“At the time of death Yogis using the heel of their foot block the air hole at the rectum. Prana should not leave the body from that hole. This is why Yogis always give up their body in the sitting position.

They push the life-force (prana shakti) up towards the Brahmarandhra (aperture at the crown of the head), through the path of the six spiritual centres (shat chakras)”.

Try to find the meaning of shat chakras. What are they? Anyone who considers himself a Yogi takes the trouble to find out more about them. This is because he has placed his entire concentration upon the Supreme Lord. Hence he has understood their significance.

Even though the life force leaves the body of a Yogi through the Brahmarandhra (aperture at the top of the head), his skull is broken. This is to ensure that any small remnants of life-force left behind should also go away from there.

It is said that life force should not leave through the nostrils, eyes or ears.

“Life-force exists at the Manipura chakra near the navel. This is to be taken to the Anahata chakra located near the heart. From there, through the path of the Udāna vayu (upward moving wind), it should be directed towards the Vishuddha chakra located beneath the throat”.

This is the reason for which people are asked to learn about Yoga and about the Shat chakras. Many find it unnecessary. At the same time there are many who find it useful. They strive desperately for it. They go to the extreme of asking about Kundalini Shakti when they are old and infirm. Who can teach them about Kundalini Shakti at that time? Learn about the Kundalini Shakti when you are young. Try to practice meditation from that early stage.

Thereafter the Yogi, who has conquered his mind, investigates about this life-force thoroughly using his intelligence (buddhi) and gradually pushes the life-force into the uvula (the small fleshy mass of tissue located at the back of the palate, above the base of the tongue).

The Yogi, who had until then led his life as a true Karma-yogi, should close the 7 doorways in which the life- force travels viz., the two nostrils, two eyes, two ears and mouth. They should be closed using the inner Yogic power and not through external aids such as cotton etc”.

After a person dies we close all these holes by stuffing cotton. But of what use is it? The life-force would have already left the body.

“Even when he is alive, using his yogic power he closes all the possible exits so as to prevent the life-force from escaping through any of them. The life-force should now be taken from the uvula to the Ajna chakra, located at the junction between the two eyebrows”.

What a wonderful Yogic method this is! Maharishi Śuka is explaining this to Emperor Parikshit. We are so fortunate to be listening to this in detail.

“Thereafter, the Yogi has to fix the intellect (buddhi) firmly upon the Supreme Lord, who is the goal to be attained, and remain in that state for a few minutes. With this he breaks open the Brahma-randhra (aperture at the crown of the head) and merges totally into Paramātma”.

This is such a supreme method! Narayana!

“O Emperor! Instead of this, in case the Yogi who seeks to travel to the abode of Brahma (Brahmaloka) or to the enjoyable residences of Anima and other supernatural achievements or to any other plane, he has to take with him, his mind and his senses. In other words, he needs to travel in his subtle body (sookṣma śareera). He can travel anywhere he pleases along with them.

Only accomplished Yogis who have attained mastery through the strength of their austerities, adherence to righteousness, ashtānga yoga and transcendental knowledge (Jnana) are equipped with a subtle body (sookshma shareera). Using this subtle body, they can travel as they please”.

This is reason why it is said that accomplished saints, Yogis, Siddha-puruṣas and Mahatmas live eternally. It is not that they take a gross body and incarnate. They eternally travel in their subtle body. They would have merged into the five basic elements (pancha bhootas). For this reason it is said that we should never harm anybody. Never cheat anybody. Never commit any sin. The Yogis, who exist within the five elements, will be watching. They will know your deeds.

“Not just within this cosmos, such great Yogis can, out of their freewill, travel even outside of the cosmos.

The human being who is involved in frutitive actions can never reach this state. Such a state can be attained purely through Yoga. It can be attained only through the path of deep concentration, meditation.

