The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
By Kalā in the above is meant Kundalinī. Vimba-rūpanidāna qualifies Para-shiva or Chidānanda. Chidānanda is the Bindu-rūpa Shiva or Para Shiva.
It has also been said elsewhere: “Having united Kundalī with the Shūnya-rūpa¹ Parashiva, and having caused the Devī so united to drink the excellent nectar from their union, She by the same way should be brought back to the Kula cavity.”²
“Having brought them together and meditated upon Their union,³ let the Deha-devatā⁴ be satisfied with the nectar which flows from such a union.”
The Gandharva-mālikā speaks of a different process: “The Sahasrāra is the beautiful and auspicious place of Sadāshiva. It is free from sorrow and divinely beautiful with trees which always bear and are adorned by flowers and fruits. The Kalpa Tree⁵ adds to its beauty. This tree contains all the five “elements,” and is possessed of the three Gunas. The four Vedas are its four branches. It is laden with beautiful unfading flowers which are yellow, white, black, red, green, and of variegated colour. Having meditated on the Kalpa Tree in this manner, then meditate upon the jewelled altar below it. O Beauteous One, on it is a beautiful bed adorned with various kinds of cloth and Mandāra flowers, and scented with many kinds of scents. It is there that Mahādeva constantly stays. Meditate upon Sadāshiva, who is like the purest crystal, adorned with all kinds of gems, long-armed,⁶ and of enchanting beauty. He is ever gracious and smiling. In His ears are ear-rings, and a chain of gems goes round His neck. A garland of a thousand lotuses resting on his neck adorns His body. He has eight arms and three eyes like the petals of the lotus. On His two feet He wears thinkling toe-ornaments, and His body is Shabda-Brahma (Shabda-Brahma-maya). O Lotus-eyed One, meditate thus on His gross Body (Sthūla-vapuh). He is the quiescent, corpse-like¹ Deva within the Lotus who is void of all action.”
1 Shūnya-rūpa. Shūnya means “the void” or space within the Bindu—the Shiva who is That, the Supreme Shiva.
2 Kula-gahvara: the Mūlādhara.
3 Sāmarasya; v. ante.
4 That is, the body of the Sādhaka considered as Devatā.
5 A celestial wishing-tree which grants all fruit.
6 Associated with the idea of strength.
Also: “Meditate upon the Devī Kundalinī who encircles the Svayambhu Liṁga. Lead the Devī, with the aid of the Hangsa Mantra to the Sahasrāra, where, O Parameshvarī, is the great Deva Sadāshiva. And then place there the beautiful Kundalinī, who is excited by Her desire. Kundalinī, O Beloved, then wakes up and kisses the lotus-mouth of Shiva who is gladdened by the scent of Her lotus-like mouth, and, O Deveshi, She then enjoys Sadāshiva but a very little while when immediately, O Devi, O Parameshvarī, there issues nectar. This nectar issuing from their union is of the colour of lac.² With this nectar, O Deveshi, should the Para Devatā³ be satisfied. Having thus satisfied the Devatās in the six Chakras with that ambrosial stream, the wise one should by the same way bring Her back to Mūlādhāra. The mind should in this process of going and coming be dissolved there.⁴ O Pārvatī, he who practises this Yoga day by day is freed from decay and death, and is liberated from the bondage of this world.”
Other similar processes should be looked for in other Tantras.
1 Shiva without Shakti is Shava (corpse): Devībhāgavata, and v. 1 of the Ānandalaharī.
2 Red, which is the colour of lac, is also that of the Rajas guna.
3 Kundalinī.
4 In the Shivasthānam.
Verse 52
THE wise and excellent Yogī rapt in ecstasy,¹ and devoted to the Lotus feet of his Guru, should lead Kula-kundalī along with Jīva to Her Lord the Parashiva in the abode of Liberation within the pure Lotus, and meditate upon Her who grants all desires as the Chaitanyarūpā Bhagavatī.² When he thus leads Kula-Kundalinī, he should make all things absorb into Her.
