Iishvara Pranidhana

“Iishati yah sah Iishvarah” i.e. He who controls is Iishvara.

Pra‑ni‑dha + anat form the word Pranidhana in Sanskrit. “Prakrs’t’a ru’pena nidha’na ityarthe Pranidhana”.

When the flow of all the propensities of mind is channelized towards One, it is Iishvara Pranidhana. First, let us see what is Iishvara? Philosophers have given several meanings for the word Iishvara. One is “Iishati yah sah Iishvarah” i.e. He who controls is Iishvara. A second meaning is “Sa Iishvarah anirvacaniiyah parama premasvaru’pa”.

Every object has its original form, original rank. The original form, the original status of Prema is its Svaru’pa. Iishvara is Parama Prema Svaru’pa and its Svaru’pa is “Anirvacaniiya” i.e. inexplicable, can not be expressed through the media of organs. Eyes, ears, nose, hands and feet can not explain Him. A‑nih‑vac+aniiya form the Sanskrit word Anirvacaniiya.

Another meaning is “Klesha karma vipa’ka’shayaerapara’mrs’t’ah purus’a vishes’a Iishvarah”. He who remains unassailed, unaffected by Klesha (affliction), Karma (action), Vipa’ka (reactive momenta) and A’shaya (A’bhoga or pabulum is Iishvara).

Yet another meaning is that He who possesses Aeshvarya is Iishvara. He who possesses the eight occult powers (An’ima’, Laghima’, Mahima’, Iishitva, Vashitva, Pra’pti, Praka’mya & Antaraya’mitva) is called Iishvara. There are so many explanations given about Iishvara but the real meaning is the practical one. He is not very much linked with philosophy. Philosophy is for explaining to others.

Philosophy has no importance for Sa’dhaka and therefore Sa’dhaka accepts the first explanation i.e. He who controls is Iishvara. He controls A’brahmastamba. A’brahma‑stamba means from the Creator to the blade of grass. Brahma here means Brahma'.

Here A’ is removed. Who was in the beginning? The creator. According to old thinking Brahma’ is the creator. Stamba means a blade of grass in Sanskrit. The controller from the Creator to the blade of grass is called Iishvara. If He does not desire, even a blade of grass cannot move. Then what is the meaning of Iishvara for Sa’dhaka or Bhakta? The meaning is that He is the controller of everything, the Supreme Controller.

When one does Pranidhana i.e. detaches all one’s propensities from objects and then channelizes them towards Parama Purus’a, the Supreme Controller, this is called Iishvara Pranidhana.

What is its name (pointing at a place in the figure hanging on the wall)? This is called Kula. Then Sahasra’ra was pointed out. The sleeping divinity is in Kula. What is Jiiva? A manifestation of Parama Purus’a.

Jiiva came from fundamental positivity to the fundamental negativity in the beginning of the creation. When it moves up from Kula to Sahasra’ra, it comes in contact with Shiva. This Jiiva Bha’va is in its crudest form in Kula. This is the sleeping divinity. Mu’la’dha’re baset shaktih Sahasra’re Sada’shivah

What is your Sa’dhana’? Your Sa’dhana’ is to awaken the sleeping creative principle and to take it to Sada’shivah. Here in the Mu’la’dha’ra, the creative principle is sleeping. Shiva here is crude because He is here the Jina’tr Satta’ (knowing entity) of crudest manifestation.

The status of Shiva depends on His Knowership. Where Shiva is the knower of crude He is called Shava. This is the difference between Shiva and Shava. Where He is the knower of Consciousness, He is Shiva but where He is the knower of crude, He is Shava. Dead body is, therefore, called Shava because Shiva is there the knower of Shava.

Here in the Sahasra’ra lies Kaos’ikii or Shiva’nii from which starts Svaru’pa Parin’a’ma (homomorphic evolution), and Bhaeravii emerges thereafter. And Bhava’nii emerges in the last. At the lowest end, that is at Mu’la’dha’ra, She is known as Shiva’ as well. A man has to awaken this sleeping energy, and through constant Sa’dhana’, make her Caetanyadiipta’ (illumined with awakened consciousness). After being so awakened, She will get elevated, and by and by She will reach Sada’shiva in the Sahasra’ra. To awaken Her, guide her on the right path and make Her reach Sahasra’ra, is your Sa’dhana'.

