Dhyana Bindu Upanishad, Dhyanabindopanishad (dhyānabindūpaniṣad) belongs to Krishna Yajurveda, comprising 106 mantras. Dhyana Bindu Upanishad opens up with the greatness of meditation on Brahman, Brahma Dhyana Yoga Mahima. It explains beautifully that
yadi śailasamaṃ pāpaṃ vistīrṇa bahuyojanam।
bhidyate dhyānayogena nānyo bhedaḥ kadācana ॥
means if there is a huge mountain of pāpa spreading to vast areas, still it can be eliminated, removed by the practice of Dhyana Yoga, signifying the greatness and the importance and the result of practicing meditation, especially on the vastness and expansion, the Brahma Dhyana. Upanishad further explains goes into the details of how this all pervading Brahma Tattvam is in everywhere, in every creation, in every part and parcel of the creation from the smallest to the vast and expansiveness:
bījākṣaraṃ paraṃ bindu nādaṃ tasyopari sthitam ।
saśabdaṃ cākṣare kṣīṇe ni:śabdaṃ paramaṃ padam॥
The Upanishad gives explanation of the omkara, the bindu, the nada, and the ardhamatra (the symbol of the half moon): the a (अ), u (उ), m (म्), ardhamatra, and the bindu. This is how the Upanishad presents the symbolical and imaginary explanation of the omkara. How this omkara is subtlest of the subtle, and the vast expansiveness it spreads into—that it is the one which is from the subtlest of the subtle spread to the most expansive space—for that, the Upanishad gives a beautiful explanation and imagery. Like fragrance is spread in the flower; fragrance is inbuilt and part and parcel of the flower; oil is inbuilt and part and parcel of the sesame, the taila in the tila; and like that the omkara is spread everywhere.
Pranava swarupam, the form of the omkara, is beautifully explained in the mantras from 9 to 13. These explain akara with pranava: the bhumi, the earth, the fire, and the Rig Veda. Then the second one, the ukara of the pranava, is the intermediate region, parallel and equal to the Yajurveda, then the vayu, and the world called bhoraha, Vishnu and Janardhanaha. Makara, the third part of the pranava, is the akashaha, then the sun, the Samaveda, and soha, then Maheshwaraha.
So, akara is yellow in color and is unrhythmic in quality. Ukara is rhythmic in quality and is white in color. Makara is black in color and is inert, tamasic in nature. He who does not know the pranava of these eight argas—akara, ukara, makara, bindu, nada, kala, kalatitaha, and tatparaha—which has the four feet: vishvaha, taijasaha, prajnaha, and turiyaha in the vyashti, and virajaha, sutraha, bijaha, and turiyaha in samishti, then otruhu, anugyanaha, and ekashanaha in both. This is how the omkara has been presented, or made us to remember and recognize that om is everything, or everything which we see, everything we experience, everything which is unseen, perceived and unperceived, and imperceptible, all are pervaded with the omkara. That is how to explain that particular thought.
Akara, ukara, makara, bindu, and ardhamatras have been given individually a significant explanation which will be useful for meditation. While we chant akara, when we chant ukara, and when we chant the makara, the mental imagery, the mental thoughts, the feelings, the direction of them, the quality of them, the expressions of them, the experiences of them, the feelings focusing of them on a particular direction, that specifying those directions, specifying those focus points for every chant of the pranava—that is how the Dhyana Bindu Upanishad guides a person for the dhyana. Then pranava dhyana vidhihi, how the omkara has to be practiced, the methods of omkara dhyana, the different ways of omkara dhyana. It explains beautifully the all the gods:
praṇava dhanuḥ śaro hyātmā brahmatallakṣyamucyate॥
apramattena veddhavyaṃ śaravattanmayo bhavet।
nivartante kriyāḥ sarvāstasmindṛṣṭe parāvare॥
oṃkāraprabhavā devā oṃkāraprabhavāḥ svarāḥ।
oṃkāraprabhavaṃ sarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram॥
tailadhārāmivācchinnaṃ dīrghaghaṇṭāninādavat।
avācyaṃ praṇavasyāgraṃ yastaṃ veda sa vedavit॥
That is the fine end of the pranava that cannot be explained, but it is like 'taila dhara avichinnam', like a flow of a long, continuous movement of oil. It has a long, 'dirga ghanta niladavata', like a long ringing of a bell when it merges. These are all suggestive methods and techniques for focusing the mind. Similarly, prakaram thareena pranava dhyanam, i.e., pranava dhyana by a different method. Another method is given: the meditation on omkara is to be done or can be done on any sound when it is in its last phase of merging.
