Conclusion of Vijnana Bhairava Tantra

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 139 - 141 :

Shiva says :

O Goddess, I have told you 112 ways to make mind still, knowing which people become wise. Even if one of the way is practiced perfectly, one can  attain Bhairava consciousness. He becomes free from old age, attains immortality, and is endowed with Siddhis, he becomes master of all siddhas and darling of yoginis.

One;

VBT 142, 143, 144 :

Devi says :

O Lord, if this is the nature of supreme, He is liberated while alive and not affected. Tell me, in the established order, who is to be invoked, and what would be the invocation ? who is to be worshipped ? or meditated upon ? and who is to be gratified by worship ? To whom should the invocations be made ? to whom should the oblations be done during sacrifice ? how should these be done ?

Bhairava says : 

O Gazelle eyed one, these acts are verily the acts of gross forms of worship.

VBT 145 - 163 :

Bhairava says :

The thought of being in supreme consciousness is also japa. When the intellect becomes steady, formless and supportless, then know that meditation is attained. Imagination of form of divine with body, eyes, mouth, hands etc is not meditation.

Offering of flowers, is not pooja or worship. Making the mind steady in the great void, in nirvikalpa is worship. Practice these and whatever experience is produced develops day by day and absolute fullness is attained soon. 

The real oblation is when the elements and senses and mind are poured as oblation into fire of great void, using consciousness as ladle. This destroys all sins, and bliss and satisfaction becomes saviour of all.

The real contemplation is that state where one is absorbed into the shakti of Rudra. Who is to be gratified ?

One's Self is the all pervasive bliss of freedom, and essence of consciousness. Absorbtion into that Self is the real purification. 

The oblations and worshipper are all one and same. What then is worship ?

Kundalini rising to sahasrara is the real worship. The breath is exhaled with sound 'Ha', and inhaled with sound 'Sa', thus with every breath this 'Hamsa' mantra is repeated. This mantra-japa of Devi is available for everybody easily 21600 times during day and night and difficult only for ignorant. 

O Goddess, This teaching should not be revealed to all, expecially not to cruel, evil or to those who have not surrendered to Guru. These teachings should only be revealed to those who are self-controlled and free of vikalpas. Those who have renounced son, wife, relatives, home, village, kingdom, and country should be accepted for initiation. This supreme wealth is ever lasting.

One may give up prana, but this teaching should not be given up.

The asupicious Goddess says :

O great Lord Shankara , God of Gods, I am now fully satisfied. Today I have understood the essence of Rudrayamala tantra and also the heart of all different shaktis.

Thus saying, the Goddess embraced Shiva in delight.

Hari Om

Sri Sadguru M. Narasimha Prabhu paada padmamula andu samarpanamastu.

Dedicating this study of Vijnana Bhairava Tantra at the lotus feet of  Sadguru M. Narasimha Prabhu.

Dissolve four

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 138 :

Maanasam chetanaa shaktir aatmaa cheti chatushtayam,

yadaa priye pariksheenam tadaa tad bhairavam vapuh

Translation :

O Dear, When the four, the mind, awareness, energy, individual self, dissolve, then that Bhairava state manifests.

Commentary :

This is a statement rather than a 'to do'. When mind , awareness, energy and individual self dissolve, then the Bhairava consciousness is attained.

Knowledge and knower dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 137 :

Jnaanaprakaashakam sarvam sarvenaatmaa prakaashakah,

ekam ekasvabhaavatvaat jnaanam jneyam vibhaavyate

Translation :

Knowledge reveals all, and the self of all is the revealer, and the knowledge and knower is of same nature. One should meditate on knowledge and known.

Commentary :

Known is the object, knower is the self, and knowledge is about the object.  The nature of knowledge and knower is same. With this knowledge contemplate on knowledge and known.

What this means is that knower, and known is also same.

Pratyahara

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 136 :

Indriyadvaarakam sarvam sukhaduhkhaadisangamam,

iteendriyaani samtyajya svasthah svaatmani vartate

Translation :

All the doors of perceptions produce pain and pleasure through contact. Leave the senses aside, and situate in yourself, and stay within your Self.

How to do :

All the doors of perception (including mind) produce pain and pleasure and hurt and suffering and joy. To be in the Self, we have to take a break from the contact with these sense perceptions. As the physical body generates sensory perceptions constantly, it is advisable to withdraw your mind from enjoying the sensory perceptions. What this means is , neither be attached to pleasure, nor be repulsed with pain. Have an equal eye towards pain and pleasure. Reduce the mental vagaries, and do not be attached to joy and repulse hurt. You can either embrace both the feelings or be neutral to both the feelings. This neutrality allows your mind to stay near the center, the Self.  

Ever free dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 135 :

Na me bandho na moksho me bheetasyaitaa vibheeshikaah,

pratibimbam idam buddher jaleshv iva vivashvatah

Translation :

There is no bondage and no liberation for me. These scare cowards and are the reflections of intellect, like the reflection of sun in water.

