The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
“Theirs is the beautiful lustre of lotuses growing in a lake of nectar” (Parāmrita-sarovarodita-saroja-sadrochisham).—That is, they have the clear lustre of lotuses growing in a lake of nectar. He means to say that the excellent nectar drops constantly from the Lotus Feet of the Guru. Pūrnānanda has said the same thing in v. 43 of the Shat-chakra-nirūpanam. The excellent nectar is the lake on which the Feet show like lotuses. It has been said that the place of the Guru is between the pericarps of the two Lotuses afore-mentioned. Now, a question may be raised as to whether it is in the pericarp of the twelve-petalled lotus below, or in that of the Sahasrāra above. To solve this the following passages are quoted:
Brihat Shrīkrama: “Then meditate upon the Lotus which with its head downward is above all, and which drops nectar on the Shakti of the Guru in the other Lotus.”
Yāmala: “The Lotus of a thousand petals is like a canopy;¹ it is above all, and drops red nectar.”
Gurugītā: “In your own Guru meditate on the Supreme Guru as having two arms in the Lotus whose petals have the letters Hang and Sah and as surrounded by all the causes² of the universe. Although He manifests in all in varying degrees, He is without and beyond the Universe. On His will there are no limitations.³ From Him emanates the Light of Liberation. He is the visible embodiment of the letters of the word⁴ Guru.”
The Shyāmā-saparyyā quotes the following: “The Lotus Sahasrāra downward turned, in the head, is white. Its filaments are of the colour of the rising sun; all the letters of the Alphabet
1 Which is an emblem of supremacy.
2 i.e., the Avāntarakāranasharīras. See Shatchakranirūpana, vv. 39 et seq.
3 Svachchhandam ātmechchhayā=By His own will He is free.
4 Cf. Mantrārnā devatā prokta devatā gururūpinī.
The word Guru signifies many beneficent qualities (See Kulārnava,
Tantrik Texts, Vol. V, Ch. XVII).
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are on its petals. In the pericarp of the Sahasrāra is Chandra Mandala, and below the pericarp is the lustrous lotus of twelve petals which contains the triangle A-Ka-Tha, marked out by the letters Ha, La and Ksha. Meditate there on your Guru who is Shiva, seated on the Hangsa-pītha which is composed of Mantras.”
The above and similar passages indicate that the place of the
Guru is in the pericarp of the Lotus of twelve petals.
The Kangkāla-Mālinī says: “Meditate on the excellent Antarātmā in the Lotus¹ of a thousand petals, and on the shining throne which is between Nāda and Bindu, and on (the throne meditate) constantly upon your own Guru, who is like a Mountain of Silver,” etc.
The Yāmala says²: “(Meditate on your Guru) in the Lotus of a thousand petals. His cool beauty is like that of the full moon, and His Lotus hands are lifted up to grant boons and to dispel fear.”
The Purashcharana-rasollāsa (Ch. VIII) has the following dialogue: “Shrī Mahādeva said: ‘There in the pericarp of the wonderful everlasting Lotus of a thousand petals meditate always on your own Guru.’ Shrī-Pārvatī said: ‘The head of the Great Lotus of a thousand petals, O Lord, is always downward turned; then say O Deva, how can the Guru constantly dwell there?’ Shrī Mahādeva said: ‘Well hast thou asked, O Beloved. Now listen whilst I speak to Thee. The great Lotus Sahasrāra has a thousand petals, and is the abode of Sadāshiva and is full of eternal bliss. It is full of all kinds of delightful fragrance, and is the place of spontaneous bliss.³ The head of this Lotus is always downward, but the pericarp is always turned upward,⁴ and united with Kundalinī is always in the form of a triangle.”
The Bālā-vilāsa Tantra has the following: “Shrī Dakshinā- mūrti said: ‘As you awake in the morning meditate on your Guru in the White Lotus of a thousand petals, the head of which great Lotus is downward turned, and which is decorated
1 Or in the region of the lotus of a thousand petals.
2 The Commentator does not say from which of the different Yāmalas he has quoted this and the passage in the first group.
3 Sahajānanda—that is, the bliss springs up itself. This bliss is Svabhāva.
4 That is, apparently, if we regard that portion of the pericarp which is attached to the lotus as its head. The triaugle is A-Ka-Tha.
