YOGA Year 1 Issue 8

August 2012
Membership postage: Rs. 50

Golden Jubilee 50th year

of publication

Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar, India

 Hari Om
2012 marks the Golden Jubilee of
YOGA, which began publication in
1963. YOGA is compiled, composed
and published by the sannyasin
disciples of Swami Satyananda
Saraswati for the benefit of all
people who seek health, happiness
and enlightenment. It contains in-
formation about the activities of
Bihar School of Yoga, Bihar Yoga
Bharati, Yoga Publications Trust
and Yoga Research Fellowship.
Editor: Swami Shaktimitrananda GUIDELINES FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE
Saraswati
Assistant Editor: Swami Yogatirth- Women
ananda Saraswati
YOGA is a monthly magazine. Late Worship the Mother in all Her manifes-
subscriptions include issues from tations. She is the creative aspect of the
January to December.
Absolute. She is symbolized as cosmic en-
Published by Bihar School of Yoga, ergy. The five elements and their combina-
Ganga Darshan, Fort, Munger, Bihar
– 811201.
tions are the external manifestations of the
Mother. Intelligence, discrimination, psy-
Printed at Thomson Press India
Ltd., Haryana – 121007 chic power and will are Her internal mani-
festations. Humanity is Her visible form.
© Bihar School of Yoga 2012
Membership is held on a yearly Women are manifestations of the Divine
basis. Please send your requests Mother, Shakti or Kali. In ancient days there
for application and all correspond- were many siddhas, jnanis, vairagis, bhak-
ence to:
tas and advanced yogis among women.
Bihar School of Yoga
Ganga Darshan
By their purity and perfection they could
Fort, Munger, 811 201 do miracles. Women are the backbone of
Bihar, India society and upholders of spiritual values as
- A self-addressed, stamped envelope there is a peculiar spiritual instinct in them.
must be sent along with enquiries to en- They have natural, inborn divine qualities.
sure a response to your request
Women are dynamic forces on earth and
if they are inspired, the whole world will
Front cover: Sri Swami Sivananda
be inspired.
Plates: 1: Sri Swami Sivananda; 2 & 8: Sri
Swami Satyananda; 3: Swami Niranjanananda —Swami Sivananda
& Swami Satyasangananda; 4: Janmashtami,
Paduka Darsha; 5: Akshay Tritiya, Rikhiapeeth;
6: Swami Niranjanananda; 7: Swami
Suryaprakash

Published and printed by Swami Gyanbhikshu Saraswati on behalf of Bihar School of Yoga,
Ganga Darshan, Fort, Munger – 811 201, Bihar
Printed at Thomson Press India (Ltd), 18/35 Milestone, Delhi Mathura Rd., Faridabad, Haryana.
Owned by Bihar School of Yoga Editor: Swami Shaktimitrananda Saraswati
 YOGA Year 1 Issue 8 • August 2012
(50th year of publication)

Contents
Swami Sivananda Saraswati
2 Service to Women
4 Homemakers
9 Shakti
13 Radha
17 Makers of Nation
19 Mirabai
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
27 Cycles in a Woman’s Life
38 Role of Women in Tantra

The Yogi is superior to the ascetic. He is deemed superior even to those versed in sacred
lore. The Yogi is superior even to those who perform action with some motive. Therefore,
Arjuna, do you become a Yogi. (Bhagavad Gita VI:46)
¦ã¹ããäÔÌã¼¾ããñçãä£ã‡ãŠãñ ¾ããñØããè —ãããä¶ã¼¾ããñçãä¹ã ½ã¦ããñãä£ã‡ãŠ: ý ‡ãŠãä½ãü¾ãÍÞãããä£ã‡ãŠãñ ¾ããñØããè ¦ãÔ½ãã²ããñØããèè ¼ãÌãã•ãìöã ýý
Service to Women
From the Autobiography of Swami Sivananda

This mission of service to sincere women is very dear to my

heart. I do not have money. I have no knack to collect money
from the public, from rajahs, zamindars and businessmen.
I do not go out collecting money in the name of service.
Occasionally, I receive a little money from devotees. I spend
this voluntary donation for the spiritual upliftment of those
who are around me and those who keep themselves in close
touch with me from various centres. My books are sold in large

YOGA 2 Aug 2012

numbers in many parts of the world, but I do not earn anything
from the publications. I lavishly give away my books for free.
I do not know business. For starting an institution purely for
ladies, I do not have resources or facilities at present.
Some orthodox people and sannyasins say that women are
not fit for the path of renunciation. My view is different. They too
are eligible to tread the path of yoga and renunciation. Several
times I have thought of concentrating more on rendering real
service to mankind by starting an ashram exclusively for ladies.
That will be a boon to the world. In the absence of proper
support from the world for an ideal institution exclusively for
women, I have permitted many educated and cultured ladies
to live in this ashram. I personally attend to their needs and
train them in all branches of yoga, bhajans and kirtans. Many
have learnt yoga exercises and derived incalculable benefits.
Among them, there are many from foreign countries also.
I give them initiation into the order of sannyasa. After some
training in the ashram they go back to various centres and they
continue their sadhana and service to the world. The Divine
Life Society branches have ladies’ sections in all parts of the
world, where they have ample scope not only for their own
evolution but also for serving womankind. The ladies who stay
in the ashram have all comforts and conveniences. They have
all facilities, liberty and freedom. In the absence of a separate
ashram exclusively for women, this institution has become an
ideal centre for their spiritual evolution. May they all prosper
and enjoy peace, divine glory and splendour.

Woman is one of the finest creatures of the creator and there is

no reason why she should be bared from spiritual life. Women
are very psychic by nature and we should allow them to raise
their consciousness and develop this part of their personality. Why
should they not become clairvoyants, telepaths, prophets, scholars
and sannyasins?
—Swami Satyananda Saraswati

YOGA 3 Aug 2012

Homemakers
From the teachings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati

From time immemorial Sita, Savitri, Damayanti, Nalayani,

Anasuya and Draupadi have been regarded as sacred ideals
of Indian womanhood. They are sublime and exemplary
characters who have exalted womanhood to the height of
divine perfection. Their purity, courage, patience and other
virtues were subjected to severe testing, and nobly did they
pass through these trials. Modern women should draw
inspiration from their lives and try to tread their path. As long
as such personalities continue to exercise their influence upon
the lives and character of Indian ladies, so long they will be
looked upon with admiration and reverence by their sisters
of other countries.
Hindu women are, since the dawn of the early civilization,
distinguished for their disinterested love and self-abnegation.
What a wife is to a Hindu husband is well illustrated by a verse
in the Ramayana where Sri Rama, referring to Sita, says:
Karyeshu Mantree, Karaneshu Dasee,
Dharmeshu Patnee, Kshamaya Dharitree,
Sneheshu Mata, Sayaneshu Rambha,
Rangecha Sakhi, Lakshmana Sa Priya Me.
In counsel she is my counsellor, in action she is my
servant, in religious performances she is my partner, in
tolerance she is like the earth, in affection she is like my
mother, in bed she is like the celestial Rambha and in
play she is my companion. Such indeed, O Lakshmana,
is my beloved.

This is the ideal of a wife. The eternal fidelity of a woman to her

husband makes her an ideal of the feminine world. It makes
her sublime and lofty.

YOGA 4 Aug 2012

Modesty
Modesty is the ornament of women. To go beyond the
boundary of modesty or to behave like a man, destroys the
elegance, grace and beauty of the fair sex. Nothing can atone
for the want of modesty in a woman, without which beauty
is ungraceful.
Modesty is a fundamental virtue which a woman ought
to possess. It is a wonderful mixture of humility, politeness,
decency, elegance, gentleness and sweetness. Modesty is the
most precious ornament of a woman. It is the mark of true
nobility.
A woman without modesty is a flower without fragrance.
She is a mere void although she possesses many other virtues.
A modest woman is restrained by a sense of propriety. She has
good behaviour and manners. A modest woman commands
respect.
Modesty raises a woman to the status of divinity. O Devis!
Do not waste your lives in fashion and passion. Walk on the
path of righteousness.

