NARAYANEEYAM DASAKAM - 4 - ASHTANGA YOGA AND ATTAINMENT OF MUKTI

Dasakam - 4 - Ashtanga Yoga and Attainment of Mukti

In this chapter, Narayana Bhattathiri requested Lord Guruvayoorappan to give him, good health adequate enough to practice Ashtanga yoga and earn his grace. The practice of ashtanga yoga include self control (Yama) by practice of brahmacharya, follow a code of conduct (Niyama) like taking baths at the proper hour to attain purity of body and mind, sitting in an appropriate posture (Asana)like Padmasana or Sukhasana to meditate upon Lord. This will control and regulate breathing (Pranayama)and chant pranava mantra (OM) continuously which will help withdrawing senses from sense objects (Pratyahara).

After attaining the above, Bhattathiri would try hard to fix his mind (Dharana)on the lotus feet of the hazily perceived form of the Lord. With prolonged meditation (Dhyana) and surrender, he would then be successful in visualising Lord's form more clearly. Having been captivated by the Lord's sweet form (Saguna), he would then be able to enjoy the impersonal form of the Lord i.e. Parabrahman or the nirguna form.

While practicing such a nirvikalpa samadhi state, if Bhattathiri missed his focus, he would meditate on Lord's lotus feet and try again and again the mentioned eight steps so that he can enjoy the blissful state (samadhi) like foremost devotees Sukhadeva and Narada who attained  that state even while they were moving about freely on the earth.

Any devotee who have attained this samadhi state, can work for immediate liberation (Sadhyo mukthi) or gradual liberation (Krama Mukti). In both ways, one should first control the breath by pranayama and then make it arise from the mooladhara chakra to higher six chakras through the sushumna naadi. One who is not interested in heavenly worlds, gives up his gross and subtle body and merges with the Lord through the aajnya chakra. One who desires to visit heavenly worlds, before attaining liberation, then leaves his breath through the Brahmarandra or the head.

Such a devotee of Lord who follows Krama mukti, is led by the presiding deities of fire, day time, the bright fortnight, and Uttara ayana to the plane of the sun,  enjoying in each of these spheres and reaches the realm of Dhruva. Then he proceeds to Maharloka. At the time of cosmic dissolution, fire emanates from the mouth of Aadishesh, Either this devotee, tormented by the fire or before, takes refuge in Lord and goes to Brahma loka.

The devotee residing in Brahma loka or Lord's Vaikunta is then liberated during Mahapralaya or if he desires, even much earlier by liberating himself with his yogic powers. The liberated devotee enters each of the seven sheaths of the cosmic sphere,i.e. earth, water, fire, air, space, the cosmic intelligence, and primordial nature. He enjoys the bliss there and then merges with the Lord, Supreme Brahman.

Thus the devotee who goes through this luminous path does not fall any more to the netherworlds.  Having explained the devotional path to be practiced through ashtanga yoga, Bhattathiri requested Guruvayoorappan, the embodiment of pure consciousness to cure him of his internal and external afflictions and protect him, who is always singing only Lord's glories. Lord Guruvayoorappan acknowledged Bhattathiri's request immediately by nodding his head.

Lyrics of Dasakam 4

कल्यतां मम कुरुष्व तावतीं कल्यते भवत्-उपासनं यया ।
स्पष्टम्-अष्ट-विध-योग-चर्यया पुष्टय-आशु तव तुष्टिम्-आप्नुयाम् ॥१॥

kalyataaM mama kuruShva taavatiiM kalyate bhavat-upaasanaM yayaa |
spaShTam-aShTa-vidha-yOga-charyayaa puShTayaa(a)(a)shu tava tuShTim-aapnuyaam || 1||

ब्रह्मचर्य-दृढतादिभिर्यमै: आप्लवादिनियमैश्च पाविता: ।
कुर्महे दृढममी सुखासनं पङ्कजाद्यमपि वा भवत्परा: ॥२॥

brahmacharya-dR^iDhataadibhiryamai: aaplavaadi niyamaishcha paavitaa: |
kurmahe dR^iDhamamii sukhaasanaM pankajaadyamapi vaa bhavatparaa: ||2||

तारम्-अन्तरम्-अनुचिन्त्य सन्ततं प्राण-वायुम्-अभियम्य निर्मला: ।
इन्द्रियाणि विषयादथापहृत् आस्महे भवदुपासनोन्मुखा: ॥३॥

taaram-antaram-anuchintya santataM praaNa-vaayum-abhiyamya nirmalaa: |
indriyaaNi viShayaadathaapahR^it-aa(a)(a)smahe bhavadupaasanOnmukhaa: || 3||

अस्फुटे वपुषि ते प्रयत्नतो धारयेम धिषणां मुहुर्मुहु: ।
तेन भक्तिरसम्-अन्तरार्द्रताम् उद्वहेम भवदङ्घ्रिचिन्तका ॥४॥

asphuTe vapuShi te prayatnatO dhaarayema dhiShaNaaM muhurmuhu: |
tena bhaktirasam-antaraardrataam udvahema bhavadanghrichintakaa: || 4||

