattva, raja, and tama. Inside that triangle, there is ठं bīja. There resides Lord Śiva who holds the Hākinī Śakti. This cakra is called the ‘Jñāna Padma’ as the yogī attains mokṣa after activating this cakra. The Lalanā Cakra and the Guru Cakra are two complementary cakras of the Ajñā Cakra. The former is like a lotus which consists of sixty four petals and the latter is like a lotus which consists of hundred petals.

    The Sahasrāra Cakra is the supreme Cakra which is located outside our body, just above the cerebral region. It resembles a lotus with a thousand petals. There is a triangle inside it which contains the हं, लं, and क्षं bījas respectively. All the varṇas (the svara varṇas and the vyāñjana varṇas) are there in this cakra. Lord Śiva resides here. Once the yogī forms union with him, he attains nirvāṇa. This is the cakra where the ātmā forms union with the paramātmā.

    The Mūlādhāra in the anal region is the place of the pṛthvī tattva (the realm of earth in the body) and it regulates the the act of excretion. The Svādhiṣṭhāna Cakra in the penile region is the place for the jala tattva (the realm of water) and it is the place that regulates the emission of urinary fluid. The Maṇipura Cakra in the naval region is the place for the agni tattva (the realm of fire) and it is the place that regulates our digestion. The Anāhata Cakra in the lungs region is the place of the vāyu tattva (the realm of air) which regulates our breath system. The Viśuddha Cakra in the laryngeal region is the place of the ākaśa tattva (the realm of the sky) and it regulates our vocal system. Besides these, there are four more Cakras which regulate our mana (mind), citta (deeper psyche), caitanya (consciousness), ātmā (the self). They are the Ajñā Cakra (located in the forehead region), the Jñāna Cakra (located in the upper forehead region), the Guru Cakra (located on the cerebral region), and the Sahasrāra (located on the empty space just over the head) respectively.

Simplification of Yoga

    As explained earlier, there is vāyu bīja यं in the Anāhata Cakra inside which the vāṇa liṅgaṃ is located. Within the vāṇa liṅgaṃ, there is the ‘हंस’ bīja which is called ‘jivātmā’ or ‘ātmā’ (the spirit or the self). Whatever we feel, experience, and perform is actually enjoyed (or suffered) by the ātmā which resides in this region. This ātmā has been continuously and ceaselessly chanting the ‘सोऽहं’ mantra during breathing. Whenever we inhale, the air that is taken in causes a sound like ‘स:’ and whenever we exhale, the air that is emitted causes a sound like ‘हं’. The ‘हं’ sound stands for Śiva, whereas the ‘स:’ sound stands for Śakti:

हकारञ्चसकारञ्चलोपयित्वाततःपरम्।

सन्धिंकुर्यात्ततःपश्चात्प्रपवोऽसौमहामनुः।। (Svarodaya Śāstra 11.7)

    Śiva stands for death and Śakti stands for life since with the inhalation we live and with the exhalation we die. If we fail to inhale after an exhalation, the aftermath is demise. That is why the सोऽहं sound is synonymous to life and death. The japa of this ‘सोऽहं’ has been ascribed as ‘ajapā Gāyatrī’ (the Gāyatrī mantra that is not chanted). The meaning of the Sanskrit word, ‘सोऽहं’ is “I am Him” (here, the capitalized pronoun stands for the Supreme Being). Every day, a human-being does the japa of this ajapā Gāyatrī mantra 21,600 times as that is approximately the number of breaths (inhalation and exhalation together) we perform in a day. This is every human-being’s natural sādhanā. However, due to our ignorance, we fail to realize it.

    The ‘हंस:’ or ‘सोऽहं’ sound is ascribd as the ‘Prāṇava dhvani’ (which stands for the śabda brahma or the Paramātmā). When the स and the ह sound expire, there remains the ‘ॐ’ sound. The ॐ sound is the sacred voice of the Paramātmā. A yogī eventually hears this sound at the end and enjoys this sacred symphony perpetually (Nigamānanda 35). This is how Nigamānanda has simplified the very essence and goal of yoga for a novice practitioner.

Conclusion

    Nigamānanda advises everyone to follow the simple eight rules in life which will gradually supply us impetus to the path of yoga. These eight rules are: i) yama (non-violence, truthfulness, honesty, celibacy, and stoicism), ii) niyama (hygiene, satisfaction, austerity, self-study, and devotion), iii) āsana, iv) prāṇāyama, v) pratyāhara, vi) dhāraṇā, vii) dhyāna, and vii) samādhi. A further research can ensue from the analysis of these eight rules and their aspects. To draw a conclusion, Nigamānanda’s own words can be quoted where he has stated his purpose of writing the ‘Yogakalpa’ section: “Whatever I could expose to the common masses for their initiation of yoga, I have compiled. However, merely knowing these lessons are not enough. Acting according to the lessons will indeed be beneficial and impactful– this I promise” (Nigamānanda 68).

Works Cited

Bhattacharya, Ramshankar, and Amaldhari Singh, editors. Patañjalayogasūtraṃ. Varanasi: Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan, 2018.

Brahmachari, Satyachaitanya, and Shaktichaitanya Brahmachari. Śrī Śrī Nigamānada: Jīvan O Vāṇī. Assam: Assam Bangiya Saraswat Math, 2005.

Desikachar, T. K. V, translator. Yogayājñavalaka Saṃhitā. Chennai: Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, 2015.

Digambar, Svāmī, and Pitambar Jha, editors. Haṭhayoga Pradīpikā. Maharashtra: Kaivalyadhama Ashram Publication, 1998.

Gorakhnāth, Siddha Guru. Yogabīja. Varanasi: Indu Prakashan, 2019.

Nigamānanda, Svāmī. Yogīguru. Sri Sri Saraswat Math. Assam: Assam Bangiya Saraswat Math, 2005.

Pāṇdeya, Janārdana et al., translators. Gorakṣa Saṃhitā. Varanasi: Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya, 1976.

Prajñānanda, Paramahaṃsa, translator. Jñānasaṅkalinī Tantraṃ. New Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass Publishers, 2006.

Raghav, Raghvendrasharma, translator. Śiva Saṃhitā. New Delhi: Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratisthan, 2017.

Shukla, Ramadatta Pt., translator. Prāṇatoṣiṇī Tantravacanaṃ. Prayagraj: Kalyan Mandir Prakashan, 1983.

Śrīmadbhāgavdgītā. Gorakhpur: Gita Press, 2014.

Uthpatti Tantra (collected manuscript, unknown author, unknown edition).

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