Nature of Kriya Yoga

The sages said

Vyasa's disciple, most fortunate Suta, supreme among those who know the Puranas, we wish to hear some other account about Isha. What is the excellent nature of kriya yoga for Uma Jagadamba? Sanatkumara spoke of it to great-souled Vyasa.

Suta replied

Great-souled ones, you are blessed, devoted to Devi and firm in your vows. Listen lovingly to a supreme, secret mystery about the supreme Shakti.

Vyasa asked

Sanatkumara, omniscient son of Brahma, wise one, I wish to hear of the wonderful kriya yoga done for Uma. What are its attributes and what fruits come from pursuing it? Please tell me all that pleases supreme Amba.

Sanatkumara replied

Dvaipayana, you have asked of a secret, but listen and I will tell you all. For gaining enjoyment and liberation three paths to the illustrious mother are spoken of: jnana yoga, kriya yoga and bhakti yoga. Jnana yoga is union of consciousness with the supreme self. Union with external objects is called kriya yoga. Bhakti yoga is single-mindedly offering one's self to Devi. Of the three I will tell you of kriya yoga. Devotion comes from action, knowledge from devotion and liberation from knowledge; so the texts determine. Supreme sage, yoga is the main reason for liberation, and in pursuing yoga kriya yoga is the supreme means. Prakriti is called maya, and the one who wields the maya is eternal brahman; knowing the two to be one, a person is freed from the bonds of worldly life. Kaleya, hear the auspicious fruits of those who build Devi's temple of stone, wood or mud. Great fruits come to those who follow yoga every day, and those fruits come to one who builds Devi's temple. A person with dharma in his self who builds the illustrious mother's abode saves a thousand ancestors of his line and a thousand descendants. As soon as he begins building her temple, the sins gathered over crores of births, slight or many, are destroyed. As the Ganga and Shona are foremost among rivers, the earth foremost among those that forgive, the ocean foremost among the deep and the sun distinguished among planets, so among all gods the illustrious supreme Amba is distinguished. A person who sets up a dwelling for her, foremost of all gods, establishes himself in every birth. Varanasi, Kurukshetra, Prayaga, Pushkara, the Ganga's banks, the ocean shore, Naimisha, Amarakantaka, Shriparvata, very sacred Gokarna, Jnanaparvata, Mathura, Ayodhya and Dvaravati are sacred regions, and there are other spots here and there. A person who builds the mother's dwelling in any of these is freed from the bonds of worldly life, and for as many years as the laid bricks last he gains greatness in Manidvipa for that number multiplied by a thousand.

A person who makes an image of Uma with all the auspicious marks has no cause for fear in the next world. A mortal who sets up Devi's image in an auspicious season under good planets and stars succeeds in his aims by Yogamaya's favour. One who sets up her auspicious image saves past and future generations of his line and carries them across. Bull among sages, merit is gained by establishing the three worlds, but one who sets up Shri Devi gains a crore times more. The merit of setting up Devi in the centre with four gods on four sides cannot be counted. The fruit of chanting Vishnu's name a crore times during an eclipse is gained a crore times over by chanting Shiva's name, and a crore times more again by chanting the name of Shri Devi. A person who establishes Devi, the mother of the universe, in whom the three are established, gains merit by her favour. By the illustrious mother's compassion nothing is impossible for him; his sons and grandsons prosper and all his sins are destroyed. Even one who only mentally wishes to set up an excellent image goes to Uma's world, hard for sages to reach. One who sees it being made and thinks, "If I had the wealth I would do this too," at once gains heaven for his line. By Mahamaya's powers nothing in the three worlds is beyond reach. Those who take refuge with the illustrious supreme Amba, mother of the universe, are not ordinary mortals but should be thought of as Devi's own ganas.

