The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
4 Tending towards, intent on, or with face uplifted to, Shiva, that is here tending to creation. That is, the first state is Chit. Nāda is the Mithah-samavāya of Shakti and Bindu. The establishment of this relation quickens Her to turn to Shiva for the purpose of creation when She appears as male, or Bindu.
5 Tasyā eva shakter nādabindū srishtyupayogyarūpau (Upayoga is capacity or fitness for creation).
6 According to another reading this part would mean “She who is the Tattva”.
7 She is there, existing as Chit, with whom she is completely unified. She “measures Chit”—that is, coexists with and as Chit, and is also formative activity. The above translation is that of the text, but the verse has been quoted elsewhere as if it were Chinmātrajyotishah, and not Chinmātrā jyotishah, in which case the translation would be: “She who when near Jyotih, which is mere consciousness, becomes desirous of change, becomes massive and assumes the form of Bindu.”
So in the word of the honoured (Shrimat) Āchārya:¹ “Nāda becomes massive and the Bindu.” Now, taking all these into consideration, the conclusion is that Shakti manifests herself as Nāda-bindu, like gold in ear-rings made of gold.²
Nāda and Bindu again are one—that is the deduction.
1 Shangkarāchārya.
2 That is, they are both gold in the form of an ear-ring.
Cf. Chhāndogya Up., 6. 1. 4.
“O Gentle One, by one lump of clay all things made up of clay are known. The variation is in the names given to it when spoken about. The clay alone is real.”
Verse 40
ABOVE all these, in the vacant space¹ wherein is Shangkhinī Nādī, and below Visarga is the Lotus of a thousand petals.² This Lotus, lustrous and whiter than the full Moon, has its head turned downward. It charms. Its clustered filaments are tinged with the colour of the young Sun. Its body is luminous with the letters beginning with A, and it is the absolute bliss.³
COMMENTARY
The Āchāryya enjoins that Sādhakas who wish to practise Samādhi Yoga “should before such time with every consideration and effort dissolve all things in their order from the gross to the subtle in Chidātmā”.⁴ All things, both gross and subtle, which make up creation should first be meditated upon. As the knowledge thereof is necessary, they are here described in detail.
The five gross elements—Prithivī⁵ and so forth—have been spoken of as being in the five Chakras from Mūlādhāra to Vishuddha. In the Bhūmandala⁶ in the Mūlādhāra there are the following—viz., feet, sense of smell, and Gandha-tattva,⁷ for this is their place. In the Jala-mandala,¹ similarly, are the hands, sense of taste, and Rasa-tattva.² In the Vahni-mandala³ are the anus, the sense of sight, and Rūpa-tattva.⁴ In the Vāyumandala,⁵ the penis, sense of touch, and Sparsha-tattva.⁶ In the Nabhomandala⁷ are speech, the sense of hearing, and Shabda-tattva.⁸ These make fifteen tattvas. Adding these fifteen to Prithivi and so forth, we get twenty gross tattvas.
1 This place is called the Supreme Ether (Parang-vyoma) in the Svachchhandasanggraha, cited by Vishvanātha. Parama-vyoma is the name given in the Pancharātra to the Highest Heaven or Vaikuntha. See Ahirbudhnya, 49.
2 The Sahasrāra is called Akula, according to the Svachchhanda saṁgraha, cited by Vishvanātha.
3 Kevalānanda-rūpam, i.e., Brahman Bliss.
4 The Ātmā considered as Chit.
5 Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether.
6 Region of the Earth Element, or Mūlādhāra Chakra.
7 Smell principle or Tanmātra.
We next proceed to the subtle forms. In the Ājnā Chakra the subtle Manas has been spoken of. Others have been spoken of in the Kangkāla-mālinī Tantra (Ch. II) when dealing with the Ājnā Chakra: “Here constantly shines the excellent Manas, made beautiful by the presence of the Shakti Hākinī. It is lustrous, and has Buddhi,⁹ Prakriti,¹⁰ and Ahangkāra,¹¹ for its adornment.”
From the above the presence of the three subtle forms—viz., Buddhi, Prakriti, and Ahangkāra—in this place becomes clear. We must, however, know that Ahangkāra is not placed in the order shown in the above quotation. We have seen that from the Mūlādhāra upwards the generated is below the generator; that which is dissolved is below what it is dissolved into, and we also know that the Shābdakrama is stronger than Pāthakrama.¹² We must remember that Vyoma is dissolved in Ahangkāra, and hence the latter is next above Vyoma. Cf. “In Ahang-kāra, Vyoma with sound should be dissolved, and Ahangkāra again in Mahat.” Ahangkāra, being the place of dissolution, comes first above Vyoma, and above it are Buddhi and Prakriti.
