The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
(c) Vibhava, again, may mean “omnipresence,” and Pūrna “all-spreading”. It would then mean: “He who in His omnipresence pervades all things.”
(d) Pūrna³ may also mean the quality of one whose wish is not moved by the result and is not attached to any object. Pūrnavibhava would then mean one who is possessed of that quality.
All things except Ātmā pass away. The omnipresence of the ethereal region, (Ākāsha) etc., is not ever-existent. The Nirvāna Tantra (Ch. IX) speaks of the presence of Parama Shiva in the Ājnā Chakra in detail.
“Above this (i.e., Vishuddha) Lotus is Jnāna Lotus, which is very difficult to achieve; it is the region⁴ of the full Moon, and has two petals.” Again: “Inside it, in the form of Hangsah, is the Bīja of Shambhu”; and again: “Thus is Hangsah in Manidvīpa,¹ and in its lap is Parama Shiva, with Siddha Kālī² on his left. She is the very self of eternal Bliss.” By lap is meant the space within the Bindus which form the Visarga at the end of Hangsah.³
1 He is seen here.
2 Tait Up., 3. 1. 1.
3 Phalānupahita-vishayitānāspadechchhākatvaṁ: He whose wish is not moved by the result, and is not attached to any object; or, in other words, He whose ways are inscrutable to us, subject as we are to limitations (Māyā).
4 Pūrna-chandrasya mandalam.
So it has been said in describing the Sahasrāra: “There are the two Bindus which make the imperishable Visarga.⁴ In the space within is Parama Shiva.” As It is in the Sahasrāra so It is represented here.⁵
We are to understand that these two, Shiva and Shakti, are here in union (Bandhana) in the form of Parabindu, as the letter Ma (Ma-kārātmā), and that they are surrounded (Āchchhādana) by Māyā.⁶ “She the Eternal One stays here (Ājnā Chakra) in the form of a grain of gram,⁷ and creates beings (Bhūtāni).” Here the Parama Shiva as in the form of a gram dwells, and according to the Utkalādimata⁸ also creates.
“As He is in the region of Fire, Moon, and Sun” (Vahneh shashimihirayor mandalamiva).—As the presence of Bhagavān in these regions is well known, so is He here. Or it may be that the author means that as He in the shape of a grain of gram dwells in the regions of Fire, Moon, and Sun, in the Sahasrāra, so does He dwell here also. We shall describe the Arka, Indu, and Agni Mandala in the Sahasrāra later. In Pītha-pūjā the Pūjā of Paramātmā and
1 The isle of gems in the Ocean of Ambrosia. The Rudrayāmala says that it is in the centre of the Ocean of nectar outside and beyond the countless myriads of world systems, and that there is the Supreme abode of Shrīvidyā.
2 A form of Shakti.
3 i.e., the two dots which form the aspirate breathing at the end of Hangsah.
4 Imperishable visarga—Visargarūpam avyayam.
5 That is, the Parabindu is represented in the Ājnā by the Bindu of the Ongkāra, which is its Pratīka.
6 Bindu is the nasal sound of Ma, which is a male letter. Bindu is here the unmanifest Ma.
7 Chanakākāra-rūpinī. See Introduction.
8 Apparently a school of that name.
Jnānātmā should be performed on the Mandalas of Sun (Arka), Moon (Indu), and Fire (Agni). By Paramātmā Parama Shiva is meant, and by Jnānātmā Jnāna Shakti. The Bindu should be meditated upon as like the grain of gram, consisting of the inseparable couple¹—namely, Shiva and Shakti.
1 The grain referred to is divided in two under its encircling sheath.
p. 8
Verse 38
THIS is the incomparable and delightful abode of Vishnu.
The excellent Yogī at the time of death joyfully places
his vital breath (Prāna),¹ here and enters (after death) that
Supreme, Eternal, Birthless, Primeval Deva, the Purusha,
who was before the three worlds, and who is known by the
Vedānta.
COMMENTARY
He now speaks of the good to be gained by giving up the
Prāna by Yoga in the Ājnā Chakra.
This verse means: The excellent Yogī (Yogīndra) at the time of death (Prāna-nidhane) joyfully (Pramuditamanāh) places his Prāna (Prānang samāropya) in the abode of Vishnu in the Ājnā Chakra (Iha sthāne Vishnoh—i.e., in the abode of Bhagavān in the Bindu already described), and passes away, and then enters the Supreme Purusha.
“At the time of death” (Prāna-nidhane)—i.e., feeling the approach of death.
“Joyfully” (Pramudita-manāh)—Glad in mind in the enjoyment of the blissful union with Ātmā. (Ātmānandena hrishtachittah.)
“Vishnu”=Bhagavān=Parama Shiva (see previous Shloka).
“Here” (Iha sthāne)—i.e., in the Bindu in the Ājnā Cbakra spoken of above.
“Places the prāna here” (Iha sthāne prānang samāropya)— i.e., he places it on the Bindu already spoken of. He describes Purusha as Eternal.
1 Compare Bhagavad-Gitā, Ch. VIII, vv. 9 and 10, and the commentary of Shangkarāchāryya and Madhusūdana Sarasvatī on those verses.
