Nitya (नित्य) means forever or eternal, and mandala (मण्डल) means group.

Nitya Mandala is a realm that is eternal and is beyond time. In Siddha Dharma we know about a great Maha Siddha who gave the sadhana of this Nitya Mandala. His name was Maha Siddha Vivaswan Nath (महासिद्ध विवस्वाननाथ). He is regarded as the sixth of the eighteen founders and reformers of the Siddha Dharma tradition.

Nitya Mandala is the layered realm inside Shiva where all aatma reside in one of the three layers. It is from this Nitya Mandala that all souls reflect and appear in the world. Some layers are highly refined where souls reside as Shiva himself and is free from bondage of Maya and rebirth while one is under the snare of Maya.

Background

As per Maha Siddha Ishaputra, Once Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath was doing extreme penance near Kailash. When he became divine through penance, Lord Shiva manifested in front of him and told him to ask for a boon. Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath said he does not want anything. He said his guru has given him everything and now that he is blessed by the vision and darshan of Lord Shiva, he is fulfilled. But Shiva insisted saying that he should ask for a boon. So Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath asked for eternal companionship of Shiva. Lord Shiva gave him that boon and thus Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath became one of Shiva Gana and the path to Kailash opened for him. On Kailash, Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath obtained many wisdom directly from Shiva and also from other Shiva gana.

One such story comes as conversation between Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath and a well known Shiva gana known as Bhringi. Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath was talking with Bhringi and said that the whole universe will get destroyed one day. To which Bhringi replied that the whole universe never gets destroyed. Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath replied that Shiva is the great destroyer and will destroy the universe one day. Bhringi smiles and says how can Shiva destroy himself. Bhringi says that just like one sees the world manifested outside, there are worlds inside Shiva as well. These loka or realms are called as Nitya Mandala and they are never destroyed. Shiva is svacchanda and parabrahma and is the only truth. The rest of the manifested universe is mere reflections of the world within him. The universe that one sees outside is the reflections of Maha Maya and we are all just reflections in the grand reflection of Maha Maya. 

Bhringi adds that inside Shiva in the Nitya Mandala, we are eternal. Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath further asks if his body, his form is the same in Nitya Mandala as is shown in the outside world. 

Bhringi says that it is not the same. Bhringi says that its not the case that like we are having this conversation on Kailasha on earth, there is another version of exactly like us inside the Nitya Mandala which has another Kailasha on earth. It is not like that. It is in a indescribable form in Nitya Mandala. Outside in the world, forms are in Maya. We are all in the paasha or bond of Maya and because of that we are in the limited bodies as expression of Kurukulla YogaMaya. This is the reason we are experiencing the world in a limited way.

The one who does sadhana of Shiva and achieve Svacchandata or freedom like Shiva, enters Nitya Mandala. There is no destruction of Nitaya Mandala.

Levels Of Nitya Mandala

In the conversation between Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath  and Bhringi, Bhringi revealed that there are three levels of Nitya Mandala. One can see them as concentric spheres. 

1. Uttama Kosha
2. Madhyama Kosha
3. Nikrishtha or Adhama Kosha

From Adhama Kosha, people keep taking birth. Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath asked Bhringi if all the infinite aatma lives together in the Nikrishtha or Adhama Kosha of Nitya Mandala? Bhringi replied to Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath that he does not see infinite aatma. The infinite seeming aatma are mere reflections all created by Maya. We are all one ‘Teja Punja’ or luminous light and from that all the aatma appear to manifest. 

To which Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath further asked Bhringi that how can he say that all are one luminous light and yet categorize the Nitya Mandala as three layers of Uttama , Madhyama and Nikrishtha? Bhringi then gives the example of flowing river. The most calm layer in the depth of river, while medium speed in the middle and the most moving layer of river at the top. Like that the most refined aatma reside in Uttama Kosha of Nitya Mandala. One who does sadhana ends up in Uttama Loka. Practitioners who stay in Uttama Loka are free from Maya. Siddhas and avatara are from Uttama Kosha. Bhringi says that these refined souls reflects in uncountable many manifested universes. The tamasic souls who reside in nikristha kosher reflect in different worlds but they take the reflections as the truth and are thus entangled. After becoming refined such tamasic souls can enter Uttama Kosha.

