Second year – Paper 1

Gheranda Samhita – Chapter 6

Dhyanayoga

Types of Dhyana – 3

1. Sthula Dhyana – Contemplated on Guru or Diety

2. Jyotir Dhyana – Contemplated on Brahma or Prakrti as a mass light.
3. Suksma Dhyana – Contemplated on Brahma as Bindu and kundalini shakti

1. Sthula Dhyana (Gross contemplation)

Method - 1
- Imagine that in the heart region there is an excellent ocean of Nectar
- In the midst of that ocean there is an island of precious stones where sand too is of gems
- On the four side of the island there are Nipa trees with abundance of flowers
- That is surrounded by a forest of Nipa trees and containing flowers of Malati, Mallika,
Jati, Kesara, Champaka, Parijata and Sthalapadma making the quaters fragrant with their
sweet smell.
- In the midst of this, imagine a beautiful Kalpavrksha having four branches representing
four vedas.
- Perpetually laden with fruits and flowers
- Beetles humming and cuckoos singing.
- Fixing his mind there contemplate a mantapa with precious gems.
- In that mantapa imagine a beautiful throne.
- On that meditate on his particular Deity according to the technique taught by the Guru.
- Whatever are the form, ornaments and vehicle of that deity that vision should be
meditated upon.
- This is Sthula Dhyana.

Method - 2
- Imagine, in the pericarp of the great thousand petalled lotus, there lotus with 12 petals.
- White in colour, highly luminous,
- Having 12 Bija letters – ha, sa, ksha, ma, la, va, ra, yum, ha, sa, kha, phrem.
- In the pericarp of this smaller lotus there are three lines forming a triangle – A, Ka, Tha.
- Three angles Ha, La, Ksha.
- In the middle of this triangle, there is the Pranava – Om.
- Contemplate that there is a beautiful seat having Nada and Bindu.
- On that seat, there are two swans, and a pair of wooden sandals.
- There meditate on his Guru Deva,
- Having two arms and three eyes.
- Dressed in pure white, anointed with white sandal-paste,
- Wearing garland of white flowers, to the left of whom stands Shakti of blood-red colour.
- By thus contemplating the guru, Sthula Dhyana is attained.

2. Jyotir Dhyana (contemplation of light)

Method -1
- In Muladhara resides Kundali, in the form of a serpent.
- Jivatma resides there in the form of crest of the flame.
- Contemplate on this flame as the Luminous Brahma. This is Jyotir Dhyana.
 Method -2
- In the middle of the eye-brows, meditate on that Teja
- With a subtle aura of rays, which is Pranava is beyond the reach of Manas.
- This is another method of contemplation of Light.

Result
- Yogi attains success and sees his Self.

3. Suksma Dhyana (Subtle contemplation)

- When by a great good fortune the kundalini is awakened.

- It becomes one with Aatman, rises above level of the sockets of the eyes, and vibrates in
the Brahmarandhra.
- It is not perceived because of high frequency of vibration.
- Yoga becomes successful by Dhyanayoga along with Shambhavi Mudra.
- This is Sukshma Dhyana, difficult to attain by the Devas.

Comparison of three Dhyanas

- Tejo Dhyana is 100 times superior to Sthuladhyana.

- Sukshma Dhyana, which is greatest of all, is hundred thousand times superior to
Tejodhyana.

Results of Dhyana Yoga

- By Dhyana Yoga there is direct perception of the Self.

- By virtue of which the Yogi becomes one with the Atman.