THE CHIDAKASHA GITA
OF BHAGAWAN NITYANANDA OF GANESHPURI
Verses 201-225 With Commentary by Kedarji

201. He who meditates on God and who is desireless, is the saviour of the world. He who meditates on God is the Muni (sage). He is Shiva and Shiva is he. All that is visible is Shiva.

Commentary: The person who meditates on Shiva, on the Self within, without any other desire but to merge with his/her own Divinity; this person, with practice, does become a Siddha, a savior of the world. In time, that person who meditates on God becomes a sage of steady wisdom and then leads others. Such a person is Shiva and Shiva is that sage. When you realize the Self by the Self, you will realize that nothing exists that is not Shiva who is your very own Self.

202. One who has not realized the truth is a beggar. One who has not destroyed delusion, one who has not left off the downward (worldly) path, is a beggar.

Commentary: Without God-realization, you are subject to illusion, delusion and the suffering wrought by the pair of opposites, pain and pleasure. These are limitations that severely restrict your authorship, agency and omniscience and this limitation causes you to wander about relying on your own wits instead of God’s Grace. This does make you a beggar.

203. Those who are indifferent to honor and dishonor enjoy bliss, true bliss that is the same as Brahmananda, i.e., at-one-ment with the Godhead. If we concentrate our intellectual powers for five minutes, we feel that bliss. Those who have not realized the primordial cause, have not realized the goal of life. Like flies falling into the flame of a burning lamp, those who have not realized the truth, are caught, in the net of delusion. The flies repeatedly see the lamp. They repeatedly hover round the lamp and, at last, they fall into it and die.

Commentary: Those who are indifferent to honor and dishonor, enjoy Bliss, true Bliss that is the same as being one with Shiva. If we turn the mind inside, even for five minutes, we can experience that Bliss. Those who have not realized their own primordial nature as God, the Self, have not attained the goal of life.

Flies hover around a burning lamp. They watch their brother and sister flies being burned to death by the fire of the lamp. And yet, while watching other flies go to their death, these flies continue to hover around the burning lamp. Human beings are also deluded in this way. Even after observing the result of being trapped in the pair of opposites, pleasure and pain, they continue to crave pleasure and pain. To rise above this pleasure and pain, you have to make a concerted effort to realize its cause and to realize That One who is beyond the illusion of this world-appearance.

204. Those who do not practice Pranayama (control of breath) have no yoga. It is impossible to draw water from a well without a rope. Those who are not free from bondage have no peace. No one can live without drinking water. Those who have annihilated the mind, are desireless. Babies are Raja yogis till the sixth month. After the brain is developed, the same baby is Hatha yogi. The mind in such babies is very fickle. Because the discriminating power is less in them. Babies cannot distinguish between a lump of sugar and a lump of earth. Hence, such babies regard earth and sugar as the same. The fruit is always at the top of the tree. Similarly, the fruit in man is upwards. If you plant a coconut in the earth, coconuts are eventually seen at the top of the coconut tree. For every tree, the fruit is at the top.

Commentary: It is not possible to transform human awareness into Divine Consciousness without learning Pranayama from one who has mastered it. It is impossible to draw water from a well without a rope attached to a bucket. In the same way, it is not possible to draw Kundalini Shakti upward into the Sahasrar without directing the breath into the Sushumna Nadi and upward, by the practice of Pranayam.

Just as there would be no life without water, no one can live without Prana. Therefore, this Prana is a very important element in Sadhana. You cannot have peace without freeing yourself from the fetters of the ego and the fickle mind. Those who have dissolved the mind completely in the Absolute are desireless. A child of less than six months old is like this, a Raja Yogi. Before six months, a child’s brain is not focused on the mundane, empirical knowledge of this world-appearance and is still absorbed in the inner Truth.

After six months, as the child’s brain develops, the child becomes a Hatha yogi, one who is more concerned about the body and the sublimation of the Shakti to achieve outer desires. At this stage, the mind becomes fickle. Prior to this stage, a child is in a state of wonder and does not differentiate between objects.

