The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
3 Usually understood as affection towards those younger or lower than oneself.
4 Through reverence or respect.
5 Or it may refer to the six which are technically called ūrmmi— that is, hunger, thirst, sorrow, ignorance (moha), decay, and death.
below the Mūlādhāra or connected with it are—(1) the Prithivī Tanmātra; (2) the Prithivī Mahābhūta; (3) the nostrils with their sense of smell, which is the grossest of the senses of knowledge (Jnānendriya), and which is the quality (Guna) of the Prithivī Tanmātra; and (4) the feet, which are the grossest of the senses of action (Karmendriya), and “which have Prithivī (earth) for their support”. Here the nostrils are classified as the grossest of the Jnānendriyas, because therein is the sense which perceives the quality (Guna) of smell of the grossest Tanmātra (Gandha), from which is derived the Prithivī Sthūla Bhūta. Thus the Jnānendriyas have a relation with the Tanmātras through their Gunas (qualities), for the perception of which these senses exist. In the case, however, of the senses of action (Karmendriya), no such relation appears to exist between them and the Tanmātras. In the order of successive merging or Laya, the feet occur in the same grade as earth, hands in the same grade as water, anus in the same grade as fire, penis in the same grade as air, and mouth in the same grade as ether; not, apparently, because there is any direct relation between earth and feet, water and hands, fire and anus, and so forth, but because these organs are in the same order of comparative subtlety as earth, water, and fire, and so forth. Hands are supposed to be subtler agents than feet; the anus¹ a subtler agent than the hands; the penis a subtler agent than the anus; and the mouth a subtler agent than the penis. This is also the order in which these agents are situated in the body, the hands coming second because they find their place between the feet and the anus when the arms are given their natural vertical position. It is to be remembered in this connection that the Tantras here follow the Sāngkhya, and state the scheme of creation as it occurs also in the Purānas, according to which the Jnānendriyas and Karmendriyas and the Tanmātras issue from different aspects of the threefold Ahangkāra. There is a relation between the senses and the Tanmātras in the created Jīva, according to the Vedānta, for the senses are related to the Tanmātras, but the order, in that case, in which the senses occur is different from that given in this work. For, according to the Vedāntik scheme, earth is related to the sense of smell and penis; water to the sense of taste and anus; fire to the sense of sight and feet; air to the sense of touch and hands; and ether to the sense of hearing and mouth. Another explanation seemingly artificial, however, which has been given, is as follows: The feet are associated with “Earth” because the latter alone has the power of support, and the feet rest on it. “Water” is associated with the hands because in drinking water the hand is used. The word Pāni, which means hand, is derived from the root Pā, to drink (Pīyate anena iti pāni). “Fire” is associated with the anus because what is eaten is consumed by fire in the stomach, and the residue is passed out through the anus, whereby the body becomes pure. “Air” is associated with the penis because in procreation the Jīvātmā as Prāna Vāyu throws itself out through the penis. And so the Shruti says; “Ātmā itself is reborn in the son” (Ātmā vai jāyate putrah). “Ether” is associated with the mouth because by the mouth sound is uttered, which is the Guna (quality) of ether (Ākāsha).
1 At first sight this might appear not to be so, but the importance of the anus is well known to medical experts, its sensitivity having even given rise to what has been called a “Psychology of the anus”.
Hitherto we have dealt with the comparatively gross Tattvas. According to this work, the twenty grosser Tattvas are associated (4×5) as in the following table:
Centre in which dissolved
Grosser Tattvas
1. Mūlādhāra ...
Gandha (smell) Tanmātra; Prithivī Tattva
(earth); the Jnānendriya of smell;¹ the
Karmendriya of feet.
2. Svādhishthāna ...
Rasa (taste) Tanmātra; Ap Tattva (water); the Jnānendriya of taste; the Karmendriya of hands.
3. Manipūra ...
Rūpa (sight) Tanmātra; Tejas Tattva (fire); the Jnānendriya of sight; the Karmendriya of anus.
4. Anāhata ...
Sparsha (touch) Tanmātra; Vāyu Tattva (air); the Jnānendriya of touch; the Karmendriya of penis.
5. Vishuddha ...
Shabda (sound) Tanmātra; Ākāsha Tattva (ether); the Jnānendriya of hearing; the Karmendriya of mouth.
It will be observed that with each of the elements is associated an organ of sensation (Jnānendriya) and action (Karmendriya). In Chapter II of the Prapanchasāra Tantra it is said: “Ether is in the ears, air in the skin, fire in the eye, water in the tongue, and earth in the nostrils.” The Karmendriyas are possibly so arranged because the Tattvas of the respective centres in which they are placed are, as above stated, of similar grades of subtlety and grossness. As explained below, each class of Tattvas is dissolved in the next higher class, commencing from the lowest and grossest centre, the Mūlādhāra. So far the Tattvas have been those of the “matter” side of creation.
