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V.Krishnaraj

Tantric Principles

"Further the Tantras are concerned with Science, Law, Medicine and a variety of subjects other than spiritual doctrine or worship. Thus Indian chemistry and medicine are largely indebted to the Tantrikas. The main subjects of Tantra are Mantra and Sadhana in all its forms. It is also the chief repository of Yoga  practice, and its general range of subject, as hereafter mentioned, is encyclopaedic."  --Woodroffe.

Tantra = (Tan + Tra) = (spread + save) = Spread to save = Spread the knowledge (Jnana) that saves.

  The means to Prama (knowledge) are  Pratyaksha, Anumana and Upamana.    

Prama is knowledge; Pramana is the means to acquire knowledge; Prameya is an object of certain knowledge.

Pramana according to Vedanta.

In the Purvamimamsa tradition, the teacher Prabhakara accepts the above four pramanas and adds postulation (arthapatti).

The teacher Bhatta accepts a sixth pramana called non-cognition (anupalabdhi).

Carvaka (materialist School) accepts Pratyaksha (Perception) as the sole source of knowledge.

Buddhist and Vaishesika Schools accept two Pramanas: Perception and Inference.

Vishistadvaita School accepts three Pramanas: Perception, Inference and Verbal Authority (Sruti and Smrti Texts).

Dvaita School accepts three Pramanas: Perception, Inference and Verbal Authority (Sruti and Smrti Texts).

 Samkhya accepts the first three: Perception,  Inference,  Analogy (and Sabda--Testimony).

NyAya accepts the first four as the means (Perception,  Inference,  Analogy, Verbal authority or revelation (Agamas).

Advaita School accepts all six Pramanas from stance of empirical reality (Vyavahare bhattanayah).

Other schools add Sambhava, equivalence; atihya, traditional or fallible testimony; and ceshta, gesture (body language).

The Vaisheshika School does not recognize Upamana-Analogy and Sabda-verbal Authority as ways of acquiring knowledge like the Nyaya School.

ANUMANA: Acharya of Kanchi says: How are we to know the Paramatman (God)? He alone is not known. It is to know Him that we must employ anumana, the method of inference. To know the rest "pratyaksa pramanas" or direct sources of knowledge are sufficient.  Knowing an object on the basis of another known object is anumana. When we hear the roar of the thunder we know, by inference, that there are clouds [that the sky is overcast]--Kanchi Acharya.

Tamil Saiva Siddhanta texts explicate Pramanam as follows.

À¢ÃÁ¡½õ = Means of acquiring certain knowledge, being six, viz., pirattiya—cam, a‹umƒ‹am, ƒkamam, uvamƒ‹am, aruttƒpatti, apƒvam according to KuŠa˜, or eight, viz.,
ð¤óî¢î¤òì¢êñ¢, ÜÂñ£ùñ¢, Ýèññ¢, àõñ£ùñ¢, ܼî¢î£ðî¢î¤, Üð£õñ¢ (°ø÷¢, 252, à¬ó.) âù ÜÁõ¬èò£è¾ñ¢ ð¤óî¢î¤òì¢êñ¢, ÜÂñ£ùñ¢, Ýèññ¢, àõñ£ùñ¢, ܼî¢î£ðî¢î¤, ÜÂðôî¢î¤, êñ¢ðõñ¢, äî¤èñ¢.. Madras University Lexicon.

À¢ÃÁ¡½õ = «Ç¨Å = Means of acquiring knowledge.

Pratiyaksha Pramana¹ : ¸¡ñ¼ø «Ç¨Å = Kandal Alavai = pratiyaksha Pramanam in Sanskrit = It is direct perception of an object with eyes and the five senses.

Anumana Pramana² : ¸Õ¾ø «Ç¨Å= Karuthal Alavai = AnumAna Pramanam in Sanskrit = Inference. Though you may not observe an object directly, studying another object invariably associated with the first object and confirming the validity of the first object is Inference. Smoke's invariable association with fire is AvinAbhAva in Sanskrit:  necessary connection of one thing with another, inherent and essential nature. AvinAbhAva = «Å¢¿¡ À¡Åõ. Seeing the rising smoke at a distance, though the fire is not visible for the eyes, knowing that there is fire where the smoke is

Agama Pramana³: ¯¨Ã«Ç¨Å.  synonyms = ¬¸Á À¢ÃÁ¡½õ. ºò¾ô À¢ÃÁ¡½õ, ¬ô¾Å¡ì¸¢Âõ = Agama Pramanam, Sabda Pramanam, Apta Vakkiyam. Sacred Texts: It is the perception of an object or principle through the authority of Sacred Texts, which are revealed knowledge from God. This includes the sacred texts composed by the true devotees of God.

UpamAna Pramana⁴   ´ôÒ =  ¯Å¨Á = ¯ÅÁ¡Éõ = UpamAnam in Sanskrit = Analogy.  When asked what a feral cow looks like by a person who has not seen a feral cow, telling that the feral cow looks like a domestic cow is analogy.

Aruttapatti Pramana⁵: «Õò¾¡Àò¾¢ = ¦À¡Õû = Arthapatti in Sanskrit = inference from circumstances , a disjunctive hypothetical syllogism. Example: Let us assume that a person is fasting. He is surrounded by observant people in the daytime, who have not seen him eating food. After 2 weeks, his body has not lost weight. That is knowing that the day-fasting person eats at night.

Abhava Pramana⁶: þý¨Á = absence = «À¡Åõ. Non-existence. AbhAva is the Sanskrit word for it. Absence is the opposite of presence and thus a means of knowledge. The statement that the rabbit does not a have horn is the knowledge of negativity to apprehend an object.

Some commentators add four more criteria to this list.

1: Paroksha Pramana⁷ = ´Æ¢Ò = À¡¡¢§º¼ «Ç¨Å = Indirect Knowledge as opposed to Pratyaksha, which is direct knowledge. Example: There were only four strong men of elephantine strength in the nation (Salliyan, SarAsanthan, Kisakan, and Bhima: For ease let us call them A  B  C  D.   C was killed by an unknown  person at a particular place in the nation. The known A and B were not there at that time. It is thus the conclusion that D  killed C.

2. Sambhava Pramana⁸ = ºõÀÅ À¢ÃÁ¡½õ = ¯ñ¨Á = Probability evidence. Example: A man admits that he owns 100 gold pieces; it is reasonable to assume that he has 50 gold pieces. Fifty subsides in 100. That is Sambhava Pramana.

3. Aithikam⁹   =  ³¾¢¸õ = Tradition. For generations, people say that a particular tree is the abode of spirits. For generations, it is said Chianciano Spa cures hepatic. biliary and bronchial conditions. That is tradition.

4. SubhAva Pramanam¹⁰ = ÍÀ¡Å À¢ÃÁ¡½õ = þÂøÒ = Nature. Tree is by its nature a tree and nothing else.

Though there are ten Pramanas, they all subside in direct perception^1.  Analogy⁴  and Sacred Texts³. Negative proof⁶ and Nature¹⁰ subside in Direct perception¹.  Inference⁵, Analogy⁴, Indirect Knowledge⁷, and probability evidence⁸ subside in inference⁵.  tradition⁹ subsides in Agamas³.

"Sabda-pramana" is verbal testimony, the pronouncements of the Vedas and the words of great men. When the scriptures speak of things that we do not know, their words must be accepted as authority. The Naiyayikas, or exponents of Nyaya, believe that the Vedas are the words of Isvara. The words of great men who are wedded to truth are also verbal testimony. --Kanchi Acharya.

