Significance of Pranayama in Narasiṁha upasana for attainment of siddhi:

वृहद नृसिंह उपासना कल्पस्य चतुर्थ पटले नारद प्रल्हाद संवादे नृसिंह बीजाक्षर मन्त्र प्राणायामनिरूपणे नारदस्य वचनांतर्गत:

मासात्संल्लक्षणंप्राप्य षण्मासेपवनाभवः

त्रिकालेसिद्धिमाप्नोति प्राणायामेन चतुर्विंशति

सदाभ्यासीवशीभूत्वा पवनंजनयेत्पुमान्

षण्मासाभ्यंतरेसिद्धि रितियोगार्थनिर्णयः

प्राणायामात्परंनास्ति पापराशिक्षयायच सर्वपापक्षयेयाते किंनसिध्यतिभूतले॥

प्राणायामंविना तात कुत्रसिद्धोभवेन्नरः॥

सर्वसिद्धिक्रियासारं प्राणायामंपरंस्मृतम्॥

vṛhada nṛsiṃha upāsanā kalpasya caturtha paṭale nārada pralhāda saṃvāde nṛsiṃha bījākṣara mantra prāṇāyāmanirūpaṇe nāradasya vacanāṃtargata:

māsātsaṃllakṣaṇaṃprāpya ṣaṇmāsepavanābhavaḥ

trikālesiddhimāpnoti prāṇāyāmena caturviṃśati

sadābhyāsīvaśībhūtvā pavanaṃjanayetpumān

ṣaṇmāsābhyaṃtaresiddhi ritiyogārthanirṇayaḥ

prāṇāyāmātparaṃnāsti pāparāśikṣayāyaca sarvapāpakṣayeyāte kiṃnasidhyatibhūtale||

prāṇāyāmaṃvinā tāta kutrasiddhobhavennaraḥ||

sarvasiddhikriyāsāraṃ prāṇāyāmaṃparaṃsmṛtam||

Explanation:

The above paragraph is a stanza from an ancient lost tantra called vrihad Narasiṁha upasana kalpa. This is a pancharatrik tantra in the form of a dialogue between Narad and Pralhad.

The above paragraph discusses about the importance of pranayama in Narasiṁha upasana, it's significance and the benefits.

Anybody who is initiated into Narasiṁha upasana with the Narasiṁha beeja mantra by an authorised guru and does Narasiṁha tantrik (pancharatrik) Sandhya twice or thrice a day can use this technique of pranayama to attain great siddhi or spiritual accomplishment.

In the above stanza the procedure of doing the pranayama with Narasiṁha beeja mantra is subtly explained, which is as follows:

During the Sandhya after pavitrikarana, achaman and shikha bandhan do the following viniyoga by taking water in right hand, reading the below lines and releasing the water in the plate. Then do the Pranayam.

विनियोगः - अस्य श्रीनृसिंह एकाक्षर बीज मन्त्रस्य अत्रिऋषि, गायत्रीछन्दः,

श्रीनृसिंहोदेवता, क्षौं बीजम्, रं शक्तिः, ॐ कीलकम् , प्राणायामे विनियोगः ।

viniyogaḥ - asya śrīnṛsiṃha ekākṣara bīja mantrasya atriṛṣi, gāyatrīchandaḥ,

śrīnṛsiṃhodevatā, kṣauṃ bījam, raṃ śaktiḥ, oṃ kīlakam , prāṇāyāme viniyogaḥ |

Pranayama is divided into 3 steps viz. Purak, kumbhak and rechak.

Purak: this is the initial step wherein the breath is drawn in from one nostril. The significance of this step is to allow the energy of paramatma present in the form of prana vayu to enter our body, energize it, purify it and strengthen it. The pranavayu when drawn in with the specific mantra of a form of the paramatma, then those energies pertaining to that form on which one is contemplating during mantra chanting and drawing in the breath, start manifesting in oneself. This special breath drawn in travels across the body through the lungs and then gets absorbed in the blood. It opens all the blockages in the nadis, starts burning accumulated sins and negativities or abhicharik elementals in the body.

Kumbhak: in this step the breath is held in the lungs by closing both the nostrils & mouth and allowed to fill the body with the pranik energy. Here one is expanding his/ her subtle bodies by holding the divine breath inside. Thus making his/ her body a more capable vessel to carry primordial forces. This also intensely purifies one's body and mind from sins and negative karmas. It helps in giving upward flow to pranas in the body leading them towards sahasrar. Divine energy flows to every nook and corner of the body through the chakras and the nadis.