Fruit on a tree is always at the top of the tree. In the same way, the fruit of Yoga is at the top, in the head (crown chakra) of a human being. The upward path is the path of the rising Kundalini Shakti that eventually makes its home in the Sahasrar. In Yoga, this is where you must go.

 

205. The umbrella does not hold the peron. All is held by the mind. When the mental moods are destroyed, all differences disappear. Such a being has no desire. He is a Sanyasi. He is a yogi. A person who has Manas wants everything. A person who has no Manas, has everything in himself. Just as in a steamer, there are all sorts of commodities, so also, a being who has conquered the mind has the whole world in himself.

Commentary: Objects like an umbrella are not superior to human beings. Because you have a mind, you are the creator of those objects and the perceiver of the entire Universe. God makes a human being. A human being does not make God. This world-appearance is a mental representation created by Shiva Consciousness itself.

When the mental moods of the mind are destroyed, all differences disappear and Equality Consciousness dawns. For one who has this Equality Consciousness, there is no desire. Such a person is a Sanyasi, a Yogi. A person whose mind is not merged in God chases after desire and craving and only wants more and more. When the mind is dissolved in the Shakti of Shiva, the Absolute, the Yogi realizes that everything is contained inside him/herself. This realization dawns when the mind is conquered completely.

206. When a boat is sailing, everything around appears to move. So also, when mind is disappearing, everything appears to whirl round. What is experienced in sleep is not experienced in the waking state. What is experienced in the waking state is not experienced in sleep. If you place a vessel, without water, over fire, no sound is produced. In order to produce sound, water is necessary. So also, those who have no subtle discrimination, will not be benefitted. If you are bitten by a cobra in sleep, you will not die. In sleep, mind is quiescent. When there is Manas, there is everything. What is called creation is a mental affection. When there is thorough introspection, there is no creation.

Commentary: As the mind is purified through meditation, and as it migrates back to its primordial form as Chiti (Samanya Spanda), internal movement is experienced. A lot of this movement is part of the purification process as emotions, memories, ideas and notions are purged from the mind and the rest of the Antahkarana (psychic instrument). This purification process makes things seem, at times, like they are whirling around out of control. But this is just Shakti doing its work.

The waking state and the deep sleep state are two different realms. The waking state is the act of creation. When the mind turns outward and entertains ideas, thoughts and notions, this world-appearance comes into being. In deep sleep, you experience an absolute void because the mind is completely quiet and is resting in Chiti. This state is motionless and without sound. It is a state that is very close to the state of subtle discrimination that occurs when the mind is consciously merged in the Supreme Self.

In deep sleep, nothing affects you, not even a cobra bite. The reason for this is, in deep sleep there is no mind to experience the cobra bite or even identify it as a cobra bite. If you don’t have subtle discrimination, you can’t benefit from the ultimate experience of God. When the Manas (mind) is focused on anything other than Shiva Consciousness, there is creation in the form of this world-appearance. Creation is simply mental affection or mental representation. When the mind is dissolved in Chiti Shakti, the entire creation dissolves.

207. In the beginning of practice, the neophyte should diminish sleep. When practicing moderation in diet, one should not bathe in cold water. If you bathe once in four or five hours in cold water, the blood circulation in the body will not be regular. An actor in a theatre first acts behind the curtain. Then he comes out. In the beginning, there must be secrecy. Afterwards, it is not necessary. If you pour water in a vessel that is already full, that water flows out. So also, when perfect peace is attained it becomes known to all. Such a person has no desire. This peace is the supreme. Perfect peace means union with the Godhead.

Commentary: There is a discipline to Sadhana and that discipline differs for seekers in the early stages of their spiritual practice. In the beginning of Sadhana, when you are new to meditation and spiritual practice, it is good not to sleep too much so that you can practice directing your awareness consciously back inside on the Self. It is better to sleep less and meditate more. Just as bathing in cold water a lot will reduce your circulation, sleeping too much will dull your experience of the awakened Kundalini. So, you should try to sleep less because your experience of the void (the third body) and the Turiya state (the fourth body) should be a conscious experience, not an unconscious one.

