This Sanskrit text, attributed to Siddha Gorakhnath, is divided into six chapters called Upadeshas. The Sanskrit edition used for this abstract is the Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati & Other Works of the Nath Yogis, Mallik, 1953. It is also very much worth consulting the English introduction, by Gopinath Kaviraj, to the Siddha Siddhanta Sangraha of Balabhadra, Government Sanskrit College, Benares 1925. This introduction is out of copyright and we have also placed it on this site, here.

The sections in this work are 1) origin of Pinda, 2) discussion of Pinda, 3) knowledge relating to Pinda, 4) foundation of Pinda. 5) unity of Pinda with the Supreme Reality (Parampada), and 6) the nature of the Avadhoot.

The Parampada is also known as Anama, or the nameless. The Pinda itself is Shakti. Pinda means, literally, a ball or an egg. This egg is the cosmic egg or Macrocosm. and also the microcosmic egg, or the human being. It has six forms, called in this text Para (Supreme). Anadi (Without Origin), Adi (Origin), Mahasakara (Great Body), Prakrita (Natural Body) and Garbha (Womb-born Body),

Each of these six aspects of Pinda has itself five factors, these being subdivided into five other divisions. So each of the six aspects of Pinda has 25 qualities.

The five divisions partake of the nature of Space, Air, Water, Fire and Earth -- the five elements or Bhutas. This work primarily belongs to the Kanphat or Gorakhnathi tradition, and having many contacts with the Adinath tradition, should be compared with Kaula Jnana Nirnayam (Prachya Prakashan, 1986). Descriptions of the chakras should not be taken at face value. Many different chakra systems exist. It is only in recent history that the one described in Avalon's Serpent Power has come into general vague.

Lokanath Maharaj.

Chapter One

The first of the six Pindas is Para, or the Supreme. This is identified with Shakti, whose 25 divisions are shown as follows:

Para Pinda
1) Nija or indwelling Shakti, with the five qualities Eternity, Stainlessness, No Sound, No Light, No Emanation. 2) Para Shakti with the five qualities of Non-dependency, Immeasurability, No Divisions, Endlessness, Unmanifastness. 3) Apara or Manifestation Shakti, with the five qualities of Quivering, Emanation, Abundance, Distinction, Vibration. 4) Sukshma or Subtle Shakti, with the five qualities of Wholeness, All Extensiveness, Immovability, Firmness, and Changelessness. 5) Kundalini Shakti with Her five qualities of Fullness, Reflectiveness, Mightiness, Power and Openness.

Anadi Pinda
1) Parampara or Uninterrupted Line, with five qualities of Spotlessness, Without comparison, Beyond all, Without form, Never appearing. 2) Param Padam or Supreme Part with five qualities of No Parts, Very Highest, Without Movement, Numberless, Supreme. 3) Shunya or Void with the five qualities of Playfulness, Fullness, Agitatedness, Unsteadiness. Fickleness 4) Niranjana or the Stainless, with the five qualities of Truthfulness, Spontaneity (Sahaja), Perfect Assimilation (Samarasa), Attentiveness and Omnipresence 5) Paramatma or Supreme Being with five qualities of Imperishability, inability to be Divided, Inability to be Cut, inability to be Burnt, inability to be Destroyed.

Adi Pinda
1) Paramananda or Supreme Bliss with five qualities of Vibration, Happiness, Power, Quietude, Eternal Bliss. 2) Prabodha or Manifestation with five qualities of Arising, Growth, Shining Forth, Expansion, Light. )) Chidudaya or Arising of Consciousness with five qualities of Good Meditation, Discrimination, Doing, Knowing, independence. 4) Prakasha or Illumination with the five qualities of being Undisturbed by Things, Completeness, being Unaffected by Thought, Sama or Equipoise, and Relaxedness. 5) So-Aham or That I Am with five qualities of lmmortality, Entireness, resting in one's own Atma, Cosmic Meditation and Equality with All.

Mahasakara Pinda
1) Maha Akasha or Great Space, with the five qualities Space, Intactness, Untouchability, Consisting of the colour blue, relating to Sound. 2) Maha Vayu or Great Air, the five qualities being Moving About Trembling, Touch, Drying, consisting of the colour purple. 3) Maha Tejas or Great Fire relating to Burning, Cooking, Heat, Sight, and the colour red. 4) Maha Salila or Great Water with the five qualities of Flowing, Moistness, Liquidity, Taste, and the colour white. 5) Maha Prithivi or Great Earth, with five qualities of Grossness, Different Bodies, Firmness, Smell, yellow.

