The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
Rāghava-bhatta says²: “A Svastika sign is made by the
crossing of two straight lines going in four different directions.”
In this region of Fire is Ram the Bīja of Fire.
1 i.e., like a cross 卍
2 In the note to v. 23 of Ch. I of the Shāradā Tilaka,
Verse 20
MEDITATE upon Him (Fire) seated on a ram, four-armed, radiant like the rising Sun. In His lap ever dwells Rudra, who is of a pure vermilion hue. He (Rudra) is white with the ashes with which He is smeared; of an ancient aspect and three-eyed, His hands are placed in the attitude of granting boons and of dispelling fear.¹ He is the destroyer of creation
COMMENTARY
Elsewhere the Dhyāna of Vahni is as follows: “Seated on a ram, a Rudrāksha rosary in one hand, and the Shakti² in the other.”
As there are no weapons placed in the other hands it is to be inferred that the other two hands are in the attitude of granting boons and of dispelling fear; that is how He is described to be in other Dhyānas of Him.
Rudra should here be meditated upon as seated on a bull.
“He is white . . . smeared” (Bhasmāliptāngga-bhūshā- bharana-sita-vapuh).—The ashes with which his body is smeared and the ornaments he is wearing make him look white (though his hue is red).
1 That is, making Vara and Abhaya Mudrās, v. ante, pp. 20, 21.
2 Vahni’s or Fire’s weapon. Bhāskararāya says it is the weapon which is called in Maharashtra Sāmti.
Verse 21
HERE abides Lākinī, the benefactress of all. She is fourarmed, of radiant body, is dark¹ (of complexion), clothed in yellow raiment and decked with various ornaments, and exalted with the drinking of ambrosia.² By meditating on this³ Navel Lotus⁴ the power to destroy and create (the world) is acquired. Vānī⁵ with all the wealth of knowledge ever abides in the lotus of his face.
COMMENTARY
“Decked with various ornaments” (Vividha-virachanālangkritā).—She who is decorated with gems and pearls arranged in varied and beautiful designs.
Cf. Lākinī-dhyāna elsewhere: “Let the excellent worshipper meditate upon the Devī Lakinī, who is blue and has three faces, and three eyes (to each face), fierce of aspect, and with Her teeth protruding.⁶ In Her right hand She holds the thunderbolt and the Shakti,⁷ and in the left She makes the gestures⁸ of dispelling fear and of granting boons. She is in the pericarp of the navel lotus, which has ten petals. She is fond of meat (Māngsāshī),⁹ and her breast is ruddy with the blood and fat which drop from Her mouth.”
1 Shyāmā; see ante, note to v. 11.
2 Matta-chittā; vide ante, p. 44, n. 3.
3 Etat: a variant reading is evam, “in this manner”.
4 Nābhi-Padma.
5 That is, the Devī of Speech, Sarasvatī.
6 Vishvanātha quotes a Dhyāna in which She is described as humpbacked (kubjinī) and as carrying a staff.
7 The weapon of Vahni (Fire). See note 2, page 50.
8 Mudrā.
9 Some read “Maugsasthām”=She who abides in flesh.
The navel lotus is called Mani-pūra. The Gautamīya Tantra says.¹ “This Lotus is called Manipūra because it is lustrous like a gem.”²
Summary of Verses 19 to 21
The Nâbhi-padma (Navel Lotus) is of the colour of the raincloud, and has ten petals; on each of its petals are each of the ten letters Da, Dha Na, Ta, Tha, Da, Dha, Na, Pa, and Pha, of a lustrous blue colour, with the Bindu above each of them. In the pericarp of this Lotus is the red Region of Fire, which is triangular in shape, and outside it, on its three sides, are three Svastika signs. Within the triangle is the Bīja of Fire—“Rang”. He (Bīja of Fire) is red in colour and is seated on a ram, is four-armed, and holds in his hands the Vajra (thunderbolt) and the Shakti weapon, and makes the signs of Vara and of Abhaya.³ In the lap of Vahni Bīja is Rudra, red of colour, seated on the bull, who, however, appears to be white on account of the ashes which He smears on his body. He is old in appearance. On a red lotus in the pericarp of this Lotus is the Shakti Lākinī. She is blue, has three faces with three eyes in each, is four-armed, and with Her hands holds the Vajra and the Shakti weapon, and makes the signs of dispelling fear and granting boons. She has fierce projecting teeth, and is fond of eating rice and dhal, cooked and mixed with meat and blood.⁴
(Here ends the third section)
1 A Vaishnava Tantra of great authority. The quotation is from
Ch. 34 of the same.
2 Mani-vad bhinnang. Bhinna here means “distinguished,” for in
the Manipūra is the Region of Fire. See also Rudrayāmala, Ch.
XXVII, v. 60.
3 Vara and Abhaya—i.e., the Mudrās dispelling fear and granting boons
4 Khecharānna—that is, meat mixed with rice and dhal, such as
Khecharānna (Khichri), Pilau, etc.
