Civilisation(s) originating from the banks of River Saraswati identify Shankara (or Shiva, although NOT one and the same thing) as “Adiyogi”. This term simply means one who was the first to teach the science (or tantra, although NOT one and the same thing) of Yoga to Seven entities. The group of these seven people is known to us as सप्तऋषि, Sapt-Rishis. So Shankara as Adiyogi or Adiguru, is a person who walked this earth, who founded and developed the yogic systems, the parts of which we practise today, and also the first one to begin teaching it.

Today is shiv-ratri and we devote this night to “shaiv tantra”, of which yoga is a dear part.

One has to understand the beauty of this. Can you imagine? Imagine. Shankara was walking this earth. We all walk this earth. He was walking. He kept walking. He was walking and he knew something is missing. It wasn’t missing in the external world, the phenomenal world. He is missing something inside.

The discovery of Yoga is, many a times, attributed to this realisation that shankara felt. Yoga, we all know means “Union”. And the modern day ācharyas and gurus will tell you, this is some “Union/Joining” with God. For Shankara, Yoga was the discovery of his feminine attributes and “his” union with his “femininity”. The day when the “man” and “woman” in him fused, both Yoga and the symbol of “Shivlingam” were born. That day he became “God”, to the external world. That “night” is शिवरात्रि।

The whole attempt of yoga is to make this union happen. Male, female..the sex part associated with it, is all gross,, physical aspects. I am male, you are female, here we are just filling forms and telling about our sex. May be it is for medical records. Even your sex is part of the external world. The world of Maya. It does not define you more than that. Shiv-ratri is a good excuse to move inwards. To see our polarities, our masculinity and femininity. And to balance them. And well, if you plan to be a next Shankara, you may want to fuse your polarities and have an “orgasm” of the life time.! One that lasts…”forever”. Did you just got greedy!

Yoga is all about this orgasm. The blast. When shakti rises like a serpent, when the polarities fuse at the point between eyebrows and the third eye opens and the serpent makes a hood over the head. Reminds of something, is it not the “Shivlinga” we see everywhere.!

Lets take this opportunity today. Find some silence, aloofness for twenty minutes. And lets focus on Shiv-shakti within us.

For the love of Shankara.

#प्रियशंकरा