Then the Upanishad explains Vishesha Brahma dhyanam, in which it explains the Trimurti dhyanam: the Brahma, Vishnuhu, Maheshwaraha, and how Trimurti dhyana has to be practiced. The Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwaraha are to be remembered or brought into our awareness while we are chanting omkara, in the phase of akara, ukara, makara with puraka, rechaka, and kumbhaka. That is, while the puraka is going on, you begin with chanting of the omkara and bring the vision of Brahma, then the vision of Vishnu, then the vision of Rudraha. This a, u, m—puraka, rechaka, and kumbhaka. This is how the Upanishad gives a second method, the other method of chanting, trimurti dhyanam it is called.
Then the Hridaya dhyanam of the Dhyanabindu Upanishad, another brilliant presentation is given:
abjapatramadhaḥ puṣpamūrkhanālamadhomukham।
kadalīpuṣpasaṃkāśaṃ sarvavedamayaṃ śivam॥
śatāraṃ śatapatrāḍhyaṃ vikīrṇāmbujakarṇikam।
tatrārkacandravahnīnāmuparyupari cintayet॥
padmasyodghāṭanaṃ kṛtvā bodhacandrāgnisūryakam।
tasya hṛddhījamāhṛtya ātmānaṃ carate dhruvam ॥
The Upanishad explains while chanting and feeling the omkara, while having the awareness of chanting the omkara without producing the sound, and chanting of Om, just feeling and experiencing, but focusing the mind and the attention and the awareness on the hrudayam, at the heart level and facing on, looking at and contemplating, concentrating, meditating at the center of the heart, feeling and experiencing the sounds of the heart, Anahata it is. Anahata has two meanings. One is ana-hata that it never dies. Anahata is the sound which is not produced by any effort. It is effortlessly produced, effortlessly maintained, effortlessly it continues, and it never dies. It has no beginning and it has no end.
Exactly, compare it with our own heartbeats. It goes on effortlessly, it maintains effortlessly, it continues effortlessly, and the sound of the heartbeats, anahata it is. Listening to the sounds of the heartbeats, with that sound of the heartbeats, synchronizing the sound of the omkara without chanting the om outside, but visualizing and experiencing, feeling the omkara within. This is called Hrudaya dhyanam. What a brilliant, subtle, and most practical suggestion from the Dhyana Bindu Upanishad.
Dhyana Bindu Upanishad explains the Shadangas, the six angas of the Dhyana Bindu Upanishad:
āsanaṃ prāṇasaṃrodhaḥ pratyāhāraśca dhāraṇā।
dhyānaṃ samādhiretāni yogāṅgāni bhavanti ṣaṭ ॥
That is Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyanam, Samadhi, these are the Shadangas of the Dhyana Bindu Upanishad. The 41st mantra is the description of this one. From the next mantras are the explanation of each one, that is, it talks about the Asana. Dhyana Bindu Upanishad presents the four Asanas, Asana Chatushtayam: Siddhasana, Bhadrasana, Simhasana, and Padmasana. It explains how Siddhasana has to be practiced, how Bhadrasana has to be practiced, how Simhasana has to be practiced, how Padmasana has to be practiced, what are the benefits of Siddha, Bhadra, Simha and Padmasana. And by the practice of these Asanas, what is the final effect out of it, what is the result of it. Then the Upanishad explains beautifully the Shat Chakras and then the seat of the Shat Chakras, the description of these Chakras, the Nadi Sthanas, Nadi Kendras.
Then the Upanishad glorifies the Dasa Pranas, the ten Pranas, pranahi dashavayavaha:
prāṇo'pānaḥ samānaścodāno vyānastathaiva ca॥
nāgaḥ kurmaḥ kukarako devadatta dhanaṃjayaḥ।
prāṇādyāḥ pañcavikhyātā nāgādyāḥ pañca vāyavaḥ॥
It puts it beautifully, five Pranas and five vayus. Pranapana, Vyana, Udana, Samanaha, they are Pancha Pranas and 'nāgaḥ kurmaḥ kukarako devadatta dhanaṃjayaḥ।' are Pancha Vayus. This is the separation or the description the Dhyana Upanishad presents us about Pancha Pranas and Pancha Vayus. Then the seats of these Pancha Pranas and the Pancha Vayus, the activities of the Pancha Pranas and the Pancha Vayus in our own body, all our physical and mental activities are controlled, all our physical and mental activities are monitored, all our physical and mental activities are fuelled by these Pancha Pranas and Pancha Vayus. Then the Upanishad explains the beautiful dimension of the Ajapa Hamsa Vidhi, it is called Ajapa Hamsa Vidhi; It is also called Ajapa Hamsa Vidhya. It means Ajapa Hamsa Vidhya, Ajapa is performing Japa effortlessly, just being aware of the chanting; not chanting but being aware of chanting.