Nursery of the nation

The inspiring force of the home
is woman. The home is the
origin, the beginning of every
form of social organization. It
is the nursery of the nation.
It is the sweet centre wherein
children are trained for future
citizenship. The woman illumi-
nes the home through the
glory of motherhood. Under
the personal influence of the
mother, good habits, right
conduct, formation of character
are spontaneously created in
children in a well-regulated

YOGA 5 Aug 2012

home. The loving kindness and cultured gentleness of the
mother help the children to quickly unfold their inherent talents
and dormant capacities. Since children absorb ideas through
suggestion and imitation, early training and impressions to
create a lasting character can be imparted efficiently by mothers
in the home. Therefore, the home is a beautiful training ground
for building up of the character in children.
Women are also the backbone, bedrock, and basis for
sustaining religion and national strength and prosperity. There
is no difference between her and Lakshmi, the goddess of
beauty, grace and prosperity. If the mother trains her children
well, she is indeed rendering a great service to the nation and
its national culture. There are ample opportunities for women
to improve and increase national health and prosperity.
They really build the nation. Mothers can use their talents
and abilities to make the home a cradle of culture, character,
personal ability and religious upheaval. It is therefore wrong
to say that their life is stunted by attending to the duties of the
home, or that no scope is given for their evolution and freedom.
This is a sad mistake indeed! The life of a woman is as noble
and serious as that of a man. Of this there is no doubt.

YOGA 6 Aug 2012

Dharma
It is the woman who maintains the life and happiness of
the home through her smile, tender affection, sweet speech,
charming personality, grace and angelic presence. The home
would be a real void without her. Without her presence, it
would lose its peculiar charm and beauty.
If the woman is pure she can save and purify the man
and the race. Women can make a home a sacred temple. The
Hindu women have been the custodians of the Hindu race.
The Hindu religion, the Hindu culture and civilization still
survive in spite of the many foreign invasions, when other
civilizations have come and gone, on account of the purity of
the Hindu women. The women are taught to regard chastity as
their most priceless possession. Religion is ingrained in Hindu
women from their very childhood. They illumine and enliven
the house through the glory of their purity. It is the secret of
the endurance of the religion, civilization and culture.
It is therefore of benefit to know what the Great Ones
have said about the ideal of conduct and deportment that a
woman should try to live up to. Sri Rama instructs Kausalya,
his mother, as follows: “To a woman so long as she is alive,
the husband is indeed the Lord and God. That woman, who,
though noblest of all and given to the practice of vows and
fasts, does not look after her husband, will indeed obtain an
unmeritorious future. Even if a woman has never bowed to the
gods and has ceased to worship them, she obtains the highest
heaven by serving her husband. A woman should be absorbed
in the service of her husband, taking delight in his pleasure
and his good. This is the path of the dharma, known for long
ages, revealed in the Vedas, and remembered by the world.
There is nothing more cruel for a woman to do than to desert
her husband. To attend upon and to serve one’s husband is
no doubt the highest duty of a woman. So long as a woman
lives, her husband is her only master.”
The Hindu scriptures say that the husband is God to the
wife, and that she must be obedient. Some ignorant persons

YOGA 7 Aug 2012

take advantage of this and exercise undue authority over their
wives and keep them under extreme subordination. Is this not
a sad mistake? Woman is in no way inferior to man. The home
is a cooperative organization. It flourishes on the principle of
division of labour. The husband should not think that he is
superior to his wife, simply because he is the earning member
of the family. Women have a definite field of their own. They
are mothers of the house.
The magnetic personality, intellectual attainments and
extraordinary abilities of modern women are a standing
monument to their undoubted equality with men. The personal
influence of women at home is essential to unify the various
interests of the family. It is women alone who can rear and
nurse children. The husbands should treat their wives with
intense love and respect. They should be regarded as equals
in all respects and partners in life.

YOGA 8 Aug 2012

Shakti
From the teachings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Shakti is the energy aspect of the Lord. She is inherent in God.

Just as one cannot separate heat from fire, so also one cannot
separate Shakti from God, who is the Shakta or possessor of
shakti. Shakti and Shakta are one. They are inseparable.
The Divine Mother, Devi, Parashakti, Durga, Kali,
Bhagavati, Bhavani, Ambal, Ambika, Jagadambe, Kameshvari,
Ganga, Uma, Chandi, Chamindi, Lalita, Gauri, Kundalini, Tara,
Tripurasundari are all forms of shakti.

Manifestations of Shakti
Shakti is symbolically female. In reality, it is neither male or
female. It is only a force which manifests in various forms.
Electricity, magnetism, heat, light, the five elements and
their combinations, are all external manifestations of Shakti.
Intelligence, discrimination, psychic power and will are all
Her internal manifestations. She keeps up the lila, play, of the
Lord through the gunas: sattwa, rajas and tamas.
She lies dormant in mooladhara chakra at the base of the
spine, in the form of the serpent power or coiled-up energy
known as the kundalini shakti. She is at the centre of life in
the universe, she is the primal force of life that underlies all
existence. She vitalizes the body through the sushumna nadi
and nerves and nourishes the body with chyle and blood. She
vitalizes the universe through Her energy. She is the energy
in the sun, the fragrance in the flowers, the beauty in the
landscape, the Gayatri or the blessed Mother in the Vedas,
colour in the rainbow, intelligence in the mind, potency in
homeopathic pills, power in sages, devotion in bhaktas,
samyama and samadhi in yogis.
Knowledge, peace, lust, anger, greed, egoism and pride are
all Her forms. Her manifestations are countless. Devi or Shakti

YOGA 9 Aug 2012

is nature itself. The whole world is Her body, mountains are
Her bones, rivers are Her veins, ocean is Her bladder, sun and
moon are Her eyes, wind is Her breath and fire is Her mouth.

Divine Mother
Devi is the mother of all. The pious and the wicked, the rich and
the poor, the saint and the sinner are all Her children. In this
world, all the wants of the child are provided by the mother.
The child’s growth, development and sustenance are looked
after by the mother. Even so, all the necessities of life and its
activities in this world, and the energy needed for it, depend
upon Shakti or the Universal Mother. The human mother is a
manifestation of the Universal Mother. All women are forms
of the Divine Mother.
You are more free with your mother than with anybody
else. You open your heart more freely to your mother than
to your father. There is no God greater than the mother. It is
the mother who protects you, nourishes you, consoles you,
cheers you and nurses you. She sacrifices all for the sake of her
children. She is your first guru. The first syllable which almost
every quadruped or human being utters, is the beloved name
of the mother ‘Ma’. A child is more familiar with the mother

YOGA 10 Aug 2012

than with the father, because the former is very kind, loving,
tender and affectionate, and looks after the wants of the child.
Whenever a child wants anything it runs with outstretched
hands to the mother rather than to the father. If she hears
the cry of the child she leaves her domestic work and runs
immediately to attend to the child. In the spiritual field, the
aspirant or the devotee, the spiritual child, has a more intimate
relationship with Mother Durga than with Father Shiva.
That is the reason why the devotees have placed Radha,
Sita, Gauri first in the combined names, such as Radha-Krishna,
Sita-Rama, Gauri-Shankar, Uma-Shankar, Bhavani-Shankar,
Lakshmi-Narayana.

Worship of the Divine Mother

Shakti is all. She can do anything. She can make or mar, she can
mend or end. For the sake of the continuance of Her divine play
here, She Herself, as the veil of ignorance, has veiled the truth
from you and bound you to this samsara of worldly existence.
When She is propitiated through the practice of sincere devotion
and unconditional self-surrender, She, as knowledge, removes
the veil and enables one to perceive the truth.
No one can free himself from the thraldom of mind and
matter without Mother’s grace. The fetters of maya are too hard
to break. If the aspirant worships Her as the great Mother, he
can very easily go beyond the phenomenal world through Her
benign grace and blessings. She will remove all obstacles on
the path, lead him safely into the illimitable domain of eternal
bliss and make him absolutely free.
The aspirant thinks that the world is identical with the
Divine Mother. He moves about thinking his own form to
be the form of the Divine Mother, and thus beholds oneness
everywhere. He also feels that the Divine Mother is identical
with Brahman.
Worship of the Divine Mother, intense faith, perfect devotion
and self-surrender will help one attain Her grace. Through Her
grace alone can knowledge of the Imperishable be attained.