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“Theirs is the beautiful lustre of lotuses growing in a lake of nectar” (Parāmrita-sarovarodita-saroja-sadrochisham).—That is, they have the clear lustre of lotuses growing in a lake of nectar. He means to say that the excellent nectar drops constantly from the Lotus Feet of the Guru. Pūrnānanda has said the same thing in v. 43 of the Shat-chakra-nirūpanam. The excellent nectar is the lake on which the Feet show like lotuses. It has been said that the place of the Guru is between the pericarps of the two Lotuses afore-mentioned. Now, a question may be raised as to whether it is in the pericarp of the twelve-petalled lotus below, or in that of the Sahasrāra above. To solve this the following passages are quoted:
Brihat Shrīkrama: “Then meditate upon the Lotus which with its head downward is above all, and which drops nectar on the Shakti of the Guru in the other Lotus.”
Yāmala: “The Lotus of a thousand petals is like a canopy;¹ it is above all, and drops red nectar.”
Gurugītā: “In your own Guru meditate on the Supreme Guru as having two arms in the Lotus whose petals have the letters Hang and Sah and as surrounded by all the causes² of the universe. Although He manifests in all in varying degrees, He is without and beyond the Universe. On His will there are no limitations.³ From Him emanates the Light of Liberation. He is the visible embodiment of the letters of the word⁴ Guru.”
The Shyāmā-saparyyā quotes the following: “The Lotus Sahasrāra downward turned, in the head, is white. Its filaments are of the colour of the rising sun; all the letters of the Alphabet
1 Which is an emblem of supremacy.
2 i.e., the Avāntarakāranasharīras. See Shatchakranirūpana, vv. 39 et seq.
3 Svachchhandam ātmechchhayā=By His own will He is free.
4 Cf. Mantrārnā devatā prokta devatā gururūpinī.
The word Guru signifies many beneficent qualities (See Kulārnava,
Tantrik Texts, Vol. V, Ch. XVII).
p. 181
are on its petals. In the pericarp of the Sahasrāra is Chandra Mandala, and below the pericarp is the lustrous lotus of twelve petals which contains the triangle A-Ka-Tha, marked out by the letters Ha, La and Ksha. Meditate there on your Guru who is Shiva, seated on the Hangsa-pītha which is composed of Mantras.”
The above and similar passages indicate that the place of the
Guru is in the pericarp of the Lotus of twelve petals.
The Kangkāla-Mālinī says: “Meditate on the excellent Antarātmā in the Lotus¹ of a thousand petals, and on the shining throne which is between Nāda and Bindu, and on (the throne meditate) constantly upon your own Guru, who is like a Mountain of Silver,” etc.
The Yāmala says²: “(Meditate on your Guru) in the Lotus of a thousand petals. His cool beauty is like that of the full moon, and His Lotus hands are lifted up to grant boons and to dispel fear.”
The Purashcharana-rasollāsa (Ch. VIII) has the following dialogue: “Shrī Mahādeva said: ‘There in the pericarp of the wonderful everlasting Lotus of a thousand petals meditate always on your own Guru.’ Shrī-Pārvatī said: ‘The head of the Great Lotus of a thousand petals, O Lord, is always downward turned; then say O Deva, how can the Guru constantly dwell there?’ Shrī Mahādeva said: ‘Well hast thou asked, O Beloved. Now listen whilst I speak to Thee. The great Lotus Sahasrāra has a thousand petals, and is the abode of Sadāshiva and is full of eternal bliss. It is full of all kinds of delightful fragrance, and is the place of spontaneous bliss.³ The head of this Lotus is always downward, but the pericarp is always turned upward,⁴ and united with Kundalinī is always in the form of a triangle.”
The Bālā-vilāsa Tantra has the following: “Shrī Dakshinā- mūrti said: ‘As you awake in the morning meditate on your Guru in the White Lotus of a thousand petals, the head of which great Lotus is downward turned, and which is decorated
1 Or in the region of the lotus of a thousand petals.
2 The Commentator does not say from which of the different Yāmalas he has quoted this and the passage in the first group.
3 Sahajānanda—that is, the bliss springs up itself. This bliss is Svabhāva.
4 That is, apparently, if we regard that portion of the pericarp which is attached to the lotus as its head. The triaugle is A-Ka-Tha.
p. 182
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