As we are aware of Vaikhari level, Upanshu level, Pashyanti level and the Para level of Japa of any chanting: Vaikhari is just chanting, able to hear the sound, Upanshu is not able to hear the sound or not producing the sound outside, but just lip movements are there. Pashyanti is not even the lip level movements but just you are chanting within. Para level is no effort at all, no chanting at all at any level but only an experience and feeling and awareness, that is the Para level and that is the Ajapa level. Ajapa is nothing, no chanting, no practice, no effort but only a pure feeling and experience and Hamsa Vidya, that chanting of the Omkara is synchronized with the harmonious inhalations and exhalations i.e. Hamsaha and that is the Vidya, that is the method and the technique, that is the Ajapa Hamsa Vidya. How beautifully Dhyana Bindu Upanishad slowly takes the practitioner, presenting different meditation techniques to the deeper layers.
Further, Dhyana Bindu Upanishad brings out the wonderful practices of the Bandha Trayam, the three important Bandhas: Moola Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, and the Jalandhara Bandha. Practice of Moola Bandha, practice of Uddiyana Bandha, practice of Jalandhara Bandha, how prana has to be restricted and what will be the movements of the prana within, what will happen to the various Nadis, a very wonderful, beautiful explanation goes in. Many of the yoga practitioners, many of the yoga teachers, yoga students feel that these Bandhas belong to Hatha Yoga. But we should always remember even Hatha Yoga was taken from the earlier practices available like Yogopanishads and the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and the other Samhitas belonging to the Yoga. But Hatha Yoga practices and Hatha Pradeepika text became very popular being it a very recent origin of around the 15th century. So Bandha Trayam, Moola Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, and the Jalandhara Bandha have been described.
Then the Upanishad also talks about the Khechari mudra, Vajroli mudra, and the Mahamudra. So the Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi, then the Asana Chatursthayam, Sat Chakras, then the Dasa Pranas, Pancha Pranas, Pancha Vayus, then the Ajapa Hamsa Vidya, then the Bandha Trayam, then the Khechari Mudra, then the Mahamudra, Vajroli Mudra.
Then the Upanishad goes to one of the most powerful practices of Yoga, the Dhyana Bindu Upanishad explains brilliantly the Hridaya Dhyanam, meditation at heart on the Lotus, Hridaya Padma Dhyanam it is. That the Padma, not imagining but feeling, experiencing, bringing into vision a lotus at the center of the heart and the expression of the petals, the tip of the petals, the direction of the petals and the colors of the petals. That is how the Dhyana Bindu Upanishad goes beyond.
Yoga students and teachers familiar with advanced instructions and practices of Yoga Nidra are aware of Padma Dhyana in Yoga Nidra. This Padma Dhyana has its base, its root in the Dhyana Bindu Upanishad's Hridaya Padma Dhyanam, beautifully described within it. There are 15 mantras in total, and the 93rd mantra, which has 15 sub-mantras, explains the Dhala and the flower of the Lotus, the Lotus petal, and the entire Lotus. These 15 mantras are very powerful and important.
Then the Upanishad goes still a little further into the Nadanusandhanaha. The Dhyana Bindu Upanishad talks about the Nadanusandhanaha, how while meditating, it prescribes, it suggests maybe the natural sounds as meditating: Yakaraha (य), Rakaraha (र), Lakaraha (ल), Vakaraha (व), Hakaraha (ह). That is how the Hridaya Nada, the heartbeats combined and synchronized and harmonized with these sounds of Ya, Ra, La, Va, Ha, and combined with colors of the petals, movements of the petals, fluttering of the petals, glow of the petals, and combined with these sounds, the meditation enters into a more deeper, higher, and final stages.
This is how Dhyana Bindu Upanishad beautifully explains the fine practices in its 106 mantras belonging to the Krishna Yajurveda. Dhyana Bindu Upanishad, we all should remember, is one of the most powerful Upanishads explaining the essence and core of meditation techniques. It begins with the simple chanting of the Omkara and takes, elevates the practitioner, guides him from the chanting of the Akara, Ukara, Makara, Bindu, and the Ardha Matras. It presents the importance of chanting and elevating and presenting the greatness and the importance of the Omkara, systematically equating it, presenting an imagery from the smallest and the subtlest of the subtle to the vast expansive levels to it.
Then the Asana practice, Pranayama practice, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and ends at the Samadhi into the Nadanusandhana. Dhyana Bindu Upanishad teaches us the practices of the most important meditation, Asanas, Dhyana Asanas, meditative postures, and these four meditative postures are very important: Siddhasana, Bhadrasana, Simhasana, and Padmasana. Whenever we sit in meditation, whenever we sit for meditation or for Pranayama, let us try to practice these Asanas and the techniques presented in the Pranayama methods of the Dhyana Bindu Upanishad. Let us enhance and intensify our yoga practices to higher levels. Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti.
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मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्धयसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥
Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26
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