The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
“The snow-white Deva whose body is united with (or in-separable from) that of Giri-jā” (Girijābhinna-deha).—By this is meant Arddha-nārīshvara.² The Deva Arddhanārīshvara is of a golden colour on the left, and snow-white on the right. He dwells in the lap of Nabho-bīja. He is described as “the Deva Sadā-shiva garbed in white raiment. Half His body being inseparate from that of Girijā, He is both silvern and golden”. He is also spoken of as “possessed of the down-turned digit (Kalā) of the Moon which constantly drops nectar”.³
1 The Bīja of a thing is that thing in essence.
2 Hara-Gaurī-mūrti (Shangkara).
3 This is, the Amā Kalā.
The Nirvāna Tantra,¹ in dealing with the Vishuddha Chakra, says: “Within the Yantra² is the Bull, and over it a lion Seat (Singhāsana). On this is the eternal Gaurī, and on Her right is Sadā-Shiva. He has five faces, and three eyes to each face; His body is smeared with ashes, and He is like a mountain of silver. The Deva is wearing the skin of a tiger, and garlands of snakes are His ornaments.”
The Eternal Gaurī (Sadā Gaurī) is there as half of Shiva’s body. She is in the same place spoken of as “the Gaurī, the Mother of the Universe, who is the other half of the body of Shiva”.
“With ten beautiful arms” (Lalita-dasha-bhuja).—The Author here has said nothing of what weapons the Deva has in His hands. In a Dhyāna elsewhere He is spoken of as carrying in His hands the Shūla (trident), the Tangka (battle-axe), the Kripāna (sword), the Vajra (thunderbolt), Dahana (fire), the Nāgendra (snakeking), the Ghantā (bell), the Angkusha (goad), Pāsha (noose), and making the gesture dispelling fear (Abhītikara).³ In meditating on Him, therefore, He should be thought of as carrying these implements and substances and making these gestures in and by His ten arms. Great (Prasiddha lit known) here well known for his greatness. The rest can be easily understood.
1 Patala VIII. The text translated is incorrect. In Rasikamohana Chattopādhyāya’s Edition it runs: “Within the Yantra is the bull, half whose body is that of a lion.” This is consistent with the Arddhanārīshvara, as the bull is the Vāhana (carrier) of Shiva, and the lion of the Devī.
2 That is Shat-kona yantra.
3 This gesture is called also Astra or a weapon which is thrown because it throws goodness on the Sādhaka.
Verse 30
PURER than the Ocean of Nectar is the Shakti Shākinī who dwells in this Lotus. Her raiment is yellow, and in Her four lotus-hands She carries the bow, the arrow, the noose, and the goad. The whole region of the Moon without the mark of the hare¹ is in the pericarp of this Lotus. This (region) is the gateway of great Liberation for him who desires the wealth of Yoga and whose senses are pure and controlled.
COMMENTARY
Here the Author speaks of the presence of Shākinī in the pericarp of the Vishuddha Lotus.
“Purer than the Ocean of Nectar” (Sudhāsindhoh² Shuddhā). —The Ocean of Nectar is white and cool and makes immortal. Shākinī, who is the form of light itself (Jyotih-svarūpā) is white and heatless.
In the following Dhyāna of Shākinī She is described in detail: “Let the excellent Sādhaka meditate in the throat lotus on the Devī Shākinī. She is light itself (Jyotih-svarūpā); each of Her five beautiful faces is shining with three eyes. In Her lotus hands She carries the noose, the goad, the sign of the book, and makes the Jnānamudrā.³ She maddens (or distracts) all the mass of
1 The “Man in the Moon”.
2 Sudhāsindhu, says Shangkara, is Chandra (Moon). She is purer and whiter than the nectar in the moon. The translation here given is according to the construction of Shangkara and Vishvanātha, who read Sudhāsindhoh in the ablative. Kālīcharana, however, reading it in the possessive case, gives the meaning “pure like the ocean of Nectar,” which is the innermost ocean of the seven oceans, which surrounds the jewelled island (Manidvīpa).
3 Made by touching the thumb with the first finger of the right hand and placed over the heart.
Pashus,¹ and She has her abode in the bone.² She is fond of milk food, and elated with the nectar which She has drunk.”
By the expression “She is light itself” in the above Dhyāna, it is meant that She is white, whiteness being characteristic of light. The two Dhyānas differ as regards the weapons the Devī has in her hands. This is due to differences in the nature of the Sādhaka’s aim.³
The Devī is in the lunar region (Chandramandala) within the pericarp. The Prema-yoga Taraṁginī says: “Here dwells the Shakti Shākini in the auspicious region of the Moon.”
