The Bhavanopanished

1.            Sri Guru is the absolute. Manifestation of this power is through the nine openings of the body. By this statement the identity of the Guru with the Devata is established once and far all. The idea that the Chit Shakti descends in human form to lead the disciple through the cosmic maze is expressed in the very first statement of this Upanishad. These nine openings are two eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, anus and the genitals. These openings through which the jeeva communicates with the external universe process the information so obtained and use it to create the Karmic web that follows it through a multitude of lives. The nine openings are described as the Guru Swarūpa or form of the Guru of manifestation of the Guru. Among the nine exits the two ears and mouth represent the “Divyaugha”, the heavenly stream. The two eyes and the Genital exit the “Siddaugh”, the competent or accomplished gurus. The two nostrils and anus represent the “Manavaugh”, the human stream of Gurus.

The Sarva Karana of original cause of this nine cornered deliberation or Vimarsa is the Sushumna Nadi. The primal power within the Nadi reveals the different objects of the respective senses, through the different nerves of the central nervous system.

2.                 Existing in the universe in this time and space paradigm are the nine Chakra, also has the name Śri Yantrā, a machine, a device, an engine, to traverse the many times complex waters of the ocean of life. By the statement the absolute need for Competent Guru has been established. A Guru who will help navigates the sometimes treacherous traverse through the evolution toward the state of pure consciousness.

3.            The Bone in the body is Varahi. Flesh is Kurukulla Devi. Varahi is the Dandini or the Commander in chief of the Empress supreme the Chit Shakti, Śri Rajarajeswari. Varahi is the form of the father. Kurukulla, the Balidevata, the mother. Note the comparisons the bone structure that forms the foundation for the body structure is the father, just as the foundation for the universe is Sadasiva the un-manifested reality as the father. The Balidevata being equated to the mother whose real form is sacrifice for Her children is expressed here.

4.            The four oceans are the Purysharthas, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. The comparison expresses the fact that these are indeed as vast as the oceans and need to be navigated through.

5.            The body is an island of precious gems. The Upanishad closely follows the course chartered by the great Tantric work called the Tantraraja Tantra. The word Bhavana itself suggests that this Upanishad for the purposes of Bhavana, or contemplation. The technique of ascribing the body the nature of naturally occurring, brightly colored, precious gems is to be notes, along with the description of it being an island. The visualization processes are made easier with these descriptions.

6.             The nine components of the body beginning with the skin, flesh, hair, blood, seminal fluids, marrow, aft and virility correspond to the nine gems mentioned before. These correspond to the nine “Kalachakreswari” mentioned in the Uttara Mimamsa, through they are actually one. These nine gems are visualized as being placed in the island of gems from the West to the South corresponding to topaz, sapphire, coral, pearl, emerald, diamond, onyx, laps lazuli and a type of ruby.

7.            The various mental resolutions are the wish fulfilling trees. These are Santanam, Harichantanam, Mantaram, Parijatham and Katampam. The relationship to the wish fulfilling aspect of the mind is established with the thoughts impelling one towards action to obtain the desired results.

8.            The mind, whose field from which resolutions to bring about desired results spring, is of the form of light, which is the garden of these trees. This relationship to the wish Taitreya Samhita by the expression “the mind is light”, Manas Tejah, so according to the Vedic convention the word “tejas” denotes the mind.

9.            The six tastes the tongue discerns like – sweet, sour, bitter, salty, astringent and hot are the six seasons experienced by man. The experiences of the seasons are qualified as being experienced by the tongue to encompass the total experiences by the entire nervous system.

10.         Knowledge is described as the nectar prepared for the Tarpanam, what is known is the havis or oblation, the knower is the homakarta or sacrificer. Meditating  upon the knowledge, the knower and what is known is the Śrī Chakrā pūjā. This is amplified in the Tantrarājā Tantrā as:-

“jnata svatma bhavet jnanamargyam jneyam havish stitam|

Śrichakrā pūjanam tesam ekikaranam iritam||”

The knowledge that the worship the worshipper and the worshipped are all one and the same is the real meaning of the Śrī Yantrā Pūjā.

11.         The praradvam or what is the original state, as a result of previous deeds and the nine moods of the mind are the ten siddhis beginning with Animā. This sequence can be identified with that found in the bindusūtra. If one applies the nidhikara as this line appears to follows, there would appear to be some conflict in the sequence.

12.         Desire, anger greed delusion, pride, jealousy, merit and demerit correspond to the eight powers such as Brāhmi. According to the Tantrarājā which says; “in the Śrī Chakrā the nine states of the mind along with original state are called the yogic powers”. The “Urmis” or waves, merit and demerit are considered as the power Brāhmi and other seven powers.

13.         The Chakrās of the body correspond to the ten Mudrā Devatās. These Chakrā are as follows:- The Kula Sahasrara mentioned to be about a span below the feet of the sādakha, the Akula Sahasrara reputed to be about a span above the crown of the head of the sādakha, the Mūlāthāra corresponding to the earth  Tatva, the Svādishtānā corresponding to the water or Jala Tatva, the Manipūrakā corresponding to the fire or Tejas tatvā, the Anahātā corresponding to the wind or Vāyu Tatvā, the Visuddhi corresponding to the space or Ākāsa Tatvā, Ājnā corresponding to the mind or Manas Tatvā, the Indrayoni or the Thālu (the glottis) and the collection of these together form the ten Mudrā Shaktis commencing with Sarva Sanshǒbhni. This system follows the text of Yoginihrdaya, which follows the Kādi Mada which is the Sampradāyā of the Dattātreya Paramparā.

