Crystal Clear

Matsyendranath was walking with Gorakhnath, and they had just crossed
a small stream. Matsyendranath sat down under a tree and said, “Get
me some water. Gorakhnath ran for the water. If his guru asks for water,
Gorakhnath wants to offer it in a moment; so he ran. He found that the
little stream had been crossed by a few carts just then and the water was
muddy. So he came running back to his guru and said, “The water is
muddy in that place. Just ten minutes away there is a river, I will go there
and get the water. Matsyendranath said, “No, get water from the same
stream, from the same spot. “But it is muddy. “I want water from
the same stream, from the same spot and I am thirsty. So Gorakhnath
again ran to the stream and it was still very muddy. He did not know what
to do, and again ran back to his guru. Matsyendranath again said, “No,
I want water from that stream. Not knowing what to do, he went back
again. Then, he found that the water was a little clearer. So he waited.
Five minutes went by and the water became as pure as can be. He brought
the water – bursting with ecstasy, jumping with joy – and gave it to
his guru. Matsyendranath kept the water aside and did not drink. He was
not thirsty.

Gorakhnath is the kind, if you tell him to do a mantra ten times, he will do
it 10,000 times. He is always on the go. Whatever you tell him, he will do it
with great fervor, which is a great quality, but now a time had come for
him to move into another space. So Matsyendranath was conveying a
message: “You have done all the running around and intense activity
very well, but now a time has come. Just wait. It will become crystal clear.

Dangers on the Path of Scandal

I do not mean to suggest that the average individual should set off on her
own without any
guidance or supervision. The heroic path of the antinomian saints is
always a dangerous
undertaking. All spokesmen for the path of the vira insist that it must not
be pursued without
the guidance of a guru who knows both the nature of the path and
the strengths and
weakness of the disciple. "Without the guru, the sadhaka[12] is apt to slip,
and when he slips
he falls all the way to hell" (Dimock, 1989: 196).
According to legend, even the great Matsyendra fell. Matsyendra (ninth
century, c.e.) is the
founder of the Natha sect, a Shiva-oriented Tantric system which
strives for the
"transubstantiation of the body." According to the legend,
Matsyendra failed a test set for
him by an enraged goddess. When she unveiled her sexual charms,
he lost his yogic
consciousness and became aroused with lust. The outer object of lustful
desire caused him to
forget the resource of kundalini, and he saw the goddess as a potential
sexual partner in the
profane sense. The erotic trance of yogic consciousness was destroyed by
the dragon of his
lust. The terrible goddess seized her opportunity and she cursed
Matsyendra to fall asleep in
the Kingdom of the Women, also called the Kingdom of the Plantain
Forest.
He had been unconscious for some time and was only three days
away from death at the
hands of sixteen hundred women, when his disciple, Gorakh, learned
of his plight and
disguised himself as a woman, a drummer with a female musical troop, to
gain entrance into
the Plantain Kingdom. When the music began, Gorakh’s drum
sang out, "Awaken
Matsyendra, Gorakh has come!" This brought Matsyendra to ordinary
consciousness. But
Gorakh had to restore his guru to yogic consciousness, i.e.,
awareness of his kundalini,
before they both could escape. D. G. White, who relays several
versions of this legend,
comments on its psychological meaning:
Matsyendra’s Kadali[13] [Plantain] Kingdom was undoubtedly a
forest of women’s thighs [cf.
the banana-like shape of plantains, growing close together in bunches], in
the midst of which he
nearly lost his life -- albeit through a form of tantric practice -- but where
he in the end realized
yogic immortality through Gorakh’s intervention. . . . A woman’s
thighs can lead to the death of a
yogin, but they can also constitute a "boat to immortality" (D. G. White,
1997: 239).
The great danger along the path of the antinomian hero is always
losing consciousness.
Matsyendra falls into sexual lethargy when he meets the sexually
endowed goddess whose
charms overwhelm his own power to "step aside" and allow
kundalini to surge forth and
meet her as a worthy opponent. Furthermore, he falls not only to
the level of ordinary
consciousness in which he might have turned aside his gaze or
perhaps summoned his
powers so as to view her as a mother rather than as a sexual challenger.
He has fallen all the
way to a life-endangering sleep. Lost in a forest of women’s thighs, he
has fallen victim to

