Trishikhi Brahmanopanishad

Trishikhi Brahmanopanishad is Volume 7 in the Yoga Upanishad series. *

A brahmäa goes to aditya-loka, the world of the Sun to ask: "O Lord! What is the body? What is the breath? What is the cause? What is the soul?" The Sun replies that all comes from the form of ¿iva, whose light is Brahman. Then follows explanations of how the world was formed through the five major elements, their qualities, properties and functions, their synthesis and through pañcik¿räa, the divisions and combinations of the elements.

The brahmäa is advised to follow both the eightfold path of yoga leading to jñ¿na and the path of karmayoga or kriy¿yoga. Renunciation and satsang, company of the wise, are emphasised. Teachings are given of the subtle body, viz. cakras, köas, n¿¿¿s,pr¿¿as, dhatus, four states of consciousness ku¿¿alin¿ and ¿tman as well as the agni mä¿ala, the region of fire and its role in awakening the subtle energies, and the n¿¿ikanda, where the three main n¿¿¿s, i¿¿ pi¿gal¿ and su¿umn¿, unite and separate. The main pr¿¿¿yama practices are n¿¿¿ ¿odhana and kumbhaka. A peaceful solitary place in nature is recommended for progress in s¿dhana. Signs of approaching death are described.

Practices for meditation with ¿ämukh¿ mudr¿, h¿day¿ñjali mudr¿ or khecar¿ mudr¿ are: the five elements; the deities of the elements; V¿sudeva, the Transcendent Self; Vi¿¿u; and the forms in the Universe.