The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
“His head downwards” (Pashchimāsya).—Cf. Kālī-kulāmrita:
“There is placed the great Lingga Svayambhu, who is ever
blissful, his head downward, active when moved by Kāma Bīja.
“Revealed by Knowledege and Meditation.” (Jnāna-dhyānaprakāsha).—Whose existence is apprehended by us by Knowledge (Jnāna) and Meditation (Dhyāna). By Jnāna we realise the attributelessness, and by Dhyāna the attributefulness (of the Brahman). Such is Svayambhu.
1 “Self-originated,” “self-existent,” the Shiva Lingga of that name.
2 As the human phallus.
3 Jnāna.
4 Dhyāna.
5 This refers to a depression on the top of the Lingga.
“The shape and colour of new leaves” (Prathama-kishalayākārarūpa).—By this is conveyed the idea that the shape of the Svayambhu Lingga is tapering like a new unopened leaf-bud. Like the pistil inside the Champaka flower, it is broad at the bottom and tapers to a point at the end; this also shows that the Svayambhu-lingga is of a blue-green colour (Shyāma).
Cf. Shāktānanda-tarangginī: “O Maheshāni, meditate inside it (the triangle) upon the Svayambhu-lingga, who holds his head with an aperture therein downward—the beautiful and blue-green Shiva (Shivang shyāmala-sundaram).”
In the Yāmala occurs the following passage: “Meditate upon the very beautiful celestial triangle (Trikona) in the Mūlādhāra; within its three lines is Kundalī, charming like ten million lightning flashes in the dark blue¹ clouds.”
This passage, which describes Kundalī as “lightning in the dark blue clouds”, goes to show that the Svayambhu-Lingga is also blue; but Nīla (blue) and Shyāma (dark green) belong to the same category, and hence there is no contradiction.
“As cool rays of lightning and of the full moon charm so does His beauty” (Vidyut-pūrnēndu-bimba-prakarakara²-chaya-snigdhasantāna-hāsī).—As the strong light of the moon and of lightning emits no heat, so is the light which emanates from the Svayambhulinga cool and pleasing, bringing gladness into the hearts of men.
“The Deva who resides happily here as in Kāshī”³ (Kāshī- vāsī vilāsī).—Kāshī is the place sacred to Shiva, his favourite abode. By these two adjectives it is implied that the Svayambhu in the Ādhāra Lotus is happy as He is in His form of Vishveshvara in Kāshī, and He is as pleased to be here as at Kāshī. “Vilāsī” may also mean amorous because it has been said above, “moved by Kāma Bīja”. Vilāsī is indicative of His Lordship of the Universe.⁴
“Like a whirlpool” (Sarid-āvarta-rūpa-prakāra).—The whirling water on its outer edge creates a depression in the middle and the centre thereof is raised like the shape of a conch.¹
1 Nīla.
2 Vishvanātha for Kara (ray) reads Rasa—that is, the nectar flowing from the Moon.
3 Benares or Bārānasī.
4 The Universe is His Vilāsa or Līlā.
This Svayambhu is placed on the Kāma-bīja. This has been said in Kālī-Kulāmrita: “Surrounded by the filaments of the lotus, is the Shringāta² and over this is the beautiful Mahā-lingga Svayambhu, with an opening on the top, ever happy, holding his head downwards, and active when moved by the Kāma-bīja.”
Elsewhere the following occurs: “There, in the pericarp, is the above-mentioned Dākinī, and the triangle (Trikona) within which is a small aperture and the red Kāma-bīja. There is also the Svayambhu Lingga, his head downward and of a ruddy hue.” This is, however, a different conception.
1 Shangkara says that he is so described because of his restless motion.
2 The triangular pyramidical seat of Kāma.
VERSES 10 AND 11¹
OVER it² shines the sleeping Kundalinī, fine as the fibre of the lotus-stalk. She is the world-bewilderer,³ gently covering the mouth of Brahma-dvāra⁴ by Her own. Like the spiral of the conch-shell, Her shining snake-like form goes three and a half times round Shiva,⁵ and her lustre is as that of a strong flash of young strong lightning. Her sweet murmur is like the indistinct hum of swarms of lovemad bees.⁶ She produces melodious poetry and Bandha⁷ and all other compositions in prose or verse in sequence or otherwise⁸ in Sanskrita, Prākrita and other languages. It is She who maintains all the beings of the world by means of inspiration and expiration,⁹ and shines in the cavity of the root (Mūla) Lotus like a chain of brilliant lights.
1 Shangkara, unlike Kālīcharana, has annotated the two verses separately.
2 Svayambhu Lingga—that is, round It with Her body and over It with Her head.
3 Kundalinī is the Shakti whereby the Māyik world exists, at rest. In the Kūrma Purāna Shiva says: “This Supreme Shakti is in me, and is Brahman itself. This Māyā is dear to me, by which this world is bewildered.” Hence the Devī in the Lalitā is called “Sarvamohinī” (all-bewildering).
4 See Commentary.
5 Shivopari.
6 Vishvanātha says She makes this sound when awakened. According to Shangkara, this indicates the Vaikharī state of Kundalinī.
