DIVINE INFORMATION PART 83 Respected friends,
While goingthrough one of my external memory device, I came across some good information stored from websites. I thought ofsharing interesting ones from them as a series. In part 83, I amstarting with 301th item in this posting. Kindly note the series is a compilation. Sincerely, GopalaKrishnan 24-08-21 301 Sandilya Upanishad Translatedby K. Narayanasvami Aiyar Om! O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious; Maywe see with our eyes what is auspicious, O ye worthy of worship ! Maywe enjoy the term of life allotted by the Devas, Praisingthem with our body and limbs steady ! Maythe glorious Indra bless us ! Maythe all-knowing Sun bless us ! MayGaruda, the thunderbolt for evil, bless us ! MayBrihaspati grant us well-being ! Om! Let there be Peace in me ! Letthere be Peace in my environment ! Letthere be Peace in the forces that act on me ! CHAPTER - I 1. Sandilya questioned Atharvan thus:"Please tell me about the eight Angas(parts) of Yoga which is the means of attaining to Atman". Atharvan replied: "The eight Angasof Yoga are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyanaand Samadhi. Ofthese, Yama is of ten kinds; and so is Niyama. There are eight Asanas.Pranayama is of three kinds; Pratyahara is of five kinds; so also is Dharana.Dhyana is of two kinds and Samadhi is of one kind only. Under Yama (forbearance) are ten:Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Daya, Arjava, Kshama, Dhriti, Mitahara andSaucha. Of these, Ahimsa is the not causing of anypain to any living being at any time through the actions of one’s mind,speech, or body. Satya is the speaking of the truth thatconduces to the well-being of creatures,through the actions of one’s mind, speech, or body. Asteya is not coveting of another’sproperty through the actions of one’smind, speech, or body. Brahmacharya is the refraining from sexualinter-course in all places and in all states in mind, speech or body. Daya is kindliness towards all creatures inall places. Arjava is the preserving of equanimity ofmind, speech, or body in the performance or non-performance of theactions ordained or forbidden to be done. Kshama is the bearing patiently of allpleasant or unpleasant things, such as praiseor blow. Dhriti is the preserving of firmness ofmind during the period of gain or lossof wealth or relatives. Mitahara is the taking of oily and sweetfood, leaving one-fourth of the stomach empty. Saucha is of two kinds, external and internal.Of these, the external is the cleansing of the body by earth andwater; the internal is the cleansing of the mind. This (the latter) is to beobtained by means of the Adhyatma-Vidya (Science of Self). 2. Under Niyama (religiousobservances), are ten, viz., Tapas, SantoshaAstikya, Dana, Ishvarapujana, Siddhanta-Sravana, Hrih, Mati, Japa and Vrata. Ofthese Tapas, is the emancipation of the body through the observances of suchpenances as Krichchhra, Chandrayana, etc., according to rules. Santosha is being satisfied withwhatever comes to us of its own accord.Astikyais the belief in the merits or demerits of actions as stated in the Vedas. Danais the giving with faith to deserving persons, money, grains, etc., earnedlawfully. Ishvarapujanais the worshipping of Vishnu, Rudra, etc., with pure mind according to one’spower. Siddhanta-Sravana is the inquiry intothe significance of Vedanta. Hrih is the shame felt in theperformance of things contrary to the rulesof the Vedas and of Society. Mati is the faith in the paths laiddown by the Vedas. Japa is the practising of the Mantrasinto which one is duly initiated byhis spiritual instructor and which is not against (the rules of) the Vedas. It is of two kinds – the spoken and themental. The mental is associatedwith contemplation by the mind. The spoken is of two kinds – the loud and thelow. The loud pronunciation gives the reward as stated (in the Vedas): (while)the low one (gives) a reward thousand times (that). The mental (gives) a rewarda Crore (of times that). Vrata is the regular observance of orthe refraining from the actionsenjoined or prohibited by the Vedas. 3. Asanas (the postures) are (chiefly)eight, viz., Svastika, Gomukha, Padma, Vira,Simha, Bhadra, Mukta and Mayura. Svastika is the sitting at ease with the bodyerect, placing each foot between the thighs and knees of the other. 4. Gomukha is (the sitting at ease withthe body erect) placing the hollow of theleft foot under the side of the right posteriors and the hollow of the rightfoot under the side of the left posteriors, resembling Gomukha (cow’s face). 5. Padma is (the sitting at ease withthe body erect) placing the back ofeach foot in the thigh of the other, the right hand grasping the right toe andthe left hand to left toe. This, O Sandilya, is praised by all. 6. Vira is the sitting at ease (withthe body erect), placing one foot onthe thigh of the other and the other foot underneath the corresponding(opposite thigh). 7-8. Simha is (the sitting at ease withthe body erect) pressing the right side (ofthe thigh) with the hollow of left heel and vice versa. Rest your hands on theknees, spread out the fingers, open your mouth and carefully fix your gaze onthe tip of your nose. This is always praised by the Yogins. 9. Siddha is (the sitting at ease withthe body erect) pressing the perineumwith the left heel and placing the heel of the right foot above the genital organ,concentrating the mind between the two eyebrows. 10. Bhadra is (the sitting at ease withthe body erect) pressing the two ankles ofthe two feet firmly together against the Sivini (viz., lower part of the seed)and binding the knees firmly with the hands. This is the Bhadra which destroysall diseases and poisons. 11. Mukta is (the sitting at ease withthe body erect) pressing with the leftheel the right side of the tender part of the Sivini and with the right heelthe lest side of the tender part of the Sivini. 12-13. Mayura (lit., peacock): Restyour body upon the ground with bothpalms and place your elbows on the sides of the navel, lift up the head andfeet and remain like a stick in the air, (like the plant balance ingymnastics). This is the Mayura posture which destroys all sins. 14. By these, all the diseases withinthe body are destroyed; all the poisons aredigested. Let the person who is unable to practise all these postures betake himselfto any one (of these) which he may find easy and pleasant. He who conquers (orgets mastery over) the postures - he conquers the three worlds. A person who has the practice of Yamaand Niyama should practise Pranayama; by that the Nadis becomepurified." 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