An actor first rehearses a role in private for a while before performing it on stage for an audience. In the same way, in the early stages of your Sadhana you should practice vigilantly without discussing your experiences and practices with others, especially those who are not on a spiritual path and may be prone to ridiculing or criticizing your practice. People fear what they don’t understand. So, until you have become rooted in your practice and developed a firm understanding of the benefits of your Sadhana, practice in secrecy.

Just as when you pour water into a vessel that is already full, the water pours out, in the very advanced stages of a yogi’s Sadhana, he becomes so full of Shakti that it naturally overflows into the lives of others. Having attained the final state, such a yogi becomes a place of perfect peace for all.

208. The form of God is peace. OM and peace are His forms. He is without form. He is without change. He is above discrimination. He is bliss, absolute. Like the lulling of children to sleep in the cradle, we must sleep internally with the Manas for the pillow. We must be successful in each and every test. We cannot get employment unless we succeed in the tests. Knowing to speak English but not knowing how to write is not knowing English fully.

Commentary: God is eternal Peace, the primordial OM. In his transcendental aspect, He is formless and changeless. God is above distinctions. That is Bliss, absolute. Like lulling a child to sleep in a cradle, we must wean the mind into the internal sleep that is the thought-free state.

In order to remove the weaknesses that are obstacles to Liberation, we first have to be completely aware of what those weaknesses are. The ego cannot be eradicated when we don’t know when it is in play. To accomplish this awareness, the yogi must be tested. For this reason, the Guru tests the disciple regularly.

We must pass every test of the Guru. Don’t be lazy about this. Just as you compete in the workplace by passing the tests necessary to get promoted, you must do the same in Sadhana. If you speak English but can’t write in English, you don’t have full command of the English language. In the same way, if you perform Sadhana but don’t remain vigilant in your tests, you can’t realize God and become free of your Karmas.

209. The throat place is the “Muladhara” where the serpent power (Kundalini) is originated. The heart space is the place for the throat place. The heart space is in the middle of the eye brows. “Swadhisthana” is in the brain. Ajna is triangular. What is called “Raja Yoga” is above the neck. Ajna is the locality where man attains Mukti. What is called “this world” is Jeevatma. What is called the “next world” is Paramatma. The union of these two is the space of consciousness. Chit is the mental mood. Sat is the one, indivisible.

Commentary: Raja Yoga is that path which focuses on the union of Shakti with Shiva in the thousand-petalled lotus located in the Sahasrar. This is a chakra (spiritual center) located at a distance of twelve fingers above the head (Shiva dvadashanta). When this union occurs, the disciple is Liberated.

In Raja Yoga, the focus is on the chakras (spiritual centers) above the throat. In Hatha Yoga, the focus is on the chakras from the throat down. A Raj Yogi is concerned with the rising of Kundalini Shakti through the “command center” (which is the Ajna Chakra in the middle of the eyebrows), into the Sahasrar where the heart space of the Supreme Self is located. However, the real Ajna Chakra is Shiva-Shakti Trikona, the triadic Heart of Shiva.

This is a triangle that moves and spins at the top of the Sahasrar. It is also known in Trika Shaivism as Bhairava Bila. Once you have gained control over a particular chakra, you are no longer influenced by the chakras below it. Hence the focus in Raja Yoga on the chakras above the throat.

This world-appearance is the plane of the Jiva, the individual bound soul. Once Liberated, the yogi lives in the “next world” which is the non-dual plane of existence called Paramatma or Shiva Consciousness. This is the state of a Liberated being who continues to live in this world-appearance without being bound by it in any way. Chit is Shiva’s Vimarsha aspect that creates the perception of a world. Sat is Shiva’s transcendental aspect that is Prakasha (Light of Divine Consciousness) and is non-dual.