1 Svādhishthāna, which is the region of Water (Jala).
2 Principle of taste.
3 Mani-pūra, which is the region of Fire (Vahni).
4 Principle of sight.
4 Tending towards, intent on, or with face uplifted to, Shiva, that is here tending to creation. That is, the first state is Chit. Nāda is the Mithah-samavāya of Shakti and Bindu. The establishment of this relation quickens Her to turn to Shiva for the purpose of creation when She appears as male, or Bindu.
5 Tasyā eva shakter nādabindū srishtyupayogyarūpau (Upayoga is capacity or fitness for creation).
6 According to another reading this part would mean “She who is the Tattva”.
7 She is there, existing as Chit, with whom she is completely unified. She “measures Chit”—that is, coexists with and as Chit, and is also formative activity. The above translation is that of the text, but the verse has been quoted elsewhere as if it were Chinmātrajyotishah, and not Chinmātrā jyotishah, in which case the translation would be: “She who when near Jyotih, which is mere consciousness, becomes desirous of change, becomes massive and assumes the form of Bindu.”
So in the word of the honoured (Shrimat) Āchārya:¹ “Nāda becomes massive and the Bindu.” Now, taking all these into consideration, the conclusion is that Shakti manifests herself as Nāda-bindu, like gold in ear-rings made of gold.²
Nāda and Bindu again are one—that is the deduction.
1 Shangkarāchārya.
2 That is, they are both gold in the form of an ear-ring.
Cf. Chhāndogya Up., 6. 1. 4.
“O Gentle One, by one lump of clay all things made up of clay are known. The variation is in the names given to it when spoken about. The clay alone is real.”
Verse 40
ABOVE all these, in the vacant space¹ wherein is Shangkhinī Nādī, and below Visarga is the Lotus of a thousand petals.² This Lotus, lustrous and whiter than the full Moon, has its head turned downward. It charms. Its clustered filaments are tinged with the colour of the young Sun. Its body is luminous with the letters beginning with A, and it is the absolute bliss.³
COMMENTARY
The Āchāryya enjoins that Sādhakas who wish to practise Samādhi Yoga “should before such time with every consideration and effort dissolve all things in their order from the gross to the subtle in Chidātmā”.⁴ All things, both gross and subtle, which make up creation should first be meditated upon. As the knowledge thereof is necessary, they are here described in detail.
The five gross elements—Prithivī⁵ and so forth—have been spoken of as being in the five Chakras from Mūlādhāra to Vishuddha. In the Bhūmandala⁶ in the Mūlādhāra there are the following—viz., feet, sense of smell, and Gandha-tattva,⁷ for this is their place. In the Jala-mandala,¹ similarly, are the hands, sense of taste, and Rasa-tattva.² In the Vahni-mandala³ are the anus, the sense of sight, and Rūpa-tattva.⁴ In the Vāyumandala,⁵ the penis, sense of touch, and Sparsha-tattva.⁶ In the Nabhomandala⁷ are speech, the sense of hearing, and Shabda-tattva.⁸ These make fifteen tattvas. Adding these fifteen to Prithivi and so forth, we get twenty gross tattvas.
1 This place is called the Supreme Ether (Parang-vyoma) in the Svachchhandasanggraha, cited by Vishvanātha. Parama-vyoma is the name given in the Pancharātra to the Highest Heaven or Vaikuntha. See Ahirbudhnya, 49.
2 The Sahasrāra is called Akula, according to the Svachchhanda saṁgraha, cited by Vishvanātha.
3 Kevalānanda-rūpam, i.e., Brahman Bliss.
4 The Ātmā considered as Chit.
5 Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether.
6 Region of the Earth Element, or Mūlādhāra Chakra.
7 Smell principle or Tanmātra.
We next proceed to the subtle forms. In the Ājnā Chakra the subtle Manas has been spoken of. Others have been spoken of in the Kangkāla-mālinī Tantra (Ch. II) when dealing with the Ājnā Chakra: “Here constantly shines the excellent Manas, made beautiful by the presence of the Shakti Hākinī. It is lustrous, and has Buddhi,⁹ Prakriti,¹⁰ and Ahangkāra,¹¹ for its adornment.”
From the above the presence of the three subtle forms—viz., Buddhi, Prakriti, and Ahangkāra—in this place becomes clear. We must, however, know that Ahangkāra is not placed in the order shown in the above quotation. We have seen that from the Mūlādhāra upwards the generated is below the generator; that which is dissolved is below what it is dissolved into, and we also know that the Shābdakrama is stronger than Pāthakrama.¹² We must remember that Vyoma is dissolved in Ahangkāra, and hence the latter is next above Vyoma. Cf. “In Ahang-kāra, Vyoma with sound should be dissolved, and Ahangkāra again in Mahat.” Ahangkāra, being the place of dissolution, comes first above Vyoma, and above it are Buddhi and Prakriti.
1 Svādhishthāna, which is the region of Water (Jala).
2 Principle of taste.
3 Mani-pūra, which is the region of Fire (Vahni).
4 Principle of sight.
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