The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
The meaning of this verse is, shortly, this: I meditate on the primordial Hangsa,³ I meditate on the three lines, beginning with the line of Fire, above the place of Manipītha and also on the glory of the Manipītha itself illumined as it is by the light of the three lines of Fire and others. The verb “I meditate” occurs once in this verse, and governs three nouns in the objective case.
“I intently meditate” (Vyāmrishāmi).—That is, I think with mind undisturbed, excluding all subjects likely to interfere with my thoughts.
“Above it” (Ūrddhvam asya)—that is, above Manipītha.
“The three lines beginning with the line of Fire” (Hutabhūkshikhā-trayam).—This compound word is made up according to the rule known as Shāka-pārthiva, by which the word Ādi which comes in between two words is dropped. Ādi means “and others”.
1 That is, the Paramahaugsa which is both Prakriti and Purusha.
2 Lit., “Light which devours the Universe.”
3 i.e., the union of Hang and Sah whereby the Hangsa is formed.
p. 175
The Line of Fire,¹ which is called the Line Vāmā, emanates from Vahni Bindu in the South, and goes to the North-East Corner; and the Line of Moon emanates from Chandra Bindu in the North-East Corner, and goes towards the North-West Corner: this is the line Jyeshthā. The Line of Sun emanates from Sūryya Bindu in the North-West Corner, and reaches Vahni Bindu: this is the Line Raudrī. The triangle which is formed by the three lines uniting the three Bindus is Kāmakalā (Kāmakalārūpam).
The Brihat Shrīkrama says: “She whose form is letters is coiled up in the Bindu and comes out thereof as a sprouting seed from the South. From there² She goes to the Īshāna corner (N.E.). She who thus goes is the Shakti Vāmā. This is Chitkalā
Parā and the line of Fire. The Shakti which has thus gone to the Īshāna corner then goes in a straight line (that is, to the N.W.). This line is the line of Jyeshthā. This, O Parameshvari, is Tripurā, the Sovereign Mistress. Again turning left³ She returns to the place of sprouting. She is Raudrī, who by Her union with Ichchhā and Nāda makes the Shriṁgāta.”⁴
The Māheshvarī-saṁhitā says: “Sūryya, Chandra and Vahni, are the three Bindus, and Brahmā, Vishnu and Shambhu, are the three lines.”
The Prema-yoga-taraṁginī, in describing the Sahasrāra, quotes an authority which is here cited, clearly showing that the place of the Guru is within this triangle. “Within it is the excellent lightning-like triangle. Within the triangle arep. 176 two imperishable Bindus in the form of Visarga. Within it, in the void, is Shiva, known by the name of Parama.”¹
1 Here Fire is the origin of life, and is therefore associated with Brahmā. Moon is associated with Vishnu. And the Sun spoken of here stands for the twelve suns (Āditya) which rise to burn the world at dissolution (Pralaya).
2 Yasmāt is according to the reading given in the original. The same passage is quoted elsewhere reading yāmyāt (from the south) in place of yasmāt.
3 Reading vakrībhūtā punar vāme for vyaktībhūya punar vāme.
4 According to another reading, “By the union of Ichchhā, and Jnāna Raudrī makes the Shriṁgāta.” The passage above quoted shows that the Kāma-kalā is a subtle form of Kundalinī, more subtle than the A Ka Tha triangle. Cf. Ānandalaharī, v. 21, where the Sūkshma dhyāna of Kundalinī is given.
Shangkarāchāryya also has shown this clearly in his Ānandalaharī. The Author of the Lalitā-rahasya also speaks of the Guru as seated on Visarga. Visarga is the two Bindus Chandra and Sūryya at the upper angles of the (down-turned) triangle.
“On the primordial Hangsa” (Ādihangsayor yugam).— Literally interpreted it would mean the union of² the primordial Hang and Sah. By Ādi (first) is implied the Parama-hangsa, which is also known as Antarātmā, and not the Jīvātmā, which resembles the flame of a lamp. The Hangsa here is the combination of Prakriti and Purusha.
In Āgama-kalpadruma-panchashākhā it is said: “Hangkāra is Bindu, and Visarga is Sah. Bindu is Purusha, and Visarga is Prakriti. Hangsa is the union of Pung (Male) and Prakriti (Female). The world is pervaded by this Hangsa.”
Some interpret “Asya ūrddhvam” to mean “above Manipītha,” and say that the verse means: “I meditate on the union of the two who constitute the primordial Hangsa above Manipītha.” This is wrong. The Kangkālamālinī speaks of the Manipītha as above Hangsa and between Nāda and Bindu. So how can these be below Hangsa? This is impossible. This also shows the impossibility of the reading adopted by some—namely, Huta-bhukshikhā-sakham³ in place of Huta-bhuk-shikhā-trayam. If this reading were accepted, then the words Ūrddhvam asya (above it) have no meaning. The interpretation “I meditate on the union of,” as given above, may, however, be understood in the following sense. We have seen that the Kangkālamālinī speaks of the Hangsa as below the Manipītha, which is between Nāda and Bindu. The
1 i.e., Parama Shiva.
