CHAPTER II.
(1).—THE MICROCOSM.
IN this body, the (mount Meru) vertebral column is surrounded by seven islands; there are rivers, seas, mountains, fields; and lords of the fields too. 2. There are in it seers, sages; all the stars and planets as well. There are sacred pilgrimages, shrines; and presiding deities of the shrines. 3. The sun and moon, agents of creation and destruction, also move in it. Ether, air, fire, water and earth are also there.
(2).—THE NERVE CENTRES.
- All the creatures that inhabit the three worlds are in the body; surrounding the Meru they are engaged in their respective functions. 5. He who knows all this is a Yogi; there is no doubt about it. 6. In this body, which is called Brahmanda (microcosm, literally the mundane egg) there is the nectar-rayed moon, in its proper place, on the top of the spinal cord, with eight Kalas. 7. This has its face downwards, and rains nectar day and night. This ambrosia further sub-divides itself into two subtle parts: 8. One of these through the channel named Ida goes over the body to nourish it like the waters of the heavenly Ganges—Certainly this ambrosia nourishes the whole body through the channel of Ida. 9. This milk-ray (moon) is on the left side. The other ray, brilliant as the purest milk and fountain of great joy, enters through the middle path (called sushumna) into the spinal cord in order to create. 10. At the bottom of the Meru there is the sun having twelve Kalas. In the right side path (Pingala) the lord of creatures carries (nectar) through its rays upwards. 11. It certainly swallows the vital secretions, and ray-exuded nectar. Together with the atmosphere, the sun moves through the whole body. 12. The right-side vessel, which is pingala is another form of the sun, and is the giver of Nirvana. The lord of creation and destruction (the sun) moves in this vessel through auspicious ecliptical signs.
(3).—THE NERVES - In the body of man there are 350,000 nadis; of them, the principal are fourteen: 14-15. Shushumna, Ida, Pingala, Gandhari, Hasti-jihvika, Kuhu, Saraswati, Pusa, Sankhini, Payaswini, Varuni, Alumbusa, Vishwodari, and Yasaswini. Among these Ida, Pingala and Shushumna are the chief. 16. Among these three, Shushumna alone is the highest and beloved of the Yogis. Other vessels are subordinate to it in the cranium (the whole of Brahma). 17. All these principal nadis (vessels) have their mouths downwards, and are like thin threads of lotus. They are all supported by the vertebral column, and represent the sun, moon and fire. 18. The innermost of these three is Chitra; it is my beloved. In that there is the subtlest of all hollows called Brahmrandhra. 19. Brilliant with five colours, pure, moving in the middle of Shushumna, this Chitra is the vital part of body and the centre of Shushumna. 20. This has been called in the Shastras the heavenly way; this is the giver of the joy of immortality; by contemplating it, the great Yogi destroys all sins.
(4).—THE PELVIC REGION. - Two digits above the anus, and two digits below the sexual organ is the adhar lotus,—having a dimension of four digits. 22. In the pericarp of the adhar lotus there is the triangular, beautiful yoni, hidden and kept secret in all the Tantras. 23. In it is the supreme goddess Kundali of the form of electricity, in a coil. It has three coils and a half (like a serpent), and is in the mouth of Shushumna. 24. It represents the creative force of the world, and is always engaged in creation. It is the goddess of speech, whom speech cannot manifest, and who is praised by all gods. 25. The nadi called Ida is on the left side coiling round the Shushumna, it goes to the right nostril. 26. The nadi called Pingala is on the right path; coiling round the central vessel, it enters the left nostril. 27. The nadi which is between Ida and Pingala is certainly Shushumna. It has six stages, six forces, six lotuses, known to the Yogis, 28. The first five stages of Shushumna are known under various names; being necessary, they have been made known in this book. 29. Other nadis rising from Muladhar, go to the various parts of the body, e.g., tongue, penis, eyes, feet, toes, ears, the abdomen, the armpit, fingers of the hands, the scrotum, and the anus. Having risen from their proper place, they stop at their respective destinations as above described.