According to human nature “mine‑ness” (Mamata’) depends upon proximity, the more a person feels nearer to an object, the more “mine‑ness” he feels for the same. Ra’ma, Shya’ma and Y have sons, and one has his own son also. Mine‑ness or affection for one’s own son is more than for the sons of other persons, though all are equally sons. Why is it so? It is so because of proximity ‑ physical and psychic. There are so many dogs on the street. You pick up one of them, keep him in your house. What happens after five or seven days? You develop more ‘mine‑ness’ for this dog than for other street‑dogs. It occurs because of physical and psychic proximity. Mother resides at Jamalpur and daughter at Baraaui at her father‑in‑law’s house, the neighbour has also a daughter, why is it so that one has more ‘mine‑ness’ for his own daughter than for the neighbour’s? It is because of psychic proximity.

You have an attraction for the ornaments you wear, for the coat and shirt, you put on. You have an attraction for the known substances. Attraction is the law of nature, and not repulsion. You may say repulsion is negative attraction but attraction is never negative repulsion. Suppose somebody’s name is Subodha, the mine‑ness which he has got for this word is more than what he has got for any other word. The moment he will hear the letter “Su”, he will look back, and thereafter may find it is not ‘Bodh’ but ‘Dhiira’. When a person of a particular district (say Deoria) listens to the name of his district while two persons are talking on the road, he gets automatically attracted. It occurs in reference to time, place and person. Proximity develops ‘mine‑ness’, which pervades his mind, and gets intimately associated with his existence and human‑ness (Ma’navata’). It pervades his nerve‑cells, his vibrations, and his very existence. It is very difficult to save oneself from this associative‑mine‑ness. To accomplish this, when one goes for Tantra‑Sa’dhana’ in the burial ground, one has to leave many things which are old and with which one is associated. Even his Gotra is changed and he becomes one of Shiva‑Gotra, with his name as Bhaerava.

A’tmagotram’ parityajya, Shivagotram’ pravishatu

In marrow and bones, in the very atoms and molecules, the reactive momenta of name, place and person pervade. At the root of human existence lies man’s name. The very first question, put to a man is, “who are you? What is your name?” One has a close proximity with one’s own name, and a name is a collection of words. In ancient India, it was a tradition to rename a person, when he embraced Sannya’sa (life of a recluse). Since he was to be allotted a new name, as per his reactive momenta, the first letter of his previous name used to become the first letter of his name as a Sannya’sii. Suppose, somebody’s name is Subhas Chandra, his name as a Sanya’sii may be Sarva’nanda or Sarvesha’nanda. Viveka’nanda’s name in his previous A’shrama was Narendra, but his nick name was `Bile’, and so he was named as Viveka’nanda (in Bengali to be pronounced as Bibeka’nanda) when he embraced Sannya’sa. You determine one’s Is’t’a Mantra on this very basis, since attachment to the letter is greatest. The system of determining Is’t’a Mantra has been made on the science of mutual adjustment of certain words, as particular words have got adjustment with other words. This is the secret science behind this system of determining Is’t’a Mantra.

Mu’la’dha’ra, bears the pressure of physical existence of the entire structure, that is why it is named as Mu’la’dha’ra ‑ (Mu’la+A’dha’ra). Herein lie all your mundane crudifications and bondages, collected, concentrated and accumulated. Here you are in the crudest form. Every physical entity has a rhythm, has its own vibration,and every vibration has a rhythm, according to which it moves. Your physical structure as well has an entitative rhythm. Every thought is a vibration,and every vibration has a rhythm. One who possesses the power of Antaraya’mitva (omniscience) catches these rhythmsand knows about your thoughts within. The last item of Aeshvarya is Antaraya’mitva. Your hand has a vibration and rhythm, every part and limb of your body has its own particular rhythm and vibration, otherwise, all would have become one. There is no Sa’marasya in the human body, rather varieties exist.

All the expressed entities of the universe have three types of differences ‑ Svaja’tiiya, Vija’tiiya and Svagata.

Human body, being a worldly existence, also possesses these differences and variegations. The difference between man and man, is said to be Svaja’tiiya Bheda. The difference between man and dog is known as Vija’tiiya Bheda. Dogs walk on their four legs while man does it with two legs only, he uses the two front legs, known as hands for catching things as well. The difference between man and animals is known as Viha’tiiya Bheda.

Different portions of the human body differ from one another. Head, hand, nose and eyes have their own variegations; this difference is known as Svagata Bheda. Even the different fingers of the same hand have separate rhythms and different vibrational expressions. Collection of all these rhythms form an overall average rhythm, which is known as entitative rhythm for the entire entity. In Sanskrit, this is called “svacchanda”. The entitative rhythm of the human body is being vibrated from this Kula, which is bearing the pressure of the entire structure. Herein lies the sleeping divinity in crudest form.

