Swami Vishnuswaroop - Yoga Kundalini Upanishad: Vedantic View on Kundalini Yoga

Yoga Kundalini Upanishad

Belonging to Krishna Yajurveda

Vedantic View on Kundalini Yoga

(English Translation of Sanskrit Text

with Roman Transliteration)

Translated into English by

Swami Vishnuswaroop

ALSO BY THE AUTHOR

Yoga Darshana Upanishad (in English)

Minor Yoga Upanishads (in English)

Hatha Yoga Pradipoka (in English)

Yogatattva Upanishad (in English)

Two Yoga Samhitas (in English)

Triyoga Upanishad (in English)

Gheranda Samhita (in English)

Goraksha Samhita (in English)

Surya Namskara (in Nepali)

Shiva Samhita (in English)

Shiva Samhita (in Nepali)

Durga Strotram (in Nepali)

Vagalamukhi Stotram (in Nepali)

Amogha Shivakavacham (in Nepali)

Copyright 2017 Swami Vishnuswaroop

All rights reserved.

Published by

Divine Yoga Institute

Kathmandu, Nepal

Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah!

To My Guru Swami Satyananda Saraswati,

Founder of Bihar School of Yoga,

Munger, India

F irst of all, I would like to express my heartfelt salutations to Adinatha (the Primordial Master) and my Guru Swami Satyananda Saraswati for their inspiration and guidance I have received for my work. I realize that my unwavering faith and belief in God and Guru is a motivational gift for me in completing this work. I could never have done it without their blessings.

I am always thankful to Ms. Bhawani Uprety for her untiring support she has provided me during the preparation of various classical texts on yoga. My many thanks go to her forever.

May God and Guru inspire us to tread the path of yoga in order to achieve the ultimate goal of human life!

- Swami Vishnuswaroop

T his Upaniad concerning Kualin Yoga belongs to Krina Yajurveda . There are three chapters in it. In the first chapter, the two causes of citta vtti , the three methods of controlling prna moderation in diet, sana and akti clini mudr are described. Then sarasvati clana , types of prnyma sryabhedi , ujjyi , shtali , bhastrik , etc., three bandhas moola bandha , uddiyna bandha and jlandhara bandha , obstacles in yoga and protection from them, awakening of kualin through yoga practice, penetration of three granthis Brahmagranthi , Viugranthi and Rudragranthi , Kualin entering sahasrra cakra (thousand petalled lotus), dissolution of prna , etc. into iva , realization of Self everywhere during samdhi and subjects like Samdhi Yoga , etc. are described in detail.

The second chapter begins with the lucid explanation of khecari mudr . The features of khecari , its results, perfection of khecari by mantra japa , sequence of khecari practice, etc., are described elaborately.

In the beginning of the third chapter the khecari melana mantra for khecari siddhi is described specifically. The vision of a sdhaka during his sdhan is described by giving examples of new moon, first lunar date and full moon. Then attaining perfection for the union with macrocosm through prnyma , impossibility of Self-realization without practice, knowledge of the Brahman through the discourse of a Sadguru , manifestation of Brahma in the form of vk , vtti and viva , etc., the nature of Parabrahma and at the end, means to attain Brahma dhyna , jvanmukti and videhamukti , etc., topics are explained.

Thus, the major subjects of yoga are presented in this Upaniad , which makes it unique and complete.

It should be noted that the original Sanskrit Text is in Devanagari along with its Roman transliteration. All the Sanskrit words/phrases that appear in the English translation are given in the transliterated Roman alphabets.

It is hoped that this book will be helpful to all who are interested to understand the vedantic view on Kualin Yoga .

Publisher

om sahanvavatu / saha nau bhunaktu /

saha virya karavvahai /

tejasvinvadhitamastu m vidvivahai //

om nti om nti om nti //

O M! May He protect both of us (the teacher and disciple) together. May He nourish both of us together. May both of us get strength and power together. May our knowledge (shared between us) be lustrous. May there not be animosity between us.

OM! May the three types of miseries be peaceful.

Vsan and Prna Activate the Mind

hetudvaya hi cittasya vsan ca samraa /

tayorvinaa ekasminstaddvvapi vinayata // //

There are certainly two causes (of the unsteady state) of citta (the mind). They are vsan (deep rooted desires/cravings) and samira or prna (the life force). If one of them is destroyed, then both of them are annihilated. 1.

Three Ways to Control Prna

tayordau samrasya jaya kurynnara sad /

mithracsana ca akticlasttyaka // //

Of these two, first of all, a person should gain victory over samira or prna . There are three ways to achieve it. They are mithra (moderation in diet), practice of sana and the third one, akticlin mudr . -2.

Mithra and sana

ete lakaa vakye uu gautama sdaram /

susnigdhamadhurhracaturthavivarjita // //

bhujyate ivasamprtyai mithra sa ucyate

sana dvividha prokta padma vajrsana tath // //

O Gautama ! I shall explain the characteristic of these. Listen to it with due respect (attentively). One should take sweet and nutritious food (fill half of his stomach with food and one quarter of it with water) and leave one fourth of his stomach empty. This way of eating with due regard for iva (welfare) is called mithra (moderation in diet). Two types of sana (mainly for gaining victory over prna ) are described. They are padmsana and vajrsana. -3-4.

Padmsana and Vajrsana

rvorupari ceddhatte ubhe pdatale yath /

padmsana bhavedetatsarvappapraanam // //

Placing each foot on the opposite thigh with its sole facing upward is the padmsana which is the destroyer of all sins. -5.

vmghrimlakaddho hyanya tadupari kipet /

samagrvaira kyo vajrsanamitritam // //

Placing one heel below the mlakanda (perineum or the root of the genital organ) and the other over it and sitting with the neck, head and body upright is called the vajrsana . -6.

akticlana

kualyeva bhavecchaktist tu sanclayedbudha /

svasthndbhruvormadhya akticlanamucyate // //

It is said that the main akti is kualin . A wise yogi should take it up from svasthna (its place i.e. mldhra ) to bhrumadhya (the middle of the eyebrows). This is called akticlana . -7.

Two Means of Awakening Kualin

tatsdhane dvaya mukhya sarasvatystu clanam /

prarodhamathbhysdjv kualin bhavet // //

There are chiefly two means of awakening kualin . They are sarasvati clana and prarodha (the restraint of prna ). Through the practice of the restraint of prna, the coiled kualin becomes straight. -8.

Sarasvati Clana

tayordhau sarasvatyclana kathaymi te /

arundhatyeva kathit purvidbhi sarasvat // //

First of all, I shall explain you sarasvati clana . Sarasvati was also called arundhati by the wise of the yore. -9.

yasy sanclanenaiva svaya calati kual /

iy vahati pre baddhv padmsana ddham // //

When prna is flowing through id (left nostril), one should assume padmsana firmly and should practice sarasvati clana properly. Through this practice the kualin is awakened itself. -10.

Note: Sarasvati clana is the arousal/stimulation of sarasvati ndi.

dvdaguladairghya ca ambara caturagulam /

vistrya tena tann veayitv tata sudh // //

Then the wise yogi should wrap the ndi (at the place of kanda ) with a piece of cloth which is twelve-inch long and four-inch wide. -11.

aguhatarjanbhy tu hastbhy dhrayeddham /

svaakty clayedvme dakiena puna puna // //

And then he should hold firmly both nostrils with the forefingers and thumbs should first exhale and inhale again and again through right nostril and then through the left according to his capacity. -12.