The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
Those who follow this view, place Sa-kāra over the Bindu, and place the Guru above Visarga⁵ and Bindu which together make Hangsah. But this cannot be right. The Nirvāna Tantra speaks of the Guru as worshipping the Para Bindu-rūpa-Shakti, and as being close to Her and in the act of worphipping Her. The worshipper should always sit at a level lower than, and in front of the object of worship, and never at a higher level than, and behind the object of worship. Cf. Nirvāna⁶: “Meditate upon the Niranjanā Devī within the Satya-loka in the Chintāmanigriha⁷ asp. 139 placed on the jewelled throne or lion-seat (Siṁhāsana), and on your Guru as being near Her and worshipping Her.”
1 That is, literally “standing Sa,” or Visarga in the form Sa. The letter Sa, or more strictly Sa without the vowel, changes into Visargah; thus, Tejas become Tejah, Rajas Rajah.
2 These Varnas are inside the triangle A-Ka-Tha.
3 Of the nature of Chit. Cf. definition of Māyā-Shakti in Tattva Sandoha 14.
4 The Male, Purusha.
5 Lit., Generator of Visargah (see note 5, ante, p. 136), for from Sa Visarga comes.
6 Nirvāna Tantra, Ch. X.
7 The room made of Chintāmani stone which grants all desires, described in the Rudrayāmala and Brahmānda Purāna. The Lalitā refers to it as being the place or origin of all those Mantras which bestow all desired objects (Chintita).
The Mahākālī Tantra, moreover, speaks explicitly of the presence of the Guru over the two letters Hang and Sah.¹ It is to be understood that if there be any texts which differ from, or add to those here adopted, then they must be taken to refer to different methods and opinions.
This is the end of seventh section.
1 In the Jnānārnava Tantra (I, v, 13) it is said: “O Pārvatī, in Ha-kāra with Bindu (Hang) is Brahmā and, O Maheshvarī, the two Bindus of Visarga (Sah) are Hari and Myself, By reason of this inseparable connection men in this world speak of Hari-Hara.”
p. 140
Verse 50
HE whose nature is purified by the practice of Yama, Niyama, and the like,¹ learns from the mouth of his Guru the process which opens the way to the discovery of the great Liberation. He whose whole being is immersed in the Brahman then rouses the Devī by Hūng-kāra, pierces the centre of the Liṁga, the mouth of which is closed, and is therefore invisible, and by means of the Air and Fire (within him) places Her within the Brahmadvāra.²
COMMENTARY
Having described the Chakras ending with the Sahasrāra, he now wishes to speak of the union of Kundalinī, and preliminary to that he refers to the mode of rousing Kundalinī.³
The sense conveyed by this verse is that the man who has attained success in Yoga learns from his Guru the process, which consists of contracting the heart, rousing Kundalinī by the power of the air and fire, and so forth⁴; and having learned it from the mouth of his Guru, he rouses Kundalinī, attacking Her with air and fire, and by uttering the Kūrchcha “Hūng” and piercing the mouth of the Svayambhu Liṁga places Kundalinī within Brahmadvāra, or, in other words, within the mouth of the Nādī Chitrinī.
1 See Introduction.
2 That is, within Chitrinī Nādī.
3 In the Yoga-process known as Shatchakrabheda, generally described in the Introduction, but which practically must be learned of the Guru.
4 The Commentator Shangkara, citing Goraksha Sanghitā, says that air makes the fire go upwards, and the fire awakens Kundalinī and She also goes upwards.
p. 141
“He whose nature is purified” (Sushīla)—i.e., the man who regularly practises Yama and so forth, and has trained himself.
By practising Yama, Niyama,” etc. (Yama-niyama-samabhyāsa-shīla).—It must be observed that it is not merely by the practice of Yama and Niyama that perfection in the preliminary Yoga practices¹ is attained. But the Sādhaka has by practice to destroy such inclinations as lust, anger, and the like, which interfere with Yoga, and cultivate others, such as controlling the inner air, steadiness of mind, and so forth, which are helpful in Yoga practice. It is because of this that in v. 54 the Author has used the word “Yamādyaih” in the plural. Practising Yama and the like is necessary, however, for those whose minds are disturbed by lust and other propensities. If, however, a man by reason of merit and good fortune acquired in a previous birth, and by his nature, is free from anger, lust, and other passions, then he is capable of real Yoga without the preliminary practices. This must be well understood.
