chap31
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Vedic Roots of Hindu Iconography
R. Nagaswamy
CHAPTER-31
Kṛṣṇa Yoga Sadhana
Prāṇa is Kṛṣṇa
The one interesting point that the book “Rudra Yāmala Tantra”, says is ones own “vital breadth” called “prāṇa” creates articulating voice from ones “mulādhāra”, the power generating bodily seat of all human beings . The human voice arises in stages from power that is articulated from subtle to gross form in ones body. When the voice manifests outwardly it becomes words to which meanings are attached through convention which we understand and live through them in this world. The same words in another place or linquistic zone would give different meanings. So the name or meaning one gives to a word is only man’s own creation and his environment. All gods and the material we identify remain so long as ones “prāṇa” vital breadth is active; when it departs or let us say dies all these gods and other things we know, disappear so far as that individual is concerned. They are alive so long as one is alive and not beyond. It is also known that when one passes away all his knowledge, experience, relationships etc ceases and are not operative any more. According to Hindu thought it is the samskāras, subtle spiritual merits and the demerits that contribute to his future birth.
So the bliss that one is seeking must be directed towards experiencing it when he is alive and not an imaginary other worldly bliss. The bliss one experience while alive may be a fleeting bliss, but it is still worth while when one is alive. One should not be dreaming of what will happen after the so called “sahasrāra bhedanā” i.e., penetrating beyond the thousand fold petals in the body to reach what is called universal consciousness, that will lead to sluggishness and postponement. (It is believed that when one passes away, his vital breadth escapes through the sahasrāra centre of the head - that is all knowledge disappears). But even a little effort to experience that bliss is obtained by realizing that my “prāṇa” vital breadth is Kṛṣṇa and everything is Kṛṣṇa. That approach seams to be the yogic approach, mentioned in this book. Kṛṣṇa can be called by any name.
The yogic Power Kṛṣṇa is in every human being in the form of “Kuṇḍalinī Śakti”. The “svā dhiṣṭhāana cakra” in man, mentioned in yogic texts is Kṛṣṇa’s abode where he should be invoked. There are eleaborate process prescribed for this invocation which is akin to external “pratimā āvāhana” i.e., invoking god in external idol. The text says once “Kṛṣṇa sādhana” is undertaken, the adherent should not perform external image worship and everything is only through mantra that is mental creation. That means Kṛṣṇa worship is metaphysical pure and simple. The basic mantra is “om kṛṣṇāya paramātmane namaḥ”. The concept here is “Kṛṣṇa is Paramātmā” the supreme soul. Rādhā and Rākinī are the names given to two auxilary powers of this vital power that activate ones life and are poetically called beautiful women, Kṛṣṇa’s accomplices. Again it is metaphysical and not actual.
There is “Rākini sahasranāma” thousand names of Rākini (the power) as stotra detailed in this text. Also these are the multiple forms of power (of Kṛṣṇa.) that manifest in worldly transactions and those who follow this Yoga reach “Divine consciousness” called “Daiva bhāva” out of three bhāvas mentioned in Tantra Śāstras as “Vīra-bhāva, Yoga-bhāva and Daiva bhāvas”. The adherent becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious in all his works. and it is at that level all sports of Kṛṣṇa are metaphysically visualized.
Among many bhāvas of mental identities about Kṛṣṇa one is called “Balarāma bhāva”, that is Kṛṣṇa and Balrāma are considered one. There is no discarding Balarāma worship in this process but integrating Balarāma with Kṛṣṇa. So one reaches knowledge jñāna. One who is immersed in Kṛṣṇa conciousness becomes “Kṛṣṇa Caitanya”. This is the essence of Kṛṣṇa yoga mentioned in this Tantric book of “Rudra Yāmala tantra”. So the Bengali “Jayadeva movement” and the “Kṛṣṇa Caitanya movement” are all rooted in this early tradition. The term “Kṛṣṇa chaitanya” occuring in this text has been adopted later by historic Kṛṣṇa Caitanya of 16th cent. So Kṛṣṇa is held Paramātmā in this work clearly. If one does not understand this yogic nature of Kṛṣṇa worship, he will misunderstand all about Kṛṣṇa. So the text says that in this level of visualization the Trinity, Brahmā, Viṣhṇu, and Śiva merge into one. So Bhairava worship is considered Kṛṣṇa worship and it is known that Bhairava means “Supreme Knowledge”. So the text calls Kṛṣṇa as “Kṛṣṇa- Śambhu”.
There are thousands of thoughts and actions arising from them in human beings. When the thinking power is clean pure and enthusiastic it gives rise to good thoughts and actions which are likened to beautiful young girls – gopis. They are part of the thinking power and spoken of as in union with the main Thinking power “Kṛṣṇa”. So Kṛṣṇa is said to sport with thousands of young girls. It is “Kṛṣṇa līlā” or “Rāsa līlā” i.e., sport of essence.
There are many more ideas that are found in this text. The question whether these ideas travelled to South and are reflected anywhere in the works of Āḻvārs?. It is known saint Nammālvār is considered a Yogi, “Kṛṣṇa yogi”? . A close study of this book will convince one that the poems of Saint Nammālvār reflect identical views.