The Shabd Yoga Technique

THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 1
The Shabd Yoga Technique
ESOTERICA FROM THE EAST | BOOK ONE

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How our spirituality gets entrapped by religious belief systems

Shabd yoga works. ItIt is an ancient technique
technique that when performed
performed correctly can elicit
a series of remarkable experiences, not the least of which is a deep sense of euphoria.
However, this ancient practice (which apparently dates at least to the pre-Vedic period
in India) has become so intertwined with varying religious doctrines (ranging from
Nathism to Radhasoami) that the simplicity of its technique has been overshadowed
by unnecessary theological overlays.
The technique is not at all complex. Sitting as still as possible

possible the neophyte calmly and
patiently listens to subtler and subtler internal sounds within one’s head with the
desired aim of melting or blending into certain melodies which give one an almost
immediate sense of bliss. Varying religious systems have arisen in India and elsewhere
which have attempted to givegive a spiritual or ontological
ontological interpretation
interpretation to what these
inner sounds mean and what they purport.
However, the technique itself doesn’t have to be lost to s uch theological entrapments
because it actually succeeds regardless of whether one is an atheist, agnostic, or a firm
believer. Just as anyone can potentially have amazing dreams at night, so anyone can
potentially hear inner sounds and have remarkable experiences thereby.
But the utter simplicity of shabd yoga has all too often been encrusted with religious
dogmas so that one tends to believe that a prior ―initiation‖ under a so -called master
is necessary before one can listen to the inner sound current. While guru followers
may believe such, the fact remains that the technique demands no such restrictions
since it is essentially the innate ability within human beings to focus their attention
within. Seeing inner light or hearing inner sounds or following
following subjectively the source
of one’s consciousness isn’t so much a granted privilege bestowed only on a deserving
few, but instead part and parcel of being a human being endowed with self-reflective
awareness.
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Translated by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar
26(b)-27. As a person through illusion mistakes a

rope for a serpent, so the fool not knowing Satya
(the eternal truth) sees the world (to be true).
When he knows it to be a piece of rope, the
illusory idea of a serpent vanishes.
28-29(a). So when he knows the eternal

substratum of everything and all the universe
becomes (therefore) void (to him), where then is
Prarabdha to him, the body being a part of the
world ? Therefore
Therefore the word Prarabdha
Prarabdha is accepted
to enlighten the ignorant (only).
29(b)-30. Then as Prarabdha has, in course of time, worn out, he who is the sound
resulting from the union of Pranava with Brahman who is the absolute effulgence
itself, and who is the bestower of all good, shines himself like the sun at the
dispersion of the clouds.
31. The Yogin being in the Siddhasana (posture) and practising the Vaishnavi-Mudra,
should always hear the internal sound through the right ear.
32. The sound which he thus practises makes him deaf to t o all external sounds. Having
overcome all obstacles, he enters the Turya state within fifteen days.
33. In the beginning of his practice, he hears many loud sounds. They gradually
increase in pitch and are heard more and more subtly.
34. At first, the sounds are like those proceeding from the ocean, clouds, kettle-drum
and cataracts; in the middle (stage) those proceeding from Mardala (a musical
instrument), bell and horn.
35. At the last stage, those proceeding from tinkling bells, flute, Vina (a musical
instrument) and bees. Thus he hears many such sounds more and more subtle.
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37. He may change his concentration from the gross sound to the subtle, or from the
subtle to the gross, but he should not allow his mind to be diverted from them
towards others.
38. The mind having at first concentrated itself on any one sound fixes firmly to that
and is absorbed in it.
39. It (the mind) becoming insensible to the external impressions, becomes one with
the sound as milk with water and then becomes rapidly absorbed in Chidakasa (the
Akasa where Chit prevails).
prevails).
40. Being indifferent towards all objects, the Yogin having controlled his passions,
should by continual practice concentrate his attention upon the sound which destroys
the mind.
41. Having abandoned all thoughts and being freed from all actions, he should always
concentrate his attention on the sound and (then) his Chitta becomes absorbed in it.
42-43(a). Just as the bee drinking the honey (alone) does not care for the odour, so the
Chitta which is always absorbed in sound, does not long for sensual objects, as it is
bound by the sweet smell of Nada and a nd has abandoned its flitting nature.
43(b)-44(a). The serpent Chitta through listening to the Nada is entirely absorbed in it
and becoming unconscious of everything concentrates itself on the sound.
44(b)-45(a). The sound serves the purpose of a sharp goad to control the maddened
elephant – Chitta which roves in the pleasure-garden of the sensual objects.
45(b)-46(a). It serves the purpose of a snare for binding the deer – Chitta. It also
serves the purpose of a shore to the ocean waves of Chitta.
46(b)-47(a). The sound proceeding from Pranava which is Brahman is of the nature of
effulgence; the mind becomes absorbed in it; that is the supreme seat of Vishnu.
47(b)-48(a). The sound exists till there is the Akasic conception (Akasa-Sankalpa).
Beyond this, is the (Asabda) soundless Para-Brahman which is Paramatman.
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the supreme seat.
49(b)-50(a). The mind which along with Prana (Vayu) has (its) Karmic affinities
destroyed by the constant concentration upon Nada is absorbed in the unstained One.
There is no doubt of it.
50(b)-51(a). Many myriads of Nadas and many more of Bindus – (all) become