Legends tell that Matsyendra was born under an inauspicious star. This
warranted his parents to throw the baby into the ocean. It was there that
the baby was swallowed by a fish where he lived for many years. The fish
swam to the bottom of the ocean where Shiva was imparting the secrets of
yoga to his consort, Parvati. Upon overhearing the secrets of yoga,
Matsyendra began to practice yoga sadhana inside the fish's belly. After
twelve years he finally emerged as an enlightened Siddha. This is often
given as the origin of his name 'Lord of the Fishes' or 'He Whose Lord is
the Lord of the Fishes'.[10] Other versions of the legend exist, including
one in which Matsyendra was born as a fish and turned into a Siddha by
Shiva.[11] Tibetan renditions of the story tell of a fisherman-turned-Siddha
named Mina, who is eaten by a fish while working in the Bay of Bengal.
[12] Some scholars draw parallels between this legend and the Biblical
story of Jonah and the Whale.[13]

Another legend says that, when Gorakshanath visited Patan, in Nepal, he

captured all the rain-showering serpents of Patan and started to meditate
after he was disappointed by the locals as they did not grant him any alms
on his request. As a result, Patan faced drought for a long time. The king
of Patan, on the advice of his advisers, invited Matsyendranath,
Gorakshanath's guru, to Patan. When Gorakshanath learned that his
teacher was in Patan, he released all the rain showering serpents and
went to see him. As soon as the rain-showering serpents were set free,
Patan again got plenty of rainfall every year. After that day, the locals of
Patan worshiped Matsyendranath as the god of rain.[14][15]

Yet another legend[citation needed] says, the Virya or Sperm of Brahma is

responsible for birth of various saints and prophets on earth. The Brahma
Virya is unlike human beings. It was said to fertilise any living form and
carried within it the utmost principles and moral values. It fell on various
parts of earth at the advent of Kali Yuga (i.e. age of machines in Hindu
scriptures). It was decided so to spread moral values on earth by the
Supreme Godhead, Brahma. The Virya fell into the mouth of a fish and it
became pregnant. The fish and egg inside reached to a secluded spot
where Lord Shankar was teaching the principles of creation to Mother
Parvati. When Parvati asked Shankara, "What is the base of all Illusionary
Creation", an answer came from the Egg, "Brahma Tatva" or "God
Element". Stumped by the right answer, Lord Shankara started looking
into the river, and he saw the child inside the egg. He immediately
recognised the child as "Kavi Narayan", the poetic Avatar of Lord Krishna
or Hari. He then blessed the child and told him that he would give him the
benediction once he was 12 years old. In due course, the fish was washed
ashore on the banks of a sea in Maharashtra. A fisherman couple who had
no child saw the egg being pecked by storks. As soon as the egg cracked
the baby came out crying loudly. The fisher man then realised this miracle
and with compassion in his mind, took the baby home. The baby was
named Machhindranath – Macch (meaning) fish, Indra meaning (God
Indra) Nath (meaning) Lord – thus lord of the Sea Fish. Machhindranath
grew up to be compassionate, aloof from material things. His fisherman
foster father insulted him once over throwing caught fish back into water.
He said to him that he would become a beggar if he didn't know how to
make a living. The enlightened child judged it better to beg and eat sinless
food then to make a sinful living in killing. After that Machhindranath ran
away from home and went to Badrinath and meditated there living on
fruits and water for 12 years continuously. What remained out of him was
his skin sucked-up to his skeleton. Then he was greeted by Lord Datta and
Lord Shiva (Rudra) and taught all mysteries of warfare and miracles which
he used for uplifting mankind and saving them from evil that Kali Purusha
has spread. From then on, Machhindranath became a Siddha who could
see from the beginning of time till its end

About Matsyendranath
A young man was wandering in the mountains somewhere in India–most
likely in the Western Himalayas. He had seen no one else for a very long
time, but one day he heard the faint sound of a human voice. Following it,
he saw from a distance some people seated together near a river. Slipping
into the water, he began swimming toward them. All along the river on
that side thick reeds were growing so he was not seen as he stealthily
made his way closer.