Rechak: here the air is released from the other nostril. One then releases the residue of the burnt negativity, elementals, sins through other nostril. Thereby completing the process of cleansing and energizing of one's body with the pranavayu.

Pranayama can be done in 2 ways.

1) start with with right nostril, i.e. Surya nadi and end with left nostril i.e. Chandra nadi.

2) start with left nostril, i.e. Chandra nadi and end with right nostril, i.e. Surya nadi.

Both these pranayama types have their respective outcomes. Former gives more masculine qualities, domination, authority, aggressive yoga siddhis, a long diseases free life and supreme willpower to conquer all three worlds. It also focuses more on the opening of ida nadi and the flow of prana and kundalini through it.

Latter gives peace of mind, devotion, surrender to the paramatma, control over emotions, spiritual abundance, containment, healing siddhis and divine knowledge to conquer all three worlds. This approach focuses more on pingala nadi and the flow of kundalini and prana through it.

People who are hathayogis or Veera upasakas follow the first approach. The people who are devotees, sharanagatas or the followers of prapatti marga follow second approach. But when we see the offering from both the approaches, they're complementary to each other. Hence the scriptures and many gurus instruct to follow the middle path. That is to do equal number of pranayama cycles with both the methods. For eg. if you're doing total 32 cycles of pranayama then 16 must be from right to left and 16 from left to right. Thereby our both the nadis are balanced. Balanced approach allows our both the ida and pingala nadis to be in balance. Thereby automatically emphasizing on the sushumna nadi and allowing the flow of kundalini and prana through it.

Now coming to the actual procedure of the Narasiṁha beeja mantra pranayama, one is supposed to do 24 cycles of the pranayama, 12 on each side, 3 times a day during the Sandhyas. The pranayama is of the type of Anuloma viloma. During the puraka (drawing of breath) one must draw the breath in slowly with an intent of pure divine energy of paramatma present in the vayu tattva along with the breath is being absorbed straight to the sahasrara and chant the Narasiṁha beeja mantra 16 times in their mind during this whole process.

Then one must close both the nostrils and hold the breath (kumbhaka) while meditating on lord Narasimha in sahasrara from whom the divine energy is spread across the body, through the shat chakras and 72,000 nadis, thereby cleansing them and burning one's all the papa karmas, negativity and abhicharas while chanting the Narasiṁha beeja mantra 64 times in their mind.

Finally during the rechaka (releasing of breath) one must relinquish the breath whilst chanting Narasiṁha beeja mantra 32 times and meditating that all the burnt papa karmas, negativity, elementals are thrown out of the body.

This process constitutes a combination of cleansing, worship and empowering of one's mind and bodies. If anyone carries out this pranayama process for 6 for a 1 year then they will become a maha siddha. Their all papa karmas will be burnt. They will attain the complete siddhi of vaayu tattva. There's nothing left in this world that they cannot achieve henceforth.

Each cycle of the pranayama includes a japa of 16+64+32 = 112 Narasiṁha beeja mantras. If one does 24 cycles then it becomes 2,688 japa. When it's done thrice a day it becomes 8,064 japa. When it's continued for a year it constitutes to 29,43,360 japa. Which is 7 times the chaturguni purashcharan count of Narasiṁha beeja mantra.

Hence devarshi Narad has said one must compulsorily do pranayama in the sadhana or Sandhya. There's no siddhi without pranayama. There's no greater method than pranayama to burn one's sins.

Here one must note that the numbers 16, 64 and 32 have a special significance. The number 16 represents shodash vidyas, 64 represents the chatuhshashti kalas and 32 represents the dwatrimshati bramhavidyas. So anybody who practices this yoga of lord Narasimha gets hold of these vidyas and kalas in due course of time.

There are certain pre requisites which need to be satisfied before starting this yoga. First and foremost amongst them is the diksha, shaktipat and upadesha of Narasiṁha beeja mantra from a competent guru. Secondly one must practice Surya namaskaras, danda (push ups, baithak (squats), padmasana, kapal bhati 3 cycles of 60 strokes each, anuloma viloma (10 minutes), bhastrika (3 sessions with 60 strokes), bhramari (5 sessions) for a considerable time before starting this to enhance the capability of the body to do the mantrokta pranayama with ease. Thirdly one's diet must easily digestible and satvik, extreme celibacy must be maintained, life style should be satvik and fully controlled by observing the principles of ashtanga yoga.

If one fulfills these pre requisites then no one can stop him/her from attaining siddhi within a year.

Here ends the explanation on the vrihad Narasiṁha upasana kalpa, 4th chapter, Narada Pralhada dialogue on Narasiṁha beejakshara mantra pranayama.

🙏 Namo Narasiṁha 🙏