CHINAR SHADE : ACCORDING TO KABIR " THE TARGET LIES BEYOND THE SUN AND THE MOON" .

GAGAN KI AUT NISSANA HAI BHAI..KABIR

( Brother! The target is beyond Time and Space )

About this Kabir Nirguna Bhajans sung by Kumar Gandharva and many others ,Professor Linda Hess of the Department of Religious Studies at Stanford University writes this :

" It stirs inside me, and a hard crust that is like a body within my body begins to come apart. It just comes apart and dissolves. What is underneath it is so pure and shining and open, it can receive that beautiful sound with no resistance. What was closed is open. The sound moves freely in my body, the beautiful body that shines forth when the crust dissolves. I can’t believe that this gift is being given to me. When it’s over I can’t talk. They ask me to come to lunch but when I put my hand on the food, I can’t eat. I go into the other room and cry till it seems to be enough. I’m full of gratitude and amazement. It seems to me that for the first time I understand what they mean here when they say “The guru’s grace”. This gift comes into you and changes you. It is completely unexpected."

I will interpret this song in two ways :-

(1)

Interpretation As Per Yoga-Sutras

As per Yog-Sutras, the three principal nadis run from the base of the spine to the head, and are the ida on the left,the pingala on the right and the sushumna in the centre.

Ultimately the goal is to unblock the Sushmna nadi and arrive into the world of spiritual liberation .This is done by bringing a balance between Ida and Pingla.Sushumna nadi is also called Brahmanadi, or the channel of the Absolute (Brahman).

According to Yoga Sutras, most people live and die in Ida and Pingala; Sushumna, the central space, remains dormant. Yog Sutras say that Sushumna is the most significant aspect of human physiology. Only when energies enter into Sushumna, life really begins.It is reactive to what is outside. But once the energies enter into Sushumna, one attains a new kind of balance, an inner balance where whatever happens outside, there is a certain space within which never gets disturbed, which is never in any kind of turmoil, which cannot be touched by the outside situations.

Activation Of Sushumna by SOHAM

The Yog Sutras say ,"Inhale “so,” and exhale “ham” (pronounced “hum”). Simply hear the sound in your mind, as you feel the breath flowing along this central stream. Sit for as long as you like, gradually resting your attention on the breath and the sound, while relaxing your body, breathing, and mind."

According to the ancient yogis, gaining access to sushumna nadi helps take our meditation to the next level and allows us to remain in a state of equanimity in our daily life no matter what the external circumstances are.The relative activity of these nadis is reflected in the flow of breath within the nostrils. Thus, when pingala is active, the breath flows more prominently through the right nostril, and when ida is active, the breath flows more freely through the left.When we breathe through the left nostril, we activate Ida. This breathing is said to have a cooling, calming and refreshing effect. If we breathe in through the right nostril, this has a warming and activating effect. The breathing practice of Sushumna Pranayama is designed to bring balance to the body, mind and spirit."

Pranayama, Yoga Asanas, Chakra meditation, Kundalini Yoga and Mantra Chanting also help in activation of Sushmna nadi.

In the poem of Kabir ,the sun and the moon represent Ida and Pingla while the centre represents the Sushmna . The target is Sushman to reach the sky or the peak of consciousness using the body as bow to strike the arrow of unblocking Sushmna .

Sushmna nadi is the entrance to the divine world.Some people say it is the experience of final Samadhi detailed in Patanjali's Yoga-Sutras. I have found this thought in Isha Upnishad also .I quote:

“The face of the truth is hidden by thy golden orb of the sun. Remove it in order to know" who am I" so that those devoted to the truth may behold its glory.The sun illumines us and shows us what we assume to be reality. But actually that “seeing” veils the Truth (Reality) behind that veil. Therefore we seek to pierce beyond it. "

(2)

One More Interpretation Of the Song

Does the sky represent detachment in its infinite form ? Through rains, sunlight, clouds, air and atmosphere, the sky is organically connected to the earth yet totally detached from it. The target is up above and beyond the seen objects .It can be reached only after passing and crossing the bridge of detachment .In this journey, the pull of the detachment helps to gain altitude to come closer and closer to the target. The target is somewhere beyond zero gravity area.

Through this detachment, the mind tends to touch the target hidden up above .Those who are struck by detachment know where it takes them. And those who know it , have understood that this is the only way forward towards the target.

Those who live by 'BE IN IT AND BE ABOVE IT' doctrine , say it loudly that only a ' Sukshama ' has the capacity and capability to rise and move up and up towards the target. And unburdening is the only way out to become' Sukshama' . And Unburdening is the the secret of ' the practitioners of ' Be in it and be above it ' doctrine?

Is the vastness, inaccessibility, consonance, and continuance of the sky a great attraction towards understanding of the nature of ultimate reality ?

In this song the target is told to be beyond space (sky) - and even beyond time - a reality that is ever-present, everywhere but cannot be perceived by the senses. Therefore this destination cannot be described in words or shown visually but only told as something "beyond" what we can touch, taste, smell, hear or see.

The sun is the passionate hot current while the moon is the dispassionate, detachment-like cooling flow. A practice of balancing these opposing forces is indicated for reaching the target .Having balanced these two forces, body becomes a perfect instrument (bow) for launching the life force into the ultimate. Even though this arrow is penetrating incisively through the body, no wound or external marks are evident because the journey is subtle and completely internal. Only the person practicing knows of this revelatory travel.

The song

Gagan Ki Aut Nisana Hai Bhai

Dahine Sur Chandrama Baanhe,

Tin Ke Beech Chhipaana Hai

Tan Ki Kamaan Surat Ka Raunda,

Shabad Baan Le Taana Hai

Maarat Baan Bidha Tan Hi Tan,

Satguru Ka Parwana Hai

Maaryo Baan Ghav Nahin Tan Me,

Jin Laaga Tin Jaana Hai

Kahe Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho,

Jin Jaana Tin Maana Hai ...."

My translation is like this:-

"The target that I aim

lies hidden beyond the sky.

To the right lies the sun

To the left the moon,

In between these two

it has to be concealed somewhere

Let this body be my bow,

Let my visualisation be the string roll,

Let the Anhada Shabd ( unstruck sound ) be my arrow,

Let me be erect and ready to aim,

Here goes the arrow

Leaving the body apparatus behind

Like the messanger of the true Yogic master,

When such an arrow hits

there is no injury no wound either.

Those who are struck

can only experience as to what it really is.

Says Kabir,

"Listen O seeker

to know this phenomenon

experience it.."

(Avtar Mota)

Word Sukshma used by me will be better understood in context of Kabir's lines once we read its usage in scriptures as well. And the reference is not to 'Sukshma Shareera" only but more importantly to "Sukshma Chita ".