YogaMaya is always moving as is her nature. She keeps making tamas and thus tamas souls are many numbers. The ones in Uttama Kosha are very much like Shiva. Shivoham state or Shiva like state. 

Bhringi further adds that the Lord Shiva is parabrahma who reflects in the world as Shiva on Kailash. He asks Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath that he did sadhana of Shiva and had darshan of Shiva and now he is in Kailasha. He asks Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath that if Shiva on Kailasha is real? Bhringi says that the Shiva on Kailasha is the reflection of Parabrahma. The reflection of parabrahma is always present in the world at all places. But for giving knowledge to a devotee, the vigraha or form manifests. The one that Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath is seeing on Kailasha. Bhringi tells Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath that his consciousness has purified so much that he is now sitting on Kailasha and is free now and does not need to take birth again and even if he choses to take birth, he will always be free like Svacchanda and never deluded by Maya. 

The rest of souls who are in bondage of Maya will have to keep taking birth forcefully until they realize what is aatma, what is body and what is the nature of mind, consciousness, body and so on.  Until the souls refine themselves through wisdom, they will be in bondage of Maya. So Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath then feels sad about it for the rest of the soul. He then asks how can he and the rest of siddhas refine themselves and take themselves closer to Shiva in Nitya Mandala. 

Then Bhringi gives wisdom of Nitya Mandala to Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath and thus Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath brings the wisdom and practices of Nitya Mandala for the rest of siddhas.

Vilaas Mandala 

Just like there are three kosha or levels in Nitya Mandala, there is Vilaas Mandala of Shakti inside Nitya Mandala on top of these three kosha. Svarga or heaven’s abundance and bliss that one perceives is all in Vilaas Mandala. One even talks about Ishwara or God as Sat Chita Ananda. But the one that influences Sat and Chita and even manifests bliss is Yoga Maya. Just like Nitya Mandala, Devi has Vilaas Mandala. 

On the higher realm of Vilaas Mandala lies Shiva Mandala or Svacchanda Mandala.

In the inner most kosha one is in Uttama Kosha where refined souls reside who are free from Maya. However when they are even more refined then they reach the higher realm of Svacchanda Mandala. In Svacchanda Mandala there is no appearance of one’s self. Up until Svacchanda Mandala, one sees oneself as Shiva or with Shiva but after reaching Svacchanda Mandala, there is no experience of being one with Shiva or separate from Shiva. All such distinctions vanish here. This Svacchanda Mandala is the supreme state. 

Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath further asked Bhringi a question which he did not answer. It is this question that Maha Siddha Ishaputra was also interested in. The question that remained unanswered is that if one reaches this Svacchanda Mandala, is there any possibility of returning to the play of manifested universe? To which Bhringi replied that this Svacchanda Bhairava Shiva himself will answer this question. But Bhringi never raised this question with Svachhanda Bhairava and this question remained open.

Six Pioneers of Nitya Mandala Sadhana

In Siddha Dharma, when Maha Siddha Vivasvan Nath brought this wisdom of Nitya Mandala from Kailash,  six other Maha Siddhas forumulated and consolidated the practices for Nitya Mandala. These six pioneers of Nitya Mandala each gave their own way.

Bhaava Gamya Vidhi 

Bhaava Gamya implies bhakti. We have emotions and we should emotions and experiment to see how emotions affects the consciousness. Once we do it right, we can use emotions to reach state of Nitya Mandala. 