Whether walking, sleeping or standing, those who say the two syllables of the name "Uma" day and night become Shivaa's ganas. Those who in daily or occasional rites worship supreme Shivaa with flowers, incense and lamps go to Uma's abode, as do those who constantly clean and smear Devi's altar with cow dung or mud. One who builds an excellent, lovely temple for Devi has the universal mother's blessing on his family; night and day the illustrious mother says: may those who love me and are mine live a hundred years and meet no calamity. Men who have made auspicious images of Mahadevi Uma, when their human lifespans end, gain greatness in Manidvipa. A practitioner who sets up Mahamaya's image and worships it properly gains all he wishes. Who can count the fruits of one who sets up the illustrious mother's excellent image and bathes it with ghee and honey? Parameshvari must be bathed with water made fragrant with sandalwood, aloe, camphor, muskroot and nut grass, or with milk from single-coloured cows. The excellent offering must have eighteen components, incense and the others. Devi's lamp-waving should be done with wicks soaked in ghee or camphor. On the fifth, eighth and ninth lunar days of the dark fortnight, or in adversity, the mother of the universe must be especially worshipped with fragrances and flowers. One should read the Janani sukta, Shri sukta or Devi sukta, or silently say the mantra. All flowers please Devi, but vishnukranta and tulasi are to be avoided, and lotuses are special. One who offers Devi flowers of gold or silver goes to a supreme destination where crores of siddhas live. At the end of the worship one should always ask forgiveness for any transgressions: Parameshani, bringer of bliss to the universe, be pleased. Full of devotion one should praise her with this mantra, and meditate on her seated on a lion with her hands in the boon and fearlessness gestures. Meditated on so, Maheshani gives devotees the fruits they want. The food offering should be made of many kinds of ripe fruit. A man who eats the offering made to Shambhu's Shakti, the supreme self, is cleansed of all dirt and becomes bright.

A person who keeps Bhavani's vow on the bright third of the month of Chaitra is freed from the bonds of worldly life and gains the supreme destination. A learned person will hold the swing festival on that third and worship Uma, mother of the universe, and Shankara together, using flowers, kumkuma, garments, camphor, aloe, sandalwood, incense, lamps, food offering and perfumes. With Shiva, Devi Mahamaya Maheshvari Shri Gouri is swung on the swing; she ensures everything beneficial. One who keeps the rules and does the swing vow every year has everything desired granted by Shivaa. The bright third of the month of Madhava is known as akshaya tritiya. On that day one must attentively keep Jagadamba's vow, worshipping Gouri and Shankara with mallika, malati, champa, japa and bandhuka flowers and lotuses, and so cleanses sins of thought, word and deed across crores of births, and, these destroyed, can pursue the four aims of human life. One who keeps Maheshvari's vow on the bright third of Jyeshtha and worships her with great delight can accomplish anything. The chariot festival is kept on the bright third of Ashadha and Devi loves it much, so one should perform it according to one's means. The chariot is the earth and its wheels the sun and moon; the horses are the Vedas and the lotus-born is the charioteer. The chariot is studded with many kinds of jewels and decked with flower garlands. Visualising the chariot so, Shivaa must be set in it, and an intelligent person should think of supreme Ambika seated in its centre surveying the world to protect it. As the chariot moves he should cry "Victory," and, to many kinds of music, satisfy her with the words: Devi, kind to the distressed, save those who have taken refuge with you. The chariot must be taken to the boundary and she worshipped there on the chariot with many hymns. After praising her the chariot is brought back to one's own home. Bowing a hundred times one should pray to Jagadambika. A learned person who performs this worship, vow and chariot festival enjoys all pleasures in this world and at the end gains a destination with Devi.

One who keeps Amba's vow by the rules, worshipping her on the bright third in the months of Shravana or Bhadra, rejoices with sons and grandsons and gains wealth and offspring, and at the end goes to Uma's world, above all other worlds. In the bright fortnight of Ashvina, one who keeps the navaratra vow succeeds in all he tries and gains his desires, without doubt. Ishvara, the four-faced, the five-faced, the six-faced or anyone else cannot describe the power of the navaratra vow. Supreme sage, Suratha, Viratha's son, lost his kingdom, but after performing the navaratra vow got it back. By its power wise Sudarshana, king of Ayodhya and Dhruvasandhi's son, got his lost kingdom back. Samadhi performed this king of vows, worshipped Maheshvari, was freed from the bonds of samsara and gained liberation. Shivaa constantly fulfils all the wishes of a man who by the rules worships Devi on the third, fifth, eighth, ninth or fourteenth of the bright fortnight of Ashvina. One who keeps the vow on the bright third in the months of Kartika, Margashirsha, Pousha, Magha or Phalguna and worships Devi, bringer of all that is auspicious, with karavira and other red flowers and perfumes, gains all that is auspicious. For good fortune women must always keep this great vow, and men must keep it for learning, wealth and sons. There are other vows, like that for Uma and Maheshvara, which please Devi, and her devotees who desire liberation must keep them. This Samhita is very sacred and increases devotion to Shiva, full of many accounts. For those who control themselves and devoutly read it or have it read, Shivaa grants enjoyment and liberation. Those who read it or have it read go to the supreme destination. If it is kept in a person's house, written in beautiful letters, and worshipped properly, he gains all he wishes and never fears bhutas, pishachas and other evil beings, and doubtless gains sons, grandsons and prosperity. So this very sacred, beautiful Samhita must always be read and heard by those who desire devotion to Shiva.