The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
Verse 31A¹
THE Yogī, his mind constantly fixed on this Lotus, his breath controlled by Kumbhaka,² is in his wrath³ able to move all the three worlds. Neither Brahmā nor Vishnu, neither Hari-Hara⁴ nor Sūryya⁵ nor Ganapa,⁶ is able to control his power (resist him).
COMMENTARY
“His breath controlled by Kumbhaka” (Ātta-pavana).— Literally it means, who has taken the air in, which is done by Kumbhaka.
“Hari-Hara.”—The Yugala (coupled) form, consisting of
Vishnu and Shiva combined.
“Sūryya” (Kha-mani).—This word means the jewel of the sky, or Sūryya.
(Here ends the fifth section)
1 This verse has not been taken into account either by Kālīcharana or Shangkara. It is given by Bala-deva in his text, and his Commentary is also here given. It is in Tripurāsāra-samuchchaya, Ch. V, 26.
2 Retention of breath in Prānāyāma is Kumbhaka.
3 This is praise (Stutivāda) of his great powers—that is, were he to get angry he could move the three worlds.
4 See Commentary.
5 Sun. See Commentary.
6 Ganesha.
Verse 32
THE Lotus named Ājnā¹ is like the Moon, (beautifully white). On its two petals are the letters Ha and Ksha, which are also white and enhance its beauty. It shines with the glory of Dhyāna.² Inside it is the Shakti Hākinī, whose six faces are like so many moons. She has six arms, in one of which She holds a book³; two others are lifted up in the gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons, and with the rest She holds a skull, a small drum,⁴ and a rosary.⁵ Her mind is pure (Shuddha-chittā).
COMMENTARY
The Author now describes the Ājnā Chakra between the eyebrows in the seven verses beginning with this.
“Lotus named Ājnā” (Ājnā-nāma).—“Ājnā of the Guru is communicated here, hence it is called Ājnā.” Here between the eyebrows is the Ājnā (Command), which is communicated from above, hence it is called Ājnā. This Lotus which is well known is here.⁶
1 Ājnā—command. See Commentary. The Tantrāntara Tantra calls this Chakra the house of Shiva (Shivageha).
2 The state of mind which is acquired by meditation (Dhyāna).
3 Vidyām mudrām dadhānā, i.e., she is making the gesture of Vidyā or Pustaka Mudrā and those of dispelling fear and granting boons. It is not that she is carrying a book in her han . See post.
4 Damaru.
5 Rosary with which “Recitation” (japa) of mantra is done.
6 It is here that the Ājnā of the Guru is communicated (Gautamīya Tantra, cited by Vishvanātha). See Rudrayāmala, Ch. XXVII, v. 68, which says that the Guru’s Ājnā is communicated (Gurorājneti).
p. 7
This Lotus is between the eyebrows, as the following shows:
“Going upwards after entering the throat and palate, the
white and auspicious Lotus between the eyebrows is reached by
Kundalī. It has two petals on which are the letters Ha and Ksha,
and it is the place of mind (Manas).”
The following are descriptions of the Lotus:
“Like the Moon, beautifully white” (Hima-kara-sadrishang). —This comparison with Chandra (Himakara) may also mean that this Lotus is cool like the moonbeams (the moon being the receptacle of Amrita, or Nectar, whose characteristic is coolness), and that it is also beautifully white.
It has been said in “Īshvara-kārtikeya-sangvāda”:¹ “Ajnā Chakra is above it; it is white and has two petals; the letters Ha and Ksha, variegated in colour, also enhance its beauty. It is the seat of mind (Manas).”
“Two petals” (Netra-patra).—The petals of the lotus.
“The letters Ha and Ksha, which are also white” (Ha-kshā- bhyāng kalābhyām parilasitavapuh su-shubhram).—These two letters are by their very nature white, and by their being on the white petals the whiteness thereof is made more charming by this very excess of whiteness.² The letters are called Kalās because they are Bījas of Kalās.³
“It shines with the glory of Dhyāna” (Dhyāna-dhāma-prakā- sham)—that is, its body shines like the glory of Dhyāna Shakti.
“Hākinī.”—He next speaks of the presence of the Shakti Hākinī here. The force of the pronoun Sā (She) in addition to Her name is that She is the well-known Hākinī.
“The gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons” (Mudrā). —This word stands for both Mudrās. There should be six weapons in Her hands, as She has six hands. There are some who read Vidyā and Mudrā as one word, Vidyā-mudrā, and interpret it to mean Vyākhyāmudrā—the gesture that conveys learning or knowledge—and speak of Her as possessed of four arms. Different manuscripts give different readings. Various manuscripts read these as two words. The wise reader should judge for himself
1 i.e., the Sammohana Tantra.
2 Or the meaning may be that the Ājnā Chakra has rays cool like the ambrosial rays of the Moon and like the Moon beautifully white.
