Krishjan

Chapter 4 — Fourth Khanda

Jabal Darshan

62 Shloka • Translation Only

The body is said to measure ninety-six aṅgulas in extent. Within the middle of the body is the seat of the inner fire, shining with the radiance of molten gold.

O Sāṅkṛti, it is truly said that this region in human beings is triangular in form. It is situated two aṅgulas above the anus and two aṅgulas below the generative organ.

O Sāṅkṛti, know this to be the middle region of the body, as declared by the sages. O foremost of sages, the Kanda-sthāna is located nine aṅgulas above the Mūlādhāra.

O foremost of sages, it measures four aṅgulas in length and breadth. It is shaped like a hen's egg and is covered by skin and other bodily tissues.

O foremost of sages, within it is said to be the Nābhi (navel center), according to those who know Yoga. Situated in the middle of the Kanda is the Nāḍī known as Suṣumnā.

O foremost of sages, surrounding it on all sides are the Nāḍīs. Their number is said to be seventy-two thousand, of which fourteen are regarded as the principal ones.

Suṣumnā, Piṅgalā, Iḍā, Sarasvatī, Pūṣā, Varuṇā, Hastijihvā, and Yaśasvinī—these are among the principal Nāḍīs.

Alambuṣā, Kuhū, Viśvodarī, Payasvinī, Śaṅkhinī, and Gāndhārī— together with the previously mentioned channels, these constitute the fourteen principal Nāḍīs.

Among these, three are the most important; and among those three, one is the highest of all. O sage, the knowers of Vedānta declare that supreme channel to be the Brahma-nāḍī.

O noble one, Suṣumnā is well established along the spinal column, which is situated in the middle of the back and resembles the stem of a Vīṇā, extending upward all the way to the head.

O sage, below the Nābhi-Kanda, at a distance of two aṅgulas, is the seat of Kuṇḍalī. O best of sages, she is of the nature of the eightfold Prakṛti.

She constantly regulates and controls the movements of Prāṇa, as well as the flow of water, food, and the other bodily functions. Encircling the Kanda on all sides, she remains ever established there.

O sage, coiling around and covering with her own mouth the entrance to the Brahma-randhra, she remains there. To the left of Suṣumnā is situated Iḍā, and to its right is Piṅgalā.

Sarasvatī and Kuhū are situated on either side of Suṣumnā. Gāndhārī and Hastijihvā are located behind and in front of Iḍā, respectively.

Pūṣā and Yaśasvinī are situated behind and in front of Piṅgalā, respectively. Between Kuhū and Hastijihvā is located Viśvodarī.

Varuṇā is well established between Yaśasvinī and Kuhū. Between Pūṣā and Sarasvatī is said to be Payasvinī.

Śaṅkhinī is said to be situated between Gāndhārī and Sarasvatī. Alambuṣā, passing through the middle of the Kanda, extends down to the anus.

In front of Suṣumnā is situated Kuhū. This Nāḍī extends both downward and upward, and is said to reach as far as the right nostril.

O foremost of sages, Iḍā extends to the left nostril. Yaśasvinī is said to reach as far as the great toe of the left foot. Behind Piṅgalā is Gāndhārī, which extends to the left eye. The wise declare that Payasvinī reaches as far as the right ear.

O sage, Sarasvatī extends upward to the tongue. Likewise, Hastijihvā is said to reach as far as the great toe of the right foot.

The Nāḍī known as Śaṅkhinī is said to extend to the left ear. The knowers of Vedānta declare that Gāndhārī reaches as far as the left eye.

The Nāḍī known as Viśvodarī is situated in the middle of the Kanda. Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Samāna, and Udāna are the five principal vital airs.

Nāga, Kūrma, Kṛkara, Devadatta, and Dhanañjaya— together with the five principal vital airs, these constitute the ten Vāyus that move through all the Nāḍīs.

O noble one, among these ten Vāyus, the five beginning with Prāṇa are the principal ones. Of these, Prāṇa and Apāna are especially important; and among the two, Prāṇa is held to be the foremost, O sage.

O best of sages, the vital air known as Prāṇa continually functions in the region of the mouth and nostrils, as well as in the navel and the heart.

O noble one, Apāna continually functions in the region of the anus, the thighs, and the knees. It also operates throughout the abdomen, the waist, the navel, and the generative organs.

O foremost of sages, Vyāna functions in the regions of the ears and eyes, the shoulders, and the ankles. It also operates in the seat of Prāṇa and in the throat.

The vital air known as Udāna should be understood to function in the feet and the hands. Samāna, without doubt, pervades and remains throughout the entire body.

The five Vāyus beginning with Nāga are situated in the skin, bones, and other bodily structures. Inhalation, exhalation, coughing, and similar functions are the activities of Prāṇa, O Sāṅkṛti.

The function of the vital air known as Apāna is the expulsion of feces, urine, and other bodily wastes. Samāna, O foremost of sages, brings about balance and proper assimilation throughout the body.

Udāna, without doubt, is responsible for upward movement. The knowers of Vedānta, O sage, declare Vyāna to be the force that circulates and distributes throughout the body.

O great sage, Nāga is said to be responsible for functions such as belching and similar upward expulsive actions. O Sāṅkṛti, Dhanañjaya is said to be responsible for maintaining bodily appearance, vigor, and related functions.

O best of Brāhmaṇas, Kūrma is responsible for blinking and similar functions. Kṛkara is responsible for hunger. Devadatta is said to be responsible for drowsiness and related functions.