YOGA 11 Aug 2012

Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati
The Divine Mother is everywhere. She is endowed with
the three gunas: sattwa, rajas and tamas. She manifests as
will, ichcha shakti, action, kriya shakti, and knowledge, jnana
shakti. She is Brahma-shakti, Saraswati in conjunction with
Brahma, Vishnu-shakti, Lakshmi in conjunction with Lord
Vishnu and Shiva-shakti, Mahakali or Durga in conjunction
with Lord Shiva.
Saraswati is cosmic intelligence, cosmic consciousness,
cosmic knowledge. Lakshmi does not merely mean material
wealth like objects, cattle, and so on, but all kinds of prosperity,
glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation or greatness are Lakshmi.
Durga is the transformative power of divinity, the power that
dissolves multiplicity into unity.
Durga assumes many aspects according to the tasks to be
performed by Her – sometimes sweet and tender, and at other
times terrible and devouring. She is always kind and gracious
to Her devotees. Arjuna, the Pandava hero, worshipped
Her before starting the fight against the Kauravas. Sri Rama
worshipped Her at the time of battle with Ravana, to invoke
Her aid in the war. He fought and won by Her grace.
When Vishnu and Mahadeva destroyed many of the
demons, the power of Devi was behind them. Devi gave
Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra the necessary shakti to proceed
with the work of creation, preservation and destruction.

Sing Her praise

Mother’s grace is boundless, Her mercy is illimitable, Her
knowledge is infinite, Her power is immeasurable, Her glory
is ineffable, Her splendour is indescribable.
Approach Her with an open heart, frankness and humility.
Be as simple as a child. Kill ruthlessly selfishness, cunningness
and crookedness. Make a total, unreserved, ungrudging
surrender to Her. Sing Her praise, repeat Her name and
worship Her with faith and unflinching devotion.

YOGA 12 Aug 2012

Radha
From the Teachings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati Swami

Radha is our world Mother, the incarnation of Goddess

Lakshmi, and inseparable devoted partner of the flute-bearer
of Vrindavan, Sri Krishna. She was born in the sacred village
of Barsana, near Mathura.

Lover
Just as heat is inseparable from fire, coolness from ice, and
shadow from man, so is Radha inseparable from Lord Krishna.
Worship of Radha is really worship of Krishna, and worship
of Lord Krishna includes worship of Radha. Radha is an
embodiment of love and devotion. She had no other thought

YOGA 13 Aug 2012

than that of Krishna. She took birth to teach the world the true
relationship of lover and the beloved.
In the esoteric sense, Vrindavan is the heart, Radha the
mind, the gopis are the nerves and senses, the melodious
songs flowing from Sri Krishna’s flute are the anahata sounds
emanating from the heart, sahasrara chakra is the supreme
abode, and Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord, and the river
Yamuna is immortality.
Every nerve, every atom, every cell, every tissue, every pore
in the skin of the body of Radha vibrated with the name of
Krishna. She could never forget Him, not even for one millionth
of a second. She never slept at night, but sang Lord Krishna’s
name all throughout. Like Arjuna and Lakshman, she was a
gudakeshi, one who conquered sleep. Only a little sound from
the flute of Krishna in the dead of night would intoxicate her
with Krishna-prem and draw her into the dense forest to hear
His sweet heart-rending music of the soul. No power on earth
could stop her.
She taught the world the essence of self-surrender, the very
core of the highest bhakti and the highest rung in the ladder
of devotion.
The heart of the rasa-lila is the essence of devotion, para
bhakti, or oneness, the merging of the lover with the beloved.
The secret of rasa-lila is that men and women while remaining
in the world engaged in a variety of activities can develop
divine love for Krishna, and realize God. It teaches aspirants
to give their minds to God and hands to work, to sing and
dance in divine ecstasy.
The Sufis have admiration and devotion for Radha and
Krishna. Their philosophy is founded on Radha’s devotion
towards Lord Krishna, and they try to develop the same inner
feeling as Radha held for Him.

She is all
Radha is Durga, Parvati; she is the world Mother. She is the
creatrix and generatrix of the universe. The whole divine play

YOGA 14 Aug 2012

is kept up by Her, and She sways the world through Her three
gunas of sattwa, rajas and tamas.
She is the doctor, the nurse, the medicine, the patient,
the cup. All are her manifestations, for she is the dynamic
Brahman. She is shakti, or power. Without her, not a single
atom can move. She is the light in the sun, taste in water, shakti
in electricity and willpower, fragrance and beauty in flowers
and the Himalayan landscape, splendour in the stars, chivalry
in warriors, devotion in bhaktas, and revolution in electrons.
She is ignorance, delusion and knowledge. She is the Vedas.
Whatever you see, hear, feel, taste and smell is Radha. In this
world there is nothing other save Radha. She guides seekers,
nourishes babies, and is the untiring gardener of the whole
universe. Her glory is indescribable, her splendour ineffable
and her beauty, love and intelligence unfathomable.
Without her grace, no spiritual progress is possible. Without
Her grace, no cultivation of devotion for, or darshan of, Lord
Krishna is possible. Without her blessing, control of mind can
hardly be attained. It is she who introduces the sincere aspirant
to Lord Krishna, takes care of the devotee’s sadhana and leads
him, holding him in her hands.

Power of the name

In Vrindavan, people sing the name of Krishna as Radhe-Shyam
or Radhe-Krishna in a sweet melodious tune, capable of piercing
the stony hearts of rank materialists, confirmed scientists,
socialists and atheists alike.
In the two combined names, Radhe-Shyam and Sita-Ram,
Radhe or Sita comes first. Radha says to bhaktas, “If you
remember me, I will introduce you to your father, Lord Krishna,
and acquire for you peace, knowledge, and immortality.”
There is philosophy in the word Radha. Imagine on a
blackboard a circle and within the circle the letters R A D H
A are written. If you read from the lower A you will make
out the word ARADH, aradhy a means worship. Therefore,
Radha says, “O bhaktas! If you do aradhana, worship, of my

YOGA 15 Aug 2012

beloved Lord Krishna, if you sing his name Radhe-Shyam or
Radhe-Krishna with feeling and love, you will soon have His
darshan and all your miseries will come to an end.”
If you read from the upper A you will make out the word
ADHAR, meaning prop, support or substratum. Therefore,
Radha also says, “O bhaktas! If you worship Lord Krishna
with the feeling that He is the substratum, the support of the
universe, He will free you quickly from samsara, the wheel of
birth and death.”
Now, if you read from DHA, then you will make out the
word DHARA which means flow. Then Radha says, “I shall
tell you how to worship Lord Krishna. Bhakti should flow from
your hearts like dhara, the unbroken, continuous flow of oil or
water when poured from one vessel to another. The mind should
be steadily fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord, never thinking of
another. Then only you will get mukti, liberation. Then alone
will you have the constant companionship of the Lord.”
Remember the four magic words, Radha, aradhana,
adhara, and dhara, for they will help you develop bhakti and
para-bhakti.

YOGA 16 Aug 2012

Makers of the Nation
From the teachings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati

O Devis! The destiny of the world is entirely in your hands.

You are holding the master-key of the world. Train your
children in the spiritual path. Sow the spiritual seed when they
are young. O Devis of the world, strive for the higher life, the
grand, sublime, the only real life. Don’t be satisfied with the
petty material necessities of life on earth.
Remember what Maitreyi said to her husband, Yajnavalkya,
when he offered her his riches, “What shall I do with the wealth
of this world if thereby I would not become immortal?”
To chain themselves with the bondage of samsara is not
the birthright of the women of the world. To get stuck in
family, children and relatives is not the ideal of courageous
and discriminative women.

Symbol of God
Every mother of the world should realize her responsibility
to awaken herself, her children, her family and her husband,
to the true light, and splendour of spiritual life.
In the Markandeya Purana it is said that Madalasa, wife of
king Traterdan of the lunar dynasty, was a realized soul. And
what a glorious mother she was. When her little son cried, she
simply sang to him:
Shuddhosi, buddhosi, niranjanosi, samsara maya parivarjitosi.
You are pure, you are consciousness, you are taintless,
you are devoid of the maya of samsara.