“From the mouth of his Guru” (Shrī-nātha-vaktrāt).—The process cannot be learnt without the instructions of the Guru. Hence it has been said: “It can be learnt from the Guru alone, and not from ten million Shāstras.”
“Process” (Krama).—Steps, order.
“Which opens the way to the discovery of the great Liberation” (Mahā-moksha-vartma-prakāsha).—By this is meant the ‘process’ by which the entrance into the channel of the Nādī Chitrinī is opened out. ‘Way of Liberation’ (Moksha-vartma) is the way through the channel within Chitrinī. The ‘discovery’ (Prakāsha) is made of this by making one’s way through it.
“He” (Sah)—i.e., the man who has dīstinguished himself by his success in Yoga practices.
“Whose whole being is immersed in the Brahman” (Shuddhabuddhi-svabhāva²).—Shuddha-buddhi means the Brahman, and he whose Svabhāva (own being) is in Him. This compound word may also mean “He whose being (Bhāva) by reason of the purity of his mind (Shuddha-buddhi) is immersed in the Spirit (Sva=Ātmā).”
1 Aṁga-yoga. See Introduction, and Vishvanātha citing Gautamīya Tantra (Tāntrik Texts, Vol. II, p. 133, ed. A. Avalon).
2 Shangkara reads prabhāva, and renders the passage as “He whose power is due to the purity of the Buddhi”.
“Rouses the Devī by Hūng-kāra” (Hūng-kārenaiva Devīm).— The Āgama-kalpa-druma says: “Then having mentally recited Hangsa, gently contract the anus.”¹ It therefore follows that in moving Kundalinī the Hangsa Mantra should be uttered. The Author of the Lalitārahasya, following this, says that in moving Kundalinī the Mantra “Hūng Hangsah” should be employed. But, from the fact that the part is to be contracted after the Hangsa Mantra is recited, the intention appears to be that the Jīvātmā, which is of the shape of the flame of a lamp, should by the recitation of the Hangsa Mantra be brought from the heart to the Mūlādhāra, and then moved along with Kundalinī.
The Āgama-kalpa-druma in a subsequent passage says:
Those who follow this view, place Sa-kāra over the Bindu, and place the Guru above Visarga⁵ and Bindu which together make Hangsah. But this cannot be right. The Nirvāna Tantra speaks of the Guru as worshipping the Para Bindu-rūpa-Shakti, and as being close to Her and in the act of worphipping Her. The worshipper should always sit at a level lower than, and in front of the object of worship, and never at a higher level than, and behind the object of worship. Cf. Nirvāna⁶: “Meditate upon the Niranjanā Devī within the Satya-loka in the Chintāmanigriha⁷ asp. 139 placed on the jewelled throne or lion-seat (Siṁhāsana), and on your Guru as being near Her and worshipping Her.”
1 That is, literally “standing Sa,” or Visarga in the form Sa. The letter Sa, or more strictly Sa without the vowel, changes into Visargah; thus, Tejas become Tejah, Rajas Rajah.
2 These Varnas are inside the triangle A-Ka-Tha.
3 Of the nature of Chit. Cf. definition of Māyā-Shakti in Tattva Sandoha 14.
4 The Male, Purusha.
5 Lit., Generator of Visargah (see note 5, ante, p. 136), for from Sa Visarga comes.
6 Nirvāna Tantra, Ch. X.
7 The room made of Chintāmani stone which grants all desires, described in the Rudrayāmala and Brahmānda Purāna. The Lalitā refers to it as being the place or origin of all those Mantras which bestow all desired objects (Chintita).
The Mahākālī Tantra, moreover, speaks explicitly of the presence of the Guru over the two letters Hang and Sah.¹ It is to be understood that if there be any texts which differ from, or add to those here adopted, then they must be taken to refer to different methods and opinions.
This is the end of seventh section.
