AKHANDA MAHAYOGA of Pt Gopinath Kaviraj ji
Pt Kaviraj ji was a direct disciple of Sri Swami Vishuddhananda Paramhamsa. Pt Kaviraj ji's spiritual literature in Bengali & Hindi particularly with reference to "Tantra" is well known. Kaviraj ji's theology on Akhanda Mahayoga is Yoga is very important and most dynamic. On the one side his gigantic and sharp intellect and on the other his intutional experience both joined together in it. First of all his Akhanda Mahayoga sadhana started after 1938. The first part of it was completed by himself and the second part is very much connected with the author who has all the records with him. Brief summaries of all these records written in Bengali script by Kaviraj ji himself are lying in his house. Reverred Kaviraj ji gave its name as Akhanda Mahayoga Bhumika. Anyhow I shall try to put before you the essence of Akhanda Mahayoga in a simple language because all these thoughts oncerning with this Yoga have been explained in the Tantric technical terms and symbolic expressions. These terms and expressions are much suitable to explain the subtle spiritual experiences. We can compare this Yoga with a Temple. The six mainsystems of Indian philosophy are its foundation. Shaktism, Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Buddhism are like its walls. Kaviraj ji's Supreme philosophy is here just like a Kalasha os Shikhara and Akhanda Mahayoga is the deity installed in the temple.
No doubt, individual sadhana or vyashti sadhana is very essential. The ultimate goal of life is liberation. Later on, in the Tantras the thought of collective liberation took place. Thus Guru could initiate and he could impart his spiritual knowledge and experience among the disciples. Consequently, the true conception of Guru Mandala came into existence. There were many Siddha Purushas who formed their Siddha Mandalas. For example, the Mandala of Pancha Mukha Ganadhisvara, the Mandala of GyanGanj and the Mandala of Maurya and Maitra, Buddhist Siddhas are very popular. All these Siddhas could not conquer death at the physical level but they were able to exist in their Baindava i.e Shakta Deha and they helped their connected aspirants. But this was only confined to a group, hence it was not related with all human beings, though it proved as the background for further progress and spiritual uplift. Kaviraj ji belonged to the GyanGanj with which his Gurudeva Sri Swami Vishuddhananda Paramhansa had direct contact. He availed himself of all the advantages of that Siddha Mandala.
To conquer death is entirely a new type of conception started in the Yoga line. First of all, Prabhu Jagadbandhu could think about this world and it's transformation. He said that now the right time had come for such idea and Yoga. Two big personalities Sri Aurobindo and Pt Kaviraj ji came into the forefront for this unique work of transformation. Both aimed at the same ideal but the ways of expression are a little different. It is not the occasion to talk about the comparative study of both Yogis. Purna Yoga and Akhanda Mahayoga are not speculative philosophies. They are not based on spiritual samskaras, but they are the real experience of truth. So we have to understand not through the lower intellect. According to Kaviraj ji Akhanda Mahayoga can be understood through Divya Bodha or Divine Intellect. There are two ways of approach. Yoga means union in all the levels of chaitanya or consciousness, to transcend time and space or to become one with God or to identify with Sachchidananda or to become free from Prakriti. Generally this is Khanda Yoga and it is possible through self effort.The union of Akhanda Mahayoga is not the union of the individual soul with God. It is an eternal unity of Samashti Jiva or total humanity with God in time and space of the existing world. This union will be the centre of time. This milan- union is called the illumination of Maha-prakasha. This is not for the individual liberation or Siddhi, but is the descent of Maha-shakti i.e Divine illumination in this physical world.
In Shatbheda-kriya of this Yoga, Kaviraj ji started to work according to his Guru's order. Generally in the traditional Yoga we find the path of shatchakras- Adhara, Svadhisthana, Manipura, Visuddha, Agya and Sahasrara. In these well-known Chakras a sadhaka ascends and gets the experience of the shakti andd when he reaches Sahasrara,involution is complete. He gets union with Siva. This is the first way of awakening of the Kundalini Shakti. The other way is that of a Guru who has acquired the Iccha Shakti, Gyan Shakti and Kriya Shakti, and takes his disciple into the Sahasrara. The disciple need not putforth his effort to go up to the desired point. There is a third kind in which Guru initiates the disciple and touches the energy of disciple by his Anugraha-shakti, then he gets the feeeling of upward current( spanda) and gets the movement upto Shatdala. This Shatdala is in the centre of Sahasrara. This path belongs to Kaviraj ji. In this path there is no question of shatchakra-bheda, because this is the path of lotus. A great Yogi who has worshipped Maha-Shakti, gets all his chakra centres transformed into lotus. He enters the line of Karuna. Gautama Buddha could get all such glimpses of Karuna line, so he is called Karuna-Pundaika. We find in Yoga literature the description of Sahasrara and the lotus of shatdala.