The meaning of this verse is, shortly, this: I meditate on the primordial Hangsa,³ I meditate on the three lines, beginning with the line of Fire, above the place of Manipītha and also on the glory of the Manipītha itself illumined as it is by the light of the three lines of Fire and others. The verb “I meditate” occurs once in this verse, and governs three nouns in the objective case.
“I intently meditate” (Vyāmrishāmi).—That is, I think with mind undisturbed, excluding all subjects likely to interfere with my thoughts.
“Above it” (Ūrddhvam asya)—that is, above Manipītha.
“The three lines beginning with the line of Fire” (Hutabhūkshikhā-trayam).—This compound word is made up according to the rule known as Shāka-pārthiva, by which the word Ādi which comes in between two words is dropped. Ādi means “and others”.
1 That is, the Paramahaugsa which is both Prakriti and Purusha.
2 Lit., “Light which devours the Universe.”
3 i.e., the union of Hang and Sah whereby the Hangsa is formed.
p. 175
The Line of Fire,¹ which is called the Line Vāmā, emanates from Vahni Bindu in the South, and goes to the North-East Corner; and the Line of Moon emanates from Chandra Bindu in the North-East Corner, and goes towards the North-West Corner: this is the line Jyeshthā. The Line of Sun emanates from Sūryya Bindu in the North-West Corner, and reaches Vahni Bindu: this is the Line Raudrī. The triangle which is formed by the three lines uniting the three Bindus is Kāmakalā (Kāmakalārūpam).
The Brihat Shrīkrama says: “She whose form is letters is coiled up in the Bindu and comes out thereof as a sprouting seed from the South. From there² She goes to the Īshāna corner (N.E.). She who thus goes is the Shakti Vāmā. This is Chitkalā
Parā and the line of Fire. The Shakti which has thus gone to the Īshāna corner then goes in a straight line (that is, to the N.W.). This line is the line of Jyeshthā. This, O Parameshvari, is Tripurā, the Sovereign Mistress. Again turning left³ She returns to the place of sprouting. She is Raudrī, who by Her union with Ichchhā and Nāda makes the Shriṁgāta.”⁴
The Māheshvarī-saṁhitā says: “Sūryya, Chandra and Vahni, are the three Bindus, and Brahmā, Vishnu and Shambhu, are the three lines.”
The Prema-yoga-taraṁginī, in describing the Sahasrāra, quotes an authority which is here cited, clearly showing that the place of the Guru is within this triangle. “Within it is the excellent lightning-like triangle. Within the triangle arep. 176 two imperishable Bindus in the form of Visarga. Within it, in the void, is Shiva, known by the name of Parama.”¹
1 Here Fire is the origin of life, and is therefore associated with Brahmā. Moon is associated with Vishnu. And the Sun spoken of here stands for the twelve suns (Āditya) which rise to burn the world at dissolution (Pralaya).
2 Yasmāt is according to the reading given in the original. The same passage is quoted elsewhere reading yāmyāt (from the south) in place of yasmāt.
3 Reading vakrībhūtā punar vāme for vyaktībhūya punar vāme.
4 According to another reading, “By the union of Ichchhā, and Jnāna Raudrī makes the Shriṁgāta.” The passage above quoted shows that the Kāma-kalā is a subtle form of Kundalinī, more subtle than the A Ka Tha triangle. Cf. Ānandalaharī, v. 21, where the Sūkshma dhyāna of Kundalinī is given.
Shangkarāchāryya also has shown this clearly in his Ānandalaharī. The Author of the Lalitā-rahasya also speaks of the Guru as seated on Visarga. Visarga is the two Bindus Chandra and Sūryya at the upper angles of the (down-turned) triangle.
“On the primordial Hangsa” (Ādihangsayor yugam).— Literally interpreted it would mean the union of² the primordial Hang and Sah. By Ādi (first) is implied the Parama-hangsa, which is also known as Antarātmā, and not the Jīvātmā, which resembles the flame of a lamp. The Hangsa here is the combination of Prakriti and Purusha.
In Āgama-kalpadruma-panchashākhā it is said: “Hangkāra is Bindu, and Visarga is Sah. Bindu is Purusha, and Visarga is Prakriti. Hangsa is the union of Pung (Male) and Prakriti (Female). The world is pervaded by this Hangsa.”
Some interpret “Asya ūrddhvam” to mean “above Manipītha,” and say that the verse means: “I meditate on the union of the two who constitute the primordial Hangsa above Manipītha.” This is wrong. The Kangkālamālinī speaks of the Manipītha as above Hangsa and between Nāda and Bindu. So how can these be below Hangsa? This is impossible. This also shows the impossibility of the reading adopted by some—namely, Huta-bhukshikhā-sakham³ in place of Huta-bhuk-shikhā-trayam. If this reading were accepted, then the words Ūrddhvam asya (above it) have no meaning. The interpretation “I meditate on the union of,” as given above, may, however, be understood in the following sense. We have seen that the Kangkālamālinī speaks of the Hangsa as below the Manipītha, which is between Nāda and Bindu. The
1 i.e., Parama Shiva.
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