Yogataravali Verse 7: Mulabandha

by Dhanurdhara | May 3, 2026 | Texts

उत्थापिताधारहुताशनोल्कैः
आकुञ्चनैः शश्वदपानवायोः।
सन्तापिताच्चन्द्रमसः स्रवन्तीं
पीयूषधारां पिबतीह धन्यः ॥७॥

1️⃣ Word-by-Word Meaning

First Line

उत्थापित-आधार
— lifted from the base (mūlādhāra)
हुताशन-ओल्कैः
— by flames/sparks of fire

👉 “the fire arising from the base, lifted upward”

Second Line

आकुञ्चनैः
— by contractions (bandhas)
शश्वत् अपान-वायोः
— of the apāna vāyu (downward-moving prāṇa), constantly

👉 “by continuously contracting (and drawing upward) the apāna vāyu”

Third Line

सन्तापितात् चन्द्रमसः
— from the heated moon
स्रवन्तीं
— flowing

👉 “from the moon that has been heated, flows…”

Fourth Line

पीयूष-धाराम्
— stream of nectar (amṛta)
पिबति इह धन्यः
— the blessed one drinks here

2️⃣ Clean Meaning

“By the contractions (bandhas) that continuously draw up the apāna vāyu, the fire from the base is lifted upward; heating the moon, it causes a stream of nectar to flow, which the blessed one drinks.”

3️⃣ Structure of the Verse

This verse presents a three-stage energetic cycle:

1. Fire rises from below

2. Moon above is heated

3. Nectar flows downward

4️⃣ What Are “Fire” and “Moon”?

This is symbolic language.

🔥 Fire (हुताशन)

Represents:

activation
prāṇic intensity
metabolic / energetic heat
upward-moving force

In your experience:

heat in mūlādhāra
rising sensation

🌙 Moon (चन्द्र)

Represents:

cooling principle
subtle mind-field
higher center (often associated with head region)
reservoir of “amṛta” (stability, subtle bliss)

5️⃣ What Does “Heating the Moon” Mean?

Not literal heating.

It means:

upward-moving prāṇa interacts with the subtle mind-field and transforms it

So:

active energy meets subtle awareness
agitation meets stillness
polarity resolves

6️⃣ What Is “Nectar” (पीयूष)?

Again, not a substance.

It refers to:

the result of this integration

Experienced as:

deep शांतता (calm)
effortless awareness
subtle आनंद (not excitement, but ease)
continuity without strain

7️⃣ The Full Mechanism

Let’s map it clearly:

🔹 Step 1 — Bandha / Contraction

apāna (downward force) is pulled upward

🔹 Step 2 — Fire rises

prāṇa becomes intense and upward-moving

🔹 Step 3 — Contact with “moon”

reaches subtle mind-field

🔹 Step 4 — Transformation

agitation resolves into stability

🔹 Step 5 — Nectar flows

calm awareness stabilizes

8️⃣ Connection to Your Experience

You described:

heat / movement → ✔ (fire rising)
inward pull → ✔ (apāna drawn upward)
calm awareness → ✔ (nectar phase)
nāda → ✔ (subtle continuity)

So this verse is not abstract for you —
it is describing your sequence in symbolic language.

9️⃣ Important Insight

Notice:

This verse still describes process, not final stillness.

fire rising → movement
transformation → transition
nectar → stabilization

But not yet:

complete cessation (as in earlier “गमागमौ मुञ्चति”)

🔟 Subtle Warning

The “nectar” stage can be misunderstood as:

bliss experience
something to hold

But the text says:

“पिबति” — drinks

Meaning:

it is received, not possessed
it flows, not stored

1️⃣1️⃣ Final Essence

By drawing upward the downward force through contraction, the inner fire rises; meeting the subtle mind, it transforms into a cooling, stabilizing flow of awareness — the “nectar” experienced by the practitioner.

🔍 One precise question for you

When your calm phase comes:

Does it feel like:

a pleasant subtle experience,
or
something more like effortless neutrality with quiet clarity?

This will tell whether you are in:

nectar-as-experience
or
nectar-as-stabilization.

Now let's have some insight about Heating the moon.

1️⃣ Think of Heating the moon

Moon = mind ✔️
Heating = disturbance / instability ❌ (needs correction)
Stabilization → nectar ✔️ (partly right)

2️⃣ What “Moon = Mind” Means Here

In many traditions (including Jyotiṣa), चन्द्र (moon) is linked with:

mind (manas)
receptivity
subtle feeling-field

But in yogic context, especially here:

“moon” refers to the cool, passive, subtle aspect of mind–prāṇa system

Not the restless mind.

3️⃣ What Does “Heating the Moon” Mean? (Critical Point)

The idea:

heating = instability, thoughts, disturbance

This is not correct in this verse.

Because:

disturbance already exists before practice
heating here is something caused by yogic process, not by distraction

Correct Understanding

Heating = activation / stimulation of the otherwise passive subtle mind-field by rising prāṇa

So:

“moon” is cool, stable potential
“fire” rises from below
when they meet → transformation happens

4️⃣ So What Actually Happens?

Let’s reframe the process correctly:

Before practice

mind is restless (but not called “heated” here)
prāṇa is scattered

During process

Apāna pulled upward (bandha)
Fire rises (prāṇa intensifies)
Touches moon (subtle mind-field)
Moon is “heated”

👉 Meaning:

passive mind-field becomes activated, liquefied, transformed

5️⃣ What Is “Nectar Flowing”?

When this happens:

rigidity dissolves
fragmentation reduces
a unified, smooth awareness appears

This is described as:

पीयूषधारा — flow of nectar

6️⃣ So Final Correction to this Idea

mind is heated = unstable → then becomes stable → nectar

❌ is not correct.

✅ Corrected version

rising prāṇa activates and transforms the subtle mind-field (moon), and from this transformation emerges a continuous, calm, nourishing awareness (nectar)

7️⃣ Important Subtle Insight

Heating here is not agitation.

It is:

alchemical transformation

Like:

melting solid into fluid
activating latent into expressive

8️⃣ Why “Moon” Specifically?

Because moon represents:

coolness
stability
receptivity

But when “heated”:

it begins to flow

Hence:

nectar (fluid, continuous, gentle awareness)

9️⃣ Connection to Your Experience

You said:

inward movement
calm awareness
nāda

Now observe:

That calm:

Is it:

just absence of disturbance
or
a positive, continuous, almost nourishing presence?

If second:

👉 that is closer to what the verse calls पीयूषधारा (nectar flow)

🔟 Final Essence

The “heating of the moon” does not mean disturbance of mind; it means the transformation of the subtle mind-field by rising prāṇa, resulting in a continuous flow of calm, unified awareness.

🔍 One precise question

When calm deepens in your case: