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Bhabhut-diksha

Bhabhut-diksha

भभूत-दीक्षा, bhabhūt- dīkṣā

Bhabhut-diksha is a particular diksha in the Nath Tradition, in which the Bhabhut-Guru transmits to the disciple special mantras and knowledge on how to apply sacred ashes on the body (bhasma-dharana).

Bhabhut symbolizes the emptiness (shunya) that arises after Shiva destroys the universe. Bhabhut can also mean Shiva’s mercy (prasad) symbolizing immortality – "amrita".

67. A king takes the essence of wealth by way of tax, in his kingdom. Men burn plants and take the essence thereof.

68. The gastirc fire burns different kinds of foodstuffs and with their essence nourishes the body.

69. Similarly the great lord Shiva, the creator of the universe, burns the universe presided over by Him and takes the essence of the same.

70. After burning the universe He applies the ashes over his body. Under the pretext of annihilation He has taken the essence out of the same.

71. He assigned the essence to His own body. The essence ākāśa (the ether) constitutes His hair. The essence of the wind principle constitutes His face.

72. The essence of the Fire principle constitutes His heart, that of the principles of waters the hip and that of the principle of the Earth the knees. Thus the other limbs too.

73. The tripuṇḍraka (the three parallel lines of ash marks over the forehead) is the essence of Trinity: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Rudra. Similarly Maheśvara has retained the esence of everything in the form of Tilaka (the small circular mark) on the forehead.

74. The word Bhasma means that which has controlled the essence of the whole universe. (Bha – Vṛddhi – flourishing essence. Sma – Svayam. Manyate – considers his own).

Yogis who get bhabhut-diksha, during periods of sandhi (morning and evening) cover their bodies with ashes, they sit on an asana (seat) made of ashes, and never sit on chairs, do not sleep on beds, etc. – only on the ground. Since many ascetics practice in caves, in the forest, in places remote from society, bhabhut serves as a good means of protecting the skin from infection, etc.

The practice of applying bhabhut to the body helps yogi to direct prana into sushumna. When covering the body with ashes from the sacred hearth (dhuni), pores of skin are blocked, yogi learns to breathe subtle energy, while prana merges with consciousness of yogi.


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