Pratyaksa or perception in the sensual world is a sure-fire way of sensing and acquiring knowledge. "Perception cannot arise unless there is conjunction of self with mind.  Knowledge is a mark of the self. The cause of perception is contact of the sense-organ and the object."--Nyaya Sutras 2.1.22-23-25  Sense-knowledge is a certain acquisition but expressing what one feels in words may be a problem. Some sense-knowledge may be inexpressible. There two kinds of Perceptions: Indeterminate (nirvikalpa) and Determinate (savikalpa).  In Indeterminate Perception it is simple uncritical apprehension, the basis for future knowledge of the object; in the Determinate perception, we acquire the knowledge of  the genus of the perceived object and the specific qualities which distinguish it from other members of the class and the union between the two (Radhakrishnan). In determinate perception, an object's detailed characteristics are noted. Physical stimuli that an object emanates and impinge on the senses by way of its size, color, heat, odor, taste, etc constitute the determinate Perception. It is a subject and object contact by the senses (of the subject). (This includes seeing, tasting, hearing and physical contact.) The stimulus may be a single kind of stimulus or it could be multiple disparate stimuli as in combination of sound, seeing and vibration coming from one source or multiple sources at the same time. The perceptions could be Ordinary (laukika) and Extraordinary (alaukika). The Ordinary dichotomizes into Internal (manasa) and External (bahya) Perceptions.  Internal Perceptions happen in the Cognizing Mind which is subjected to dualities such as pain and pleasure, like and dislike and mental modifications. Activity of the Mind is independent of the activities of the senses which gather the stimuli. The Mind or Manas is the Central Processing Agent, Modulator and Coordinator. The ultimate purveyor of all stimuli and the mind is the self. The External Perceptions are the sensory perceptions generated by direct contact by the organs of smell, taste, sight, touch and sound which are associated with earth, water, fire, air and ether.

Nyaya Sutras say that the Senses are products of Elements. Thus nose, tongue, eye, skin and ear are products of earth, water, light, air, and ether. Smell, taste, color, touch, and sound are the objects of senses and qualities of earth, water, light, air, and ether.

The explanation is as follows. The special quality (ies) of each element is (are) highlighted. The heavier Earth has five qualities (Gunas): form, flavor, smell, fire (temperature), and sound. Earth's special quality is smell. Water has the qualities of  flavor, sound, touch and form. Fire has the qualities of sound, touch and form. Air has the qualities of sound and touch (as it grazes your skin). Ether has one quality, that of sound; Air is an evolute of Ether and has one additional quality Touch; Fire is an evolute of Air (It dies if not for air) and has three qualities, those of air and its own special quality, form. Water is an evolute of Fire and has all the qualities of Fire (If you take fire or heat off from the water, it  becomes ice.) and a special quality, Flavor. Earth is an evolute of water (think of minerals in water forming earth, remember stalagmites and stalactites forming from dripping water in Luray Caverns) has all the qualities of all preceding elements and a special quality, smell. 

Extraordinary Perceptions are three: Perception of Classes (samanya laksana), Complicated Perception (jnana laksana), Yogic Perception (yogaja) = (Classes, Association and Intuition)

Perception of Classes (samanya laksana). As you walk along the sidewalks of a city, you see multitudes of people. They may look different in many ways. And yet you without a second thought know that you are among people. That means you are looking at their personhood as one common denominator and nothing else. You are looking at the essence of one class of beings. You do not walk around with your senses thinking that these people are going to die one day and they are walking inexorably one step at a time towards their death. That thought does not strike the senses. You do not think of a person without his essence, the living personhood. That is universal brotherhood of humanity.

Complicated Perception (Jnanalakshana = Cognition sign) involves association with previously acquired knowledge. You may call it Unified Multivariate Associative Perception (UMAP)--I coined the phrase to incorporate all its features.  This perception involves Synesthesia. When one sees a rose at a distance, one says he sees a fragrant rose. Here the visual perception of the rose evokes past memory of its fragrance, perceived in the past by the faculty of smell and nose. The perception brought back the memory of fragrance through the Jnana (cognition) of the object from the past.  Other examples are:  ""Ice looks cold, Sandalwood looks fragrant, The fire looks hot, The orange looks sweet, The grass looks soft." When you look at the ice cream cone, you see its color, you know it is chocolate, it is sweet, it has an aroma  and without you even realizing it your mouth waters.  The lustrous shell and the silver are two separate objects and real in substance and cognition. The shell and Silver are separated in space and yet when you see the white shell, you are reminded of silver. When you see Washington Monument, you think of President Washington and his other particulars.

syn·es·the·sia (sinÅÃs thÆzhÃ, -zh Ã, -z Ã), n.

a sensation produced in one modality when a stimulus is applied to another modality, as when the hearing of a certain sound induces the visualization of a certain color.

Yogic Perception (yogaja) is experienced by accomplished Yogis. There is no direct sense-object contact and yet the Yogi experiences an object. The mind is the perceiver because it attained purity by Yogic practice. This mental perception consists of true tele-vision (perceiving objects far away in space),  happenings in the future and things infinitesimally small.

Since senses are subject to vitiation such as Bhrama (illusion, confusion, perplexity), Pramada (negligence, carelessness), Vipralipsa (deception), Karanapatava (misleading senses), one should take refuge in revealed knowledge as dependable evidence.  If Pratyaksha and Pramana run counter to the sacred texts, they should be abandoned.

Mirage is Bhrama, whereby senses are subject to illusion and perceive what is not there; Prakrti-born senses cannot evaluate and measure Isvara and His acts and so advance false knowledge by Pramada and Vipralipsa; Our senses are deficient  (Karanapatava) to comprehend the transcendental.

The great teaching of the Vedanta by itself and without accompanying Sadhana can achieve nothing of real worth. Its study may produce a Pundit. But to the Sadhaka the disputations of Pundits, whether philosophical or scientific, is like “the cawing of the crows.” There is both reason and humor in the Hindu saying that a logician (without Sadhana) will be reborn a jackass. 

Any logician can clearly establish any subject matter using arguments, but someone who is more expert in argument can easily refute him. You use logic to establish one siddhanta today, but a more intelligent and qualified logician will be able to refute it tomorrow, so why should you rely on logic? -Saying by Babaji in Jaiva Dharma.

The message is that the Sastras (sacred texts) are open for exegesis, though exegete (exegetist) of today is tomorrow's defeatist.

The Tantra claims to be practical and pratyaksa Sastra in that it affords the direct proof of experience. Woodroffe, Page 79-80 Principles of Tantra.

Brahman is without name or form. Brahman is  the impersonal supreme being, the primal source and ultimate goal of all beings, with which Atman, when enlightened, knows itself to be identical. How is Brahman different from us? How are we different among ourselves?  Difference: dissimilarity; a distinguishing characteristic; the degree to which one person or thing differs from another; not itself or the same, but another.

The soul is Consciousness, Intelligence, and repository of knowledge. It is left to the individual self (Jivatma) to analyze and weigh the evidence, consider the pros and cons, reconcile to differences, make an informed judgment and arrive at an independent conclusion. That is Saiva Siddhanta which does not recommend accepting anything on blind faith.  Once a Sadhaka comes to the realization of Brahman knowledge, Tantra Sastra advocates the Sadhaka should give up the rituals and rites and Sabda Brahman for they serve no purpose to him, but actually are impediment. Puja and Yoga are redundant for the one who sees Brahman in all things. Puja = ritual worship.

Tantra condemns superficiality and ostentation. If smearing ash and mud leads to realization, every pig rolling and mired in mud has  attained liberation. Rituals without knowledge, sincerity, and Sadhana are meaningless. Knowing scriptures but not the essence (Truth) is like a ladle lying in sugary syrup, a donkey carrying fragrant sandal-wood, columns holding the roof, and the hand carrying the food to the mouth; none of them know the essence or value of what they carry or hold. The perfected Yogi, who realized Para Brahman or attained Brahman knowledge--Brahman Jnana through studies of scriptures, abandons them as the grain gatherer discards the husk.

