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Amrita Nada Upanishad
Amrita Nada Upanishad is a small Upanishad from Krishna Yajur Veda. Its theme
is six limbed Yoga and liberation. The Yoga described in this Upanishad
emphasizes on Om, five elements, pranas and sushumna.
As per Amrita Nada Upanishad, Yoga consists of six steps as follows:
- Pranayama
- Pratyahara
- Dharana
- Dhyana
- Tarka
- Samadhi
A Yoga student should regularly study scriptures and reflect on their meaning
again and again. Only then they revel true meaning. Such regular reading is
unnecessary when one realizes Bramhan. After realization of Bramhan one can
abandon all such scriptures.
One should ride the vehicle of supreme Om that is driven by Vishnu himself. A
practitioner should travel through this vehicle to the ultimate destination.
After reaching the destination he should abandon even this vehicle (i.e. Om).
A Yogi who has realized Bramhan renounces Mantra, Symbol and seat and remains
absorbed in Bramhan
The way we clean dust by blower a Yogi should clean accumulated impurities by
Pranayama. Pranayama burns impurities, Dharana burns sins, Pratyahara burns
worldly associations and Dhyana burns threefold gunas. Only after burning all
these impurities one can attain true Kumbhaka (retention). Inhalation,
exhalation and retention are the three parts of Pranayama.
Pranayama is performed by repeating Gayatri Mantra consisting of Pranava,
Vyahritis and Shiras (heads) three times. Rechaka should exhale by raising Vayu
from Akasha (i.e. heart) and making the body void of Vayu. Puraka is performed
by inhaling Vayu as if you are sucking water in to your mouth via lotus stalk.
Kumbhaka is performed by restraining breath. During Kumbhaka the body remains
stand still and motionless. Once Kumbhaka is mastered the Yogi sees nothing,
hears nothing and his body becomes like wood. These are signs of real calmness.
Pratyahara is a sadhana in which the practitioner thinks of the five objects
of sense i.e. eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin and mind which is a wheel of Atman.
Dharana is performed by merging mind into Atman and contemplating on Atman.
A state of Tarka is one where a Yogi infers on the object of meditation and
his inference is not contradicting with teaching of Vedas.
Once Samadhi is attained a Yogi sees everything as equal.
A Yoga practitioner should seat on a comfortable seat made of Kusha grass. He
should choose a place free from any evils and protect himself from evil
influences. He should then sit in Padmasana, Swastikasana, Bhadrasana or any
other comfortable and steady position. He should face towards north and practice
Pranayama.
He should close the nostril with thumb and inhale through the other nostril.
He should then practice Kumbhaka meditating on Om. Om is shabda Bramhan and
should not be exhaled. This way he should practice again and again.
A Yogi should then meditate on naval and further subtle chakras. He should
practice this without any other thoughts and being perfectly steady. Union
resulting from this steady meditation in Sushumna alone is Dharana. Such a union
that last for twelve Matras is true Dharana.
Prana follows the path of Om and hence one should move along that path of
Sushumna daily. The Prana moves from Anahata to Vishuddhi to Sahasrara chakra
and Yogi attains liberation.
A practitioner should avoid fear, anger, laziness, too much sleep and waking
too much and fasting. If he observes these rules strictly then success will come
in three months. In the fourth month he sees deities. In the fifth month he
knows Bramhan and in the sixth month he attains liberation at will.
Meditation on Om in earth, water, fire, air and ether becomes subtler after
practice. A practitioner should go further and meditate on subtlest form i.e.
mind. He should then unite Atman and Mind and meditate on Atman through Atman.
A living being breaths 216000 times in 24 hours. Prana occupies heart region,
Apana the anal region, Samana the navel region, Udana the throat region and
Vyana moves in the whole body.
One becomes free from the cycle of birth and death whose prana escapes from
the head piercing Ajna Chakra.