210. Pooraka is drawing the breath up. Kumbhaka is retaining the breath. Rechaka is the exhaling of breath slowly from within. Many sorts of cakes are prepared from the same rice. So also, by breath, everything is accomplished. The functions are different. What is called Pranayama is all internal working. The same is Shiva-Shakti in a person. When this Shakti is guided to Brahmarandhra, it is communion with God-head.

Commentary: Apana (pooraka) and Prana (rechaka) are inhalation and exhalation. Kumbhaka is the retention of the breath after both Apana (inhalation) and Prana (exhalation). Just as the same rice is used in many different recipes, the breath takes on different forms to accomplish purification inside a living being. The functions are different.

There is Prana and then there is breath. True Pranayama is internal. Prana is the life force, the indweller that travels on the breath. Prana is the transcendental aspect of the breathing apparatus and breath is the immanent aspect. Prana works internally to purify the subtle spiritual energy centers. The breath nurtures the cells, tissues and organs of the physical form.

Pranayam is the practice of directing the breath inside the Sushumna Nadi without taking any air in from the outside. In this way, breathing is internalized and dissolves in the space between the breaths. This gives rise to the experience of the Shiva-Shakti power. When Kundalini Shakti is directed to the Sahasrar in this way, communion with God is achieved.

211. Shiva-Shakti is one, indivisible. Shiva-Shakti is salvation. Shiva-Shakti is the upward breath. Shiva-Shakti is Prana Vayu. It is the Omkar. It is the Pranava. From Pranava is creation. Pranava is consciousness of the body. Omkar is soul consciousness. Omkar is like the kernel in a dry coconut. The finite becomes one with the infinite. River becomes one with the sea. The mental moods are the rivers. The indivisible Shiva-Shakti is the sea. Just as paper when burnt in fire loses its individuality, the mind loses its individuality in the Atman. Five or six roads may have only one junction. We may travel by these roads either by walking or by train. The body is the train by which we come and go.

Commentary: Shiva and Shakti are the same, one God, indivisible. Shiva is a reference to Shakti. Shakti is a reference to Shiva. They are contained in each other. Shiva-Shakti is salvation. Shiva-Shakti is Prana Vayu, the movement of the breath inside the Sushumna Nadi. When the breath moves inside the Sushumna without taking any breath in from the outside, this is Omkar.

When the Prana moves outside the Sushumna Nadi in the physical body, this is the Pranava Mantra Om expressing itself as the creation, sustenance and withdrawal of the Universe. Just as the kernel is the cause or the source of the coconut, just as all rivers originate and return to the sea, this finite Universe is contained in the infinite Shiva-Shakti principle.

Just as paper, when burnt, merges into the fire and loses its separate existence as paper, in Meditation, the mind loses its individuality and distinctions by merging in the Absolute. Just as several roads may intersect at one point, all spiritual paths lead to that one God, Shiva-Shakti, the all-pervasive Consciousness. We may travel by these roads either by walking or by train. The body is the train by which we come and go.

212. Firm posture of the body is like the station. This posture should be an easy posture. This is Raja yoga. What is Asana is seat.

Commentary: A steady posture is necessary for Meditation. A steady posture is any posture that is easy for you to hold while meditating. If you are able to sit cross-legged in an easy pose, this is best. If not, a steady posture seated in a chair or lying on one’s back is just as good. Asana (posture for meditation) is very important. But this posture should not be confused with expertise in Hatha Yoga. The real Asana is causing your mind to become absorbed in the seat of the Absolute. This occurs when there are no thoughts in your mind. That is true Asana. When meditating, take whatever posture that will easily allow you to free your mind of all thoughts. This is Raja Yoga.

213. Samadhi means controlling one’s energy. Samadhi is the upward breath. The upward breath is what is called the Taraka Brahma. When the upward breath has become perfect, the whole world is within you. This upward breath is the same in all creatures. A Raja yogi is one who has realized the one, indivisible. He is one with God when he is talking or sitting or walking. Raja yoga is like sitting in an upper story and looking around below. Raja Yoga is so called because it is the king of all Yogas. When our intellect becomes one with God, the same is known as Raja yoga. It is all peace; it is formless, qualityless. Bliss has no characteristics whatsoever. This is known as Jeevan Mukti.

