I

Articte

Yogico-tantric Traditions
the Hawd al-Hayat

1n

o
Kazuyo Sakaki

Introduction
When we study the mutual interactions of religions in multi-religious societies, it is
important to consider how indigenous thoughts and practices have impact upon or are
affected by those which have been later introduced into those societies. We see an
example of these interactions in the case of transmission of one yogico-tantric text to
the Islamic world.
In the context ofthe spiritualjourney for realizing the Supreme Being or the process
of self-realization, the visualization of the universe, both phenomenal and spiritual, in
the adept's mind is the key concept of Tantra-Yoga and Sulism. The body and soul of
the adept is the epitome of the universe. The adept should lirst observe the functional
correspondences of the phenomenal world as an outer world and his mind as an inner
world. Then he should transform his inner world into a sacred space and experience
the divine in this inner sacred space. As allied disciplines, Yoga and Tantra are concemed with the body, mind and universe in this common meeting space. In their approaches and disciplines, Indian Sufism and yogico-tantric traditions can share the
same concept of spiritual transformation.
The yogins use prdna or the breath as an intermediary for this transformation process. As long as prana exists, life continues. If it departs, life ceases. The prana extsts
in the human organism as a vital principle. This is the basic concept particularly o.fthe
Natha yogins. The realization ofcorrespondence between the psychic force in the hu-

fi$ f[,&.

Kazuyo Sakaki, Hokkaido Musashi Women's Junior College, Indian Philosophy.

Articles: Yogavdsistha and the Medieval Islamic Intellectuals in India, in Manjula Sahdev (ed.),
Yogavasistha Mahdrdmayanc-A Perspective, Patiala: Punjabi Universiry 2O04,W.282-297.
Divine Names
Manifestations of the Divine Essence in Sufism and Bhakti (in Japa-The
nese), J ourna I of t he N at i o na I R e s e a rc h I ns t it ute, 106-3, 2005, pp. 3 5 4'7 .

36

Joumal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies, I 7, 2005

man body and the energy in the world as a derivative of the ultimate reality is acquired
in the inner transformative experience through ritualistic disciplines and meditation by

controlling lhe prana.

The Sufistic exercise of spiritual concentration for the recollection of God (dhikr) is
canied out by the retention of thebreath (habs-i dam), attentive meditation (muraqaba)
and concentration (tawajjuh) in fixed postures. These methods are usually understood
to have been derived from the yogic traditions through Buddhist channels in the early
stages of contact with Indian religions [Husain 1959: 305; Ahmad, Aziz 7964: 135136]. Ofcourse, there is a danger that exaggerating the adaptation ofyogic practices in
Sulism may lead to a misinterpretation of its historical evolution [Schimmel 1980:24].
However, as suggested in previous studies by Louis Gardet and others [Gardet 1952:
670; Goldziher 1963 176-177;McGregor 1984: 11,21; Trimingham 1971: 581, yogicotantric elements have infiltrated into the practices of individual Sufis.
This study focuses on the yogico-tantric elements in translation works in the context
of religious interaction between Indian Sufis and yogis. It deals in particular with the
renowned Persian and Arabic translations of lhe Amrtakurtda (AIg and other related
literature. As early as 7753, De Guignes noticed this translation preserved in the

Bibliothdque Nationale (former Bibliothdque du Roi in Paris), characterized it as a

"book of philosophical contemplation" and compared its contents with Greek philosophy [De Guignes 17 53 791-792]. As I outlined in a previous essay [Sakaki 2000], the
translator of the lK tells us in the introduction that the first informant was a yogin from
Kamar[pa (Kemak, Kamakhya, Kamru, now called Guwaha{i in Assam) and the knowledge was transmitted to an immigrant Islamic judge Rukn al-Din Amili Samarqandi
(d.1218) who was in Lakhnawati during the reign of 'Ali Mardan Khalji (d.1206).
Although the exact date oftranslation is not mentioned in the text, the probable date of
transmission is around the beginning of the thirteenth century. The diffusion of the
translated texts opened up Muslims to a new world of transformation.
The translation is entitled Hawd al-Hayat (HIr. The text was first translated into
Persian (HH\rt and then into Arabic (HHA)." Its long-term cultural influences have
been proved by the wide circulation of related works. Within the Sufi circle, a direct
paraphrase of the i'lIlwas made in the middle of the sixteenth century by the Shattari
saint, Muhammad Ghawth Gwaliyari. His rendering entitled Bahr al-HayAt (BII) contained much more formulae and occult ways of meditation, and became widely pdpu-

lar. Since the middle of the seventeenth century, adaptations of the 1111were also
found among the Muslim Yogic literature called puthi sahitya (originally means a
handwritten manuscript in Bengali), such as the Yoga Qalandar of Saiyid Murtada,3)
the Jfiana Sagara and the Jfiana Pradrpa of Saiyid Sul6n.4) Thus the Sufis incorporated yogico-tantric culture in their own religio-philosophical system through the trans-

lations and paraphrases of the HH andthe BH.s)

In a recent study, Cart W. Ernst emphatically states after "examining the Islamic

Yogico-tantric Traditions in the Hawd al-Hayal

137

tems, names or even whole chunks of texts" that the 1111shows "the Islamizing tendency" of the original text. Fufihermore, he assumes that it "cannot be identified with
any particular surviving text on hatha yoga" and "no trace of it can be found today in
any Indological literature" [Ernst 2003: 205-206]. However, in spite ofthe clearly
Islamic remaking of the original text that can be observed in the two additional introductory stories borrowed from the fragmentary Arabic version of the Gnostic Hymn of
the Soul and an Arabic translation of Suhrawardi's allegorical work entitled On the
Reality of Love (FI Haqtqat al-'Ishq), and the peripheral Islamic framework which
may have been adopted in the process of transmission, we need not go astray in deter-

mining the source texts. The HH clearly displays yogico-tantric influence in terms of
religio-philosophical content and terminology.
A translation may manifest cultural differences based on the translator's background
knowledge and intention. However, it should be an authentic and well-informed representation ofthe source text. On the other hand, readers may understand the translated
text as a part of their own culture pervaded with concepts familiar to them. Islamication,
if it may be so called, may have occurred in most works translated into Islamic languages. The Muslim translators always kept in mind that the translation should not be
treated as heretic. They often included references to Qur'anic passages, pious phrases
and the Hadiths, and terminology relevant to the literary competence of the readers.
We find many examples of this kind in the translations of the Bhagavadglta, the fifty
Upanisads, the

Yo gav a s i s t h a

and lhe M a h ab har at a.

