The true meaning for a true sadhak, Only for those in Dhyana and Jnana Marg!

Innumerable are the Vachanas (verses ) of Allamaprabhu. He is a Brahma Jnani, Parabrahma Swaroopi. His experience is beyond words, deeper than the depth, vaster than the vastness, loftier than the heights. Being a Tattvajnani he has described the Asanas incredibly in His vachanas (verses/poems).

Those who are bound to Asanas will not remain quiet, applying the Bhasma, they control the breath, but can they bypass death? A few sadhaks confine the body with Asanas, steady it, and sit for several hours. But is their mind quiet? Their body does not move, and their breathing is regulated. They, thus, called as Asana Siddhas , have their body steadied.

The fruits of their Sadhana are mere health and steady body. They have sense of pride that ‘I have mastered my Asana, I can sit in the same Asana for 24 hours’, but with hundreds of dreams filled in their unsettled fickle mind.

Those who sit in Asana, their sadhana might beget them those anitya nada bindvadi darshana (experience of fleeting sound and sight/visions) and ephemeral fruition and positions (honor). But Nitya vastu jnan (Knowledge of Eternal Entity) is impossible for those who have the desire for anitya vastu (transitory pleasures) and do not have param vastu jnan ( knowledge of the Supreme Entity). They will never experience Amritattva (immortality). They are imprisoned in Kal Karma Bhava (inclinations towards time and action).

Sitting on white, red or blue colored mats is not ‘Asana’. When a sharana (a renunciant) stabilizes the mind at the top most place (head) of Urdwa Kundalini (Kundalini in upward direction) and when the mind stills there, he receives the darshan of Pranav Deva (Primordial God)in Brahma Mandal through Urdwa Drishti (upward gaze). His mind merges in Samadi with the Pranava Deva and attains the awareness (of the Self). The mind is in Awareness. This is called Asana.

Pujya Avadhoota Karunakaran Swamiji had told me many a times “Don’t roam around. Sit quietly in Asana”. People who had heard this used to warn me ‘Karunakar Swamy has told you not to stroll around and sit quietly’, when I was traveling to the Ashrams, Holy places and for darshan of Mahatmas and Avadhootas. They had not understood the essence of His cryptic message. That is His Diksha, that is His order. when he said sit in one place, it was not to my body, it was to the mind. I understood that ‘Asana’ is to steady the mind in Ajna Chakra.

If the mind attains the shape of the Dhyey (ultimate goal), it is equality. If a mind steadied in the Asana becomes One with the Dhyey, that is Samadhi, a state of harmony. That is why a Samadhist Manas (mind in the state of Samadhi) is filled with Ananda Ras (nectar of bliss). Through this, a sadhak who has ascended the Urdwa Kundalini and established himself aloft there becomes a Siddha. He gets the darshan of Virat Roop (all- encompassing form of Self). Merging in the Ajatavada Tattva he becomes Pranavaroodha (one who is established in Pranava, the Primordial), attains Avadhoota Stiti. He experiences that the Nija Vastu (The True Entity) is Sarvantaryami (indweller of everything) through Nitya Darshana (vision of The Eternal), as a result of His divine realization. This cannot be described in words. It is a stiti, which is Nirakar (no shape) and Manohar (captivating), beyond everything, beyond the religion, caste, creed discriminations, Nitya Tattva (Eternal Principal), Nitya Satya (Eternal Truth).

The true meaning of Asanas: –

The Sadguru is found seated on the Asan of the tiger’s skin whereas the disciple is seated next to him on the skin of a deer. Can the skins of animals killed by violence become Asanas? It has a different hidden meaning. Do the Guru-disciples ever sit on the leather seat of a tiger and deer as Asana? No.

Sadhguru is the one who bestows Abhaya (fearlessness, protection) to a disciple who is fearful. If the Guru is like a tiger, the pupil must be like a deer. During the sadhana, the disciple must have the fear of the Guru. And it has been portrayed through Asana, that’s all. Though He appears to be fearsome, imparting the divine wisdom, Sadhguru, relieves the Pranabhay (fear of death) of the disciple. . He confers his complete grace through his Abhaya Hasta (Gesture bestowing fearlessness and courage). Sometimes Guru’s words and act can be cryptic and puzzling. He may sound harsh or strict at times, but Sadhguru has only the best intention for His disciple always, harsh or subtle or silence, whichever way works the best for His disciple, a Sadhguru employs that for the welfare of His disciple. A disciple must always remember, no Sadhguru would want His disciple’s downfall, all His actions are to elevate the disciple on the path.

The secret of Shivayoga is given to a true disciple who has done Guruseva. One in a millions practice Shivayoga, they are scarce. One who enjoys the bliss of Shivayoga is a Shivayogi. Those who have this experience are extremely rare. Shivapath (path of Shiva) is a cloth beyond the three outfits: Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. Gurupath (path of Guru) comes first, before knowing the Shivapath. Allamaprabhu says ‘those who have experienced the bliss of Shivayoga are very rare. It is impossible to evoke this experience in a disciple through words, discourses or teaching in the schools and shivirs (spiritual retreats/camps). It is Maunavaste (state of complete Silence), describing such sublime experience through words is impossible’.

The vrittis (waves or fluctuations) of the mind has to be stilled. The nine vrittis (waves/ tendencies) of the mind must be dissolved. They are, Gandha (smell), Rasa (taste), Roopa (sight), Sparsha (touch), Shabda (sound), Ahamkar (ego), Avadharane (collectedness of mind), Nirdhara (judgment) and Sankalpa (determination).

If the Chitta (mind) is outward, it will take these nine forms. It is called Vritti. A few people practice sadhana by steadying it outward on a specific object and a few internalize it. This is an Antarik Nistarang (stillness inward/ wavelessness), Samadhi avasta (state) of Chitta. This is called Asana. Even these sadhaks are haunted by “darkness”. Darkness means ignorance. They would not have had the experience of Pranalinga (Vital force in Primordial State) . The Abheda darshana (indivisible/complete vision) of Prana (vital force) is Linga (existence that is oval in shape) and Linga is Prana must happen, the Brahmanda (entire cosmos) itself is in Lingakara (in the form of linga).

Even in the darkness of ignorance there is a lamp called Buddhi (Intellect). Beyond the periphery of that intellect exists the Ghana Atma Vastu (Dignified Supreme Entity Soul). It is unreachable to the Mind and Intellect. What they see now is the Linga of dream (manifested world), only when they resort to the Anubhavapatha (Path of Self Experience /Direct experience) can they have the darshan of Nija Linga (The Real Linga), Nitya Linga (The Eternal Linga).