Such was the advaitic instruction which Madalasa gave to

her children when she rocked them in the cradle. How many
mothers today have got the fortune to teach their children such
profound knowledge? She did not ask her children to study

YOGA 17 Aug 2012

up to the post-graduate examination, and then seek for some
employment. But she made all her children sages.
Present-day mothers would try to crush the spiritual
tendency of their children even if it is found in them in a
microscopic state. What a sad and pitiable condition. Wake
up, O mothers, and recognize your responsibility. Spiritualize
yourselves, your children, and your husbands, for you are the
makers of the family.
You are the makers of the nations and are the builders of
the world. Do not be cowardly. Come out of your homes – the
homes of delusion and vanity. Be real sannyasinis and bring
glory and greatness to the world, for that is real boldness and
courage, real wisdom and understanding.
A woman is not a woman if she is devoid of the spiritual
fire in her, if she is ignorant of a higher life. A woman’s duty is
not merely family. Her duty is also to transcend the family. Her
duty does not lie in bangles, jackets, powders and scents. Her
duty does not lie in getting employment for her children. Her
duty is also concerned with the Self, the Atman, the Brahman.
Such a woman is a real symbol of God. She is to be adored,
she is to be worshipped.

Girls need to have an independent career at all costs. Education

provides them with sufficient means to live without obligation to
anybody.
—Swami Satyananda Saraswati

YOGA 18 Aug 2012

Mirabai
From the teachings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Mirabai is regarded as an incarnation of Radha. She was born

in 1502 in the village of Kurkhi in Rajasthan. She was the
daughter of Rathan Singh Ranthor, who, along with his entire
family, was a great devotee of Vishnu. Mira was brought up
amidst Vaishnava influence which moulded her life on the
path of devotion towards Lord Krishna.

Childhood
When she was only four years old, Mira manifested religious
tendencies and learned to worship Krishna.
One day, a marriage procession was passing in front of her
house and she saw the well-dressed bridegroom. She asked
her mother quite innocently, “Dear mother, who is going to be
my bridegroom?” Mira’s mother smiled, and, half in jest and
half in earnest, pointed to the image of Sri Krishna and said,
“My dear Mira, Lord Krishna – this beautiful image – will be
your bridegroom.”
The young Mira began to love the idol of Krishna intensely and
spent much of her time bathing and dressing it. She worshipped
the image, slept with it and danced around it ecstatically. She
sang beautiful songs in front of it and talked to it.

Relatives
Mira’s father arranged for her marriage with Rana Kumbha
of Chitore. Mira was a dutiful wife and obeyed her husband’s
orders implicitly. At the end of every day, when the household
duties were over, she would go to the temple of Lord Krishna
and worship him, sing and dance before the image. The little
image would get up, embrace her, play the flute and talk to
her. Mira’s mother-in-law was worldly-minded and jealous,
and did not like the behaviour of Mira.

YOGA 19 Aug 2012

 She tried to force her to worship Goddess Durga but Mira
was adamant. She said, “I have already given my life to my
beloved Lord Krishna.”
Her sister-in-law formed a conspiracy and began to defame
the innocent Mira. She informed Rana Kumbha that Mira was
secretly in love with others, and that she, with her own eyes,
had witnessed Mira in the temple with her lovers. She said
that she would reveal the lovers to him if he would go with
her to the temple during the night. She further added that
Mira through her present conduct had brought great disgrace
upon the Rana family.
In the dead of night, Rana broke open the door of the temple
and rushed inside. He found Mira alone in an ecstatic mood,
and talking to the idol.
He questioned her, “Mira, with whom were you talking
just now? Reveal to me your lover.”
Mira replied, “There He sits, my Lord, the Navichora who
has stolen my heart.” She then went into a trance.

Torture
Mira was persecuted in various ways by the Rana and his
relatives. She received the same treatment that Prahlad had
received from his father Hiranyakashipu. Lord Hari shielded
Prahlad, and it was Lord Krishna who always stood at the
side of Mira.
One day, the Rana sent a cobra in a basket, with a message
that it contained a garland of flowers. Mira took her bath and
performed her worship. After finishing her meditation, she
opened the basket and found a lovely idol of Krishna and a
garland of flowers.
Another time, the Rana sent her a cup of poison with a
message saying that it was nectar. Mira first offered it to the
Lord and consumed it as his prasad, for it was real nectar to her.
On still another occasion, the Rana sent a bed of nails for her to
sleep on. That night, she finished her worship and slept on the
bed of nails, when it was transformed into a bed of roses.

YOGA 20 Aug 2012

King Akbar
Once, King Akbar and his court musician, Tansen, came in
disguise to Chitore to hear Mira’s inspiring devotional songs.
Both entered the temple and listened to her soul-stirring
songs. Akbar was moved and, before he departed, touched
Mira’s holy feet and placed a necklace of emeralds before the
idol as an offering. Somehow the news reached the Rana that
Akbar had entered the temple in disguise, touched the feet
of Mira, and presented her with a necklace.
The Rana became furious
and ordered Mira to drown
herself in the river, for she had
brought great disgrace upon
his family.

Saved
Mira obeyed the command of
her husband and proceeded to
the river to drown herself. The
names Govinda, Giridhari,
Gopal, were all the while on
her lips. As soon as she raised
her feet from the ground, a
hand from behind grasped
her; she turned around and
saw her beloved Krishna. Mira
went into a trance, but after
a few minutes, opened her
eyes and saw Lord Krishna
smiling.
He said to her, “My dear
Mira, your life with your
mortal husband is now over
and you are absolutely free.
Be cheerful, for you are mine.
Proceed immediately to the

YOGA 21 Aug 2012

avenues of Vrindavan. Seek me there, my child. Be quick.”
Then Krishna disappeared.

Vrindavan
Mira obeyed the divine call immediately, walking barefooted
on the hot sandy beds of Rajasthan. On her journey, she
was received with great hospitality by women, children and
devotees. She reached Vrindavan and found her Flute-Bearer
there. Daily she begged for her food and worshipped in
the Govinda Mandir, which has become a famous place of
pilgrimage. The devotees of Chitore came to Vrindavan to see
her, and even Rana Kumbha came in the guise of a mendicant.
He revealed himself and repented for his cruel misdeeds. At
once, Mira prostrated before him.
Mira wanted to have the darshan of Jivan Gosain, who
was the head of the Vaishnavites in Vrindavan. However, he
declined to see her, sending word that he would not allow
a woman to be in his presence. Mira replied, “Everyone in
Vrindavan is a woman. Only Giridhari Gopal is Purusha.
Only today I have come to know that there is another Purusha
besides Krishna.”
Jivan Gosain was put to shame and realized the greatness of
Mira. At once he went to see her and paid her due respects.

Immortal
Mira’s fame spread far and
wide. Many princesses and
queens have come and gone.
Ranis, kumaris and maharanis
have appeared on the stage
of the world and vanished.
Why is it that only the queen
of Chitore is remembered? Is
it because of her beauty or her
poetic skill? No. It is due to
her renunciation, one-pointed

YOGA 22 Aug 2012

devotion to Lord Krishna and her God-realization. She came
face to face with Lord Krishna, spoke with her beloved and
ate with Him. From the core of her heart, she sang the music
of her soul, the music of her beloved.
She experienced the supreme cosmic vision. She saw
Krishna in the tree, in the stone, in the creeper, in the flower,
in the bird, and in all beings. As long as the name of Krishna
exists, so too will her name exist.
It is extremely difficult to find a parallel to the wonderful
personality of Mira – a saint, philosopher, poet and sage.
Her life has a singular charm with extraordinary beauty and
marvel. She was a princess, but she abandoned the pleasures
and luxuries incident to her high station and instead chose a
life of poverty, austerity and dispassion. Though she was a
delicate young woman, she entered the perilous journey of the
spiritual path and underwent many ordeals with undaunted
courage. Mira had a gigantic will.
Mira’s songs infuse faith, courage, devotion and love of
God in the minds of listeners. They inspire aspirants on the
path of devotion, producing in them a marvellous thrill and
melting of heart.

In the ocean of love

Mira was fearless, joyful, amiable, graceful and elegant. She
never cared about public criticism or scriptural injunctions. She
did not perform ritualistic worship, she danced in the streets.
Krishna was her husband, father, mother, friend, relative and
guru.
The fragrance of Mira’s devotion wafted far and wide. All
who came into contact with her were affected by her strong
current of love. Her heart was a temple of devotion, and her
face, the lotus flower of divine love. There was kindness in her
expression, love in her speech, joy in her demeanour, power
in her words, and fervour in her songs.
Mira’s mystic songs are a soothing balm to the wounded
hearts and tired nerves. The sweet music of her songs exerts a

YOGA 23 Aug 2012

benign influence on listeners, removes discord and disharmony
and lulls them to sleep. So great is the power of love expressed
through her songs that even the irreligious and absolute
atheists are profoundly moved.
The name of Giridhari Gopal was always on Mira’s lips, and
even in dreams she lived and had her being in Lord Krishna.
Such an exalted state cannot be adequately described in words.
Mira was sunk in the ocean of love.

