Prashnottara Vahini
Original in Telugu
Q. Some spiritually advanced persons and shastras (sacred body of knowledge, authentic source of knowledge) say that all the lokas (worlds) are all in the body of man! What are those lokas? Where are they situated?
A. Bhu-lokam (in the feet), Bhuvar-lokam (in the genitals), Suvar-lokam (in the navel), Mahar-lokam (in the heart), Jana-lokam (in the throat), Tapo-lokam (in the brow centre) and Satya-lokam (on the forehead). These seven lokas are called the urdhva lokas (upper worlds). They are all situated in the body of man. There are atho lokas (lower worlds), too.
Q. Atho lokas (lower worlds)! What are they? Where do they exist?
A. Atalam (in the soles of the feet), Vitalam (on the nails), Sutalam (in the heels), Talaatalaam (in the calf of the leg), Rasaatalaam (in the knees), Mahaatalam (in the thighs) and Paataalam (in the anus).
Q. If all lokas are in the body—the five elements being the components—what has happened to the sapta samudras, the Seven Legendary Seas? Are they too in the body or in the mind?
A. When the body is the residence for all the lokas, how can the Seven Seas alone have a separate existence when they are supposed to coexist with the lokas? They too are in the body. Lavana Samudram or Salt Sea (as urine), Ikshu Samudram or Cane Juice Sea (as perspiration), Sura Samudram or Sea of Wine (as senses), Sarpi Samudram or the Sea of Ghee (as semen), Dadhi Samudram or Buttermilk Sea (as mucus), Ksheera Samudram or the Sea of Milk (as saliva), and Shuddhodaka Samudram or the Sea of Pure Water (as tears).
Q. People speak of several types of agni or fire; what are they? How are they named?
A. Panchaagni, they are called collectively because they are five in all: Kaalagni (the fire of time); Kshudhaagni (the fire of hunger); Sheetagni (the cold fire); Kopaagni (the fire of anger) and Jnaanaagni (the fire of knowledge).
Q. And where do these reside in the human body?
A. Kaalagni in the feet, Kshudhaagni in the navel, Sheetagni in the heart, Kopaagni in the eye and Jnaanaagni in the atma (soul).
Q. Besides these, there seem to be varieties of nada or sound, too. Are they too in the body? How many types are they? And, their names?
A. Yes, they too are in the gross body itself. There are ten types of sounds: Laladi Ghosham, Bheri Naaam, Chaana Naaam, Mridanga Naaam, Ghanta Naaam, Kaahala Naaam, Kinkini Naaam, Venu Naaam, Bhramara Naaam, and Pranava Naaam.
Q. If all creation is subsumed in this composite of the five elements, the body, what are the things called anda, pinda and brahmanda?
A. Anda means all this creation, liable to evolution and involution; the movable and immovable prakriti (nature), as it is often called. Pinda is the name for the antargatakshara (indestructible inner principle) of all this dvandva (duality). It is the dvandva that produces birth after birth, according to the karma (deeds and their results) of the janma (birth). Now brahmanda (macrocosm) means the collection of maha-bhutas or the inner forces of the pancha-bhutas or five elements. Atma related to the akasha element, jivatma connected with vayu element, pratyagatma arising out of agni element, chaitanya-brahma associated with the jala element, and paramatma attached to the dharani (earth) element - this is the composition of vyashti (man, a separated aggregate, himself composed of individual parts) with all the five maha-bhutas. It is this grouped force that makes the elements operate which is the cause of the behaviour based on dvandva (duality). And that which is beyond these manifested five elements is the avyakta-brahma, the unmanifest absolute existence. This is what is brahmanda.
Q. Swami! I do not clearly understand this rather complex subject. Please explain it to me by means of some simple illustration.
A. Well, anda is the eyeball of the eye; pinda is the pupil of the eye representing bindu (point where the audible syllable of primordial sound OM dissolves) within it; brahmanda is the kana (that which is bound to time, objective world), light that shines therein (can be compared to the lens within the pupil). That which transcends this is nishkana (unbound by time, the timeless, flawless, pure consciousness) and nishkana is brahman. Of course, this can be explained in many other ways too, but, for the intelligent, this is enough.
