The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
“Inside Her” (Tanmadhye)—i.e., inside Vajrā.
“Lustrous with the lustre of the Pranava” (Pranava-vilasitā). —She absorbs the luminous character of the Pranava in Ājnā- chakra when she passes through it. Cf. v. 37, post.
“Like a spider’s thread” (Lūtā-tantūpameyā).—She is fine like the spider’s thread.
“She pierces all the Lotuses,” etc. (Sakala-sarasijān merumadhyāntara-sthān bhittvā dedīpyate).—She pierces the pericarp of the six Lotuses, and shines like a thread strung with gems.
1 That is, inside Vajrā, which is, again, within Sushumnā.
2 The Mantra “Om”.
3 Shuddhabodhasvarūpā. From her is derived Jnāna by those who are pure (Shangkara).
4 The Brahmanādī is not a Nādī separate from Chitrinī, but the channel in the latter.
5 Shiva; here the Svayambhu-lingga.
6 The Parama Bindu: v. ib. The Brahmanādī reaches the proximity of, but not the Ādi-deva Himself.
There is a passage quoted as from the fourth Kānda of the Kalpa-Sūtra, and explained to mean: “In the hollow channel within Chitrinī are six Lotuses, and on the petals of these the Mahādevī Bhujanggī move about (viharanti).”
But this text, as it has given a plural verb to Bhujanggī¹ in the singular, seems to be incorrect. But if it be said that it is the word of Shiva, and that the plural is used as singular, it would then have to be understood that the locative in the phrase “in the channel within Chitrinī” is used as an instrumental, and the correct meaning of the passage would in that case be “that Bhujanggī goes along the channel within Chitrinī. And as She passes in her upward movement She pierces the Chakras, and moves about on the petals of the Chakras”. Or it may also mean “that Bhujanggī goes along the hollow of the Chitrinī, and moves about on the petals of the six Lotuses within Sushumnā, and at length goes to Sahasrāra”.
From the above authority it is not to be concluded that the six Lotuses are in the hollow of Chitrinī.²
“Inside her” (Tan-madhye).—Within Chitrinī is Brahmanādī. The word Nādī here means a channel (Vivara). It is derived from the root Nad, motion. The word Brahmanādī means the channel by which Kundalinī goes from the Mūlādhāra to the place of Parama-shiva. Kundalinī is a form of the Shabda-Brahman.³ From this it is certain that the inside of Chitrinī is hollow, and there is no other Nādī inside her.
“The orifice of the mouth of Hara” (Hara-mukha-kuhara).— The orifice at the top of the Svayambhu-lingga in the Mūlādhāra. Ādideva is the supreme Bindu in the pericarp of the thousandpetalled Lotus.
The rest of the verse requires no explanation.⁴
1 Lit., “Serpent,” a name of Kundalinī.
2 Vishvanātha, quoting from Māyā Tantra, says that all the six lotuses are attached to the Chitrinī (Chitrinī-grathitang).
3 Shabda-Brahma-rūpā Kundalinī. The Shabdabrahman (see
Introduction) is the Chaitanya in all beings.
4 Shangkara reads this verse in a slightly modified form, but the meaning is practically the same, the modifications being of a verbal character only.
Verse 3
SHE¹ is beautiful like a chain of lightning and fine like a (lotus) fibre, and shines in the minds of the sages. She is extremely subtle; the awakener of pure knowledge; the embodiment of all Bliss, whose true nature is pure Consciousness.² The Brahma-dvāra³ shines in her mouth. This place is the entrance to the region sprinkled by ambrosia, and is called the Knot, as also the mouth of Sushumnā.
COMMENTARY
By this Shloka she is further described:
“Fine like a (lotus) fibre and shines” (Lasat-tantu-rūpā)— i.e., She is luminous, albeit fine like the fibre in the lotus-stalk; she shines because of the presence of Kundalinī.
“Embodiment of all bliss” (Sakala-sukha-mayī).—Sukha is here used as the equivalent of Ānanda, which means Spiritual Bliss. She is the source of all Bliss.⁴
“Whose true nature is pure consciousness” (Shuddha-bodhasvabhāvā).—Shuddha-bodha is Tattva-jnāna, She whose Nature⁵ is pure Consciousness.
