The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
Verses 28 and 29
IN the throat is the Lotus called Vishuddha, which is pure and of a smoky purple hue. All the (sixteen) shining vowels on its (sixteen) petals, of a crimson hue, are distinctly visible to him whose mind (Buddhi) is illumined. In the pericarp of this lotus there is the Ethereal Region, circular in shape, and white like the full Moon.¹ On an elephant white as snow is seated the Bīja² of Ambara,³ who is white of colour.
Of His four arms, two hold the noose⁴ and goad,⁵ and the other two make the gestures⁶ of granting boons and dispelling fear. These add to His beauty. In His lap⁷ there ever dwells the great snow-white Deva, three-eyed and five-faced, with ten beautiful arms, and clothed in a tiger’s skin. His body is united with that of Girijā,⁸ and he is known by what his name, Sadā-shiva,⁹ signifies.
1 Ether is the element of this Chakra, the sign (Mandala) of this
Tattva being a circle (Vritta-rūpa). See Introduction.
2 Manu=Mantra=(here) “Hang”.
3 Ambara=the Ethereal Region; the word also means “apparel” —“Vyomni, vāsasi” (Amara-kosha). On an elephant of the colour of snow is seated Ambara, white in colour in his Bīja form. The Sanskrit is capable of another meaning: “On an elephant is seated the Bīja whose raiment is white.”
4 Pāsha.
5 Angkusha.
6 Mudrā; v. pp. 20, 21, ante.
7 Of the Nabhovīja or “Hang”.
8 “Mountain-born,” a title of the Devī as the daughter of the Mountain King (Himavat—Himālaya). The reference is here to the Androgyne Shiva-Shakti form. See Commentary.
9 Sadā=ever. Shiva=the Beneficent One. Beneficence.
COMMENTARY
The Vishuddha Chakra is described in four verses beginning with these.
“Because by the sight of the Hangsa the Jīva attains purity,
this Padma (Lotus) is therefore called Vishuddha (pure)—Ethereal,
Great, and Excellent.”
“In the region of the throat is the Lotus called Vishuddha.”— Pure (Amala, without impurity) by reason of its being tejo-maya² (its substance is tejas), and hence free from impurity.
“All the vowels” (Svaraih sarvaih)—i.e., all the vowels beginning with A-kāra and ending with Visarga—altogether sixteen in number.
“Shining on the petals” (Dala-parilasitaih).—The vowels being sixteen in number, the number of petals which this lotus possesses is shown by implication to be sixteen also.
Elsewhere this has been clearly stated: “Above it (Anāhata) is the Lotus of sixteen petals, of a smoky purple colour; its petals bear the sixteen vowels, red in colour, with the Bindu above them. Its filaments are ruddy, and it is adorned by Vyoma-mandala.”³
“Distinctly visible” (Dīpitam).—These letters are lighted up, as it were, for the enlightened mind (Dīpta-buddhi).
“Whose mind (buddhi) is illumined” refers to the person whose buddhi, or intellect, has become free from the impurity of worldly pursuits as the result of the constant practice of Yoga.
“The Ethereal Region circular in shape, and white like the full Moon” (Pūrnendu-prathita-tama-nabhomandalam vrittarūpam).— The Ethereal Region is circular in shape (Vrittarūpa), and its roundness resembles that of the full Moon, and like the Moon it is also white. The Shāradā says: “The wise know that the Mandalas participate in the lustre of their peculiar elements.”⁴ The Mandalas are of the colour of their respective Devatās and elements: Ether is white, hence its Mandala is also white.
1 See Rudrayāmala, Ch. XXVII. v. 67.
2 Fire purifies.
3 The Ethereal Circle.
4 That is, each Mandala (i.e., square, circle, triangle, etc.) takes after the characteristics of its elements. (Vide Shāradā-tilaka I. 24)
“In the pericarp of this lotus is the circular Ethereal Region”
(Nabhō-mandalam vritta-rūpam).—In the lap of this white Ambara
(or Ethereal Region) ever dwells Sadā-shiva, who is spoken of in
the second of these two verses.
“On an elephant white as snow is seated” (Hima-chchhāyā- nāgopari lasita-tanu).—This qualifies Ambara.
Nāga here means an Elephant, and not a serpent. The Bhūta-shuddhi clearly says: “Inside it is the white Bīja of Vyoma on a snow-white elephant.” Literally, “His body shows resplendent on an elephant,” because He is seated thereon.
“The Bīja of Ambara” (Tasya manoh).—Tasya manoh means literally “His mantra,” which is the Bīja of Ether or Hang.¹
“His four arms, (two of) which hold the Pāsha (noose), Angkusha (goad), and (the other two) are in the gesture granting boons and dispelling fear, add to his beauty” (Bhujaih pāshā- bhītyangkusha-vara-lasitaih shobhitāṁgasya).—The meaning, in short, is that in His hands He is carrying the pāsha and angkusha, and making the gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons.
“In the lap of his Bīja” (Tasya manor angke).—He is here in His Bīja form—in the form of Hang which is Ākāsha- Bīja. This shows the presence of the Bīja of Ether in the pericarp of this Lotus, and we are to meditate upon it as here described.