absorbed in the Brahma-Pranava sound.
51(b)-52(a). Being freed from all states and all thoughts whatever, the Yogin remains
like one dead. He is a Mukta. There is no doubt about this.
52(b). After that, he does not at any time hear the sounds of conch or Dundubhi
(large kettle drum).
53. The body in the state of Unmani is certainly like a log and does not feel heat or
cold, joy or sorrow.
54. The Yogin’s Chitta havin g given up fame or disgrace is in Samadhi above the three
states.
55. Being freed from the waking and the sleeping states, he attains to his true state.
56. When the (spiritual) sight becomes fixed without any object to be seen, when the
Vayu (Prana) becomes still
still without any effort,
effort, and when the Chitta becomes
becomes firm
without any support, he becomes
becomes of the form of the internal sound
sound of Brahma-
Pranava. Such is the Upanishad.
“It is all a matter of unwavering attention. Every ray of

attention must be centered and held there. It may be said
safely that if any earnest student should hold his attention
fully upon the given center for three hours, without wavering,
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15TH century, by Svatmarama

PARICHAYA AVASTHA
73. In the third stage, the sound of a drum

is known to arise in the Sunya between the
eyebrows, and then the Vayu goes to the
Mahasunya, which is the home of all the
siddhis.
74. Conquering, then, the pleasures of the

mind, ecstasy is spontaneously produced
which is devoid of evils, pains, old age,
disease, hunger and sleep.
75. When the Rudra granthi is pierced, and

the air enters the seat of the Lord (the space
between the eyebrows), then the perfect
sound like that of a flute is produced.
76. The union of the mind and the sound is called

c alled the Raja-Yoga. The (real) Yogi
becomes the creator and destroyer of the universe, like God.
77. Perpetual Happiness is achieved by this; I do not care if the mukti be not attained.
a ttained.
This happiness, resulting
resulting from absorption
absorption (in Brama), is
is obtained by means of Raja-
Yoga.
78. Those who are ignorant of the Raja-Yoga and practice only the Hatha-Yoga, will,
in my opinion, waste their energy fruitlessly.
79. Contemplation on the space between the eyebrows is, in my opinion, best for
accomplishing soon the Unmani state. For people of small intellect, it is a very easy
method for obtaining perfection in the Raja-Yoga. The Laya produced by nada, at
once gives experience (of spiritual powers).
80. The happiness which increases in the hearts of Yogiswaras, who have gained
success in Samadhi by means of attention to the nada, is beyond description, and is
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82. By practicing with this nada, all other external sounds are stopped. The Yogi
becomes happy by overcoming all distractions within 15 days.
83. In the beginning, the sounds heard are of great variety and very loud; but, as the
practice increases, they become more and more subtle.
84. In the first stage, the sounds are surging, thundering like the beating of kettle
drums and jingling ones. In the intermediate stage, they are like those produced by
conch, Mridanga, bells, &c.
85. In the last stage, the sounds resemble those from tinklets, flute, Vina, bee, &c.
These various kinds
kinds of sounds are heard as being produced
produced in the body.
86. Though hearing loud sounds like those of thunder, kettle drums, &c., one should
practice with the subtle sounds also.
87. Leaving the loudest, taking up the subtle one, and leaving the subtle one, taking up
the loudest, thus practicing, the distracted mind does not wander elsewhere.
88. Wherever the mind attaches itself first, it becomes steady there; and when it
becomes absorbed in it.
89. Just as a bee, drinking sweet juice, does not care