1 That is, Chitrinī, the interior of which is called the Brahma-nādī.
2 Shuddha-bodha-svabhāvā.
3 See Commentary.
4 Because, according to Vishvanātha, She drops nectar, and therefore contains all kinds of bliss. Shangkara says it is also capable of the interpretation, “It is blissful to all”.
5 Sva-bhāva is interpreted by Kālīcharana to mean one’s nature. Shangkāra interprets the word to mean the Jnāna which is the Paramātmā, or, in other words, divine or spiritual Jnāna. According to Shangkara, the reading is Shuddha-bhāva-svabhāvā.
“Brahma-dvāra”¹ is the entrance and exit of Kundalinī in her passage to and from Shiva.
“Her mouth” (Tadāsye)—the mouth of Brahmanādī, the orifice in the mouth of Hara.
“This place” (Tadetat)—i.e., the place near the entrance.
“The entrance to the region sprinkled by ambrosia” (Sudhā- dhāra-gamya-pradesha).—The region which is sprinkled by the ambrosia (Sudhā) which flows from the union² of Parama Shiva and Shakti, and which is attained by the help of Shiva and Shakti dwelling in the Mūlādhāra.
“Knot” (Granthi-sthānam).—The place of the union of
Sushumnā and Kanda.³
“Is called”—that is, by those versed in the Āgamas.
1 Door of Brahman.
2 Sāmarasya, a term which is ordinarily applied to sexual union
(Strīpungyogāt yat saukhyang tat sāmarasyam)—here and elsewhere,
of course, used symbolically.
3 The root of all the Nādīs; see v. 1, ante.
Verse 4
Now we come to the Ādhāra Lotus.¹ It is attached to the mouth of the Sushumnā, and is placed below the genitals and above the anus. It has four petals of crimson hue. Its head (mouth) hangs downwards. On its petals are the four letters from Va to Sa, of the shining colour of gold.
“Inside Her” (Tanmadhye)—i.e., inside Vajrā.
“Lustrous with the lustre of the Pranava” (Pranava-vilasitā). —She absorbs the luminous character of the Pranava in Ājnā- chakra when she passes through it. Cf. v. 37, post.
“Like a spider’s thread” (Lūtā-tantūpameyā).—She is fine like the spider’s thread.
“She pierces all the Lotuses,” etc. (Sakala-sarasijān merumadhyāntara-sthān bhittvā dedīpyate).—She pierces the pericarp of the six Lotuses, and shines like a thread strung with gems.
1 That is, inside Vajrā, which is, again, within Sushumnā.
2 The Mantra “Om”.
3 Shuddhabodhasvarūpā. From her is derived Jnāna by those who are pure (Shangkara).
4 The Brahmanādī is not a Nādī separate from Chitrinī, but the channel in the latter.
5 Shiva; here the Svayambhu-lingga.
6 The Parama Bindu: v. ib. The Brahmanādī reaches the proximity of, but not the Ādi-deva Himself.
There is a passage quoted as from the fourth Kānda of the Kalpa-Sūtra, and explained to mean: “In the hollow channel within Chitrinī are six Lotuses, and on the petals of these the Mahādevī Bhujanggī move about (viharanti).”
But this text, as it has given a plural verb to Bhujanggī¹ in the singular, seems to be incorrect. But if it be said that it is the word of Shiva, and that the plural is used as singular, it would then have to be understood that the locative in the phrase “in the channel within Chitrinī” is used as an instrumental, and the correct meaning of the passage would in that case be “that Bhujanggī goes along the channel within Chitrinī. And as She passes in her upward movement She pierces the Chakras, and moves about on the petals of the Chakras”. Or it may also mean “that Bhujanggī goes along the hollow of the Chitrinī, and moves about on the petals of the six Lotuses within Sushumnā, and at length goes to Sahasrāra”.