- From all these (fourteen) nadis, there arise gradually other branches and sub-branches, so that at last they become three hundred thousand and a half in number, and supply their respective places. 31. These nadis are spread through the body crosswise and lengthwise; they carry enjoyment (and suffering) and keep watch over the movements of the air.
(5).—THE ABDOMINAL REGION. - In the abdomen there burns the fire—digestor of food—situated in the middle of the sphere of the sun having twelve Kalas (solar plexus). Know this as the fire of Vaiswanara; it is born from a portion of my own energy. I digest the various food of creatures, being inside their bodies. 33. This fire increases life, and gives strength and nourishment; makes the body full of energy, destroys all diseases and gives health. 34. The wise Yogi, having kindled this Vaishwanaric fire according to the proper rites, should sacrifice food into it every day in conformity with the teachings of his spiritual teacher. 35. This body called the Brahmanda (microcosm) has many parts, but I have enumerated the most important of them in this book. [Surely] they ought to be known. 36. Various are their names, and innumerable are the places in this human body; all of them cannot be enumerated.
(6).—THE JIVATMA. - In the body thus described, there dwelleth the Jiva, all-pervading, adorned with the garland of endless desires and chained (to the body) by karma. 38. The Jiva possessed of many qualities, the agent of all events, enjoys the fruit of his various karma amassed in the past life. 39. Whatever is seen among men (whether pleasure or pain) is born of karma. All creatures enjoy or suffer according to the results of their actions. 40. The desires, etc., which cause pleasure or pain act according to the past karma of the Jiva. 41. The Jiva that has accumulated an excess of good and virtuous actions receives a happy life; and in the world he gets pleasant and good things to enjoy without any trouble. 42. In proportion to the force of his karma, man suffers misery or enjoys pleasure. The soul that has amassed an excess of bad karma never enjoys happiness. The Jiva is not born but through karma; except karma, there is nothing in this world. From the Intelligence veiled by Maya, all things have been evolved. 43. In their proper season, various creatures are born to enjoy the consequences of their karma. As through mistake a mother-of-pearl is taken for silver, so through the error of one’s own karma man mistakes Brahma for the universe. 44. From desire all these delusions arise; they can be eradicated with great difficulty; when the salvation-giving knowledge of the unreality of the world arises, then are the desires destroyed. 45. Being too much and deeply engaged in the manifested (objective) world, the delusion arises about that which is manifested—the subject. There is no other cause (of this delusion). Verily, verily, I tell you the truth. 46. That Brahma which causes these visible perceptions can only destroy the delusion about the subject, and the object as well; so long as this knowledge is not obtained, the delusion that Brahma is separate from the universe is not removed. 47. By looking closely and critically into the matter, this false knowledge vanishes. It cannot be removed otherwise: the delusion of silver remains. 48. As long as knowledge does not arise about the pure cause of the perceptible universe, so long all things appear separate and many. 49. When this body obtained through karma is made the means of obtaining Nirvana (divine beautitude); then only the carrying of the burden of the body becomes fruitful,—not otherwise. 50. Of whatever nature is the original desire that clings to, and accompanies the Jiva (through various incarnations); similar is the delusion which it suffers, according to its deeds and misdeeds. 51. If the practiser of Yoga wishes to cross the ocean of the world, he should renounce all the fruits of his works, having performed all the duties of his ashrama (the condition of life). 52. Persons attached to sensual objects and desirous of sensual pleasures, descend from the road of Nirvana and fall into sinful deeds.
- When through spirit one perceives the spirit, and sees nothing else (in this world), then, if he leaves off the performance of every work, he commits no sin. This is my opinion. 54. All passions, desires, etc., are destroyed only through knowledge and not otherwise; when no other tatwas (priciples) remain, then my tatwa (essence or nature) manifests itself.