Index
Preface
The Human Body and the Indriyas
The Fourteen Lokas
The Four Ashramas
Moksham and Karma
Vidya and Bhakti
Obstacles to Moksham
The Pancha Kosas
Yogam and Moksham
Jnanam and Yogam
Brahmavidya and Women
Ashramas and Varnas
The Shastras and Sannyasa
Mantra and Japa
Tapas
Astanga Yoga (The Eightfold Path of Yoga)
The Fourteen Lokas
Original in Telugu
Q. Some spiritually advanced persons and shastras (sacred body of knowledge, authentic source of knowledge) say that all the lokas (worlds) are all in the body of man! What are those lokas? Where are they situated?
A. Bhu-lokam (in the feet), Bhuvar-lokam (in the genitals), Suvar-lokam (in the navel), Mahar-lokam (in the heart), Jana-lokam (in the throat), Tapo-lokam (in the brow centre) and Satya-lokam (on the forehead). These seven lokas are called the urdhva lokas (upper worlds). They are all situated in the body of man. There are atho lokas (lower worlds), too.
Q. Atho lokas (lower worlds)! What are they? Where do they exist?
A. Atalam (in the soles of the feet), Vitalam (on the nails), Sutalam (in the heels), Talaatalaam (in the calf of the leg), Rasaatalaam (in the knees), Mahaatalam (in the thighs) and Paataalam (in the anus).
Q. If all lokas are in the body—the five elements being the components—what has happened to the sapta samudras, the Seven Legendary Seas? Are they too in the body or in the mind?
A. When the body is the residence for all the lokas, how can the Seven Seas alone have a separate existence when they are supposed to coexist with the lokas? They too are in the body. Lavana Samudram or Salt Sea (as urine), Ikshu Samudram or Cane Juice Sea (as perspiration), Sura Samudram or Sea of Wine (as senses), Sarpi Samudram or the Sea of Ghee (as semen), Dadhi Samudram or Buttermilk Sea (as mucus), Ksheera Samudram or the Sea of Milk (as saliva), and Shuddhodaka Samudram or the Sea of Pure Water (as tears).
Q. People speak of several types of agni or fire; what are they? How are they named?
A. Panchaagni, they are called collectively because they are five in all: Kaalagni (the fire of time); Kshudhaagni (the fire of hunger); Sheetagni (the cold fire); Kopaagni (the fire of anger) and Jnaanaagni (the fire of knowledge).
Q. And where do these reside in the human body?
A. Kaalagni in the feet, Kshudhaagni in the navel, Sheetagni in the heart, Kopaagni in the eye and Jnaanaagni in the atma (soul).
Q. Besides these, there seem to be varieties of nada or sound, too. Are they too in the body? How many types are they? And, their names?
A. Yes, they too are in the gross body itself. There are ten types of sounds: Laladi Ghosham, Bheri Naaam, Chaana Naaam, Mridanga Naaam, Ghanta Naaam, Kaahala Naaam, Kinkini Naaam, Venu Naaam, Bhramara Naaam, and Pranava Naaam.
Q. If all creation is subsumed in this composite of the five elements, the body, what are the things called anda, pinda and brahmanda?
A. Anda means all this creation, liable to evolution and involution; the movable and immovable prakriti (nature), as it is often called. Pinda is the name for the antargatakshara (indestructible inner principle) of all this dvandva (duality). It is the dvandva that produces birth after birth, according to the karma (deeds and their results) of the janma (birth). Now brahmanda (macrocosm) means the collection of maha-bhutas or the inner forces of the pancha-bhutas or five elements. Atma related to the akasha element, jivatma connected with vayu element, pratyagatma arising out of agni element, chaitanya-brahma associated with the jala element, and paramatma attached to the dharani (earth) element - this is the composition of vyashti (man, a separated aggregate, himself composed of individual parts) with all the five maha-bhutas. It is this grouped force that makes the elements operate which is the cause of the behaviour based on dvandva (duality). And that which is beyond these manifested five elements is the avyakta-brahma, the unmanifest absolute existence. This is what is brahmanda.
Q. Swami! I do not clearly understand this rather complex subject. Please explain it to me by means of some simple illustration.
A. Well, anda is the eyeball of the eye; pinda is the pupil of the eye representing bindu (point where the audible syllable of primordial sound OM dissolves) within it; brahmanda is the kana (that which is bound to time, objective world), light that shines therein (can be compared to the lens within the pupil). That which transcends this is nishkana (unbound by time, the timeless, flawless, pure consciousness) and nishkana is brahman. Of course, this can be explained in many other ways too, but, for the intelligent, this is enough.