Commentary: Samadhi means directing one’s energy back inside to the Sahasrar where the experience of the Nirvikalpa state is automatic. This is accomplished by way of Prana, the upward breath that, upon exhalation, is directed into the Sushumna Nadi and sent to the head. This is known as Taraka Brahma or Shiva Dvadasanta. When you have mastered this upward breath, the entire universe unfolds inside you. It is the same for all creatures.

A Raja yogi is one who has realized God. He experiences the state of Liberation, known as Purnaham Vimarsha, at all times, even when he is walking, talking or just sitting. Raja Yoga, the yoga path that focuses on the upper chakras, is like sitting in a plane that is beyond this physical universe and looking around below. It is the king of Yogas. When our individual intellect merges in Shiva-Shakti, this is Raja Yoga. It is complete peace, formless and without any qualities. The Bliss of Samadhi has no characteristics whatsoever. This state is known as Jivanmukti.

214. Creation disappears in the primordial nature. Coming out from this primordial nature is called creation. Entering into it again is called destruction. When you are conscious of the body, and of nothing else, it is creation. For Raja Yoga, there is no particular action prescribed. There is no Shiva worship. There is no particular place. All this takes place to a Raja yogi in the brain center. Salutation takes place in the brain center. If one salutes in the brain center, it reaches all.

Commentary: When you direct your focus towards objects of sense, the mind comes into being and creation occurs. When you remove all objects, thoughts and notions from your mind, it dissolves back into the primordial Shiva-Shakti principle. For one who is aware of this at all times, no specific practice or ritual is required. Worship of God takes place in the Heart space in the head. This is Raja Yoga. From this God is reached and all are reached.

215. Brahmahood means realization of oneness within oneself. Pindanda (microcosm) is that which is visible outside. Brahmanda (macrocosm) is seen inwards. This macrocosm is beyond creation. Creation is a mental condition. Atma is uncreate. Mind has fears of all sorts. All creation appears to exist only to the embodied. When the external is internalized, there is an end of all fear. If you have gold ornaments on your body, you have fear of thieves. Those who have not such ornaments, have no cause for sorrow. They have one sightedness. Desire is in those who see with the physical eye. They see differences. Desire causes a man to work. Desirelessness is Mukti. Desirelessness for fruit is JivanMukti. This is the state of an Avadhoota. This state is a subtle one. Jnanis have the internal sight. They have annihilated the Manas. They experience one spirit everywhere. They have no idea of differences. They have realized the one, indivisible. In the gross state, there are differences. The internal breath is not divisible. It is indivisible. It is one.

Commentary: Brahmahood is the realization that you are God. Pindanda is the visible world of manifestation that is the product of Shiva’s Maya. Brahmananda is the inner realm of Shiva. This Shivalokha is beyond all creation and is your primordial dwelling place. Creation is a mental condition. Atma is the absence of this mental condition, the absence of creation.

It is the impure mind that has fears, based on desires and cravings for objects that it strives compulsively to possess. This world-appearance only exists for those who have not realized God. When God is realized, only God exists in everything and everyone, everywhere and all fear dissolves. Just as if you wear precious gold, you fear that it will be stolen by thieves, if you have desire for worldliness, you fear losing the people places and things that you falsely believe belong to you. So, the root of all fear is desire for sense pleasures and worldly pleasures.

Desires are cultivated due to the belief that what you see with the physical eye is all that exists. This kind of sight causes distinctions and differences to arise in your mind. Yogis who have banished craving and desire do not have this fear. Limiting desire is a characteristic of those who see differences among others and who believe they are separate from God and imperfect. These conditions are called Anava Mala and Mayiya Mala. The existence of these two Malas in the bound soul (Jiva) causes one to act compulsively out of fear of lose and with a fear of death that causes one to cling to objects of sense.