Emst points out in the last part of his article that "conclusion would be left to foreign
scholars who alone had the resources and the motivation to re-Indianize the text". His
remarks call for critical examination in several respects. First ofall, the 1111is not a
"single historical document on hatha yoga" [Ernst 2003: 226]. We can trace several
references to Hatha Yoga6) among the translation works of Sanskrit classics and compendium in Islamic languages. By a critical scrutiny of existent unpublished manuscripts and prevailing sources, we will present some textual evidences to show that the
subjects ofthese Persian and Arabic translations are closely related with those ofthe
Indian yogico-tantric texts and suggest their anonymous Sanskrit origin.
The presentation of subjects in the HH is repetitive and not systematic as in the
digests of the literature of Hindu tantrism, which it assumedly follows. However, an
analysis of the contents and passages of the Arabic and Persian translations of the AK
reveals that they follow the yogico-tantric doctrines and disciplines ofthe Natha tradition. After examining the passages which are verbatim translations or largely modified
passages, references can be traced to Sanskdt Natha literature. In particular, they pay
serious attention to the body and the prana as a means to realize the notion of microcosm-macrocosm correspondence. In order to support our argument, we also refer to
several other Persian translations of Sanskrit Natha literature.

Joumal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies, i7, 2005

Two main subjects of the

1.1

IIII

The source translation of the HH

HH maybe a compilation of several yogico-tantric texts. As is shown in Emst's

putative chart of literary transmission, one Persian manuscript preserved in the Vatican
library [Persian No.20, Rossi 1948: 47-491 may give us useful information on the
earliest stage of transmission of the I K. The AK was brought from India by a Roman
nobleman Pietro della Val1e. The manuscript was given by his friend MuJla Zayn alDin and copied in 1622 in Lar by Mulla Jamal b. Muhammad Bahram Tabnzi [Ernst
2003:223; Gumey 1986: 1131. As the cataloguer noticed, the title of the text is given
The

slightly varying forms in this manuscript. In spite of the three strokes for two consonants without diacritical marks (.nuqta) in the latter ha1f, he reads Damerdbi$aska (2a)

or Kamardbipaska (14b) or Kamardbilaska (28a, 56a) [Rossi 1948: 48].

At the beginning of the Vatican manuscript, it is declared that the text is a translation (mutarjama) (1b) of the renowned work entitled D.M.R.D.-.-.J.A.S.K.A. There
are two other variations of the title of the original text in this manuscript, and the
transliteration of the first variation is K.A.M.R.D.-.-.J.A.S.K.A. (2a, 14b,27a,28a,
56a). Only once in26a, it is called K.A.M.A.K. for (barayi) -.-.J.A.S.K.A. Taking into
consideration a tlpical transcription error in Arabic and Persian, the first letter D can
be read as K and the second D as W, so the first half would be Kamru or Kamak (an
abridged form of Kamarupa and Kamakhya respectively).
I do not agree with Ernst's proposal of the title as Kamrubijaksa (Kamr[-bijaksa)
[Ernst 2003: 203] because ofthe above mentioned reading ofthe latter halfofthe
original title. There is no proof for the interchange of Arabic letters kaf and sin, as rn
Ernst's reading -bijaksa. In the New Catalogus Catalogorum and the Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts, we find a tantric text entitled the Kamakhyapaficaiika or the
KamakhyapaficaSika.This title is mentioned in the Yantracintdmani by Damodara as
a text dealing with fascinating, killing andparalyzing females, kings and enemies by
means of charms and mystic diagrams [NCC vol.3:362; Notices vol.1: 137-138;
Goudriaan 1981: 1581. The Sanskrit original is not available. ln spite ofthe three strokes
without diacritical mark, the exact title of the original Sanskrit work can be assumed to
be the Kamarupapaftcaiika (KP). We will use this probable title for Vatican manuscript.

1.2

Svarodaya: the knowledge ofthe appearance of svara

The KP contains seven chapters which are preceded by an introduction. In spite

several repetitions and non-systematic construction, the essential subjects ofthe

of

HH

are included in the KP. The subjects of the KP are by and large divided into two
categories: one deals with the knowledge of meditation ('ilm-i wahm) and yogic discipline (riyadat), and the other is S.R.W.D.H. (2a) which is interpreted as the knowledge

Yogicotantric Traditions in the Hawd

al-Hayat

l3g

of the mind ('ilm-i damir) (2b).

The S.R.W.D.H. pafi of the KP was translated into Arabic as an independent work
entitled, Essence of the Breaths (Khawass al-AnJds). The manuscript of the text is preserved in the Asiatic Society of BengalT) and is said to be based on the Sanskrit poetical
work entitled Camphor (KAJitr) narrated by K.A.M.K.Y.A. D.W.y. (3ab). Careful
examination shows that this is the abridged translation of the first quarter of the Kp.
KaJitr consists of six chapters after the description of K.A.M.K.Y.A. D.W.y. and general principles ofbreath (the characteristics ofbreath through right and left nostrils,
total number ofbreathing, five kinds ofbreath reigned by five kinds ofelements) (3a6a): (1) how to confirm the right time to engage rn activttres(.'aztmat al-istif'al bi'lumur) (6b-10b); (2) (how to answer) the questions (suwal) based on the flow of svara

(l0b-14a); (3) prediction based on the five kinds of breath entitled *mind (damirt),,
(14b-15b); (4) the knowledge of death (ma'rifut al-mawt) (t5b-l7a); (5) how to get
affection and get rid ofhatred (mahabbat wa al-baghafi (17a-23b); and (6) the knowledge of breath (ma'rfat-i nafos) (23b-28a).

Exact contents of the S.R.W.D.H. part of the KP are unsystematically mixed as

follows: ( 1) the principles for prediction of future events based on the flow of svara
through left and right nostrils (2b-4a, llb-I2a, ]4b); (2) the rules of interogations
(qanun-i suwal-i sayil) (4a-5b, l3b,26b-27ab); (3) prediction based on the five kinds
ofbreath reigned by five elements (5b-6b, I lab); (a) four kinds ofways to know the
approach of the end of life (danistan-i murg) (6b-8a) and the methods of averting the
signs (8ab, 19a-20b); (5) how to get affection and get rid ofhatred (8b- I 0a, l2ab, l4a);
(6) the description of K.A.M.A.K. D.Y.W. (10ab, 15ab); and (7) general knowledge of

breath and praise ofthe knowledge of svara (l0b-11a, l3a-14a). Comparing these
contents with svarodaya texts, we may assume that S.R.W.D.H. denotes svarodaya
conceptually and terminologically, as I will demonstrate below.
In India, as in other regions of the world, people regard omens as a means of knowing the future. Beginning with the divination-rites traced back to the Vedic literature,
they have developed various methods of divination or prognostication [Thite 1978: 51 7; Pingree l98l: 671. These are not only used for divination but for modifying the

future in a favourable way by means of magical power. Among the texts dealing with
divination or prognostication, there is a genre called svarodaya. svarodaya is a science
ofpredicting auspicious and inauspicious results based on various affangement s (cakr'as)
of letters associated with time divisions and astrological entities on magical pictures of
animals and objects (also called

ca kras), and anangements of lunar mansions, months,

and numbers relative to the directions. The most famous treatise in this genre is the

Narapatijayacarya (NJQ or the Svarodaya composed by Narapati in Mithila in 1177.