3 See Introduction, Prapanchasāra Tantra, Vol. III, Tantrik Texts, ed. A. Avalon.
Verse 31A¹
THE Yogī, his mind constantly fixed on this Lotus, his breath controlled by Kumbhaka,² is in his wrath³ able to move all the three worlds. Neither Brahmā nor Vishnu, neither Hari-Hara⁴ nor Sūryya⁵ nor Ganapa,⁶ is able to control his power (resist him).
COMMENTARY
“His breath controlled by Kumbhaka” (Ātta-pavana).— Literally it means, who has taken the air in, which is done by Kumbhaka.
“Hari-Hara.”—The Yugala (coupled) form, consisting of
Vishnu and Shiva combined.
“Sūryya” (Kha-mani).—This word means the jewel of the sky, or Sūryya.
(Here ends the fifth section)
1 This verse has not been taken into account either by Kālīcharana or Shangkara. It is given by Bala-deva in his text, and his Commentary is also here given. It is in Tripurāsāra-samuchchaya, Ch. V, 26.
2 Retention of breath in Prānāyāma is Kumbhaka.
3 This is praise (Stutivāda) of his great powers—that is, were he to get angry he could move the three worlds.
4 See Commentary.
5 Sun. See Commentary.
6 Ganesha.
Verse 32
THE Lotus named Ājnā¹ is like the Moon, (beautifully white). On its two petals are the letters Ha and Ksha, which are also white and enhance its beauty. It shines with the glory of Dhyāna.² Inside it is the Shakti Hākinī, whose six faces are like so many moons. She has six arms, in one of which She holds a book³; two others are lifted up in the gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons, and with the rest She holds a skull, a small drum,⁴ and a rosary.⁵ Her mind is pure (Shuddha-chittā).
COMMENTARY
The Author now describes the Ājnā Chakra between the eyebrows in the seven verses beginning with this.
“Lotus named Ājnā” (Ājnā-nāma).—“Ājnā of the Guru is communicated here, hence it is called Ājnā.” Here between the eyebrows is the Ājnā (Command), which is communicated from above, hence it is called Ājnā. This Lotus which is well known is here.⁶
1 Ājnā—command. See Commentary. The Tantrāntara Tantra calls this Chakra the house of Shiva (Shivageha).
2 The state of mind which is acquired by meditation (Dhyāna).
3 Vidyām mudrām dadhānā, i.e., she is making the gesture of Vidyā or Pustaka Mudrā and those of dispelling fear and granting boons. It is not that she is carrying a book in her han . See post.
4 Damaru.
5 Rosary with which “Recitation” (japa) of mantra is done.
6 It is here that the Ājnā of the Guru is communicated (Gautamīya Tantra, cited by Vishvanātha). See Rudrayāmala, Ch. XXVII, v. 68, which says that the Guru’s Ājnā is communicated (Gurorājneti).
p. 7
This Lotus is between the eyebrows, as the following shows:
“Going upwards after entering the throat and palate, the
white and auspicious Lotus between the eyebrows is reached by
Kundalī. It has two petals on which are the letters Ha and Ksha,
and it is the place of mind (Manas).”
The following are descriptions of the Lotus:
“Like the Moon, beautifully white” (Hima-kara-sadrishang). —This comparison with Chandra (Himakara) may also mean that this Lotus is cool like the moonbeams (the moon being the receptacle of Amrita, or Nectar, whose characteristic is coolness), and that it is also beautifully white.
It has been said in “Īshvara-kārtikeya-sangvāda”:¹ “Ajnā Chakra is above it; it is white and has two petals; the letters Ha and Ksha, variegated in colour, also enhance its beauty. It is the seat of mind (Manas).”
“Two petals” (Netra-patra).—The petals of the lotus.
“The letters Ha and Ksha, which are also white” (Ha-kshā- bhyāng kalābhyām parilasitavapuh su-shubhram).—These two letters are by their very nature white, and by their being on the white petals the whiteness thereof is made more charming by this very excess of whiteness.² The letters are called Kalās because they are Bījas of Kalās.³
“It shines with the glory of Dhyāna” (Dhyāna-dhāma-prakā- sham)—that is, its body shines like the glory of Dhyāna Shakti.
“Hākinī.”—He next speaks of the presence of the Shakti Hākinī here. The force of the pronoun Sā (She) in addition to Her name is that She is the well-known Hākinī.
“The gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons” (Mudrā). —This word stands for both Mudrās. There should be six weapons in Her hands, as She has six hands. There are some who read Vidyā and Mudrā as one word, Vidyā-mudrā, and interpret it to mean Vyākhyāmudrā—the gesture that conveys learning or knowledge—and speak of Her as possessed of four arms. Different manuscripts give different readings. Various manuscripts read these as two words. The wise reader should judge for himself
1 i.e., the Sammohana Tantra.
2 Or the meaning may be that the Ājnā Chakra has rays cool like the ambrosial rays of the Moon and like the Moon beautifully white.
3 See Introduction, Prapanchasāra Tantra, Vol. III, Tantrik Texts, ed. A. Avalon.
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