Still Yourself on the Inner Sound Abandoning Worldly Worries and Efforts – Nadavindu Upanishad

- Hymns from NAdavindUpanishad (Rigveda) excerpted from the book “Satsang Yog – Part I” by Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj (28.04.1885 – 08.06.1986)

-Translated into English by Pravesh K. Singh
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati ,
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/praveshksingh,
http://profiles.yahoo.com/praveshksingh)

While defining Santmat Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj, one of the greatest ever exponents of Santmat, says (in his exquisite book “Mehi Padavali”):

"The urge or impetus to acquire ‘shAnti’ (peace, tranquility or stillness of mind) is so natural to human heart. Inspired by the same urge, the ‘rishis’ or sages (who are said to have visualised the mantras - which were later compiled in the form of Vedas & Upanishads - during their meditation) in ancient times, made all-out attempts in search of ‘shAnti’ and described the ideas or ways to obtain it (‘shAnti’) in Upanishads for the beneficence of common people. Sants such as Kabir Sahab, Guru Nanak Sahab etc. also expounded thoughts or ideas resembling or identical to these (ideas expressed in the Upanishads) in their local languages/dialects such as BhAratI (Hindi), Punjabi etc. These very ideas or thoughts are termed as ‘Santmat’ (Viewpoint of sants). However, the sacred verses of the Upanishads in particular have to be acknowledged to be the basic foundation or the bedrock of the Santmat, for the highest knowledge or wisdom and the precise principal means to attain that wisdom namely, the ’nAdAnusandhAn’ or ’surat shabd yoga’ (the subtler and the subtlest meditation of Santmat, in which the practitioner meditates upon the Divine Sound/Vibration that springs directly from the God), in which Santmat takes so much of pride have been dazzling brilliantly being eked or engraved on this very terra firma since times immemorial. "

The following hymns of NadavindUpanishad amply prove the above assertion of the great sant, Maharshi Mehi, beyond any doubt.
– English Translator

“brahmapraNava sandhAnam nAdo jyotirmayah shivah |
swayamAvirbhavedAtmA meghApAyenshumAniva ||30||”

[Through practice of PraNava-Brahma Yoga (Nadanusandhan Yoga or Meditation on the Divine Sound Current) that nada (sound) becomes manifest which is illuminated and benevolent. As the Sun glitters in its full glory after scattering away the clouds, the soul also is self-illuminated]

“siddhAsane sthito yogI mudrAm sandhAy vaishnavIm |
shrinuyAddakshine karne nAdamantargatam sadA |31|||”

[Having seated firmly in SiddhAsana, a yogi or practitioner should, adopting VaishnavI MudrA (having fixed sight at the AjnA Chakra), try to listen to the inner sound through the right ear.]

“abhyasyamAno nAdoayam bAhyamAvriNute dhwanih |
pakshadvipakshamakhilam jitvaa turyapadam vrajet ||32||”

[Practicing meditation on Divine Sound turns one deaf to the external sounds or the sounds of the outer world (what is implied here is that during this meditation when the attention is fully focused on listening to the inner sound currents, the current of consciousness is withdrawn from the hearing organ i.e. ears, or for that matter all other sense organs, and thus sounds of the outer world can not be heard). Conquering all the impediments one enters into the “turiya avasthA” (the state of pure consciousness) within a fortnight.]

“shrUyate prathamAbhyAse nAdo nAnAvidho mahAn |
wardhamAne tathAbhyAse shrUyate sUkshmasUkshmatah ||33||”

[In the beginning of the meditation (on sound) grosser or coarser sounds are heard. With maturity of practice the sounds heard tend to be increasingly finer and finer.]

“Adau jaladhi jImut bherI nirjhar sambhavah |
madhye mardal shabdAbho ghanTA kAhalajastathA ||34||”

[In the beginning (stages of meditation) sounds perceived resemble those of a (roaring) sea, (thundering) clouds, war drum/ trumpet and (gurgling) waterfalls while in the middle stage (they appear to) resemble sounds of mardal (a sort of drum), gong and singha (a type of trumpet).]

“ante tu kinkinI vansh vINAa bhramar nihswanah |
iti nAnAvidhA nAdAh shrUyante sUkshmasUkshmatah ||35||”

[..and in the final stages (the practitioner hear) the sounds of kinkinI/ majIrA (cymbal), flute, lute and buzzing of bees. Thus he gets to listen to finer and finer tunes.]

“mahati shrUyamAne tu mahAbheyaardikadhwanau |
tatra sUkshmam sUkshmataram nAdameva parAmrishet ||36||”

[When (the practitioner) reaches unto that place where the sound of large trumpet is heard, he should try to perceive the more and more subtle (or minute) sounds.]