This book is allegedly based on the sevenydmalas beginning withthe Brahmayamala
and various other tantric texts [N/C: 3-7; see Sakaki 2004].
The same term svarodaya is also used to signify another genre of this kind ofpre-

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diction on the basis ofthe flow ofthe breath through the right or left nostril. The NJC
refers to it in only fifty-six verses in the section entitled hamsa carya.8) This science is

said to be transmitted by Siva, so the text is called Sivasvarodaya (SSV) ot

Sivaparvattsamiada due to the style of conversation between Siva and Parvati. This
traditional science not only prevails in the form ofan independent text, but is also
included in chapter four of the vivekamartanda va which is a compilation work of
the Natha tradition.

The popularity ofthis science is known from the references to it in the Garuda
purana 1 .67 .6ab, Sarvadarianasangraha (chapter 1 5), a famous compendium ofphilosophical sects by Sayar,ra-Madhava and the subsequent Persian translations. In addi-

tion to the basic compendium of the Natha tradition known as the Goraksasataka (G$
(Pas-i
[Sakaki 2002:168]translated into Persian with the title Protection ofBreath
to
the
astrotext
belonging
as
a
is
included
Al-Biruni
by
Ar/dt),, the SSZ introduced
as
into
Persian
translated
The
SSZwas
I
1
983:
58].
1
75;
logical literature lsachau 887:
that
it
stated
The
author
Das'
Kirpal
by
(Muhit-i
Ma'rtfa)'o)
the ocean of Knowledge
was the translation of Pothi Saroclaya by Sada Siva. Among the sixteen chapters, the
first ten chapters correspond to the,sszand the rest deals with Rama-Bhakti, Samkhyayoga, Raja-yoga, Halha-yoga, eight-limbed Yoga, divine knowledge ('ir/An) and the

unity of God (lawhid). Another version is the Kruowledge of Breath (Ma'rifat-i AnJds)n)
ascribed to Sufi Shanf. Abu'l Fadl also included this science among the nineteen additional branches of knowledge in the A'tn-i Akbari IAA 1870, vol. 2'- 124-128:' AA
1978, vol. 3:244250; cf. Sakaki 2004: 1341. Thus the science of svara was widely
known among Indian Muslim intellectuals and religious practitioners.

1.3

Wahmz meditation and visualization

Another topic of the KP is wahm.In 15b-16a, the translator of the KP states that "the

book of dam andwahm" was taught by sixty-four women and explains wahm as lhe
knowledge of breaths (danish-i dam-ha). Here the wordwahm refers to the way of
meditating on a specific letter in each of the nine specified places in the body. This is
then followed by the explanations of how to avert the symptoms of death. It may be
said that here wahm conesponds with dhyana through yogic disciplines.
We find many references of the application of the term wahm to yogic discipline
before the establishment of Indo-Muslim rule in the sub-continent. As early aS the
ninth century, miraculous yogic practices were reported by the Arab Muslim travelers
and geographers as wonders ('aj a 'ib) wbtch were brought about by the faculty of imagination (wahm). This faculty is a part ofthe flve intemal senses or psychological faculty
to explain instinctive and emotional response to perception and to cause miracles and
unnatural events as shown in the commentary on Aristotle's De Anima by Ibn Sina

[Goichon 1938:79,160; Nasr 1993: 260-261].

The Book of the Catalogue (,4t-Fihrist), dated the end of the tenth century, refers to

Yogico-tantric Traditions in the Hawd

al-Hayat

l4l

of Indian people and states "the art of illusion is a specialty of India and
ofthe books on the subiect have been translated into Arabic" [Fihrist 1978: 309].
There is a reference to wahm in an existing treatise entitled the Book of Omen (Kitab
al-Rumuz) written in274 A.H. (887-8) by Ibn Abi Sarh. He designates wahm as a
symbolic art of the sotil(rumilz al-nafs) such as the charms (niraniat) of the Persians,
the mental control (wahm) of the Indians and the binding ('aqd) of the Byzantines
the wahm

some

[Bellamy 196l:230].
The term wahm is also used to describe the mental control of Indian yogis in the
Religious Sects and Philosophical Groups (al-Milal wa al-Nihat) dated 521 A'.H' (1127).
Based on several Muslim source materials on Indian religion and philosophy since the

ninth century, Shahrastani classified these sects and groups into five: the Barahimas,
the followers of spiritual berngs (ruhaniyaf), star-worshippers, idol-worshippers, and
philosophers, and divided them into fourteen subcategories.r2rAmong the subcategories of the Barahima are the proponents of meditation and imagination (asl.tab al-fikra
wa al-wahm). They are said to be "well versed in the science of celestial orbits and
stars and the astrological judgments connected with them". On the other hand, "the
proponents of meditation attach great importance to imaginary thought (fikr)" and assume it as "the intermediary between the sense world and the intelligible world". They

think "when their thought is freed from this world, the other world is revealed to it"
[Mi\aL:597-598; Lawrence 1976:44451. For that purpose, they make effort to divert
imagination and thought from sense objects. In this way, a remarkable ability is acquired through meditation and the imagination, and influences the movements of bodies and the behaviour of souls.
For the Muslims, these were a source of wonder and object of curiosity. As the
translator of the KP claimed that this Persian book was a commentary (tafsir) onthe
original (15b), the readers may have demanded an explanation. When taking this passage into consideration, it suffices to assume that the translators wanted to explain the
original ideas in terms familiar to their readers on the basis of indigenous sources.

Textutl evidence of svarodaya

2.1

Correspondences of microcosm and macrocosm

Ernst remarks on the subject ofbreath control that "the concept ofthe sun and mbon
breaths as associated with the left and right nostrils" is "the prominent hatha yoga",

but "the concepts ofbreath underlying these passages (rnthe HII) are not clearly related to standard Indian cosmologies" fErnst 2003:216]. However, a close examination of the Natha literature and Yoga Upanisads attests that most of the religious elements handed down in the HH have their roots in a wider Indian tradition to which
Ha{ha Yoga also belongs. The 1111 indeed shares several passages with the SSZ and
related Sanskrit texts.

