Skandapurana 1.4.53: adhyāyaḥ 55

Sūta said:

Having heard this speech of Bābhravya, the joy of the Kurus [Arjuna],

amazed and with hair standing on end, bowed to Nārada with devotion. (1)

And having praised him for a long time, he spoke again to Nārada: (2)

"Hearing the māhātmya of the secret sacred field (Guptakṣetra) from your mouth, O sage,

I do not reach satisfaction at all; you should tell it further." (3)

Nārada said:

"I shall tell of the greatness of the great liṅga, O best of the Kurus;

listen with attention to that of the Gautameśvara liṅga. (4)

There was a great yogin named Gautama, [also called] Akṣapāda, a sage,

the bringer of the Godāvarī, the master, husband of Ahalyā. (5)

Having known the supreme excellence of the māhātmya of the secret sacred field,

practicing the realization of yoga, he performed great austerity here. (6)

Then, having attained perfection in yoga (yogasiddhi), the great-souled Gautama

established here the liṅga by the name of Gautameśvara. (7)

Having bathed this great liṅga and anointed it with sandalwood paste,

having worshiped it with various flowers, one should burn bdellium (guggulu) incense before it;

freed from all sins, one is glorified in the world of Rudra. (8)

Arjuna said:

"I wish to hear the true nature of yoga accurately, O Nārada,

since all praise yoga as the highest of all the highest." (9)

Nārada said:

"I shall tell you briefly the true principle of yoga, O best of the Kurus,

by the mere hearing of which purity arises, how much more by its practice! (10)

The true principle of yoga is proclaimed as the cessation of the modifications of the mind;

yogins accomplish it here by means of the eightfold path. (11)

Restraint (yama), observance (niyama), and breath control (prāṇāyāma) as the third;

withdrawal [of the senses] (pratyāhāra), concentration (dhāraṇā), the object of meditation, and meditation (dhyāna) as the seventh;

and absorption (samādhi)—thus is yoga proclaimed to have eight limbs.

Listen, O son of Pāṇḍu, to the definition of each of these eight,

by practicing which in proper order a person attains yoga.

Non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness:

these are declared to be the five restraints. Hear their definitions too.

He who acts for the benefit of all living beings as for himself—

this, which is also ordained by the Veda, is declared to be non-violence.

What is seen, heard, inferred, or personally experienced, when spoken accurately,

free from harm to others, is called truthfulness.

Not taking the property of others, even in times of distress,

in thought, word, or deed—that is proclaimed as non-stealing.

Abstinence from sexual intercourse for ascetics in thought, speech, and bodily actions,

and approaching one's own wife only during the fertile season for householders, is celibacy.

Total renunciation for ascetics in thought, speech, and bodily actions,

and [renunciation] in mind for householders, is remembered as non-possessiveness.

These restraints have been explained to you; hear now the five observances:

purity, contentment, austerity, recitation of sacred texts (japa), and devotion to the guru.

Hear also the distinct definition of these five.

Purity is said to be of two kinds: external and internal.

External [purity] is declared to be by means of earth and water, while internal [purity] is a pure mind.

By a livelihood acquired through righteous means, by begging alms, or through trade,

he who is always satisfied—that is called contentment.

Furthermore, the austerities such as the Cāndrāyaṇa fast that have been prescribed,

which one devoted to lightness of diet should perform—that is called austerity.

Recitation (japa) is declared to be one's own scriptural study (svādhyāya), beginning with the practice of the Praṇava (Om).

Devotion toward Śiva, toward knowledge, and toward the guru is remembered as devotion to the guru.

Having thus accomplished the observances and the restraints, the wise person,

the practitioner of yoga, should apply himself to breath control, and not otherwise.

For in one whose body is impure, a great vitiation of the wind (vāyu) occurs;

from vitiation of the wind, he falls prey to leprosy, dullness, and the like.

Therefore, the wise practitioner, having purified the body, should make further effort.

I shall explain the characteristics of breath control; listen, O son of Pāṇḍu.

Breath control is proclaimed as the restraint of prāṇa and apāna.

It is stated by the wise to be threefold, termed light, medium, and superior.

The light [measure] consists of twelve mātrās—a mātrā is the closing and opening of an eye;

the medium is said to be twice that, and the superior is remembered as three times [that].

With the first, one should conquer perspiration; with the medium, trembling;

and with the third, dejection: one should overcome the defects in order.

