“Adiyogi” (Part 2) by: Poonam

Journeys are an essential part of human existence. We travel to places to get exposure, learn new things & elevate our perception. Travelling holds a great possibility on all planes; physiological, psychological & spiritual. We started a journey to the Adiyogi statue in the previous post that discussed the physical aspects of the trip & today, I am here to conclude it with the spiritual characteristics.

The literal meaning of ‘Adiyogi’ is ‘the first yogi’. In the words of Sadhguru, Shiva is the first yogi to put His foot on Earth approximately 15,000 years ago. He delivered His teachings to His disciples, the Saptrishis (seven saints), who carried His message across the world. Yogic Pranaali provides the fundamentals, complete outline, internal structure, philosophy, psychology, geometry & biology of human well-being. Initially, it guided the basic lifestyle of humans, but with time this insight began to diminish. There are various factors to this eradication; we will discuss it another day. Though ascetics have been practising a yogic lifestyle, the commoners were only able to witness some bits & pieces of this esoteric wisdom that always appears very complex & inaccessible. Sadhguru simplified the process to a certain extent & now, the world can see it in its full richness & grandeur. This is why you espy people of varied nationalities, cultures, religions, castes, creeds & social statuses in Isha Yoga Centre, all living together without discrimination & competition. Never in my life have I seen such a humanistic viewpoint where people, especially youngsters from all over the globe, have broken free from the constraints of society & religion & are abiding by each other in complete harmony. They are all volunteers, and most have left their high-paying jobs to embark on this path. They must have acquired something incredible here; otherwise, why would they shun the luxuries & comforts of life that were easily accessible to them? The disciples & devotees can be seen doing Sādhanā all over the ashram, sitting under the gazebos, in the shades of trees, and even in open passages where people are walking & talking. They seem to be least distracted & disturbed by passersby. They have only one goal; spiritual upliftment & this is so incredible to watch; in fact, this approach is quite contagious; such is the aura of the place. It is a vision to behold everyone in traditional Indian attires; saris, suits, dhotis & Kurtas. The whole atmosphere triggers your spiritual body & there are specific consecrated places in the centre to get this job done.

As I mentioned in the preceding post, photography is prohibited on the ashram premises; hence, I could not get any shots for the site. It is best to keep your cell phone & other valuables in the room. Else you will have to submit them at the desk before entering any of the main spots. We began our tour with the ‘Teertakunds’ or pools. ‘Chandra Kund’ is designed for females. It is consecrated to heal & awaken the feminine energies. The moment you enter the pond, the high vibrations submerge you in the holy water. ‘Surya Kund’, for males, represents masculine power. Teertkunds are open from 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM. You pay Rs.20 per head to dip in the ponds; however, you can stay there for as long as you desire. You are guided politely on every step. Before entering the pond, you have to take a shower & clad yourself in a saffron gown (for females) & a dhoti (for males). The whole process undertakes in absolute silence. The idea is to notice & grasp the maximum benefits of the divine atmosphere. It is not a simple bath but an ablution of all the toxicity that one gathers while strolling in the world. I was in awe the whole time; the vibrations were so intense that I could not find any expression. The entire time I was sobbing & my head was bowed. I had to drag myself out of the pond because I felt like staying there forever.

After cleansing, we moved towards ‘Dhayanlinga’, the world’s largest mercury-based linga measuring 13 feet. It is a meditative place that took over three years to be consecrated. It instantly pulls you into a deep trance & provides spiritual liberation, as it is not dedicated to any one religion. The dome is constructed quite brilliantly, but it is the energy of the place that catches your fancy. You can sit there & meditate. After every 10 minutes, a tiny bell rings to provide the count of time. You can get up or continue with your Sādhanā as per your wish; nobody will drag you out to sit there for a more extended period. I was very excited to visit Dhayanlinga & tried to grasp the maximum benefits of this place; however, something more spectacular awaited me in the succeeding spot. Subsequently, we moved on to the next level of enlightenment, ‘LingaBhairavi’. This charming spot is flooded with the grace & compassion of Devi Bhairavi, the divine feminine energy that nurtures & nourishes all life forms. The three-eyed goddess symbolises intuitive powers & complete enlightenment. She is soft & fierce, powerful & benevolent, dark & colourful. Her grace filled my soul & I could not hold back my tears. The temple was not as big as the Dhynalinga dome & many devotees were sitting & reciting Devi Stotram, some were just crying. We offered Chandan & went out, but a part of me stayed there. Dhyanalinga pulls you into sadhana whereas LingaBhairavi activates your heart. In temples and other places, everyone moves in complete silence, paying attention only to the divine energies around & their impact on the self. Silence makes you receptive to all the goodness that Universe offers you.