Agamas are the backbone of Tantric practice and as a matter of fact, all Hindu rituals and as Woodroffe observes, Catholic rituals. Agama consists of four parts or Kandas: Jnanakanda, Yogakanda, Kriyakanda, and Karyakanda.  Jnana = knowledge; Yoga = contemplation and meditation; Kriya = temple-building, consecration of idols and related works; Karya = various ways of worship.

What is Sadhana? Sadhana comes from the word Sadh meaning exert. That endeavor brings a particular result or Siddhi. The aspirant or practitioner is Sadhaka. Once he achieves Siddhi, he becomes Siddha. The goal is Sadya.  A Sadhaka practices Sadhana to attain Siddhi, upon attaining which he becomes Siddha. The goal is realization of Brahman or Brahman Knowledge.

Tantra, as spoken by Lord Siva Himself, claims that man can enjoy the world of objects and yet attain liberation; between the two, liberation alone is enduring. This philosophy of enjoyment (Bhoga) and liberation (Mukti)  recognizes man's desire for both. "There is no Bhoga in Yoga and there is no Yoga in Bhoga." The Bhogi of the World can become the Yogi, if Tantratattva (Tantric principles) is followed. Bhoga is of five kinds: enjoyment arising from sound, sight, smell, touch and taste.  Our physical, mental and psychological constitution is made of our experiences with our body (Bhoga); love for spouse, children, family, and kith and kin; pleasures derived from art, music, studies, senses, and nature; pains derived from adverse events; and episodic love of god. All this is physical (except love of god) and keeps us anchored to the mutable world. To migrate to the immutable world of Satchitananada (Sat-chit-ananada = Being, Consciousness and Bliss), one has to leave this physical world of ephemeral nature to a world of Being, Consciousness and Bliss, where the medium of experience and expression is not body but spirit (Atma, soul). Satchitananada is immeasurably superior to the mundane life . This release from this world and entry into the world of Bliss is liberation; yet the Sadhaka is in this world but not of this world, until his death.  In Hindu philosophy, the body however beautiful, strong, and virile it may be, is still a bag of skin, bones, blood, flesh, phlegm, bile, air, feces, urine, and worms; in its parts it looks ugly. That is why the Yogi says, "No to the body and Yes to the spirit."  Going from No to Yes is not easy; Tantra accepts the body and spirit and teaches the Vira (Hero, the brave one) to migrate from one to the other. Tantric Gurus teach the pupils the technique of transformation.

Tantrics come in different flavors: Saktas, Saivas, Sauras, Ganapatiyas, and Vaishnavas; they are the worshippers of Devi, Siva, Sun, Ganapati (or Ganesa), and Vishnu. Adi-Sankara saw innumerable cults on the Hindu religious landscape. He brought them under six categories mentioned above. Sakta goes through initiation into Tantric worship. Siva and Sakti revealed Tantric knowledge to the people at the onset of Kaliyuga. Parvati, the Mother Goddess, asked Siva to reveal wisdom that would make Sadhaka perfect and attain Brahmavidya, the ultimate Truth. Tantras were revealed wisdom; worship of Mother Goddess was in practice long before the advent of Krishna. In the West, the worship of Mother Goddess waned with the advent of Christian era. And yet mother of Jesus Christ retains the vestige of Mother Goddess. She is not one of Holy Trinity. Jesus Christ is son of God. who is Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ? She must be the Goddess and yet she is not. That is the paradox. Siva and Sakti revealed Agamas and Nigamas, collectively known as Tantra. The world is a dungeon full of misery and darkness. The spiritual beginner finds the world Kakabistha (crow's droppings), but once he attains Sadhana (perfection), the very same world appears as Brahman. Tantric says that Devi pervades this world. She is manifest Brahman, Mother Goddess, Anandamayi, Brahmamayi, Vishnumayi, Mahesvari; this universe is her playground. Tantra fuses matter and spirit in such ways that a sadhaka attains liberation, though enjoying the fruits of the world. Sankara's Jnana Yogam, other Hindu practices, and Buddhism's Mahayana greatly benefited from Tantra.  Saktas claim that their path is the least resistant and most successful for obtaining liberation. Sankara and Ramanuja taught (Jnana and) Bhakti for salvation.

Go to Kundalini Power for details on Kundalini and Chakras.

    The goal of Tantric Sadhana is realizing Monistic (Advita) Tattva and union with Brahman, which goes by several names: Kaivalya, Samadhi, Turiya, and Turiyatita. Tirumular says, "When the breath is controlled, eight siddhis are attained. When the Kundalini fire goes up the central Nadi through the realm of Sun to that of Moon, I get to imbibe the nectar." The seventh center is Sahasrara Chakra and Fire Mandala, the eighth is Solar Mandala, and the ninth is the Lunar Mandala. Once the Lunar Mandala is pierced by the Sadhaka, Tirumular says, "He is beyond the four corners of Muladhara center; he is beyond the bridge of twenty-four Tattvas. His gunas are beyond the twenty-five Tattvas; he is beyond the six Adharas that spread like a Banyan tree. Does anybody know him?"

Note: Here Sun, Moon and Fire (Solar, Lunar and Fire Mandala) do not refer to heavenly objects but to creative Trinity

(Mandala is generic geometric form, while Yantra is deity-specific.)

    Kundalini fire, if unregulated, is Kali; if regulated, it is Durga, the giver of boons. Unregulated and undirected Kundalini fire is like Kali trampling Siva on the burial ground.

 Mular says, "I sought the five Suddha Tattvas and reached the Circle of Moon. Leaving this I went on to the realm of great Void that is in the Circle of Supreme Pati (Siva) twelve fingerbreadths above the crown; from there I go beyond these circles."

    Mundane knowledge that comes from the five senses, the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, the ninth, and the tenth and from other ways destroys spiritual life in succession (resulting in Samsara, cycle of births and rebirths).  Life is a waste when one acquires worldly knowledge through ten senses. The knowledge gained by the ten senses is Apara Vidya (NOT supreme knowledge, Faustian knowledge); therefore, Apara Vidya is useless. On the contrary, Para Vidya is Brahman knowledge, which helps gain realization, and obtains liberation. Transcendental knowledge obtained by Yogis while in samadhi, is Para Vidya (Supreme Knowledge).

Sense:            Knowledge from

Sixth sense = discrimination.

Seventh sense = judgment.

Eighth sense = learning.

Ninth sense = experience.

Tenth sense = attachment.

Kundalini Sadhakas and Yogis ascend from Adhara Chakras to Niradhara Chakras. Adhara Chakras are body-dependant: Muladhara, Svadhistana, Manipura, Anahata, Visuddha and Ajna Chakras located in the base of the spine, genital area, navel, heart, throat and forehead. Niradhara Chakra has not physical support.

   Tirumular gives time lines piercing the various Chakras. Go to Kundalini Power for details. These are the time lines for piercing the nine Centers:  sixth center on the 20th day, seventh Center at Fire Mandala on the 25^th day, eighth Center at Solar Mandala on the 26^th day, ninth Center at Lunar Mandala on the 27^th day. (It takes Prana 27 days to travel from Muladhara Chakra to the Lunar Mandala in Kundalini Yoga.)

    On the twenty-eighth day, you obtain vision of the three Mandalas, each separately; on the thirty-third day, you obtain one panoramic view of all Mandalas. Extend your vision and see the twenty-four Tattvas, the earth and other elements in that order. (This is like the astronaut's view of the earth; but the Yogi's prana and Consciousness travel greater distances.)

Material obtained from Woodroffe. Diagram is based on the written material.

Ajna Chakra is 6th Chakra. Above the 6th are minor chakras Manas and Soma (Moon). Manas (Mind) lotus of 6 petals is the seat of sensation of hearing, touch, sight, smell, taste, and sensation of dream and hallucination.

