The Mind Placed in the Skull-Space
With eyes closed, set the mind in the open space within the skull; steady it, and the highest goal appears.
आँखें मूँदकर मन को कपाल के भीतर के खुले अवकाश में रखो; उसे स्थिर करो, और परम लक्ष्य प्रकट हो।
The conversation of Devi & Bhairava
A faithful retelling of the dialogue that frames this verse — the Goddess asks, and Bhairava answers with the teaching above. (The śloka is the scripture; the conversation dramatizes its meaning, in English and Hindi.)
Where within shall I place the mind, Lord, so it does not wander off?
भीतर मन को कहाँ रखूँ, नाथ, कि वह भटक न जाए?
Close the eyes and let the mind settle into the open, dark space felt within the head — behind and above the eyes. Rest it there, gently.
आँखें मूँद लो और मन को सिर के भीतर अनुभव होने वाले उस खुले, अँधेरे अवकाश में बैठ जाने दो — आँखों के पीछे और ऊपर। उसे वहीं, कोमलता से, टिका दो।
At first the space feels cramped and restless. How does it open?
पहले-पहल वह स्थान सिकुड़ा और अशान्त-सा लगता है। वह कैसे खुलता है?
By steadiness, gathered gradually. As the mind grows firm and unmoving, the inner space grows clear. Do not hurry it — impatience scatters the very steadiness it needs.
स्थिरता से, जो धीरे-धीरे सिमटती है। जैसे-जैसे मन दृढ़ और अचल होता है, भीतरी अवकाश स्वच्छ होता जाता है। जल्दी मत करो — अधीरता उसी स्थिरता को बिखेर देती है जिसकी उसे आवश्यकता है।
And within that clear inner space, what shall I find?
और उस स्वच्छ भीतरी अवकाश में मुझे क्या मिलेगा?
The supreme goal itself — not a thing to grasp, but open awareness, becoming apparent within its own vault. Later seekers will call this the cave of the crown; I ask only that the mind rest there and steady, and the highest reveals itself to a settled mind.
स्वयं परम लक्ष्य — पकड़ने की कोई वस्तु नहीं, बल्कि खुली चेतना, अपने ही गुम्बद में प्रकट होती हुई। बाद के साधक इसे शिखर की गुफा कहेंगे; मैं केवल इतना कहता हूँ कि मन वहाँ टिककर स्थिर हो, और परम स्वयं को शान्त मन के सामने प्रकट कर देता है।
Why it works
Placing the mind in the cranial space with the eyes closed gives attention an inner, contentless field rather than an outer object. As concentration firms (manaso dārḍhya), that field clears, and the supreme target — open awareness itself — is discerned within it. It is a centering technique that uses the head's inner space the way other verses use the sky or the heart.
How to practice
- 1Sit comfortably with the eyes closed.
- 2Let the mind settle into the open, dark space felt inside the head — behind and above the eyes.
- 3Hold it there gently; as the mind grows steady, the space grows clear.
- 4Within that inner space, let the highest goal — open awareness itself — become apparent. Rest there.
The deeper story
This inner cranial space is associated in later yoga with the cave of brahmarandhra and the seat of amṛta. The Vijñāna Bhairava, characteristically spare, asks only that the mind rest there and steady — trusting that the highest reveals itself to a settled mind.
Terms in this technique
- śūnya
- Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.
- bindu
- A point or drop; a concentrated point of light or awareness.
- madhya
- The middle, the centre, the gap between two states — a key VBT doorway.
- cidākāśa
- The space of consciousness; the inner sky of 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)