COMMENTARY
Having spoken of the Dhyāna-yoga of Kundalinī, he now speaks of the Samādhiyoga of Kundalinī. The substance of this verse is that the wise (Sudhī) and excellent Yogī (Yogīndra) intent on the attainment of Samādhi should first of all lead Her who has been roused, who then, taking with Her Jīva, reaches the Brahmadvāra, causing the absorption into Herself of everything as She moves along. When She who is the Ishtadevatā and the giver of all good fruits is led up to Her Lord and is united with Him, the Para Bindu, she should be meditated upon as the Supreme (Parā, i.e., Para Bindu, Paraṁbindusvarūpām). When She has been led to Her Lord Shiva, the Para-Bindu, and has been united with Him, She should be meditated upon as the Ishtadevatā who grants good fruit.
He should there (in the Sahasrāra) dissolve the Para- Bindu in the Chidātmā,³ which is in the void within the Bindu, and should meditate upon Her (Kundalinī) as Shuddhachaitanyarūpā.⁴ He thus realises the identity of Jīva and Ātmā, being conscious within himself that “I am He” (So ’ham); and having dissolved the Chitta he remains unmoved, by reason of his full and all-pervading Knowledge.
1 Samādhi. Vide Introduction, and post, Commentary.
2 The Devī who is the Chit in all bodies.
3 The Brahman as Chit.
4 Pure Chit.
The Revered Preceptor (Shrīmat Āchāryya)¹ has said: “The wise one should absorb the Kārana² Ma-kāra into the Chidātmā, and realise: ‘I am Chidātmā, I am eternal, pure (Shuddha), enlightened (Buddha), liberated (Mukta); I am That which alone is (Sat), without a second (Advaya); I am Supreme Bliss wherein is all bliss and Vāsudeva’s very self, I am—Om.’³ Having realised that the mind (Chitta) is the discriminator, he absorbs it into its witness.⁴ Let not the mind (Chitta) be distracted when it is absorbed into Chidātmā. Let him (the Sādhaka) rest in the fulness of his Illumination like a deep and motionless ocean.”
“Ma-kāra.”⁵: This is said for those who are Sādhakas of the Pranava. By Kārana is here meant Para-Bindu. By “I am Vāsudeva” (Vāsudevo’ham) the Vāishnavas are alluded to (vide ante, vv. 44, 49).
We thus see that the worshipper of any particular Devatā should realise that Kundalinī is one with the object of his worship. In Pranava worship, for instance, the worshipper realises his identity with the Ongkāra; in other forms of worship he realises his identity with Kundalinī, who is embodied by all the Mantras of different worshippers.
The Tantrāntara says: “The King among Yogīs becomes full of Brahma-bliss by making his mind the abode of the great void which is set in the light of the Sun, Moon, and Fire.”⁶
“Lead Kundalī along with Jīva” (Jīvena sārddhang nītvā). —The Jīvātmā which is the Hangsa, in form like the tapering flame of a light, should be brought to the Mūlādhāra from its place in the heart, and then led along with Kundalinī.
1 That is, Shangkarāchāryya.
2 That is, the Bindu is Makāra. It is the Kārana or Cause of all.
3 Chidātmāhang nitya-shuddha-buddha-mukta-sadadvayah
Paramānanda-sandoho’hang vāsudevo’ ham om iti.
4 That is, the Ātmā, of which it is said Ātmā sākshī chetah kevalo nirgunash cha.
5 The Bindu is the Ma-kāra.
6 That is, in the region of the Sahasrāra. See 4 v. of the Pādukā- panchaka.
Plate XVI. MAHĀMUDRĀ
(Vide pp. 211 and 214)
To face p. 152.
p. 153
“Abode of Liberation” (Mokshe dhāmani).—This qualifies Pure Lotus (Shuddhapadma).¹ It is here that Liberation is attained.