ca re for the smell of the flower; so the
mind, absorbed in the nada, does not desire the objects of enjoyment.
90. The mind, like an elephant habituated to wander in the garden of enjoyments, is
capable of being controlled by the sharp goad of anahata nada.
91. The mind, captivated in the snare of nada, gives up all its activity; and, like a bird
with clipped wings, becomes calm at once.
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95. Mind gets the properties of calcined mercury. When deprived of its unsteadiness it
is calcined, combined with the sulphur of nada, and then it roams like it in the
supportless akasa or Brahma.
96. The mind is like a serpent, forgetting all its unsteadiness by hearing the nada, it
does not run away anywhere.
97. The fire, catching firewood, is extinguished along with it (after burning it up); and
so the mind also, working with the nada, becomes latent along with it.
98. The antahkarana (mind), like a deer, becomes absorbed and motionless on hearing
the sound of bells, etc.; and then it is very easy for an expert archer to kill it.
99. The knowable interpenetrates the anahata sound when it is heard, and the mind
interpenetrates the knowable. The mind becomes absorbed there, which is the seat of
the all-pervading, almighty Lord.
100. So long as the sounds continue, there is the idea of akasa. When they disappear,
then it is called Para Brahma, Paramatmana.
101. Whatever is heard in the form of nada, is the sakti (power). That which is
formless, the final state of the Tatwas, is the
t he Parameswara.
102. All the methods of Hatha are meant for gaining success in Raja-Yoga; for, the
man, who is well-established in the Raja-Yoga, overcomes death.
103. Tatwa is the seed, Hatha the field; and Indifference (Vairagya)
(Vairagya) the water.
wa ter. By the
action of these three, the creeper Unmani thrives very rapidly.
104. All the accumulations of sins are destroyed by practicing always with the nada;
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Repetition, Focusing, and Listening

One of the more instructive books on the efficacy of
constant repetition of a prayer or mantra (or even a
self-generated phrase) is found in the anonymously
authored, The Way of a Pilgram . In this narrative the
author recounts how he learned that by repeating the
Jesus prayer thousands
thousands of times a day his mind
mind
became inwardly centered and peaceful. In shabd
yoga practice this mechanical repetition is a means by
which one’s attention begins to gravitate within.
Concurrently with such repetition it has been advised
to contemplate or focus one’s visual faculty ( nirat
( nirat
) at
the proverbial third eye. To help facilitate this visual
focusing ( dhyan
), some yogis have
dhyan have suggested
contemplating on any sparking light that may arise. By doing both, the mind tends to
get absorbed. The more
more this is done before
before even attempting to listening
listening to the inner
), the easier it becomes to
sound ( bhajan
bhajan to absorb one’s self in subtler and subtler
melodies.
The first robust sensation

sensation that occurs which indicates that the meditation procedure is
working is an overall
overall numbness in the lower
lower extremities. This
This sensation should not be
confused with how one’s foot or leg goes to sleep if positioned too long in one place.
Rather, the feeling of numbness is distinguished by an emerging sense of withdrawal
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a brilliant light, which due to deeper and deeper