Veer Shaiva Sivayogi Prabhudeva describe about his spiritual experience and he says that he has crossed Sahasrara and has entered the centre of shatdal-kamal and he refers that there are certain saints who could reach the dala and are called Rudras, and those who could reach the lotus centre are called Shiva-yogins. We find even in the Radha Soami sampradaya tradition,the desciption of shat-dala and they say there is Bhramara-guha. Kaviraj ji experienced all these things. After crossing the Bhramara-guha there is Guru Paduka which leads to the reality of Akhanda Gurupaduka. We find traditional Yoga experiences upto this state. Generally a Yogi who achieves such a position is tuned with ultimate reality and then he cannot come to the lower level because there is Nirodhika-Shakti. There is the Samana level and after that there is Unmana. There are certain fortunate sadhakas who can reach this higher level. If the grace of Divine Mother or the grace of Guru occurs, the sadhaka obtains the shakta body.
Now I shall try to explain in short Gurudeva's line of experience. After the attainment of his individual sadhana, he achieved the Maha-shakti. When a Yogi is not satisfied with this achievement, he gets a special grace of Divine Mother. He is bestowed with the realisation of total body i.e Samashti- Shareer-Bodha. Kaviraj ji's Gurudeva established NavaMundi Asana in his time. This is the base for Kaviraj ji's Akhanda Mahayoga. At this level,Guru shakti, Ishta shakti and Svarupa shakti all meet together. In this postion his inner urge for humanity came before him. He was not ready to accept the individual powers. Then he surrendered everything on the one side, and on the other he identified himself with Samashti-Jiva Bhava.
To explain this mystic truth in Gurudeva's terms, in the triangle of Sat, Chit and Ananda, Maha-shakti is in the centre. This triangle is ready to meet Samashti-jiva-bindu. This contains aspiration, urge and firm faith. This is the downward triangle. When it gets the touch of Maha-shakti, it becomes urdhva-mukhi or upward. Thus by the attraction of Maha-shakti when both the triangles meet together in the centre of time, that is called the Divine Descent. We should keep in mind that this action has taken placein the central bindu of the circle. This is the Guru-mandala in the centre of Kala where the whole universe willl be transformed. This Guru-mandala is just like a lotus and this consists of dynamic eternal Maha-prakasha.
When Gurudeva was doing Kripa-shunya Kriya, externally he got many troubles, but he did not care much for them. He continued to concentrate all his energies towards only one Maha-samkalpa, that is the divine illumination in this world. He spent many years in this sadhana. Maha-shakti herself embraced him. Divine Shakti started working totally in him. He received all the grace of his Ishta Deva and his Master. Divine mother completed her Eka-mukhi, Dvi-mukhi and Sarva-mukhi Kriya in him. After this Kriya She revealed Prem-svarupdarsana. Consequently Sahaja Kriya started in him. All the powers which Gurudeva renounced, they embraced him in Samashti-jiva level and all these became very useful in this project. When triple Shaktis i.e.Prema-kumari-svarupa , Maha-shakti and Svatma-svarupa joined together, the action of total transformation of the world started to work in the earth consciousness.
Kaviraj ji would always talk about world transformation. He expected the change in the world as per his divine sight. He would say that the eternal light,when it touches the human being, becomes permanent. When the light or MahaPrakash has touched the total centre of man that is Vaisvanara level. He always advocated Samashti Prana, Samashti Manas and Samashti Deha. MahaPrakash has transformed samashti manas and prana, but this should transform at least one man. This transformed man will be called the Divine being or Superman on earth. The divine world will be based on Abheda Bhava.
This transformation is not in the hands of men. Maha-sakti herself is performing the process. For its earliest results there is a need of Samkalpa of men like Sri Aurobindo and Sri Kaviraj ji. Gurudeva would always say "You have to join me". This means that we have to join in this Maha-samkalpa. The more this samkalpa will become potential and strong, the work of transformation will be done earlier. All of us should try to plunge in Samashti- jiva-bhava by keeping away our lower intellect & lower ambitions. We should have only one Samkalpa of Divine Bliss. Let us join Gurudeva's Maha samkalpa. His work still remains to be completed. Transformation is inevitable which will take place in Mahanisha,and that is the Divine mother's grace to humanity.
