The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
Kalā,¹ and Brahmā (Lord of the Tattva). But we are also told that the letters Va, Sha, Sha, and Sa are the Ātmā and Bījas of the four Vedas,² of the four Yugas,³ of the four oceans,⁴ which are therefore called Chaturvarnātmaka, or in the self of the four letters. It is true that the four Vedas are in, and issue from, Parashabda, the seat of which is the Mūlādhāra. For Veda in its primary sense is the world as idea in the mind of the creative Brahman, portions of which have been revealed to the Rishis (seers) and embodied in the four Vedas. But why should Va be the seed of the Rigveda, Sha of the Yajurveda, and so forth? The ritual explanation, as given in the Rudrayāmala (xiv. 73, xv. 2, xvi. 1, 2), is that the petal Va is Brahmā (Rajoguna), and is the Bīja of Rik; Sha is Vishnu (Sattvaguna), and Sha, being Pundarī- kātmā, is the Bīja of Yajus; Sha is Rudra (Tamoguna), and is the Bīja of Sāma. Sa is the Bīja of Atharva, as it is the Bīja of Shakti.⁵ These four are in Parashabda in Mūlādhāra. It seems to me (so far as my studies in the Shāstra have yet carried me) that the details of the descriptions of the centres are of two kinds. There are, firstly, certain facts of objective and universal reality. Thus, for example, there are certain centres (Chakra) in the spinal column. The principle of solidity (Prithivī Tattva) is in the lowest of such centres, which as the centre of the body contains the static or potential energy called Kundalī Shakti. The centre as a lotus is said to have four petals, because of the formation and distribution of the Yoganerves¹ (Nādī) at that particular point. Solidity is denoted aptly by a cube, which is the diagram (Yantra) of that centre. The consciousness of that centre as Devatā is also aptly borne on an elephant, the massive solidity of which is emblematical of the solid earth principle (Prithivī). The forces which go to the making of solid matter may, by the Yogī, be seen as yellow. It may be that particular substances (Dhātu) of the body and particular Vritti (qualities) are connected with particular Chakras, and so forth.
1 See author’s “Stndies in the Mantra Shāstra” (Kalās of the Shaktis). Samāna Vāyu is also located here.
2 Va of Rik, Sha of Yajus Sha of Sāma, and Sa of Atharva Veda.
3 The four ages—Satya, Treta, Dvāpara, and Kali.
4 Of sugar-cane juice, wine, ghee (Ghrita), milk.
5 See Rudrayāmala XVII, where priority is given to Atharva as dealing with the Āchāra of Shakti. From Atharva arose Sāma, from Sāma, Yajus, and from the latter Rik.
There are, however, another class of details which have possibly only symbolical reality, and which are placed before the Sādhaka for the purposes of instruction and meditation only.² The letters as we know them—that is, as outer speech—are manifested only after passing through the throat. They cannot therefore exist as such in the Chakras. But they are said to be there. They are there, not in their gross, but in their subtle and causal forms. It is these subtle forms which are called Mātrikā. But as such forms they are Shabda of and as ideating movements, or are the cause thereof. Consciousness, which is itself (Svarūpa) soundless (Nih-shabda), in its supreme form (Para shabda) assumes a general undifferentiated movement (Sāmānya spanda), then a differentiated movement (Vishesha spanda), issuing in clearly articulate speech (Spashtatara spanda). The inner movement has outer correspondence with that issuing from the lips by the aid of Dhvani. This is but the Mantra way of saying that the homogeneous Consciousness moves as Shakti, and appears as subject
1 The term “nerve” is used for default of another equivalent. These Nādīs, called Yoga-Nādīs, are not, like the Nādīs of physiology, gross things, but subtle channels along which the life-force works in bodies.
2 See the Demchog Tantra, now published as a volume of “Tantrik Texts”.
Kalā,¹ and Brahmā (Lord of the Tattva). But we are also told that the letters Va, Sha, Sha, and Sa are the Ātmā and Bījas of the four Vedas,² of the four Yugas,³ of the four oceans,⁴ which are therefore called Chaturvarnātmaka, or in the self of the four letters. It is true that the four Vedas are in, and issue from, Parashabda, the seat of which is the Mūlādhāra. For Veda in its primary sense is the world as idea in the mind of the creative Brahman, portions of which have been revealed to the Rishis (seers) and embodied in the four Vedas. But why should Va be the seed of the Rigveda, Sha of the Yajurveda, and so forth? The ritual explanation, as given in the Rudrayāmala (xiv. 73, xv. 2, xvi. 1, 2), is that the petal Va is Brahmā (Rajoguna), and is the Bīja of Rik; Sha is Vishnu (Sattvaguna), and Sha, being Pundarī- kātmā, is the Bīja of Yajus; Sha is Rudra (Tamoguna), and is the Bīja of Sāma. Sa is the Bīja of Atharva, as it is the Bīja of Shakti.⁵ These four are in Parashabda in Mūlādhāra. It seems to me (so far as my studies in the Shāstra have yet carried me) that the details of the descriptions of the centres are of two kinds. There are, firstly, certain facts of objective and universal reality. Thus, for example, there are certain centres (Chakra) in the spinal column. The principle of solidity (Prithivī Tattva) is in the lowest of such centres, which as the centre of the body contains the static or potential energy called Kundalī Shakti. The centre as a lotus is said to have four petals, because of the formation and distribution of the Yoganerves¹ (Nādī) at that particular point. Solidity is denoted aptly by a cube, which is the diagram (Yantra) of that centre. The consciousness of that centre as Devatā is also aptly borne on an elephant, the massive solidity of which is emblematical of the solid earth principle (Prithivī). The forces which go to the making of solid matter may, by the Yogī, be seen as yellow. It may be that particular substances (Dhātu) of the body and particular Vritti (qualities) are connected with particular Chakras, and so forth.
1 See author’s “Stndies in the Mantra Shāstra” (Kalās of the Shaktis). Samāna Vāyu is also located here.
2 Va of Rik, Sha of Yajus Sha of Sāma, and Sa of Atharva Veda.
3 The four ages—Satya, Treta, Dvāpara, and Kali.
4 Of sugar-cane juice, wine, ghee (Ghrita), milk.
5 See Rudrayāmala XVII, where priority is given to Atharva as dealing with the Āchāra of Shakti. From Atharva arose Sāma, from Sāma, Yajus, and from the latter Rik.
There are, however, another class of details which have possibly only symbolical reality, and which are placed before the Sādhaka for the purposes of instruction and meditation only.² The letters as we know them—that is, as outer speech—are manifested only after passing through the throat. They cannot therefore exist as such in the Chakras. But they are said to be there. They are there, not in their gross, but in their subtle and causal forms. It is these subtle forms which are called Mātrikā. But as such forms they are Shabda of and as ideating movements, or are the cause thereof. Consciousness, which is itself (Svarūpa) soundless (Nih-shabda), in its supreme form (Para shabda) assumes a general undifferentiated movement (Sāmānya spanda), then a differentiated movement (Vishesha spanda), issuing in clearly articulate speech (Spashtatara spanda). The inner movement has outer correspondence with that issuing from the lips by the aid of Dhvani. This is but the Mantra way of saying that the homogeneous Consciousness moves as Shakti, and appears as subject
1 The term “nerve” is used for default of another equivalent. These Nādīs, called Yoga-Nādīs, are not, like the Nādīs of physiology, gross things, but subtle channels along which the life-force works in bodies.
2 See the Demchog Tantra, now published as a volume of “Tantrik Texts”.
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