YOGA 24 Aug 2012

 I have watered the creeper
of love with my tears.
I have watered the creeper of love with my tears.
Now the creeper has grown, the fruit shall be bliss.
The Lord of my heart is delaying.
The clouds of grief are enveloping me.
The scattered clouds have come,
But they have not brought any news from my Beloved.
I have planted the vine of love and irrigated it
Again and again with the waters of tears.
The whole world sleeps, I alone sit awake to meet my Beloved.
There is another who strings a garland of tears.
When shall I meet my Beloved Giridhari Nagar,
When shall the bower of joy come?
My pain in the heart will vanish only by meeting my Lord.
My Lord! I am restless,
My eyes long for Thy vision,
I feel one night as half-a-year.
O Lord! To whom shall I tell the pang of separation?
My bosom heaves at every sound,
O Lord, when will Thou meet me?
I cannot bear the pain any longer.
Why art Thou so unkind, O Lord?
I am sleepless all the night,
I am waiting the whole night to meet my Beloved.
My body is emaciated O Lord, Thy name is on my lips.
As the chatak looks out for the clouds,
As the fish pines for the water,
Mira is pining to meet her Beloved.
The pain of separation burns my heart,
How can I live without my Beloved?
My heart is restless without Thy vision.
When shall I see Thy sweet face, O my Beloved,
When shall I hear Thy sweet voice?
I am quite restless, O Lord.
Meet me soon, I cannot wait any longer,

YOGA 25 Aug 2012

 The secret arrow of love has pierced my heart,
It has come through the other side.
My heart is burning in separation from my Lord,
My hunger is lost, my sleep is gone.
Dwell in my eyes of Giridhari Nagar,
Enthrone in my heart! Let me hear Thy flute,
Let me behold Thee in every being;
I am dancing and singing to have a sight of Thee.
I cannot suppress my tears however much I try,
They flow like streams and drench my clothes.
I am waiting the whole night to meet Thee,
Every sound stirs me up.
The bosom heaves, the eyes ache, the heart burns
I find solace in my tears, quenching my thirst,
Joy in Thy remembrance, pleasure in Thy name,
Bliss in my dancing, happiness in singing Thy praise.
Mira’s Lord is Giridhari, she cannot live without Him.
—Mirabai

YOGA 26 Aug 2012

Cycles in a Woman’s Life
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

How can a girl avert the ‘crisis of puberty’ through yoga?

At the time of puberty, a girl’s life changes dramatically as
new hormones begin to circulate in her body. Sometimes, these
hormones work in an erratic manner, affecting the behaviour of
the girl to such an extent that her parents think she is mentally
disturbed. The family does not understand what is happening
because they are not aware of the great change that is taking
place within her body.
Instead of helping the girl, the family prevents her from
expressing herself and suppresses her shouting. They may
send her to a mental hospital, consult holy men, or try all
sorts of magic on her. When none of this works, she is taken
to a doctor and given tranquilizers, tranquilizers and more
tranquilizers. The poor girl is dosed with drugs and becomes
very dull even at the young age of nineteen or twenty. But, if
parents are careful and informed, they can avert many potential

YOGA 27 Aug 2012

crises in the girl’s life. When a girl has this problem in India,
everything is concealed to avoid any difficulty in getting her
married.
In the renowned Sanskrit classic Abhijnana Shakuntala by the
poet Kalidasa, it is said that there was a time when girls, along
with boys, at the age of twelve or thirteen, used to live in an
ashram and be educated by the gurukul system for twelve years.
At the end of this period they were initiated into upanayana, a
sacred thread ceremony where they were taught the Gayatri
mantra, pranayama and surya namaskara. Because we have
forgotten these practices over the last few centuries, we have
lost our higher consciousness, and that is why young girls are
suffering today. Through the practices of surya namaskara,
pranayama and Gayatri mantra, girls are able to stabilize their
emotional life and improve their mental and physical health.
—11 February 1982, Prema Samajam, Visakhapatnam,
printed in YOGA Vol.20, No.10 (October 1982)

YOGA 28 Aug 2012

Should women practise asanas during the menstrual cycle?
Women, who experience periods with little flow, may practise
hatha yoga. However, if they suffer from excess flow they
should not practise asanas during the time of menstruation.
Instead, yoga nidra, antar mouna and other yoga practices not
involving the body can be practised.
Any asana which has an effect on the hormonal system
should only be performed after assessing one’s menstrual
quality. So long as the flow is normal, there are certain
asanas which can be done by anyone, such as those of the
pawanmuktasana series.
The period of menstruation indicates the period of
ovulation, when the ovaries begin secreting the ova. During
this period, these hormones affect the nervous system and,
in most cases, there is general imbalance. This imbalance can
even project itself into the experiences during meditation.
However, each case is individual in nature, so one should
seek personal guidance pertaining to yoga practices during
the time of menstruation.
— 14 May 1980, Copenhagen, Denmark

Various traditions say that during the period of menstruation

women are forbidden to go to temples, into the kitchen, and
to do this and that. Are there any scientific or other reasons
for these restrictions, or is it just the prejudices of a male-
dominated society?
Women who experience menstruation are not unholy, from
the scientific point of view and the perspective of common
sense, and there cannot be any two opinions about it. They are
not unholy. Menstruation is a natural process which is taking
place in the body, and nothing should disturb it, neither heavy
work, exposure to chill and cold, involvement in sexual affairs,
nor emotional or nervous breakdowns.
It has been seen that prior to, during, and sometimes a
little after menstruation, a psychological change, disturbance

YOGA 29 Aug 2012

or tremor can occur in some women. Some experience a lot
of emotional seizures, while others small ones; some women
may be a little upset, while others experience annoyance. These
factors have to be taken into account.
In ancient days in every society, the woman had to do a lot
of work, both in the family and outside. It became necessary
that some sort of method be found where, at least for those
five or six days, she could have complete rest. Our ancestors
figured that the only way to manage this was by saying that the
menstruating woman was unholy, but I think they knew that
she was not. There is no question – she can go to a temple, she
can go to a swami, she can do worship, she can do anything.
There are a lot of taboos from the old society which had
some relevance in their own time, because people were not
as informed as we are today. But now we understand what
menstruation is, whether it is loss of blood, hormones, or the
cleaning of the uterine walls.
It is important that this hormonal cycle – I do not even call
it menstruation – should be understood as a very natural state.
It is a condition in a woman’s life, and there is no religious
or spiritual function which she cannot perform during this
time.
In the past, there have been hardly any priestesses in
the temple, church or mosque. There were priests, mullahs,
pundits, high priests, but they were always men, not women,
because people thought, “How can a woman be a priestess,
how can she be a guru, if she becomes unholy for five days
every month?”
These were the concepts of the people in the past; they have
become so deeply engrained and imbedded in the mind that it
will take quite a few generations to wipe out these taboos, not
only about the hormonal cycle. There are millions of beliefs in
our human society in many different areas. They have to be
properly understood and the superstitions relating to those
beliefs should be wiped out in total. People must accept the truth
as truth, no matter how dangerous it is. If we follow the truth,

YOGA 30 Aug 2012

if we are always trying to discover and understand the truth
behind everything, then we have to understand it as it is.
—11 December 1985, Ganga Darshan, Munger

What exercises can be done during pregnancy?

The recommended exercises for pregnant women differ from
woman to woman. However, some of the exercises, like
dhanurasana and makarasana, are completely prohibited. In
the first three to four months of pregnancy, no such restriction is
necessary, but in the last few months, it should be known which
exercises are prohibited and which ones are to be added.
During pregnancy, it is best to practise the entire series of
pawanmuktasana, and, in many cases, more exercises can be
added. Therefore, it is necessary that the woman consult her
teacher.

What is the role of the yoga teacher when a woman is pregnant?