Assuming the posture called the lotus (padmāsana), with exhalation (recaka), inhalation (pūraka),

and retention (kumbhaka), seated comfortably, one should practice the threefold breath control.

Because of the restraint (upasaṃrodha) of the breaths (prāṇas), it is remembered as prāṇāyāma.

Just as the impurity of mountain minerals is burned away when smelted,

so the defect clinging to the senses is burned away by breath control.

Whatever fruit is attained by giving a hundred tawny cows, that very fruit

is attained by breath control; therefore, the knower of yoga should always restrain the breath.

By breath control, divine states such as peace (śānti) are accomplished in order:

peace (śānti), profound peace (praśānti), illumination (dīpti), and clarity (prasāda) in succession. / When inborn and adventitious desires and sins arise,

the first quality is born, known as the pacification of latent impressions (vāsanāśānti).

Having utterly eliminated defects consisting of greed and delusion,

when austerities are attained, that is called peace (śānti).

The serenity of all the senses, of the intellect, and indeed of the vital airs—

that is proclaimed as clarity (prasāda). Thus is the fourfold set to be attained.

Possessing such fruit, the yogin should always practice breath control.

Just as lions, tigers, and elephants, when attended to,

come to gentleness, so the prāṇa, when mastered, becomes obedient.

This breath control has been explained; hear next about sense-withdrawal (pratyāhāra).

The turning back of the mind when it has engaged with sense objects—

that restraining of it is designated as sense-withdrawal.

This withdrawal of the senses has been explained; hear the characteristic of concentration (dhāraṇā).

Just as those desiring water would slowly drink water

through a lotus reed or the like, so the yogin directs the conquered breath.

First in the navel, [then] in the heart, then the breath in the palate, [and] between the eyebrows,

in the [lotus] of four petals, and of ten, of twelve, and twice sixteen,

drawing up the breath slowly toward the head by contraction alone,

the accomplished practitioner should fix that vital breath in the aperture of Brahmā at the crown of the head.

Twelve breath controls (prāṇāyāmas) are proclaimed to be this concentration.

Establishing these ten concentrations, he attains equality with the imperishable.

Hear the definition of that object of meditation which belongs to one established in concentration:

The object of meditation is of many kinds, O Pārtha; its end cannot be found.

Some [meditate] on Śiva, some on Hari, some on Sūrya, others on Vidhi (Brahmā),

some on the Goddess, while others meditate on the great element.

There, whatever one meditates upon, into that he dissolves.

Therefore, one should always remember God Śiva, five-faced Hara,

seated in the lotus posture, fair, holding a citron fruit in hand,

having ten hands, with an exceedingly gracious face, absorbed in meditation.

This object of meditation has been declared to you; therefore, one should practice meditation.

And this is the characteristic of meditation: even for half a twinkling of an eye, clearly,

he who is established in concentration does not become separate from the object of meditation.

Having thus mounted this plane that is hard to ascend, the knower of yoga

should thereafter think of nothing at all; that is proclaimed to be absorption (samādhi).

Hear the characteristic of absorption as I describe it properly:

Free of sound, touch, and taste, devoid of smell and form,

having reached the Supreme Person, one is proclaimed to be established in absorption.

Reaching that [state], a man is never overcome by obstacles,

and established in absorption he is not shaken even by severe sorrow.

Even if conches and the like are sounded by the hundreds in his ears,

and kettledrums are struck, he does not perceive external sound.

Struck by blows of a whip, his body burned by fire,

or standing in terrible, extreme cold, he does not perceive external touch.

What need to speak of external form, smell, or taste for such a person?

He who, having seen the Self by the self, attains absorption once again,

neither thirst nor hunger ever afflicts him.

Neither in heaven nor in Pātāla, nor anywhere among mortals is there that happiness

which a man finds upon attaining unshakeable absorption.

Even for one who has thus ascended in yoga, O joy of the Kurus,

five bitter obstacles arise; hear how they occur:

the intuitive (prātibha), the auditive (śrāvaṇa), the divine (daiva), the whirlpool of confusion (bhramāvarta), and the terrifying (bhīṣaṇa).

Intuition (pratibhā) regarding all scriptures is this intuitive obstacle, and it is sāttvika;

through it, the yogin would quickly acquire pride of mind. / Hearing from thousands of yojanas away is the auditive obstacle;

this is the second [obstacle], and it is sāttvika; intoxicated by it, one is ruined.