1 In the Jnānārnava Tantra (I, v, 13) it is said: “O Pārvatī, in Ha-kāra with Bindu (Hang) is Brahmā and, O Maheshvarī, the two Bindus of Visarga (Sah) are Hari and Myself, By reason of this inseparable connection men in this world speak of Hari-Hara.”
p. 140
Verse 50
HE whose nature is purified by the practice of Yama, Niyama, and the like,¹ learns from the mouth of his Guru the process which opens the way to the discovery of the great Liberation. He whose whole being is immersed in the Brahman then rouses the Devī by Hūng-kāra, pierces the centre of the Liṁga, the mouth of which is closed, and is therefore invisible, and by means of the Air and Fire (within him) places Her within the Brahmadvāra.²
COMMENTARY
Having described the Chakras ending with the Sahasrāra, he now wishes to speak of the union of Kundalinī, and preliminary to that he refers to the mode of rousing Kundalinī.³
The sense conveyed by this verse is that the man who has attained success in Yoga learns from his Guru the process, which consists of contracting the heart, rousing Kundalinī by the power of the air and fire, and so forth⁴; and having learned it from the mouth of his Guru, he rouses Kundalinī, attacking Her with air and fire, and by uttering the Kūrchcha “Hūng” and piercing the mouth of the Svayambhu Liṁga places Kundalinī within Brahmadvāra, or, in other words, within the mouth of the Nādī Chitrinī.
1 See Introduction.
2 That is, within Chitrinī Nādī.
3 In the Yoga-process known as Shatchakrabheda, generally described in the Introduction, but which practically must be learned of the Guru.
4 The Commentator Shangkara, citing Goraksha Sanghitā, says that air makes the fire go upwards, and the fire awakens Kundalinī and She also goes upwards.
p. 141
“He whose nature is purified” (Sushīla)—i.e., the man who regularly practises Yama and so forth, and has trained himself.
By practising Yama, Niyama,” etc. (Yama-niyama-samabhyāsa-shīla).—It must be observed that it is not merely by the practice of Yama and Niyama that perfection in the preliminary Yoga practices¹ is attained. But the Sādhaka has by practice to destroy such inclinations as lust, anger, and the like, which interfere with Yoga, and cultivate others, such as controlling the inner air, steadiness of mind, and so forth, which are helpful in Yoga practice. It is because of this that in v. 54 the Author has used the word “Yamādyaih” in the plural. Practising Yama and the like is necessary, however, for those whose minds are disturbed by lust and other propensities. If, however, a man by reason of merit and good fortune acquired in a previous birth, and by his nature, is free from anger, lust, and other passions, then he is capable of real Yoga without the preliminary practices. This must be well understood.
“From the mouth of his Guru” (Shrī-nātha-vaktrāt).—The process cannot be learnt without the instructions of the Guru. Hence it has been said: “It can be learnt from the Guru alone, and not from ten million Shāstras.”
“Process” (Krama).—Steps, order.
“Which opens the way to the discovery of the great Liberation” (Mahā-moksha-vartma-prakāsha).—By this is meant the ‘process’ by which the entrance into the channel of the Nādī Chitrinī is opened out. ‘Way of Liberation’ (Moksha-vartma) is the way through the channel within Chitrinī. The ‘discovery’ (Prakāsha) is made of this by making one’s way through it.
“He” (Sah)—i.e., the man who has dīstinguished himself by his success in Yoga practices.
“Whose whole being is immersed in the Brahman” (Shuddhabuddhi-svabhāva²).—Shuddha-buddhi means the Brahman, and he whose Svabhāva (own being) is in Him. This compound word may also mean “He whose being (Bhāva) by reason of the purity of his mind (Shuddha-buddhi) is immersed in the Spirit (Sva=Ātmā).”
1 Aṁga-yoga. See Introduction, and Vishvanātha citing Gautamīya Tantra (Tāntrik Texts, Vol. II, p. 133, ed. A. Avalon).
2 Shangkara reads prabhāva, and renders the passage as “He whose power is due to the purity of the Buddhi”.
“Rouses the Devī by Hūng-kāra” (Hūng-kārenaiva Devīm).— The Āgama-kalpa-druma says: “Then having mentally recited Hangsa, gently contract the anus.”¹ It therefore follows that in moving Kundalinī the Hangsa Mantra should be uttered. The Author of the Lalitārahasya, following this, says that in moving Kundalinī the Mantra “Hūng Hangsah” should be employed. But, from the fact that the part is to be contracted after the Hangsa Mantra is recited, the intention appears to be that the Jīvātmā, which is of the shape of the flame of a lamp, should by the recitation of the Hangsa Mantra be brought from the heart to the Mūlādhāra, and then moved along with Kundalinī.
The Āgama-kalpa-druma in a subsequent passage says:
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