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In the beginning of chapter one, the HH says that the human being is a microcosm
('alam at-saghrr) and whatever exists in the macrocosm('alam al-kabtr) exists in the
microcosm. Ernst equates the microcosmic-macrocosmic correspondences of the F111
to a variation of "the standard Islamicate cosmology" found in the doctrine of the
Universal Man(al-insan al-kull) of the Brethren of Purity (Ikhwan al-SafE'), a secret
Arab confratemity founded in Basra at the end of the tenth century [Ernst 2003: 213214; cf. Nasr 1993: 1011.
The same tenet is explained in lhe Mingling of the Two Oceans (Majma' alBahrayn)t3) by Dara Shukoh as the idea of Indian monotheists (muwal.tl.ridan)beginning with Vyasa. They conceive of the macrocosm as one individual self called the
mahapurus (mahapurusa) and describe the world as the different limbs of its body.
The identification of various regions and substances in the world with the limbs of
mahdpuru;a can be traced inthe Bhagavata-purdna 2-l.I{ere, the supreme intellect of
Brahman is metaphorically expressed in the form of the cosmic person (vairdta-purusa,
viraj-purusa). The author may have compared the idea with the concept of the perfect
man who realizes the manifestation of the essence of the Absolute, known by one of
the famous technical terms of Ibn al-'Arabi. General correspondences between the
microcosm and the macrocosm are explained not only inthe Epistles (Rasa'il) of the
Ikhwan al-Sa{d'but also inthe Tree of the Universe (Shajarat al-Kawn) by Ibn al'Arabi. However, they are not consistent with each other.
Since the 1111 is a translation work, there is good reason to examine the ideas of the

HH inthe light of

the Natha literature. Conceptual and terminological correspondences

to the HHA are found inthe Goraksasamhita (GS)'o) and the Siddhasiddhantapaddhati
(SSP). In the Natha tradition, the self-manifestation of Siva is called para-pinda and
cosmic purusa. The individual human body (pinda) is evolved from the cosmic body
of Siva. On the basis of this concept, the Natha tradition developed a way to know the
inner nature of the human body through yogic practice (abhyasa). Among items mentioned in Ernst's list, the correspondences of the two nostrils to the sun and the moon;
two nostrils, eyes, ears and mouth to the seven planets; five sense organs to the stars;
the head to the sky; the body to the earth; bones to mountains; seven constituents of the
physical body to the seven climates (iqhms) are exactly or partly found in the Natha
literature.r5)

The sun and the moon corespond to the right and left nostrils in the microcosm.
This crucial concept is pointed out at the beginning of chapter one of the HH. The path
of breath alternates between the right nostril and the left. The breath does not flow
through both nostrils at the same time. Thus the sun and the moon in the macrocosm
exercise their influence on things in the microcosm. This is the basic concept of svara
in the SSZ. This altemation is called udaya. Mastery over the knowledge of the svaras
brings about the knowledge of the present and the future and leads to emancipation
(mukti) (SSV 54,56).

Yogico{antric Traditions in the Hawd al-Hayat

2.2

143

NaQr and prary.a

One of the fundamental notions about the svara is based on the movem ent of prdna

through the channels @Ad). ln chapter five, the 1111 describes three kinds of breath:
"one rises up, one goes down in order to puriff and the third circulates. The third one
moves through the body and ifthis is unable to penetrate, every activity ofthe senses
and movement will cease" IHHA 325-326; HHP 2lb--22a1. This indicates the three
aspects of the prana in the subtle body (suksma-Sartra), prana, apdna and udana. As
shown in C.f t: anO 14,to Natha yogins regard the human organism as a combination
ofthe physical gross body and the subtle body which are linked at several psychic
points called cakras. The prana is carried through these points to promote life activities with different functions.

In the Natha tradition, our organic body is called a pot or a pitcher (ghala), accordingto ghatasthayogataught by Gheralda to Canda Kapali (GftS 1.2,9).The equivalent word utilized in the HH is awaterskin(qirba) which keeps water cool. In chapter
fow, the 1111suggests as follows: the body is like a water skin filled with water or sand.
If you want to open it, do not put anything in it. Like the body, it does not afford to
protect the contents. It is necessary to vacate and purify it gently and softly without
damaging itlHHA323; HHP l9bl.
For training the body, the six purificatory processes (satkarmani: dhauti, vasti, neti,
laulila, trataka, kapAlabhafi) are recommended before proceeding to the six practices
beginning with posture (asana). The purificatory processes are partly described in the
latter half of the second chapter of the HH. Among the six purificatory processes,
gazing (trataka) is recommended for diseases of the eye, and tongue cleansing
Qihvaiodhana), which is included in the dantadhauti, is recommended for diseases of
the mouth and tongue IHHA 319-320; HHP 18ab; HP 4.171.
Chapter four dealswith dsana as the second limb of the sixlimbed disciplines propagated by Natha Yoga. Following the purificatory processes, asana gives strength to
the body. Natha Yoga usually teaches the eighty-four postures of sitting and the

HH

introduces five of them. They are identified as the lotus pose (padma-Asana),modtfication ofthe lotus pose called the wheel posture (cakra-asana), the cock's posture
(kukkuta-asana), a modified embryo posture (garbha-asana) and the Galava posture
using only one foot (ekapada-galava-dsana) IHHA 323 3251. HHP 20b-21b1.
As is commonly shown in the Natha literature and the Yoga Upanisads, the tdtal
number of breaths in a day and night is also measured in the H H P. 17) In the HHA, the
first kind ofbreath rises up to twelve-fingers (angulas) from the tip ofthe nose in
exhalation. This ts prana. The reduction ofthe length of prdna by eight fingers is
recommended for expelling diseases. Here normal exhalation and inhalation is measured in twelve fingers. This corresponds with SSV 226. According to SSV 221, the
prAna measvres twelve fingers in exhalation, so maximum reduction will be by twelve
fingers. As a result of this, the practitioner will be able to fly at the speed of hamsa,

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Joumal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies, l7 ,2005

drink the nectar like water ofthe Ganges and conquer hunger and thirst.
It is interesting to note that, regarding the pranayama, when the translator of the
HHA explatns how to confirm the way ofbreathing, he refers to the prophet Khtzr (alkhidr), Jonah Q'tunus) and Elias (l/yas) based on the well-known tradition, and how
foetus breathes in amniotic fluid, fish breathes in water without swallowing water and
trees breathe in water through their roots. The HHP changes them to the three preceptors of the Natha tradition, Goraksanatha, Chauranginatha and Matsyendranatha. As

ofthis practice, the practitioner shivers and reaches the water of

hfe (ma'al-hayat, ab-i hayat) IHHA 326-327; HHP 22b1. The three prophets and the
three Natha preceptors are the symbol ofperfection ofcontrolling breath and acquiring
the sign ofperfection

divine knowledge.

