Dattātreyayogaśāstra 15–19: The Innumerable Methods of Dissolution

Laya Yoga dissolves the mind through esoteric techniques traced to Ādinātha, or Śiva, and to his instruction of the Śabaras.

Dr. Ronald Steiner

Nils Jacob Liersch 21.07.2019

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 15

लययोगश्चित्तलयात्संकेतैस्तु प्रजायते |

laya-yogaś citta-layāt; saṃketais tu prajāyate | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

laya tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	laya substantive masculine	of dissolution
yogaḥ nominative singular	yoga substantive masculine	yoga
citta tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	citta substantive neuter	Citta
layāt ablative singular	laya substantive masculine	dissolution
saṃketaiḥ instrumental case plural	saṃketa substantive masculine	through esoteric techniques
tu	tu particle	indeed
prajāyate 3rd person singular medial present	pra previx jan verbal root	arises

आदिनाथेन संकेताः सार्धकोटिः प्रकीर्तिताः ||15||

ādi-nāthena saṃketāḥ; sārdha-koṭiḥ prakīrtitāḥ ||15|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

ādi karmadhāraya-compound	ādi adjective	original, first
nāthena instrumental case singular	nātha substantive masculine	lord
saṃketāḥ nominative plural	saṃketa substantive masculine	techniques
sārdha karmadhāraya-compound	sārdha adjective	one and a half
koṭiḥ nominative singular	koṭi substantive feminine	crore (ten million)
prakīrtitāḥ nominative plural feminine past participle passive	pra previx kīrt verbal root	were proclaimed

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

The yoga of dissolution (laya-yogaḥ | nom sg) arises through esoteric techniques (saṃketaiḥ | ins pl) from the dissolution of mind (citta-layāt | abl sg). Ādinātha is said to have proclaimed one and a half crore—that is, fifteen million—such techniques (sārdha-koṭiḥ prakīrtitāḥ).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Layayoga dissolves the mind through esoteric techniques. Ādinātha is said to have taught fifteen million such methods.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

prajāyate | JM2024 ] prajāyate || DYŚ

saṃketāḥ sārdhakoṭiḥ JM2024 ] saṃketā aṣṭakoṭiḥ DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 16

सांकृतिरुवाच |

sāṃkṛtir uvāca | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

sāṃkṛtiḥ nominative singular	sāṃkṛti substantive masculine	Sāṃkṛti
uvāca 3rd person singular aktive perfekte	vac verbal root	spoke

भगवन्नादिनाथो हि को ऽयं पुरुष उच्यते ||16||

bhagavann ādinātho hi; ko 'yaṃ puruṣa ucyate ||16|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

bhagavan vokative singular	bhagavat substantive masculine	O Lord
ādināthaḥ nominative singular	ādinātha substantive masculine	Ādinātha
hi	hi particle	indeed
kaḥ nominative singular masculine	kim pronoun inter	who
ayam nominative singular masculine	idam pronoun dem	this
puruṣaḥ nominative singular	puruṣa substantive masculine	person
ucyate 3rd person singular passive present	vac verbal root	is called

Metre: Anuṣṭubh; speaker and title lines: prose

Sāṃkṛti spoke: “O Lord (bhagavan | voc sg), who is this person (ko ’yaṃ puruṣaḥ | nom sg) who is called Ādinātha (ādināthaḥ ucyate)?”

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Sāṃkṛti asked, “Lord, who is this man called Ādinātha?”

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

sāṃkṛtiruvāca JM2024 ] om. DYŚ

bhagavann ādinātho hi ko ’yaṃ puruṣa ucyate JM2024 ] bhagavan ādināthaḥ saḥ kiṃ rūpaḥ kaḥ sa ucyatām DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 17

दत्तात्रेय उवाच |

dattātreya uvāca | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

dattātreyaḥ nominative singular	dattātreya substantive masculine	Dattātreya
uvāca 3rd person singular aktive perfekte	vac verbal root	spoke

महादेवस्य नामानि आदिनाथश्च भैरवः |

mahā-devasya nāmāni; ādi-nāthaś ca bhairavaḥ | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

mahā karmadhāraya-compound	mahat adjective	great
devasya genitive singular	deva substantive masculine	god
nāmāni nominative plural	nāman substantive neuter	the names
ādi karmadhāraya-compound	ādi adjective	original, first
nāthaḥ nominative singular	nātha substantive masculine	lord, master
ca	ca particle	and
bhairavaḥ nominative singular	bhairava substantive masculine	Bhairava

शबरेशश्च देवो ऽयं लीलया विचरन्प्रभुः ||17||

śabareśaś ca devo 'yaṃ; līlayā vicaran prabhuḥ ||17|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

śabareśaḥ nominative singular	śabareśa substantive masculine	Śabareśa
ca	ca particle	and
devaḥ nominative singular	deva substantive masculine	the god
ayam nominative singular masculine	idam pronoun	this
līlayā instrumental case singular	līlā substantive feminine	playfully
vicaran nominative singular masculine present participle active	vi previx car verbal root	wandering
prabhuḥ nominative singular	prabhu substantive masculine	the Lord

