The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
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ramifying over the lower trunk and limbs. 14. Alambushā, the coccygeal nerves, proceeding from the sacral vertebræ to the urino-genitary organs.”¹
The Tattvas in the body pervaded by Prāna have certain special centres of predominance and influence therein, which are the Chakras (centres or circles or regions) or Padmas (lotuses) of which this work is a description.
Inside the Meru, or spinal column, are the six main centres of Tattvik operation, called Chakras or Padmas, which are the seats of Shakti, as the Sahasrāra above is the abode of Shiva.² These are the Mūlādhāra, Svādhishthāna, Manipūra, Anāhata, Vishuddha, and Ājnā, which in the physical body are said to have their correspondences in the principal nerve plexuses and organs, commencing from what is possibly the sacro-coccygeal plexus to the “space between the eyebrows,” which some identify with the pineal gland, the centre of the third or spiritual eye, and others with the cerebellum. The Chakras³ themselves are, however, as explained later, centres of Consciousness (Chaitanya) as extremely subtle force (Shakti); but the gross regions which are built up by their coarsened vibrations, which are subject to their influence, and with which loosely and inaccurately they are sometimes identified, have been said to be various plexuses in the trunk of the body and the lower cerebral centres mentioned. In the portion of the body below the Mūlādhāra are the seven lower worlds, Pātāla andp. 118 others, together with the Shaktis which support all in the universe.
1 Citing Sangītaratnākara, Shlokas 144-156; also the Yogārnava Tantra. This account has in parts been criticised by an Indian medical friend, who tells me that it is in those parts influenced too much by Western physiology.
2 Varāha Up., Ch. V.
3 See Ch. V, Varāha Up. and Dhyānabindu Up., and Ch. III, Yogaknndalī Up.
The first centre, or Mūlādhāra Chakra, which is so called from its being the root of Sushumnā where Kundalī rests,¹ is at the place of meeting of the Kanda (root of all the Nādīs) and the Sushumnā Nādī, and is in the region midway between the genitals and the anus. It is thus the centre of the body for men.² By this and similar statements made as regards the other lotuses, it is not meant that the Chakra proper is in the region of the gross body described, but that it is the subtle centre of that gross region, such centre existing in the spinal column which forms its axis. The reader must bear this observation in mind in the descriptions of the Chakras, or an erroneous notion will be formed of them. This crimson Mūlādhāra lotus³ is described as one of four petals, the Vrittis of which are the four forms of bliss known as Paramānanda, Sahajānanda, Yogānanda, and Vīrānanda.⁴ On these four petals are the golden letters Vang (वं), Shang (शं), Shang (षं), and Sang (सं).⁵ Each letter in its Vaikharī form is a gross manifestation of inner or subtle Shabda. On the petals are figured the letters, which are each a Mantra, and as such a Devatā. The petals are configurations made by the position of the Nādīs at any particular centre, and are in themselves Prānashakti manifested by Prānavāyu in the living body. When that Vāyu departs they cease to be manifest. Each letter is thus a particular Shabda or Shakti and a surrounding (Āvarana) Devatā of the Principal Devatā and its Shakti of the particular Chakra. As Shakti they are manifestations of Kundalī, and in their totality constitute Her Mantra body, for Kundalī is both light (Jyotirmayī) and Mantra (Mantramayī). The latter is the Sthūla aspect of which Japa is done. The former is the Sūkshma aspect which is led up to in Yoga. Their specific enumeration and allocation denote the differentiation in the body of the total Shabda. This Lotus is the centre of the yellow Prithivī, or “earth” Tattva, with its quadrangular Mandala, the Bīja or Mantra of which Tattva is Lang (लं).¹
1 Derived from Mūla (root) and Ādhāra (support).
2 Shāndilya Up., Ch. I, where also the centres for birds and other animals are given. In some (Kashmir “Nādīchakra”) Kundalī is represented above the position given in the Text.
3 This and other lotuses hang head downwards except when Kundalī passes through them, when they turn upwards.
4 These Vrittis or qualities (see post) denoting four forms of bliss are not given in the text here translated, but in Tarkālangkāra’s Commentary to the Mahānirvāna Tantra.
5 In this and other cases meditation is done from the right (Dakshināvartena). See v. 4, Shat-chakra-nirūpana cited as S.N.
At this centre is the Prithivī Tattva, the Bīja of which is “La,” with Bindu or the Brahma-consciousness presiding over this centre or “Lang” which is said to be the expression in gross (Vaikharī) sound of the subtle sound made by the vibration of the forces of this centre. So, again, the subtle Tejas Tattva and its Bīja Rang is in the Manipūra Chakra, and the gross fire known as Vaishvā- nara is in the physical belly, which the subtle centre governs. This Bīja represents in terms of Mantra the Tattva regnant at this centre, and its essential activity. With the symbolism used throughout this work, Bīja
p. 117
ramifying over the lower trunk and limbs. 14. Alambushā, the coccygeal nerves, proceeding from the sacral vertebræ to the urino-genitary organs.”¹
The Tattvas in the body pervaded by Prāna have certain special centres of predominance and influence therein, which are the Chakras (centres or circles or regions) or Padmas (lotuses) of which this work is a description.