Verses 28 and 29
IN the throat is the Lotus called Vishuddha, which is pure and of a smoky purple hue. All the (sixteen) shining vowels on its (sixteen) petals, of a crimson hue, are distinctly visible to him whose mind (Buddhi) is illumined. In the pericarp of this lotus there is the Ethereal Region, circular in shape, and white like the full Moon.¹ On an elephant white as snow is seated the Bīja² of Ambara,³ who is white of colour.
Of His four arms, two hold the noose⁴ and goad,⁵ and the other two make the gestures⁶ of granting boons and dispelling fear. These add to His beauty. In His lap⁷ there ever dwells the great snow-white Deva, three-eyed and five-faced, with ten beautiful arms, and clothed in a tiger’s skin. His body is united with that of Girijā,⁸ and he is known by what his name, Sadā-shiva,⁹ signifies.
1 Ether is the element of this Chakra, the sign (Mandala) of this
Tattva being a circle (Vritta-rūpa). See Introduction.
2 Manu=Mantra=(here) “Hang”.
3 Ambara=the Ethereal Region; the word also means “apparel” —“Vyomni, vāsasi” (Amara-kosha). On an elephant of the colour of snow is seated Ambara, white in colour in his Bīja form. The Sanskrit is capable of another meaning: “On an elephant is seated the Bīja whose raiment is white.”
4 Pāsha.
5 Angkusha.
6 Mudrā; v. pp. 20, 21, ante.
7 Of the Nabhovīja or “Hang”.
8 “Mountain-born,” a title of the Devī as the daughter of the Mountain King (Himavat—Himālaya). The reference is here to the Androgyne Shiva-Shakti form. See Commentary.
9 Sadā=ever. Shiva=the Beneficent One. Beneficence.
COMMENTARY
The Vishuddha Chakra is described in four verses beginning with these.
“Because by the sight of the Hangsa the Jīva attains purity,
this Padma (Lotus) is therefore called Vishuddha (pure)—Ethereal,
Great, and Excellent.”
“In the region of the throat is the Lotus called Vishuddha.”— Pure (Amala, without impurity) by reason of its being tejo-maya² (its substance is tejas), and hence free from impurity.
“All the vowels” (Svaraih sarvaih)—i.e., all the vowels beginning with A-kāra and ending with Visarga—altogether sixteen in number.
“Shining on the petals” (Dala-parilasitaih).—The vowels being sixteen in number, the number of petals which this lotus possesses is shown by implication to be sixteen also.
Elsewhere this has been clearly stated: “Above it (Anāhata) is the Lotus of sixteen petals, of a smoky purple colour; its petals bear the sixteen vowels, red in colour, with the Bindu above them. Its filaments are ruddy, and it is adorned by Vyoma-mandala.”³
“Distinctly visible” (Dīpitam).—These letters are lighted up, as it were, for the enlightened mind (Dīpta-buddhi).
“Whose mind (buddhi) is illumined” refers to the person whose buddhi, or intellect, has become free from the impurity of worldly pursuits as the result of the constant practice of Yoga.
“The Ethereal Region circular in shape, and white like the full Moon” (Pūrnendu-prathita-tama-nabhomandalam vrittarūpam).— The Ethereal Region is circular in shape (Vrittarūpa), and its roundness resembles that of the full Moon, and like the Moon it is also white. The Shāradā says: “The wise know that the Mandalas participate in the lustre of their peculiar elements.”⁴ The Mandalas are of the colour of their respective Devatās and elements: Ether is white, hence its Mandala is also white.
1 See Rudrayāmala, Ch. XXVII. v. 67.
2 Fire purifies.
3 The Ethereal Circle.
4 That is, each Mandala (i.e., square, circle, triangle, etc.) takes after the characteristics of its elements. (Vide Shāradā-tilaka I. 24)
“In the pericarp of this lotus is the circular Ethereal Region”
(Nabhō-mandalam vritta-rūpam).—In the lap of this white Ambara
(or Ethereal Region) ever dwells Sadā-shiva, who is spoken of in
the second of these two verses.
“On an elephant white as snow is seated” (Hima-chchhāyā- nāgopari lasita-tanu).—This qualifies Ambara.
Nāga here means an Elephant, and not a serpent. The Bhūta-shuddhi clearly says: “Inside it is the white Bīja of Vyoma on a snow-white elephant.” Literally, “His body shows resplendent on an elephant,” because He is seated thereon.
“The Bīja of Ambara” (Tasya manoh).—Tasya manoh means literally “His mantra,” which is the Bīja of Ether or Hang.¹
“His four arms, (two of) which hold the Pāsha (noose), Angkusha (goad), and (the other two) are in the gesture granting boons and dispelling fear, add to his beauty” (Bhujaih pāshā- bhītyangkusha-vara-lasitaih shobhitāṁgasya).—The meaning, in short, is that in His hands He is carrying the pāsha and angkusha, and making the gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons.
“In the lap of his Bīja” (Tasya manor angke).—He is here in His Bīja form—in the form of Hang which is Ākāsha- Bīja. This shows the presence of the Bīja of Ether in the pericarp of this Lotus, and we are to meditate upon it as here described.
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