Soon he began to understand what was being said. Fascinated by the

speaker’s words he came as close as he dared and for a long time
remained absorbed in the amazing things being spoken. For the science of
yoga was being expounded by a master to his disciples. Then he heard the
master say: “There is a ‘fish’ in the reeds over there, listening to
everything I am saying. Why doesn’t he come out and join us? He did
as suggested and became a resident of the master’s ashram and
learned both philosophy and Soham Yoga.

After diligent practice of meditation for quite some time, the master asked
him to return to the plains and teach that yoga to whomever would listen.
He was given a new name, Matsyendranath. (Matsyendra means Indra
Among Fish and Nath means Master. Indra is king of the gods.) We have
no knowledge of what the master’s name was. Matsyendranath and his
disciples only referred to him as Adi Nath–Original/First Master. Some
believe Adi Nath was Shiva himself manifested to teach yoga, or perhaps
the primeval master Bhagavan Sanatkumara about whom the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says: “To such a one who has his stains
wiped away, Bhagavan Sanatkumara shows the further shore of darkness
(7.26.2).

About Gorakhnath
Matsyendra wandered throughout India, teaching those who were
awakened enough to desire and comprehend the yogic path. One day in
his wanderings he came to a house where the owner’s wife gave him
something to eat and a request: that he would bless her to have a child. In
response he blessed her and gave her some ashes from a sacred fire,
telling her to swallow them. Then he left. The woman followed his
instructions and soon conceived and gave birth to a male child. Several
years later Matsyendra came there again and saw the little boy outside the
house. He told him to bring his mother, and when she came he asked if
she remembered him, which she did. Pointing to the boy, he said: “That
is my child. I have come for him. The woman agreed and Matsyendra left
with the boy whom he named Gorakhsha, Protector/Guardian of Light.

Goraksha in time became the monk Gorakshanath (usually called

Gorakhnath), the greatest yogi in India’s recorded history. In every
part of India there are stories told of his living in those areas. He also lived
in Nepal, Tibet, Ladakh, and Bhutan. There are shrines and temples to him
in all those countries, both Hindu and Buddhist. His major temple is in
Gorakhpur, the birthplace of Paramhansa Yogananda whose younger
brother, Sananda, was originally named Goraksha. Considering all the lore
about him, Gorakhnath must have lived at least two or three hundred
years, and there are many who claim that he has never left his body but is
living right now in the Himalayas.
Gorakhnath had many disciples, a large number of them attaining
enlightenment. They were the first members of the Nath Yogi
Sampradaya, which in time numbered in its ranks the great sage Patanjali,
founder of the Yoga Philosophy (Yoga Darshan) and author of the Yoga
Sutras, and Jesus of Nazareth (Sri Ishanath). For many centuries the
majority of monks in India were Nath Yogis, but in the nineteenth century
there was a sharp decline in their numbers, which continues today.
However there are several groups of “Nath Panthis that follow the
philosophy and yoga of Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath, and therefore
are involved with Soham as the heart of their sadhana.

Once upon a time, the strong, wise, out-of-this-world God of

Transformation Lord Shiva was sitting with his companion, the great
Goddess Parvati. He was telling her about the methods of yoga he had just
discovered. He talked for a very long time, not noticing Parvati was bored.
After all, it was she who had designed the whole system of yoga in the first
place and hardly needed to be lectured on it! As Shiva continued to talk,
Parvati dipped her hand in the river and started to gracefully caress the
water, making subtle ripples which went on to become waves. One fish
recognized that something interesting was coming from the riverbank and
swam over to check it out. That fish, whose name was Matsya, listened to
Lord Shiva’s teachings with rapt attention. When Matsya asked him to
repeat them again from the beginning, Shiva immediately agreed, not
surprised in the least that Matsya was a fish. Shiva treats all souls with
equal respect. He determines a person’s eligibility by their sincere
desire to know the Truth, not by their age, religion, gender or species.