(Akhanda Mahayoga of Pt Gopinath Kaviraj ji : By Dr N H Chandrashekara Swami)
Pt Kaviraj ji was a direct disciple of Sri Swami Vishuddhananda Paramhamsa. Pt Kaviraj ji's spiritual literature in Bengali & Hindi particularly with reference to "Tantra" is well known. Kaviraj ji's theology on Akhanda Mahayoga is Yoga is very important and most dynamic. On the one side his gigantic and sharp intellect and on the other his intutional experience both joined together in it. First of all his Akhanda Mahayoga sadhana started after 1938. The first part of it was completed by himself and the second part is very much connected with the author who has all the records with him. Brief summaries of all these records written in Bengali script by Kaviraj ji himself are lying in his house. Reverred Kaviraj ji gave its name as Akhanda Mahayoga Bhumika. Anyhow I shall try to put before you the essence of Akhanda Mahayoga in a simple language because all these thoughts oncerning with this Yoga have been explained in the Tantric technical terms and symbolic expressions. These terms and expressions are much suitable to explain the subtle spiritual experiences. We can compare this Yoga with a Temple. The six mainsystems of Indian philosophy are its foundation. Shaktism, Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Buddhism are like its walls. Kaviraj ji's Supreme philosophy is here just like a Kalasha os Shikhara and Akhanda Mahayoga is the deity installed in the temple.
No doubt, individual sadhana or vyashti sadhana is very essential. The ultimate goal of life is liberation. Later on, in the Tantras the thought of collective liberation took place. Thus Guru could initiate and he could impart his spiritual knowledge and experience among the disciples. Consequently, the true conception of Guru Mandala came into existence. There were many Siddha Purushas who formed their Siddha Mandalas. For example, the Mandala of Pancha Mukha Ganadhisvara, the Mandala of GyanGanj and the Mandala of Maurya and Maitra, Buddhist Siddhas are very popular. All these Siddhas could not conquer death at the physical level but they were able to exist in their Baindava i.e Shakta Deha and they helped their connected aspirants. But this was only confined to a group, hence it was not related with all human beings, though it proved as the background for further progress and spiritual uplift. Kaviraj ji belonged to the GyanGanj with which his Gurudeva Sri Swami Vishuddhananda Paramhansa had direct contact. He availed himself of all the advantages of that Siddha Mandala.
To conquer death is entirely a new type of conception started in the Yoga line. First of all, Prabhu Jagadbandhu could think about this world and it's transformation. He said that now the right time had come for such idea and Yoga. Two big personalities Sri Aurobindo and Pt Kaviraj ji came into the forefront for this unique work of transformation. Both aimed at the same ideal but the ways of expression are a little different. It is not the occasion to talk about the comparative study of both Yogis. Purna Yoga and Akhanda Mahayoga are not speculative philosophies. They are not based on spiritual samskaras, but they are the real experience of truth. So we have to understand not through the lower intellect. According to Kaviraj ji Akhanda Mahayoga can be understood through Divya Bodha or Divine Intellect. There are two ways of approach. Yoga means union in all the levels of chaitanya or consciousness, to transcend time and space or to become one with God or to identify with Sachchidananda or to become free from Prakriti. Generally this is Khanda Yoga and it is possible through self effort.The union of Akhanda Mahayoga is not the union of the individual soul with God. It is an eternal unity of Samashti Jiva or total humanity with God in time and space of the existing world. This union will be the centre of time. This milan- union is called the illumination of Maha-prakasha. This is not for the individual liberation or Siddhi, but is the descent of Maha-shakti i.e Divine illumination in this physical world.
In Shatbheda-kriya of this Yoga, Kaviraj ji started to work according to his Guru's order. Generally in the traditional Yoga we find the path of shatchakras- Adhara, Svadhisthana, Manipura, Visuddha, Agya and Sahasrara. In these well-known Chakras a sadhaka ascends and gets the experience of the shakti andd when he reaches Sahasrara,involution is complete. He gets union with Siva. This is the first way of awakening of the Kundalini Shakti. The other way is that of a Guru who has acquired the Iccha Shakti, Gyan Shakti and Kriya Shakti, and takes his disciple into the Sahasrara. The disciple need not putforth his effort to go up to the desired point. There is a third kind in which Guru initiates the disciple and touches the energy of disciple by his Anugraha-shakti, then he gets the feeeling of upward current( spanda) and gets the movement upto Shatdala. This Shatdala is in the centre of Sahasrara. This path belongs to Kaviraj ji. In this path there is no question of shatchakra-bheda, because this is the path of lotus. A great Yogi who has worshipped Maha-Shakti, gets all his chakra centres transformed into lotus. He enters the line of Karuna. Gautama Buddha could get all such glimpses of Karuna line, so he is called Karuna-Pundaika. We find in Yoga literature the description of Sahasrara and the lotus of shatdala.