In the region of Soma Chakra is the the house without support (Niralambapuri) where Yogis witness radiant Isvara, the seven causal bodies, which are the intermediate aspects of Adya Sakti (lotus with 12 white petals). It is near the pericarp of Sahasrara chakra. Adya Sakti with 12 petals is the A-KA-Tha Triangle  (See detailed depiction of AKATHA triangle elsewhere in this article). A-Ka-Tha triangle surrounds Manipitha (jeweled Altar) on the isle of gems (Manidvipa) in the Ocean of Nectar. A-Ka-Tha Sakti is the centerpiece of the inverted triangle. The idea is that the Yogi has to climb all these levels to attain realization. Each level is a rung in the staircase leading to realization.

Siva Himself worships and encourages the votaries to worship this 12-petalled lotus within the pericarp of Sahasrara Chakra, the center of which is occupied by Sakti. These 12 petals have 12 letters inscribed on them. They are sa, ha, kha, phrem, ha, sa, ksa, ma, la, va, ra, yUm. It is known as Gurumantra.

    Once the Sadhaka pierces all centers and reaches the void, he gains the power of eight siddhis:

1.    Anima. (smallness):  Supernatural power of becoming as small as an atom, atomization

2.    Mahima. (largeness): The supernatural power of increasing size at will

3.    Gharima. The supernatural power of making one self heavy at will

4.    Laghima. (lightness): The supernatural power of levitation

5.    Prāptih. Supernatural power to obtain everything

6.    Praakaamya. Capacity to accomplish anything desired

7.    Isitva. Supremacy or superiority considered as a super natural power

8.    Vashistva. The supernatural power of subduing all to one's own will

                                ---Definitions as found in Tamil Lexicon, Madras University

    Kamarutattva (consummation of all desires)

Notes:

        [Some see a derogative insinuation that Yogi or Sadaka can have illicit relationship with any women he wants, by assuming a perfect semblance to a legitimate spouse. This is possible for a Yogi; he is no more a Yogi if he impersonates a husband with someone else's wife. As opposed to this, the uddhava Gita gives a plausible explanation in Dialogue 10, Verse 5: Enjoyment of the ultimate highest Bliss --KAmarutattva.]

Praptih /  Pràptih. attaining or reaching anything, for example, the moon with the tip of the finger.

Prakamya / Pràkàmya. Irresistible will, fiat, absolute authority. Capacity to accomplish by willpower anything desired.

You may wonder wherefrom these Sadhakas derive their power for such feats. He taps the Cosmic Energy for these feats. It is derived from the Primordial Spiritual Vibration, OM (AUM). This Cosmic energy whirls around and bathes the whole universe as ripples in a pond; the perfected Yogi plugs into this Power Grid for his supra-stellar acts. In one's limited knowledge one can't validate or invalidate this claim. Think of the days before Radio and Television, when people could not have imagined such advancement. The authentic realized souls of  the recent past (Ramakrishna Parmahamsa, Ramana Maharishi, SubramuniyaSwami) claimed to have experienced the divine vision (as you see on the tube in living color  the live walking and talking presidential aspirants of today --Feb/08. If you believe in what you saw on TV, the Yogis believe in what they saw in their cosmic vision.

According to The Uddhava Gita, Dialogue 10, Krishna reveals the following features with regard to Siddhis.  Once the awareness is fixed on Krishna and the Indriyas and Prana (senses and breath) are brought under control, the Siddhis come to the aspirant by themselves. Krishna lists eighteen Siddhis; eight Siddhis are conferred by Krishna and the rest cascades from Sattva Guna (Virtue). The first three Siddhis belong to the body.

This material is based on Swami Saraswati's translation of The Uddhava Gita.

 Eighteen siddhis  plus are: Anima1, Mahima2, and Laghima3 belonging to the body; Praptih4, Prakamya5, Ishita6, Vashita7, Kamah Avashayita8.

9. Prapti has a different meaning here: establishing contact with creative senses.

10. Prakamya is enjoying all that is within and beyond the reach of the eyes and ears, visible and invisible, found in the sacred texts. (literal meaning is irresistible will)

11. Ishita (spelled different) is having control over Maya and manipulating it according to one's wish. Ishita also means Supreme domination.

12. Vashita (spelled different) is renunciation of sensory pleasures. It also means subjugation by magic.

13. Kamah Avashayita is enjoying the highest bliss.   

13A.Kāmavasāyitā : Suppressing all desires.

The others are:

14. Anumi Mattvam, absence of thirst, hunger, disease, misery, old age and death;

15. Sravana Darsanam, to see and hear from distance;

16. Manah Javah, to move the body as fast as the mind wills it;

17. Kama Rupam, to assume a desired form;

18. Parakaya Pravesanam, to transmigrate into another's body;

19. Svachanda Mrtyu, to die according to one's own will;

20. Sahakridanu-darsanam, to play with gods;

21. Yatha Sankalpa Samsiddhi, to accomplish one's will and wish;

22. Ajnaprathihata Gati, to have others obey one's will;

23. Tri Kala Jnatvam, to know the past, present and future;

There are some more listed:

24. Advandvam, to be immune to cold and heat, joy and misery, pain and pleasure;

25. Para Citta Abhijnata, to read others' thought and mind;

26. Agnyarkambuvishadinam, to counteract the injury caused by fire, sun, water, poison;

27. Pratsihtambho aparajaya, not to succumb to any one.

The last five Siddhis come directly from Yoga of the Sadhaka.  Krishna further elaborates on all these Siddhis. He says the following:

Anima comes from meditating on me as the subtle element pervading the universe. (The Pervader is Vishnu; the subtle element that is Vishnu is Ether, the stem substance of all creation.)

Mahima comes to the Yogi from meditating on me as Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Space.

Laghima comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as the Tejas (power) in the Maha Tattvas as listed above.

Prapti comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as the tattva that gives Ahamkara (ego).

Prakamya comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as the Supreme Atman, which is the Thread of consciousness that runs through all beings.

Ishita comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as Vishnu, the controller of Maya in all living creatures and beings.

Vashita comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as Narayana.

Kamah Avashayita comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as Brahman, the omnipresent and yet transcending  expansive being.

Anumi Mattvam comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as svetadvipa, the embodiment of virtue.

Sravana Darsanam comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as the transcendent sound which pulses through air and space, the sun that lights up the universe, the eye that sees and the light of both sun and the eye.

Manah Javah comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as the unifier of body, breath and mind.

 Kama Rupam comes to the Yogi who meditates on me as the one form that becomes many.

 Parakaya Pravesanam comes to the Yogi who meditates on himself as the force that transmigrates into another body through Prana as easily as the bee enters and exits a flower.

Svachanda Mrtyu comes to the Yogi who learned the art of occluding the anus with his heel, channeling the prana from the heart to the crown, known as Brahma randhara, and returning to any Chakra as he desires.

Sahakridanu-darsanam comes to the Yogi whose compass is aligned with my Sattvic nature.

Yatha Sankalpa Samsiddhi comes to the Yogi who entertains full faith in me knowing that my will always be carried out.

Ajnaprathihata Gati comes to the Yogi who attains merger with my self-contained oneness in which all things move.

Tri Kala Jnatvam comes to the Yogi whose devotion to me purified him and who knows the perfect art of meditation.

Advandvam comes to the Yogi whose mind attains tranquility through Yoga and devotion to me.

The Yogi who meditates on me and my glory remains undefeatable.

The Yogi who worships me and performs Dharana, attains all Siddhis.

To the Yogi who has subjugated his senses and trained his breath and mind and meditates on me, no Siddhi is difficult to achieve.

Siddhis are a hindrance to the Yogi who practices perfect Yoga, seeks union with me, and wants to overcome Maya (Verse 10.33, The Uddhava Gita.)

Whatever Siddhis attained by the Yogi because of auspicious time of birth, secret herbs, and mystical Mantras can be fructified only by devotion to me.