O Emperor! The Sushumna nādi which is filled with radiance is the path that takes the being to Brahmaloka (abode of Brahma). Traveling on this path the Yogi releases himself from this body and travelling through the skies (ākāśa mārga) reaches the abode of the Lord of Fire. Here he is cleansed all of the remnants of sin that are attached to him. From here the Yogi travels still higher to the illuminating circle called Śinśumāra jyotirmandala, which is connected with Lord Srihari. This Śinśumāra jyotirmandala is like the navel in the Cosmic form of the Supreme Lord.

Only that Yogi, who is absolutely devoid of sin and who possesses a subtle body, alone can travel beyond this Śinsumāra mandala. He now reaches the Mahar loka. Even Supreme Mahatmas glorify and offer obeisance to this holy place.

Mahar loka is the supreme plane called Go-loka. This is the place where saguṇa Brahma upasana (worship of the Lord with attributes) is conducted. Here Devatas whose lifespan extends up to the end of the Kalpa (4.32 billion years) live happily.

At the end of the Kalpa, the Yogi observes all the universes being burnt and reduced totally into ashes due to the fumes emanating from the mouth of Adishesha (1000 headed snake). At that point he travels from here to Brahmaloka (abode of Brahma).

In this loka, supremely accomplished eminent saints wander about happily in their celestial airplanes. They have a lifespan of 50 Brahma years. One Kalpa is 1000 Maha-yugas. 2 Kalpas equal one day of Brahma. Such Brahma has a lifespan of 100 years.

Om Namo Narayana!

Neither this world nor Prakriti (Nature) which is the cause for the existence of this world, have an existence that is separate from Paramātma, the Lord of the world.

The primordial being (adi puruśa) is the one who resides within every being observing the body, mind and senses. Until the mind is fixed completely upon Srihari, the true Self who exists within, and until absolute devotion is developed in the form of pure unconditional love for Him, the aspirant should, after completing his daily mandated duties without fail, meditate upon the gross form i.e. the Universal form of that Supreme Lord as per the prescribed procedure.

With his purified intellect (buddhi) he should completely control his mind. Thereafter he should merge this intellect into ahamkara (sense of I-ness), which is a witness for the intellect. Ahamkara in turn should be merged into the pure consciousness (śuddha chaitanya). The individual Self, which is in the form of the pure consciousness, should then be merged into Paramātma, the Supreme Self. Only then pure bliss can be experienced!

Remember this procedure. At this point there is nothing more left to be done. He then ceases all his activities.

All the Devatas (Gods) are regulated and controlled by time (kāla) only. Even such time cannot control the real Self. The Devatas who control the various worlds also cannot control and govern the real pure Self!

In other words, nothing can regulate and govern the person who has perfected his sitting posture, is able to meditate with single pointed concentration upon the Supreme Lord, practice Pranayama and merge his individual Self into the Supreme Self. Spiritual Sadhana should be continued until this stage is attained.

This Self is beyond even the three modes of nature (trigunas)! Such Self is nothing but the Supreme Self! No more differences exist. Both are one and the same.

Can light be purchased? It inherently exists. But when light is dimmed it is called darkness and when it is increased it is illumination. In the same manner, when Self-realization is attained, the inherent light has turned into bright illumination. This illumination is Paramātma who eternally glows.

Only where the individual Self has separated from the Supreme Self, nature (Prakriti), mahat tattva, ahamkara (false sense of I-ness) combine.

Therefore knowledgeable aspirants who are desirous of attaining Self-realization mandatorily give up the feeling of the Self (atma bhāvana, Self-sense) in every object which does not appear to be Paramātma (Supreme Self). This includes their body too. (They reject everything that is not God). This is the meaning of the term ‘sarva dharma parityajya’.

When it is said that a person gives up all dharmas, the above meaning should be applied. The entire Bhagavad Geeta is contained in this.

At every second in their heart, they think exclusively about the venerable Srihari, who is the personification of knowledge. They totally free themselves from desires towards every other object. Although they may be engaged in other worldly activities, internally they are focused exclusively upon that Supreme Lord. Neither mentally nor physically will they ever harm others or bring about their grief. They engage in all activities without getting attached to any one among them. They never speak about their inner mental state, “I am not attached to anything. I have no connection with these objects’. They simply continue to perform good actions that have been handed over to them.

