The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
It will be observed that all the methods previously and subsequently described practically subserve one object, the making of the Prāna enter Sushumnā, and then become Laya in the Sahasrāra after the Prāna Devatā Kundalinī has pierced the intervening Chakras; for when Prāna flows through the Sushumnā the mind becomes steady. When Chit is absorbed in Sushumnā, Prāna is motionless.² This object colours also the methods Pratyāhāra, Dhāranā, Dhyā- na, and Samādhi; for whereas in the Rājayoga aspect they are various mental processes and states, from the Hathayoga point of view, which is concerned with “breathing,” they are progressions in Prānāyāma. Therefore it is that some works describe them differently to harmonise them with the Hatha theory and practice, and explain them as degrees of Kumbhaka varying according to the length of its duration.³ Thus, if the Prāna is retained for a particular time it is called Pratyāhāra, if for a longer time it is called Dhāranā, and so on until Samādhi is attained, which is equivalent to its retention for the longest period.⁴
All beings say the Ajapā Gāyatrī,⁵ which is the expulsion of the breath by Hangkāra, and its inspiration by Sahkāra, 21,600 times a day. Ordinarily the breath goes forth a distance of 12 fingers’ breadth, but in singing, eating, walking, sleeping, coition, the distances are 16, 20, 24, 30, and 36 breadths, respectively. In violent exercise these distances are exceeded, the greatest distance being
1 Hathayogapradīpikā, II. 44—75.
2 Yogakundalī-Up., Ch. I.
3 See Yoga Sūtra, ed. Manilal Nabhubhai Dvivedi, Ap. VI.
4 See Comm. to Hathayogapradīpikā, Ch. II, v. 12.
5 This is the Mantra Hangsah manifested by Prāna. See Dhyānabindu-Up. Hangsah is Jīvātmā, and Paramahangsa is Paramātmā. See Hangsa-Upanishad.
96 breadths. Where the breathing is under the normal distance, life is prolonged. Where it is above that, it is shortened. Pūraka is inspiration, and Rechaka expiration. Kumbhaka is the retention of breath between these two movements. Kumbhaka is, according to the Gheranda Sanghitā, of eight kinds: Sahita, Sūryyabheda, Ujjāyī, Shītalī, Bhastrikā, Bhrāmarī, Mūrchchhā, and Kevalī. Prānāyāma similarly varies. Prānāyāma awakens Shakti, frees from disease, produces detachment from the world, and bliss. It is of varying values, viz., best (Uttama) middling (Madhyama) and inferior (Adhama). The value is measured by the length of the Pūraka, Kumbhaka, and Rechaka. In Adhama Prānāyāma it is 4, 16, and 8 respectively=28. In Madhyama it is double of that, viz., 8 32, 16,=56. In Uttama it is double of the last, viz., 16, 64, 32 respectively=112. The number given is that of the recitation of the Pranava Mantra. The Sādhaka passes through three different stages in his Sādhanā which are similarly named. In Adhama perspiration is produced, in Madhyama tremor, and Uttama done for a 100 times is said to result in levitation.