This limiting desire causes you to believe that you have to struggle to make your life work. This is due to the third Mala, Karma Mala. Desirelessness is the state of absorption in Shiva. It is a state in which there is no world or universe, but only God everywhere. In this state, your only desire is to follow God’s Will and to remain absorbed in God. This is the state of Liberation (Mukti). This is the state of an Avadhoota. It is internal sight. This is the experience of the Jnani. The mind is dissolved in Shiva-Shakti and becomes pure Chiti, once again.

In the gross state of the Jiva (individual bound soul), one experiences differences in objects (people, places and things). The state reached by way of the internal breath, the upward breath, is indivisible. This state is that of Equality Consciousness, the experience that only God exists in everyone and everything, everywhere.

216. The idea of grossness is all mental. The subtle state is Atmaic. Jnanis always enjoy Yoga Nidra. They are in this state whether they are sitting or walking. Jnanis may be compared to a tortoise. These animals project their limbs outside only when necessary. At all other times, they keep themselves inside the shell.

Commentary: This world is a mental representation in Consciousness. It is a Superimposition in Shiva’s Maya, borne of ideation. The thought-free state is the Atman. Jnanis enjoy this state always. It is the state of being absorbed in one’s own perfect Bliss. Jnanis are in this state even when going about their mundane activities in this world. They may be compared to a Tortoise that projects its limbs outward only when necessary and remains in its shell at all other times. These Jnanis only turn their focus outward when it is absolutely necessary. At all other times, they remain indrawn.

217. To the mail train and to the local train, the energy is the same. Time only differs. The Sanyasi is like the mail train. Sanyasi is one who sees the whole external world within himself. One who concentrates his power in the external world, is like the local train. It is difficult to get into the train. After getting into the train, there is no difficulty. One does not then think of the luggage. When we purchase a thing, sitting in the train, our attention is directed towards the train. So also, the first is discrimination. The second is sound. Whatever one may be doing, the attention should be fixed in the head. Seeing, hearing, talking are not actions in themselves. Breathing through the nose is an action in reality. What is called good action is the downward path.

Commentary: The express train and the local train function on the same energy. It is the same engine that drives them both. This is the same with respect to the world-appearance and That which is beyond this world-appearance. The only difference in the two is the sense of time. One train arrives faster than the other. For one who is absorbed in Shiva Consciousness, it is like riding the express train. Such a Sanyasi sees the external world within himself and continues to direct his attention back inside where he quickly becomes reabsorbed in Shiva Consciousness.

A person whose focus is only on the external world is like someone riding the local train that is making many stops before arriving at the person’s true destination, the Atman. At first, it is difficult for one to switch trains. It is difficult for one, at first, to change old habits of attachment to this world-appearance with its many objects. Once we have entered into the Self, our own primordial nature, then this difficulty ceases. Just as when you ride a train, you don’t worry about your luggage that is stowed away on the train, in the same way, once you enter the Self, you no longer have to worry about this world-appearance and your existence in it.

The first step is to orient your will towards God. The second step is to absorb your individual consciousness in the Bindu-Nada that is heard resonating in Shiva-Shakti Trikona, the Heart space in the head. Then, whatever you may be doing, fix your attention on this Bindu-Nada in the head. Seeing, hearing and talking are not actions in and of themselves. Action is the inward and outward breath. When the mind, by the movement of breath taken in from outside, is engaged in thoughts and desires, even if they be good thoughts and desires, this is the downward path of creation. When, by the same breath directed into the Sushumna Nadi or subtle body, all thoughts and desires are removed, this is the upward path of withdrawal into Shiva. When this upward path is your primary focus at all times, this is known as living in a state of Grace.