Verse 22
ABOVE that, in the heart, is the charming Lotus,¹ of the
Rāghava-bhatta says²: “A Svastika sign is made by the
crossing of two straight lines going in four different directions.”
In this region of Fire is Ram the Bīja of Fire.
1 i.e., like a cross 卍
2 In the note to v. 23 of Ch. I of the Shāradā Tilaka,
Verse 20
MEDITATE upon Him (Fire) seated on a ram, four-armed, radiant like the rising Sun. In His lap ever dwells Rudra, who is of a pure vermilion hue. He (Rudra) is white with the ashes with which He is smeared; of an ancient aspect and three-eyed, His hands are placed in the attitude of granting boons and of dispelling fear.¹ He is the destroyer of creation
COMMENTARY
Elsewhere the Dhyāna of Vahni is as follows: “Seated on a ram, a Rudrāksha rosary in one hand, and the Shakti² in the other.”
As there are no weapons placed in the other hands it is to be inferred that the other two hands are in the attitude of granting boons and of dispelling fear; that is how He is described to be in other Dhyānas of Him.
Rudra should here be meditated upon as seated on a bull.
“He is white . . . smeared” (Bhasmāliptāngga-bhūshā- bharana-sita-vapuh).—The ashes with which his body is smeared and the ornaments he is wearing make him look white (though his hue is red).
1 That is, making Vara and Abhaya Mudrās, v. ante, pp. 20, 21.
2 Vahni’s or Fire’s weapon. Bhāskararāya says it is the weapon which is called in Maharashtra Sāmti.
Verse 21
HERE abides Lākinī, the benefactress of all. She is fourarmed, of radiant body, is dark¹ (of complexion), clothed in yellow raiment and decked with various ornaments, and exalted with the drinking of ambrosia.² By meditating on this³ Navel Lotus⁴ the power to destroy and create (the world) is acquired. Vānī⁵ with all the wealth of knowledge ever abides in the lotus of his face.
COMMENTARY
“Decked with various ornaments” (Vividha-virachanālangkritā).—She who is decorated with gems and pearls arranged in varied and beautiful designs.
Cf. Lākinī-dhyāna elsewhere: “Let the excellent worshipper meditate upon the Devī Lakinī, who is blue and has three faces, and three eyes (to each face), fierce of aspect, and with Her teeth protruding.⁶ In Her right hand She holds the thunderbolt and the Shakti,⁷ and in the left She makes the gestures⁸ of dispelling fear and of granting boons. She is in the pericarp of the navel lotus, which has ten petals. She is fond of meat (Māngsāshī),⁹ and her breast is ruddy with the blood and fat which drop from Her mouth.”
1 Shyāmā; see ante, note to v. 11.
2 Matta-chittā; vide ante, p. 44, n. 3.
3 Etat: a variant reading is evam, “in this manner”.
4 Nābhi-Padma.
5 That is, the Devī of Speech, Sarasvatī.
6 Vishvanātha quotes a Dhyāna in which She is described as humpbacked (kubjinī) and as carrying a staff.
7 The weapon of Vahni (Fire). See note 2, page 50.
8 Mudrā.
9 Some read “Maugsasthām”=She who abides in flesh.
The navel lotus is called Mani-pūra. The Gautamīya Tantra says.¹ “This Lotus is called Manipūra because it is lustrous like a gem.”²
Summary of Verses 19 to 21
The Nâbhi-padma (Navel Lotus) is of the colour of the raincloud, and has ten petals; on each of its petals are each of the ten letters Da, Dha Na, Ta, Tha, Da, Dha, Na, Pa, and Pha, of a lustrous blue colour, with the Bindu above each of them. In the pericarp of this Lotus is the red Region of Fire, which is triangular in shape, and outside it, on its three sides, are three Svastika signs. Within the triangle is the Bīja of Fire—“Rang”. He (Bīja of Fire) is red in colour and is seated on a ram, is four-armed, and holds in his hands the Vajra (thunderbolt) and the Shakti weapon, and makes the signs of Vara and of Abhaya.³ In the lap of Vahni Bīja is Rudra, red of colour, seated on the bull, who, however, appears to be white on account of the ashes which He smears on his body. He is old in appearance. On a red lotus in the pericarp of this Lotus is the Shakti Lākinī. She is blue, has three faces with three eyes in each, is four-armed, and with Her hands holds the Vajra and the Shakti weapon, and makes the signs of dispelling fear and granting boons. She has fierce projecting teeth, and is fond of eating rice and dhal, cooked and mixed with meat and blood.⁴
(Here ends the third section)
1 A Vaishnava Tantra of great authority. The quotation is from
Ch. 34 of the same.
2 Mani-vad bhinnang. Bhinna here means “distinguished,” for in
the Manipūra is the Region of Fire. See also Rudrayāmala, Ch.
XXVII, v. 60.
3 Vara and Abhaya—i.e., the Mudrās dispelling fear and granting boons
4 Khecharānna—that is, meat mixed with rice and dhal, such as
Khecharānna (Khichri), Pilau, etc.
Verse 22
ABOVE that, in the heart, is the charming Lotus,¹ of the
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