Anugraha

Anugraha

अनुग्रह, anugraha

Anugraha or anugraha-shakti is God’s or Guru’s mercy descending from above, nectar (amrita), grace. It can be experienced as a flow of pure energy, light, peace (vishranti) or as a void state.

Anugraha is associated with the "upper" Shakti – Urdhva-Kundalini. The concept opposite in meaning is "nigraha" or "tirodhana", it indicates the limiting aspect of Kundalini, which keeps a person in spiritual ignorance.

Development in yoga and tantra occurs not only through methods: recognition of one's own true nature, identical to Shiva, is possible thanks to the blessing of the Supreme. Sadhaka comes to anugraha through self-sacrifice and complete openness, sincerely entrusting himself to Guru.

A full-fledged sadhana involves the development of the "upper" and "lower" Kundalini (Adho-kundalini). The latter is localized in the area of kanda, its power is revealed by hatha-yoga practices, but the perfect awakening of the ascending energy is realized thanks to Urdhva-kundalini. The union of the two Shaktis leads the practitioner to the attainment of the Supreme Knowledge.

According to tantric texts, when the downward current (anugraha-shakti) is poured out, the energy of concealment (tirodhana) turns into knowledge. The presence of anugraha naturally regulates any instincts in the body, bringing them to perfect balance.

Yogi Guru Matsyendranath Maharaj says the following about the descending power of God:

“Regarding anugraha: whether it descends or comes from outside – this is of relative importance, but at the level of initial practices, it might be important. In fact, there are two tattvas: Shiva – as pure consciousness, and Shakti – as that which bestows the light of bliss, She is the nature (sahaja) expressed in this world, and She teaches us, since She is Mahavidya, teaches us to reveal that very pure consciousness, awakens from the sleep of an inert nature, and this can happen in an infinite number of ways. But this ‘learning’ does not happen drearily and tediously, in a template or within the framework of any single curriculum. The height of this knowledge is that it can be revealed through everything. This knowledge is not even acquired, because it is, it is pure knowledge when you have thrown off the veils of relativity from your true Self. In all the higher sections of Tantrism, in their very essence, this kind of anugraha is taught.”

The connection between anugraha and prasadam

Many religious rites, pujas, are aimed at the realization of the descending power, anugraha, of the revered Deity. The sadhaka with full openness and love sacrifices to the Devata what is valuable to him, and then takes it back as prasadam. The meaning of this term is wider than just "sanctified food." "Prasada" – from "sada" (to sit down), i.e. the grace of Supreme settles, is established in food, which in fact is anugraha.