Commentary :

Sun reflects in water, similarly the reflections of intellect are the thoughts 'I am bound, I need to do these practices to be liberated etc'. These scare cowards. But for me, who is Atman, there was no bondage, there is no bondage, there will be no bondage, and the question of  liberation doesnt arise. I am ever free.

Meditate on the above lines.

Atman is changeless dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 134 :

Aatmano nirvikaarasya kva jnaanam kva aacha vaa kriyaa,

jnaanayattaa bahirbhaavaa atah shoonyam idam jagat

Translation :

How can there be knowledge and action for Atma, which is changeless ? All the external objects are under the control of knowledge , therefore, this universe is void.

Commentary :

The Self is changeless. How can there be knowledge or action for atma ? If you allow that Atma can acquire knowledge, that means you are allowing change. Similarly with action. No change can be attributed to Atma. If you look at the world, everywhere there is action as well as exchange of knowledge. In these transactions, all the external objects are defined and controlled. Hence they are ever changing, and what changes doesnt remain what it is, and it doesnt exist anymore. From this thought process, it can be known that the world is void. 

Jagan mithya dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 133 :

Atattvam indrajaalaabham idam sarvam avasthitam,

kim tattvam indrajaalasya iti daardhyaachchamam vrajet

Translation :

This world is illusory like a magic, devoid of essence. What essence is there in magical world ?, convinced firmly of this thought, one attains peace.

How to do :

Shankara Advaita philosophy propounds that 'Brahman alone is Truth, world is illusory or transient appearance in Brahman, individual soul is none other than Brahman'. This sutra is in accordance with that theory, wherein the sadhaka has to think firmly that world is like an illusion created by magician, and devoid of any concreteness. One has to firmly think with conviction that 'What essence is there in a magical appearance of world ?'. This thought pattern weakens the involvement , attachement in life and makes one immune to the vagaries of the life. This leads to peace of mind.

saguna dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 132 :

Nityo vibhur niraadhaaro vyaapakashchaakhilaadhipah,

shabdaan pratikshanam dhyaayan kritaartho arthaanuroopatah

Translation :

Meditate every moment on the meaning of the words like 'eternal', 'omnipresent', 'supportless', 'all pervasive', 'master of all', and attain fulfilment according to the meaning of those words.

How to do :

Take one word amongst the qualities that are used to define the supreme being, like eternal, omnipresent, supportless, all pervasive, master etc and meditate on the meaning of that word. One attains the fulfilment of the meditation according to the meaning on which you meditated. There are many words that describe the supreme. You need not confine yourself to the words given above. You can use the above words and in addition use some more and meditate. 'Yad bhaavam tad bhavati', as you think so you become. 

Tat dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 131 :

Aham mamedam ityaadi pratipattiprasangatah,

niraadhaare mano yaati taddhyaana preranaachchamee

Translation :

When you assert 'I am' or 'This is mine', meditate on 'That', the highest reality and the mind becomes supportless.

How to do :

Whenever a ego based thought comes , such as 'I, me, myself, mine', replace that thought and think of yourself as the highest reality 'That', and see that mind becomes supportless. 'Tat' is 'That', the highest reality, mentioned in the veda vakya 'Tat tvam asi' (thou are that). 

The support of mind is the endless thought waves. When you identify with individual ego, there will be thought waves and mind sustains. When you identify with highest reality 'Tat', thought waves reduce and mind becomes supportless.

Bhairava mantra dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 130 :

Bhayaa sarvam ravayati sarvado vyaapako akhile,

iti bhairavashabdasya santatochchaaranaachchivah

Translation :

Bhairava means who howls and cries, and dispels all fear and terror, giver of all, who pervades all. One who repeats the word Bhairava becomes one with Shiva.

How to do :

Here , the sound 'Bhairava' is given as mantra, chanting which, one becomes Shiva. The meaning of bhairava is given as 'who howls and cries, dispels all fear and terror, giver of all, who pervades all'. 

Rejection of thoughts dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 129 :

Yatra yatra mano yaati tattat tenaiva tatkshanam,

parityajyaanavasthityaa nistarangas tato bhavet

Translation :

Wherever mind goes, cast aside that thought at that very moment, and the mind becomes supportless and free from disturbance.

How to do :

Sit silently , and whatever thought comes to mind, dont pay attention to it, and reject it as if it doesnt belong to you. Do not dwell on any thought. As and when any thought comes, drop it, dont follow it. Immediately mind becomes supportless, and free of disturbance.

External space dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 128 :

Nitye niraashraye shoonye vyaapake kalanojjhite,

baahyaakashe manah kritvaa niraakaasham samaavishet

Translation :

The external space is eternal, without support, void, omnipresent, and cannot be calculated or estimated. Fix the mind on such external space, and enter the formless.

How to do :

Everything exists in space. The external space itself is unsupported, and it cannot be estimated, it is eternal and is void, and omnipresent. Meditate on these aspects of space, and fix your mind on space. The mind assumes those qualities and you enter the formless dimension.