“Devoted to the two Lotus feet of his Guru” (Guru-pādapadma-yugalālambī).—This qualifies Yogīndra (excellent yogī). The Author means that Siddhi can only be attained by the instructions of the Guru. The Sādhaka should therefore seek shelter at his feet.
“Rapt in ecstasy” (Samādhau yatah).—The Kulārnava Tantra (ix, 9) defines Samādhi thus: “Samādhi is that kind of contemplation² in which there is neither ‘here’ nor ‘not here,’ which is illumination and is still like the ocean, and which is the Void Itself.”³
Also elsewhere: “The Munis declare that the constant realisation of the identity of the Jīvātmā with the Paramātmā is Samādhi, which is one of the eight limbs (Aṁga) of Yoga.”⁴ Patanjali defines “Yoga to be the control of the modifications (or functions) of Chitta (Yogash chittavrittinirodhah).”
Rapt (Yatah)—i.e., he who constantly and with undivided attention practises it.
“When he leads Kula-Kundalinī, he should make all things absorb into her” (Laya-vashāt nītvā).⁵ Below is shown the process of absorption:
“O Deveshī, the Lang-kāra⁶ should next be meditated upon in the Triangle; there should also Brahmā and then Kāma-deva be contemplated. Having fixed Jīva there with the utterance of the Pranava, let him lead the Woman, who is longing for the satisfaction of Her passion,⁷ to the place of Her husband,⁸ O Queen of the Devas. O Great Queen, O beloved of my life, let him think of Ghrāna (Prithivī), and meditate on the
1 Shankara reads it as Shuklapadma, white lotus.
2 Dhyāna.
3 Svarūpa-shūnya.
4 This is from Shāradā Tilaka, Ch. XXV, v. 26.
5 Vishvanātha reads it as Naya-vashāt.
6 Bija of Prithivī.
7 Visarga-nāsha-kāminī.
8 That is, the Bindu in Sahasrāra.
By Kalā in the above is meant Kundalinī. Vimba-rūpanidāna qualifies Para-shiva or Chidānanda. Chidānanda is the Bindu-rūpa Shiva or Para Shiva.
It has also been said elsewhere: “Having united Kundalī with the Shūnya-rūpa¹ Parashiva, and having caused the Devī so united to drink the excellent nectar from their union, She by the same way should be brought back to the Kula cavity.”²
“Having brought them together and meditated upon Their union,³ let the Deha-devatā⁴ be satisfied with the nectar which flows from such a union.”
The Gandharva-mālikā speaks of a different process: “The Sahasrāra is the beautiful and auspicious place of Sadāshiva. It is free from sorrow and divinely beautiful with trees which always bear and are adorned by flowers and fruits. The Kalpa Tree⁵ adds to its beauty. This tree contains all the five “elements,” and is possessed of the three Gunas. The four Vedas are its four branches. It is laden with beautiful unfading flowers which are yellow, white, black, red, green, and of variegated colour. Having meditated on the Kalpa Tree in this manner, then meditate upon the jewelled altar below it. O Beauteous One, on it is a beautiful bed adorned with various kinds of cloth and Mandāra flowers, and scented with many kinds of scents. It is there that Mahādeva constantly stays. Meditate upon Sadāshiva, who is like the purest crystal, adorned with all kinds of gems, long-armed,⁶ and of enchanting beauty. He is ever gracious and smiling. In His ears are ear-rings, and a chain of gems goes round His neck. A garland of a thousand lotuses resting on his neck adorns His body. He has eight arms and three eyes like the petals of the lotus. On His two feet He wears thinkling toe-ornaments, and His body is Shabda-Brahma (Shabda-Brahma-maya). O Lotus-eyed One, meditate thus on His gross Body (Sthūla-vapuh). He is the quiescent, corpse-like¹ Deva within the Lotus who is void of all action.”
