Read more on this topic:

Yoga Shikha Upanishat

योगशिखोपनिषत्

Yoga-Śikh-Opaniṣat

Exceprts from the first chapter

कथितं तु तव प्रीत्या ह्येतदभ्यासलक्षणम् ।
मन्त्रो लयो हठो राजयोगोऽन्तर्भूमिकाः क्रमात् ॥१२९॥
kathitaṁ tu tava prītyā hyetadabhyāsalakṣaṇam |
mantro layo haṭho rāja-yogo'ntarbhūmikāḥ kramāt ||129||
...|
Walk through the inner stages of Mantra-, Laya-, Hatha- and Raja-Yoga, ||129||

एक एव चतुर्धाऽयं महायोगोऽभिधीयते ।
हकारेण बहिर्याति सकारेण विशेत्पुनः ॥१३०॥
eka eva caturdhā'yaṁ mahā-yogo-'bhidhīyate |
hakāreṇa bahiryāti sakāreṇa viśet-punaḥ ||130||
this is indeed a unique fourfold Maha-Yoga. |
Exhale with the sound HA and inhale again with the sound SA, ||130||

हंसहंसेति मन्त्रोऽयं सर्वैर्जीवश्च जप्यते ।
गुरुवाक्यात्सुषुम्नायां विपरीतो भवेज्जपः ॥१३१॥
haṁsa-haṁs-eti mantro-'yaṁ sarvair-jīvaś-ca japyate |
guruvākyātsuṣumnāyāṁ viparīto bhavej-japaḥ ||131||
this way all living beings do chant the Mantra "hamsa hamsa". |
The other way around the Yogi should recite this Mantra – after instruction by his teacher - in the Sushumna. ||131||

सोऽहंसोऽहमिति प्रोक्तो मन्त्रयोगः स उच्यते ।
प्रतीतिर्मन्त्रयोगाच्च जायते पश्चिमे पथि ॥१३२॥
so-'haṁ-so.-aham-iti prokto mantra-yogaḥ sa ucyate |
pratītir-mantra-yogāc-ca jāyate paścime pathi ||132||
"SO-HAM, I am it, ´I am it´ recited this way is called Mantra-Yoga. |
Through understanding of the Mantra-Yoga the Yogi will be directly born onto the path of liberation. ||132||

हकारेण तु सूर्यः स्यात्सकारेणेन्दुरुच्यते ।
सूर्याचन्द्रमसोरैक्यं हठ इत्यभिधीयते ॥१३३॥
ha-kāreṇa tu sūryaḥ syāt-sa-kāreṇ-endur-ucyate |
sūryā-candramas-oraikyaṁ haṭha ity-abhidhīyate ||133||
It is said that in the sound HA the sun is contained, in the sound SA the moon. |
Hatha-Yoga means uniting of sun and moon. ||133||

हठेन ग्रस्यते जाड्यं सर्वदोषसमुद्भवम् ।
क्षेत्रज्ञः परमात्मा च तयोरैक्यं यदा भवेत् ॥१३४॥
haṭhena grasyate jāḍyaṁ sarva-doṣa-samudbhavam |
kṣetrajñaḥ paramātmā ca tayoraikyaṁ yadā bhavet ||134||
When the individual and the universal sould became united, Hatha-Yoga |
then swallows the lethargy, the result of the basic characteristics of human beings. ||134||

तदैक्ये साधिते ब्रह्मंश्चित्तं याति विलीनताम् ।
पवनः स्थैर्यमायाति लययोगोदये सति ॥१३५॥
tad-aikye sādhite brahmaṁś-cittaṁ yāti vilīnatām |
pavanaḥ sthairyam-āyāti laya-yog-odaye sati ||135||
When the unity is perfected the changeable (Chitta) in the human being is absorbed in the Absolute (Brahma). |
The goal of Laya-Yoga will be reached through the resulting rest of the life force (Prana). ||135||

लयात्संप्राप्यते सौख्यं स्वात्मानदं परं पदम् ।
योनिमध्ये महाक्षेत्रे जपाबन्धूकसंनिभम् ॥१३६॥
layāt-saṁprāpyate saukhyaṁ sva-atma-ānadaṁ paraṁ padam |
yoni-madhye mahā-kṣetre japā-bandhūka-saṁnibham ||136||
Through the sublime state of Laya bliss will be achieved out of itself. |
This is localised in the holy shrine in the middle of the Vagina (Yoni),
comparable with the Hibiskus- or Dupurmoni- blossom. ||136||

रजो वसति जन्तूनां देवीतत्त्वं समावृतम् ।
रजसो रेतसो योगाद्राजयोग इति स्मृतः ॥१३७॥
rajo vasati jantūnāṁ devī-tattvaṁ samāvṛtam |
rajaso retaso yoga-adrāja-yoga iti smṛtaḥ ||137||
Hidden in all living beings the essence of the goddess lies dormant as vaginal secretion (Rajas). |
Hence it is handed down that Raja-Yoga evolves from the unification of male semen (Retas) and female vaginal secretion (Rajas). ||137||

अणिमादिपदं प्राप्य राजते राजयोगतः ।
प्राणापानसमायोगो ज्ञेयं योगचतुष्टयम् ॥१३८॥
aṇim-ādi-padaṁ prāpya rājate rāja-yogataḥ |
prāṇa-apāna-samāyogo jñeyaṁ yoga-catuṣṭayam ||138||
If Raja-Yoga is reached, supernatural powers (Siddhi) are achievable. |
Typical for the fourfold Yoga is always the unification of ascending energy (Prana) with descending energy(Apana). ||138||

Page keywords:

Yoga, Shikha, Upanishad, Hatha, Raja, Tantra,

Consonants in the Sanskrit language

All the consonants of the Sanskrit alphabet with pronounciation, spelling and transliteration. more »

Next Workshops

The first series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga: the primary series (Yoga chikitsa)

New video at YogaEasy.de - Ashtanga Yoga for beginners

60 minutes for a complete start in Ashtanga Yoga practice. Go for your relaxed and traditional experience. mehr »