218. What is called “silence” refers to the mind, not the tongue. What is done when the Buddhi and Jnana are in communion with the Atman, is not Karma. Silence is the real locality of the mind, not of the tongue. It is by silence, yoga is accomplished. He is a yogi who has united into one both Buddhi and Jnana. One who subjects the Manas to Buddhi and makes Buddhi control Manas, is a yogi. What is called “the vow of silence” is another name for the Sushumna which is the junction of the Ida and Pingala. The three important nerves of the body are the Ida and the Pingala and the Sushumna. Sushumna is the seat of the Kundalini.

Commentary: In Sadhana, to be silent means to have no thoughts in the mind. Silence is not a reference to speaking or not speaking. Whatever actions or words are undertaken when the individual will and individual knowledge are fully invested in God, do not create any new Karma because they emanate from this place of silence. It is by silence that one attains Liberation. The yogi is that person who has merged her individual will and consciousness into Shiva Consciousness. This is the union of Buddhi and Jnana in the body of Supreme God Consciousness.

The person who merges his mind in the purified intellect and places the mind under the control of Buddhi, under the control of God’s Will, is a yogi. In Raja Yoga, what is known as taking a vow of silence is really the practice of directing Kundalini Shakti into the Sushumna Nadi and up into the Sahasrar. The Sushumna is the junction point of Ida and Pingala, the other two important nerves in the body. The Sushumna is the most important nerve, since it is through the Sushumna that Kundalini Shakti rises to union with Shiva in the Sahasrar.

219. All Tatwas have one root Tatwa called Parabrahma. When this is realized, it is called Jivanmukti. You must see the river at its source and not after it merges into the sea. You should see the mother root of a tree. All the trees have one mother root. So also, all have one and only one God. When you have realized all as one homogeneous, this realization is Mukti.

Commentary: On the Siddha Path, there are 36 main principles or realms of manifestation. These are known as Tattvas. All Tattvas have, as their source, Shiva-Shakti Tattva which is Parabrahma or Paramashiva. In Sadhana, one must go to this source. This source is the root cause of everything created and uncreated in this world. When you have realized this for yourself, you are Liberated.

220. The actors in a drama, first of all, perform a trial behind the curtain and then perform it on the stage. So also, is the performance of Yoga. First of all, it is secretly practiced and when it is accomplished, it gets publicity of its own accord. When you begin to learn an art, you do not have experience of it all at once. The more you practice, the better will be your experience of it.

Commentary: Sadhana is daily spiritual practice. To attain the fruits of such practice takes time, patience and vigilance in practice. Sadhana is not something you do like a television reality show. It is your personal walk to God. Keep it to yourself in the beginning. As you become more and more absorbed in Shiva Consciousness or the God-principle, people will start to notice your Light and they will want to know more about what has caused a change in you. That will be a perfect time to share what you’ve been up to.

221. One’s hunger is not appeased by simply smelling the food cooked. One must take the food himself to satisfy his hunger. So also, the experience is the only accomplishment. There is no body to oppose you when you have experienced the Truth. By simply holding sugar in your hand, you cannot experience its sweetness. Sugar must be placed in the mouth to taste its sweetness. This is experience. Book knowledge gives room for doubts and discussion. But self-experience does not. Experience for oneself is like the command of the king to the subjects. Experience is like the king’s command. Book knowledge is the subjects. What is called Jivanmukti is one’s true home, the aim and end of yoga. This is the thing to be attained. The dwelling in the cave is the thing to be accomplished in life. The cave is the Buddhi. When Jivatma learns to dwell in the Buddhi, the aim of life is realized. The heart space, which is the place of dwelling (cave) of the Atman, is the place of the third eye. The heart space is discrimination. Buddhi and Jnana have become one, a screw is turned by male or a female. Male and female are distinctions only.

Commentary: Just as you have to eat food (not just smell it) to satisfy your hunger, to know God you have to go inside to have your own direct experience of God. Intellectualizing about God is not enough. Experience is the only true accomplishment. When you have experienced Shiva-Shakti in complete fullness, no one can question your experience. You know it because you live it. No one can oppose that.