It is of utmost importance to note the reasons why pregnant
ladies practise asanas. Some women practise to counteract

YOGA 31 Aug 2012

the effects of prostaglandins and other hormones that are
destructive to the foetus; some women practise to have a
normal delivery; some women practise to overcome the
possibility of a miscarriage; other women practise to better
meet the needs of the baby. When a woman becomes pregnant
for the first time, so much fear, anxiety and psycho-emotional
problems have to be overcome.
Therefore, prior to giving any practice, yoga teachers must
investigate and understand the reasons behind the woman’s
desire to perform yoga asanas. It is necessary to understand
the woman’s hopes and expectations for the outcome of the
yoga practice.
Once, there was a lady who wanted me to suggest a few
yoga postures. I asked a swami to teach her. After the class, the
teacher told me which asanas she had taught. I asked, “For what
purpose did you teach those asanas?” The swami said, “Because
the woman was pregnant.” I said, “Why did the lady come?”
The teacher could not answer. The next day, I discovered that
the practitioner’s first child was a caesarean delivery, and that
she wanted to avoid having another caesarean.
There is another instance of a lady who had conceived three
times and all three times experienced miscarriage in the sixth
or seventh month of her pregnancy. When I asked her why
she wanted to learn yoga, she said to give birth. It was then
that she revealed to me that she had suffered miscarriages. It
became necessary for me to understand the impact of hormones
on the foetus and, according to that, the postures were selected
and taught to her.
Another lady wanted an asana practice. She had delivered
twenty-two babies, eleven had died and eleven survived. She
was afraid regarding the uncertain survival of the baby she
was carrying. She was not at all worried about having a normal
delivery. She came to yoga to overcome the fear and worry she was
experiencing. I did not teach her any asanas. I gave her a mantra
instead. I instructed her to practise this mantra half an hour in the
morning, half an hour at night, and to see me from time to time

YOGA 32 Aug 2012

to let me know what was happening to her. She came, and was
happy and not at all fearful about the survival of the child.
—2 September, 1981, Sivanandashram, Paris, France

What do you think about abortion?

The question of abortion has become a religious matter
controlled by the church, but abortion has to be understood
and dealt with from a practical and scientific point of view.
Therefore, I do not speak from the religious point of view.
If abortion is prohibited, what will happen? Women are
going to become pregnant, and then what will they do? They
will be forced to do something hidden, which is not a good and
hygienic solution. This happens many times in primitive societies.
Sometimes, a quack doctor does the operation and if it becomes
septic, the girl dies. Sometimes the tool is not sterilized properly,
and the girl can get tetanus, which is risky and dangerous. The
matter should be left open for the girl to choose, and proper care
should be ensured. Those who need an abortion, let them do it.
And those who don’t need it, let them not.
Abortion is safe for the body during the first two to three
months of pregnancy. People think that an abortion interferes

YOGA 33 Aug 2012

with or kills a soul. However, during the first three months of
pregnancy, the foetus is really nothing more than a tumour.
It has no separate life, no separate mind, no individual
consciousness.
In the fourth month, the pranas enter into the mother’s
body, and the soul follows. Then the foetus is no more a
tumour; it is alive and is a soul. It starts developing within as
an individual being attached to a mother. For the health of the
mother and for the soul, an abortion should not be done. But,
if the health of the mother is poor and an abortion is necessary
from a medical point of view, it should be done.
In my opinion, one should not be rigid on these points
either. For those people who would like abortions to be
avoided, there is a way. If an unmarried girl becomes pregnant,
she should be received with dignity and acceptance. Then,
it won’t be necessary for her to have an abortion. In many
countries, an unmarried girl who becomes pregnant has only
two options – either abortion or suicide.
Because modern society is based on primitive roots, we
live a very hypocritical life. Society has to accept whatever

YOGA 34 Aug 2012

is happening. Boys and girls go out to work. They don’t live
behind cloisters. Pregnancies are bound to happen. This makes
it is so difficult for unmarried girls in India. They go to college
or school, and something happens. There is a law that controls
abortion and the girl ultimately has to commit suicide, because
society doesn’t understand or accept her situation.
Therefore, I say, “Yes, there should be a free law.” The
girl goes to a doctor, he keeps her for a few hours and then
everything is okay. Her future husband doesn’t have to know
what happened, and it doesn’t affect her marital life or social
status.
This problem is not only prevalent in India, but in many
countries. Gradually, societies have to become less rigid and
more open, but the laws and beliefs surrounding abortion can
only be changed if you first change your society, your outlook,
your philosophy or your judgements.
—28 June 1984, Chamarande, France

How does yoga help during menopause?

Like puberty, menopause is an important turning point in a
woman’s life. When undergoing puberty, a new emergence of
hormones in the body is experienced; whereas, at the time of
menopause, one is faced with the cessation of that experience.
The system of hatha yoga contains many practices that
are beneficial during menopause, such as the practices which
control prana.
The shatkarmas, the purificatory system of hatha yoga,
must be done at least once every week. During menopause
hyperacidity takes place causing headache and migraine.
Hatha yoga has a beautiful practice called kunjal to overcome
hyperacidity.
To overcome the body’s tendency to retain or assimilate
fat, the more dynamic yogic exercises must be practised, such
as trikonasana and surya namaskara. The woman must also
eat carefully, and a light diet is important.

YOGA 35 Aug 2012

 During menopause, the body is no more that of a young
girl. It does not need the hormones anymore which cause
restless energy. These thyroid and gonadol hormones may be
necessary for young girls, because they need the excitement;
however, when a woman has lived that kind of life, naturally,
these hormones gradually need to diminish. If a woman still
eats food which stimulates the functioning of these hormones,
then she is going to experience problems.
Emotional stress is also experienced during menopause
and is dangerous. Therefore, a woman should devote more
and more time to the calm and quiet practices of concentration
and meditation. At the onset of menopause, every woman
should do an important practice known as antar mouna, inner
silence. In antar mouna, she tries to see the thoughts that
are coming into the mind. When she is able to witness every
thought with total impartiality, then peace is attained in the
body and in the mind.
—11 May 1984, Toulon, France

If somebody starts criticizing, hurting or disturbing you, you do

not have to defend yourself. You have to equip yourself with a
greater form of awareness that makes you brave and bold, and
gives meaning and understanding to every experience in life.
Those who are suffering may come to me. Those who wish to
know God may come to me. Those who deny God may come to
me. Those who love me may come to me. Let them surround me
in any manner they like. I will give them a way of life which will be
practical, divine and trouble-free.
—Swami Satyananda Saraswati

YOGA 36 Aug 2012

 Maha Saraswati

Saraswati, Maha Saraswati

Goddess of real knowledge and true beauty,
Inspire our minds and awaken our hearts.
In your service man is liberated
His dull mind becomes bright
And wisdom manifests within him.
Your gift to the world is yoga,
The path to freedom, love and creative life.
O, Mother Saraswati,
Source of all the sacred scriptures and vedic chants
Mistress of the sixty-four fine arts,
All the arts of living.
You symbolize the essence of tantra,
Of liberated consciousness,
Expansion of all our human capacities.
You are creativity and intuition,
The expression of Brahma who created the cosmos.
O Saraswati, seated within the white lotus on the swan
With book and veena, hands in the gesture of blessing,
It is your great work we do.
In ajapa japa
When the mantra changes itself
From soham to hamso,

YOGA 37 Aug 2012

 This represents discriminating wisdom
The swan on which you sit.
There immersed in meditation
On the lotus of detachment
All our samskaras, good and bad,
Begin to rise and be eliminated.
In your hands you hold the veena,
Its vibrations resound throughout the whole world
Directing the emotions of man.
Its tuning keys are the senses of this body
Through which we are able to attain balance in life.
As the scale ascends the sushumna
It makes a background through the chakras
To our expanding consciousness.
Your face is full of love and compassion.
Radiant and white
Like the kund flower or the moon
You draw inspiration
From the deep well of spirituality
And through you
It pours out to the thirsty world.