“The snow-white Deva whose body is united with (or in-separable from) that of Giri-jā” (Girijābhinna-deha).—By this is meant Arddha-nārīshvara.² The Deva Arddhanārīshvara is of a golden colour on the left, and snow-white on the right. He dwells in the lap of Nabho-bīja. He is described as “the Deva Sadā-shiva garbed in white raiment. Half His body being inseparate from that of Girijā, He is both silvern and golden”. He is also spoken of as “possessed of the down-turned digit (Kalā) of the Moon which constantly drops nectar”.³
1 The Bīja of a thing is that thing in essence.
2 Hara-Gaurī-mūrti (Shangkara).
3 This is, the Amā Kalā.
The Nirvāna Tantra,¹ in dealing with the Vishuddha Chakra, says: “Within the Yantra² is the Bull, and over it a lion Seat (Singhāsana). On this is the eternal Gaurī, and on Her right is Sadā-Shiva. He has five faces, and three eyes to each face; His body is smeared with ashes, and He is like a mountain of silver. The Deva is wearing the skin of a tiger, and garlands of snakes are His ornaments.”
The Eternal Gaurī (Sadā Gaurī) is there as half of Shiva’s body. She is in the same place spoken of as “the Gaurī, the Mother of the Universe, who is the other half of the body of Shiva”.
“With ten beautiful arms” (Lalita-dasha-bhuja).—The Author here has said nothing of what weapons the Deva has in His hands. In a Dhyāna elsewhere He is spoken of as carrying in His hands the Shūla (trident), the Tangka (battle-axe), the Kripāna (sword), the Vajra (thunderbolt), Dahana (fire), the Nāgendra (snakeking), the Ghantā (bell), the Angkusha (goad), Pāsha (noose), and making the gesture dispelling fear (Abhītikara).³ In meditating on Him, therefore, He should be thought of as carrying these implements and substances and making these gestures in and by His ten arms. Great (Prasiddha lit known) here well known for his greatness. The rest can be easily understood.
1 Patala VIII. The text translated is incorrect. In Rasikamohana Chattopādhyāya’s Edition it runs: “Within the Yantra is the bull, half whose body is that of a lion.” This is consistent with the Arddhanārīshvara, as the bull is the Vāhana (carrier) of Shiva, and the lion of the Devī.
2 That is Shat-kona yantra.
3 This gesture is called also Astra or a weapon which is thrown because it throws goodness on the Sādhaka.
Verse 30
PURER than the Ocean of Nectar is the Shakti Shākinī who dwells in this Lotus. Her raiment is yellow, and in Her four lotus-hands She carries the bow, the arrow, the noose, and the goad. The whole region of the Moon without the mark of the hare¹ is in the pericarp of this Lotus. This (region) is the gateway of great Liberation for him who desires the wealth of Yoga and whose senses are pure and controlled.
COMMENTARY
Here the Author speaks of the presence of Shākinī in the pericarp of the Vishuddha Lotus.
“Purer than the Ocean of Nectar” (Sudhāsindhoh² Shuddhā). —The Ocean of Nectar is white and cool and makes immortal. Shākinī, who is the form of light itself (Jyotih-svarūpā) is white and heatless.
In the following Dhyāna of Shākinī She is described in detail: “Let the excellent Sādhaka meditate in the throat lotus on the Devī Shākinī. She is light itself (Jyotih-svarūpā); each of Her five beautiful faces is shining with three eyes. In Her lotus hands She carries the noose, the goad, the sign of the book, and makes the Jnānamudrā.³ She maddens (or distracts) all the mass of
1 The “Man in the Moon”.
2 Sudhāsindhu, says Shangkara, is Chandra (Moon). She is purer and whiter than the nectar in the moon. The translation here given is according to the construction of Shangkara and Vishvanātha, who read Sudhāsindhoh in the ablative. Kālīcharana, however, reading it in the possessive case, gives the meaning “pure like the ocean of Nectar,” which is the innermost ocean of the seven oceans, which surrounds the jewelled island (Manidvīpa).
3 Made by touching the thumb with the first finger of the right hand and placed over the heart.
Pashus,¹ and She has her abode in the bone.² She is fond of milk food, and elated with the nectar which She has drunk.”
By the expression “She is light itself” in the above Dhyāna, it is meant that She is white, whiteness being characteristic of light. The two Dhyānas differ as regards the weapons the Devī has in her hands. This is due to differences in the nature of the Sādhaka’s aim.³
The Devī is in the lunar region (Chandramandala) within the pericarp. The Prema-yoga Taraṁginī says: “Here dwells the Shakti Shākini in the auspicious region of the Moon.”
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