Metre: Anuṣṭubh; speaker and title lines: prose

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Dattātreya replied: Ādinātha, Bhairava, and Śabareśa are names of the Great God. In the form of Śabareśa, this powerful Lord roams the world in play.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

dattātreya uvāca JM2024 ] om. DYŚ

ādināthaś ca bhairavaḥ JM2024 ] ādināthādikāny api DYŚ

śabareśaś ca devo ’yaṃ līlayā vicaran JM2024 ] śiveśvaraś ca devo ’sau līlayā vyacarat DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 18

श्रीकण्ठपर्वते गौर्या सह प्रमथनायकैः |

śrīkaṇṭha-parvate gauryā; saha pramatha-nāyakaiḥ | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

śrīkaṇṭha karmadhāraya-compound	śrīkaṇṭha substantive masculine	Śrīkaṇṭha
parvate lokative singular	parvata substantive masculine	on the mountain
gauryā instrumental case singular	gaurī substantive feminine	with Gaurī
saha	saha particle	together with
pramatha tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	pramatha substantive masculine	of the Pramathas
nāyakaiḥ instrumental case plural	nāyaka substantive masculine	with the leaders

विन्ध्ये श्रीपर्वते चैव कदलीवनगोचरे ||18||

vindhye śrī-parvate caiva; kadalī-vana-gocare ||18|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

vindhye lokative singular	vindhya substantive masculine	in the Vindhyas
śrī karmadhāraya-compound	śrī adjective	venerable, glorious
parvate lokative singular	parvata substantive masculine	on the mountain
ca	ca particle	and
eva	eva particle	indeed
kadalī tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	kadalī substantive feminine	plantain tree
vana tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	vana substantive neuter	forest
gocare lokative singular	gocara substantive masculine	in the region

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

[Śabareśa wandered] on Mount Śrīkaṇṭha (śrīkaṇṭha-parvate | loc sg), together with Gaurī (gauryā saha | ins sg) and the leaders of the Pramathas (pramatha-nāyakaiḥ | ins pl), in the Vindhyas (vindhye | loc sg), on Śrīparvata (śrī-parvate | loc sg), and in the region of the banana grove (kadalī-vana-gocare | loc sg).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

As Śabareśa, he travelled with Gaurī and the leaders of his retinue across Śrīkaṇṭha, through the Vindhyas, over Śrīparvata, and through the banana grove.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

pramathanāyakaiḥ JM2024 ] pramathanāyakān DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 19

गिरिकूटे चित्रकूटे सपादनियते गिरौ |

giri-kūṭe citra-kūṭe; sa-pāda-niyate girau | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

giri tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	giri substantive masculine	mountain
kūṭe lokative singular	kūṭa substantive masculine	on the peak
citra karmadhāraya-compound	citra adjective	bright, variegated
kūṭe lokative singular	kūṭa substantive masculine	on the peak
sa bahuvrīhi-compund	sa previx	with
pāda tatpuruṣa-compound instrumental case	pāda substantive masculine	foot
niyate lokative singular masculine past participle passive	ni previx yam verbal root	marked
girau lokative singular	giri substantive masculine	on the mountain

कृपयैकैकसंकेतं शबरेभ्यो हि दत्तवान् ||19||

kṛpayaikaika-saṃketaṃ; śabarebhyo hi dattavān ||19|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

kṛpayā instrumental case singular	kṛpā substantive feminine	compassion
ekaika karmadhāraya-compound	ekaika adjective	each one
saṃketam accusative singular	saṃketa substantive masculine	method
śabarebhyaḥ dative plural	śabara substantive masculine	to the Śabaras
hi	hi particle	indeed
dattavān nominative singular masculine past participle active	dā verbal root	gave

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

On Girikūṭa and on Citrakūṭa, the mountain marked with footprints, he compassionately gave each of the Śabaras an esoteric technique of their own.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

sapādaniyate JM2024 ] supādapayute DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

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Dr. Ronald Steiner

From Ulm

The "Yoga Doc" - Dr. Ronald Steiner is the founder of the AYI method. This method links traditional Ashtanga Yoga with innovative Yogatherapy and living Philosophy. This forms a practice that is personal for each and... more ›

Nils Jacob Liersch

Meine Begeisterung für Yoga, indische Philosophie und Sanskrit führte mich zum Studium der Indologie und Religionswissenschaft an der Universität Heidelberg. Seit 2004 befinde ich mich auf meinem persönlichen Yogaweg... more ›

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15.08.2019

„Wobei dieser Mantra-Yoga durch die Eignung für selbst untalentierte Übende zugleich auch abgewertet wird.“
Ich finde es ist nicht die Eignung für untalentierte Übende, durch die das Mantra Yoga abgewertet wird sondern die Wahl der Worte des Erzählers.

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 15–19: The Innumerable Methods of Dissolution

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