1 Shūnya-rūpa. Shūnya means “the void” or space within the Bindu—the Shiva who is That, the Supreme Shiva.
2 Kula-gahvara: the Mūlādhara.
3 Sāmarasya; v. ante.
4 That is, the body of the Sādhaka considered as Devatā.
5 A celestial wishing-tree which grants all fruit.
6 Associated with the idea of strength.
Also: “Meditate upon the Devī Kundalinī who encircles the Svayambhu Liṁga. Lead the Devī, with the aid of the Hangsa Mantra to the Sahasrāra, where, O Parameshvarī, is the great Deva Sadāshiva. And then place there the beautiful Kundalinī, who is excited by Her desire. Kundalinī, O Beloved, then wakes up and kisses the lotus-mouth of Shiva who is gladdened by the scent of Her lotus-like mouth, and, O Deveshi, She then enjoys Sadāshiva but a very little while when immediately, O Devi, O Parameshvarī, there issues nectar. This nectar issuing from their union is of the colour of lac.² With this nectar, O Deveshi, should the Para Devatā³ be satisfied. Having thus satisfied the Devatās in the six Chakras with that ambrosial stream, the wise one should by the same way bring Her back to Mūlādhāra. The mind should in this process of going and coming be dissolved there.⁴ O Pārvatī, he who practises this Yoga day by day is freed from decay and death, and is liberated from the bondage of this world.”
Other similar processes should be looked for in other Tantras.
1 Shiva without Shakti is Shava (corpse): Devībhāgavata, and v. 1 of the Ānandalaharī.
2 Red, which is the colour of lac, is also that of the Rajas guna.
3 Kundalinī.
4 In the Shivasthānam.
Verse 52
THE wise and excellent Yogī rapt in ecstasy,¹ and devoted to the Lotus feet of his Guru, should lead Kula-kundalī along with Jīva to Her Lord the Parashiva in the abode of Liberation within the pure Lotus, and meditate upon Her who grants all desires as the Chaitanyarūpā Bhagavatī.² When he thus leads Kula-Kundalinī, he should make all things absorb into Her.
COMMENTARY
Having spoken of the Dhyāna-yoga of Kundalinī, he now speaks of the Samādhiyoga of Kundalinī. The substance of this verse is that the wise (Sudhī) and excellent Yogī (Yogīndra) intent on the attainment of Samādhi should first of all lead Her who has been roused, who then, taking with Her Jīva, reaches the Brahmadvāra, causing the absorption into Herself of everything as She moves along. When She who is the Ishtadevatā and the giver of all good fruits is led up to Her Lord and is united with Him, the Para Bindu, she should be meditated upon as the Supreme (Parā, i.e., Para Bindu, Paraṁbindusvarūpām). When She has been led to Her Lord Shiva, the Para-Bindu, and has been united with Him, She should be meditated upon as the Ishtadevatā who grants good fruit.
He should there (in the Sahasrāra) dissolve the Para- Bindu in the Chidātmā,³ which is in the void within the Bindu, and should meditate upon Her (Kundalinī) as Shuddhachaitanyarūpā.⁴ He thus realises the identity of Jīva and Ātmā, being conscious within himself that “I am He” (So ’ham); and having dissolved the Chitta he remains unmoved, by reason of his full and all-pervading Knowledge.
1 Samādhi. Vide Introduction, and post, Commentary.
2 The Devī who is the Chit in all bodies.
3 The Brahman as Chit.
4 Pure Chit.
The Revered Preceptor (Shrīmat Āchāryya)¹ has said: “The wise one should absorb the Kārana² Ma-kāra into the Chidātmā, and realise: ‘I am Chidātmā, I am eternal, pure (Shuddha), enlightened (Buddha), liberated (Mukta); I am That which alone is (Sat), without a second (Advaya); I am Supreme Bliss wherein is all bliss and Vāsudeva’s very self, I am—Om.’³ Having realised that the mind (Chitta) is the discriminator, he absorbs it into its witness.⁴ Let not the mind (Chitta) be distracted when it is absorbed into Chidātmā. Let him (the Sādhaka) rest in the fulness of his Illumination like a deep and motionless ocean.”