The Is’t’a Mantra, according to one’s own Sam’ska’ra (reactive momenta) has also an acoustic rhythm. As you have got your own entitative rhythm, the Mantra has also got its own acoustic rhythm. Incantation or the Mantra has also its own entitative wave. Thus your physical body has got an entitative wave and your mantra has also its own entitative wave or　incantative wave. You have to fight against your entitative wave and elevate yourself according to the incantative wave of the Mantra. As such you will have to strike at the entitative wave, with the help of incantative wave of the Is’t’a Mantra.

How to accomplish this, and get one elevated, as desired, by attaining the requisite control? One has to sit in Dhya’na’sana, which keeps the vertebral column in a proper position so that the passage of the vertebral fluid remains clear, and not choked. As such one will have to sit in correct posture, that is, in Dhya’na’sana. He will have to perform the Shuddhis then.

Performance of Shuddhis will make the mind receptive, and the moment he will receive Is’t’a Mantra, incantative wave will strike the entitative wave at the Kula. As a consequence, the sleeping divinity shall get awakened. This is called Mantra’gha’ta ‑ that means, sleeping divinity has been struck by the Mantra.

In ancient India, the prevalent rule was to make the mind calm and quiet, by taking bath and keeping the body cool, before taking initiation. This is not a bad system, but I have not made it compulsory, in A’ca’rya training, since A’nanda Ma’rga is a universal mission, and people in the North Pole and such other places, may find it extremely difficult, to take bath.

But this is not a bad system. Indian people take bath and they should. After taking bath the Sa’dhaka will sit in proper A’sana, make the mind receptive, by performing the Shuddhis, after which he will get the Mantra, which will cause Mantra’gha’ta. Mantra’gha’ta awakens the consciousness ‑ “I have to do Sa’dhana’ and I shall do it properly.” After this comes Diipanii.

What is Diipanii? Diipanii means torch. One who walks, needs a light. Even if you know the path, you can not go forth, if it is dark. Darkness will not enable you to see the path, you need a torch. The Shuddhis act as Diipanii. As such you can not proceed even a step, if the Shuddhis have not been performed correctly. That is why, I have said several times, that even if you have performed Shuddhis for forty five minutes, out of one hour of your Sa’dhana’, it is quite correct, for during the remaining fifteen minutes, you will be doing Sa’dhana’ correctly, if Diipanii has been done well.

If without Diipanii, you have performed Sa’dhana’ for fifty nine minutes, preceded with Shuddhis of a duration of one minute only, you shall not be able to perform Sa’dhana’ properly.

At times, you find that if you sit in Sa’dhana’, with your mind in a disturbed state due to some worldly obsessions, you are unable to concentrate properly. It is only because the Shuddhis could not be done correctly, because of the disturbed state of mind.

Shuddhis should have been done correctly. If your mind is disturbed, and you want to do Shuddhis correctly, just recite some Bhajanas (God’s glory) loudly. After doing it for five to ten minutes, you will find your mind comparatively calm and with a calm mind you shall be able to do Diipanii correctly. As a consequence, you will be able to do Sa’dhana’ properly.

Whether it is Bhajana or Kiirtana, sing it loudly. Kiirtana means reciting God’s name loudly for others also, and Bhajana is to listen to the glory of Parama Purus’a to oneself alone. Both help in spiritual elevation. You can sing either one ‑ Bhajana or Kiirtana, but it should be done loudly. The vocal cord shall recite and the ears shall listen.

If a student, not so sharp in intelligence and weak in memory reads loudly, he will be able to pick up easily. Since eyes are reading and ears are listening, two of the Indriyas (organs) are active for reception. Singing Bhajana and Kiirtana loudly and thereafter doing Diipanii correctly, will enable one to do Sa’dha’na, correctly and nicely.

Another name of Diipanii is Diipa‑jina’na. Diipa means Pradiipa (lamp). The same has been mentioned in the definition of Diiks’a’ (initiation). Diipa jina’nam yato dadya’t, kurya’t pa’paks’ayam tatha’ Tasma’t diiks’eti sa’ prokta’, sarva tantrasya sammata’

What is Diiks’a’? It is that which initiates one in Diipanii and enables one to have Diipa‑Jina’na, and also which causes annihilation of Pa’pa (reactive momenta). Diiks’a’ also causes Mantra’gha’ta and Mantra Caetanya. Diipanii is the first item. You have to do Diipanii before Mantra’gha’ta. Diipanii has a very great significance. You get Diipanii and thereafter Pa’pa gets annihilated by Sa’dhana’.

