Friday, July 31, 2009

Tradition of Nath Yogis


Gorakh says:

“Adekhi Dekhiba, Dekhi Vichariba Adishti Rhakhiva Cheeya.”

“Aapa Bhajiba Satguru Khojiba Jog Panth Na Kariba Hela.”

See the unseen then to think .for this achievement your conscience should be devoid of faith.

Follow yourself, search for a true master, not to follow any sect, religion which are for the name of Yoga.



See the unseen! In other words, experience yourself first, then think and deliberate. Unless experience comes to you, your faith in the Parmatma is illusionary, imaginary and false. If you wish to submerge into the experience then:


Adishti Rhakhiva Cheeya:

Gorakh says: Your conscience should be devoid of faith, devotion and belief of any kind. There should be total void with no trace of any faith or conviction.


Aapa Bhajiba Satguru Khojiba:

If you wish to trust somebody or something, if you wish to nurture faith and dedication, then nurture these for thy Self. Love thy Self, worship thy Self, meditate on thy Self.

If you are seeking something, then search for a real Guru- a Guru who has the wealth of experience – the experience of the Atma (internal reality).

Never abide by the proponents of any sect or religious community who preach faith, convictions and beliefs of any form.

Aapa Bhajiba

These are revolutionary and controversial words, as Gorakh puts them: Do not worship any doctrine or faith; worship thy Self, believe in the Truth that is embedded within you. Be your own light and whatever it is that you observe in the glow of that light, is yours to take. Then reflect, think and live in the experience. Then, whatever lives up to your expectations derived from the experience is truly yours. Only then your faith will be concrete and devotion will follow. That devotion shall be simple, real, and outside the parameters of all religions. All doubts will vanish once you taste the fruit of your own divine experience. Only then will faith and devotion be yours to claim.

The Yoga promulgated by Gorakh is the Yoga of methods, of technique. Gorakh employs the mind to, methodically, use the ‘Praan’(inner oxygen). ‘Praanjai (win the life air)’, i.e conquering the ‘Praan (life energy)’. It is because of the ‘Praan’ that one is alive; without the ‘Praan’, there can be no organism, no existence.


Therefore, Gorakh’s path of Yoga calls for walking through the journey of life in consonance with the ‘Praan’ (core of life, the soul). And taking the journey beyond to ‘Praan’ towards the ultimate goal, from where the ‘Praan’ submerges into the being; the aim is to reach that extreme target beyond which there is nothing.

Gorakh begins a new chapter for the human race. The purpose of this chapter is to begin the journey of life in a simple, natural way and gravitate towards Yoga. Yoga means uniting with the True Self. All that Gorakh conveyed to the human race, centuries ago, is still compelling and applicable, and will remain, for centuries to come.

The Yoga wisdom passed on by Gorakh is the crux of human life and based on the techniques of Yoga. And no other Yogi has been able to convey the type of subtle interpretation the way Gorakh has done. And in the future too, anyone who conveys the same will seek reference from Gorakh’s messages.

Gorakh has given the answers to the deep and abstract mysteries of life from the extremely subtle experience of the analysis of yogic techniques, and not from scriptures or words. Therefore, he is the first scientist of the yogic path.

It is sufficient to have an understanding in order to follow Gorakh’s path. No faith and conviction of any kind is required. You can easily walk the path of Gorakh’s Yoga if you have the simple understanding of self- benefit.


Thursday, July 23, 2009

Yajna Tradition

Swami Satyananda Saraswati


A yajna is a fire ceremony. The tradition of yajna is well known in India, as it is the most ancient of Vedic rituals, which Indians have carried on till the present day. In fact this ancient form of worship was prevalent throughout the world before the advent of diverse cultural sects. It was the ritual of our forefathers, whereby through the power of mantras and offerings specific deities were invoked to shower their benevolence on mankind.

So you have a vedic yajna, tantric yajna, pauranic yajna and even darshanic (philosophical) yajnas. During the treta yuga, king Dasarath conducted the Putreshti yajna whereby Agni was invoked, we all know he got not one, but four, each more brilliant than the other. Other Vedic yajnas such as Somayana, Jyotistoma, Ashwamedha, Rajasuya, Vajapeya, are well known. Yajnas such as Gayatri Yajna, Vishnu Yajna and Chandi Yajna were also conducted during the Pauranic era. Srimad Bhagawad Gita refers to Darshanic yajnas which are more philosophical in nature where even an act of charity, austerity, japa or swadhyaya can be performed in the spirit of a yajna. The form and importance of yajna differed according to the times depending on the aptitude and needs. In today's situation we may even talk about a blood donation yajna or an eye camp yajna or even a refugee crisis yajna!

Despite the fact that there are several kinds of yajnas the underlying factor common to all yajnas is that through this ritual the invisible forces (devatas) that are interspersed in the atmosphere consolidate and collect in the area where it is conducted. Just as the vapour in the air becomes water through a process of condensation in the same way these divine forces that are pervading the akasha condense and crystallise at one place. It is for this reason that a yajna is considered a very powerful and potent means for positively influencing the atmosphere which surrounds us. Yajna's are known to ward off malefic events. The world situation being what it is today, it would therefore be appropriate to conduct yajnas in these troubled times.

Yajnas have an element of mystery in them. This is because the effects of a yajna are felt on not just the physical, mental, psychic or spiritual levels but on the supramental levels as well. A Yajna is an esoteric act and thus penetrates deep into the area of mysticism.