Prakrita Pinda
1) Earth with the five qualities of Bone, Flesh, Skin, Veins and Hair. 2) Water with the five qualities of Saliva, Sweat, Semen, Blood, Urine. 3) Fire with the five qualities Hunger, Thirst, Dream, Languor, Idleness. 4) Air with the five qualities Running, Swimming, Stretching, Bending, Disappointment. 5) Earth with the five qualities of Disease, Hatred, Fear, Shame; Delusion.

The work then proceeds to give five-fold qualities of many other things which seem to pertain to the Garbha Pinda. They are enumerated below.

Qualities of the Antakarana
The Antakarana is the inner complex carried from birth to rebirth. 1) The five qualities of Manas (mind) are Resolution, Wavering, Folly, Stupidity, Mentality. 2) The five qualities of Buddhi (reason) are Discrimination, Dispassion, Peace, Contentment and Patience. 3) The five qualities of Ahankara or Ego are Wishing to have contact, the feeling "this is mine", My Happiness, My Sorrow, This is Mine. 4) The five qualities of Chitta or Observation are Pondering, Constancy, Memory, Reflection, and Making one's own. 5) The five qualities of Chaitanya or full awareness are Reflectiveness, Skill, Steadiness, Thoughtfulness, and Indifference.

The Five Kulas
1) Sattvas -- the five being Compassion, Duty, Mercy, Devotion and Faith. 2) Rajas the five qualities Giving, Enjoyment, Eroticism, Possession, and Having Wealth. 3) Tamas with the five qualities Argumentativeness, Grief, Quarrelsomeness, Bondage and Fraud. 4) Kala or Time with the five qualities Divisions, Periods, Movement, Measure, and Lack of Substance. 5) Jiva or Embodied Being with the five qualities Wake, Dream, Deep Sleep, the Fourth, and that beyond the Fourth.

The Five Shaktis of Manifestation
1) Iccha, with her five qualities Divine Madness, Desire, Longing, Reflection, and Achieving what is Desired. 2) Kriya, with the five Making Love, Effort, Action, Steadiness, and adherence to one's own Kula-cluster. 3) Maya with her five qualities of Arrogance, Envy, Deceit, Acting, and Playfulness. 4) Prakriti with her five qualities Hope, Thirst, Eagerness, Wishing, Duplicity. 5) Vak or Devi as Speech with the five qualities Supremacy, Pashyanti, Madhyama, Vaikhari and Matrika.

The Five Gunas of Personal Experience
1) Karma, the five being Good, Evil, Fame, Dishonour, Looking to the results of action. 2) Kama or sexuality with the five qualities of intercourse, Liking, Playfulness, Desire or Lust. 3) Moon with 16 Kalas, and a 17th called Nirvana. 4) Sun, with 12 Kalas and a 13th called Shining by its own Light. 5) Fire with 10 Kalas, the 11th being Light. (In these last three gunas the 17th, 13th and 11th Kalas are each taken as a synthesis of 16, 12 and 10),

Channels of Bioenergy (Nadis)
These are enumerated in the text as Ida, Pingala -- both of which are related to the nostrils; Sushumna, which is the central channel, Sarasvati, which is on the tongue; Pusha and Alambusha related to the eyes; Gandhari relating to the hands and the ears; Kuhu, which goes to the anus; Shankhini, said to be the lingam aperture. The Brahmarandhra is related through the central path to all of the 10 Nadis.

The 10 Vital Breaths or Vayus
These are related to different functions in the body. The most important vital breath is Prana, said to reside in the heart and consisting of expiration and inspiration, relating to the letters Ha and Sa (Hamsa).

The rest of the first Upadesha describes how, by the combination of red blood and white semen, birth occurs, and enumerates the different stages in the development of an embryo. It is stated that an excess of semen gives males, blood females, and an equal amount gives rise to neuter, hermaphrodite, or homosexual. The chapter closes with the proportions of the different Ayurvedic bases in the body, and states that Vata, Pitta and Sleshma -- the three base Dhatus, give rise to the 10.

Chapter Two

This section deals with the position of the chakras in the body. The fundamental chakra is the place of Kamarupa, it is of a wine-colour, giving the fruit of all sexuality. Shakti is said to reside here. The second chakra is called the Svadishtana, in its centre is a lingam the colour of pink coral, like a young shoot. In there is Oddiyana Pitha, giving the power of all attraction.

