The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
8 Fourth chapter; Prasanna Kumāra Shāstrī’s edition, pp. 78, 79.
The passage in the text is incompletely quoted.
“Mahādeva said: The Lotuses, O Devī, have their heads in different directions. In the life of action¹ they should be thought of as having their heads downward, but in the path of renunciation² they are always meditated upon as having their heads upward turned.”
The rest is clear.
1 Pravritti-mārga: the outgoing path as distinguished from the
Nivritti-mārga, or path of return to the Parabrahman.
2 Nivritti-mārga.
Verse 8
NEAR the mouth of the Nādī called Vajrā, and in the pericarp (of the Ādhāra Lotus), there constantly shines the beautifully luminous and soft, lightning-like triangle which is Kāmarūpa,¹ and known as Traipura.² There is always and everywhere the Vāyu called Kandarpa,³ who is of a deeper red than the Bandhujīva flower,⁴ and is the Lord of Beings and resplendent like ten million suns.
COMMENTARY
In this Shloka is described the triangle in the pericarp of the Mūla-Chakra.
“Near the mouth of the Nādī called Vajrā” (Vajrākhyā- vaktradeshe).—The mouth of the Vajrā is two fingers above that of the Sushumnā and below the base of the genitals.
“The triangle known as Traipura” (Trikonam traipurā- khyam).—The triangle is so called because of the presence of the Devī Tripurā within the Ka inside the triangle, and the letter Ka is the chief letter of the Kāmabīja.⁵
Cf. Shāktānanda-tarangginī⁶: “Inside dwells the Devī
Sundarī,⁷ the Paradevatā.”
1 See Commentary, post.
2 This triangle, says Vishvanātha, citing Gautamīya Tantra, is Ichchhājnānakriyātmaka—that is, the powers of Will, Knowledge, and Action. See Introduction.
3 A form of the Apāna vāyu. Kandarpa is a name of Kāma the
Deva of Love.
4 Pentapœtes Phœnicea.
5 That is, the Mantra “Klīng”; in Tantrarāja Shiva speaking to Devī says, “letter Ka is Thy form.” The Nityapūjāpaddhati, p. 80, mentions in this connection “Kang,” the Vīja of Kāminī. See Introduction.
6 When dealing with the Kakāra-tattva, p. 165, Prasanna Kumāra
Shāstrī’s edition.
7 Sundarī—i.e., Tripura-sundarī, a name of the Devī. See Tantraraja (Tantrik texts, VIII, Ch. 4—6).
“Soft” (Komala)—i.e., oily and smooth.
“Kāma-rūpa”¹: that by which Kāma is caused to be felt— i.e., it is Madanāgārātmaka.²
Cf. “The triangle should be known as the charming
Shaktipītha.”
This triangle is above the Dharā-vīja. Cf. Sammohana Tantra,
speaking of Dharā-vīja: “Above it (Dharā-vīja) are three lines—
Vāmā, Jyeshthā, and Raudrī.”
“Kandarpa.”—The presence in the Trikona of the Kandarpavāyu is here spoken of. It is everywhere (samantāt) that is extended throughout the triangle.
“Lord of Beings” (Jīvesha).—So called because the continuance of life depends on Kāma or Kandarpa.
It is said that “In the Kanda (heart) region dwells Prāna; and Apāna dwells in the region of the anus”. The air in the region of the anus is Apāna, and Kandarpa Vāyu accordingly is a part of Apāna Vāyu.³ It is also said that⁴ “Apāna draws Prāna, and Prāna draws Apāna—just as a falcon attached by a string is drawn back again when he flies away; these two by their disagreement prevent each other from leaving the body, but when in accord they leave it.”
The two Vāyus Prāna and Apāna go different ways, pulling at one another; and neither of them, therefore, can leave the body, but when the two are in accord—that is, go in the same direction —they leave the body. Kandarpa Vāyu, being a part of Apāna, also pulls at Prāna Vāyu, and prevents the latter from escaping from the body; hence Kandarpa Vāyu is the Lord of Life.
In v. 10 the Author describes Kundalinī as “She who maintains all the beings of the world by Inspiration and Expiration.”⁵ He himself has thus said that Prāna and Apāna are the maintainers of animate being.
1 Shangkara defines this as “the embodiment of the devotee’s desire” (Bhaktābhilāsha-svarūpam).
2 Chamber of Madana (Deva of Love)—the Yoni.
3 Vāyu here is a name for a manifestation of Prāna, the five most
important of such manifestations being Prāna, Apāna, Samāna, Vyāna,
Udāna. See Introduction.
4 This is an oft-repeated passage (Shāktānanda, p. 5).
5 The Inspired and Expired breath is Hangsah.
Verse 9
INSIDE it (the triangle) is Svayambhu¹ in His Linggaform,² beautiful like molten gold, with His head downwards. He is revealed by Knowledge³ and Meditation,⁴ and is of the shape and colour of a new leaf. As the cool rays of lightning and of the full moon charm, so does His beauty. The Deva who resides happily here as in Kāshī is in form like a whirlpool.⁵
COMMENTARY
In this verse he speaks of the presence of the Svayambhulingga in the triangle.
“Svayambhu in his Lingga-form” (Lingga-rūpī svayambhu) —i.e., here dwells the Shivalingga whose name is Svayambhu.
“Beautiful like molten gold” (Druta-kanaka-kalā-komala).—
His body has the soft lustre of molten gold.