Shiva renamed Matsya, Matsyendranath or “Lord of the Fishes

(Matsya coincidentally means fish in Sanskrit and Indra means lord). He
instructed him to go on and teach others about Hatha Yoga. That’s
how it works. The teacher gives the teachings to the student, and the
student’s job is to then become the teacher. And so Matsya was the
first student who went on to become Matsyendranath, passing on the
teachings to others. Yoga is transmitted from teacher to student in an
unbroken lineage that remains today. All of us who consider ourselves
teachers of Hatha Yoga are descendants of that Fish, Matsya.

At the beginning of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the author, Swatmarama,

acknowledges the lineage as being passed from Adinath (Shiva) to
Matsyendranath. Yet most people have trouble believing that the first yoga
student was an actual fish! How could that be? A fish could never do eka
pada shirshasana or even padmasana! The automatic assumption is that
Matsya was a man. At most they suppose he may have had wide-set eyes,
scaly skin, or some other characteristic that earned him a fish-sounding
name. In India, you can see images of Matsyendranath and he appears to
be a strong, long-haired, bearded man with two legs instead of a fish tail.

Summary of 'The Victory of Goraksha'

Adya (primordial male principle) and Ady� (primordial female principle)

were two ancient Gods who have started creation. Afterwards four
Siddhas were born, after them young girl was born, whose name was
Gaurī. Being ordered by Adya, Śiva married her and descended on the
Earth. The names of those four Siddhas were Mīn N�th, Gorakṣ
Nath, H��ip� (Jalandhar Nath) and K�nhap�. From the time
they were created, they became absorbed in the yoga practice and were
sustaining merely on air. Goraksh Nath was in service of Mīn N�th
and Kanpha Nath was the people of of H��ip�.

Amar Katha (Bengali version)

One day Gaurī saw the garland of human sculls on the Śiva’s neck,
and asked him why he was wearing them. He answered that in reality all
those skulls belonged her, in her previous lives. Gaurī became shocked
to learn it. She asked Åšiva, what were the reasons duty which she has to
die again and again, but he was immortal. Åšiva answered her, that this
kind of knowledge was secret, and not for ears of every body. He told her
that before he will answer they should go in the middle of the Ká¹£ir
Samudra (the Ocean of Milk) on a boat, and then discuss it there. When
they have reached the middle of the Ká¹£ir Samudra, at the same time
Mīn N�th, who has accepted the form of a huge fish, has reached
under their boat and stopped below it.

Listening, listening Devi gone to sleep and Mīn-n�th was saying yes,
listening all time, so that Åšiva complete narration. When Devi became
awakened by the sound of his voice, she told that she didn’t listened
the Great Knowledge, Åšiva was narrating. When Åšiva has applied his
yogic sight to find who was saying, ‘yes I am listening,’ he has found
that it was Mīn N�th, sitting under the boat. He became angry and
cursed him by saying that once day will come when he would forget the
Great Knowledge, because it was acquired by the unfair means.

Tests
After this, Adi Guru Åšiva has gone to Kailash Mountain and started live
there. Gaurī was repeatedly asking him to arrange the marriages of
Siddhas, so that they can bring forth progeny. Åšiva answered her that
Siddhas can’t be affected by lust. Gaurī has told that it is impossible
that human body can be free from the sensual desires, and if Åšiva would
give his order, she will test all of them. Being persuaded by her, Åšiva
allowed her to do this.