(c) Vibhava, again, may mean “omnipresence,” and Pūrna “all-spreading”. It would then mean: “He who in His omnipresence pervades all things.”
(d) Pūrna³ may also mean the quality of one whose wish is not moved by the result and is not attached to any object. Pūrnavibhava would then mean one who is possessed of that quality.
All things except Ātmā pass away. The omnipresence of the ethereal region, (Ākāsha) etc., is not ever-existent. The Nirvāna Tantra (Ch. IX) speaks of the presence of Parama Shiva in the Ājnā Chakra in detail.
“Above this (i.e., Vishuddha) Lotus is Jnāna Lotus, which is very difficult to achieve; it is the region⁴ of the full Moon, and has two petals.” Again: “Inside it, in the form of Hangsah, is the Bīja of Shambhu”; and again: “Thus is Hangsah in Manidvīpa,¹ and in its lap is Parama Shiva, with Siddha Kālī² on his left. She is the very self of eternal Bliss.” By lap is meant the space within the Bindus which form the Visarga at the end of Hangsah.³
1 He is seen here.
2 Tait Up., 3. 1. 1.
3 Phalānupahita-vishayitānāspadechchhākatvaṁ: He whose wish is not moved by the result, and is not attached to any object; or, in other words, He whose ways are inscrutable to us, subject as we are to limitations (Māyā).
4 Pūrna-chandrasya mandalam.
So it has been said in describing the Sahasrāra: “There are the two Bindus which make the imperishable Visarga.⁴ In the space within is Parama Shiva.” As It is in the Sahasrāra so It is represented here.⁵
We are to understand that these two, Shiva and Shakti, are here in union (Bandhana) in the form of Parabindu, as the letter Ma (Ma-kārātmā), and that they are surrounded (Āchchhādana) by Māyā.⁶ “She the Eternal One stays here (Ājnā Chakra) in the form of a grain of gram,⁷ and creates beings (Bhūtāni).” Here the Parama Shiva as in the form of a gram dwells, and according to the Utkalādimata⁸ also creates.
“As He is in the region of Fire, Moon, and Sun” (Vahneh shashimihirayor mandalamiva).—As the presence of Bhagavān in these regions is well known, so is He here. Or it may be that the author means that as He in the shape of a grain of gram dwells in the regions of Fire, Moon, and Sun, in the Sahasrāra, so does He dwell here also. We shall describe the Arka, Indu, and Agni Mandala in the Sahasrāra later. In Pītha-pūjā the Pūjā of Paramātmā and
1 The isle of gems in the Ocean of Ambrosia. The Rudrayāmala says that it is in the centre of the Ocean of nectar outside and beyond the countless myriads of world systems, and that there is the Supreme abode of Shrīvidyā.
2 A form of Shakti.
3 i.e., the two dots which form the aspirate breathing at the end of Hangsah.
4 Imperishable visarga—Visargarūpam avyayam.
5 That is, the Parabindu is represented in the Ājnā by the Bindu of the Ongkāra, which is its Pratīka.
6 Bindu is the nasal sound of Ma, which is a male letter. Bindu is here the unmanifest Ma.
7 Chanakākāra-rūpinī. See Introduction.
8 Apparently a school of that name.
Jnānātmā should be performed on the Mandalas of Sun (Arka), Moon (Indu), and Fire (Agni). By Paramātmā Parama Shiva is meant, and by Jnānātmā Jnāna Shakti. The Bindu should be meditated upon as like the grain of gram, consisting of the inseparable couple¹—namely, Shiva and Shakti.
1 The grain referred to is divided in two under its encircling sheath.
p. 8
Verse 38
THIS is the incomparable and delightful abode of Vishnu.
The excellent Yogī at the time of death joyfully places
his vital breath (Prāna),¹ here and enters (after death) that
Supreme, Eternal, Birthless, Primeval Deva, the Purusha,
who was before the three worlds, and who is known by the
Vedānta.
COMMENTARY
He now speaks of the good to be gained by giving up the
Prāna by Yoga in the Ājnā Chakra.
This verse means: The excellent Yogī (Yogīndra) at the time of death (Prāna-nidhane) joyfully (Pramuditamanāh) places his Prāna (Prānang samāropya) in the abode of Vishnu in the Ājnā Chakra (Iha sthāne Vishnoh—i.e., in the abode of Bhagavān in the Bindu already described), and passes away, and then enters the Supreme Purusha.
“At the time of death” (Prāna-nidhane)—i.e., feeling the approach of death.
“Joyfully” (Pramudita-manāh)—Glad in mind in the enjoyment of the blissful union with Ātmā. (Ātmānandena hrishtachittah.)
“Vishnu”=Bhagavān=Parama Shiva (see previous Shloka).
“Here” (Iha sthāne)—i.e., in the Bindu in the Ājnā Cbakra spoken of above.
“Places the prāna here” (Iha sthāne prānang samāropya)— i.e., he places it on the Bindu already spoken of. He describes Purusha as Eternal.
1 Compare Bhagavad-Gitā, Ch. VIII, vv. 9 and 10, and the commentary of Shangkarāchāryya and Madhusūdana Sarasvatī on those verses.
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