One thing you will notice is that in all these places, the stairs are made of extremely solid & unpolished stone & are very big & high. The purpose is to stimulate the chakras in the feet. Feet are sensitive & highly responsive to the energies of the place. When the foot is pressed on the surface with force, the chakras in the sole get activated & easily absorb the divine energies that assist in healing & evolution.

The spiritual prowess of the ashram is such that no one touches your footwear or bags that you place in open areas. You have to remove your footwear at all the places; temples, kunds, shops, and eating points & you will find them where you left them. You will also apprehend the figure of snakes in varied sizes & shapes all over the ashram & also near the Adiyogi statue. Snake stays in close proximity to Lord Shiva & is the symbol of awakened Kundalini, hightened consciousness & intuitive abilities. Therefore, its presence is acknowledged in every nook & corner.

We got the privilege of meeting Sadhguru twice. He was taking the round of the center on his jeep & was stopping at every turn to meet the devotees. His persona is larger than life. He looked at each & every person with utmost acceptance. For a moment, I felt his eyes were scanning the souls of the people there. This was another amazing & never to be forgotten experience.

After getting shaken, triggered, awakened, cleansed & charged, we were ready to pay our presence to the Adiyogi Statue. It is a 112 feet tall steel bust. It was inaugurated in 2017 by our PM Narendra Modi. It is recorded as the world’s giant bust carving. It was constructed to encourage yoga actively. It is a mile away from the ashram. That being a small distance, some were covering it on foot, though bullock carts, golf cars & buses are also available. We chose to go rustic & hired a bullock cart. There was greenery on both sides of the road. The passage was smooth & the ride was comfortable.

Adiyogi statue is an excellent centre of attraction & people who are not interested in staying in the ashram plan to stay in the hotel & visit this place. You must have witnessed this statue on television or social media platforms but believe me when I say that it is way more enormous & grand than what appears on the small screen.

You can’t have enough of Adiyogi. It touched all my senses & I kept staring, wishing not to blink an eye or utter a word. We offered circumambulation (parikrama) to the mighty idol. It was like nectar to our sour souls. A sight that will stay in the retina of our eyes forever. There is a small temple just in front of the statue. It is dedicated to Shivalinga & the Saptrishis. At 7:00 PM, we moved towards the ashram in a golf car, not to mention with heavy hearts. That night we did not feel like going to the room. We knew that the lightness & freshness of the air, the quietness & peace of the atmosphere, and the vastness & glory of the starry sky would be a rare commodity once we left Isha Yoga Centre, so we took a walk & kept sitting in the lawn for some time, filling our mind with enough memories to cherish till we visit again.

Two days flew by like the wink of an eye. We had an early morning flight on 4th October 2022. The ashram provides a cab service to the airport. You have to make bookings one day prior. The journey back home was different. The excitement was replaced with enrichment. Eyes were wet & hearts were full. We paid our gratitude to the ashram & left with a request to call us again soon!

As I sit & look back, I realise that people are generally very good at heart & they have the urge to be blissful & ascend. However, societal norms confuse them & they get distracted from the prime motive of human existence. If provided with proper guidance & resources, everybody can evolve. This is the only way to create peace & harmony in the world. This is what Isha Yoga Center is doing, this is what we all must choose to do. ~Poonam

{I clicked all the pictures, except the featured image(Sadhguru). It was captured at Bangalore by my son, Ujjval.}