The four Siddhas were performing their penances in four quarters:

H��iph� went to the East, K�nph� was in the South, in
Goraksh was in the West and Mīn-n�th in the North. To give Gaurī
an opportunity to perform her test, Åšiva has invited the four Great
Siddhas to his place. When they came, Gaurī after taking form of Bhuvan
Mohinī (the seducer of the world) served them food. All four Siddhas
became charmed by her form in different ways: Mīn-n�th thought in
his mind that if he will get such beautiful women, he would spend a night
with her. Devi curst him that he would forget his Great Knowledge and in
Country Kadli would spent nights enamored by company of sixteen
hundred beautiful female attendants. H��iph� thought that for the
sight of such beautiful women he would become even street sweeper, and
as result he got curse that he would become sweeper in the house of
queen Mayan�matī. The disciple of H��iph�, Siddha
G�bhūr, thought that if he would get such a woman, then even if his
foot and legs would be cut away it is not big matter. As result of his
thoughts, he was cursed that his stepmother would put him in disgrace, as
result of which his legs and legs would be cut away. K�nph� thought
in his mind that for getting such a woman even sacrifice of life is not too
mach. Becouse of this, Devi cursed him by saying that after going in
Turm�n country he would became ��huk�? Goraksh thought that
if such women would be his mother, he would be happy sit in her laps and
drink milk from her breast. Amongst other Siddhas, Goraksh Nath alone
has passed the test, and instead of curse, he got a blessing as reward, but
Devi not being satisfied on this, determined in her mind to make more
severe tests for him in future.

After tests were completed, all Siddhas started for the places they were
assigned to go. Only Goraksh Nath remained free. Once when he was
sitting under Banyan tree absorbed in deep meditation, Devī applied all
her means to bring him down from his state of yoga, but he passed
through all her attempts till they ended. Other day, she lay naked on his
way, pretending that she was sleeping, but such her state not created any
wrong thoughts in the mind of Goraksh, and he covered her nakedness
with a big leave from a fig tree. Then she has accepted the form of fly and
entered in his stomach trying to cause pain to him. Goraksh Nath has
stopped his breathing, and she became badly harassed by it. After all
these tests, Devī accepted her terrible form and started killing countless
human beings. Being ordered by Śiva, Goraksh delivered Devī from her
state, and established a statue on her place. The legends say that it is the
same statue, which worshiped in Calcutta in the Kali temple. After all
these tests, Devī being pleased by him, blessed him by granting him
bonus to get most beautiful woman ever existed. To fulfill her blessing the
Lord Åšiva by his power of his Yoga-Maya (illusion), created young woman,
who determinedly accepted Goraksh Nath as her husband. Goraksh after
coming in her house became child of six month old and started annoyingly
crying demanding milk. After short time, the girl became greatly absent by
the situation. Goraksh Nath told her that it is impossible for him to be
affected by a sensual desire, but if she would wash his kaupīn or
karpaá¹Ä« (loin cloth) and drink water, which remains after it, she will get
a child. She did in accordance with has advice, washed his karpaá¹Ä« and
drunken water left after it. Some time later, son was born to her, which
was named Karpaá¹Ä« NÄ�th.

Goraksh Nath and K�nph�

One day, Goraksh Nath was sitting under Banyan tree absorbed in
Samadhi. K�nph� was flying through sky to somewhere, and his
shadow felt on Goraksh Nath. When Goraksh Nath noticed it, he turned his
face up and after seeing him, became angry. He took his kha��u
(wooden shoes) and through it at K�nph�, who was caught by it and
dragged down to the place Goraksh Nath was sitting. In such way, he was
punished for carelessly flying over his head.

Being disappointed by happened, K�nhap� told him with sarcasm,

‘If you have become so great Siddha, then why you do not know where
your guru is? He is now in the country of Kadlī, engaged with women,
after he forget all his Mah�-Jñ�n (the Great Knowledge). His powers
became extinguished now, and after I have made an enquiry in the office
of Yamar�ja (the God of Death), I came to know that his span of life is
only three days more. If you such a great Siddha Yogi, then go and save
him from this misfortune and disgrace.’