2.3

Five kinds of breath

In chapter two, the HHA refers to the five kinds of breath and the direction of their
movement: "The breaths are five: fiery, watery, airy, earthy, and ethereal. The fiery
breath rises up, the heavenly breath spreads out, the watery breath moves into the
nostril from a distance offour fingers, the earthy moves into the nostril from a distance
ofeight fingers." Ernst states that "it is hard to recognize any resemblance to the Indian
traditions on the breaths" and "the association with the elements is not found in standard Indian texts, and may be an Aristotelian touch added by the translator" [Ernst
2003: 2171. On the contrary, however, this is one of the major subjects of svarodaya
and is referred to in the Natha literature and Yoga Upanisads [GS 155-160; VM 6.146151;

HP 6.12-16; YTU 84-1031.

Based on the concept that the physical body is made up of the five elements (water,
fire, wind, earth and akaia), the science of svara assumes that the elements abide in the

movements of our breath. When the breath flows through the nostril in a particular
condition, the five elements appear and exercise their influence on our behaviour (SSZ
143). The svara.jffdnins know how to determine svara on the basis of eightfold signs:
the number ofthe elements, junction ofthe breathing (svasa-sandhi), characteristics of
breath (svara-cihna),location, colotx, prana, taste and the movement (SSV 145 147).
The appearance of an element is indicated by the condition of its movement. If the
breath flows in the middle of the nostril, it indicates the presence of the element of
earth; in the lower part, water; in the upper part, fire; in the oblique direction, air; ln a
rotating manner, akaia (^tSZ 154). This statement corresponds in principle to the movements of the five winds of breath described in HHA 3 18 and the characteristics shown
in KP 5b-6a.18)

2.4

Svarod,aya

for divination

The next independent category in svarodaya rs praSna (answering specific questions based on the time when the question is asked) which is included in main branches

Yogico-tantric Traditions in the Hawd

al-Hayat

I45

of Vedic astrology and introduced from the Hellenistic world. Svarodaya inherits this
SSV 52 says that mastery over the knowledge ofthe past and the present
comes to those who practice thoroughly the moon and sun svarar.
As was shown in 2.1, the HHP clearly states that the sun and moon in the macrocosm conespond to the two kinds of breath. The priority of the svara through the left
nostril is shown in chapter twoIHHA 318 319; HHP lTab). The observation of the
flow of svara gives a clue to the syrnptom (surat) to determine the right time and mode
for doing things in order to achieve success. Ifa person always breathes freely through

tradition.

the left noshil during the day time and from the right during night, he

will never fall ill

or grow old and feeble and will remain immune from the effect of magic and poison.
SSV 328 and 330 give exact corresponding explanations.
The svara-jfianin s know the method to control the course ofbreath and the power of
breath. As mentioned above, in the KP, we find an independent chapter on the rules of
interrogations. Chapter two of the HH also inshucts how to answer the queries. If the

ofthe interpreter, when the interpreter's svara is flowing from the right nostril, and asks a question about a lost person, the person will come
back safely. Or if the questioner is in need of something, it will be fulfilled. If the
questioner sits on the left side, whenthe svara of the interpreter is flowing through the
left nostril, and asks about a lost person or item, the person or item will be safely
recovered. However, if the svara of the interpreter is flowing from the right nostril in
this case, the person will be sick or dead . SSV 205 corresponds to this type of query and
answer. The svara from the right nostril is favourable for travelling and good digesquestioner sits on the right side

tion. SSZ I 16 and 121 correspond to these explanations.

Regarding conception, the HH relates as follows: if the breath course of the man is
on the right side during intercourse, his wife will beget a son. If the man's svara is
from the left nostril, the wife will beget a daughter. This theory regarding conception
(garbhakarana) appears in SSV 286. The 1111 gives the following solution to the problem of the wife loving another man. During intercourse, when the husband's svara is
from the dght side and the wife's is from the left side, the husband should put his right
nostril on the left nostril of his wife and drink her svara. This will enable the husband
to captivate the wife. SSV 276 and 280 attest this. Regarding warfare and quarrelling,
the HH says ifthe questioner's breathing is from the right side, and the questioner
stands to the left side of the enemy, he
These descriptions are treated in

2.5

will gain victory. This is attested by SSZ258.

KP lla-I4a in detail.

The sign of approaching death (ariC@)

A traditional concept of the evil omen of death called arista is included among the
methods of divination. Since the Vedic period, seers have sought to avoid untimely
death by the ritual of defying death (mrtyufijaya). The eighth chapter of the 1111 introduces three kinds ofways to confirm the symptom ofapproaching death: observation

146

Joumal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies, l7 ,2005

ofthe afterimage ofone's shadow in the sky (chaya-purusa), observation ofthe reflected
image in a mirror and observation of physiological signs IHHA 335-336; HHP 28b1.
In the KP, the arista is treated in an independent chapter entitled "knowledge of
death(danistan-i marg) (6b)". There are four kinds ofways to confirm the sl, nptom of
death. The first test is to check the movement of breathing. If there is no running breath
on the solar side (in the right nostril) or on the moon side (in the left nostril), it is a sign
that the prana resides in an irregular junction. If this continues for several days, it is a
sign ofapproaching death. The text indicates how many days are left for the person's
life.'e)This kind of observation is found in SSZ332-334,362-363,365,20) though there
are differences in the length

oftime for which the person can still live. The rest ofthe

three kinds of tests are the same as those of the HH.

Einoo has examined descriptions regarding the three types of tests which suggest
that the way to avert untimely death is by performing yogic disciplines and rituals
[Einoo 2004: 871 886]. According to his elaborate analysis, this kind ofreligious and
magico-ritualistic method to avert untimely death and prolong life can be traced back
to the tradition since the Vedic period.
In the context of Yoga, Natha yogins thought that syrnptoms of approaching death
can be averted by yogico-tantric exercises and meditation. For them, this means liberation while living Q:an-mukti), victory over death (mrtyuffiaya\' deceiving death
(kalavaficana) and acquiring immortality. For this purpose, the teaching of Goraksanatha
is declared to be "a ladder to liberation and a means of averting death and by this the
mind is turned away from worldly pleasure and attached to the Paramatman" (GS fl.
For the translators of the KP and the HH, these ways are beyond the realm of reason
and are required to be explained in the context of ritualistic disciplines throttghwahm.

