The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
Here the Author speaks of the presence of the watery region of Varuna in the pericarp of the Svādhishthāna. This watery region (Ambhoja-mandalam) is in shape like the half-moon (Ardhendurūpalasitam), and is luminously white (Vishadaprakāsham).
The Shāradā says: “The region of water is lotus (shaped) that of earth is four-cornered⁴ and has the thunderbolt (Vajra) and so forth.” Rāghava-bhatta,⁵ in describing it, says: “Draw a half-moon, and draw two Lotuses on its two sides.” The Great Teacher⁶ says that “the region of water is like the light of the Lotus-united Half-Moon”.
Then he speaks of the Varuna-bīja. This Bīja is also white, and is seated on a Makara, which is the Carrier⁷ of Varuna. He has the noose in his hand.
1 Svādhishthāna.
2 Water is the element of this Chakra, which is represented by the crescent.
3 An animal of a legendary form, somewhat like an alligator. See
Plate.
4 Ch. I, v. 24, Chaturasram; sed qu, for ordinarily the Mandala is semicircular.
5 The famous Commentator on the Shāradā-tilaka.
6 Apparently Shangkarāchāryya, Prapanchasāra (Tantrik Texts, vol. III) i, 24.
7 Vāhana.
Cf. “(Meditate) upon the white Bīja of Varuna (within the Lotus). Varuna is seated on a Makara, and carries the noose (Pāsha). And above him¹ (that is, in the Bindu) meditate on Hari² who is blue of colour (Shyāma) and four-armed.”
The Va in Varuna Bīja belongs to the Ya class—i.e., to the group Ya, Ra, La, Va. This becomes clear from the arrangement of the letters in Kulākula Chakra and in Bhūtalipi Mantra.
The rest is clear.
1 Tadūrddhvam. See Comm. to next verse.
2 Vishnu.
Verse 16
MAY Hari, who is within it,¹ who is in the pride of early youth, whose body is of a luminous blue beautiful to behold, who is dressed in yellow raiment, is four-armed, and wears the Shrī-vatsa,² and the Kaustubha,³ protect us!
COMMENTARY
The Author here speaks of the presence of Vishnu in the
Varuna Bīja.
“Within it” (Angkadeshakalita)—i.e., in the Bindu above Varuna Bīja, in the same way as Brahmā is in the lap of Dharā Bīja. The same explanation applies by analogy to the description of the other Lotuses.
“Whose body, etc.” (Nīla-prakāsha-ruchira-shriyam).—Lit., He possesses the enchanting beauty of blue effulgence; i.e., his body is of a luminous blue beautiful to behold.
“Wears Shrīvatsa and Kaustubha.”—The following is his Dhyāna in the Gautamīya Tantra: “On his heart is the gem Kaustubha, lustrous as ten thousand Suns shining at the same time, and below it is the garland¹ with the lustre of ten thousand moons. Above Kaustubha is Shrī-vatsa, which also is luminous like ten thousand moons.”
1 i.e., Vishnu is within “the lap” of the Bindu of Vang.
2 Lit., Favourite of Shri or Lakshmī—an auspicious curl on the breast of Vishnu and his Avatāra, Krishna. It is said to symbolically represent Prakriti. See Ahirbudhnya Samhitā, 52, 92, citing also the Astrabhūshana Adhyāya of Vishnu Purāna, I, 22.
3 A great gem worn by Vishnu, which is said to symbolically signify the souls (see authorities in last note). These are said to be united with the Kaustubha of the Lord (Vishnutilaka, II, 100).
The Tantrāntara speaks of the weapons in the hands of Hari: “(Meditate on) Him who has the noose in His hand, and on Hari who is in his lap, and has four arms, and holds the Conch,² Discus,³ Mace,⁴ and Lotus,⁵ is dark blue (Shyāma) and dressed in yellow raiment.”
By “who has the noose in his hand” is meant Varuna as he has been described in the verse preceding the Text quoted.
Elsewhere he (Hari) is spoken of as “clad in yellow raiment, benign of aspect, and decked with a garland”.⁶
We have seen that, in the Mūlādhāra, Brahmā is seated on the Hangsa, and we should therefore think of Vishnu as seated on Garuda.⁷
1 Vanamālā: the name for a large garland descending to the knee.
It is defined as follows:
Ājānulambinī mālā sarvartu-kusumojjvalā Madhye sthūlakadambādhyā vanamāleti kīrtitā.
(That is said to be Vanamālā which extends down to the knee, beauteous with flowers of all seasons, with big Kadamba flowers in the middle.) This garland is celestial because in it the flowers of all the seasons are contained.
2 Shangkha.
3 Chakra.
4 Gadā.
5 Padma.
6 The garland symbolises the elements; as the club, Mahat; the couch, Sāttvika Ahangkāra; the bow, Tāmasika Ahangkāra; the sword, knowledge; its sheath, ignorance; discus the mind and the arrows the senses. See authorities cited at p. 43, ante.
7 The Bird King, Vāhana of Vishnu,
Verse 17
IT is here that Rākini always dwells.¹ She is of the colour of a blue lotus.² The beauty of Her body is enhanced by Her uplifted arms holding various weapons. She is dressed in celestial raiments and ornaments, and Her mind is exalted³ with the drinking of ambrosia.
COMMENTARY
In this Shloka the Author speaks of the presence of Rākinī in the Svādhishthāna.
