This collection gathers a few luminous verses that evoke the silent depth of Ajapa Dhyana Yoga—the meditation where breath and awareness merge without effort, and mantra arises unbidden from within. Though centered on the subtle current of Ajapa Gayatri, these verses also reflect the broader terrain of meditative yoga: the stilling of thought, the inward gaze, and the quiet unfolding of inner light.
शिव उवाच -
देहो देवालयो देवी जीवो देव: सदाशिव: ।
त्यजेद्ज्ञान निर्माल्यं सोहं भावेन पुजयेत ॥
Lord Shiva said - O Devi! Human body is a temple. Jiva living within is Shiva himself. Renounce the debris of ignorance and worship Him with the attitude of 'I am That'.
जीवो शिव: शिवो जीव: सजीव: केवल शिव: ।
पाशबद्धो स्मृतो जीवा पाशमुक्तो सदाशिव: ॥
Jiva is Shiva and Shiva is Jiva. Living being is but Shiva. The one trapped in bondage is Jiva and the one free from it is Shiva.
हकारेण बहिर्याती सकारेण विशेत्पुनः ।
हंसहंसेत्यमुं मंत्रम जीवो जपदि सर्वदा ॥
By the sound of Ha breath goes out and by the sound of Sa it comes in. This HamSa (or SoHam) mantra is always recited by living beings.
षटशतानि दिवारात्रौ सहस्त्राण्येकविंशतिः ।
एतात्संख्यांवितं मंत्रम जीवो जपति सर्वदा ॥
In one day and night living being recites this mantra for twenty one thousand and six hundred times.
अजपानाम गायत्री योगिनां मोक्षदा सदा ।
अस्याः संकल्पमात्रेण सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते ॥
This gayatri known as Ajapa bestows liberation on Yogis. By mere intention of chanting this mantra all sins are destroyed.
अनया सदृशी विद्या अनया सदृशो जपः ।
अनया सदृशं ज्ञानं न भूतं न भविष्यति ॥
No learning higher than Ajapa, no japa higher than Ajapa, no knowledge higher than Ajapa ever existed in the past nor will exist in the future.
कुण्डलिन्या समुत्पन्नो हंसमन्त्रः परं पदम् ।
आत्मज्ञानं परं ब्रह्म वेदवेदाङ्गसाक्षिकम् ॥
The Hamsa mantra, arising from Kundalini, leads to the supreme state. It is the knowledge of the Self, the highest Brahman—witnessed by the Vedas and all their limbs.
तस्मिन् सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः ॥
When āsana is perfected, prāṇāyāma begins — it is the suspension (viccheda) of the movement of inhalation (śvāsa) and exhalation (praśvāsa).
बाह्याभ्यन्तरस्तम्भवृत्तिर्देशकालसङ्ख्याभिः परिदृष्टो दीर्घसूक्ष्मः ॥
The regulation of breath involves external (bāhya), internal (ābhyantara), and retained (stambha) movements. These are to be measured by place (deśa), time (kāla), and number (saṅkhyā), producing breath that is prolonged (dīrgha) and subtle (sūkṣma).
बाह्याभ्यन्तरविषयाक्षेपी चतुर्थः ॥
There is also a fourth type of prāṇāyāma that transcends both internal and external regulation — a state beyond ordinary sensory fields (Kevala Kumbhaka).
तस्मात्प्राणे स्थिते देहे मरणं नैव जायते ।
वायुना घटसम्बन्धे भवेत्केवलकुम्भकम् ॥
As long as prāṇa (life-breath) remains in the body, death does not occur. When the vāyu (vital air) is united or confined (within), it results in kevala kumbhaka — the state of spontaneous breath retention.
यावज्जीवं जपेन्मन्त्रमजपासङ्ख्यकेवलम् सङ्ख्या द्विगुणा ।
अद्यावधि धृतं सङ्ख्याविभ्रमं केवलीकृते ॥
So long as one lives, one should continuously repeat the mantra (ajapa-japa), until the kevala kumbhaka — the spontaneous suspension of breath — arises, where the count of repetitions becomes steady and doubled in power.
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे ।
प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः ॥
Some offer the outgoing breath into the incoming breath, and others the incoming into the outgoing—restraining the flow of both, devoted to the discipline of breath control.
अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान् प्राणेषु जुह्वति ।
सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः ॥
Others, with regulated diet, offer the vital breaths into each other. All these are knowers of sacrifice, purified by their sacrificial acts.
अपानः कर्षति प्राणः प्राणोऽपानं च कर्षति ।
ऊर्ध्वाधः संस्थितावे तौ यो जानाति स योगवित् ॥
Apana attracts Prana and Prana attracts Apana. They are downward and upward moving currents of energy. One who knows their true nature is the knower of Yoga.
नेत्राञ्जनं समालोक्य आत्मारामं निरीक्षयेत् ।
सा भवेच्छाम्भवी मुद्रा सर्वतन्त्रेषु गोपिता ॥
Fix the gaze between the two eyebrows and behold the Atman. This is Shambhavi Mudra that is kept secret in all Agamas.
वेदशास्त्रपुराणानि सामान्य गणिका इव ।
एकैव शांभवी मुद्रा गुप्ता कुलवधूरिव ॥
Mere reading of scriptures such as Vedas, Puranas, and shastras is like a common woman (Ganika) whereas knowledge of Shambhavi Mudra is extremely secret and is like a well respected bride (Kulavadhu).
स एव आदिनाथश्च स च नारायणः स्वयम् ।
स च ब्रह्मा सृष्टिकारी यो मुद्रां वेत्ति शाम्भवीम् ॥
He, who knows this Shambhavi Mudra, is Adinatha, he himself is Narayana, and he is Brahma the Creator.
तपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः ॥
Austerity, self-study, and surrender to Ishwara / Shiva is called Kriya Yoga.
क्रियायुक्तस्य सिद्धिः स्याद् अक्रियस्य कथं भवेत् ।
क्रियैव कारणं सिद्धेः सत्यम् एतन् न संशयः॥
By the practice of yoga kriyas success is attained. A person lacking in his practice doesn't get success. The only means to success in yoga is to remain absorbed in the practice of yoga kriyas. This is the truth, there is no doubt about it.
यम-नियम-आसन-प्राणायाम-प्रत्याहार-धारणा-ध्यान-समाध-योऽष्टावङ्गानि ॥
Yama (restraints), Niyama (observances), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (absorption) — these are the eight limbs of yoga.
अहिंसा सत्यम् अस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यं क्षमा धृतिः ।
दयार्जवं मिताहारः शौचं चैव यमा दश ॥
Nonviolence, Truthfulness, Not stealing, Chastity, Non-possessiveness, Forgiveness, Fortitude, Compassion, Simplicity, Moderation in diet are ten Yamas for yogis.
तपः सन्तोष आस्तिक्यं दानम् ईश्वर-पूजनम् ।
सिद्धान्त-वाक्य-श्रवणं ह्रीमती च जपो हुतम् ।
नियमा दश सम्प्रोक्ता योग-शास्त्र-विशारदैः ॥
Austerity, Contentment, Belief in God, Charity, worship of the Ishwara, Listening to or studying of the yogic principles, Modesty, Clariity in thinking about real and unreal, Chanting of Mantra, (internal or external) Fire sacrifice are the ten Niyamas for yogis as outlined by the experts in Yoga Shastra.
यावन् नैव प्रविशति चरन् मारुतो मध्य-मार्गे ।
यावद् बिंदुर् न भवति दृढः प्राण-वात-प्रबन्धात् ।
यावद् ध्याने सहज-सदृशं जायते नैव ।
तत्त्वं तावज् ज्ञानं वदति तद् इदं दम्भ-मिथ्या-प्रलापः॥
As long as the Prana does not enter in the middle channel (Sushumna) and the Bindu does not become firm by the control of the movements of the Prana, as long as the mind does not rest in Samadhi without any efforts, so long all the talk of Knowledge and Wisdom is merely a nonsensical chatter.
ॐ नमः शिवाय गुरवे नाद-बिन्दु-कलात्मने।
निरञ्जन-पदं याति नित्यं तत्र परायणः॥
Salutations to Shiva, who is the Guru, appearing as Nada, Bindu, and Kala. One who is always devoted to Him, obtains the highest bliss.