The Song of the Goddess: The Devi Gita: Spiritual Counsel of the Great Goddess

5. Instruction in the Eight-Limbed/ Serpentine Yoga

79 Chapter 5 Instruction in the Eight-Limbed/ Serpentine Yoga Himalaya spoke: 5.1. O Great Queen, describe that yoga with all its limbs which bestows supreme understanding, So that by practicing it, I may become fit to see the truth. The Goddess spoke: 5.2. The goal of yoga is not found in the heavens , nor on earth, nor in the underworld, But in the union of the individual soul and the supreme Self; thus do skilled adepts define yoga. 5.3. Impeding the practice of yoga are the obstacles , said to be six, O Faultless One. They are designated as desire and anger, greed and delusion, arrogance and jealousy. 5.4. Adept yogis use the limbs of yoga to break through these obstacles and to reach the goal of union. Restraint and observance, followed by posture , breath control, 5.5. Withdrawing the senses, concentration, meditation, and finally absorption— 80 The Song of the Goddess These, they say, are the eight limbs practiced by adepts in pursuing yoga. 5.6. Noninjury, truthfulness, nonstealing, abstinence , compassion, humility, Patience, steadiness, moderation in eating, and purity, these are the ten restraints. 5.7. Austerity, contentment, faith, charity, worshiping the deity, Listening to established truth, shame, understanding , recitation, and sacrifice, 5.8. These I proclaim as the ten observances, Chief of Mountains. The Lotus Posture, the Happiness Posture, the Auspiciousness Posture, as well as the Diamond Posture, 5.9. And the Hero Posture, these in order are renowned as the five basic modes of sitting. Duly placing the pure soles of the feet upon the thighs, 5.10. One should catch hold of the big toes with one’s hands crossed behind the back— Such is the famous Lotus Posture, beloved by yogis. 5.11. Duly putting the pure soles of the feet between the thighs and knees, The yogi should sit with body straight—such is deemed the Happiness Posture. 5.12. Placing the heels firmly on either side of the perineum, One should use the hands to hold tight the heels of the feet beneath the genitals— 81 Instruction in the Eight-Limbed/Serpentine Yoga 5.13. Such is the famous Auspiciousness Posture, well honored by yogis. Placing the feet alongside the outer thighs, with fingers cupping the knees, 5.14. One should firmly fix the hands—such is the unsurpassed Diamond Posture. Putting one foot under the opposite thigh and the other foot upon the remaining thigh, 5.15. The yogi should sit with body straight—such is the Hero Posture. Drawing in the breath through the left artery for sixteen counts, 5.16. The yogi should hold it fully for sixty-four counts, Restraining it duly in the central artery; then slowly, for thirty-two counts, 5.17. The excellent knower of yoga should exhale through the right artery— This is breath control, so say those versed in the treatises on yoga. 5.18. Again and again, in proper order, one should manipulate the breath. Gradually, as is suitable, one should increase the count from twelve up to sixteen. 5.19. When breath control is accompanied by mantric repetition and meditations, the wise regard it as having a matrix. When breath control is not so accompanied, they regard it as without a matrix. 5.20. Through repeated practice, one progresses from the lowest level of accomplishment when a person’s body begins to perspire, 82 The Song of the Goddess Through the middle level when the body trembles, to the highest level when one levitates —so it is taught. 5.21. One should strive constantly until one attains the fruits of the highest level. The senses are wont to feed freely upon the objects of sense. 5.22. Seizing them back from those objects by force is called withdrawal of the senses. On the toes, ankles, knees, thighs, anus, sexual organ, navel, 5.23. On the heart, neck, throat, soft palate, and nose, Between the brows, on the head, on the forehead , and on the crown of the head, as prescribed, 5.24. Concentrating the vital breath on these points is called concentration. Composing the mind and abiding inwardly in pure consciousness 5.25. While meditating on one’s chosen deity within the Self is called meditation. Ever realizing the identity of the individual Self and the supreme Self 5.26. Is absorption, sages avow. The nature of the eight limbs has thus been described...