Originally Published in Daily Bhaskar
Janamashtmi’s
relevance in Tantra Yoga:
My Tantra
Yoga mentor, the Aghori Naga, was a fire-worshipper. He would spend his days in
Homa (offering oblations to fire) and
nights in Dhuni (transformation by
being consumed by fire).
While he dedicated his entire sadhana to Homa & Dhuni, he
would tell me that there are four nights in a year when the practices Homa and
Dhuni are particularly worthwhile.
One of these four nights is- Moha Ratri, the eighth tithi (day) of the krishna paksha (days of receding moon) in the month of Shravana. In
Dwapar Yuga, Krishna was on born Moha
Ratri and since then this day is celebrated as Janamastami in popular culture. (It’s
not a coincidence that Krishna was a Param Yogi. He was born in the planetary
alignment to be one).
Moha
Ratri, the night of love in Tantra Yoga:
There’s a story in Tantra Yoga lore-
Once upon a time, there was a star. The star was in love with a
blue lotus, which grew in the Mansarovar pond of Kailash Parvat. Every night,
the star would touch this lotus with its celestial light. The touch of love
would make the blue-lotus bloom and they would spend the night in the luminous
embrace of love.
One night, the star fell sick; the gravitational forces at its
core became stronger than the momentum of fire burning inside it, thus
restricting the flow of its light.
When the blue lotus heard of it from the moon, it offered itself
as oblation to the internal fire of the star. That night, the star finally
shone, it shone like a blue lotus. That night was Moha Ratri and since that
day, on every Moha Ratri the star shines like a blue lotus.
This is the reason why in tantra yoga tradition, Moha Ratri is
considered as phase of love. My tantra mentor would say that on this night,
through simple rituals and oblations, a human body can be converted into a
receptor of celestial light, which in turns transforms our being into living
embodiment of love.
Therefore, born on this night Krishna is such an irresistible
lover. Whether it was milkmaids or Vrindavan or Radha or Meera or the timeless
poets and artistes they have fallen inexorably in love with Krishna.
So, on Moha Ratri tantrics observe homas and dhuni to become Krishnamaya, in order to become the
irresistible lover like him.
However, before we can discuss the DIY Homa and Dhuni, it is
essential to understand what it means to be a lover like Krishna.
Krishna’s
love:
Krishna embodies love for all- Gopis or Gopalas, Devas or Asurs.
He accepts all.
When hunched-back and hated by all Kubja came to him with a wish
of turning into a beautiful maiden, Krishna didn’t give a lecture on body-image
issues, but he granted that wish. When he rescued 16,100 maidens from Narakasur
and married them to restore their honor, he made each of them feel like chosen
one, like he loved them more than anyone else. When he stole the clothes of
Gopis, he robbed them of their egos, enabling them to meet Krishna in their
purest form. When he loved Radha, it was beyond social bonds, time and space.
Krishna’s love incorporates all the 12 Rasas (spiritual tastes) - passion, wonder, conjugal love, fun,
chivalry, kindness, servitude, friendship, horror, shock, saintly and parent
like.
This is what makes Krishna the Supreme Lover and this is wish of
tantrics on the night of Moha Ratri, for which they practice Homa and Dhuni
.
Easy
DIY Tantra Yoga ritual for Moharati:
If you want to experience love in its purest form- an immersion
in spiritual, mental and physical union. Here’s a simple ritual to follow. You don’t have to be
a Yogi or a tantric follow this, it just requires pure heart. If you have a
partner, you can practice with the partner or you can practice alone, either
way, it potent enough to sort out your love life-
Step 1:
On Moharatri/Janamashtami sit in any meditative posture, close
your eyes and visual Krishna as Supreme lover- a physical manifestation of the
12 Rasas- dearest friend, kind father, and passionate consort. Visualize him as
an embodiment of all accepting physical, mental and spiritual love. Meditate
upon this visualization.
If you find this visualization difficult, you can focus on a
picture or idol of Krishna.
Step 2:
Light a ghee lamp. Place it at eye level. Stare at its flame, no
blinking. If tears roll down your cheeks, it’s okay. They are soul cleansers.
As you stare at the flame, perform a mental Homa. Offer all your mental
afflictions to the flame- anger, rage, jealousy, hatred, ego, greed, desires.
One by one disrobe yourself of all the afflictions you have accumulated.
Finally, oblate all your karmas to the flame- negative and positive and
transcend beyond all the karmas.
Step 3:
Close your eyes and rest in this state of purity, with your eyes
closed, visualize the scared fire touching you with cosmic love, transforming
you into an irresistible cosmic lover.
Step 4:
Gently open your eyes, come out of meditation, cup your palms,
fill them with cold water, blink your eyes in the water.
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