Page:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 6.djvu/24

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16

BHAGATS OF THE GRANTH SAHIB

O man, if thou seek to do good acts, renounce greed and the coveting of another's house,^[1]
Together with all evil deeds and evil inclinations, and seek the protection of God.
Embrace the service of God alone in thought, deed, and word.
What availeth the practice of jog, sacrifice, alms, and penance ?
O man, utter the name of God, the Bestower of all supernatural power.
Jaidev hath come openly into the asylum of Him who is in the present and the past, who is contained in all things.

Maru

The following hymn, which in the original is perhaps one of the most difficult of human compositions, is given to illustrate the practice of jog. ^[2]

I drew up my breath by the left nostril, I fixed it between both nostrils<ref>Nād appears to mean here what is known to the Jogis as the sukhmana. and I drew it down by the right repeating oam sixteen times at each process.

↑ That is, his wife and property.
↑ It has been explained that jog means the union of the soul with God, and the first means of effecting this is to train and obtain complete mastery over the inspiratory and expiratory organs. In the first stage ot this exercise the breath is drawn up through the left nostril, called ira, while the syllable oam, one of the symbols of God, is slowly repeated sixteen times. The breath is then suspended in the upper part of the nose where both nostrils meet. This junction of the nostrils is called sukhmana. As the breath has been drawn up by the left nostril, so it is forced down through the right, called pingala, the syllable oam being again sixteen times repeated.
But the highest exercise of this practice is drawing the breath up to the brain, which in the language of the Jogis is styled the tenth gate, the other gates or apertures of the body being the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, &c. To assist in keeping the breath in the brain, the tongue is bent backwards so as to close the air passage. The operator also exerts himself to allow no breath to issue by the mouth or nostrils. A state of suspended animation then ensues. The brain is heated, and is said to distil nectar which falls on the tongue, and then a state of ecstasy supervenes. Skill in this practice, which is said to greatly weaken the body, is nowadays obtained by very few persons.

[1] That is, his wife and property.

[2] It has been explained that jog means the union of the soul with God, and the first means of effecting this is to train and obtain complete mastery over the inspiratory and expiratory organs. In the first stage ot this exercise the breath is drawn up through the left nostril, called ira, while the syllable oam, one of the symbols of God, is slowly repeated sixteen times. The breath is then suspended in the upper part of the nose where both nostrils meet. This junction of the nostrils is called sukhmana. As the breath has been drawn up by the left nostril, so it is forced down through the right, called pingala, the syllable oam being again sixteen times repeated.
But the highest exercise of this practice is drawing the breath up to the brain, which in the language of the Jogis is styled the tenth gate, the other gates or apertures of the body being the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, &c. To assist in keeping the breath in the brain, the tongue is bent backwards so as to close the air passage. The operator also exerts himself to allow no breath to issue by the mouth or nostrils. A state of suspended animation then ensues. The brain is heated, and is said to distil nectar which falls on the tongue, and then a state of ecstasy supervenes. Skill in this practice, which is said to greatly weaken the body, is nowadays obtained by very few persons.

[1]

[2]