Learn Meditation on Viraj | Meditation on International Yoga Day | Dhyan

Dear readers,

Welcome back to our BLOG. I will explain the third shloka of the second Brahmana within the first chapter of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and teach you a meditation based on the shloka today.

You can read or recite the shlokas.

Shloka 1.2.3

स त्रेधात्मानं व्यकुरुतादित्यं तृतीयं वायुं तृतीय स एष प्राणस्त्रेधा विहितः। तस्य प्राची दिक्षिरोऽसौ चासौ चेर्मौ। अथास्य प्रतीची दिक्पुच्छमसौ चासौ च सक्थ्यौ दक्षिणा चोदीची च पार्श्वे द्यौः पृष्ठमन्तरिक्षमुदरमियमुरः स एषोऽप्सु प्रतिष्ठितो यत्र क्व चैति तदेव प्रतितिष्ठत्येवं विद्वान्॥ ||३||

"Sa tredhāt mānaṁ vyakuruta ādityaṁ tṛtīyaṁ vāyuṁ tṛtīya sa eṣa prāṇas tredhā vihitaḥ |

Tasya prācī dik śiro 'sau cāsau cermau |

Athāsya pratīcī dik puccam asau cāsau ca sakthyau dakṣiṇā codīcī ca pārśve dyauḥ pṛṣṭham antarikṣam udaram iyam uraḥ sa eṣo 'psu pratiṣṭhito yatra kva ceti tad eva pratitiṣṭhaty evaṁ vidvān || 3 ||"

English Translation:

He divided his body in three ways, making the sun the third, air the third (and fire the third). So this Prana is transformed in three ways. His head is the eastern direction, his two arms are the northeast and southeast, his tail is the western direction, and his two hip-bones are the northwest and southwest. His two flanks are the south and the north, his back is heaven, his belly the sky, and his breast this earth. He is established in water. He who knows this stands firm wherever he goes.

In the previous episode I told you a short story from my childhood memory where a chick was born from a sparrow's egg. You can relate that chick with Viraj. You are thinking who is Viraj? Yeah, for that you need to wait for the interpretation of this Shloka.

Before we interpret, I recommend you read the previous articles on the origin of the Universe, cosmic meditation, and introduction to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. You can read the series on the Isha Upanishad to unveil the Secrets of Self in case you missed it. Links to those articles are given at the bottom.

This shloka is the continuation of the last line of the previous shloka, which was: "In this (work of creation), Prajapati was tired. From him, fatigued and afflicted, came forth his essence as lustre. This was fire." This fire was Viraj. Viraj was the cosmic baby born from the cosmic embryo Hiranyagarbha. Here, Viraj is considered a living cosmic baby by the Rishi. Viraj further divided the body in three ways: the sun, the air, and Viraj itself as fire. These are all imaginations by Rishis based on the ancient knowledge they had. However, to understand the most popular scientific model on the creation of the universe, watch the previous video, where we explained the Big Bang theory.

The next part of the shloka is the meditation on Viraj.

Let me guide you step by step and teach you this meditation on Viraj. This meditation will exercise your brain and mind, enhancing your imagination and concentration powers. In each step, you must imagine the object as prescribed and keep that object in your imagination for 10 seconds. You can increase the time based on your power of concentration. It's essential to note that when I ask you to meditate on an object, focus solely on that object and avoid trying to meditate on other surrounding objects. The transition between objects should be graceful, akin to one movie scene merging with another. Remember, your mind is like a horse—it may try to wander, but you are the jockey tasked with guiding it to its stable, which is Brahman for your mind.

Preparation:

Choose a peaceful, airy place for this meditation. Avoid bright lights; you can dim the room if necessary. Strong incense should be avoided, as it can disrupt your meditation and cause breathing problems. Ensure the room is well-ventilated. To maintain silence, turn off any noisy fans, air coolers, and electronic gadgets. If possible, sit in Padmasana Yoga posture; otherwise, sit or lie down comfortably with a straight back and normal breathing. Close your eyes and let's start with the recitation of Om.

Om.

Step - 1:

Imagine a cosmic egg, the Hiranyagarbha. Concentrate on that.

Step - 2:

Imagine a cosmic baby, Viraj, in the Hiranyagarbha. Concentrate on Viraj.

Step - 3:

Imagine his head. Meditate on the head.

Step - 4:

Imagine his head in the eastern direction. Meditate in the eastern direction.

Step - 5:

Imagine his two arms spread upwards. Meditate.

Step - 6:

Imagine the arms in the northeast and southeast directions. Meditate.

Step - 7:

Imagine his tail. Meditate.

Step - 8:

Imagine his tail in the western direction. Meditate.

Step - 9:

Imagine his two hip-bones. Meditate.

Step - 10:

Imagine the hip-bones in the northwest and southwest directions. Meditate.

Step - 11:

Imagine his flanks. Meditate.

Step - 12:

Imagine the flanks in the south and north directions. Meditate.

Step - 13:

Imagine his back. Meditate.

Step - 14:

Imagine his back as space. Meditate.

Step - 15:

Imagine his belly. Meditate.

Step - 16:

Imagine the belly as the sky. Meditate.

Step - 17:

Imagine his breast. Meditate.

Step - 18:

Imagine the breast as the earth. Meditate.

Step - 19:

Imagine Viraj in the water of Hiranyagarbha. Meditate.

Step - 20:

Imagine Hiranyagarbha as a whole and meditate.

Step - 21:

Keep your eyes closed. Cease all imagination.

Step - 22:

It's time to go beyond imagination. After my recitation of the Om mantra, stop hearing me or any sound. Enter a state beyond imagination, objects, symbols, sounds, and senses—the state of Brahman. Let's begin meditation on Brahman now.

Om.

Dear readers, be with us in this journey of Universal Vedanta movement.

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Readers' List

Origin of The Universe | What Was The Big Bang? | The Hindu Interpretation of Creation
https://universal-vedanta.blogspot.com/2024/05/origin-of-universe-what-was-big-bang.html

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - 20 Minute Guided Meditation | Cosmic Meditation
https://universal-vedanta.blogspot.com/2024/04/20-minute-guided-meditation-cosmic.html

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - Chapter 1 First Brahmana
https://universal-vedanta.blogspot.com/2024/03/brihadaranyaka-upanishad-chapter-1-1st-brahmana-cosmic-meditation.html

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - Introduction
https://universal-vedanta.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-universe-is-infinite-you-are-too.html

Isha Upanishad - Conclusion
https://universal-vedanta.blogspot.com/2024/02/isha-upanishad-explained-in-english.html

Isha Upanishad - Shloka - 18