I am the cause, creator, and protector of all Siddhis; I am the master of Yoga, rites and rituals, and the Gurus.

I am the elements, I am the Supreme Being, residing inside and outside all; elements exist inside and outside all creatures; I alone am enveloped by Nothing.

                                                                      ----Based on Translation by Swami Saraswati

    The Sadhakas have a choice of becoming gods, Lokapalas, and Dikpalas or come down to earth from time to time to uplift humanity. The Buddhists have a similar paradigm: the accomplished Bodhisattva upon reaching the Land of Pure can attain Nirvana (complete Liberation) or return to earth to serve the human beings living in a world of misery. Japan, Buddhism, Hinduism

Lokapalas: Guardian deities of the four directions and intermediate points: 1) Indra of East, 2) Agni of S.East, 3) Yama of South, 4) Surya of South-West, 5) Varuna of West, 6) Vayu of North-West, 7) Kubera of  North, 8) Soma or Chandra of North-East.  1) Indra = Chief of gods, 2) Agni = Fire-god, 3) Yama = god of death, Surya = Sun-god, Varuna = god of all-enveloping sky, waters of the firmament, sea and rivers, Vayu = Wind-god, Kubera = Treasurer of gods, Soma = Moon-god. Monier Williams Sanskrit Dictionary. Dikpalas = Guardians of directions; same as Lokapalas with following point substitutions and additions: 4) Nairrta ( A Raksasa or demon) of South-West, 8) Isana (one of the names of Rudra) of North-East, 9) Brahma for Up direction and 10) Naga of down direction.

Additional information on Siddhis from a different source. There may be some repetition. Prapti is the Siddhi most likely to elicit different interpretations.

Minor Siddhis (some are common to major and minor siddhis)

1.ability to apprehend Siddhas.

 2.absence of passion or Raga.

3.acquisition of desired objects.

4.alchemy.

5. clairaudience.

 6 clairvoyance.

 7.control of mind.

8.Death upon demand

9.destroy diseases and miseries and control desires.

10.divining a hidden treasure

11.jump like a frog.

12.Karmic dissolution by multiple births in multiple bodies in one lifetime. 

13.knowledge of his past life.

14.Knowledge of past, present and future.

15.knowledge of  stars and planets.

16.levitation

17.mastery of the elements and Prana.

18. metamorphosis.

19. migration and animation of a dead body and transplanting his soul, migration into another living body

20.move to any place of his liking.

21.omnipotence and omniscience.

22.prophecy.

23.sporting with the gods.

24. tolerance of heat and cold.

25. tolerance of hunger and thirst.

26.transcend dualities like pain and pleasure.

27.Prapti.

28.touch distant objects.

29.predict future. 

30.conversant with animal talk.

      Prapti is power to enter anywhere.  This includes Ability to touch the sun, the moon or the sky. The Siddha can predict the future. He understands the language of birds and beasts, and unknown kind. Prapti is defined as ability to apprehend knowledge and perceptions perceived by the individual soul in his senses, which are presided over by god or gods. Once a Yogi or Siddha enters the body of another, he can perceive and modulate the feelings and perceptions of the host's senses.

    Prâkâmya is the ability to enjoy anything that is heard, seen, touched, thought and more.

    Prâkâmya literally means irresistible will.

    Isitva is introduction into and  diffusion of Sakti of His Maya over every Jiva in the universe. 

Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Divination, and Hyperacuity to pain, taste, and smell are supranormal faculties, which are an impediment to True Siddhi (Oneness with One) because they generate Ahankāra, the I-ness, and the Mine-ness and prevent total surrender to God. The eighth power indicates the consummation of yogi's desire for God-realization and subduction from Kāma or sexual desire. Go to the end of the chapter for more details.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (RKP) says the following on occult powers in his book Sayings of Ramakrishna.  Some are modified for brevity. Saying 374 page 112: Krishna once said to Arjuna, "If you desire to attain Me, know that it will never be possible so long as you possess even a single one of the eight psychic powers (Ashta Siddhis).)" For occult powers increase man's egotism and thus makes him forgetful of God.

Saying 375:  (modified) Once a man was proud of walking on water. Ramakrishna told him: It is not worth only a penny. You could pay the penny to hire a boat and keep your feet dry.

More on the pitfalls of using the powers of Siddhi:

Saying 377: A Siddha acquired Gutika-siddhis. Gutika = Amulet. By it he could go anywhere at will. He frequented a gentleman's house unseen, had an illicit amour with a young lady, lost all his powers, and became a fallen soul. (true story)

Saying 380: Begging for psychic powers from God is like begging for pumpkin from a king, while neglecting the priceless gift of true Knowledge and love of God.

Saying 382: A disciple of RKP acquired the power of distance vision (TrueTelevision) during his meditation. He did narrate actually as to what people were doing; this turned out to be true. RKP told him not to meditate for a few days because these powers are obstacles to the realization of God. (True story)

    Tantrics were the pioneers in herbal medicine, internal medicine, metallurgy, astrology, astronomy, chemistry, breath control, mind control, and posture. These pursuits spread to other countries all over the world. (Some people say it with a sly grin that Tantrics, well-trained in emission control, practice birth control from breath control.)

     Sakti contains Maya, which is the cause of the world. Sakti is repository of Maya in dissolution; Maya becomes fecund and florid in creation and evolution. Maya has differences with Sankhya's Prakrti. Sakti, the Mother Goddess and the Great Womb of the world, is Parabrahman (Supreme Brahman or Sat-Chit-Ananda, Being, Consciousness, and Bliss). Aditi is Sakti of Tantra. Katha Upanishad describes mother Goddess as follows: She is Aditi, the Boundless. She is born as Prana (breath or life) from the Absolute genderless Brahman, the nameless, and the formless. She is the Devatamayi (Mother of gods) and the soul of all beings. She stands in the inner recesses of the heart. --Verse 2.1.7 Mother Goddess is Prana; thus, taking Prana from Muladhara to Sahasrara Chakra is the goal of Sadhaka.

    Chit is the hypostasis of Being and Bliss and of Prakrti; thus Parabrahman is foursome: Sat-Chit-Ananda and Prakritic Maya. Tantrics compare Siva-Sakti to a gram with two cotyledons and an outer wall, which is Maya.  Tantrics say that Maya in Sakti is like hidden oil in sesame seed, butter in milk and fire in firewood; it is waiting for expression with appropriate stimulus. Siva and Sakti are non-dual, though apparently dual; Maya or Prakrti gives the false notion of duality to Siva-Sakti; Siva is inert and Sakti is dynamic; both are close and yet poles apart.

Gram: Pulse, the edible seeds of certain leguminous plants, as peas, beans, or lentils.

    For Saktas, Sakti is both male and female, while Brahman is neuter. Human consciousness is the dilute form of Sakti Consciousness with very many tattvas between the two. In order to reach the Pure Consciousness of Sakti, one has to retrace the steps from human consciousness through the intervening tattvas to attain SatChitAnanda. See Tattvas-36.htm for more information. TATTVAS-36

    Prakrti has a higher ontological status in Tantric treatises than in Samkhya philosophy. In the latter, Prakrti is mere matter, which lights up when Purusa casts its Light on it. Samkhya Prakrti is like a crystal in a cloudy, moonless, starless pitch-darkness. Its brilliance needs or depends on luminous source. Tantric Prakrti is Conscious Sakti because its hypostasis is Chit (Consciousness); it is supreme power, the sun of all suns, the First Cause, the Unmanifested manifest and the Progenitor of universe. It is the Causal Body (Karana Deha) of Cit Sakti. It is the God of all gods including Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesvara. It is Bindu, dot or Light; it is Cinghana (Cit + Ghana = Consciousness + compacted, thickened, dense, massive, weighty = Compact and thick [massive] Consciousness). Bindu sakti is of neither gender, but has all their qualities; It is male in Siva and female in Sakti; It is sun and moon. (Some Tantric texts indicate that Siva-Sakti is Nada-Bindu, Sound-Light, Bindu derived from Nada. Please refer to Bindu.htm for more details.) The manifested Sakti of Tantrics is Isvara of sects like Vaishnavas; in this case, Vishnu, Narayana, and Krishna fulfill the criteria.