Bhairava is unknowable void dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 127 :

Yad avedyam yad agraahyam yachchoonyam yad abhaavagam,

tat sarvam bhairavam bhaavyam tadante bodhasambhavah

Translation :

Meditate on Bhairava as void which cannot be known, cannot be grasped or imagined. At the end realization takes place.

How to do :

Bhairava consciousness cannot be imagined by mind, it cannot be grasped by senses, it cannot be known by intellect, it is a shoonya, void. Negate all that is known through senses, mind and intellect as Non-Bhairava. What remains is the Bhairava consciousness. 

Middle of opposites dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 126 :

Na dvesham bhaavayet kvaapi na raagam bhaavayet kvachit,

raagadveshavinirmuktau madhye brahma prasarpati

Translation :

One should not think with hatred or friendship towards anything. Be free from both of the feelings and be in between them, there the brahma bhava blooms.

Commentary :

Do not be attached to anything, nor repulse anything. Be neutral towards everything, neither hate nor attachement, be situated in the middle of these two opposing forces. There, the brahma bhaava blooms. 

Equal eye dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 125 :

Samah shatrau cha mitre cha samo maanaavamaanayoh,

brahmanah paripoornatvaad iti jnaatvaa sukhee bhavet

Translation :

One, for who, friend and foe are alike, honour and dishonour are alike, and knows the Brahman to be full and complete, becomes happy.

How to do :

Have an equal eye on people you consider as friends and foes. Do not make distinction between honour and dishonour. Consider everything equally. This requires transcending  likes and dislikes. Consider everything as a part of the package called life. If there is darkness, then only we know the value of light. There is dualism in the world and there is nothing wrong with that, we need contrast in life. If we identify with one part of things and start liking it, and start hating the other part, then it becomes duality of nature, and this mindset starts hurting us. Brahman is complete and full, and allows all opposing things to exist in the world. Knowing that Brahman, one becomes happy.

Advaita dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 124 :

Sarvatra bhairavo bhaavah saamaanyeshvapi gocharah,

na cha tadvyatirekena parosteetyadvayaa gatih

Translation :

Bhairava consciousness is everywhere, even in ordinary. Meditating thus, "There is nothing other than Bhairava", one attains the non-dual state.

How to do :

Meditate ceaselessly at all moments, thinking that 'there is nothing other than Bhairava everywhere, and in everything'. This leads to Advaita bhavana, the non-dualistic experience.

Nirvikalpa mind

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 123 :

Kinchijjnairyaa smritaa shuddhih saa shuddhih shambhu darshane,

na shuchir hyashuchis tasmaan nirvikalpah sukhee bhavet

Translation :

What is considered as pure by people of little knowledge is not considered pure or impure by one who has experienced Shambhu. Nirvikalpa is the real purification, by which one becomes happy.

Commentary :

People of little understanding consider social and moral values as pure, but those who have experienced Shambhu, do not consider those values as neither pure nor impure. Vikalpa means duality in thoughts. Nirvikalpa means mind without duality. Those who have tasted the nirvikalpa state of mind, know that state to be called pure state. Purity of mind which is without vikalpas is the purity and through that happiness is attained.

Boundaries of perception dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 122 :

Vastvantare vedyamaane sarvavastushu shoonyataa,

taam eva manasaa dhyaatvaa vidito api prashaamyati

Translation :

When an object is percieved, all other objects are absent from mind. Meditate on that non-existence of other objects, even though the particular object is percieved, the mind gets tranquility.

How to do :

Select an object on which your mind can dwell longer. Concentrate on that object. This excludes knowledge of other objects in your mind. Meditate on the non-existence of other objects as far as your mind is concerned, even though the object of concentration is still percieved by mind, leads to tranquility of mind.

The theory behind this  is "What you are able to percieve is the boundary of your perception and anything that exists outside of your perception doesnt exist (as far as your mind goes)". If you are concentrating on an object, dont think that other objects that you dont percieve exist. Through that meditation on vaccuity, tranquility arises.

Intuition Dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 121 :

Bhaktyudrekaad viraktasya yaadrishee jaayate matih,

saa shaktih shaankaree nityam bhaavayettaam tatah shivah

Translation :

The intuition that develops due to intense devotion of a detached person is the shakti of shankara. By meditating on that shakti, shiva is revealed.

Commentary :

We have instinct, intelligence, intellect and when intense devotion is there on a perfectly detached person, intuition opens up. Through that intuition Shiva is revealed.

Unmani dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

VBT 120 :

Kvachid vastuni vinyasya shanair drishtim nivartayet,

tajjnaanam chitta sahitam devi shoonyaalayo bhavet

Translation :

O Devi, Place your momentary gaze on an object, and slowly withdraw it with knowledge and impression of that, one becomes abode of void.

How to do :

This is called 'Unmani' mudra or 'bhairavi' mudra.

Look at an object, and take the knowledge and impression of that object into your mind and go into your mental world, oblivious of external object. You enter into void.