It is necessary that the Nādī should be cleansed, for air does not enter those which are impure. Months or years may be spent in the preliminary process of cleansing the Nādīs. The cleansing of the Nādī (Nādīshuddhi) is either Samanu or Nirmanu—that is, with or without the use of Bīja. According to the first form, the Yogī in Padmāsana does Gurunyāsa according to the directions of the Guru. Meditating on “Yang,” he does Japa through Idā of the Bīja 16 times, Kumbhaka with Japa of Bīja 64 times, and then exhalation through the solar Nādī and Japa of Bīja 32 times. Fire is raised from Manipūra and united with Prithivī. Then follows inhalation by the solar Nādī with the Vahni Bīja 16 times, Kumbhaka with 64
Japa of the Bīja, followed by exhalation through the lunar Nādī and Japa of the Bīja 32 times. He then meditates on the lunar brilliance, gazing at the tip of the nose, and inhales by Idā with Japa of the Bīja “Thang” 16 times. Kumbhaka is done with the Bīja Vang 64 times. He then thinks of himself as flooded by nectar, and considers that the Nādīs have been washed. He exhales by Pinggalā with 32 Japa of the Bīja Lang, and considers himself thereby as strengthened. He then takes his seat on a mat of Kusha
It will be observed that all the methods previously and subsequently described practically subserve one object, the making of the Prāna enter Sushumnā, and then become Laya in the Sahasrāra after the Prāna Devatā Kundalinī has pierced the intervening Chakras; for when Prāna flows through the Sushumnā the mind becomes steady. When Chit is absorbed in Sushumnā, Prāna is motionless.² This object colours also the methods Pratyāhāra, Dhāranā, Dhyā- na, and Samādhi; for whereas in the Rājayoga aspect they are various mental processes and states, from the Hathayoga point of view, which is concerned with “breathing,” they are progressions in Prānāyāma. Therefore it is that some works describe them differently to harmonise them with the Hatha theory and practice, and explain them as degrees of Kumbhaka varying according to the length of its duration.³ Thus, if the Prāna is retained for a particular time it is called Pratyāhāra, if for a longer time it is called Dhāranā, and so on until Samādhi is attained, which is equivalent to its retention for the longest period.⁴
All beings say the Ajapā Gāyatrī,⁵ which is the expulsion of the breath by Hangkāra, and its inspiration by Sahkāra, 21,600 times a day. Ordinarily the breath goes forth a distance of 12 fingers’ breadth, but in singing, eating, walking, sleeping, coition, the distances are 16, 20, 24, 30, and 36 breadths, respectively. In violent exercise these distances are exceeded, the greatest distance being
1 Hathayogapradīpikā, II. 44—75.
2 Yogakundalī-Up., Ch. I.
3 See Yoga Sūtra, ed. Manilal Nabhubhai Dvivedi, Ap. VI.
4 See Comm. to Hathayogapradīpikā, Ch. II, v. 12.
5 This is the Mantra Hangsah manifested by Prāna. See Dhyānabindu-Up. Hangsah is Jīvātmā, and Paramahangsa is Paramātmā. See Hangsa-Upanishad.
96 breadths. Where the breathing is under the normal distance, life is prolonged. Where it is above that, it is shortened. Pūraka is inspiration, and Rechaka expiration. Kumbhaka is the retention of breath between these two movements. Kumbhaka is, according to the Gheranda Sanghitā, of eight kinds: Sahita, Sūryyabheda, Ujjāyī, Shītalī, Bhastrikā, Bhrāmarī, Mūrchchhā, and Kevalī. Prānāyāma similarly varies. Prānāyāma awakens Shakti, frees from disease, produces detachment from the world, and bliss. It is of varying values, viz., best (Uttama) middling (Madhyama) and inferior (Adhama). The value is measured by the length of the Pūraka, Kumbhaka, and Rechaka. In Adhama Prānāyāma it is 4, 16, and 8 respectively=28. In Madhyama it is double of that, viz., 8 32, 16,=56. In Uttama it is double of the last, viz., 16, 64, 32 respectively=112. The number given is that of the recitation of the Pranava Mantra. The Sādhaka passes through three different stages in his Sādhanā which are similarly named. In Adhama perspiration is produced, in Madhyama tremor, and Uttama done for a 100 times is said to result in levitation.
It is necessary that the Nādī should be cleansed, for air does not enter those which are impure. Months or years may be spent in the preliminary process of cleansing the Nādīs. The cleansing of the Nādī (Nādīshuddhi) is either Samanu or Nirmanu—that is, with or without the use of Bīja. According to the first form, the Yogī in Padmāsana does Gurunyāsa according to the directions of the Guru. Meditating on “Yang,” he does Japa through Idā of the Bīja 16 times, Kumbhaka with Japa of Bīja 64 times, and then exhalation through the solar Nādī and Japa of Bīja 32 times. Fire is raised from Manipūra and united with Prithivī. Then follows inhalation by the solar Nādī with the Vahni Bīja 16 times, Kumbhaka with 64
Japa of the Bīja, followed by exhalation through the lunar Nādī and Japa of the Bīja 32 times. He then meditates on the lunar brilliance, gazing at the tip of the nose, and inhales by Idā with Japa of the Bīja “Thang” 16 times. Kumbhaka is done with the Bīja Vang 64 times. He then thinks of himself as flooded by nectar, and considers that the Nādīs have been washed. He exhales by Pinggalā with 32 Japa of the Bīja Lang, and considers himself thereby as strengthened. He then takes his seat on a mat of Kusha
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