After rejecting everything else in the world as non-Self, that which is left is Paramātma alone! ‘This object is not Vishnu; that object is also not Vishnu; this task I am doing is not Vishnu’ in this manner when we begin to segregate objects, only Vishnu will be left in the end. That is liberation. This is the ultimate supreme state! This is the only one which everyone desires to attain! This is the only one which is worthy of attaining!

Recollecting this statement from the Vedas, Maharishis time and again preach about it.

In this manner, based on the knowledge of the Shastras that they have learnt from their Guru, those desirous of liberation should destroy their desires towards material comforts. Giving up performing frutitive actions (expecting some results), they should fix their mind exclusively upon the Self.

At the time of death, without considering it stressful, they should, using the heel of the foot, block the air hole at the rectum. They should push the life-force (prana shakti) up towards the aperture at the crown of the head (Brahmarandhra), through the path of the six spiritual centres (shat chakras). This is Yoga.

Using the heel the life-force is blocked at the rectum and is also prevented from leaving from any other hole. It is willfully pushed on the path of the shat chakras (6 spiritual centres) so that it will travel and reach the aperture at the top of the head. The aspirant ensures that the life-force does not leave the body through any of the 9 holes of the body. The life force which is in the Manipura chakra (at the navel) should be pushed to the Anahata chakra located at the heart.

From there, through the path of the Udāna vayu (upward moving wind), it should be directed towards the Vishuddha chakra located beneath the throat. This is Kundalini Yoga. There are so many books on this topic. Yogis also preach this at all times.

Narayana! Sriman Narayana!

Maharishi Śuka continues, “Spiritual ignorance (avidya), which is the cause for this samsāra (the cycle of repeated re-births), can be destroyed by meditating upon the Supreme Lord!

Trapped in this endless river called samsāra, which can be compared to the never-ending River Vaitariṇi that needs to be crossed by the being who is travelling to Yama loka (abode of the Lord of death), the individual suffers as a result of his past deeds. Even after seeing fellow beings suffer the person does not remember God”.

Day in and day out we see people suffering. We see death and birth at every juncture. We observe people dying in this process of suffering. Yet, despite all this, there is no awakening within us. The realization that one day we too will have to face similar situation does not arise in us.  This is so astonishing.

Hence the person who craves for comforts is a great fool! There are many whose thinking is tuned only towards happiness and comforts. ‘I need this; this did not materialize per my desire; I am yet to be rewarded for this; I should live luxuriously in this manner’ and so on. Eternally they contemplate upon comforts and luxuries. In the process they completely forget about the Supreme Essence. Such persons are losers.

“The Supreme Lord, who is a personification of completeness, has this universe composed of the 3 worlds (lokas) as His body. In a thumb sized form He resides within the heart space of the human being. Although He is the size of a thumb, He is invisible. He holds in His four hands the lotus, conch, mace and discus.

Some persons meditate upon the Lord in this form mentally.

Yogis visualize the Supreme Lord as having a happy pleasant face, wide lotus-like eyes, wearing yellow garments, wearing on His head a crown made of many precious stones and wearing armlets made of shining precious metals on His powerful arms”.

Each person can visualize the Lord per his/her desire and meditate upon it. His forms are infinite.

“Great Yogis retain the delicate lotus feet of the Lord in the centre of the lotus called their heart and meditate upon them. On His chest, Goddess Lakshmi resides. His neck is adorned with the Kausthuba gem. He wears a long Vanamāla garland that never ever withers.

His body is beautifully decorated with golden waistband, golden rings, anklets, bangles and other precious jewels. His clean black hair is beautifully oiled and curled. His charming smile coupled with the shining hair adds to the beauty of His face. With His vast enchanting smile and playful glances, He rains down blessings upon His devotees through the movement of His beautiful eyebrows.