Inside the Meru, or spinal column, are the six main centres of Tattvik operation, called Chakras or Padmas, which are the seats of Shakti, as the Sahasrāra above is the abode of Shiva.² These are the Mūlādhāra, Svādhishthāna, Manipūra, Anāhata, Vishuddha, and Ājnā, which in the physical body are said to have their correspondences in the principal nerve plexuses and organs, commencing from what is possibly the sacro-coccygeal plexus to the “space between the eyebrows,” which some identify with the pineal gland, the centre of the third or spiritual eye, and others with the cerebellum. The Chakras³ themselves are, however, as explained later, centres of Consciousness (Chaitanya) as extremely subtle force (Shakti); but the gross regions which are built up by their coarsened vibrations, which are subject to their influence, and with which loosely and inaccurately they are sometimes identified, have been said to be various plexuses in the trunk of the body and the lower cerebral centres mentioned. In the portion of the body below the Mūlādhāra are the seven lower worlds, Pātāla andp. 118 others, together with the Shaktis which support all in the universe.
1 Citing Sangītaratnākara, Shlokas 144-156; also the Yogārnava Tantra. This account has in parts been criticised by an Indian medical friend, who tells me that it is in those parts influenced too much by Western physiology.
2 Varāha Up., Ch. V.
3 See Ch. V, Varāha Up. and Dhyānabindu Up., and Ch. III, Yogaknndalī Up.
The first centre, or Mūlādhāra Chakra, which is so called from its being the root of Sushumnā where Kundalī rests,¹ is at the place of meeting of the Kanda (root of all the Nādīs) and the Sushumnā Nādī, and is in the region midway between the genitals and the anus. It is thus the centre of the body for men.² By this and similar statements made as regards the other lotuses, it is not meant that the Chakra proper is in the region of the gross body described, but that it is the subtle centre of that gross region, such centre existing in the spinal column which forms its axis. The reader must bear this observation in mind in the descriptions of the Chakras, or an erroneous notion will be formed of them. This crimson Mūlādhāra lotus³ is described as one of four petals, the Vrittis of which are the four forms of bliss known as Paramānanda, Sahajānanda, Yogānanda, and Vīrānanda.⁴ On these four petals are the golden letters Vang (वं), Shang (शं), Shang (षं), and Sang (सं).⁵ Each letter in its Vaikharī form is a gross manifestation of inner or subtle Shabda. On the petals are figured the letters, which are each a Mantra, and as such a Devatā. The petals are configurations made by the position of the Nādīs at any particular centre, and are in themselves Prānashakti manifested by Prānavāyu in the living body. When that Vāyu departs they cease to be manifest. Each letter is thus a particular Shabda or Shakti and a surrounding (Āvarana) Devatā of the Principal Devatā and its Shakti of the particular Chakra. As Shakti they are manifestations of Kundalī, and in their totality constitute Her Mantra body, for Kundalī is both light (Jyotirmayī) and Mantra (Mantramayī). The latter is the Sthūla aspect of which Japa is done. The former is the Sūkshma aspect which is led up to in Yoga. Their specific enumeration and allocation denote the differentiation in the body of the total Shabda. This Lotus is the centre of the yellow Prithivī, or “earth” Tattva, with its quadrangular Mandala, the Bīja or Mantra of which Tattva is Lang (लं).¹
1 Derived from Mūla (root) and Ādhāra (support).
2 Shāndilya Up., Ch. I, where also the centres for birds and other animals are given. In some (Kashmir “Nādīchakra”) Kundalī is represented above the position given in the Text.
3 This and other lotuses hang head downwards except when Kundalī passes through them, when they turn upwards.
4 These Vrittis or qualities (see post) denoting four forms of bliss are not given in the text here translated, but in Tarkālangkāra’s Commentary to the Mahānirvāna Tantra.
5 In this and other cases meditation is done from the right (Dakshināvartena). See v. 4, Shat-chakra-nirūpana cited as S.N.
At this centre is the Prithivī Tattva, the Bīja of which is “La,” with Bindu or the Brahma-consciousness presiding over this centre or “Lang” which is said to be the expression in gross (Vaikharī) sound of the subtle sound made by the vibration of the forces of this centre. So, again, the subtle Tejas Tattva and its Bīja Rang is in the Manipūra Chakra, and the gross fire known as Vaishvā- nara is in the physical belly, which the subtle centre governs. This Bīja represents in terms of Mantra the Tattva regnant at this centre, and its essential activity. With the symbolism used throughout this work, Bīja
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