levels of concentration alters in shading and
intensity. Multiple lights can be seen to emerge
out of this fulcrum. If followed closely to their
inevitable decent and reabsorption the meditator
can get so enthralled by what such lights
produce that he or she can occupy
oc cupy a virtual play,
not dissimilar to an exceedingly lucid dream. It
can be argued that this electromagnetic
elect romagnetic fount
(neurologically or mystically interpreted) is how
astral worlds become projected by one’s own
awareness. The Tibetan Book of the Dead is
psychologically illustrative on this point and that
is perhaps one of the reasons that they instruct
deep meditators to avoid chasing after such lights since they create worlds the like of
which are difficult to awaken from. This
This is analogous, of course, to deeply enjoyable
enjoyable
dreams we have at night, but which being so pleasurable
p leasurable are difficult to consciously
extract ourselves from.
According to shabd yoga,

yoga, it is the sound which
which empowers or juices
juices the inner journey.
journey.
While the light may be
be radiantly attractive and allows
allows for increased attention, it is the
subtler sounds which energize and sweep the meditator into wholly unexpected
regions of awareness.
awareness. For instance, while a high definition
definition film digitally
digitally projected at
our local cinema can be
be exceedingly attractive, it is the powerful surround
surround sound
system that jolts one into the proceedings. Just as lightening from a distance can be
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The religious systems

systems which have grown
grown up around shabd and
and nad practice have
developed a sophisticated cosmology
cosmology which attempts to hierarchically
hierarchically arrange the
inner sounds and lights
lights into an ascending
ascending order from matter to mind to soul to God,
utilizing a staircase of higher regions with such terms as Sahans-Dal-Kanwal, Trikuti,
Trikuti,
Daswan Dwar, Bhanwar Gupha, and Sach Khand. The use of a five name mantra in
varying Sant Mat andand Radhasoami circles appears to be predicated upon this
theological tier system, where greater and lesser deities occupy a great chain of
being.While all of this is undoubtedly of great interest and importance to devotees of
these guru traditions, it doesn’t hold that such a cosmology is necessary or even
important for one merely interested in following the simple technique of shabd yoga.
In other words, it doesn’t follow that the theology is a necessary prelude to the
practice of the sound current. Simply put, hearing inner sounds and seeing inner lights
precedes each and every theology that has wrapped itself around the natural and
human practice of internalizing one’s attention via meditation.
Can shabd yoga be successfully practiced by a person who doesn ’t believe in Indian
mystical theology? Yes, just as millions of people worldwide have benefitted from
engaging hatha yoga regardless of whether they believe in kundalini, chakras, or Shiva.
Understandably some long-time adherents may object to stripping down shabd yoga
to its skeletal form since much of the philosophy that has evolved with it may be seen
as a necessary component. However, because so much of shabd yoga has been
encrusted with mystical musings the very simplicity of the practice has, ironically,
been neglected by those who are its strongest advocates.
The technique, shorn of such theological cul-de-sacs,

cul-de-sacs, can be easily explained in one
long sentence. Sitting still with one’s eyes and ears closed (whether in a squatting
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“ You should not try to listen to the Sound

Current at the same time you repeat the
Names. Do the Repetition first for about two-
thirds of the time set for your Meditation
period and then direct your attention to
listening for or to the Sound. One thing at a

The Shabd Yoga Technique

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THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 1

The Shabd Yoga Technique

ESOTERICA FROM THE EAST | BOOK ONE

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THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 2

How our spirituality gets entrapped by religious belief systems

The technique is not at all complex. Sitting as still as possible

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THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 3

Translated by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar

26(b)-27. As a person through illusion mistakes a

28-29(a). So when he knows the eternal

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THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 4

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THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 5

the supreme seat.

50(b)-51(a). Many myriads of Nadas and many more of Bindus – (all) become

“It is all a matter of unwavering attention. Every ray of

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THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 6

15TH century, by Svatmarama

73. In the third stage, the sound of a drum

74. Conquering, then, the pleasures of the

75. When the Rudra granthi is pierced, and

76. The union of the mind and the sound is called

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THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 7

89. Just as a bee, drinking sweet juice, does not care

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THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 8

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THE SHABD YOGA TECHNIQUE 9

Repetition, Focusing, and Listening