The yajnas conducted during Sita Kalyanam are tantric. The rites and rituals, which will be observed at these yajnas are drawn from the traditions preserved in the Agamas (Tantras). These rituals will differ from yajna to yajna. There are different types of fire-places (vedi) for each yajna, the herbs and materials offered also differ. Different mantras are chanted in each yajna. Every item offered for sacrifice in these yajnas is pure because it is drawn from nature. Waters from seven seas and rivers will be offered as oblation in these yajnas.

In the nine days preceding Sita Vivah the following yajnas will be conducted: 1) Ganapati yajna, 2) Navgraha yajna, 3) Saraswati yajna, 4) Sudarshan yajna, 5) Maha Vishnu/Laxmi yajna, 6) Gita yajna, 7) Rudra/Durga yajna, 8) Saundarya Lahiri yajna, and 9) Lalita yajna.

Swami Satyananda has said, "Yajna is a very common thing in India. In fact we don't invite anyone for yajnas, people come on their own. The moment they hear there is a yajna in Calcutta, people go from here because the belief of the people is that when you perform a yajna the celestial beings pervade that area. Not only the material and physical environment but also the spiritual environment of that place is purified. Just as you feel the coolness when you enter an air-conditioned apartment, because the room is cool, in the same way if a particular area is charged with a highly spiritual environment then as you enter that area your mind becomes peaceful, pure and is elevated."

For a yajna to become efficacious it is most important that the acharyas (pundits) who conduct it are carefully chosen. Adept Yoginis from the sannyasa tradition to which Swami Satyananda belongs have been chosen by him to conduct the yajnas as per the tantric tradition of Dakshina Path (South India).

Yajna in the life of a householder is very important, Swami Satyananda has said, "In the Vedas, Puranas and Smritis we are advised that householders should perform yajna. Yajna, according to the Gita, does not mean just a ritual where some items of the puja are consigned to flames and dedicated to God. The word yajna is constituted of three syllables ya, ja, and na which refer to three processes of every act we perform viz. utpadan, uparjan and vitarana i.e. production (ya), earning (ja), distribution (na).

"In the life of every householder sharing one's wealth with others is of topmost value. It is the first duty of each householder. Whatever he gets from his farms, from his trade and commerce, whatever he earns from his job, must be shared with other members of society. He should not forget that his wealth owes a share to the needy members of society. Remember and don't forget that you do not have an exclusive right over the wealth you call your own."

Tradition of Yajna-Satyananda Saraswati

There was a time when yajnas were a part of the day to day culture of this land. Rishis and munis performed yajnas of all kinds. It was quite common to drop in at the hermitage of a rishi and discover them in the midst of a yajna. The chanting of Vedic mantras abounded in the atmosphere. The fragrance of homa and the tranquil resonance of sattwic vibrations filled the air. It felt as if beauty and auspiciousness had made their permanent abode there. The seasons were always kind and benevolent. Fruits and flowers adorned the trees. Birds chirped merrily. Deer and wild beasts frolicked around not at all wary of humans. The water and air was pure and invigorating. Peace and tranquillity pervaded the surroundings.

Imagine that picturesque scene. The simplicity and richness of that event. The surcharged energy and feeling of unity that it generates. The willpower and stamina that it creates. The immense satisfaction and joy that is felt. The dynamism and power of the mantras which forbid any negative vibrations to enter that sphere. The love and compassion that arises from within. The profound understanding that develops of the role of each and every speck of creation and one's own place within that.

That is the purpose of a yajna. Yajna is no different to yoga. Asanas, pranayama, dharana and dhyana are not the only forms of yoga. Yajna is also a form of yoga. Asanas discipline and regulate the body to function in its optimum condition. Dharana and dhyana train the mind to focus and concentrate. Those forms of yoga are for the body and mind, the physical attributes of man. Yajnas are more than that. They are esoteric yoga. They deal with a part of you that you do not know, have never experienced, and can never see. Yajnas communicate with the hidden part of you. It is not the language of words. It is pure experience. Therefore, your conscious mind cannot understand it nor is it even necessary for your mind to comprehend all that is happening.

The mind simply does not have the faculty to know that dimension because it functions in the realm of intelligence. Even your buddhi cannot take you there because buddhi is governed by intellect. Beyond intelligence and intellect there is a much greater power and that is intuition or prajna. Yajnas alter the state of mind and buddhi to give an experience of that. The esoteric nature of a yajna draws out eternal archetypes that are embedded in us. Without our knowledge, with ease and comfort great transformations take place within us. Samskaras from the causal body get a chance to express themselves and thus blockages and obstacles are removed.



Yajnas exist in time as well as beyond time and space. The smoke that arises from the yajna kund travels to higher realms and other planes of existence. It is consumed by the cosmic energy. This is why yajnas are conducted by proficient pundits with great accuracy and philosophical attention.

Everything that is offered at a yajna is taken from nature. No substances of chemical or artificial origin are used. The fuel that is burnt is aromatic and purifies the air. It is kindled by rubbing the samidha sticks, not with a candle or matchstick. The persons who kindle the fire are those who have been devoted to fire worship for generations and generations. In their daily life they worship the fire with mantras at sunrise and sunset. It is called the heavenly fire, because it reaches out to the heavens and forms a link between heaven and earth.

It is that enchanting scene which will be recreated at Paramahamsa Alakh Bara during Sita Kalyanam. This will give us a chance of witnessing the glorious heritage bestowed on us by our ancestors, the rishis and munis. It is such events that restore global order and uphold the world we live in. If yajnas were not held the earth would degenerate and all life would be crushed. We would not have to die to go to hell, we would experience it here while living.

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