विस्फुटावयवभेदसुन्दरं त्वद्वपु: सुचिर-शीलनावशात् ।
अश्रमं मनसि चिन्तयामहे ध्यान-योग-निरतास्त्वदाश्रयाः ॥५॥

visphuTaavayavabhedasundaraM tvadvapu: suchira-shiilanaavashaat |
ashramaM manasi chintayaamahe dhyaana-yOga-nirataastvadaashrayaa: ||5||

ध्यायतां सकल-मूर्तिम्-ईदृशीम्-उन्मिषन्-मधुरता-हृत्-आत्मनाम् ।
सान्द्र-मोद-रस-रूपमान्तरं ब्रह्म रूपमयि तेऽवभासते ॥६॥

dhyaayataaM sakala-muurtim-iidR^ishiiM-unmiShan-madhurataa-hR^ita-atmanaam |
saandra-mOda-rasa-ruupamaantaraM brahma-ruupamayi te(a)vabhaasate ||6||

तत्-समास्वदन-रूपिणीम् स्थितिं त्वत्-समाधिमयि विश्वनायक ।
आश्रिता: पुनरत: परिच्युतौ  आरभेमहि च धारणादिकम् ॥७॥

tat-samaasvadana-ruupiNiiM sthitiM tvat-samaadhimayi vishvanaayaka
aashritaa: punarata: parichyutou-aarabhemahi cha dhaaraNaadikam ||7||

इत्थमभ्यसननिर्भरोल्लसत्  त्वत्-परात्म-सुख-कल्पितोत्सवा: ।
मुक्त-भक्त-कुल मौलितां गता: सञ्चरेम शुक-नारदादिवत् ॥८॥

itthamabhyasana nirbharOllasat tvat-paraatma-sukha-kalpitOtsavaa: |
mukta-bhakta-kula-maulitaaM gataa: sa~ncharema shuka-naaradaadivat || 8||

त्वत्-समाधि-विजये तु य: पुन:- मङ्क्षु मोक्ष-रसिक: क्रमेण वा ।
योगवश्यम्-अनिलं षडाश्रयै:-उन्नयत्यज सुषुम्नया शनै: ॥९॥

tvat-samaadhi-vijaye tu ya: puna:ma~Nkshu mOksha-rasikaH krameNa vaa |
yOgavashyam-anilaM ShaDaashrayai:-unnayatyaja suShumnayaa shanai: || 9||

लिङ्ग-देहमपि सन्त्यजन्नथो लीयते त्वयि परे निराग्रह: ।
ऊर्ध्व-लोक-कुतुकी तु मूर्धत: सार्धमेव करणैर्निरीयते ॥१०॥

lingadehamapi santyajannathO liiyate tvayi pare niraagrahaH |
uurdhvalOkakutukii tu muurdhataH saardhameva karaNairniriiyate || 10||

अग्नि-वासर-वलर्क्ष-पक्षगै: उत्तरायणजुषा च दैवतै: ।
प्रापितो रविपदं भवत्परो मोदवान् ध्रुवपदान्तम् ईयते ॥११॥

agni-vaasara-valarksha-pakshagai: uttaraayaNajuShaa cha daivatai: |
praapitO ravipadaM bhavatparO mOdavaan dhruvapadaantam-iiyate || 11||

आस्थितोऽथ महरालये यदा शेषवक्त्र-दहनोष्मणार्द्यते ।
ईयते भवदुपाश्रयस्तदा वेधस: पदमत: पुरैव वा ॥१२॥

aasthitO(a)tha maharaalaye yadaa sheShavaktra-dahanOShmaNaardyate |
iiyate bhavadupaashrayastadaa vedasa: padamata: puraiva vaa || 12||

तत्र वा तव पदेऽथवा वसन् प्राकृतप्रलय एति मुक्तताम् ।
स्वेच्छया खलु पुरापि मुच्यथे संविभिद्य जगत्-अण्डम्-ओजसा ॥१३॥

tatra vaa tava pade(a)thavaa vasan praakR^itapralaya eti muktataam |
svechChayaa khalu puraapi muchyate sanvibhidya jagat-aNDam-Ojasaa || 13||

तस्य च क्षिति-पयो-महोऽनिलद-योमहत्-प्रकृति-सप्तकावृती: ।
तत्तदात्मकतया विशन् सुखी याति ते पदमनावृतं विभो ॥१४॥

tasya cha kshiti-payO-mahO(a)nilad-yOmahat-prakR^iti-saptakaavR^itii: |
tattadaatmakatayaa vishan sukhii yaati me padamanaaR^ritam vibho ||14||

अर्चिरादि-गतिमीदृशीं व्रजन् विच्युतिं न भजते जगत्पते ।
सच्चिदात्मक भवत् गुणोदयान्-उच्चरन्तम् अनिलेश पाहि माम् ॥१५॥

archiraadi-gatimiidR^ishiiM vrajan vichyutiM na bhajate jagatpate |
sachchidaatmaka bhavad guNOdayaan-uchcharantam-anilesha paahi maam ||15||

-------Sri Krishnarpanam------