Inner Light behind closed eyes meditation from the Shri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra – verse 26/27 Phonetics and terminology

/ Jan

The verse on meditating on the inner light behind closed eyes from the Shri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra is verse 26 (in some versions, also number 27). It as a key meditation for entering the world of the phosphen es. We will speak much more on this verse, this mantra. Here for a starter the phonetic Vedic-style pronunciation along with the verse, so that you can also sing it, which helps a lot!

Sanskrit Verse

एवमेव निमीलयेत् दृष्टिं द्वाराणि संयमेत्।
प्रकाशमध्यं कृत्वा प्रत्यक् चेतसि लीयते।।

Transliteration

**Evameva nimīlayet dṛṣṭiṁ dvārāṇi saṁyamet |
Prakāśamadhyaṁ kṛtvā pratyak cetasi līyate ||

Phonetic Pronunciation (Vedic Chant Style)

Eé-va-méé-va ni-míí-la-yéét, dríísh-tim dvaa-rāā-ṇíí sám-ya-méét   

Pra-kāā-sha-má-dhyam kr-tváá, prá-tyak chay-ta-síí lee-ya-téé

Word-by-Word Translation

  1. Evameva: Similarly, in this way.
  2. Nimīlayet: Closing (the eyes).
  3. Dṛṣṭiṁ: Gaze or sight.
  4. Dvārāṇi: Gates (referring to senses).
  5. Saṁyamet: Control, restrain, withdraw.
  6. Prakāśamadhyaṁ: Centered on light, meditating on illumination.
  7. Kṛtvā: Having done, performing.
  8. Pratyak: Inward, directed inwardly.
  9. Cetasi: In the mind, in awareness.
  10. Līyate: Merges, dissolves.

Full Translation

“Similarly, by closing the eyes and restraining the senses, focusing on the inner light, one’s awareness dissolves inward into the essence of consciousness.”

Chanting Notes

  • The chanting emphasizes long vowels (e.g., “ā,” “ī”) for resonance.
  • Natural pauses at the end of each line align with the breath, creating a meditative rhythm.
  • The tonal rise and fall in chanting are subtle, drawing attention inward.

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