Knowledge of the scriptures alone will only create doubts in your mind, and the necessity for debate and discussion. Once you have verified what is in the scriptures by your own experience, there is no doubt and no need for discussion and debate. And if you have direct experience of the Self and no real scriptural knowledge, still you have everything. Personal experience of God is like the command of the King to the subjects. It is from personal experience that all scriptures and sacred texts are written. Therefore, this experience alone is what is worth following.

The aim of Yoga is Liberation, the God-realized state known as Jivanmukti. This is the goal of all Sadhana. Remaining absorbed in God is what is to be accomplished. When you merge your individual intellect into the Divine Buddhi, Shiva’s independent Will, the aim of all life is realized.

The Heart space or dwelling place of the Self is reached through the Ajna Chakra, the third eye. This Heart space is the place of Supreme discrimination or discernment. When Buddhi and Jnana have become one, the goal is realized, whether you be male or female. Male and female are only perceptions in Shiva’s Maya. They are distinctions in language only. The doer of a thing is that One Absolute God.

222. Gold does not make a man great.

Commentary: Money, fame and connections do not make you great. They are indications of your Karma only. You can only become great through direct contact with the Divine.

223. Through science the bondage of Karma is not cut through.

Commentary: Karma cannot be absolved through scientific knowledge or application. Even though some karmas can be removed by the Master, the Master cannot remove all your karmas. Karma, whether good or bad, must be suffered to be absolved. Shiva gives you final Liberation. But even He will not remove all your karmas. Remembering this, the yogi becomes very aware and very careful about the thoughts and actions he/she engages in.

224. O Beggar! Burn the delusion of the mind in the fire of Yoga! Those who have not realized the Brahman do not know the truth. They do not experience real joy. Egotistic tendencies are not destroyed. Be always immersed in Ananda. Bury your desire in the depth of your Manas. Desire is fruitless. Destroy it internally.

Commentary: The mind is purified in the fire of Sadhana, the fire of daily spiritual practice. Do this practice and, by the instruction of a Siddha Guru, you will become the Truth. There is no other way to know the Truth but to become absorbed in it. This is the only path to Joy and the only way to destroy the destructive tendencies of the ego. Immerse yourself in the eternal Bliss that is Shiva Consciousness. Bury your desire in this God Consciousness. Any desire other than the desire to know God and become one with Him is fruitless. Destroy limited desire by depositing it inside at the feet of your living Master.

225. When Jiva leads the Shiva-Shakti in man internally to the center of the brain (Brahma Randhra) and there becomes one with Shiva, the indivisible, Mukti is realized. Brahmananda is for him who has attained this Mukti. Always concentrate on Shiva. In the beginning, was Shiva. In the beginning, there was Shiva-Shakti alone. The Great Protector is the eternal Ananda. The great desirelessness is the eternal Ananda. He who is without desire, is without the three qualities (Gunas). That is real virtue. You are the king of yourself. You are the lord of Mukti. Look within yourself. The real form is the human form. Man stands at the head of the animal kingdom. In this world, there is nothing higher than man. It is man that has created all the countries.

Commentary: When you lead Kundalini Shakti along the central channel (Sushumna) into the Sahasrar, and when this Shakti merges there with Shiva, Liberation is attained. Once Liberated, you experience Shiva at all times and in all things, everywhere. Always concentrate on Shiva. In the beginning, there was only Shiva and there is only this Shiva-Shakti, this God Consciousness, now.

Eternal Bliss of Shiva is the Great Protector. Remaining absorbed in this state is what is known as desirelessness and this desirelessness is eternal Bliss. Remaining in this state, you rise above the three Gunas. This is real virtue. In fact, you are God. You are the Lord of this Liberation. Look inside yourself. God is this human form. Only by taking this human form can you realize God. For this reason, a human birth is the highest birth and the most sacred. It is from inside a human form that this world-appearance is perceived.

Verses 1-25, Verses 26-50, Verses 51-75,

Verses 76-100, Verses 101-125, Verses 126-150,

Verses 151-175, Verses 176-200, Verses 201-225,

Verses 226-250, Verses 251-286.