Veer Shaiva Sivayogi Prabhudeva describe about his spiritual experience and he says that he has crossed Sahasrara and has entered the centre of shatdal-kamal and he refers that there are certain saints who could reach the dala and are called Rudras, and those who could reach the lotus centre are called Shiva-yogins. We find even in the Radha Soami sampradaya tradition,the desciption of shat-dala and they say there is Bhramara-guha. Kaviraj ji experienced all these things. After crossing the Bhramara-guha there is Guru Paduka which leads to the reality of Akhanda Gurupaduka. We find traditional Yoga experiences upto this state. Generally a Yogi who achieves such a position is tuned with ultimate reality and then he cannot come to the lower level because there is Nirodhika-Shakti. There is the Samana level and after that there is Unmana. There are certain fortunate sadhakas who can reach this higher level. If the grace of Divine Mother or the grace of Guru occurs, the sadhaka obtains the shakta body.
Now I shall try to explain in short Gurudeva's line of experience. After the attainment of his individual sadhana, he achieved the Maha-shakti. When a Yogi is not satisfied with this achievement, he gets a special grace of Divine Mother. He is bestowed with the realisation of total body i.e Samashti- Shareer-Bodha. Kaviraj ji's Gurudeva established NavaMundi Asana in his time. This is the base for Kaviraj ji's Akhanda Mahayoga. At this level,Guru shakti, Ishta shakti and Svarupa shakti all meet together. In this postion his inner urge for humanity came before him. He was not ready to accept the individual powers. Then he surrendered everything on the one side, and on the other he identified himself with Samashti-Jiva Bhava.
To explain this mystic truth in Gurudeva's terms, in the triangle of Sat, Chit and Ananda, Maha-shakti is in the centre. This triangle is ready to meet Samashti-jiva-bindu. This contains aspiration, urge and firm faith. This is the downward triangle. When it gets the touch of Maha-shakti, it becomes urdhva-mukhi or upward. Thus by the attraction of Maha-shakti when both the triangles meet together in the centre of time, that is called the Divine Descent. We should keep in mind that this action has taken placein the central bindu of the circle. This is the Guru-mandala in the centre of Kala where the whole universe willl be transformed. This Guru-mandala is just like a lotus and this consists of dynamic eternal Maha-prakasha.
When Gurudeva was doing Kripa-shunya Kriya, externally he got many troubles, but he did not care much for them. He continued to concentrate all his energies towards only one Maha-samkalpa, that is the divine illumination in this world. He spent many years in this sadhana. Maha-shakti herself embraced him. Divine Shakti started working totally in him. He received all the grace of his Ishta Deva and his Master. Divine mother completed her Eka-mukhi, Dvi-mukhi and Sarva-mukhi Kriya in him. After this Kriya She revealed Prem-svarupdarsana. Consequently Sahaja Kriya started in him. All the powers which Gurudeva renounced, they embraced him in Samashti-jiva level and all these became very useful in this project. When triple Shaktis i.e.Prema-kumari-svarupa , Maha-shakti and Svatma-svarupa joined together, the action of total transformation of the world started to work in the earth consciousness.
Kaviraj ji would always talk about world transformation. He expected the change in the world as per his divine sight. He would say that the eternal light,when it touches the human being, becomes permanent. When the light or MahaPrakash has touched the total centre of man that is Vaisvanara level. He always advocated Samashti Prana, Samashti Manas and Samashti Deha. MahaPrakash has transformed samashti manas and prana, but this should transform at least one man. This transformed man will be called the Divine being or Superman on earth. The divine world will be based on Abheda Bhava.
This transformation is not in the hands of men. Maha-sakti herself is performing the process. For its earliest results there is a need of Samkalpa of men like Sri Aurobindo and Sri Kaviraj ji. Gurudeva would always say "You have to join me". This means that we have to join in this Maha-samkalpa. The more this samkalpa will become potential and strong, the work of transformation will be done earlier. All of us should try to plunge in Samashti- jiva-bhava by keeping away our lower intellect & lower ambitions. We should have only one Samkalpa of Divine Bliss. Let us join Gurudeva's Maha samkalpa. His work still remains to be completed. Transformation is inevitable which will take place in Mahanisha,and that is the Divine mother's grace to humanity.
(Akhanda Mahayoga of Pt Gopinath Kaviraj ji : By Dr N H Chandrashekara Swami)