“ghanamutsrijya wA sUkshme sUksmamutsrijya vA ghane |
ramamAnamapi kshiptam mano nAnyatra chAlayet |37|||”

[(The practitioner) may shift his attention from subtler to heavier (coarser or grosser) sounds or vice versa (from coarser to finer sounds), but he should not divert his attention in any other direction.]

“yatra kutrApi wA nAde lagati prathmam manah |
tatra tatra sthirIbhUtvA ten sArdham vilIyate ||38||”

[Stilling one’s attention on any one of the sounds he becomes established there and is absorbed in that (sound) only.]

“vismritya sakalam bAhyam nAde dugdhAmbuvanmanah |
ekIbhUyAth sahasA chidAkAshe vilIyate ||39||”

[Becoming completely forgetful or unaware of the outer emotions he gets dissolved in that (sound, or listening to that sound) like (a solution of) milk and water and, thus, is immersed in the chidAkAsh (conscious sky).]

“udAsenastato bhUtvA sadAbhyAsen sanyamI |
unmanIkArakam sadyo nAdamevAvadhArayet ||40||”

[Making himself disenchanted, detached or disinterested or withdrawn from the sensory objects the Yogi should still his attention upon the (inner) sound through regular practice keeping the defilements of the mind well under control.]

“sarvachintAm samutsrijya sarvacheshTA vivarjitah |
nAdamevAnusandadhyAnnAde chittam vilIyate ||41||”

[Abandoning all external worries and (worldly) efforts, a Yogi should dissolve his chitta into the inner divine sound meditating upon it.]

Lord Shiva is also called “Maha Yogeeshwara” (Lord of Great Yogis). He is often shown sitting in the posture of a meditating Yogi with another eye, shown to be located in centre of the two eyes, known as the Shiva Netra (Eye of Shiva), the Third Eye etc. In fact, this Third Eye is present in each one of us but is normally in a closed or shut position. It can be opened by practicing “Drishti Yoga” or the Meditation on the Divine Light which consists of sitting in a proper posture with the trunk, neck and head held in a vertical straight line without causing any extra tension, closing both eyes (“amaa drishti”) and looking intently in the front as taught by an adept Guru who himself has mastered the art. As the third eye or the “AjnA Chakra” is opened, one enters from the realm of darkness into that of light, from the “pind”(body or micro cosmos) into the “brahmand” (macro cosmos) as if the doors of the divine or heavenly kingdom have been opened on the practitioner. Thus each one of us has the potential to, and can, become Shiva. The spiritual journey thus starts from here and practicing the Meditation on the Divine Sound (Innumerable anahad sounds and the quintessential primeval anAhat sound) culminates in the Soundless Supreme State where not only God is realised but the practitioner (soul) merges into Him to be one with Him and thus transcends the painful cycle of transmigration.
Below are presented a few of the shlokas (hymns) from the sacred book “Shiva Samhita” which consists of discourses of none other than Lord Shiva himself. The hymns have been excerpted from the holy book titled “Satsang Yog, Part – I” authored by Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj (28.04.1885 – 08.06.1986).

- English Translation by Pravesh K. Singh
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/praveshksingh)

1. “nAsanam siddha sadrisham na kumbhaka sadrisham balam |
na khecharI samA mudrA na nAd sadrisho layah ||”

[There is no sitting posture as appropriate as “siddhAsan”, no power as mighty as “kumbhak”, no bodily posturing style as good as “khecharI” and no immersion, absorption or merger as great as “nAd” (Divine Sound).]

2. “yah karoti sadA dhyAnamAjnApadmasya gopitam |
pUrva janma kritam karma vinashyedavirodhatah ||”

[ He who secretly practices meditation on the AjnA chakra (shiva netra, Third Eye, Tenth Door, til dwAr, shaharag, sushumnA etc.) regularly, fruits or the effects of actions performed by him in his previous births get destroyed unobstructed or smoothly.]

3. “iha sthitah sadA yogI dhyAnam kuryyAnnirantaram |
TadA karoti pratimAm prati jApamanarthawat ||”

[His worshipping the idols and chanting (external chanting of mantras) become futile or meaningless, if he incessantly practices this meditation (on the AjnA chakra) daily.]

4. “yAni yAni hi proktAni panch padme falAni wai |
tAni sarvAni sutarAmetajgyAnAdbhavanti hi ||”

[All the benefits of meditating on the five chakras (namely mUlAdhAr chakra, swAdhishthAn chakra, manipUr chakra, vishuddhi chakra and anAhat chakra), which have been described earlier, become naturally, automatically available, or are naturally acquired by meditation on this “AjnA kamal” or AjnA chakra.]

