Antar-yajna

Antar-yajna

Antar-yagya, Antar-yaga

अन्तर्यज्न, अन्तर्याग, antaryajna, antaryāga
antar – "internal"; yajna, yāga – "sacrifice"

Antar-yajna is an internal sacrifice (ritual), worshiping of the deity within oneself, which leads to the opening of internal energy, that is, to the awakening of Kundalini. Kundalini herself is the deity, as well as prana, the power of consciousness and inner fire. In fact, Kundalini-yoga is antar-yajna.

When performing external tantric rituals, yogis also activate all the channels and chakras within themselves. Each upacara has its own yogic correspondence, each chakra in yantra-puja can be correlated with the corresponding chakra in the body. At the same time, if in external rituals exclusively perfect and pure upacharas are offered to the deity, in antar-yajna both perfections and imperfections are brought into the fire of consciousness, since Atman is above of all the opposites (non-dual). The meaning of both the external and internal yajna is contained in a short phrase that is often found in the Vedic yajnas — “idaṃ na mama” (“this is not mine,” donated), that is, we give everything to the deity, we do not appropriate it to ourselves. Through sacrifice, through sincere bestowal, sadhaka is purified.

In yogic practice in the context of the internal yajna, when we are in the state of dhyana, we honor the fire of our consciousness. We donate into it the objects of dhyana, everything with which consciousness comes into contact, and this can be a constant natural practice of yogi.

For Nathas, taking the food is also an internal yajna. Food is offered to the digestive fire, which symbolizes the same fire as in the outer ritual and is also sacred. The fire in homa is the deity on which the rest of the deities depend, since they are all worshiped through fire. Thus, in the inner agnihotra, the nourishment of the inner fire supports the indriyas and manas, which are deities in the inner microverse.

Panchanga antar-yajna (yajna of the five elements).

Just as the outer yajna consists of japa, homa, tarpana, marjana, brahmana-bhojana, same way such elements as patala, paddhati, kavacha, stotra and sahasranama belong to antar-yajna. They all support the power of mantra, as does upachara puja.

Kavacha "dresses" the subtle body in different aspects of the deity (each part of the body corresponds to some deity or siddha), thereby forming a protective sphere or armor.

Sahasranama or shatanama describes 1000 or 100 aspects of the deity: in three doshas, ​​in seven dhatus, in five elements, in chakras, in different aspects of antahkarana, etc., which corresponds to the human microverse.

Stotra is a small text that precedes (and contributes to) dhyana.

Patala is focusing on the chakras (matrika letters located in the petals of the chakras) and contemplating the deities in them.

Paddhati is worshiping of the deity in the eight-petalled lotus of the heart, also known as sthula-dhyana or padastha-dhyana.

Various texts describe the correspondence of the external upacaras to the internal states of raja-yoga. For example:

Atma-puja Upanishad

ॐ तस्य निश्चिन्तनं ध्यानम्।
oṃ tasya niścintanaṃ dhyānam |
Om, [perception of] Him without thoughts is dhyana.

सर्वकर्मनिराकरणमावाहनम्।
sarvakarmanirākaraṇamāvāhanam |
The cessation of all action is avahana.

निश्चलज्ञानमासनम्।
niścalajñānamāsanam |
Affirmation in the Highest Knowledge is asana.

समुन्मनीभावः पाद्यम्।
samunmanībhāvaḥ pādyam |
The state of unmani is padya (water for washing the feet).

सदामनस्कमर्ध्यम्।
sadāmanaskamardhyam |
Continuously staying beyond the mind (amanaska) is ardhya.

सदादीप्तिराचमनीयम्।
sadādīptirācamanīyam |
The eternal [spiritual] light is acamaniya.

वराकृतप्राप्तिः स्नानम्।
varākṛtaprāptiḥ snānam
Realization of the greatness of [Atman] is snana (ablution).

सर्वात्मकत्वं दृश्यविलयो गन्धः।
sarvātmakatvaṃ dṛśyavilayo gandhaḥ |
The dissolution of the visible in You (in Atman), who is the nature of all [existence], is gandha.

दृगविशिष्टात्मानः अक्षताः।
dṛgaviśiṣṭātmānaḥ akṣatāḥ |
The vision of the special nature [of all that exists] is akshata.

चिदादीप्तिः पुष्पम्।
cidādīptiḥ puṣpam |
The fiery light of consciousness is pushpa.

चिदग्निस्वरूपं धूपः।
cidagnisvarūpaṃ dhūpaḥ |
The own form of fire of consciousness is dhupa.

सूर्यात्मकत्वं दीपः।
sūryātmakatvaṃ dīpaḥ |
Your sunny nature is dipa.

परिपूर्णचन्द्रामृतरसैकीकरणं नैवेद्यम्।
paripūrṇacandrāmṛtarasaikīkaraṇaṃ naivedyam |
The amrita nectar emanating from the full moon is naivedya.

निश्चलत्वं प्रदक्षिणम्।
niścalatvaṃ pradakṣiṇam |
Your steadiness is pradakshina.

सोऽहंभावो नमस्कारः।
so'haṃbhāvo namaskāraḥ |
The state of So Ham is namaskara.

परमेश्वरस्तुतिर्मौनम्।
parameśvarastutirmaunam |
The glorification of Parameshvara is mauna.

सदासन्तोषो विसर्जनम्।
sadāsantoṣo visarjanam |
Incessant santosha is visarjana.

एवं परिपूर्णराजयोगिनः सर्वात्मकपूजोपचारः स्यात्।
evaṃ paripūrṇarājayoginaḥ sarvātmakapūjopacāraḥ syāt |
Thus, perfect raja yogis worship the nature of everything with upacharas.

सर्वात्मकत्वं आत्माधारो भवति।
sarvātmakatvaṃ ātmādhāro bhavati |
Foundation of Atman is presence in everything.

सर्वनिरामयपरिपूर्णोऽहमस्मीति मुमुक्षूणां मोक्षैकसिद्धिर्भवति॥
sarvanirāmayaparipūrṇo'hamasmīti mumukṣūṇāṃ mokṣaikasiddhirbhavati ||
Residing in the Self, in a state of perfect completeness and freedom from disease, leads to the attainment of moksha for those who strive for liberation.

इत्युपनिषत्॥ || १ ||
ityupaniṣat || || 1 ||
This is the Upanishada.