Thirdly is the navel chakra, with five petals, and in its centre is Kundalini Shakti coiled up. She is said to resemble 10 million dawn suns, and gives all siddhi. The fourth chakra is the heart-centre, with eight petals. In it is a lingam. It is the seat of Hamsa, the place where all the senses come to reside.

The fifth is the throat chakra, the junction point of Ida and Pingala. Ida is the Moon nadi on the right, and Pingala the Sun nadi on the left. In the centre is Sushumna. One should meditate there on spontaneous sound, which is Nada. Above this is the Talu chakra. Amrita is said to flow from here. It is near the uvula. It is called Rajadanta, and is said to be the place Shankhini Nadi comes to the 10th door or aperture. One is to meditate there on the Void.

Above this is the brow chakra, said to be the Eye of Knowledge. One obtains Siddhi of the circle of the Matrikas by meditating here. It is like the source of Light. The eighth chakra is said to be the Brahmarandhra or Nirvana Chakra. It is the colour of a column of smoke (purple). The three Kutas or peaks are above this. Jalandhara is situated there. If one meditates on this centre it gives liberation.

Above this is another chakra called the Akasha or Space Chakra. It has 16 petals, and in its centre is an Upper Yoni. Over this one should meditate on the Supreme Void, which is said to be the place of Purnagiri Pitha. It gives all desired siddhi.

The 16 Adharas
The text now mentions 16 places where meditation may be accomplished. On the tip of the big toe of the right foot one should meditate on a steady light. The second base is situated in the root chakra, and a flaming fire should he visualised there. Thirdly is the anus, where the Apana vital breath resides. The Fourth is in the penis, where the Brahmagranthis are said to come together. Fifth is the Oddiyana base (see above). Sixthly is the navel centre, in which is Om, where all sound dissolves. The seventh is the heart chakra, where Prana resides.

The eighth is the throat adhara, the place where Ida and Pingala come together. The ninth base is the Ghantika, at the root of the tongue, whence arises the nectar. The 10th is behind this, identified with the Talu chakra. The 11th base is at the tip of the tongue. Meditating here one conquers all disease. The 12th centre is the third eye, where one should meditate on the lunar circle.

Next and 13th is the spot at the root of the nose. Meditating here, one becomes very concentrated of mind. The 14th base is behind the root of the nose. The 15th is on the forehead, and is said to be the centre of Light. At the 16th, above the Brahmarandhra, is the Space Chakra, and here reside the two lotus feet of Shri Guru.

Three Lakshyas or Places of Meditation
These are identified with Moon, Sun and Fire at head, heart and genitals.

Five Spaces
These pervade the body, and each has the characteristic of Voidness. It is stated here that only by meditating on the nine chakras, the 16 bases, the three Lakshyas and the five Spaces does one become a yogi. In passing, it should be noted that the Kashmir Shaivite Netra Tantra follows the above scheme most closely. The chapter closes with a description of the well known eight limbs of yoga.

Chapter Three

This section deals with the identity of macrocosm and microcosm. The tortoise supporting the cosmos is below the feet, On the soles is the Patala underworld. Talatala is in the region of the front of the feet, Mahatala is on the heels. Rasatala is at the ankles. Sutala is associated with the legs.

Vitala is in the region of the knees, and Atala is at the root of the body. Above this resides the Great Fire at the End of Time (Shiva Kalagnirudra).

The three worlds are then described. Bhur is in the genitals. The presiding deity is Indra. At the tip of the penis and at the penis aperture is Mahar Loka. Svar Loka is associated with the womb. In the heart is Rudra Loka. Rudra is said to be one with Ugra. The chest region is Ishvara Loka. The throat region is Sadashiva Loka. In the centre of the throat, in the neck, is Shri Kantha Loka. At the tongue root is Bhairava Loka -- the Heaven of Bhairava. In the 10th aperture is Shiva Loka Above this 10th aperture is Siddha Loka, where dwell eternally the Siddha Nathas.

In the forehead is the Heaven without Origin. The Lord there is Anadi, or the Originless One. At the peak of the head is Kula Loka, the Lord there being Kuleshvara. In the Brahmarandhra is the Lord of the Supreme Absolute. In the Trikuta is Shakti Loka, and Supreme Shakti rules here.

