Significance of Ayanas (Dakshinayana and Uttarayana)

As the destructive power is imbedded in the atom, so are the acts of preservation, creation and destruction invested in the womb of Almighty Time. Time Eternal alone is the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Past, Present & Future are imbedded in the womb of Time Eternal and a knower of Time can get an insight into Past, Present & Future. The Present is a product of the Past. Future is contained in the Present in as much as it is determined by the Present. The Lord equates Himself with the cosmic phenomenon of Time. "I am Time Eternal" declares He in the Geetha ("Kalosmi"). Oppenheimer, the Father of the Atom Bomb quoted this verse from the Geetha when he saw the first atomic explosion. To him, the destructive power of the atom was a mere manifestation of the destructive power of Time Eternal!

A year in the Hindu calendar consists of two Ayanas (which signfy the sun’s direction) that are divided into two periods of six months each. Summer solstice marks the beginning of Dakshinayana, which means in the Earth’s sky the Sun begins to trace a southward movement in the northern hemisphere of the planet. The Uttarayana period which begins on January 14th or 15th ends with Dakshinayana Punyakalam. The Dakshinayanam period ends on Makar Sankranti (i.e. Uttarayana day). 

The Ayana from the beginning of Dakshinayana to the beginning of Uttarayana is known as the sadhana pada. In terms of sadhana, Dakshinayana is for purification, Uttarayana is for enlightenment.

In the northern hemisphere of the planet, Uttarayana is the time of fulfillment, Dakshinayana is the time of receptivity. They are also understood as – the first six months from January to June are masculine in nature, and the duration of the southern run is the feminine phase of the Earth. The earth changing her fabric from being masculine to feminine is very significant for a sadhaka because we are moving into the six months of sadhana phase where receptivity is good. 

So, Uttarayana and Dakshinayana have a significant impact on how the human system functions. Accordingly, spiritual aspirants shift their tone of activity – when the sun is in the northern run they are one way, when it moves to the southern dimension they are in a different way. During the southern run, what is below the Anahata chakra can be purified very easily. During the northern run, what is above the Anahata can be worked much more easily. 

If you look at the chakras as two different dimensions, the lower ones, the Manipura, the Svadhishthana, and Muladhara are more concerned in keeping the body stable, rooted. These are the earth qualities. They pull you to the Earth. It is nature. The more you ascribe your energies to these three centres, the more your qualities will become earthy and in the grip of nature. The upper ones, the Vishuddhi, Agna, and Sahasrara are three centres which are always taking you away. If your energies become dominant in these centres, it is pulling you away from Earth. These centres make you open to another force which we normally refer to as Grace – it is always trying to take you away from Earth. So between the first three and the last three, the first three are pulling you towards the Earth, the last three are pulling you away from the Earth. Anahata is a balance between the two. 

The human body, if brought to a certain level of intensity and sensitivity, is a cosmos by itself. Everything that happens in the external sphere, in a subtle way, manifests in the body. It is happening to everybody, it is just that most people do not notice this. But a more organised and purposeful rearrangement of the human mechanism could be done if one becomes conscious of the external movement and aligns that with the movement that is happening within the human system. If you want this body of flesh and bone to imbibe the nature of the cosmic body, understanding and being in tune with this movement of Uttarayana and Dakshinayana is very essential.

Courtesy:

http://www.eastrovedica.com
http://arunachalamystic.blogspot.in