chapter 7: pratyahara🔗

The Withdrawal from Duality

In the Shashtanga Yoga of Sadashiva, Pratyāhāra is a key component that describes how the Yogi moves from the gross to the subtle. It is the space where all the normally outward-going senses shift towards the inner world, towards the Self. Pratyāhāra is a Sanskrit word that refers to the withdrawal of the senses. It is composed of two words, ahara, which means anything we take into ourselves, and prati, meaning away or against. Paramahamsa Nithyananda explains that ahara is not just food, but whatever we take in through all our senses. The television program we are watching, the music we are listening to, the food we eat, the odors that we smell and the touch that we enjoy, are all ahara.

Since sensory perception opens the door to both pleasure and pain, by casting it aside and directing one's awareness inward, one is able to increasingly abide in one's own Self, free of the effects of dvandva, the dual extremes of both outer and inner worlds arising from our incomplete cognitions, like heat-cold, good-bad, right-wrong, happiness-pain, fame-disgrace and so on.

Haṭhapradīpikā of Yogī Svātmārāma describes,

As a tortoise quickly pulls the limbs within, similarly, a Yogī withdraws the senses towards the self (ātman). Whatever favorable or unfavorable a Yogī listens through the ears, he withdraws from all of them considering them as the Self. Whatever hot or cold is touched by the skin, the eminent Yogī withdraws from it knowing it as Self. Whatever ugly or beautiful is seen by the eyes, a Yogī withdraws from it knowing it as Self. Whatever is palatable or unpalatable to the tongue, the Yogī withdraws from it considering it as Self. Whatever pure or impure smelt by the nose, the Yogī considers it as Self and withdraws.

(Chapter VI.3-8)

Paramahamsa Nithyananda explains that our emotions are actually tied to our body fluids. Fear, shock, and suffering are associated with the tears and mucus. Semen is directly connected to lust and guilt. Estrogen is related to the need for attention. Self-torturing concepts are directly connected to sweat. When these body fluids, called rheum, are cleansed using techniques, or when you consciously go through these experiences, the emotions associated will leave your system.

Clear your body fluids to achieve stability of the mind. The capacity to make stable decisions that are not influenced by body fluids or mental patterns and setups created by body fluids, is Pratyāhāra.

For the Yogi, Pratyāhāra is part of the happening of Yoga. When we withdraw life and energy from everything else during Pratyāhāra, the process of centering or flowing towards something is called dhāraṇa.

When dhāraṇa happens, that towards which you are flowing reveals itself to you as oneness; this is known as dhyāna. Being in this state continuously is samādhi. We will discuss the other parts in more detail in the following chapters.

Seeing divinity in all perceptible forms brings delight to the mind and its faculties. Know this as the Pratyāhāra, 'the withdrawal' which should be practiced every moment, again and again.

Paramahamsa Nithyananda explains, when the Kundalini is awakened, the senses shift. They are no longer ordinary. When the Kundalini awakens, when you experience levitation and other shaktis, they are happening from the space of oneness; there you will automatically experience Pratyāhāra.

Let us now explore the different kinds of Pratyāhāra techniques described by Sadashiva.

Atma Pramāṇa - आत्मा प्रमाण Paramahamsa Nithyananda

Pratyahara means not being forced to take any decision by body fluids. Anger, lust, fear, greed, attention please understand, attention need is not male hormones action, it is female hormones action. For male hormone it is a lust, for female hormone it is a attention need.

Atma Pramāṇa - आत्मा प्रमाण Paramahamsa Nithyananda

Man who makes stable decisions, not influenced by body fluids or the mental patterns and setups created by body fluids is Yogi. This capacity is Pratyahara.

Atma Pramāṇa - आत्मा प्रमाण Paramahamsa Nithyananda

When Pratyahāra happens, means, you withdraw your life and energy from everything else and center it on something, the Pratyahāra withdrawing, becomes dhārana, centering. Dhārana means centering, flowing towards something. When that Dhārana happens, that on which you are flowing, reveals itself to you, is Dhyāna. You being in that state continuously is Samādhi.

Pratyahāra means withdrawing from everything else. Dhārana means flowing on one thing. Dhyāna means that truth towards which you are flowing, revealing itself to you—Being in that state continuously is Samādhi

Śāstra Pramāṇa - शास्त्र प्रमाण Vijnana Bhairava Tantra (136)

Translation All the doors of perception produce pain and pleasure through contact with the senses. Thus, casting aside (the sensory objects) and withdrawing (the senses) within, one abides in one's own self. || 136 ||

Āpta Pramāṇa - आप्त प्रमाण Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārāma VI.1

अथ प्रत्याहारः

Translation Pratyāhāra is known as a technique by which the sense organs, such as eyes etc., that are engaged their objects, are withdrawn systematically. 1

Āpta Pramāṇa - आप्त प्रमाण Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārāma VI.3

Translation As a tortoise quickly pulls the limbs within, similarly, a yogī withdraws the senses towards the self (ātman)

Āpta Pramāṇa - आप्त प्रमाण Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārāma VI.4

Translation Whatever favorable or unfavorable a yogī listens through the ears, he withdraws from all of them considering them as the Self. 4

Āpta Pramāṇa - आप्त प्रमाण Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārāma VI.5

Translation Whatever hot or cold is touched by the skin, the eminent yogī withdraws from it knowing it as Self. 5

Āpta Pramāṇa - आप्त प्रमाण Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārāma VI.6

Translation Whatever ugly or beautiful is seen by the eyes, a yogī withdraws from it knowing it as Self. 6

Āpta Pramāṇa - आप्त प्रमाण Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārāma VI.7

Translation Whatever is palatable or unpalatable to the tongue, the yogī withdraws from it considering it as Self. 7

Āpta Pramāṇa - आप्त प्रमाण Haṭhapradīpikā of Svātmārāma VI.8

Translation Whatever pure or impure smelt by the nose, the yogī considers it as Self and withdraws. 8

Effect of Pranayama, Dharana, Pratyahara, Dhyana

Translation By the practice of pranyama, the sadhaka incinerates all the defilements. By Dharana, he annihilates all of his sinful effects. By Pratyahara, he maintains himself completely free from the negative thoughts and vices. And by Dhyana, he becomes capable of nullifying the effects of even those qualities which do not decay.

Pratyahara Defined

Śāstra Pramāṇa - शास्त्र प्रमाण Kirana Agama-Yoga Pada.12-15

Translation Having assumed any one of the postures stated above and keeping the chest erect, one should place the right palm on the left and the right leg on the left knee-joint. He should keep the joined palms just in below his navel and should hold a straight look. Keeping his mind on the heart-lotus, he should keep himself detached from the external objects and senses. He should be this state of restraint so doing as he is in the Yogic practice. This kind of retention of mind is known as Pratyāhāra.

Śāstra Pramāṇa - शास्त्र प्रमाण Shiva Samhita. III. 57

Translation When he gets the power of holding breath (i.e., to be in trance) for three hours, then certainly the wonderful state of Pratyahara is reached without fail.

pratyahara

Power to Manifesting Realities