Yoga Gamya Vidhi

In this one practices yoga, pranayama and bandha and use it to realize the Shiva bindu in the middle of Sahasraar Chakra. There is Nitya Bindu above Shiva bindu and when one establishes oneself in Nitya Bindu.

Tantra Gamya Vidhi

By making yantra and doing sadhana by including mantra is incorporated in this vidhi or process.

Various rituals, karmakanda and worship ways comes under Tantra Gamya Vidhi.

Tapa Gamya Vidhi

In this vidhi or process, one uses extreme penance to reach Nitya Mandala.

Gyaana Gamya Vidhi

In this one approaches with the mindset that no matter what one does one gets entangled in Maya. Therefore one should strive for knowledge and then subsequently doing practice or ‘gyaan abhyaas’. Here the practice or ‘gyaan abhyaas’ is not about trying to learn knowledge. But its a process or kriya one does after learning. This process is about visualization of sending experiences and knowledge to purna mandala by using senses, dharna, visualization, pranayama and through them sending the experience or knowledge to purna bindu or nitya bind above the Shiva bindu in Sahasrar. Whatever one learns one sends to this purna bindu. This is very different from the gyaan marga which thinks that by pursuing knowledge and learning more and more one will get mukti. 

Shakti Gamya Vidhi

This is more shamanic way. By doing cleansing rituals, and invoking devi devta in oneself. By invoking divinity again and again within, one purifies more and more. And thus one becomes divine. Usually when one thinks about alchemical stone or paras patthar which transform anything it touches into gold. This is svarna mani. But in this method one talks about Amogha Mani. Whatever it touches it transforms into itself. All devi devta are Amogha Mani. Maha Siddhas are Amogha Mani. Whoever they shower their grace on, they make themselves grand like them. Disciples of Maha Siddhas become Maha Siddha. Grace of devi devta makes one devi and devta. When one does Shakti worship, shakti will not keep one in bondage. Shakti will give way to reach Deva Bhaav and reach the state beyond siddhatva and reach Nitya Mandala.

All the Maha Siddhas from these six different vidhi or process agreed on one aspect that it is an intricate process and takes time. It can even take many lifetimes to enter refined realms of Nitya Mandala. One should keep patience for many rebirths. This created controversy that one forgets everything after a lifetime. What if someone takes rebirth in a family or place which is not conducive? Who knows what will happen. 

Therefore Maha Siddhas added such process in Nitya Mandala Sadhana that one does not get entangled in same realm. That one is guaranteed to go to higher realm or loka so that the practices of sadhana can continue until one reaches Nitya Mandala. 

Benefit of Nitya Mandala Sadhana

There are two major benefit of doing Nitya Mandala Sadhana. One is to enter Nitya Mandala and attain Shiva’s inner loka. 

And that after this birth, one has the guarantee that one will be taking birth in higher realm and continue to develop spiritually through practices.

In these modern times, we do this sadhana so that we can obtain higher realm in next birth with more refined intelligence and better abled body and mental level. So that one can continue the journey to Nitya Mandala. This is the reason this is very famous sadhana in the tradition of Siddhas.

Guhyacaara or Guhya Deva Vidhi

Maha Siddha Ishaputra says that these six different vidhi or processes were compiled by Kaulantak Nath of earlier era. They consolidated and simplified it as per Deva Dharma. It was divided in three parts.

First is Guhyacaara. Since this sadhana is very intricate, Maha Siddhas said that one should do this sadhana in a secret way. Only Guru, disciples and other cooperating disciples of the guru should only know. In this one does eight steps or worship ritual of Guhya Devata or Devi. This includes the hidden forms of the known divinities. There are wrathful deities, meditating deities and Maya or royal form of devi devta. But there are also secret forms of devi and devta and it is those forms that are worshiped in Guhyacaara. There are  eight such guhya or secret rituals of divinity. They are the Guhya Deva or the tantric secret forms of known deities. By doing their rituals one becomes one with the divinity.