Through those short swift lightning-like movements of His eyebrows He grants blessings. That small tinge of illumination called compassion that is seen in those eyebrows is what gets showered upon His devotees. He rains down blessings upon them.

Such a glorious form of the Lord should be focused upon until a stage of total concentration and stability of mind is attained. Starting from the feet up to the enchanting smile, each limb of this Lord Krishna, who holds the mace in His hand, should be contemplated.

With this the inner mind gets completely purified. The ability to retain the mind exclusively at a spot for a certain period of time is attained”.

The Lord should be visualized with all His weapons, His ornaments and decorations. The mind should be fixed on each ornament. ‘Aha, how beautiful are those feet. They are permanently imprinted in my mind. Aha, how beautiful is His anklet! How beautiful is His crown! In my mind I am able to see it glitter. How beautiful are those ornaments that adorn His chest! How wonderful is that discus which He holds in His hands! All these are now visible to me. I can see the Universal form of that Supreme Lord! Aha, I am able to see His beautiful lotus eyes and eyelids. His divine names are nectarous to the ears! Aha, how divine! I can see in my heart His tender smile.’

This practice can be done only when a person is sitting steadily in a particular posture. For this reason, steady posture is extremely important. With this contemplation, the mind obtains the ability to fix itself and remain steadily at a particular point.

It is imperative to give up all bodily comforts. The relationship to this human body should be destroyed. All thoughts pertaining to it should be eliminated.

When the mind is thus fixed at a particular limb, we should understand that the mind has conquered that particular limb. Always begin with the feet and proceed upward towards the head. At first meditate upon the gem studded sandals which He wears. From there visualize His feet and then the anklets that He has worn. Now contemplate upon His shanks, knees and then waist. At that point observe His gem glittered waistband. After stabilizing the mind at one of these limbs, gradually move up to the next limb. In this way meditating upon each of the limbs, try to understand the complete Universal form of that Lord.

This is the proper procedure for meditation. It should necessarily be abided by. It is incorrect to haphazardly focus upon any limb as one pleases because the mind tends to get distracted. It will be impossible to restrain the mind. To be frank, it is very difficult to get stability in seating posture itself. Only after this step is mastered, this meditation upon His limbs can be begun. When the restless mind is focused firstly at his feet and then gradually taken step by step to other limbs, it will stabilize.

Om Namo Narayana! Srihari! Krishna!

Śuka Maharishi continues, “Swayambhuva Manu is the intellect (buddhi) of the Supreme Lord. Human being is His residence”.

Listen to this carefully. The Supreme Lord resides within the human being!

“His prowess manifested in the form of sum total of all demons. Brahmins are the face of this Supreme Lord. Kshatriyas (warrior clan) are His arms. Vaishyas (herders, traders etc.) are His thighs. Shudras (labourers) are His feet”.

The Shudras have attained such a wonderful place in this universal form!

“Together with Vasu, Rudra and many other such troops of demigods, the Supreme Lord exists as a form of the Universe!

Elaborate Yagna rituals which are coupled with chanting of Veda mantras and making offerings into the holy fire are His only activities. In this way I have explained to you the various limbs of the cosmic form of that Lord.

Spiritual aspirants, through the medium of the intellect, fix their mind in total concentration upon this universal form. There is nothing in this world apart from this universal form.

The Supreme Lord resides within each and every being in the form of the Self (atma)! Seated within the living being, through the medium of its mental activities, it is He who perceives and experiences this entire world!

During dream, the person sees himself as manifesting in various different forms. But the dream world does not have an existence separate from the person who is dreaming. Likewise, this entire world does not have an existence separate from the Supreme Lord. In fact there is nothing which is not Him or which is separate from Him.

For this reason, the aspirant should serve the Supreme Lord considering Him to be a personification of bliss. He should ensure great caution in matters pertaining to the visible world and should not get attached to them. This is because attachment towards material objects drags the aspirant downwards.