3
3.1

Textual evidence of wahm

The method of conquering death

As shown in the previous section, according to the HH, when the symptoms of
untimely death or decay are found, the method to avert their unfavour-able effect is
meditation (wahm), which is described in chapter seven, using the postures instructed
in chapter four. compared with the KP, the llFl describes the procedure more briefly.
After a preparatory process, one should face toward the east, perform meditation bn a
specified form with colour at a certain place in the body LHHA 336-337; HHP 29abl.
The seven places to be meditated on correspond to the locations ofthe cakras.The
anus(maq'ad), the place between anus andtesticles(khusyatayn), navel (suffa) ,hearr
(qatb), throat (hulqhm), the place between the two eyebrows and the nostrils, and the
top of the head. According to the Gs (15-18, 2224, 136-137,141 142, 165 168'
I70,175,177), these correspond to the muladhara-cakra, svadhisthana-cakra,
manipilraka-cakra, anahata-cakra, viiuddha-cakra, aifia-cakra and the sahasrara-

Yogico-tantric Traditions in the Hawd al-Hayat

147

cakla.
The objects of meditation in this case are geometrical signs found amongthe yantras
which are well-known as symbols of elements in the Natha tradition and symbols of

the seats of deities in the Tantric tradition. We can identify the square as a diagram
(shakt) of the earth, the crescent moon, of the water; the triangle, of the fire; and the
fu1l moon, of the akaia in several manuscripts.2r) It is interesting to see that, as Ernst
remarks, the figures usedasyantras have been Islamicated into shapes ofArabic letters in the process of diffusion of the text. This Islamication is not so obvious in the
manuscripts preserved in the Indian subcontinent, but we find distinct differences in
the manuscripts preserved in Turkish libraries.22)
At the end ofmeditation proceeding from the first place to the seventh place, all the

like semen (ma'i manl.The HHP

has more elaborate expressions. At this stage, something white will shine in the mind
and rise up to the place of the moon. The name susumnd is mentioned here. The passage reads, "when the moon and the sun will merge inthe susumna, then the water of
life (amrta) will flow downward on your body." This reminds us of the result of the
seven fonns are combined together and water flows

khecarimudra, as pointed out by Einoo [Einoo 2004: 878]. This mudra canbe formed
as follows: by cutting the tendon joining the tongue to the lower jaw, rubbing and
pulling out the tongue with the hand so that it will be lengthened and its tip will reach
an aperture at the roof of the mouth near the root of the tongue (kapalakuhara) between the eyebrows inside. As a result of this, bindu, white light, will flow downward
and prevent the loss ofenergy and untimely death. These descriptions are given in GS
97

-10t.

4.196-198 give us instructions on how to avert the symptoms of

approaching death. Recommended ways are the practice of Yoga, bathing in a place of
pilgrimage (ttrtha-snana), chaity (danai), various austerity (tapas), righteous actions
SSV 370ab and VM

(sukrta), repetition of sacred words Qapa) and concentration (dhyana-yoga). The

kdlavaficana is taught by Bhairava in the twenty-first section (ltatala) ofthe GS. The
Iirst test is dealt with in GS 21.210-223. Although the exact range of time to death
does not conform to the statement in the HH,various cases of lack of the part of the
body in the chaya-purusa are given in GS 21.223-227. The various physiological signs
indicating the approach of death are described in greater detail in GS 21.181-207 . For
the procedure ofaverting the result ofthese signs, Bhairava repeatedly instructsihat
kala or death is averted by various practices ofyoga Qtoga-abhyasa) (22.5cd,7cd,
9cd). Various sacred words (vidyQ are also enumerated, accompanied by names of
goddesses (matrka) in the same section of the GS.
The Kaulajfiananirnaya (K.A/) ascribed to Matsyendranatha deals with this subject
in the fifth chapter. Bhairava reveals how to avert the indication ofdeath by meditation
on oneself sitting on the seat of the moon located in the genitals, navel, heart, throat,
mouth, forehead and the ioint of the skull (5.5cd-17). Having meditated on the place

148

Joumal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies, I 7, 2005

which is called the seat of the moon and touched the upper moon (throat), the mind is
moistened by the drop ofheavenly coolness, and one becomes liberated from decay
and death, delivered from all diseases (5.12cd-13). For Natha yogins, meditation on
the symbolical moon is indispensable for the transformation of the body and helps to
attain final liberation.

3.2

Result of meditation: siddhi and aiSvarya

The ritual elements of the tantric tradition are usually included in the means for
accomplishment (sadhana), such as initiation (dIkpa), the construction of mandala,
oblation (homa), the recitation of mantras (bija mantra, vidyA) , the assignment of
powerful syllables on the body (nyasa), and meditation on a deity's images (dhyana)

with the help of Kundalini-yoga.

In the first half of chapter seven, instructions are given on the seven types of meditation together with sacred words, the interpretation of the sacred words, geometrical
forms, locations, colours, related planets, and the supernatural powers acquired by
meditation. In the context of Tantrism, magical rites are usually known as the six rites
(satknrmani) and are enumerated with some variations: appeasement (ianti) or deluding (mohana) or curing diseases; subjugation (vaiya or vaiikarana) under control or
attraction (akarsana); causing paralysis (stambhana); causing enmity (dvesa or
vidvesana); expulsion (uccatana) and killing (.marana).23\ Some procedures of the six
rites are contained in the latter halfofchapter seven.
The description of the supematural powers (siddhi, aiSvarya) acquired through meditation in the HH may be traced to KJN 7 .2V25. According to the latter, several kinds
of supematural powers are acquired through raising the Kundalinliaktl with the help
of meditation and repetition of mantra. The powers acquired by the seven kinds of
meditation and additional powers described in the seventh chapter of the 11F1 are included in these powers mentioned in the K.IN. The llllenumerates the following powers: the power to make the noose (i.e. evil influence) ineffective (paiastobha), the
power to punish or to favour another (nigrahanugraha), the power to enter another's
body (kramana), the power to kill someone lmarana), the power to create trouble in
someone's mrnd (uccatana), the power to stop another, the power to make someone
unconscious, the power to expel poison (visanaiana), the power to attract everyone
and the power to bring someone under control (vaitkarana). In this chapter, each power
is related to a specified mantra with Islamic interpretation. Among the seven mantras,

ailvaryas described inthe KJN. For example,

hum is effective for mdrana andyum yah for uccatana.
some are related to the above mentioned

3.3

Visualization of seven spiritual beings and magical astrology

ofa group offollowers ofspiritual beings. He called

Shahrastani introduced the idea

spiritual beings (ruhAnl in India apostles (rasuL) and mediating angels (malak) fMilal:

