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SoundVoidVerse 114intermediate

Contract the Ears, the Unstruck Sound

Contract the ears and the lower opening, and listen to the vowel-less, consonant-less inner sound; enter the eternal.

Source verse · Verse 114
सङ्कोचं कर्णयोः कृत्वा ह्यधोद्वारे तथैव च। अनच्कमहलं ध्यायन्विशेद्ब्रह्म सनातनम्॥
saṅkocaṃ karṇayoḥ kṛtvā hy adhodvāre tathaiva ca | anackam ahalaṃ dhyāyan viśed brahma sanātanam
Contract the ears and the lower opening, and listen to the vowel-less, consonant-less inner sound; enter the eternal.
▶ Practice this technique10 / 15 / 20 min · eyes closed

How to practice

  1. 1Sit upright and gently close or contract the ears (lightly sealing them), and lightly contract the lower opening of the body.
  2. 2In the resulting inner quiet, listen for a continuous inner sound with no vowel and no consonant — a pure unstruck tone.
  3. 3Let attention merge into that vowel-less, consonant-less sound.
  4. 4Riding it inward, enter the eternal (sanātana brahman). Rest there.
Practice note. A more physical companion to "the unstruck sound": the gentle contractions quiet outer hearing so the inner, unstruck tone can be heard. Never press hard.

Terms in this technique

nāda
The inner, unstruck sound; subtle vibration.
śabda
Sound, word — both spoken and inner.
śūnya
Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.

Sources consulted

  • Jaideva Singh, Vijñānabhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization (Motilal Banarsidass, 1979)
  • Swami Lakshmanjoo, Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self Realization (Universal Shaiva Fellowship, 2007)
  • Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati, Sri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra (Yoga Publications Trust, 2003)
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