The
Hathapradipika is generally divided into three sections or
books. The translations of the first section are generally quite good
and readily understandable. It is the first section that serves as the
basis for most Hatha Yoga classes.
The
second book is generally ignored as being too far advanced, impossible
to understand or too obscene. The second book starts with the strange mahabandha and
mahamudra which apply pressure to the yoni by
sitting with the foot under the perineum, bending forward to stretch the
perineum and applying inner pressure with the breath. The perineal
region is then shaken by another strange exercise called the mahavedha which pounds the perineum against the floor, which is no
more than the stimulation children receive by falling on their perineum
or buttocks.
When
any of these three mudras are coupled with the various controls
of the breath, the body can be described as being fully locked up or in
a state of bandha (bondage). A simple explanation of these two mudras is that they counter the forces in the body that produce
fainting or the pooling of blood in the abdomen and energize the body to
react to the outer world. As for example, imagine yourself preparing to
face some unknown force at night. There is the pulling in and up of your
abdominal muscles and organs as well as tightly controlling the breath.
These actions stimulate your body to properly respond with what can be
described as a tightly controlled state of bondage as you prepare for
fighting or fleeing.
The
next verses in the second book of the
Hathapradipika are
concerned with finding the Shiva linga or the source of
the inner energy. Unfortunately, just as the verses are getting exciting
and ready to explain how to do this, the translations suddenly switch
from the lower abdominal exercises to slitting the tongue. The English
translations describe that the frenum of the tongue must be cut in order
that the tongue can be pressed up the back of the throat into the head
to stop what modern science would call sinus drainage.
However, if the original verses in Sanskrit are read, these verses can
be seen as continuing to describe the finding of the Shiva linga. We can only assume that someone did not want the average
person to attempt finding the Shiva linga by discouraging
them with the requirement to slit the tongue. Later, the English
translations also discourage seekers from the practices by stating they
must first learn how to blow air into their bladder and suck up
excrement into their body through their urethra and anus. Both
statements are, of course, sheer fabrications with very little to do
with the original Sanskrit, and by the way, impossible to do. We have
included the literal translations of the verses that are mistranslated
as cutting and pulling the tongue up into the head at the end of this
article.
The
ancient second book then goes step-by-step into the finding and then the
moving of the Shiva linga. The steps are described in
experiential terms or as what you would feel doing the practices. This
starts with viewing the perineal region that exists between the floor of
the abdomen and the outer skin of the perineum as a cavity in the body.
You then are to look for Shiva linga that may appear as Agni’s tongue of fire as described in the
Rig Veda.
Agni was the symbol of the inner soul and his tongue of fire was the
inner transformational power of an individual. This tongue or linga
must be separated from the rest of the stuff found in the cavity and
moved independently from the surrounding stuff. The physiology behind
this step is essentially described in Joy
and Evolution where we mention that different areas of the BS
muscle could be stimulated to form separate sensations.
The
area that is first stimulated and separated depends upon the particular
area pressed with sitting on the foot and then stimulated with the
downward pressure of the breath. Later when the tongue or linga
is to be moved, it is initially done by stimulating different regions of
the BS muscle with the foot placed in a slightly different position.
Later the sensitive area or the linga is learned to be moved with
inner muscle tensions of the PC and BS muscles and the mental
concentrations.
The
seeker or student knows that the linga has been found when he or
she holds the linga with the muscles and mind and observes
certain effects. This is similar to the holding of some good feeling
arising from some emotion in the belly. If you try to enhance it, you
lose it, or if you ignore it, it dies away. The rising flow of energy
from the linga is different from an emotion, however, in that it
can be increased and observed to flow up into the head if everything is
held just so.
Modern creative people would describe the same rise in energy much
differently of course. You may have experienced it or heard of it with
such expressions as: “I had this intense itch in
my guts to do this”, “ I felt overwhelmed with the rising certainty that
I was right,” “I had this weird sinking sensation as I finally saw the
answer,” “It was as if I was turned inside out,” “It was like an intense
rise in sexual feelings and drive” or “It was a if a blow torch had been
ignited deep in my body.”
The
important consideration of these types of statements is that the
individuals did not immediately suppress the feelings, but rather
identified them with what they were seeking and ‘let’ them increase.
Once
the energy of the perineum is found, the perineal muscles and tissue can
become so sensitive that the slightest downward motion of the lower
abdominal wall with a deep exhalation is sufficient to activate the
higher responses. The stimulation varies, of course, with the intensity
of the motion and the state of development of the perineal muscles.
The
Hathapradipika then continues to describe the resulting
fluid called soma that reflects the definitions of it found in the Rig
Veda. Following the activation of the linga or the rise of the
creative force, a slight discharge is commonly found from the urethra
that some may explain as, “I was so excited and thrilled that I peed a
bit in my pants.”
An
investigation of this fluid reveals that it is similar to the reports of
the discharge associated with the ‘G’ spot. The fluid is certainly not
urine since it feels oily and smooth and is somewhat viscous. It also is
not the normal sexual lubricant since it is readily absorbed by the skin
rather than leaving a slippery film on the skin. The
Hathapradipika claims that it is sweet, but we have observed it
as being odorless.
Translations