Yogico-tantric Traditions in the Hawd

al-Hayat

149

601; Lawrence 1976:471. Among the Islamic philosophers and the Sufis, spiritual
beings denote the spirits of the planets or the angels who rule (mudabbir) each of the
celestial spheres. The 1111 instructs how to conquer the spiritual beings. At the beginning of chapter nine of the HHA, the number of spirits is declared to be sixty-four: each
of the six main spirits has nine subordinate spirits and one spirit has ten followers. The
number sixty-four reminds us of the sixty-fotr matrkas.
The KP often refers to Kamak dev. KP 10a informs us as follows: Kamak dev is a
woman and a spiritual being (ruhan) with long life, which Hindus call dev. She lives

in the city of Kamru. The original text is said to have been taught by the sixty-four
joginis who were ordered by this dev. As shown in Yoginl Tantra 2.1.5, Kamak or
Kamakhya is famous as one ofthe four plthas (seats ofgoddess), being a centre of
tantric culture associated with Kamakhya Devl.Inthe HH, the name Kamru is referred
to only once as the original place of the yogin who brought the text. However, it may
be plausible to assume that the original text may have been a composite tantric work
dealing with the knowledge of svara andKatla-Sakta rituals associated with the mother
goddess under her various names.2a)
Chapter nine begins with the preliminary rituals to invoke the seven celestial spirits.
"If you want them to appear in the microcosm, you should prepare a tablet (lauk) of
white sandalwood and following the instruction in this book, draw an image that you
want. Entering into a clean house, with burned incense, draw a line around the place
where you will sit and lie and repeat the following sacred word (kalima) seven times.
Keeping yourself clean in body and clothes, without having anger and harm, blow
over your body".25) The whole process shows the preliminary tantric ritual of initiation. The blowing in the last part is meant to puri! the worshipper's body and make it
div rne

Qt r a n a -p

r a t i rt h A).

The descriptions of the spirits by mentioning their names, outer particulars and related planet are as follows. The first spirit is named K.A.L.K.A., commander
(muwakkila) of Satum , four handed, in black; the second one is named B.T.R.M.Y.,
commander of Mars, in red, carrying a sword and a lance in both hands, riding on two
lions (asad); the third one is named M.N.G.L. (or K.L.K.L.A. in variants), commander
of Jupiter, in golden red; the fourth one is called B.D.M.T.A., commander of the Sun,
in golden yellow, riding on a goose (batt); the fifth one is S.R.S.T.Y., commander of
Venus, mirror in hand, in greenish white, riding on a peacock; the sixth one is N.A.R.Y.,
commander of Mercury, book in the hand, in reddish white; and the seventh one is
T.W.T.L.A., commander of the Moon, with seven bodies in seven colours. In KP 31b54b, some of the names among the sixty-four spirits are explained in detail with the
invocations to evoke them, and these seven are included among them.26)
Hindus have assigned certain characteristics to each planet, and the ritualistic practices for propitiation ofa planet can be traced back to the age ofGrhyasltra. The
Puranic literature presents the astro-religious mythology ofnine planetary deities, their

Joumal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies, I1 ,2005

150

iconographical appearance, attributes, and religious gestures (mudra). According to

the analysis by Pingree, there are striking similarities in the descriptions ofthe attributes, colours, geometrical shapes of the temple or vehicle (vahana) of the images
of planets in an Arabic magical text entitled the Goal of the Wise (Ghayat al-Hakim)
(Picatrix translated in Latin) by the Spanish scientist al-Majriti in the tenth century
and the Nispannayogavallby Abhayakara Gupta. However, as Pingree points out, the
iconographic tradition of the nine planets (navagrahas) in India is far from uniform.2T)
On the whole, it is rather difficult to identif,, these female commanders except Sa.rasvati.
We have had little success in finding the exact source text for wahm, but some references to it in the tantric literature may give us a clue to find the original sowces of the
AK.

Conclusion
Tantric literature is an extensive subject. The doctrines and disciplines of the Natha
tradition are not limited to only the physiological exercises of Hatha Yoga. It inherits

Raja Yoga of Patanjali, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Laya Yoga, Mantra Yoga,
Mahavidya Yoga, svara Yoga, Kashmir Saivism, particularly Kaula Tantrism, esoteric astrology and Ayurvedic medicine.
The translations ofthe lK reveal influences from a variety of these genres. Interestingly enough, KP 45ab and, 46a refer to some of the five elements associated with
tantric ritual Qtafica-makara), wine (madya), meat (mamsa), flsh (matsya) and sexual
intercourse (maithuna) in the course of wahm, however, the HH totally eliminates
these elements. This may be one reason that the general conceptual framework of the

Sufistic stages and disciplines was assimilated in yogico-tantric theory and principles
in modified forms. The translation works of the AK elicit dynamic and meaningful
evidence of the prevailing concept of sufico-yogico-tantric tradition in the process of
Islamic acculturation.
It is hoped that the subject will be taken up for further investigation and an attempt
will be made to throw light on the many obscure issues involved in this text.
Notes

1)

As the putative chart by Emst shows, among the Persian translations ofthe 1111, we refer to
the dated manuscript preserved in the Salar Jung Museum Library Cat. No. 4435 (Majmu'a
2) l2b 31a (dated 13 Dh[ al-Qa'da, 1066AH / 1657) as the HHP [Ashraf 1997: 164]. The
abridged translation of the manuscript preserved in the National Museum of Pakistan

(Karachl),Majmt a,N.M. 1972

2)

104

(ff. 180-201)isdonebyNazirAhmad[Ahmad 1998:

181.

In spite of defects caused by misreading and omissions, in this essay, we will refer to the
edition of Yusuf Husain as the HHA. For an English translation of the abridged French
translation of the text, see Waseem 2003:63J4. Yusuf Husain's edition was based on five

Yogico+antric Traditions in the Hawd al-Hayal

I -51

manuscripts. Emst has collected forty-nine manuscripts of the HHA dispersed in the Islamic world. Since he has declared in 1996 to publish the translation of this work with his
diplomatic edition of the Arabic text, we may expect a critical edition in the near future

3)
4)

[Emst 1996: 13; 2003: 2041.

Manuscripts preserved in the Dacca University Library, Nos. 386, 388.
Manuscript preserved in the Abdul Kanm Sahitya Visharada Collection, Dacca University
Llbrary, No.152.

5)
6)

cf.EnamulHaqq 1975: 139,42l;Tarafdar 1965:2l4.ForthereferenceontheSchoolof

Manners (Dabistan-i Madhahib),see Sakaki 2000: 249-251.
For example, on the one hand, terms of Hatha yoga are explained in Persian translations of
Yoga Upanisads included in the Sirr-i Akbar and the Yogavdsislha (translation by Nizdm
Panipatti and another translation by Dara Shukoh) (5.78,6.25) On the other hand, the
original works in Persian, such as the Shining of Gnosis (Shariq al-Ma'rifa) ascribed to
Faidi and the Means oJ Yoga (Sarmaya-yi Jog) ascribed to Mu'in al-Din Chishti, describe
the yogico-tantric terms from the point ofview of Sufistic practice.