8 Fourth chapter; Prasanna Kumāra Shāstrī’s edition, pp. 78, 79.
The passage in the text is incompletely quoted.
“Mahādeva said: The Lotuses, O Devī, have their heads in different directions. In the life of action¹ they should be thought of as having their heads downward, but in the path of renunciation² they are always meditated upon as having their heads upward turned.”
The rest is clear.
1 Pravritti-mārga: the outgoing path as distinguished from the
Nivritti-mārga, or path of return to the Parabrahman.
2 Nivritti-mārga.
Verse 8
NEAR the mouth of the Nādī called Vajrā, and in the pericarp (of the Ādhāra Lotus), there constantly shines the beautifully luminous and soft, lightning-like triangle which is Kāmarūpa,¹ and known as Traipura.² There is always and everywhere the Vāyu called Kandarpa,³ who is of a deeper red than the Bandhujīva flower,⁴ and is the Lord of Beings and resplendent like ten million suns.
COMMENTARY
In this Shloka is described the triangle in the pericarp of the Mūla-Chakra.
“Near the mouth of the Nādī called Vajrā” (Vajrākhyā- vaktradeshe).—The mouth of the Vajrā is two fingers above that of the Sushumnā and below the base of the genitals.
“The triangle known as Traipura” (Trikonam traipurā- khyam).—The triangle is so called because of the presence of the Devī Tripurā within the Ka inside the triangle, and the letter Ka is the chief letter of the Kāmabīja.⁵
Cf. Shāktānanda-tarangginī⁶: “Inside dwells the Devī
Sundarī,⁷ the Paradevatā.”
1 See Commentary, post.
2 This triangle, says Vishvanātha, citing Gautamīya Tantra, is Ichchhājnānakriyātmaka—that is, the powers of Will, Knowledge, and Action. See Introduction.
3 A form of the Apāna vāyu. Kandarpa is a name of Kāma the
Deva of Love.
4 Pentapœtes Phœnicea.
5 That is, the Mantra “Klīng”; in Tantrarāja Shiva speaking to Devī says, “letter Ka is Thy form.” The Nityapūjāpaddhati, p. 80, mentions in this connection “Kang,” the Vīja of Kāminī. See Introduction.
6 When dealing with the Kakāra-tattva, p. 165, Prasanna Kumāra
Shāstrī’s edition.
7 Sundarī—i.e., Tripura-sundarī, a name of the Devī. See Tantraraja (Tantrik texts, VIII, Ch. 4—6).
“Soft” (Komala)—i.e., oily and smooth.
“Kāma-rūpa”¹: that by which Kāma is caused to be felt— i.e., it is Madanāgārātmaka.²
Cf. “The triangle should be known as the charming
Shaktipītha.”
This triangle is above the Dharā-vīja. Cf. Sammohana Tantra,
speaking of Dharā-vīja: “Above it (Dharā-vīja) are three lines—
Vāmā, Jyeshthā, and Raudrī.”
“Kandarpa.”—The presence in the Trikona of the Kandarpavāyu is here spoken of. It is everywhere (samantāt) that is extended throughout the triangle.
“Lord of Beings” (Jīvesha).—So called because the continuance of life depends on Kāma or Kandarpa.
It is said that “In the Kanda (heart) region dwells Prāna; and Apāna dwells in the region of the anus”. The air in the region of the anus is Apāna, and Kandarpa Vāyu accordingly is a part of Apāna Vāyu.³ It is also said that⁴ “Apāna draws Prāna, and Prāna draws Apāna—just as a falcon attached by a string is drawn back again when he flies away; these two by their disagreement prevent each other from leaving the body, but when in accord they leave it.”
The two Vāyus Prāna and Apāna go different ways, pulling at one another; and neither of them, therefore, can leave the body, but when the two are in accord—that is, go in the same direction —they leave the body. Kandarpa Vāyu, being a part of Apāna, also pulls at Prāna Vāyu, and prevents the latter from escaping from the body; hence Kandarpa Vāyu is the Lord of Life.
In v. 10 the Author describes Kundalinī as “She who maintains all the beings of the world by Inspiration and Expiration.”⁵ He himself has thus said that Prāna and Apāna are the maintainers of animate being.
1 Shangkara defines this as “the embodiment of the devotee’s desire” (Bhaktābhilāsha-svarūpam).
2 Chamber of Madana (Deva of Love)—the Yoni.
3 Vāyu here is a name for a manifestation of Prāna, the five most
important of such manifestations being Prāna, Apāna, Samāna, Vyāna,
Udāna. See Introduction.
4 This is an oft-repeated passage (Shāktānanda, p. 5).
5 The Inspired and Expired breath is Hangsah.
Verse 9
INSIDE it (the triangle) is Svayambhu¹ in His Linggaform,² beautiful like molten gold, with His head downwards. He is revealed by Knowledge³ and Meditation,⁴ and is of the shape and colour of a new leaf. As the cool rays of lightning and of the full moon charm, so does His beauty. The Deva who resides happily here as in Kāshī is in form like a whirlpool.⁵
COMMENTARY
In this verse he speaks of the presence of the Svayambhulingga in the triangle.
“Svayambhu in his Lingga-form” (Lingga-rūpī svayambhu) —i.e., here dwells the Shivalingga whose name is Svayambhu.
“Beautiful like molten gold” (Druta-kanaka-kalā-komala).—
His body has the soft lustre of molten gold.
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