With this the first chapter of the second canto comes to an end.

Second Canto Second Chapter

In this chapter the steady deep concentration (dhāraṇa) displayed by eminent saints (Yogis) has been explained. Instantaneous liberation (sadyomukti) and progressive liberation (krama mukti) have also been defined.

In the first chapter, in response to Parikshit’s question, Maharishi Śuka explained the universal form of the Supreme Lord. He expressed that through the practice of Ashtānga Yoga, single focused concentration should be developed towards the universal form and through this liberation could be attained. Now in this second chapter, some more topics pertaining to Yoga are being explained.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “O Emperor! In the period prior to creation of the Universe, Lord Brahma lost awareness of this universal form. He then meditated deeply upon the Universal form (virāt roopa) as explained in the above verses. Pleased with this meditation, the Supreme Lord restored to him the knowledge of the Universal form. Brahma now obtained unlimited supreme knowledge. Having obtained complete knowledge pertaining to creation, He created this universe exactly the same way as it existed in earlier creations.

Veda, which is nothing but a form of sound, explains the ways in which one can obtain fruits for actions performed (karma phala). It also teaches about Swarga and other heavenly planes. However, the truth is that these celestial planes (heavens) are only imaginary and theoretical and do not have any real existence. Nevertheless, the human mind eternally thinks only about such celestial planes which are of impermanent existence.

The individual being who is trapped in spiritual ignorance (ajnana), becomes deeply desirous of the comforts of this world and the next. Due to these desires, he constantly travels between these imaginary planes which have no real existence. In other words, trapped in this cycle called repeated births and deaths, the individual being forgets the essence of the Absolute Truth and thus is unable to obtain it.

Listen to the following with great attention. If needed, please listen to it again and again so that it is grasped.

The aspirant who possesses discriminatory intelligence of permanent (nitya) and impermanent (anitya) objects in the creation, should take from these imaginary worldly comforts, only as much as is needed to sustain the body. Even in those minimum necessities which he thus takes, he should not have any desire/ attachment.

In the event he is able to sustain his body without the aid of these minimum necessities, he should totally abstain from them. In other words, he should not even seek these basic minimum necessities if he is able to sustain his body without their help. He should be contented with whatever is available without his asking and should not crave for more comforts. He should not strive to obtain these additional comforts.

When a person can sleep on the bare earth, why does he seek beds and mattresses? When he can use his hand as a pillow, what is the need for using a pillow? When he can join his palms into a cup for eating food, what is the necessity of different vessels? When directions, barks of trees and clothing made from leaves are available, why does he need silken clothes?

Trees that exist purely for helping others, feed the hungry through the medium of their fruits. Can he not eat such fruits and survive? Rivers have not dried up completely. When rivers which supply drinking water are available to us, can we not quench our thirst with just this water? Is there any rule that we should not reside in mountain caves? We can happily reside in those caves.

The Supreme Lord always protects living beings who have totally surrendered to Him. Is it not enough to just pray and surrender to Him? How can those, whose eyes are closed in vanity due to excessive wealth, ever serve great Mahatmas and Jnanis?

In the form of the Self, the imperishable, eternal Lord Srihari inherently resides in the heart of every living being! Knowledge is His form! He is the only real existence! As He is the Self (atma) that resides within every being, He is dear to every being.

The spiritual aspirant, while seeking liberation, should practice dispassion (vairagya) in the manner explained above. Thinking eternally about the Supreme Lord and deriving bliss from it, he should strive eternally to serve only Him!

Narayana! Narayana!

Maharishi Śuka replied,

Jitāsano jita-śvāso jita-saṅgo jitendriyaḥ

Sthūle bhagavato rūpe manaḥ sandhārayed dhiyā

Perfection in sitting posture should be achieved through persistent practice. In other words, the aspirant should be able to sit in the same posture for any length of time. This is the first step.

This visible universe which is the support for all living and non-living objects is the gross body of the Supreme Lord. In this visible universe the past, present as well as the future periods of time are experienced.