Here the Author speaks of the presence of the watery region of Varuna in the pericarp of the Svādhishthāna. This watery region (Ambhoja-mandalam) is in shape like the half-moon (Ardhendurūpalasitam), and is luminously white (Vishadaprakāsham).
The Shāradā says: “The region of water is lotus (shaped) that of earth is four-cornered⁴ and has the thunderbolt (Vajra) and so forth.” Rāghava-bhatta,⁵ in describing it, says: “Draw a half-moon, and draw two Lotuses on its two sides.” The Great Teacher⁶ says that “the region of water is like the light of the Lotus-united Half-Moon”.
Then he speaks of the Varuna-bīja. This Bīja is also white, and is seated on a Makara, which is the Carrier⁷ of Varuna. He has the noose in his hand.
1 Svādhishthāna.
2 Water is the element of this Chakra, which is represented by the crescent.
3 An animal of a legendary form, somewhat like an alligator. See
Plate.
4 Ch. I, v. 24, Chaturasram; sed qu, for ordinarily the Mandala is semicircular.
5 The famous Commentator on the Shāradā-tilaka.
6 Apparently Shangkarāchāryya, Prapanchasāra (Tantrik Texts, vol. III) i, 24.
7 Vāhana.
Cf. “(Meditate) upon the white Bīja of Varuna (within the Lotus). Varuna is seated on a Makara, and carries the noose (Pāsha). And above him¹ (that is, in the Bindu) meditate on Hari² who is blue of colour (Shyāma) and four-armed.”
The Va in Varuna Bīja belongs to the Ya class—i.e., to the group Ya, Ra, La, Va. This becomes clear from the arrangement of the letters in Kulākula Chakra and in Bhūtalipi Mantra.
The rest is clear.
1 Tadūrddhvam. See Comm. to next verse.
2 Vishnu.
Verse 16
MAY Hari, who is within it,¹ who is in the pride of early youth, whose body is of a luminous blue beautiful to behold, who is dressed in yellow raiment, is four-armed, and wears the Shrī-vatsa,² and the Kaustubha,³ protect us!
COMMENTARY
The Author here speaks of the presence of Vishnu in the
Varuna Bīja.
“Within it” (Angkadeshakalita)—i.e., in the Bindu above Varuna Bīja, in the same way as Brahmā is in the lap of Dharā Bīja. The same explanation applies by analogy to the description of the other Lotuses.
“Whose body, etc.” (Nīla-prakāsha-ruchira-shriyam).—Lit., He possesses the enchanting beauty of blue effulgence; i.e., his body is of a luminous blue beautiful to behold.
“Wears Shrīvatsa and Kaustubha.”—The following is his Dhyāna in the Gautamīya Tantra: “On his heart is the gem Kaustubha, lustrous as ten thousand Suns shining at the same time, and below it is the garland¹ with the lustre of ten thousand moons. Above Kaustubha is Shrī-vatsa, which also is luminous like ten thousand moons.”
1 i.e., Vishnu is within “the lap” of the Bindu of Vang.
2 Lit., Favourite of Shri or Lakshmī—an auspicious curl on the breast of Vishnu and his Avatāra, Krishna. It is said to symbolically represent Prakriti. See Ahirbudhnya Samhitā, 52, 92, citing also the Astrabhūshana Adhyāya of Vishnu Purāna, I, 22.
3 A great gem worn by Vishnu, which is said to symbolically signify the souls (see authorities in last note). These are said to be united with the Kaustubha of the Lord (Vishnutilaka, II, 100).
The Tantrāntara speaks of the weapons in the hands of Hari: “(Meditate on) Him who has the noose in His hand, and on Hari who is in his lap, and has four arms, and holds the Conch,² Discus,³ Mace,⁴ and Lotus,⁵ is dark blue (Shyāma) and dressed in yellow raiment.”
By “who has the noose in his hand” is meant Varuna as he has been described in the verse preceding the Text quoted.
Elsewhere he (Hari) is spoken of as “clad in yellow raiment, benign of aspect, and decked with a garland”.⁶
We have seen that, in the Mūlādhāra, Brahmā is seated on the Hangsa, and we should therefore think of Vishnu as seated on Garuda.⁷
1 Vanamālā: the name for a large garland descending to the knee.
It is defined as follows:
Ājānulambinī mālā sarvartu-kusumojjvalā Madhye sthūlakadambādhyā vanamāleti kīrtitā.
(That is said to be Vanamālā which extends down to the knee, beauteous with flowers of all seasons, with big Kadamba flowers in the middle.) This garland is celestial because in it the flowers of all the seasons are contained.
2 Shangkha.
3 Chakra.
4 Gadā.
5 Padma.
6 The garland symbolises the elements; as the club, Mahat; the couch, Sāttvika Ahangkāra; the bow, Tāmasika Ahangkāra; the sword, knowledge; its sheath, ignorance; discus the mind and the arrows the senses. See authorities cited at p. 43, ante.
7 The Bird King, Vāhana of Vishnu,
Verse 17
IT is here that Rākini always dwells.¹ She is of the colour of a blue lotus.² The beauty of Her body is enhanced by Her uplifted arms holding various weapons. She is dressed in celestial raiments and ornaments, and Her mind is exalted³ with the drinking of ambrosia.
COMMENTARY
In this Shloka the Author speaks of the presence of Rākinī in the Svādhishthāna.
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