Our body consists of many sheaths or layers: the food sheath1, the vital-air sheath2, the mental sheath3, the intellectual sheath4, and the bliss sheath5 (Annamya Kosa, Pranamaya Kosa, Manonmaya Kosa, Vijnanamaya Kosa, and Anandamaya Kosa from outside to inside.) Anandamaya Kosa also known as Cinmaya is made of Nada and Bindu. It is the sheath of Consciousness and Bliss.

Kosas and their origin

Bliss sheath, known as Karana Sarira (causal body), carries a chronicle of all karmas. When the Karana Sarira sheds Karma, it merges with Paramesvara, the Primal Soul and a Mass of Bliss. If it carries a load of karma, it assumes an embodied form in a being, animal or human, depending upon its Karmic merit or demerit. As long as Karana Sarira carries the burden of Karma, it maintains duality with Paramesvara; upon shedding Karma, Karana Sarira becomes one with Paramesvara (Advaitam, non-dual). Paramesvara or Saguna Brahman goes by different names: Sakti, Krishna, Vishnu, Siva, Kali, Durga, Ganapati, Surya, and Mahalakshmi. Tantrics (Saktas) say that Avatars of Vishnu originated from Mahavidyas; Kali became Krishna; Chinnamasta became Narasimha. But the Avatars of Vishnu are male and differ very much in their association with other gods and men, appearance, and activity.

There are, for instance, some Vaishnavas who give a secondary status to Sri (Lakshmi) and primary status to Vishnu. Others question this disparity and claim that Sakti and Saktiman (female and male) are of equal status, because Saktiman without Sakti (power) is dead and a corpse: they are so blunt about what they believe as true. Sakti is life, Consciousness and intelligence. Saktiman and Sakti are complementary to each other, as in the case of Siva and Sakti, Krishna and Radha, Vishnu and Sri.

    Tantras say that Sakti (Kaalikaa/Kali) gave birth to Brahma, Vishnu, and Sadasiva for creation, maintenance and dissolution  (Genetics has revealed that Y chromosome is an attenuated degenerate copy of the original X chromosome (X-Degenerate); this information is no comfort to Adam. The belief that Eve came from Adam is in contradistinction to that of Tantrics who say that Sakti was and is the first female of the universe; the male and female gods and all beings (including plants) issued forth from the First Goddess.) She advised them to get married but there were no females; Kalika out of her own body produced Savitri for Brahma, Sri for Vishnu and Bhuvanesvari for Sadasiva. The consorts were the saktis of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva; without them, they were mere inert bodies. Brahma queried Adyasakti (Kalika) as to what her gender is. She said she had no gender when she was Parabrahman; when she became Saguna Brahman, she was both Purusa and Sakti. Mind perceives and identifies Sakti as male or female, but Sakti is both. She is a double as person and image in the mirror, and as person and shadow. At the time of dissolution, she says, "I am neither male, nor female, nor neuter." They are two in One: Sakti and Siva, Nada and Bindu, Mother and Father, Devi and Deva. Nada and Bindu are the origin of the universe. Nada is not mere sound; it is undifferentiated Akasa, the stem substance from which universe of beings and matter originate. (Stem = progenitor) Read elsewhere on Akasa; POTPOURRI ONE. The Stem Substance, Ākāsa. It is Sabdabrahman, Brahman of sounds. It is the Word of God in Bible.  Go to >>>>Christianity and Hinduism>>>> It is Consciousness and Intelligence. Nada is resident in Devi or Kundalini as Para Vani. Go to Sabda or Sound>>>. Go to <<<Bindu>>>. It is the Pure Consciousness, which descends from its subtle nature to its gross appearance in the manifestation of beings and universe.  Sabdabrahman is Consciousness in all beings, resides in Muladhara Chakra as Kundalini Devi and pops like a sprout from a seed in Para Vani, two leaves in Pasyanti, buds in Madhyama, and blossoms in Vaikahari. This is the evolution of speech from primordial sound (Para Vani) at Muladhara Chakra to visual sound (Pasyanti) in Manipura Chakra , to Madhyama (mental sound) in Anahata Chakra to Vaikhari (articulated speech) in Visuddha Chakra. These sounds rise from the base of the spine in its primal state. When it reaches the Manipura Chakra at the level of the navel, the sound becomes a primitive language of all beings including birds, bees, animals and humans.

Body language is Visual Sound.

All body parts participate in this language and therefore this sound is called visual sound. The visual language of aggression is baring of teeth and popping of the eyes in a monkey; thrashing of feet by a bull; erection of ears, raising of the head and baring of teeth on one side in a dog,;and arching of back, horripilation (erection of hair), and spitting from open mouth in a cat, accompanied by animal-specific growls of anger. This is visual sound, meaning that anger in the primitive brain of the animal transforms from image of threat to bodily expressions of anger. This visual sound becomes a mental sound which finds expression in larynx in Visuddha Chakra. In man, this articulated sound undergoes further modification into characters (Varna), phrases (Vakya), sentences (Vasaka), prose, poetry, images, and drawings.

Kundali goddess is the hypostasis of all modifications of sound, speech and expression; She wears the 50 Sanskrit letters as a rosary around her neck. In animals Sabdabrahman exists, but its manifestation is curtailed to the extent it is expressed in each animal. Man has Sabda (sound) and Varna (letter or character); animals have Sabda and not Varna; Sabda without Varna distinguishes animal from man. In Tantra, letters are considered so important that it asserts that matter, beings and gods (Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra) originate from letters and mantras. For Tantrics, Matrka is Mother and Mother of all Letters; she is self-born and self-existent.

    Brahman of sounds or Sound Brahman is Kundalini Goddess in Muladhara Chakra residing as coiled serpent ready to spring and pierce the upper Chakras, taking the Sadhaka with her. She remains in a state of sleep. Kundalini Sound exists as Para Nada (Vāni, the Transcendental Sound). The Primal Sound’s seat is at the Muladhara plane of Kundalini. It is undifferentiated sound, though it is the source of root ideas or germ thoughts. It is not within the reach of ordinary consciousness. Nada Yogis claim that Para Nada is a high frequency sound, so high that it does not stir or produce vibrations; it is a still sound. When you consider the great discoveries of man, the source that the person taps is Para Nada, whose higher purpose is to reveal Brahma Vidya to the Sadakas.

    Sabdabrahman is the first cause (Adya + karana = being at the beginning, first + cause). Sabdabrahman undergoes transformation (parinama). It infuses itself with Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva Gunas, which assume female divine status and pair off with complementary strands as in DNA strands; It is like Obligatory Complementary Base Pairing: Raudri with Rudra, Vama with Brahma, and Jyesta with Vishnu. This process goes by the term Sadrisa Parinama (transformation resulting in two homologues in each of three pairs). The first product is the female homologue followed by the male homologue in each pair--Raudri first and Rudra later. Sabdabrahman transforms into three pairs. This first creation is called Sabdasrsti (Sabda + srsti = Sound + Creation). The second creation is called Arthasrsti (Arthasrsti = Artha + Srsti = form or object + Creation). Asthasrsti is a process where Kulakundalini becomes many kalas, parts, or pairs. They are the seven male gods with female counterparts or homologues ruling over seven worlds. These seven pairs are under the guidance of Goddess Kulakundalini. 

