Vignana Bhairava Tantra - Technique 2

Technique / dhāraņa 2

मरुतोऽन्तर् बहिर् वापि वियद्युग्मानिवर्तनात्।

भैरव्या भैरवस्येत्थम् भैरवि व्यज्यते वपुः॥ २५॥

maruto'ntar bahir vāpi viyadyugmānivartanāt|

bhairavyā bhairavasyettham bhairavi vyajyatevapuḥ || 25 ||

मरुतः = pranic air; अन्तः = inside; बहिः = outside; वा = also; अपि = indeed, also, even; वियत् = vanishing into void space; युग्म = both or pair or dual, confluence, junction; अनिवर्तनात् = restrain from return; भैरव्या = from Bhairava; भैरवस्येत्थं = thus of Bhairava; भैरवी = Bhairavi; व्यज्यते = be manifested or expressed or revealed; वपुः = essence.

When the ingoing prāņic air and also the outgoing apānic air are both vanished into the void space and are restrained from their (respective points of) return, then the essence of Bhairava, which is not different from Bhairavi, gets manifested or expressed. In fact when the two vayus are vanished into the void space, we become aware of the presence of the Unmanifested Cosmos which is not different from the Manifested Cosmos or It gets revealed.

Commentary:

While the first dharana is directing us to become aware of the flow of the breath and the gaps that arise at the junction points of inhalation and exhalation, the second dharana is directing us to be more aware of where the two breaths are entering into a void and are restrained from their point of return. In the first dharana while we tend to listen also to the sounds haṁ and saH, in this case it is not required. We have to become aware of the two voids, internal and external. While we inhale the air (the apana), it enters into a void and restrains from its point of return for a while which is the internal void and while we exhale the air (prana), it enters into a void and restrains from its point of return for a while which is the external void.

Because of the air flowing inward and also outward the whole manifestation is happening. Everything is created because of the inflow and outflow of breath. But if one can ponder on the breathless state then one can become aware of the unmanifested. In that state there is no difference between Bhairavi (the Manifested Cosmos) and Bhairava (the Un-manifested Cosmos).

These two voids are not created or one should not make any attempt to create them. They happen naturally. There will be a state of void where the inhalation pooraka पूरक enters the void and the exhalation rechaka रेचक enters the void. When this occurs then the kevala kumbhaka केवल कुंभक happens. If one restrains breath voluntarily then it is sahita kumbhaka सहित कुंभक which is related to practice of pranayama techniques. When the breath restrains all by itself naturally then the kevala kumbhaka happens which is beneficial. During this kevala kumbhaka state there are no ripples or disturbances that generally arise because of the two (annamaya kosha अन्नमय कोष and the prāņamaya kosha प्राणमय कोष) of the five sheaths (the other three being manomaya kosha मनोमय कोष, vijnānamaya kosha विज्ञानमय कोष and ānandamaya kosha आनन्दमय कोष).

Because of the natural restrained movement of prāņa and apāna vayus, there are no inner sensations that are carried outward and there are no outer sensations that are carried inward due to which the kevala kumbhaka happens and all sensations are ceased. This dhāraņa is an extension of the first dhāraņa. By entering the kevala kumbhaka state we go beyond the senses which is the state of Bhairava (see the meaning of Bhairava in the introduction).

Again in this technique also there is nothing to practice. One has to observe and be aware of the voids where the restraining of the inward and outward breath is happening from their point of return.

The key point in this technique is being aware. Only awareness is the key. Be aware of the voids.

Q) One way of observing the way breath moves mindfully? 

A) Sit on a chair or cross legged on a mat and breath normally while the palms faced downward and resting on the legs or thighs. As the breath flows inward and outward you can observe that most of the breath movement is happening in the lower part of the diaphragm below the navel or the heart center and not above. Now continue the breathing in the same way but palms faced upward. Now you can observe that the breath movement is in the upper part of the diaphragm above the navel or the heart center and not below.