7)

Manuscript preserwed in the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Cat. No.1527 IRASB 1939'vo1-2:
2t1 2121.

8)
9)

This is included inthe silksmasvarodayaINJC:53-671.

Manuscript preserved in the library of Aligarh Muslim University, Habib Ganj collection.
No.211346 ff.14 [Razvi and Qaisar: vol.l Pt.1, 143]. For a detailed examination ofthis
see Sakaki 2003.
Manuscript preserved in the Khuda Bhakhsh Oriental Public Library, Catalogue No.1455,

work,

l0)
I

1)

12)

13)

14)

ff.78 [Abdul Muqtadir 1994:133 1341.

Manuscript preserved in the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Ivanow Curzon Supplement I No.873,
ff. 12 [Ivanow 1927 : 7 5-7 61.
Fourteen subcategories are the followers ofBuddhas (ashab al-bidadahpl. of buQ'the
proponents ofmeditation and imagination, the proponents ofmetempsychosis or transference under the Bardhimas; the Bdsawiya, the Bahuwadiya, the Kabaliya, the Bahddlniya
under the followers of spiritual beings; sun-worshippers and moon-worshippers under the
star worshippers; the Mahakaliya, tree-worshippers, the Dhakiniya, water-worshippers, firewonhippen under the idol-worshippers lMilal 1977: 596-609; Lawrence 1976: 4l-551'

Maima'al-Bahrayn1982:69-72,108 112;Tehran,4l-45.Heretheidentificationofthe
various regions and substances in the world with the limbs ofthe mai dpurusa is described.
Alterations ofthe reading ofboth editions should be corrected by careful reading ofthe
original manuscripts.
This voluminous compendium of the Ndtha tradition is regarded as an enlarged version of
the Kubjikdmata Tantra, which is the basic and older literary source of the doctrines and
practices ofthe Kubjika cult belonging to the Saiva-Sakta tradition. Dory Heilijgers-Seelen
has proved that this is also identical withthe Srimatottara-tantra. Although she was confused about the editions due to a text entitled the GoraksasarythilA edited by C.L. Gautama,
Barcli 1914,Ihe Srlmatottara-tantra is a modified version of the Goraksaiataka wrthtwo
hundred verses. Giuseppe Tucci has made a brief survey onthe yoga-praknrana which is

ofthe Goraksasamhita. The first part ofthis work, the fra-di-prakarana,

contains mostly the doctrine ofvisualization and meditation on the goddess and briefyogic
said to be the third part

practices stch as mudrd and satkarmdni. The bhfita-prakarana is a treatise on alchemy,

152

15)

Joumal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies, l7 ,2005

andthe yoga-prakarana deals with Hatha Yoga [Tucci 19'71:205-207; Heilijgers-Seelen
1994: 14-151.
The lunar mansi on (naksatra), the sign of the zodiac (rAii), the planet {graha), the lunar
day (tithi) enumerated in ^l,SP 3. 12 were simply understood as sky , star mandala as stars
(nujum) and several kinds of mountains Qtarvata) as mountains (jibal) rn the HHA. The
seven constituents ofthe body correspond tothe dvlpas in Natha literature. In GS 16.319,

the seven constituents are skin, blood, meat, fat, bone, marrow and sperm; and in SSP 3.7,
bone, marrow, head, eyes, hair, nail and muscle correspond to seven dvlpas. In HHA 317,
they are skin, blood, flesh, ligament, gristle, bone and brain. In HHP l6b, skin, muscle,
blood, ligament, gristie, bone and marrow are enumerated. Differences in the constituents
may be due to anatomical knowledge in each tradition.

16)

Gs

8,

s atc

akr am

14.
so

da| ad h dran tr ai I o lE ary vy o m ap afi c a ka m/

svadehe ye najananti katham sidhyanti yoginah //13//

ekastambhan navadvdran triiunyom paftcadaivatam

svadehe ye najAnanti katham sidhyanti yoginah l/14//

17)
t8)

HHP 22b. For measuring the quantity of each breath, see Sakaki 2004: 141-142,153.
HHA 318.,F111P omits this part. KP 11a-1 1b describes this subject more elaborately with
colour and locations. For a detailed examination ofthis part ofthe Sar-vadarianasangraha
and related Yoga Upanisads, see Sakaki 2004.

19)

20)
2l)
22)
23)
24)

25)
26)

The precise numbers are as follows: ifit stops for flve nights, the number ofyears left to
live is three; for ten days, two; for fifteen days, one; for twenty-one days, there is six days
(probable reading is six months); for twenty-five days, three months; for twenty-six days,

two months; for twenty-seven days, one month; for twenty-eight days, fifteen days; for
twenty-nine days, ten days; for thirty-two days, two days; if it stops for thirty-three days,
the person will die soon (KP 6V7a).
VM 4.78-198 deals with this observation more precisely.
HHP 24V26b. These diagrams are instructed to be drawn inthe mandalah (mandala) at
the ritual called hum (homa) in W 38ab and 42ab.
Among the dated manuscripts ofthe HHApresewed in the Siile)rynaniye Library in Istanbul,
Baldatli Vehbi Efendi 2168, Rgd 1027117 and Turkish translation by \afiz Ihsan, 1368
A.H. show the Arabicized figures in the seventh diagram.
For classification ofthe six acts, see Goudriaan 19'78:258 273.
In the KP, some of the names of sixty-four spirits called jogints clearly show similarities
with the various names of mother goddesses: Totala (T.W.T.L.), Kurukulla (K.R.K.L.H.),
Tere $.A.R.A), Kamak (K.A.M.A.K.), Kalika (K.A.L.Y.K.A), Mangala (M.N.K.R.),
Sarasvati (S.R.S.T.Y.), Laksmi (L.K.M.Y.), Candika (C.N.D.K.A) or Cdmurtdd
(C.A.M.N.D.), Sati (S.T.Y.), Varehi (B.A.R.A.H.), Padma (P.D.M.A), Jagati (J.K.T.Y.).
HHA 337 . HHP 29b makes the procedure short and omits the mantra completely.
The last one is mentioned as the main commander in KP 3la. The probable name of this
devr may be Totald, another name ofthe ninth nitya-ictkti called Tvarita. Prapaficasara
13.26-31; Saradatilaka-tantra 10.1 7; Tantrardja-tantra 14. [Biihnemann 2001: 11,47481.

27)

Pingree I 989: 7-8. For the early history ofplanet worship in India, see Yano: 2004: 331
348.

Yogico-tantric Traditions in the Hawd al-Hayat

153

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