The seven underworlds. and the heavens all reside in the human body. In the nine apertures are the nine divisions (Khandhas) of India. The seven oceans are Identified with the seven bodily Dhatus. The spine is Mount Meru, and Mount Kailasha is the aperture at the top of the head. Other mountain ranges exist where there are bumps on the body. The Vindhya range is on the right ear, and on the left Mount Mainaka.

Shri Parvati is on the forehead. The 64 Yoginis dwell in the joints of the hands and fingers along with the smaller mountain ranges. The great rivers Ganges, Jumna, Chandrabhaga, Sarasvati, Narmada &c. are identified with the veins. Other lesser rivers and streams are associated with the veins and subtle channels of energy throughout the body. Also in the body are the 27 sidereal constellations, the 12 sidereal constellations, all pithas, and the lunar days.

Dwelling in the pores and hairs of the body are the 33 millions of gods and goddesses. Numberless saints are associated with the armpit hair. The Pithas and lesser Pithas (Upapitha) reside in the facial hair. Associated with all the Joints of the body and the other places mentioned are the Elements, the Ghosts (Pretas), the Pishachas, the Rakshasas, the Daityas and the Danavas.

The Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Ganas, Apsaras and Yakshas also dwell in the body. Speech is equivalent to the rays of light outspreading in the cosmos. The Khechari Shaktis, and Dakini &c. dwell in the body. Wind is equivalent to breath, and if tears fall it is equivalent to the rain. .

All the sacred bathing places are in the (108) marmas of the body. The lights of consciousness are the Siddha Naths. The Sun and the Moon are the two eyes. The sentiments reside in the hairs of the legs. Insects and other creeping things are in the urine and waste products.

When a person is happy, she or he is in heaven. When sad, it is hell. Free from these distinctions, one is liberated whether asleep or awake. Maheshvar (Shiva) dwells completely without distinctions in this Cosms, emanating it and shining forth by His own light.

Chapter Four

This section deals with Shakti, who is the support or basis for the Pinda previously mentioned. Kula is manifested Shakti, whilst Akula is non-dual, without any distinctions whatsoever. The union of Kula and Akula is called Samarasa or perfect assimilation.

Parampada may be likened to Supreme Shiva, whilst Kula is Shiva in His immanent form. Both Kula and Akula are inseparate.

Various extracts are given from tantras. These are 'Lalita Svacchanda', 'Pratyabhijna' and 'Vamakeshvara'.. The last extract is to the effect that Shiva and Shakti are one.

Other extracts from other tantras are quoted to further explain the theory behind the practice and to explain what has previously been mentioned.

Chapter Five

Mainly deals with the supremacy of the Guru, and the attainment of the equilibrium of the Pinda, which results in the achievement of Samarasa or perfect assimilation. Only through the grace of the Guru may this be achieved and not through thought or endless discussions. One should obtain it orally and not from a multitude of texts. Only then is one liberated. Parampada is obtained only through the favour of the true Guru.

One who has achieved this Samarasa alone is a Sveccha Yogi, able to do whatever is willed, free from sickness and death. The results of practice for a period of years are described. in the ninth year one achieves a body which is like Vajra. In the 12th year one becomes equal to Shiva, is worshipped in the three worlds, and a Siddha like Shri Bhairava. Success is not achieved by recitation of mantra, penances, meditations. sacrifices, pilgrimages, or worship of Devas, but only through the Guru's grace.

A couplet is given, said to have been spoken by Shiva: "There is nothing greater than Guru. There is nothing greater than Guru. There is nothing greater than Guru. The Guru is Shiva. The Guru is Shiva. The Guru is Shiva. The Guru is Shiva."

If one is not instructed by the Guru but attempts the great work alone then one is a liar as all is achieved through his grace. Such a person is empty of all knowledge.

Chapter Six

Deals with the characteristics of an Avadhoot -- one who has achieved the highest state of all. Such a person is a Siddha Yogi, free from everything, with a complete understanding of the Pinda. Only an Avadhoot may initiate a disciple into the path of Nath Yoga. The Natha school is the best of all other systems, and therefore the Avadhoot is the best of all Gurus. Systems and paths mentioned include Sankhya, Vaishnava, Vedik, Saura, Buddhist, Jaina, and many others.

This path is so superior that it should be carefully hidden. The lotus feet of the Guru should be sought if one wishes to achieve success, and to be free from fear and sorrow.