“Ma-kāra.”⁵: This is said for those who are Sādhakas of the Pranava. By Kārana is here meant Para-Bindu. By “I am Vāsudeva” (Vāsudevo’ham) the Vāishnavas are alluded to (vide ante, vv. 44, 49).
We thus see that the worshipper of any particular Devatā should realise that Kundalinī is one with the object of his worship. In Pranava worship, for instance, the worshipper realises his identity with the Ongkāra; in other forms of worship he realises his identity with Kundalinī, who is embodied by all the Mantras of different worshippers.
The Tantrāntara says: “The King among Yogīs becomes full of Brahma-bliss by making his mind the abode of the great void which is set in the light of the Sun, Moon, and Fire.”⁶
“Lead Kundalī along with Jīva” (Jīvena sārddhang nītvā). —The Jīvātmā which is the Hangsa, in form like the tapering flame of a light, should be brought to the Mūlādhāra from its place in the heart, and then led along with Kundalinī.
1 That is, Shangkarāchāryya.
2 That is, the Bindu is Makāra. It is the Kārana or Cause of all.
3 Chidātmāhang nitya-shuddha-buddha-mukta-sadadvayah
Paramānanda-sandoho’hang vāsudevo’ ham om iti.
4 That is, the Ātmā, of which it is said Ātmā sākshī chetah kevalo nirgunash cha.
5 The Bindu is the Ma-kāra.
6 That is, in the region of the Sahasrāra. See 4 v. of the Pādukā- panchaka.
Plate XVI. MAHĀMUDRĀ
(Vide pp. 211 and 214)
To face p. 152.
p. 153
“Abode of Liberation” (Mokshe dhāmani).—This qualifies Pure Lotus (Shuddhapadma).¹ It is here that Liberation is attained.
“Devoted to the two Lotus feet of his Guru” (Guru-pādapadma-yugalālambī).—This qualifies Yogīndra (excellent yogī). The Author means that Siddhi can only be attained by the instructions of the Guru. The Sādhaka should therefore seek shelter at his feet.
“Rapt in ecstasy” (Samādhau yatah).—The Kulārnava Tantra (ix, 9) defines Samādhi thus: “Samādhi is that kind of contemplation² in which there is neither ‘here’ nor ‘not here,’ which is illumination and is still like the ocean, and which is the Void Itself.”³
Also elsewhere: “The Munis declare that the constant realisation of the identity of the Jīvātmā with the Paramātmā is Samādhi, which is one of the eight limbs (Aṁga) of Yoga.”⁴ Patanjali defines “Yoga to be the control of the modifications (or functions) of Chitta (Yogash chittavrittinirodhah).”
Rapt (Yatah)—i.e., he who constantly and with undivided attention practises it.
“When he leads Kula-Kundalinī, he should make all things absorb into her” (Laya-vashāt nītvā).⁵ Below is shown the process of absorption:
“O Deveshī, the Lang-kāra⁶ should next be meditated upon in the Triangle; there should also Brahmā and then Kāma-deva be contemplated. Having fixed Jīva there with the utterance of the Pranava, let him lead the Woman, who is longing for the satisfaction of Her passion,⁷ to the place of Her husband,⁸ O Queen of the Devas. O Great Queen, O beloved of my life, let him think of Ghrāna (Prithivī), and meditate on the
1 Shankara reads it as Shuklapadma, white lotus.
2 Dhyāna.
3 Svarūpa-shūnya.
4 This is from Shāradā Tilaka, Ch. XXV, v. 26.
5 Vishvanātha reads it as Naya-vashāt.
6 Bija of Prithivī.
7 Visarga-nāsha-kāminī.
8 That is, the Bindu in Sahasrāra.
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