Our order of sannyasa is Saraswati

Inspired by your intuition
Which bestows cosmic knowledge.
The akhanda jyoti, eternal light,
Burning in this ashram
Since its foundation in 1964,
On your day of celebration,
Symbolizes the removal
Of all darkness and disease
Both mental and physical
Through the science of yoga.
This is your work,
The inspiration of Saraswati
The spreading of light through yoga.
—Swami Satyananda Saraswati

YOGA 38 Aug 2012

Role of Women in Tantra
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

In tantra, there are two important poles of energy known as

Shiva and Shakti. Shiva and Shakti have various spheres of
existence and operation in the cosmos and in the individual.
In ordinary human society man and woman represent Shiva
and Shakti respectively. In the universal mind, time and
space represent the Shiva and Shakti aspects. In spiritual life,
mind and prana represent Shiva and Shakti. In hatha yogic
texts, these two shaktis are known as ida and pingala. Ida
represents the consciousness and pingala represents the life
force, or prana.
These two shaktis are the opposite poles of energy.
Ordinarily, they are never together, but at the time of creation,
they meet at a point of union in every sphere. In the universal
mind, time and space come together at the nucleus, and when
they unite, the explosion in matter takes place. Here, time is
represented by the positive pole of energy, and space by the
negative pole of energy.

YOGA 39 Aug 2012

 Aspects of awakening
Man and woman are the two
different poles of energy.
These energy poles have been
discussed in detail in the
ancient tantric tradition. One
may have seen a photograph of
Kali standing practically naked,
with one foot placed on Shiva,
who is flat on the ground. She
has a ferocious expression,
a blood-stained tongue and
a mala of 108 human skulls.
This is Kali in the awakened
state. One may also have come
across some rare images of Shiva seated in lotus posture. Half
of his body is Shiva and the other half is Shakti. Then, there
are pictures of Shiva and Parvati sitting in the position of guru
and disciple. Shiva is seated in lotus posture, and Parvati is
seated on a lower platform. Shiva is instructing her in the
secrets of tantra. About one hundred miles from Munger is a
very important centre of tantra known as Tarapeetha. There,
you can see Lord Shiva sucking at the breast of Shakti.
These are four examples of different relationships between
Shiva and Shakti at different levels of evolution and awakening.
At one point, Shakti is the disciple and Shiva is the guru; that
is, woman is the disciple and man is the guru. At another level,
they are not at all different. Shiva and Shakti are intertwined
together in one body, one frame, and one idea. At yet another
level of evolution, Shakti is supreme and Shiva is subservient.
This is the philosophical interpretation of the stages of
awakening of the inherent shakti in everybody.

Spiritual awareness of the woman

In the tantric tradition, the woman is considered to be higher
than the man so far as the tantric initiations are concerned.

YOGA 40 Aug 2012

This should by no means be understood as a social claim. It is
purely a spiritual attitude in relation to the evolution of higher
consciousness. The frame of a woman, her emotions, and her
psychic evolution are definitely higher than that of a man.
Awakening of the spiritual force, or kundalini, is much easier
in the body of a woman than in the body of a man.
Besides this, there is another important point that should be
understood. Generally, a man who goes into the deeper realms
of the mind and comes out is not able to bring these experiences
back with him, but a woman can. It seems that there is very
little difference between a woman’s inner and outer awareness.
When you go deep into your consciousness, you have certain
experiences. When you return from that deeper state of mind
to the gross awareness a veil falls in between those experiences
and the conscious mind. In the case of a woman, this veil does
not fall.
Apart from this, the psychic being of a woman is highly
charged with spiritual awareness. The external expression that
you will find in a woman or girl: love for beauty, tenderness,
sympathy, understanding, are expressions of her inner state.
This indicates that the inner awareness of a woman is very
receptive and ready to explode. I say jokingly, if all women
leave this world, it would become a desert – without colours,
perfumes, smiles or beauty.
From the perspective of kundalini yoga, the woman’s body
is charged by a particular centre, mooladhara chakra, which
can be touched with the fingers. In the male body, this chakra
is intricately situated in a very congested area; men do moola
bandha and still nothing happens. Therefore, awakening can
take place in a woman’s body much quicker than in the body
of a man.
Another important point is that women have always been
the main transporters of energy, while men have been the
medium. The woman may not be your wife; she could be your
mother, daughter or disciple. Mary was Christ’s mother. The
Mother of Aurobindo Ashram was a disciple. In the same way,

YOGA 41 Aug 2012

in the tantric tradition, there is a story of sixty-four yoginis.
The word yogini is the feminine gender of yogi. These yoginis
are worshipped all over India. There are sixty-four temples
dedicated to the sixty-four aspects of the feminine energy.

Vama Marga
When you study the books on tantra, you come across one
central theme: Shakti is the creator, and Shiva is instrumental.
Shiva has never been considered a creator. One of the greatest
thinkers and sages of India, Adi Shankaracharya, wrote in the
first line of his most famous tantric work Saundarya Lahari,
“Without Shakti, how can Shiva create?” Therefore, Hindus
have accepted the union of man and woman in order to
facilitate the process of evolution through tantra.
Although the relationship between man and woman had
different purposes according to the cultural influences from
various parts of the world, Hinduism continued to remain
steadfast on one point – that the relationship between man
and woman has a spiritual objective.
Before marriage, the girl sits on the right side, and when
the marriage ceremony has taken place, she sits on the left.
She is thus known as vama. In Sanskrit vama means ‘one who
is on the left side’. It also refers to ida. Therefore, in tantra, a
woman’s place is on the left side.
There is an old story about Sita and Rama. When Rama
was over sixty years of age, his wife Sita became pregnant
and went to live for some time in the ashram of Sage Valmiki.
During this period, one of Sri Rama’s duties as emperor was
to perform a certain religious ceremony. However, the wise
men ruled that he could not perform that ceremony without
his wife in attendance. Because Sita could not be present, and
the ceremony was compulsory, they constructed a statue of
her likeness, and when the ceremony was being conducted,
the statue was placed on Rama’s left side.
In western countries, vama marga is a misunderstood
concept. It is called ‘left hand tantra’ which is an incorrect

YOGA 42 Aug 2012

translation. In tantra, vama marga actually means the path of
spiritual evolution, which is practised with your wife. Marga
means path and vama means wife, woman, partner, whichever
she may be.

Tantric relationship
In vama marga, it is Shakti who is important, not only in
sexual life but in spiritual practices also, carrying out the
processes of creation and conducting most of the spiritual
rituals. Amongst Hindus, rituals, religious and otherwise, are
mainly conducted by women; men have to sit quietly. Woman
is the commissioner; man is the participant. Whether it is an
ordinary social ceremony, a religious ceremony, the worship
of some deity, or just a day of fasting, it is the woman who
has to introduce it. The man just has to follow her. This is the
tradition in India known as initiation from woman to man.
Vama marga is the spiritual path which can be practised along
with your partner.
The second division is called kaulachara which involves the
mother giving initiation to the son. Particularly the north of

YOGA 43 Aug 2012

Bihar, is the centre for this type of initiation. Up to the borders
of Nepal in the north, Assam in the east, and Uttar Pradesh
in the west, is the area in which the kaulachara initiation
is prevalent, even today. According to this tradition, the
son considers his mother a goddess. Every morning, just as
Christians go to church on Sundays or Hindus to the temple to
bow down or prostrate before the deity, in the same way, the
son approaches his mother. This is not just a social respect that
he pays to the elders of the family. It is a spiritual adoration
which is performed, not because she is his mother, but because
she is his guru.
The same thing is done in vama marga, but here it is not
the son, but the partner, who prostrates before the woman.
The spiritual mark or mark of blessings has to be put, and it
is she who places it on him, not he who places it on her.
These are the two important roles in which the woman is
involved in tantra. It is a sad mistake to consider the woman
in tantra only as a sexual partner. Sexual life is important, but
it is not the only relationship that can exist between a man
and woman. After all, your mother is also a woman, so is
your daughter, just as your wife. Now, are you going to have
a tantric relationship or a sexual relationship with them?

Misuse of tantra
At present the West is rebelling against its own religion. That
is why they are confusing and misinterpreting tantra. They
are trying to create anarchy in the sexual sphere of man. Many
teachers in India are also confused on this matter. In tantra,
you don’t have to fight with your religion or tradition. Tantra
never said that sexual life is a sin. It says that sexual interaction
is a natural urge; do it if you like. Religion in the West has said
it is a sin. Only one man was born without sin, and all the rest
were born with sin.
Naturally, you want to rise above all that guilt. So, you try
to find some justification for sexual life, and tantra becomes
a cover. Tantric thought is very clear and straightforward

YOGA 44 Aug 2012

regarding this point. A verse in one of the ancient texts states
that there is no harm if you drink wine, eat meat, or indulge
in the sexual act. These are natural urges of all human beings,
but if you can transcend them, your spiritual progress will be
very rapid. As such, tantra should not become a cover for any
particular urge in human life.

