The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)

COMMENTARY

After having described the Nādīs, the Author describes the Mūlādhāra Chakra in detail in nine verses beginning with the present.

“It is attached to the mouth of Sushumnā” (Sushumnāsyalagnam).—The petals² are on four sides of the place where the Kanda³ and Sushumnā meet.

“Below the genitals and above the anus” (Dhvajādho gudorddhvam).—From below the root of the genitals to Sushumnā.

“Four petals of crimson hue” (Chatuh-shonapatram).—The four petals are red in colour. Shona is the crimson colour of the red lotus.

“On its petals are the four letters from Va to Sa” (Vakārādisāntairyutam veda⁴-varnaih).—The four letters are Va, Sha (palatal), Sha (cerebral), and Sa.⁵ On each of the petals of the six

1 That is, Mūlādhāra-chakra, so called from its being at the root of the six Chakras; see hence to v. 12, post.

2 See Introduction.

3 V. p. 7, ante.

4 Veda-varna: Veda stands for “four”. There are four Vedas, and the learned sometimes use the word Veda to mean four—i.e., the number of the Vedas.

See Introduction.

Lotuses the letters of the alphabet are to be meditated upon, going round in a circle from the right (Dakshināvartena). Cf. Vishvasāra Tantra: “The petals of the Lotuses are known to contain the letters of the alphabet, and should be meditated upon as written in a circle from the right to the left.”

Verse 5

IN this (Lotus) is the square region (Chakra) of Prithivī,¹ surrounded by eight shining spears. It is of a shining yellow colour³ and beautiful like lightning, as is also the Bīja of Dharā⁴ which is within.

COMMENTARY

In the pericarp of this Lotus is the square region of Prithivī, which is described in detail. On the eight sides of the square are eight shining spears. The region is of yellow colour.

Cf. “O Thou of dulcet speech, in the Mūlādhāra is the four-cornered region of Dharā, yellow in colour and surrounded by eight spears (Shūla) like Kulāchalas.”

Kulāchala is by some interpreted to mean the breast of a woman. According to this view, the tips of these spears are shaped like a woman’s breasts. Others understand by the expression the seven Kula Mountains.⁵

Cf. Nirvāna Tantra: “O Devī, the seven Kula Mountains viz., Nīlāchala, Mandara, Chandra-shekhara, Himālaya, Suvela,

1 Earth element, which is that of this Chakra. The form of this tattva is a square.

2 The Ashta shūla are shown thus:

3 The colour of the earth element which presides in this Chakra.
Each Tattva manifests the form, colour, and action, of its particular
vibration.

4 That is, the Bīja of Prithivī, the earth Tattva or “Lang”. See
Introduction.

5 Mahendro Malayah Sahyah Shuktimān Rikshaparvatah Vindhyash cha Pāripātrash cha saptaite kulaparvatāh (quoted in Shabdastomamahānidhi). Some read Pāriputrah in place of Pāripātrah. Shangkara says that the spears are here because the Chakra is inhabited by Dākinī, who is one of the great Bhairavīs.

Malaya, and Suparvata—dwell in the four corners.” According to this notion, the eight spears are likened to the seven Kula Mountains on Earth.

“Within it” (Tad-angke).—Inside the region of Prithivī (Dharā-mandala) is the Bīja of Earth—viz., “Lang”. This Bīja is also of a yellow colour. The phrase “shining yellow colour” (Lasat-pīta-varna) is descriptive of the Bīja also. So it has been said:

“Inside it is the Aindra Bīja (Bīja of Indra),¹ of a yellow colour, possessed of four arms, holding the thunder in one hand, mighty² and seated on the elephant Airāvata.”³

1 The Bīja of Indra and the Bīja of Earth are the same.

2 Mahā-bāhu, “possessed of great long arms”—sign of prowess.
Cf. Ājānu-lambita-bāhu (arms reaching the knees).

3 The elephant of Indra. This and other animals figured in the
Chakras denote both qualities of the Tattva and the Vehicles (Vāhana)
of the Devatā therein. See Introduction.

Verse 6

ORNAMENTED with four arms¹ and mounted on the King of Elephants,² He carries on his lap³ the child Creator, resplendent like the young Sun, who has four lustrous arms, and the wealth of whose lotus-face is fourfold.⁴

COMMENTARY

This is the Dhyāna of the Dharā Bīja. The Bīja of Dharā or
Prithivī is identical with that of Indra.

“On his lap” (Tad-angke)—i.e., in the lap of Dharā Bīja. The sense of this verse is that the Creator Brahmā dwells in the lap of Dharā Bīja. By “angka” (lap) is to be understood the space within the Bindu of Dharā Bīja. Cf. “In the Mūlādhāra is the Dharā Bījā, and in its Bindu dwells Brahmā, the image of a Child, and the King of the Immortals⁵ is mounted on an Elephant.”

The above quoted passage, it is urged, means “the King of the Immortals is in the lap of Dharā Bīja.” But according to our view as the Dharā Bīja and the Indra Bīja are the same, their identity is here spoken of; for it is also said “the letters of the Mantra are the Devatā; the Devatā is in the form of the Mantra (Mantra-rūpinī).”

Also cf. Nirvāna Tantra: “O beautiful one, the Indra Bīja is below the genitals. The very perfect and beautiful dwelling of Brahma is above Nāda, and there dwells Brahmā the Creator,⁶ the Lord of creatures.⁷

1 These two adjectival phrases qualify Dharā Bīja.

2 Airāvata.

3 That is, the Bindu of the Bīja (Dharā) or “Lang”. This is explained post.

4 Brahmā is represented with four heads.

5 i.e., Indra Deva.

6 Srishtikartā.

7 Prajā-pati.

By “above Nāda” in this passage, we must understand that the abode of Brahmā is within the Bindu which is above Nāda. Some read “left of the genitals,” and thus there is a difference of opinion. The Shāradā says that the Ādhāras are various according to different views.

“Four lustrous arms” (Lasad-veda¹-bāhu).—Some interpret the Sanskrit compound word to mean “in whose arms shine the four Vedas Sāma and others,” thus thinking of Brahmā as being possessed of two arms only. But Brahmā is nowhere described as holding the Vedas in his hands, and that he should be meditated upon as having four arms is clear from the following passage in Bhūta-shuddhi Tantra:

“Know, O Shivā, that in its lap is the four-armed, redcoloured child² Brahmā, who has four faces and is seated on the back of a swan.”³

“The wealth of whose lotus-face is fourfold” (Mukhāmbhojalakshmīh chatur-bhāga-bhedah).—By this is to be understood that Brahmā has four faces.