Sound is created first and later come the objects to match and denote the sound. Every object or phenomenon in the universe has an intrinsic sound; if you have the ability to hear and identify the sound, that sound is the name of that entity. One should remember that the  intrinsic sound that the object makes is the real name of the object; it means that its name is the same in all languages. That intrinsic sound originates in the spinning atoms, if you can hear it Why so many languages? Because man does not recognize that true sound with his imperfect ear, while God does hear the sound of that object and passes it on to Yogis, who pass it on to others. Every time the sound is heard and passed down, it gets distorted and that is why there are so many languages.  Read more below.

Example: Fire makes the intrinsic sound RAM; God, the Absolute hears the absolute sound in its perfect decibel and frequency because he created it. Ram is the absolute sound and the Denotation for Fire. Ram is the Primary Essential Causal Stress Sound for Fire. Ram is the name for Fire that Yogi hears from the Absolute. Agni is the Sanskrit name (Connotation) for Fire; Agni is the connotated name heard by the ear. The Europeans hear the word Agni through their relative ear, and their relative tongue called it Ignis. From Ignis came the word Ignition. Now you can see how the Sanskrit word has been recycled and sent back to us in its corrupt form, sound, syllables and spelling.  Only God has absolute ear for the sound and absolute tongue for speech.

The British heard the word Tiruvanantapuram (Tiru-Ananta-Puram) the name of a famous Temple Town in Kerala. His relative ear, his relative tongue and his penchant to untwist his tongue made him say Trivandrum. He knows the word TRI (meaning three); he knows the word VAN ( for vehicle) and he knows the word DRUM (that you beat). He put them all together and used the corrupted word, TRIVANDRUM (Three + Van + Drum) for the sacred town. The original meaning of the word was Sacred-Endless-City. Tiru + Ananta + Puram = Sacred + Endless + City.  Thus the Sacred-Endless-City has come to be known as Three + Van + Drum.  Now you see how relative ear and relative tongue can alter the sacred sound and meaning of a word and create an ignominious name for a sacred city. 

Padmanabha Swami Temple graces the city and was sung by Nammalvar, a Tamil Saint of Vaishnava sect. It is one among the 108 Divya Ksetrams (Sacred places for Vishnu). It is so famous that it is mentioned in Puranas, Mahabharata.... The main image in the temple is Anantapadmanabha, one of many names of Lord Vishnu. Anantapadmanabha = Ananta + Padma + Nabha =  Endless + Lotus + Navel.  Ananta is endless and refers to Endless Time, an attribute of Vishnu. The coils of snake appears endless and thus Sesa, the snake stands for endless time. Sesa is accordingly a theriomorphic form of Lord Vishnu, who takes YogaNidra (Meditaion Sleep) on the snake bed between destruction and creation. Sesa also means Remainder, what remains after destruction of the world. Vishnu is taking meditative sleep in the regenerative Cosmic Ocean on the Remainder (Sesa) after destruction. When he wakes up, He will create the world.

Natural Sounds and Natural Names:

Inspiration for this article came from Natural Name by Woodroffe in Garland of letters, which portrays the Hindu view of Sabda and Artha (Sound and object). For better understanding, new terms introduced by me are as follows: Primary Essential Sound (Causal Stress Sound) and External Stress Sound (Secondary External Stress Sound).

There is movement in all that exists. All movements (and objects) emit sound whether you hear it or not. Remember atoms in objects spin and make sound but we cannot hear that sound.  If you can hear that sound and name it after the way it sounds that is Natural Name of that sound or the object that produced the sound. Cuckoo is named onomatopoeically so because it emits that which sounds like "cuckoo". In Tamil a Crow is named after its sound Ka. Since it usually makes two consecutive Ka-Kas, it is called KAKA (¸¡¸¡). If you can hear the sound of the sap moving up the tree from its roots, you can give it a Natural Name. The Uncreated Brahman is Unmoving (Nispanda); the created world is moving and anything that moves makes sound. Sound is the basic phenomenon by which man apprehends the world. All else such as touch and feel, form and color, taste, and smell are all complex sounds. The skin, the eyes, the tongue and the nose are the peripheral organs that transmit the 'sound' to the respective cortex. Human ear and the brain cannot hear all sounds. Elephants in the wild communicate by sounds that humans cannot hear. Humans cannot smell what a dog smells. Smell is also a movement or sound. A dog can smell a narcotic 10 feet away from its source. Something moved from the narcotic to the nose for the dog to apprehend the narcotic. In like manner the Supreme Absolute Ear of Sakti can hear sounds in its purest state from all objects and that sound is the Natural Name for that object. Objects produce two kinds of sounds: Causal Stress Sound (Primary Essential Sound) and External Stress Sound. Let us take a tuning fork. There is a sound, though not audible to us, emanating from a non-vibrating tuning fork; that is the Causal Stress Sound we don't hear and yet is heard by the Supreme Absolute Ear of Sakti and accomplished Yogi and is produced by the motions of Subatomic Particles. When the tuning fork is subject to external stress (tapping), it vibrates and emits sound and that is the stress-induced sound heard by the Relative Ear. What the Yogi hears from the non-vibrating tuning fork is imperfect sound because only Brahman or Prajapati can hear the Natural Sound in its perfection with His Supreme Absolute Ear which is not gross or physical. Prajapati hears without ears, sees without eyes and walks without legs. The Prajapati utters the Causal Stress Sound  by His Supreme Tongue to his Sadhaka who hears it by his imperfect Relative ear in a distorted way. When the Yogi rises to the level of Prajapati, the Causal Stress Sound sounds true to its quality to him. The Yogi communicates the Causal Stress Sound to his disciples who hear the sound in varying degrees of imperfection. Mantra Sastra states that Bija Mantras (Root Mantras sounding the Sanskrit letters) represent the Natural Names. The breath consisting of Inspiration and Expiration emits the sound of Prana-Bija Mantra, Hamsa. The out-breath sound is Ham and the in-breath sound is Sa. Om is the sound that has come down from its pristine natural state to its present form, structure and sound through many MAnasaputras and a line of Gurus, who tried to reproduce the sound to the best of their ability. Woodroffe states that it is an open continuous sound uninterrupted by any consonant which clips it, vanishing as it were upward in the NAdabindu which is placed on the vowel.

Interpretation of the term, "Natural".

1) The Supreme Absolute Ear (of God) hears the Primary Essential Sound (Causal Stress Sound) of an object without any distortion and He utters them with His Absolute Tongue without any distortion. Causal stress Sound that is emitted by the object  is the name of an Object.

2) When Prajapati (God) utters them to Yogis, what they hear varies according to their Relative Ear (of Yogi) and what they utter varies according their Relative Tongue. What we hear and utter are not Natural Sounds because we hear with imperfect relative ears and brain and utter with imperfect tongues. The Mantras Om, Ham, Ram are all distorted sounds as heard and uttered by the imperfect us; the degree of distortion depends on the nature and sensitivity of the Relative Ear and Tongue.

3) Cuckoo and the crow are named onomatopoeically from the sound they make. This is the sound they make when subjected to stress--External Stress-induced Sound. When the firewood is burning, it emits many sounds, which the Relative Gross Ear hears. The Causal Stress Sound or the Primary Essential Sound fire emits is Bija Mantra Ram which only a Yogi hears. Various organs in the body make Causal Stress Sound Hamsa and so on. Primordial Sounds descend to our relative levels according to our Relative Ears and Relative Tongues. Some do not descend to us at all.

4) Objects are named by Denotation and Connotation.

Brahma  =  Bharati  =  VAma  =  Brahmi = Iccha (Will).  Vishnu = Hari  =  Ksiti  =  Jyestha  =  Jnana (knowledge).  Siva  =  AparnA  =  Raudri  =  Kriya (Action).  The male elements in these three groups are SAntA and the female elements are AmbikA.

