Yoga Shikha Upanishad: about Hatha yoga and Raja yoga

The Yoga Shikha Upanishad probably originated from the 13th century. This extract from the first chapter perhaps present the earliest known tantric view of Hatha yoga and Raja yoga. This Upanishad is also the oldest text in which the two terms are defined.

Upanishads

Raja yoga described as the union of male semen (Retas (रेतस्, Retas)) with female vaginal secretion (Rajas (रजस्, Rajas)) (YSU I.137).This interpretation of Raja yoga was often literally translated particularly in tantric Kaula (कौल, Kaula) schools. In other tantric traditions, Raja-Yoga (रजयोग, Raja-Yoga) is often translated as the union of Shiva (शिव, Śiva) and Shakti (शक्ति, Śakti), the male and female beings.Modern interpretations of the term Raja yoga usually gloss over these tantric ideas.

Yoga-Shikh[a]-{O}[U]panishat

योगशिख्[आ]{ओ}[उ]पनिषत्

Yoga-Śikh[ā]-{O}[U]paniṣat

Exceprts from the first chapter

combined|Devanagari|phonetic|simplified|translation|explanation
कथितं तु तव प्रीत्या ह्येतदभ्यासलक्षणम् ।"
मन्त्रो लयो हठो राजयोगो.अन्तर्भूमिकाः क्रमात् ॥१२९॥
kathitaṁ tu tava prītyā hyetadabhyāsalakṣaṇam ।"
mantro layo haṭho rāja-yogo.antarbhūmikāḥ kramāt ॥129॥
...|
Walk through the inner stages of Mantra-, Laya-, Hatha- and Raja-Yoga, ||129||
एक एव चतुर्धा.अयं महायोगो.अभिधीयते ।"
हकारेण बहिर्याति सकारेण विशेत्पुनः ॥१३०॥
eka eva caturdhā.ayaṁ mahā-yogo-.abhidhīyate ।"
hakāreṇa bahiryāti sakāreṇa viśet-punaḥ ॥130॥
this is indeed a unique fourfold Maha-Yoga. |
Exhale with the sound HA and inhale again with the sound SA, ||130||
हंसहंसेति मन्त्रो.अयं सर्वैर्जीवश्च जप्यते ।"
गुरुवाक्यात्सुषुम्नायां विपरीतो भवेज्जपः ॥१३१॥
haṁsa-haṁs-eti mantro-.ayaṁ sarvair-jīvaś-ca japyate ।"
guruvākyātsuṣumnāyāṁ viparīto bhavej-japaḥ ॥131॥
this way all living beings do chant the Mantra "hamsa hamsa". |
The other way around the Yogi should recite this Mantra – after instruction by his teacher - in the Sushumna. ||131||
सो.अहंसो.अहमिति प्रोक्तो मन्त्रयोगः स उच्यते ।"
प्रतीतिर्मन्त्रयोगाच्च जायते पश्चिमे पथि ॥१३२॥
so-.ahaṁ-so.-aham-iti prokto mantra-yogaḥ sa ucyate ।"
pratītir-mantra-yogāc-ca jāyate paścime pathi ॥132॥
"SO-HAM, I am it, ´I am it´ recited this way is called Mantra-Yoga. |
Through understanding of the Mantra-Yoga the Yogi will be directly born onto the path of liberation. ||132||
हकारेण तु सूर्यः स्यात्सकारेण्{ए}[इ]न्दुरुच्यते ।"
सूर्याच[अ]न्द्रमस्[अ]{ओ}[उ]रैक्यं हठ इत्यभिधीयते ॥१३३॥
ha-kāreṇa tu sūryaḥ syāt-sa-kāreṇ-{e}[i]ndur-ucyate ।"
sūryā-ca[a]ndramas[a]-{o}[u]raikyaṁ haṭha ity-abhidhīyate ॥133॥
It is said that in the sound HA the sun is contained, in the sound SA the moon. |
Hatha-Yoga means uniting of sun and moon. ||133||
हठेन ग्रस्यते जाड्यं सर्वदोषसमुद्भवम् ।"
क्षेत्रज्ञः परमात्मा च तयोरैक्यं यदा भवेत् ॥१३४॥
haṭhena grasyate jāḍyaṁ sarva-doṣa-samudbhavam ।"
kṣetrajñaḥ paramātmā ca tayoraikyaṁ yadā bhavet ॥134॥
When the individual and the universal sould became united, Hatha-Yoga |
then swallows the lethargy, the result of the basic characteristics of human beings. ||134||
तदैक्ये साधिते ब्रह्मंश्चित्तं याति विलीनताम् ।"
पवनः स्थैर्यमायाति लययोग्[अ]{ओ}[उ]दये सति ॥१३५॥
tad-aikye sādhite brahmaṁś-cittaṁ yāti vilīnatām ।"
pavanaḥ sthairyam-āyāti laya-yog[a]-{o}[u]daye sati ॥135॥
When the unity is perfected the changeable (Chitta) in the human being is absorbed in the Absolute (Brahma). |
The goal of Laya-Yoga will be reached through the resulting rest of the life force (Prana). ||135||
लयात्संप्राप्यते सौख्यं स्वात्माअनदं परं पदम् ।"
योनिमध्ये महाक्षेत्रे जपाबन्धूकसंनिभम् ॥१३६॥
layāt-saṁprāpyate saukhyaṁ sva-atma-ānadaṁ paraṁ padam ।"
yoni-madhye mahā-kṣetre japā-bandhūka-saṁnibham ॥136॥
Through the sublime state of Laya bliss will be achieved out of itself. |
This is localised in the holy shrine in the middle of the Vagina (Yoni),
comparable with the Hibiskus- or Dupurmoni- blossom. ||136||
रजो वसति जन्तूनां देवीतत्त्वं समावृतम् ।"
रजसो रेतसो योगाद्राजयोग इति स्मृतः ॥१३७॥
rajo vasati jantūnāṁ devī-tattvaṁ samāvr̥tam ।"
rajaso retaso yoga-adrāja-yoga iti smr̥taḥ ॥137॥
Hidden in all living beings the essence of the goddess lies dormant as vaginal secretion (Rajas). |
Hence it is handed down that Raja-Yoga evolves from the unification of male semen (Retas) and female vaginal secretion (Rajas). ||137||
अणिमादिपदं प्राप्य राजते राजयोगतः ।"
प्राणापानसमायोगो ज्ञेयं योगचतुष्टयम् ॥१३८॥
aṇim-ādi-padaṁ prāpya rājate rāja-yogataḥ ।"
prāṇa-apāna-samāyogo jñeyaṁ yoga-catuṣṭayam ॥138॥
If Raja-Yoga is reached, supernatural powers (Siddhi) are achievable. |
Typical for the fourfold Yoga is always the unification of ascending energy (Prana) with descending energy(Apana). ||138||
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