14.         The five elements and the eleven sense organs are to be identified as the deities in the sixteen petal led of the lotus of the Śrī Yantrā. These are the pritvi, apah, tejo, vāyu and ākāsha the five organs of action the five organs of cognition and all the modifications of the mind. Here the text uses the term “Vikara” to mean change as it applied not only to the mind but to the sixteen principles as a whole.

15.         The actions of the five Karmendriyās: Speech, grasping, locomotion ejection, pleasure, avoidance, receiving and indifference are the deities in the eight petal led lotus beginning with Anangakshumā. The actions of the five action originated indriyās can be summarized into three attitudes according to the Tantrarājā Tantrā., of these Hanam is leaving Upadanam is receiving and upeksa is indifference. These three attitudes towards the objects make the principles of the deities in the eight petal led lotus. These three attitudes are termed Dosa in the Tantrā.

16.         The fourteen nadis in the body: Alambusa, Guhu, Visvodhadra, Varana, Hastijihva, Yasovati, Bayasvini, Gandhari, Busha, Sangini, Saraswati, Ida, Pingalā and Sushumnā are the deities in the fourteen triangles. There are several instances in yoga where the human body is described as being composed of as many as thirty nadis or vital force or vital airs. Note here that the Tantrarājā in the previous stanza describes dosas, these have some times been noted to be the three – vata, pitta and kappa of the Ayurvedic tradition.

17.         Prāna, Apānā, Vyānā, Udānā, Samānā, Naga, Kūrma, Grukara, Devadattā, Dananjeyā are the ten vāyus in the body that are represented in the deities of the ten outer triangles. The winds according to the conditioning by contact become the five old digestive fire with Prāna, the vital, as its principle element. These are the subsidiary winds led by Naga the fires inside the body are the corroder, the ejector, the agitator, the bloater and the dissolver. They digest the delicacies that are eaten, chewed, sucked, licked and drunk. In the yogic lore of the ten vāyus nine leave the body when a yogi leaves his body leaving one behind. If he is placed in the lotus posture in a Samadhi then after some time the tenth vāyu forces its way out creating a Sawyambhu Lingam above the surface of the earth. Such Lingams are found in Kathirgamam, Thiruvannamalai, Thriruvānmayūr, Thiruānaikaval and scores of other places in India.

18.         With the modifications due to the actions of the Jataragni or Digestive power the following actions take place Rechakam, Pasakam, Soshakam, Tahakam, Plavakam, Ksharakam, Utkarakam, Kshobakam, Jrmbakam and Mohakam. The Jataragni performing the digestion of the five basic substances of living begins such as paksiyam, bojyam, sosyam, lehyam and peyam. These are represented by the ten deities in the inner ten triangles beginning with Sarvajna.

19.         Cold, heat, happiness, misery, will and the wholesome (Satva), vigorous (Rajās), indolent (Tāmas), these eight together constitute the eight deities of speech in the eight triangles. These are referred to as Seetham, Ushnam, Sukham, Dukham, Icchā, Satva, Rajas and tāmas corresponding to Vasini, Kāmeswarī etc.

20.         In the space between the eight triangles and the inner triangle are the weapons of the primordial power in the form of five flowery arrows of sound, touch, taste, vision and smell. The sweet sugarcane with it’s sweet liquid filled nodules representing a contented inwardly turned mind, producing only sweet pleasant thought and strung with a bowstring of humming male bees, representing the restless nature of the thought structures of a constantly inquiring mind. The noose represents yet unfulfilled desires that can bind. Abhorrence is represented by the elephant goad. The deity in Her mercy separately holds the five senses and mind indicating that those who approach Her will enjoy that state of discriminating intelligence and need not discard the manifested universe as an impediment to the state of Kaivalyā.

21.         The unmanifest (Avyakta), Mahatava and Ahamkara (ego) are the three powers of the central triangle. Here the terms avyakta and mahat denote the principle of intellect (Buddhi) and Nature (Prakriti)

22.         Pure knowledge is Kāmeswara and the all pervading eternal bliss principle couched in the lap of the pure knowledge is the essence of the consciousness that is the Paradevatā Lalitha. The red hue of Her body is the reasoning intellect. The red is also given another meaning of attachment and fulfillment of desires.

23.         All the siddhis are attained by an undifferentiating mind. By this is also meant that the mind should not go after the Siddhis but be focused on the Rakta and Sukla Pādhukās or the red and colorless feet of the DEVI / GURU. If this state can be attained the Siddhis come after the sadhakā.

24.         Regular concentration is worship. This statement is the key to the success in the Vidyā. Constant recall of the Guru’s words the Guru’s / Devi’s form remembrance of the Mantrā, Stotrās and Suktās all fall within the realm of constant concentration.

25.         Unhindered by the concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, proper and improper, Vedic and Tantric, left and right to merge with the pure consciousness is homam.

26.         The one who interprets these stanzas from contemplation of the Guru to Homam constitutes Tharpana or oblation.

27.         It is necessary that time be perceived manifesting as the fifteen tithes.

28.         He who is able to be aware, as mentioned above for one, two or three muhurthas (Muhurthas = 1 ½ hrs), becomes a Jeevan Mukta.

29.         the perceptions and understandings have been complied per the Kadi Mada sampradāya of the Śrī Dattāreya Guru Paramparā. He who is always aware thus is said to be learned in the Atarva Srisha. The Upasaka must realize that the perceived world, the perception, the worshipper, the worshipped, the Devās, earth, heavens, and the act of worship are one and the same and that all is contained in the Śrī Yantrā.