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Dashavatara of Kundalini yoga

 

 Of the various avatars of Vishnu, ten are considered to be the most important and are celebrated as the ‘Dashavatar’. 
Kundalini Yoga is an esoteric method of meditation which envisions six energy centres called Chakras spread from the base of the spinal cord to the brain.
In this article I have combined learning from the Dashavatar with aspects of the Kundalini yoga to get unique insight into this meditation method.

 

Matsya, like the Adi-Matsya, our desires keep growing and outstrip whatever resources we find to feed it !  Like the Adi-Matsya, if we recognise the true svaroop of maya and realise this is an aspect of divine lila, the same maya-matsya can rescue us from a deluge of sansar.  Your latent energies are locked in Muladhara which is submerged by the sea of samsara.  External world showers us with stimulations and desires.  Add these to our own store of emotions and experiences acquired over countless lifetimes and we are truly swimming in a turbulent ocean of emotions.  Adi-Matsya swims in the turbulent waters of pralaya, but keeps its head above the waters to rescue rishis and Vedas.  Swim boldly in the sansar, but don’t be submerged by it and keep your focus on the goal.  Control your breath like the matsya and seek that which is lost within you. 
Become Matsya.

Kurma, on its hard back rests the entire mount Meru and all the hopes of Devas and Danavas.  Like the Adi-Kurma, if we too are circumspect with our interactions in the samsara, we too can use yama and niyam to bear the fierce forces produced by yoga.  If we harness the energy of adi sarpa shakti – Kundalini and churn the ocean of our body with all its rasas, using the spinal cord as our own Meru-danda, we too can hope to extract the elixir immortality from our own body.  Churning of the sadhak through sadhana produces its own 14 ratna including vish and amrit.  Be firm yet humble.  Seek the help of Shiva and Vishnu and you too can enjoy the amrit served by Mohini herself ! 
Become Kurma.  

Varaha, emerging from Brahama’s nostril, Varaha rescued Dhara from the depths of the ocean and fought the demon who wanted to hoard everything for himself.  Be unselfish and work for the good of others with no expectation of reward or even a “thank you”.  Delve deep in your own conscious and subconscious to remove the evil of ego and rescue Dhara that has sunk to the bottom of our being.  Rescue bhumi tatva from Muladhara and get it to float upon the jala chakra of Svadhisthan.  Make light that which is heavy by nature (element of earth) and set it afloat on that which is light by nature (element of jala).  Make the impossible possible by using prana shakti that came out of Brahma’s nostril. 
Become Varaha. 

Nrusimha, emerging from the pillar with a roar of Guru Guru, Nrusimha slew Hiranyakashyapu on his lap, sitting on a doorstep, during the twilight with his own nails.  Like the firey maned Nrusimha, use the energy of Manipur chakra to slay your own demons that can not be slain at night or day, in heaven or on earth, with any manufactured weapon or by any creature created by Brahma.  Your ego, your own ahankara, your own desire to dominate and possess all that you see, needs to be ripped apart by your own efforts from the energy that emerges from within you.  Let spinal column be the pillar, let your soul be Prahalada, let the universal spirit manifest within you to slay the demons that bind you to eternal cycles of samsara.
Become Nrusimha.

Vaman becomes Virat through sankalpa.  Vaman had a wish.  A singular wish.  He wanted to practice his sadhana undisturbed, without let or hindrance from anyone else.  He wanted his own plot of land, just big enough for him to practice his sadhana.  Wow !  What a sankalpa !  Such a simple sankalpa and yet it defeated Bali who had conquered the universe through the power of Shukra(charya).  Harnessing the power of Shukra, Bali had conquered all.  His sadhana was so powerful, that the all powerful Vishnu came begging to his door.  Let your sadhana be singular in its aim and focus it so powerfully that it transforms you from atma into paramatma.  When a minute, tiny, insignificant, singular atom explodes, it becomes an atom bomb, transforming and transmutating all that it touches.  In the Anahata, transform yourself from Vaman to Virat by harnessing the energy of the primodial anahat nada.
Become Vaman.

Parashurama purifies himself with the zeal of absolute determination.  He works hard till not a single bit of impurity remains.  Vishudha chakra is at the level of the throat.  Parashurama uses his mighty axe to cut off the heads of our internal enemies, pride, greed, apathy, avarice etc to purify us.  For this you have to be ruthless with yourself and remove all vestiges of ego.  For most of us, this is akin to “cutting off your head”.  Parashurama will chop off anything and everything that impedes spiritual progress.  That is why he resides at the Vishudha chakra.  With a focus as sharp as an axe, he chops down pride, greed, avarice etc in a sadhak to purify them from within.  Purify your very blood and you will transform from within.  If you are willing to do this, it can happen within 21 days.  Parashurama purifies the very blood of the sadhaks from within, making them worthy of spiritual progress.  When you pass through the Vishudha chakram you satisfy the ancestors with your own blood, you break the runaubandha with your past so that you can move truly move forward.    
Become Parashurama.

Rama is the King and his Agyna is absolute.  He rules over Ayodhya, a realm where there is no conflict. Wherever there is doubt, confusion, discord, know that Rama does not rule there.  Rama remains in the forests of the Southern region, doing sadhana, removing demons from within, till the sadhak is ready for RamaRajya.  Having purified ourselves with (14 years of ) intense sadhana, we make ourselves ready to receive the bliss of Rama-Agyna.
Become Rama.    

Krushna lila is played out in the blissful realm of the Sahastradhara.  Experience of Krushna lila is beyond any vani – even beyond para vani.  It can only be experienced, not explained.  To enter that realm, lose your ego, lose all your inhibitions, lose your pride, lose “yourself”.  As long as YOU remain, YOU can not experience Krushna.  Through the various lila of naga-daman, chira-haran and saubhagya-maad of pratham-rasa, gopies purify themselves and become so engrossed in Krushna, they become Krushna.  Maharasa is the result of this oneness where Krushna and gopi are one and the same.  Sadhak’s sweat during the sadhana is the Yamuna.  Joy that pours forth on achieving the goal is the Ganga.  Between the two is an ocean of bliss where Atma and Paramatam play.
Become Krushna.

Rituals and social strictures are of no use to those who have achieved nirvana.  Nothing binds them anymore.  Yet, having passed through life, several lives, several times, Buddha can empathise with everyone.  Buddha’s compassion encompasses everyone.
Become Buddha.

With clarity, focus, strength, intelligence and compassion,  the sadhak has the capacity to become a world redeemer.
Become Kalki.  

 

© Bhagwat Shahah   
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