That by which he sees the eight realms of the gods is called the divine obstacle;

this too is a sāttvika flaw; from pride in it, he is ruined.

When he is agitated in the whirlpool of people, like a whirlpool in water,

this flaw is called the whirlpool (āvarta); it is rājasika and full of great terror.

Because the yogin's unsupported mind wanders through flaws,

due to falling away from all foundations, it is a tāmasika quality called confusion (bhrama).

With their yoga destroyed by these, all classes of divine beings

are swept around again and again by these exceedingly terrible obstacles.

Therefore, having wrapped himself in a white blanket consisting of mind,

the yogin should contemplate the supreme Brahman, directing his mind toward it.

Sāttvika foods should indeed be consumed by one desiring perfection (siddhi);

by rājasika and tāmasika foods the yogin would never achieve perfection.

From faithful, self-restrained, Vedic-learned, great-souled men

who do not deviate from their own duty, alms should be begged by the yogin:

alms-food consisting of barley, or buttermilk, or milk, or barley gruel,

or ripe fruit and roots, broken grains, oil-cake, or roasted grain flour—

these foods are taught in tradition as bringing about perfection for yogins.

And having recognized the time of death through portents, the practitioner of yoga—

composed, he should practice yoga in order to deceive death.

And I will declare the omens by which a knower of yoga knows death.

He whom a faithful woman wearing red and black garments, singing here,

a woman leads toward the southern quarter in a dream—he too does not live.

Having seen in a dream a naked Jain mendicant laughing,

and seeing him leaping about, one should know that his death has arrived.

Mounted on a vehicle drawn by bears and monkeys, singing toward the southern direction,

one who goes, or sinks down in mud or cow dung, does not live.

A river devoid of water, with hair, burning charcoals, and likewise ashes and serpents—

seeing it full of any one of these in a dream, he does not live.

By dreadful, hideous, rough men with raised weapons,

struck by stones in a dream, a man instantly meets death.

At sunrise, a man before whom a howling female jackal comes face to face,

whether moving inversely or circumambulating, he instantly goes to death.

He does not perceive the smell of a lamp-flame, and likewise vomits fire at night;

he does not see himself reflected in another's eye—he does not live.

Indra's weapon [a rainbow] at midnight, or likewise an eclipse during the day—

having seen it, he should consider that his life has reached its end.

The nose becomes crooked, and one ear droops while the other rises,

and the left eye of someone waters—his life is departed.

When the face becomes slightly red, and the tongue turns black,

then the wise man should know that his own death is near.

He who in a dream goes toward the southern

direction in a carriage drawn by camels and donkeys, and who, even closing his ears, does not hear a loud sound,

he will not live; likewise in a dream, for him who has fallen the door is closed,

and he does not rise, and his white gaze turns red.

He who enters fire in a dream and does not come out again,

or from entering water [likewise]—his life comes to an end then.

And he who is attacked by wicked spirits at night or by day,

whether natural or deformed—Yama and Antaka are near to him.

Toward the deities, the gurus, parents, and likewise knowers of wisdom,

if he speaks ill and acts with contempt, though he was once a devotee, he does not live.

Having thus seen contrary omens, the knower of yoga,

properly resorting to concentration, should become steadfast in absorption.

If he does not desire death for you, then he does not submit to it.

Or, if he should desire liberation, he should release [the breath] through the crest of the head.

Moreover, when the body is abandoned, whatever impediments

approach the yogin—hear about them too, O son of Pāṇḍu:

In the realm of Īśāna, in the city of the Rākṣasas, the Yakṣa and the Gandharva,

in that of Indra, of Soma, of Prajāpati, and of Brahmā—in these eight are perfections.

And they are eight—hear them: that of earth, and that of fire,

that of wind, that of space, that of mind, that of ego, and intellect.

Each is divided eightfold, doubling successively in order:

eight initially, and sixty-four in the end. Hear them as follows:

Stoutness, shortness, childhood, old age, and youth,

various species, own-form, and sustaining the body with four [elements],

constantly without the earthy part—these are the eight earthy perfections.

When the element of earth is conquered, these arise in the realm of Īśāna.

Dwelling in water as on dry land, without distress he can drink up the ocean,

attaining water everywhere, even a dried fruit becoming liquid,

sustaining the body with three [elements], or holding rivers in the hand,

woundlessness of the body, and radiance—this is taught as the group of eight.

The eight former ones and these eight are taught in the city of the Rākṣasas.

Producing fire from the body, freedom from fear of its heat,