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Kundalini Devi (Sabdabrahman, Kulakundalini) is in a sleep mode in Muladhara Chakra in Urogenital Triangle, remains coiled around Svayambhu Linga and emits sounds though sleeping. She is life breath; she is inspiration and expiration. Ajapa (A + Japa = No + Chant) is the primal Mantra. This chantless Mantra pervades the breath going in and out, the subtle sound ‘sah’ going in and the subtle sound ‘ham’ going out.  {Sa = Siva, Vishnu, Lakshmi, or Gauri [Parvati or Sakti]; Ham = I am; so = Parvati.} As one chants this subtle-sound Mantra ‘Soham’, a derivative of ‘Sah-ham,’ ‘Hamsa’ comes into being by inversion. Soham, Hamsa and AUM (Pranava) are equipotent. Tirumular says that AUM, though a three-letter word, is a one-letter Mantra. Soham is the unintonated sound of normal breathing, meaning ‘I am He.’ Hamsa, meaning ‘Swan’ as in RamaKrishna Parma-Hamsa, stands for an ascetic --Hamsan. All of us including all air-breathing living beings recite this Mantra ‘Soham’ unknowingly for a lifetime. This chantless Mantra (Ajapa Japa) is Ajapa Gayatri. As you are breathing this chantless Soham in and out, you are identifying your individual self with the Great Self of the Supreme Being. Every breath (and the Mantra) that you take pervades the whole universe of your body. This life giving force or Mantra has the Great Self as the basis. Every time you chant a Mantra, it leads the individual soul to the Great Soul-- the Source, the Essence. All Mantras inclusive of Sakti, Vishnu and Siva Mantras and many but not all rituals are Tantric in origin; that is the reason why Tantra goes by the term Mantra Sastra.  Devi or Sakti says that any Sastra that is in opposition to Sruti, Smrti, and Oneness (Siva and Sakti in Saiva tradition, Vishnu and MahaLakshmi in Vaishnava tradition) such as Bhairava, Gautama, Kapala, Sakala and the like are creations by her Maya power for bewilderment of those devoid of Her Grace. This bewilderment has an analogy in a family. Let us take father as an example. Father is one; he is also many for the following reasons. He is the son for his father, brother for his brother and sister, cousin, husband, father-in-law, employer, employee, partner, colleague, and so on; his functions depend upon his relationship with each individual and is sometimes sacrosanct in relation to a particular person in this constellation.

    Forms emanate from Hamsa, root sound or Ajapa Mantra; from forms emanate universes. This two-phase respiration, expiration and inspiration, represents the duality of male and female genders and principles; the male is Pravrtti, and the female is Nivrtti. Pravrtti is expiration, forward movement, expulsion, centrifugal force and evolution; Nivrtti is inspiration, backward movement, centripetal movement and involution. Devi's Pranic power (Vital air) is akin to Akasa, which is the stem substance from which universe took its origin. Differentiation of this vital power results in the inversion of Soham into Hamsa, other sounds, forms, and dualities that come into being. A series of triplets are born: three gunas, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas; three Varnas or characters; three channels or Nadis and others. Three Nadis are Susumna, Pingala and Ida.

Later quaternaries are born and so on and so forth until all the fifty Varnas (alphabets) of Sanskrit became manifest. Only yogis can hear the songs of Devi sung at Muladhara Chakra. When the primal sound is subject to guna, it undergoes differentiation into Dhvani, an indistinct sound which on more influence from gunas, modifies further into Nada, Nibodhika, Ardhendu, Bindu, and Para Vani in Muladhara Chakra. All these sound modifications go from the most subtle to subtle quality and yet the sound in Para Vani is not yet an audible sound to the human ears. Nada, the primal sound, is the primordial origin of articulated sound (Vaikhari) separated by several degrees from Nada. Nibodhika = Ni+Bodhika = Giver of Knowledge = Nada is the Giver of knowledge. Ardhendu = Ardha + Indu = half + moon = half-moon. Bindu is dot or Light. Para Vani is transcendental undifferentiated sound and is the source of root ideas or germ thoughts. It is not within the reach of ordinary consciousness. Nada Yogis claim that Para Nada is a high frequency sound, so high that it does not stir or produce vibrations; it is a still sound. These subtle sounds make the body or states of Kundali Devi in Muladhara Chakra. All 50 Sanskrit letters exist in the body of Kundali in the progressively evolving states of Para Vani, Pasyanti, Madhyama, and Vaikhari; the last being the articulated sound.

    Dhvani (Dh + Vani) is latent sound waiting to be expressed in sound or letters. Dhvani of Kulakundalini undergoes Parinama (transformation) to become Veda in Isvara and sound (Sabda) in Jiva. Latency is characteristic of Dhvani sound, while Vedas and Sabda reveal patency and meaning. Tantrics believe that the fetus, with the awakened Dhavani of Kundalini and the fifty letters of Sanskrit alphabet (A to Ksa), reflects its past lives in its mind's eyes and ears inside the womb. When the infant slides along with the passage of amniotic fluid into the outer world by the force of Prasava Vayu (labor wind), it utters its first cry with the expulsion of internal Dhvani through its windpipe and larynx, and all the nine doors of its body (two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, genital opening, and evacuative aperture) open to the outer world. As he is shoved from the womb into the outer world through the birth canal , the fetus forgets all entertained memories of pain and pleasure of previous lives during its sojourn in the womb. The chain of  memory is fragmented and lost for ever during the birth process.  The pain suffered by the fetus (here read as Jiva) is proportional to his Prarabda karmic sins of previous life. (Considering the critical junctures in the life of man, birth is said to be one of the most important event because a lot of things can go wrong during birth. Tantrics attribute uneventful birth to good karma, while perinatal trauma or injury (pain) is considered as bad karma. Suffering from Karma, according to Tantrics, happens at appropriate times, places and circumstances and clears obstructions and impediments and leads the individual to liberation.) For the lucky ones, the perinatal pain from normal or traumatic birth may take the form of traumatic death in Tirthas (places of pilgrimage) leading to liberation. Remember the death of many pilgrims during melee in many religious gatherings. Woman suffers painful parturition not because the newborn child is responsible, but because she is resolving her own prarabda karma. Each person follows his or her own karmic path and when the paths of others  intersect, there is pain and suffering or pleasure. An infant does not suffer on account of parturient mother and the latter does not suffer on account of the former; they follow their own paths which intersected at parturition. Maya is the unseen sweet enchanter and close companion, which forces sentiments of nearness between mother and child and takes the mind off the long journey to liberation or perdition. I have heard famous professors of Religion from the West with a string of Ph.Ds after their names and a loyal following fall into dismay and disbelief at this Hindu concept, which they don't understand. It is like the newborn infant who doesn't understand rocketry, brain surgery, moon landing, workings of a computer, the origin of the universe.... This Pluripotential Newborn Infant knows only one thing: rooting reflex to latch on to the teat or nipple.  It takes a Yogi to figure out all these Karmic highways, byways, sideways, service roads, entrances, exits, toll booths, intersections, roadblocks, detours.... One should not pooh-pooh something one does not understand and a Ph.D does not confer omniscience. Just state the matter and leave it at that. Indulge in exegesis of what you understand with limited human intelligence. Yogis have Higher Transcendental Intelligence and transcendental knowledge, wisdom and consciousness, far beyond human consciousness and understanding. What they say goes and what the professor says is Apara-vidya (mundane knowledge) useful to buy milk. A Yogi by definition is one who 'may accomplish by the mind all that may be done by means of these physical organs without the use of the latter'-- Woodroffe page 59 The Serpent Power. Simply put, he can see with eyes closed, hear with ears shut, taste without the use of the tongue.... Professor Lombroso records the case of a woman who, being blind, read with the tip of her ear, tasted with her knees and smelt with her toes.--page 60 IBID. What does it mean? Yogi may use any part of his body for a purpose directly not connected with it.

    As the Jiva is buffeted and ravaged by waves and tsunamis of the sea of samsara, Sadha