5. “shirah kapAle rUdrAksham vivaram chintayed yadA |
tadA jyotih prakAshah syad vidyut punjasamaprabhah ||
etat chintana mAtrena pApAnAm sankshayo bhavet |
DurAchAroapi purusho labhate paramam padam ||”

[On practicing focussed meditation at the hole of the Shiva’s eye in the forehead, glittering light similar to the dazzling beam of lightning is seen inside. A mere reflection on this annihilates all sins and even an evil person thus attains to the Supreme Bliss by practicing this meditation.]

Rein in Your Mind Through Satsang & Meditation - Sant Tulsi Sahab
[English rendering of a poem composed by Param Sant Tulsi Sahab of Hathras, U.P. India, excerpted from the book "Bhavarth Sahit Ghat Ramayan" (Essence of Ghat Ramayan – Ghat Ramayan is� a famous book of poetry composed by Sant Tulsi Sahab) authored by Maharshi Mehi Paramhans Ji Maharaj, published from Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppa Ghat, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India -812 003.

The poetry of Tulsi Sahab used to be extremely cryptic and very difficult to understand. To bring out the true import of his verses could be the work of only a perfectly accomplished sant like Maharshi Mehi Paramhans Ji Maharaj.

-English Translation by Pravesh K. Singh

( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati , http://blog.360.yahoo.com/praveshksingh ,

http://profiles.yahoo.com/praveshksingh �) ]

The Original Verse:

"sakhi sIkh suni guni gAnThi bAndhau | ThATh ThaT satsang karai ||1||
jab rang sang apang Ali rI | ang sat mat man marai ||2||
man mIn dil jab dIn dekhaI | chInh madhukar sir dharai ||3||
AlI Dagar mili jab surati sarajU | kanval dal chal pad dharai ||4||
thir thob Thumuki TikAv nainA | nIr thIr jimi tham thIrai ||5||
yahi bhAnti sAth sudhAri man kau | palak giri gaganA bharai ||6||
lakhi dwAr driDh darabAr darasai | parasi pad puni piu dharai ||7||
guru gail mel milAp Tulsi | mantra vishadhar basa karai ||8||"

The Original Verse (In Hindi):

Glossary:

1. sIkh => lesson, teaching, exhortation

2. guni => contemplating

3. gAnThi bAndhau => remember firmly, keep in mind

4. ThAT => preparation, enthusiasm, zeal

5. ThaT => group, gathering

6. ThAT ThaT => collecting a large zealous gathering

7. apang => lame, handicapped

8. jab rang sang apang AlirI, ang sat mat man marai => When the mind comes under the strong influence of satsang, it becomes relatively calmer/ less agitated, it becomes more & more virtuous, and stops indulging in frequently fleeting thoughts.

9. Man mIn dil jab dIn dekhai, chInh madhukar sir dharai => The mind becomes fish-mind (can swim counter to the current) when it frees itself of (or, kills) the ego. Then such a black-bee (beetle) mind makes its seat in the Shiv Netra (Third Eye) within the head. Descending from the head (Third Eye) the mind becomes bogged down in senses and sensory objects. When the mind jettisons the ego and turns itself towards the head, it becomes calm & composed.

10. dal => group, team

11. thob => lending support by holding

12. Thumuki => walking skilfully

13. tham => halting

14. thirai => beomes stationary

15. palak giri => closing eyelids

16. gail => lane, narrow path

17. vishadhar => serpent, mind

Essence of the Poem:

· We should listen attentively to the preaching ( of sages), contemplate over them and fix them firmly in our mind.

· Gathering a large group of people, we should regularly organise satsang with a great deal of enthusiasm & zeal.

· By colouring our mind more & more under the sway of satsang we should curb its ( mind's) restiveness, quieten it and inculcate in it virtuous, noble thoughts

· We should make it ( our mind) swim ( like a tiny fish) upstream along the stream of consciousness, turning it backwards, away from the banks of senses, and ascend it into our head. That is, diverting our mind away from the sensory objects we should try focussing it at the centre ( The Tenth Door) within the head.

· To accomplish the above we should still our sight in the inner sky keeping our eyes closed. Thus the road further ahead would be opened up before the soul. �

· Crossing over from one lotus ( region) to another, we would behold the gateway to the Kingdom of the Supreme Sovereign and enter into His Exclusive Empire.

· This is the inner subtle path as told by the Guru. This way it ( the Individual Soul) can meet the Lord and this ( the way of keeping the mind in check as described above) is one such mantra, says Sant Tulsi Sahab, which helps rein in the serpent-mind.