You know well that in the life of a Sa’dhaka, so many worldly worries and problems crop up. It is only because of the fact that the annihilation of Pa’pa has started, then and there. Pa’pa means past Sam’ska’ras, be they good or bad. Chain is after all a chain, be it of gold or iron; even if you are tied to a golden chain, it is a bondage. Will you find pleasure if the rope of the jail be made of gold? To a prisoner, chains of gold and iron have equal significance. He wants to get relieved from both of them.

When annihilation of Pa’pa has started, a Sa’dhaka must not be puzzled. Rather, he should think that it is only because Sa’dhana’ is going on well. Annihilation of Sam’ska’ras is a sign of good Sa’dhana’. That which causes annihilation is Diiks’a, according to all of the Tantras, which have no difference of opinion, on this point. The first letter of Diipanii is Dii and of Ks’ayam is “Ks’a”, the two combined form the word Diiks’a and as feminine gender it becomes Diiks’a’. So Diiks’a’ is that which provides one with Diipanii and causes the annihilation of all Sam’ska’ras.

What should occur first, Diipanii or Mantra’gha’ta? The first item is Mantra’gha’ta, thereafter comes Diipanii. After awakening the sleeping divinity by Mantra’gha’ta, arises the need of Diipanii, to show the path to the awakened divinity. What shall be the need of Diipanii, if the divine energy (Kula Kundalinii) is still in the sleeping state?

Suppose she is awakened and has also been shown the path, but you are not striving to elevate her. Will she get elevated of her own self? The chief characteristic of a Sa’dhaka is to have endurance and go on endeavouring constantly. Sa’dhana’ necessitates endurance in the very beginning and also till the last.

To continue striving with undaunted endurance is the characteristic of a great man. Dhrti ks’ama’ damo’steyam’ ‑ shaocamindriyanigrahah Dhiirvidya’ satyamakrodhah dashakam dharma laks’an’am

These are the ten characteristics of Dharma as well of family (Kula).

These are ten whether it is good or bad. They also depict the spiritual character of the man. Both have, Dhrti (endurance); Ks’ama’ (forgiveness), Asteya (descendants of a noble family shall never steal, the spiritualists also shall never steal), Shaoca ‑ they will have physical and psychic purity, shall be never dirty; Damah ‑ they will have a control over the evil and the evil doers and shall fight against all evils; Indriya‑nigraha ‑ they shall be men of moral character; Dhiir Vidya’ ‑ they shall be intelligent, (Vidya’ means knowledge); Satyam ‑ they shall be established in Satyam; Akrodhah ‑ they shall not get angry over everything.

These are the ten characteristics of Dharma. They shall have to endeavour with proper endurance. In Sa’dhana’, at the first stage, a Yogii is called Yatama’na, at the second stage he is called Vyatireka, at the third stage he is known as ekendriya and at the last, Vashiika’ra. Vashiika’ra are they who have full control over the entire structure. What shall the Yatama’na do? They shall awaken the sleeping divinity and elevate Her through the Sus’umna’ Na’d’ii.

What is Mantra Caetanya?

Sus’umna’ Na’d’ii, is just like a pipe having a passage within it, which is more psychic than physical. This is also known as Sus’umna’ Kanda. It is loosely called Sus’umna’ Na’d’ii, but actually it is Kanda, which means trunk or main portion.

Within Sus’umna’lies another pipe of smaller diameter, known as Citra’n’ii. Within the latter lies another pipe, of still smaller diameter, which is entirely spiritual.

It is known as Brahma’n’ii.

Susumna fluid lies within this Brahma’n’ii through which Kula Kundalinii goes up and down. You have to elevate the Kundalinii, through Brahma’n’ii with the help of Is’t’a Mantra, vibrating within every drop of your blood, and pervading through all the atoms, molecules and ions of your entire structure.

But if you do not know the meaning of the mantra, there shall be no ideation, as a consequence, your Iccha’ Shakti shall remain unaffected, and without Iccha’ Shakti , Kula Kundalinii shall not get elevated. As such one must understand the meaning of the Mantra. Knowing the meaning of Mantra, is called Mantra Caetanya.

Caetanyarahitah’ mantrah’ proktavarn’astu kevalam Phalam naeva prayacchanti laks’akot’i japaerapi.