O sage, the presiding deity of Suṣumnā is Śiva. The deity of Iḍā is Hari (Viṣṇu). Virañci (Brahmā) is the deity of Piṅgalā. The deity of Sarasvatī Nāḍī is Virāṭ.

The presiding deity of Pūṣā Nāḍī is said to be Pūṣan. The deity of Varuṇā Nāḍī is Vāyu. The presiding deity of Hastijihvā Nāḍī is Varuṇa.

O foremost of sages, the presiding deity of Yaśasvinī Nāḍī is the blessed Bhāskara (the Sun). For Alambuṣā Nāḍī, Varuṇa, the lord of waters, is declared to be the presiding deity.

The presiding deity of Kuhū Nāḍī is said to be Kṣudhā (the principle of hunger). The deity of Gāndhārī Nāḍī is Candra (the Moon). Likewise, Candra is the presiding deity of Śaṅkhinī Nāḍī. The deity of Payasvinī Nāḍī is Prajāpati.

The presiding deity of Viśvodarī Nāḍī is the blessed Pāvaka (Fire). O great sage, the Moon constantly moves through Iḍā Nāḍī.

O sage, best among the knowers of the Vedas, the Sun likewise moves through Piṅgalā Nāḍī. The movement of Prāṇa from Piṅgalā into Iḍā, and from Iḍā into Piṅgalā...

O sage, the knowers of Vedānta call this Uttarāyaṇa—the movement of Prāṇa from Piṅgalā into Iḍā. And the movement of Prāṇa from Iḍā into Piṅgalā, O sage...

The movement of Prāṇa into Piṅgalā is called Dakṣiṇāyana, according to the sacred tradition. When Prāṇa reaches the junction of Iḍā and Piṅgalā, then, O best of embodied beings, that state within the body is called Amāvāsyā (the new-moon phase).

O best of the wise, when Prāṇa enters the Mūlādhāra...

O foremost of ascetics, that is called the first Viṣuva (equinox) by the sages. O foremost of sages, when the vital air known as Prāṇa enters the crown of the head (Mūrdhan)...

That is called the final Viṣuva (equinox) by the ascetics who contemplate the Truth. All inhalation and exhalation constitute the continual transit of the months (Saṅkramaṇa).

O best among the knowers of Truth, when Prāṇa reaches the seat of Kuṇḍalī through Iḍā Nāḍī, that state is called Soma-grahaṇa (the lunar eclipse).

O foremost of sages, when Prāṇa reaches the seat of Kuṇḍalī through Piṅgalā Nāḍī, then that state is called Sūrya-grahaṇa (the solar eclipse).

O greatly wise one, Śrīparvata is located in the region of the head, and Kedāra in the forehead. Vārāṇasī is situated in the middle of the space between the eyebrows.

Kurukṣetra is located in the region of the breasts, and Prayāga in the lotus of the heart. Cidambaram is situated in the middle of the chin, and Kamalālaya in the Ādhāra (Mūlādhāra center).

One who abandons the Ātma-tīrtha (the sacred pilgrimage within the Self) and seeks external places of pilgrimage, is like a person who throws away a great jewel already held in his hand and goes searching for a piece of glass.

The pilgrimage of inner realization (Bhāva-tīrtha) is the highest pilgrimage and the true standard in all spiritual practices. Otherwise, distinctions become confused—one may embrace another's wife as though she were one's own, and another's daughter as though she were one's child.

Places of pilgrimage filled with water, and deities fashioned from wood and other materials, are not regarded by Yogis as objects of ultimate worship. For them, the cause of realization is direct knowledge of one's own Self (Ātman).

O great sage, superior to external places of pilgrimage is the inner pilgrimage (Antas-tīrtha). The Ātma-tīrtha, the pilgrimage of the Self, is the greatest of all pilgrimages; other pilgrimages are of no real value in comparison.

If the mind remains impure within, it is not purified by bathing at sacred places of pilgrimage. Just as a vessel that has held liquor remains impure even when washed hundreds of times with water, so too does the inwardly corrupted mind remain unpurified.

During the times of Viṣuva (equinoxes), Ayana transitions, and eclipses, one should bathe inwardly at the sacred places such as Vārāṇasī that exist within the body. By doing so, a person becomes purified.

For those devoted to Jñāna-Yoga, even the water used to wash their feet is a sacred tīrtha. O foremost of sages, for the ignorant, such a tīrtha serves as a means for the purification of the mind.

The deluded person seeks Śiva in places of pilgrimage, in charity, in Japa, in sacrifices, and in images made of wood or stone, while Śiva is established within one's own body.

One who abandons Me, who dwell within, and seeks only what is external, is like a person who throws away the food already in his hand and then licks his own elbow in search of nourishment.

Yogis behold Śiva within their own Self, not in images. Images have been prescribed for the sake of contemplation and devotional cultivation by those who have not yet attained knowledge.

One who beholds his own Self as the beginningless and unsurpassed Brahman, the one Reality, non-dual, a mass of pure consciousness, and bliss— he alone truly sees.

O great sage, abandoning identification with the body, which is but a network of Nāḍīs and inherently without lasting substance, abide in the awareness: “I am the Self alone.”

Realizing the bodiless One within all bodies, the great, all-pervading Lord, the imperishable Bliss itself, the wise person becomes free from sorrow.

O sage, when the knowledge that gives rise to distinctions has been destroyed by the power of true Knowledge, what can the unreal distinction between the Ātman and Brahman possibly accomplish?