Goraksh Nath answered to him, ‘You are giving me instructions what I

should do, but did you have any news about your guru? He was buried
under ground by the son of wise queen Mayan�matī, Raja
Gopīcand.’
Rescuing the Guru

In such way, both yogis came to know about the situations in which their
gurus were, and started for rescuing them. First of all Goraksh Nath gone
to office of Yamar�ja and made there arrangements for prolonging the
life term of his guru. Then he returned to the same tree, and after taking
with him two disciples, Laṅg and Mah�laṅg, he entered into
Kadalī forest for rescuing his guru. Yogis were not allowed to enter in
Kadalī country; therefore, he disguised himself as Brahmin. By seeing
him, people were making him obeisance, thinking him to be Brahmin, and
in response he has to give bless them in customary manner. However, in
reality, those blessings were not blessings of ordinary Brahmin, but of the
Great Siddha, which Goraksh Nath was, therefore they were having
extraordinary power. All those whom he blessed, even the worst of
sinners, at once were becoming free from all their sins and retribution for
them. On seeing this, Goraksh Nath understood that accepting the
appearance of a Brahmin was not good for him, therefore he returned to
his normal appearence of a yogi. He sat under Banyan tree situated on the
bank of some lake at Kadalī country, and entered in samadhi. A local
woman came there and after seeing him, became charmed by his look.
From her he came to know that his guru Mīn-n�th was spending his
time in the company of two queens Mangal� and Kamal� by name,
surrounded by sixteen hundred female attendants. Yogis were not allowed
to enter into the palace under the treat of the death penalty, and only
female dancers were permitted to access the premises of Mīn-n�th.
For delivering his guru, Goraksh Nath has disguised himself as a female
dancer, but queens Mangal� and Kamal� being informed by a female
doorkeeper that he was not proper female, prevented him from entering in
the residence of Mīn N�th. At last, Goraksh Nath has started make
sound with his drum from behind the door. On listening the sound, MÄ«n-
n�th called for the person who was making it. Being brought in front of
him, Goraksh Nath by sounding of his drum, has made him recollected him
his past and restored his Mah�-Jñ�na (the Great Knowledge); after
listening it, Mīn N�th has remembered who he actually was before. On
seeing him preparing to go, the queens desiring to avoid this, brought in
front of him his son Bindu Nath, and attempted to play on his filings,
trying to change his mind. Goraksh Nath responded on it by making Bindu
Nath dead and then bringing him back to the life, and Mīn-n�th once
more became determined to go. Queens of Kadalī, attempted to create
conspiracy to kill Goraksh Nath, but after it felt, they were curst by him
and both became bats. At last, Goraksh Nath with his guru and Bindu-Nath
returned to Vijay Nagar.
The Life story of Guru Mīna-p�.

This is the Vajrayana version of the life story of Matseyndra Nath, the
story number 8 in Caturaśīti-siddha-pravṛitti or 'The Life Stories of
the Eighty Four Siddhas' by Abhaya Datta. This is one of the oldest written
records about the life of Matsyendra Nath. The text below is the
translation from Hindi made by Yoga Nath.

Guru Minapa was born in the Eastern India and was a fisherman by caste.
His Guru was Mahadeva (Shiva), who blessed him with mundane siddhis
(powers).

At some distance from Kamarupa (modern Assam), there was an ocean, Ita
by name (modern Bengal Bay). Fishermen who lived there, were daily
catching the fishes from the ocean, and selling it on local market. One day,
one of them fitted a hook into the net made of cotton, fixed a peace of
meat on it and cast the net into the ocean. A very huge fish has entered
into it. When he tried to draw it out of the ocean, he was not able to do it;
instead the fish dragged him deep into water, until he finally sunk down.
Then the fish swallowed him, but miraculously he, protected by his (good)
karma, didn’t die.

About the same time, Uma Devi asked from Mahadeva (Shiva) to narrate
her lesson of Dharma, on what he answered that his teaching was very
secret, and not for each and every body, ‘You make a house deep into
the ocean (where nobody will listen us), then I will initiate you there,’
he told her. Uma Devi did this, and after they both reached there, Shiva
started narrating his lesson. While he was speaking, the fish (the same fish
that swallowed the fisherman) came there and stopped right under the
house (they were sitting in). Shiva not finished his lesson yet, but Uma
became overpowered by sleep. Shiva was narrating and from time to time
he was asking her, “Do you understand what I am saying?’ And it
was the fisherman, who while listening (from the stomach of the fish), was
answering, ‘Yes, I understand.’

