Dr. R. Nagaswamy #6B8E23 01-Jan-2007 Prāṇa is Kṛṣhṇa 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 “prāna” 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 “Prāna" vital breadth is Kṛṣhṇa and everything is Kṛṣhṇa. That approach seams to be the yogic approach, mentioned in this book. Kṛṣhṇa can be called by any name. The yogic Power Kṛṣhṇa is in every human being in the form of “Kuṇḍalinī Śakti”. The “Svā dhistaana cakra” in man, mentioned in yogic texts is Kṛṣhṇa’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 “Kṛṣhṇa sādhana” is undertaken, the adherent should not perform external image worship and everything is only through mantra that is mental creation. That means Kṛṣhṇa worship is metaphysical pure and simple. The basic mantra is "Om Kṛṣhṇāya Paramātmane namah". The concept here is “Kṛṣhṇa 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, Kṛṣhṇa’s accomplices. Again it is metaphysical and not actual. There is “Rākini sahsranāma” thousand names of Rākini (the power) as stotra detailed in this text. Also these are the multiple forms of power (of Kṛṣhṇa.) that manifest in worldly transactions and those who follow this Yoga reach “Divine consciousness” called 'Daiva bhāva' out of three bhāvas mentioned in Tantra Sāstras as “Vira-bhāva, Yoga-bhāva and Daiva bhāvas”. The adherent becomes Kṛṣhṇa conscious in all his works. and it is at that level all sports of Kṛṣhṇa are metaphysically visualized. Among many bhāvas of mental identities about Kṛṣhṇa one is called "Balarāma bhāva", that is Kṛṣhṇa and Balrāma are considered one. There is no discarding Balarāma worship in this process but integrating Balarāma with Kṛṣhṇa. So one reaches knowledge jnāna. One who is immersed in Kṛṣhṇa conciousness becomes “Kṛṣhṇa Caitanya”. This is the essence of Kṛṣhṇa yoga mentioned in this Tantric book of “Rudra Yāmala tantra” So the Bengali “Jayadeva movement” and the “Kṛṣhṇa Caitanya movement” are all rooted in this early tradition. The term “Kṛṣhṇa chaitanya” occuring in this text has been adopted later by historic Kṛṣhṇa Caitanya of 16th cent. So Kṛṣhṇa is held Paramātmā in this work clearly. If one does not understand this yogic nature of Kṛṣhṇa worship, he will misunderstand all about Kṛṣhṇa. So the text says that in this level of visualization the Trinity, Brahmā, Viṣhṇu, and Śiva merge into one. So Bhairava worship is considered Kṛṣhṇa worship and it is known that Bhairava means "Supreme Knowledge". So the text calls Kṛṣhṇa as "Kṛṣhṇa- Śambhu". It is considered by some that Kṛṣhṇa Caitanya’s teaching is a 'follow on from Rāmānuja movement' (Minpaedia World History, London, pp 98-99). Rāmānuja’s teaching took root only from 12th cent and is essentially oriented towards philosophical enquiry while Kṛṣhṇa Caitanya movement emphasized japa, dhyāna and bhajan as noticed in the "Rudra Yāmala" which was present in Bengal several centuries earlier. In fact the very name Kṛṣhṇa Caitanya as a stage in life occurs in Rudra Yāmala and obviously not based on Rāmānuja’s teachings. 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 “Kṛṣhṇa”. So Kṛṣhṇa is said to sport with thousands of youg girls. It is “Kṛṣhṇa lilā” or “Rāsa lila” 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 Alvārs?. It is known saint Nammālvār is considered a Yogi, “Kṛṣhṇa yogi”? . A close study of this book will convince one that the poems of Saint Nammālvār reflect identical views