7 Is a class of literary composition in which verse is arranged in the manner of a diagram or picture.
8 Bhedakrama and Atibhedakrama.
“His head downwards” (Pashchimāsya).—Cf. Kālī-kulāmrita:
“There is placed the great Lingga Svayambhu, who is ever
blissful, his head downward, active when moved by Kāma Bīja.
“Revealed by Knowledege and Meditation.” (Jnāna-dhyānaprakāsha).—Whose existence is apprehended by us by Knowledge (Jnāna) and Meditation (Dhyāna). By Jnāna we realise the attributelessness, and by Dhyāna the attributefulness (of the Brahman). Such is Svayambhu.
1 “Self-originated,” “self-existent,” the Shiva Lingga of that name.
2 As the human phallus.
3 Jnāna.
4 Dhyāna.
5 This refers to a depression on the top of the Lingga.
“The shape and colour of new leaves” (Prathama-kishalayākārarūpa).—By this is conveyed the idea that the shape of the Svayambhu Lingga is tapering like a new unopened leaf-bud. Like the pistil inside the Champaka flower, it is broad at the bottom and tapers to a point at the end; this also shows that the Svayambhu-lingga is of a blue-green colour (Shyāma).
Cf. Shāktānanda-tarangginī: “O Maheshāni, meditate inside it (the triangle) upon the Svayambhu-lingga, who holds his head with an aperture therein downward—the beautiful and blue-green Shiva (Shivang shyāmala-sundaram).”
In the Yāmala occurs the following passage: “Meditate upon the very beautiful celestial triangle (Trikona) in the Mūlādhāra; within its three lines is Kundalī, charming like ten million lightning flashes in the dark blue¹ clouds.”
This passage, which describes Kundalī as “lightning in the dark blue clouds”, goes to show that the Svayambhu-Lingga is also blue; but Nīla (blue) and Shyāma (dark green) belong to the same category, and hence there is no contradiction.
“As cool rays of lightning and of the full moon charm so does His beauty” (Vidyut-pūrnēndu-bimba-prakarakara²-chaya-snigdhasantāna-hāsī).—As the strong light of the moon and of lightning emits no heat, so is the light which emanates from the Svayambhulinga cool and pleasing, bringing gladness into the hearts of men.
“The Deva who resides happily here as in Kāshī”³ (Kāshī- vāsī vilāsī).—Kāshī is the place sacred to Shiva, his favourite abode. By these two adjectives it is implied that the Svayambhu in the Ādhāra Lotus is happy as He is in His form of Vishveshvara in Kāshī, and He is as pleased to be here as at Kāshī. “Vilāsī” may also mean amorous because it has been said above, “moved by Kāma Bīja”. Vilāsī is indicative of His Lordship of the Universe.⁴
“Like a whirlpool” (Sarid-āvarta-rūpa-prakāra).—The whirling water on its outer edge creates a depression in the middle and the centre thereof is raised like the shape of a conch.¹
1 Nīla.
2 Vishvanātha for Kara (ray) reads Rasa—that is, the nectar flowing from the Moon.
3 Benares or Bārānasī.
4 The Universe is His Vilāsa or Līlā.
This Svayambhu is placed on the Kāma-bīja. This has been said in Kālī-Kulāmrita: “Surrounded by the filaments of the lotus, is the Shringāta² and over this is the beautiful Mahā-lingga Svayambhu, with an opening on the top, ever happy, holding his head downwards, and active when moved by the Kāma-bīja.”
Elsewhere the following occurs: “There, in the pericarp, is the above-mentioned Dākinī, and the triangle (Trikona) within which is a small aperture and the red Kāma-bīja. There is also the Svayambhu Lingga, his head downward and of a ruddy hue.” This is, however, a different conception.
1 Shangkara says that he is so described because of his restless motion.
2 The triangular pyramidical seat of Kāma.
VERSES 10 AND 11¹
OVER it² shines the sleeping Kundalinī, fine as the fibre of the lotus-stalk. She is the world-bewilderer,³ gently covering the mouth of Brahma-dvāra⁴ by Her own. Like the spiral of the conch-shell, Her shining snake-like form goes three and a half times round Shiva,⁵ and her lustre is as that of a strong flash of young strong lightning. Her sweet murmur is like the indistinct hum of swarms of lovemad bees.⁶ She produces melodious poetry and Bandha⁷ and all other compositions in prose or verse in sequence or otherwise⁸ in Sanskrita, Prākrita and other languages. It is She who maintains all the beings of the world by means of inspiration and expiration,⁹ and shines in the cavity of the root (Mūla) Lotus like a chain of brilliant lights.
1 Shangkara, unlike Kālīcharana, has annotated the two verses separately.
2 Svayambhu Lingga—that is, round It with Her body and over It with Her head.
3 Kundalinī is the Shakti whereby the Māyik world exists, at rest. In the Kūrma Purāna Shiva says: “This Supreme Shakti is in me, and is Brahman itself. This Māyā is dear to me, by which this world is bewildered.” Hence the Devī in the Lalitā is called “Sarvamohinī” (all-bewildering).
4 See Commentary.
5 Shivopari.
6 Vishvanātha says She makes this sound when awakened. According to Shangkara, this indicates the Vaikharī state of Kundalinī.
7 Is a class of literary composition in which verse is arranged in the manner of a diagram or picture.
8 Bhedakrama and Atibhedakrama.
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