When Mahadeva completed his lesson of Dharma, Uma Devi awakened

from her sleep, and started to say, ‘Now you shall continue.’

Mahadeva answered, ‘I had finished the lesson, what else you want to
know?’

On what Uma has told, ‘I was listening till some moment, but later I
gone into sleep and didn’t listen duty this.’
Puzzled Mahadeva has asked her, “‘Then who was saying, ‘Yes I
am understood? ’

Uma answered, ‘No, it was not me.’

When Mahadeva has applied his yogic vision, he has found that the a man
who was into the stomach of the fish under the house, they were sitting in,
listened all the Teaching, from beginning till end. He thought, ‘Now he
has become my disciple. But he will have to wait, till his time has
come.’ So he ordered to fisherman to practice sadhana he has learned
(without taking him out of the fish), and declared him as accepted as his
disciple. For twelve long ears the fisherman was practicing his sadhana,
sitting inside the fish.

One day at the place called Shree Tapri, other fisherman has caught that
big fish and dragged it out of the water. After seeing its (unusual)
heaviness, he thought that it might have in its stomach some gold or silver.
With purpose to take it out, he cut her belly, and saw a man sitting there.
Being shocked by this, the fisherman asked him, ‘Who you are?’ And
was answered, ‘I am also was a fisherman like you are. At the time of
the ruling of the King Amuk, this fish dragged me into the ocean and
swallowed afterwards.’

When people (gathered to see him), calculated the time, elapsed since that
moment, they found that twelve ears have passed by. All people were
greatly astonished to see this wonderful event. Since that moment, he
became famous under the name Minapa.
Afterwards, the people started praise him, and when he at once started
dancing, his feet were entering deep into the earth, like if it was wet.
When he continued his dance on the big stone, his feet also were entering
deep into it, as if it was wet and soft mud. All around were amazed to see
this miracle. On seeing their astonishment, Minapa has uttered:

‘Because of previously accumulated good karma

And as the power of chanting the Sacred Mantra
I have got these wonderful qualities, Hey ho, my Mind Jewel!'

Later he spent five hundred ears performing various deeds for the
uplifting of the humanity. Minapa, Vajrapada and Achintapa (Achintya),
these are three names under which he became famous in different places.
At first he got mundane Siddhis (supernatural powers), but later he
entered the True Path and became dissolved into the Eternal Void.

Comment
The story of the fisherman Minapa is the nice illustration what can man
reach, if he left alone for long period of time, without any disturbances,
and if he initiated into the powerful techniques of meditation. Actually
every body can reach such extraordinary progress on the Yoga Path, if he
left alone without any disturbance, and all possible kind of activities he
may indulge in, are cast away. Then only one can turn own sight from the
outside world towards the inner reality, and first become aware of its
existence, and then become established there permanently. Such condition
of the mental quietness even today some spiritual aspirants try to
approach by going into retreats. But as a rule, in the daily reality of the
modern life, we neither have enough time, nor can we go out of the circle
of our daily routine. We have no time to stop and sit down, and even if we
try to meditate, still mind continues to larking somewhere else. It is
happening because hobbit of the endless, restless activity has became
deeply rooted into our nature, has became its natural part. This is the
main reason, why the Minapa of the modern days doesn’t appear on
the today’s horizon. To make meditation successful it must be
continuous and interrupted for long, long time and this can be
accomplished only if God willing let it happen. Today we have on our
disposal all possible techniques of meditation, which previously were kept
highly secret, were dispersed in different places all over the earth, and
were taught only to initiate. But in spite of all this apparent abundance
and diversity, the people today have to attend so many things at once that
they simply have no time to stop and sit devotionally for while.