Woman comes first

In tantra the role of initiator is shifted from the male to the
female. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa always considered his wife
Sarada as Devi, or goddess. In Sanskrit devi means illumined
or illustrious. When Ramakrishna was married, he was very
young and his wife was still a child, but he only regarded her
as the Divine Mother. That is how he always behaved towards
her, and that is what he considered her to be.
In tantra the woman has to be dealt with very carefully
because she is the high tension line for kundalini energy.
You do not have to be afraid of her, but you have to be very
careful because in her lies the potentiality of a great explosion.
If you have a wife, then she is your wife. But if she is also
going to be a tantric partner in your spiritual life, then the
relationship is for a different purpose, and the process is
entirely different.
This tradition has existed in India right from the very
beginning. Whenever a reference is made to a man and woman,
the woman is always referred to first and then the man. We
never say Ram Sita, we always say Sita Ram. You never hear
Shyam Radhe; it is Radhe Shyam, Radhe being the feminine
and Shyam the masculine. This is because in the scheme of
evolution, Shakti comes first and Shiva comes next. With this
attitude, if you go on in spiritual life, either with your wife,
daughter or disciple, then you have to see that she is the
activator and you are the participant in every sphere. Even
if a man has realized the higher awareness, he will still have
difficulty communicating that to others, if he does not bring
a woman into the picture.

YOGA 45 Aug 2012

Hypothesis in hatha yoga
In tantra it is also to be remembered that there is another path
called dakshina marga or vedic tantra. Here, the woman is not
necessarily the daughter, mother or wife, because the aspirant
is considered to have both forces within him. Ida is feminine
and pingala is masculine. Union between the mental and pranic
forces is equivalent to union between a man and woman. That
is the hypothesis in hatha yoga.
Ida is Shakti and pingala is Shiva. When they unite in ajna
chakra it is the real union. The seat of Shakti is in mooladhara.
The seat of Shiva is in sahasrara. Shiva is in eternal yoga nidra
there, inactive, unconcerned, nameless and formless. He has
nothing to do with destruction or creation. His consciousness is
homogeneous and total, and there is no vibration in sahasrara.
Shakti is in mooladhara, and by the practices of yoga, she is
awakened. She becomes aroused and makes her way through
sushumna up to ajna. When Shakti reaches ajna chakra, union
takes place.

Dance of Shiva
This union occurs when the two poles of energy come together.
When you turn on the switch, there is light, because the wires
of the switch are uniting. In the same way, when union takes
place in ajna chakra, an explosion occurs simultaneously. The
energy created in ajna chakra moves up into sahasrara chakra.
There, Shiva and Shakti unite with each other, and when they
unite, when Shiva wakes up from his profound yoga nidra,
he begins to dance. I am not talking about a man, but a force.
Perhaps you have seen an image of Nataraja. That is the
symbolic expression of the awakened Shiva. The awakening
of that force in man is symbolized by the dance of Shiva in
the form of Nataraja.
Next, Shakti and Shiva descend together through the same
path to mooladhara, to the mundane level, the gross plane.
This is the path of saints who come down to us from time to
time. If you read the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, you will

YOGA 46 Aug 2012

understand about this awakening of energy, and its union with
Shiva, both of them dancing together and then coming down
to our plane of existence. That is why, in kriya yoga, we have
ascending and descending passages, arohan and awarohan.
The role of women in the tantric tradition has been defined,
but the position of women in the modern cultures is far from
this. People all over the world are fighting with their guilt and
sin. If you wish to resurrect the pristine position of women
today, then the whole attitude will have to change. You will
have to realize this clearly, so that what you practise and teach
is not a consequence of your religious conflicts within.
The social structure will have to be based on a new concept
of religious realities, in which the role of women in mankind’s
spiritual evolution is fully understood and accepted. This is
absolutely necessary for the emergence of a new society.
—20 December 1980, BSY, Munger
printed in YOGA, Vol. 19, No. 10 (October 1981)

YOGA 47 Aug 2012

 Service to Women

Singing God’s name, visiting pilgrimage places and temples are

good acts. Serving the country or community, building hospitals,
schools and orphanages are good actions. But the best action
is to help women, because the female principle is the basis of
creation.
All the heroes, saints and godly men were born of women.
Rama, Krishna and Hanuman were all born of mothers. Mothers
are the manufacturing plants for babies. Therefore, if women
are served well, the babies of the coming generation will be of a
high quality. The baby daughters born of good mothers will not
be mentally deficient and dull, but intelligent and capable. In the
present times, the best action is service to the mother. The mother
should be served, one’s own as well as others.
Small girls are all future mothers. By serving them, the turmoil
of desires and passions within subsides and serenity prevails. The
root cause of desire and passion is a woman, therefore, begin to
serve the root cause, and the result will be amazing!
—Swami Satyananda Saraswati

YOGA 48 Aug 2012

 Yoga Publications Trust

The Yoga of Sri Krishna

Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
32 pp, soft cover, ISBN 978-93-81620-14-4

The yoga of Sri Krishna was the theme of the satsangs Swamiji gave
in February 2012 at Ganga Darshan Vishwa Yogapeeth and Paduka
Darshan Sannyasa Peeth. Swamiji elucidates the yogic practices that
Sri Krishna taught Arjuna on the battlefield. He explains how these
simple practices cultivate understanding and awareness, and are
methods of managing the different situations one encounters daily.
Swamiji provides a fresh, new perspective on the understanding of the
Bhagavad Gita, as he enumerates the yogic sadhanas that lie hidden
within the text and offers practical steps for the development of
courage, peace and focus in negotiating life’s challenges.
New

For an order form and comprehensive publications price list please contact:
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Satyananda Yoga Websites

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Sita Kalyanam events, Yoga Publications Trust catalogs.

www.rikhiapeeth.net
The Rikhiapeeth blogspot posts a satsang of Sri Swami Satyananda daily on
a wide range of topics concerning spirituality.

Living Yoga with Swami Niranjan

www.yogavision.net/ly/inspire. Dedicated to the vision and mission of Swami
Niranjanananda Saraswati, the spiritual successor of Sri Swami Satyananda
Saraswati, containing news and articles.

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The official website of YOGA magazine. Includes world-
wide links to Satyananda Yoga centres and teachers, a
brief history of Yoga magazine, news and more.

Avahan On-line
www.yogavision.net/ly/sannyasapeeth/avahan. Provides on-line access to Satya
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higher teachings of Sri Swami Sivananda, Sri Swami Satyananda and Swami
Niranjanananda, along with the programs of Sannyasa Peeth.
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Ganga Darshan Events 2012

Sep 8 Sivananda Janmotsava
Sep 12 Swami Satyananda Sannyasa Diwas
Jan 2–6 2013 Ashram Life, Yoga & Satsang Week

Every Saturday Mahamrityunjaya Havan

Every Ekadashi Bhagavad Gita Path
Every Poornima Sundarkand Path
5th & 6th of every Commemoration of Sri Swami
month Satyananda’s Mahasamadhi

Bihar School of Yoga & Bihar Yoga Bharati

Courses 2012
Aug 1–Jan 25 6 Months Gurukul Lifestyle Course
Aug 3–20 Yoga Health Management Course – Arthritis & Spinal
(Hindi)
Oct 1–Jan 25 Yogic Studies Course, 4 months (English)

An Invitation
As the Golden Jubilee World Yoga Convention will be held in
Munger from 23rd to 27th October 2013, Bihar School of Yoga and
Bihar Yoga Bharati will not be offering any courses next year.
In order to prepare for this historic event, the organizers would like
to invite interested people to spend whatever time they can manage
in the ashram to participate in seva and karma yoga. If you think you
can contribute effectively and efficiently towards the Convention,
please contact the ashram.

For more information on the above events contact:

Bihar School of Yoga, Ganga Darshan, Munger, Bihar 811201, India
Tel: 06344-222430, 09304799615 Fax: 06344-220169 Website: www.biharyoga.net
- A self-addressed, stamped envelope must be sent along with enquiries to ensure a response to
your request