Niyama Sadhana

Niyama means regulation.

Men will proceed forward with especial rules and regulations. None can go about or work according to their whims. They have to work according to a particular method and particular directives and in following these one has to impose a control on himself.

This self‑regulation is required. Niyama would thus mean self‑regulation or to regulate oneself. It is unlike Yama where the origin was internal and expression was external.

Yama could not be practised without a second entity. In Niyama no second entity is necessary.

It is internal, its field is inside you. Niyama Sa’dhana’ is independent of a second entity.

The first requirement of Yoga is proper regulation, i.e. to regulate one’s self.

To emphasize the same, it has been said “Athayoga’nushasanam”. Without self‑regulations you will not be able to associate yourself with something at your will. The machine has to be properly prepared.

Both the Shariira Yantra (physical body) and the Ma’nasa Yantra (psychic body) are essential for spiritual progress.

Not only for spiritual progress, but also for physical and psychic progress.

Niyama Sa’dhana’ is equally essential because one should regulate oneself before every action.

Yama is also like a machine while Niyama is different. Rather, it may be likened to an autonomous machine which works and regulates inside without giving any out‑turn externally.

Shaoca

Shaoca (cleanliness) is the first item of Niyama. It is of 2 kinds with 2 subdivisions:

1. Ba’hyika (external)
2. External physical
3. External psychic
4. A’ntarika (internal)
5. Internal physical
6. Internal psychic

Shaocantu dvividham’ proktam Ba’hya’bhyantaram’ tatha' Mrjjala’bhya’m’ smrtam ba’hyam Manah shuddhis tatha’ntaram.

This shloka does not explain the thing very clearly.

External Physical

Here “Shaoca” means cleanliness. The physical body should be kept clean.

Due to dirty surroundings and physical impurities, the mind is affected and even physical disease may occur.

Self‑reliance is affected, and one degrades himself.

Hence, it is essential for every Sadhaka to maintain this external physical cleanliness.

The rules of bath (Snana Vidhi) have been laid down in Caryacarya to that end.

Whatever we see in this world is divided into 3 categories:

1. Sa’ttvika (sentient)
2. Ra’jasika (mutative)
3. Ta’masika (static)

The controlling points of the 5 fundamental factors are located within the trunk portion of the human body.

There are 5 Cakras:

1. Muladhara
2. Svadhisthana
3. Manipura
4. Anahata
5. Vishuddha

These are all controlling points of respective factors.

The Muladhara Cakra controls all solid elements of the body.

The Svadhisthana controls the liquid elements.

The Man’ipura controls all the fiery elements

The Ana’hata controls all the gaseous elements

The Vishuddha controls all the ethereal elements.

The last vertebra or the tail bone of the vertebral column is called “Kula”.

The Muladhara Cakra is:

• located a little inside this point
• the controlling point of the physical elements

This Cakra faces the front side and is square in shape.

The middle point of this square is a bit away from the bone.

But the bone goes out through the middle point of the triangle with the vertebral point (A in the figure) touching the middle point of the square. The square is the Karn’ika’ (seed vessel) of the Muladhara Cakra.

The Karnika of a flower indicates the portion where resides the pollen in the centre of the petals.

The Muladhara Cakra is like a complete flower with four petals.

The bone that comes out downwards through the middle point of the triangle inside the square is known as “Kula”; that is not the whole bone but only the outgoing portion.

Here lies the sleeping divinity, the Kula Kundalinii coiling around the bone.

The Muladhara Cakra bears the pressure of the entire vertebral column. Adhara means shelter and mula means root.

That entity which lies at the root and gives shelter to the entire structure is the Muladhara.

Above the Muladhara is the Svadhisthana.

At the root of the penis, there is a circumference which is the circumference of a circle at the root of the penis.

If you draw a straight line through the middle point of the genital organ, that will reach the central point of the aforesaid circumference.

This middle point of the circumference is the controlling point of Svadhisthana Cakra.

If a crescent is formed centering the circumference with the lower portion of the circumference as the base, that will be Svadhisthana Piitha.

The middle point of the Svadhisthana Cakra will not be the controlling point of the Svadhisthana Piitha.

The latter is the middle point of the circumference of the root of the penis and is situated inside the crescent, which is also the controlling point (Vam’) of the entire Svadhisthana Cakra.

The bigger circle with the crescent as an arc forms the Karnika of the Svadhisthana Cakra.

In this case, the controlling point of the Cakra is not the middle point of the Karn’ika’, but the middle point of the root of penis.

Next comes the Manipura Cakra at the navel. Inside the Karnika of the Manipura, there is an equilateral triangle.

The middle point (Ram’) of this triangle is the controlling point of the entire Manipura Cakra.

The fourth Cakra is the Anahata.

The middle point of the straight line joining the two nipples is the controlling point of the Anahata Cakra.

The Piitha of the Anahata Cakra is hexagonal in shape.

The middle point of the hexagonal Ana’hata Piit’ha within its Karn’ika’ is the controlling point of the Cakra. The petals are attached to the Karnika.

The mind should be concentrated on the Piitha, not on the Karn’ika’ in Sahaja and Sa’dha’ran’a Yoga.

(But in Vishes’a Yoga there is a method of concentration on the Cakra with the petals). The figure of the Piit’ha is very important because the clear idea of the figure will help in good mental concentration on the Central point of the Piit’ha.

The Piitha, not the Cakra, in Latin, is called the plexus.

The protruding point in the throat is called Kantha, in Sanskrit and the entire area is called Griiva’ or Cala’. Sound comes out of this Kant’ha. It is controlled by the Ku’rma Na’dii. The Ku’rma Na’d’ii being controlled, the Kant’ha is also controlled.

The noted singers possess control even without their knowledge. The Sa’dhaka achieves control consciously. One will be able to produce sounds through the vocal cords if one has control over the Kurma Nadii.

The Kurma Na’d’ii has two portions: one portion controls the sound and another portion controls all the nerves below the vocal cords. That portion of the vocal cords from which sounds come out is called Vaekharii.

The Vaekharii is controlled and other lower nerves are also regulated by the Ku’rma Na’d’ii. The spiritual Sa’dhaka can develop this power of control over the Ku’rma Na’dii and control the voice. Oxen and lizards, among the animals and reptiles, have a natural control over the Ku’rma Na’d’ii. Lizards can sit on a wall even for as long as ten minutes without any movement, just like a statue. Other animals do not have such control.

The Muladhara Cakra controls all the Ks’iti Bhu’tas including bones etc., through the controlling point of the Cakra.

All the liquid elements of the body such as the juice, blood, urine, semen and lymph etc. are controlled by the controlling point of Svadhisthana Cakra. (Here middle point of the circle /Karn’ika’/ is not the controlling point. The middle point of the crescent moon at the root of the penis is the controlling point.)

All the fiery elements of the body are controlled by the middle point of the equilateral triangle.

All the aerial portions of the body ‑

The 10 Vayus are:

1. Naga
2. Kurma
3. Krkara
4. Devadatta
5. Dhanainjaya
6. Prana
7. Apana
8. Samana
9. Udana
10. Vyana

All these are controlled by the controlling point of Anahata Cakra.

Similarly, all the ethereal factors in the body are controlled by the controlling point of Vishuddha Cakra, whose figure it is very difficult to imagine, hence it is without any shape.