Now let us understand about this gross body (virāt roopa) of that Lord, which is unimaginably huge.

This entire universe which is His gross body is composed of seven enclosures (āvarana) viz., the five basic elements, ahamkara (sense of I-ness) and Mahat tattva (cosmic intelligence). Hiranyagarbha, the supreme consciousness, is the owner of this universal body (virāt deha). The mind of the aspirant should be steadily fixed upon Paramātma, who has manifested as Hiranyagarbha. He should then meditate upon Hiranyagarbha.

To Hiranyagarbha who has created the entire universe, the sole of His feet is Pātāla (the lowest among the seven lower planetary systems). The top of his feet, the heels and toes constitute the another lower planetary system called Rasātala loka. His ankles are the Mahātala loka. The shank (the portion of leg from the knee to the ankle) is the Talātala loka. The two knees of this Lord are the Sutala loka. Both His thighs are the Atala and Vitala lokas. (These seven are the seven lower planetary systems). The abdomen is the Bhutala (earth). The outer space is the pond called the navel.

This is how the Maharishis describe the Lord’s universal form and meditate upon Him.

The chest of Hiranyagarbha, who is the primordial being in this creation, is the heavenly planets (swarga, higher worlds). His neck is the Mahar loka. His mouth is the Jana loka. His forehead is the Tapo loka. To that infinite Lord who possesses countless heads, His heads are the Satya loka.

(These were the 14 planetary systems of the Universal form, explained in the bottom-up approach).

Indra and other Devatas form His innumerable hands. Directions are His ears. Actual sound (śabda tanmātra) is His organ of hearing (śrotrendriya).

Ashwini Devatas are His nostrils. Fragrance (gandha tanmātra) is His organ of smell (ghrānendriya). The burning fire is His organ of speech (vāgendriya).

Sun and the power of seeing (chakṣur-indriya) are the two eyes of Mahavishnu. Day and night are His eyelids. The playful movement of His eyebrows is the residence of the four-faced Brahma.

Water is His jaw.  Tongue is His subtle sense of taste (rasa tanmātra). To that infinite Lord, Vedas are the Brahmarāndhra (aperture in the crown of the head). Lord Yama, the Lord of death, is His molar tooth.

It is but natural for every being to have feelings of love towards their progeny. This love is His teeth. Maya shakti (power of illusion) which traps every being is His enchanting smile. This vast material universe visible to us is the playful gaze of His Maya Shakti.

Upper lip is the modesty of this Supreme Lord. Greed is His lower lip. Dharma (righteousness) is His breast. Adharma (unrighteousness) is His back. Prajapati is His genitals. Mitra and Varuna are His testicles. The oceans are His womb. The huge mountains are His bones.

To Mahavishnu, whose body is this vast universe, the rivers are the nādis (subtle astral nerves). The trees in this creation are His hair on His body. Wind is His breath. Time is His movement.

His task is to create living beings through the medium of the three attributes of nature (traits of goodness (sattva), passion (rajo) and inertia (tamas)).

The clouds are the hair on His head. Goddess Sandhya (the three time junctions during a 24 hour cycle viz., early morning, afternoon and evening twilight) is His clothing. Prakriti (Nature) is His heart. Moon, who is the refuge for plant life, is His mind.

To that Lord who is everything, Mahat tattva (cosmic intelligence) is His knowledge”.

This universal form is nothing but the Puruśa suktam from the Vedas. If we listen to this suktam daily, we can understand the cosmic form of that Lord.

“Rudra is His ahamkara (egoism). The horse, camel, mule and elephant are his nails. Cow, deer and all other creatures are His waist. Maharishis who are exponents in knowledge of the Vedas state that He should be contemplated upon in this manner.

His exquisite artistic ability has taken the form of the birds. When He renders the sapta swaras (7 musical notes), they take the form of the divine celestial beings such as Gandharva, Vidyadhara, Cānara, Apsarasa”.

Narayana! Sriman Narayana!