From the above authority it is not to be concluded that the six Lotuses are in the hollow of Chitrinī.²
“Inside her” (Tan-madhye).—Within Chitrinī is Brahmanādī. The word Nādī here means a channel (Vivara). It is derived from the root Nad, motion. The word Brahmanādī means the channel by which Kundalinī goes from the Mūlādhāra to the place of Parama-shiva. Kundalinī is a form of the Shabda-Brahman.³ From this it is certain that the inside of Chitrinī is hollow, and there is no other Nādī inside her.
“The orifice of the mouth of Hara” (Hara-mukha-kuhara).— The orifice at the top of the Svayambhu-lingga in the Mūlādhāra. Ādideva is the supreme Bindu in the pericarp of the thousandpetalled Lotus.
The rest of the verse requires no explanation.⁴
1 Lit., “Serpent,” a name of Kundalinī.
2 Vishvanātha, quoting from Māyā Tantra, says that all the six lotuses are attached to the Chitrinī (Chitrinī-grathitang).
3 Shabda-Brahma-rūpā Kundalinī. The Shabdabrahman (see
Introduction) is the Chaitanya in all beings.
4 Shangkara reads this verse in a slightly modified form, but the meaning is practically the same, the modifications being of a verbal character only.
Verse 3
SHE¹ is beautiful like a chain of lightning and fine like a (lotus) fibre, and shines in the minds of the sages. She is extremely subtle; the awakener of pure knowledge; the embodiment of all Bliss, whose true nature is pure Consciousness.² The Brahma-dvāra³ shines in her mouth. This place is the entrance to the region sprinkled by ambrosia, and is called the Knot, as also the mouth of Sushumnā.
COMMENTARY
By this Shloka she is further described:
“Fine like a (lotus) fibre and shines” (Lasat-tantu-rūpā)— i.e., She is luminous, albeit fine like the fibre in the lotus-stalk; she shines because of the presence of Kundalinī.
“Embodiment of all bliss” (Sakala-sukha-mayī).—Sukha is here used as the equivalent of Ānanda, which means Spiritual Bliss. She is the source of all Bliss.⁴
“Whose true nature is pure consciousness” (Shuddha-bodhasvabhāvā).—Shuddha-bodha is Tattva-jnāna, She whose Nature⁵ is pure Consciousness.
1 That is, Chitrinī, the interior of which is called the Brahma-nādī.
2 Shuddha-bodha-svabhāvā.
3 See Commentary.
4 Because, according to Vishvanātha, She drops nectar, and therefore contains all kinds of bliss. Shangkara says it is also capable of the interpretation, “It is blissful to all”.
5 Sva-bhāva is interpreted by Kālīcharana to mean one’s nature. Shangkāra interprets the word to mean the Jnāna which is the Paramātmā, or, in other words, divine or spiritual Jnāna. According to Shangkara, the reading is Shuddha-bhāva-svabhāvā.
“Brahma-dvāra”¹ is the entrance and exit of Kundalinī in her passage to and from Shiva.
“Her mouth” (Tadāsye)—the mouth of Brahmanādī, the orifice in the mouth of Hara.
“This place” (Tadetat)—i.e., the place near the entrance.
“The entrance to the region sprinkled by ambrosia” (Sudhā- dhāra-gamya-pradesha).—The region which is sprinkled by the ambrosia (Sudhā) which flows from the union² of Parama Shiva and Shakti, and which is attained by the help of Shiva and Shakti dwelling in the Mūlādhāra.
“Knot” (Granthi-sthānam).—The place of the union of
Sushumnā and Kanda.³
“Is called”—that is, by those versed in the Āgamas.
1 Door of Brahman.
2 Sāmarasya, a term which is ordinarily applied to sexual union
(Strīpungyogāt yat saukhyang tat sāmarasyam)—here and elsewhere,
of course, used symbolically.
3 The root of all the Nādīs; see v. 1, ante.
Verse 4
Now we come to the Ādhāra Lotus.¹ It is attached to the mouth of the Sushumnā, and is placed below the genitals and above the anus. It has four petals of crimson hue. Its head (mouth) hangs downwards. On its petals are the four letters from Va to Sa, of the shining colour of gold.
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