Mantra without Mantra Caetanya is ineffective and fruitless. The absence of Mantra Caetanya from the Mantra makes the latter meaningless, it shall only be a composition of words. Without knowing its meaning, Mantra is simply two syllables. You are just repeating it like a parrot, and when misery befalls, you forget the same, like the parrot caught by the cat.

If you repeat the Mantra without understanding the meaning, say for thousands and millions of times, it shall have no result. Mantra Caetanya of the Mantra means that the ideation of the Mantra has been imbibed, and Kundalinii has been awakened by catching hold of her tail, but in Sahaja Yoga sa’dhana’ she should get elevated, without catching her tail and elevating her.

How does it occur? Mantra Caetanya causes the emergence of an urge for spiritual elevation, which means that Bhakti (devotion) has been aroused. Bhakti alone is the ultimate shelter in any Sa’dhana’, be it Iishvara Pranidhana or Dhya’na. Bhakti means emergence of the intense feeling “I will not remain separate from Him. I will reach Him by any means, I will embrace Him, I will merge in Him, I will be one with Him”.

As a consequence of this intense urge, mind shall get elevated. When you are doing Dhya’na lesson, the feeling shall be “I will catch hold of my Dhyeya (on whom I am meditating), I will not leave Him.”

Iishvara Pranidhana is also a kind of Dhya’na. It is not Japa‑Kriya’ (mere repetition). Your Arddha Iishvara Pranidhana is Japa‑Kriya’, your Cakra‑Cakra’ntara Japa, in which you go from one Cakra to another (as in Cakra Shodhana) is also Japa‑Kriya’.

But Iishvara Pranidhana is not Japa‑Kriya’, it is Dhya’na. Japa has been associated with it to help you in Dhya’na. The process of Dhya’na is always Sa’biija and never Nirbiija. In the latter case, it shall bear no fruit. In your Dhya’na, or Dha’ran’a’‑ Dhya’na, you have to repeat the Mantra physically, Nirbiija will have no effect. All aspects of your Sa’dhana’ (Dha’ran’a or Dhya’na) must always be Sabiija.

In both the cases that is, be it in the reference of Nirgun’a or Sagun’a, your Dhya’na Kriya’ has to be Sabiija. If it is not Sabiija, it shall not be able to inspire ideation. Sabiija means based on Mantra, that, which is associated with Biija‑Mantra, is called Sabiija.

The realization of the Dhyeya (goal) necessitates intense and exclusive urge. “Thou art my Supreme Love. I must realize Thee and I will”. This intense urge is a must for a Sa’dhaka. It means that, in the end Sa’dhana’ exclusively stands on Bhakti and Bhakti alone Jina’na (knowledge) and Karma (action) remain at the lower stages. At times some people complain of not having progress in Sa’dhana’.

It is only because that Bhakti has not yet been inspired in them. The moment you will have this feeling “I will realize Him, and definitely I will find Him, and find Him I must”, the moment your devotion shall become strong, then and there your work will be done. It does not require even a day or two.

You do your Iishvara Pranidhana with aforesaid firm determination and Bhakti, you will instantly have sentient expression of uttering “Hum’, hum’”. Mind will have an ideational elevation. Your strong Iccha’ Shakti will help you in having this ideational elevation.

As a consequence, there shall be a vacuum in the Sus’umna’ Kanda, since your ectoplasmic stuff is also going up under the influence of Iccha’ Shakti. Automatically Kundalinii shall get elevated. You need not do the same by catching hold of Her tail. In Vishes’a Yoga, the Sa’dhaka will do it, by catching the tail as well, but in Sahaja Yoga, it shall be a natural consequence. Creation of vacuum at the upper portions of Sus’umna’ shall make the elevation of Kundalinii a natural phenomenon, just as water goes up in a tube‑well.

What is then the second meaning of Mantra‑Caetanya?

One of the meanings is to understand the meaning of Is’t’a Mantra, and the other implies, elevation of Kundalinii. The moment Bhakti is inspired, no extra endeavour is required for it since Bhakti causes the creation of a vacuum in Sus’umna’. Even Sham’kara’ca’rya, who was a great Jina’na Ma’rgii (follower of the path of knowledge), and not a Bhakti Ma’rgii had to accept ‑ Moks’aka’ran’a samagra’m bhaktireva gariiyase.

Bhakti lies superior to all the other means of achieving liberation, since Bhakti resides at the highest sphere (near Sahasra’ra). The Sanskrit word gariiyasii' means above all'.