The Second Adhyaya of the Swetaswatara Upanishad is a motley collection of themes! It begins with a prayer hymn to God Savitr as the rising Sun. He is the embodiment of spiritual illumination as well as the deity of inspiration and self discipline! Moving on, the Upanishad discusses Yoga as a means of Self Knowledge. The body should be held steady. The three upper parts viz the chest, neck and the head should be erect. The mind and the senses should be drawn together into the heart. The Individual then breathes gently, slowly through the nose! A wise man, the Upanishad states, has to cross all fearful streams by means of the boat of the Brahman! He then compresses his breath within the body and has to restrain the mind as vigilantly as he drives the chariot yoked with vicious horses! How should this Yoga be practiced and where? The Upanishad Indicates the nature of the place and where meditation and Yoga can be undertaken.
The place and ambience for practicing Yoga is very important! The area should be level and clean free from pebbles, dust and fire. There should be no distracting sounds that divert the attention of the the person meditating. No sight that can hurt or be painful to the eye should be present. The place must be a sheltered retret protected from the wind! What is the experience of the meditator? First things that manifest in Yoga are fog, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fireflies, lightnings and a clear moon. It is only after all these appear, that the Brahman follows! After the five fold quality of Yoga results from the elements, earth, water, fire, air and ether, all sickness vanishes, and old age, senility and death disappear! The meditator acquires the body of Yoga produced by fire! The first results of the progress of Yoga are lightness of the body, health, steadiness, clear complexion, pleasant voice, sweet smell and slight excretion according to the Upanishad!
Like the mirror tarnished by dust shines brilliantly after it is cleaned, the meditator, after the vision of the nature of the Self, realizes the oneness! That is the end to which he comes finally! He is released from the shackles of sorrow! The Upanishad points out that when by the nature of his own self he sees, as by a lamp, the nature of Brahman he is released from all fetters because IT is unborn, eternal, and free from all natures! He is the all pervading God! “He is the first born; and He is within the womb. He has been born and He will be born. He is inside all persons, facing all directions.
The all pervasiveness of the Brahman is stressed by the Upanishad in no uncertain words! “The God who is in the fire, the God who is in the water, the God who has entered into the whole world, the God who is in herbs, the God who is in trees-- adoration be to that God, adoration to Him!” In 2.13 the Upanishad describes the first benefits of Yoga to be agility, better health. clear face, sweetness of voice, sweet odor, regular body functions, steadiness, feeling of lightness in one’s personality! Yoga thus leads to the Knowledge of the Soul!
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