Progress is next made to the last or Ājnā Chakra, in which are the subtle Tattvas of Mind and Prakriti. The Chakra is so called because it is here that the command (Ājnā) of the Guru is received from above. It is a lotus of
3 Usually understood as affection towards those younger or lower than oneself.
4 Through reverence or respect.
5 Or it may refer to the six which are technically called ūrmmi— that is, hunger, thirst, sorrow, ignorance (moha), decay, and death.
below the Mūlādhāra or connected with it are—(1) the Prithivī Tanmātra; (2) the Prithivī Mahābhūta; (3) the nostrils with their sense of smell, which is the grossest of the senses of knowledge (Jnānendriya), and which is the quality (Guna) of the Prithivī Tanmātra; and (4) the feet, which are the grossest of the senses of action (Karmendriya), and “which have Prithivī (earth) for their support”. Here the nostrils are classified as the grossest of the Jnānendriyas, because therein is the sense which perceives the quality (Guna) of smell of the grossest Tanmātra (Gandha), from which is derived the Prithivī Sthūla Bhūta. Thus the Jnānendriyas have a relation with the Tanmātras through their Gunas (qualities), for the perception of which these senses exist. In the case, however, of the senses of action (Karmendriya), no such relation appears to exist between them and the Tanmātras. In the order of successive merging or Laya, the feet occur in the same grade as earth, hands in the same grade as water, anus in the same grade as fire, penis in the same grade as air, and mouth in the same grade as ether; not, apparently, because there is any direct relation between earth and feet, water and hands, fire and anus, and so forth, but because these organs are in the same order of comparative subtlety as earth, water, and fire, and so forth. Hands are supposed to be subtler agents than feet; the anus¹ a subtler agent than the hands; the penis a subtler agent than the anus; and the mouth a subtler agent than the penis. This is also the order in which these agents are situated in the body, the hands coming second because they find their place between the feet and the anus when the arms are given their natural vertical position. It is to be remembered in this connection that the Tantras here follow the Sāngkhya, and state the scheme of creation as it occurs also in the Purānas, according to which the Jnānendriyas and Karmendriyas and the Tanmātras issue from different aspects of the threefold Ahangkāra. There is a relation between the senses and the Tanmātras in the created Jīva, according to the Vedānta, for the senses are related to the Tanmātras, but the order, in that case, in which the senses occur is different from that given in this work. For, according to the Vedāntik scheme, earth is related to the sense of smell and penis; water to the sense of taste and anus; fire to the sense of sight and feet; air to the sense of touch and hands; and ether to the sense of hearing and mouth. Another explanation seemingly artificial, however, which has been given, is as follows: The feet are associated with “Earth” because the latter alone has the power of support, and the feet rest on it. “Water” is associated with the hands because in drinking water the hand is used. The word Pāni, which means hand, is derived from the root Pā, to drink (Pīyate anena iti pāni). “Fire” is associated with the anus because what is eaten is consumed by fire in the stomach, and the residue is passed out through the anus, whereby the body becomes pure. “Air” is associated with the penis because in procreation the Jīvātmā as Prāna Vāyu throws itself out through the penis. And so the Shruti says; “Ātmā itself is reborn in the son” (Ātmā vai jāyate putrah). “Ether” is associated with the mouth because by the mouth sound is uttered, which is the Guna (quality) of ether (Ākāsha).
1 At first sight this might appear not to be so, but the importance of the anus is well known to medical experts, its sensitivity having even given rise to what has been called a “Psychology of the anus”.
Hitherto we have dealt with the comparatively gross Tattvas. According to this work, the twenty grosser Tattvas are associated (4×5) as in the following table:
Centre in which dissolved
Grosser Tattvas
1. Mūlādhāra ...
Gandha (smell) Tanmātra; Prithivī Tattva
(earth); the Jnānendriya of smell;¹ the
Karmendriya of feet.
2. Svādhishthāna ...
Rasa (taste) Tanmātra; Ap Tattva (water); the Jnānendriya of taste; the Karmendriya of hands.
3. Manipūra ...
Rūpa (sight) Tanmātra; Tejas Tattva (fire); the Jnānendriya of sight; the Karmendriya of anus.
4. Anāhata ...
Sparsha (touch) Tanmātra; Vāyu Tattva (air); the Jnānendriya of touch; the Karmendriya of penis.
5. Vishuddha ...
Shabda (sound) Tanmātra; Ākāsha Tattva (ether); the Jnānendriya of hearing; the Karmendriya of mouth.
It will be observed that with each of the elements is associated an organ of sensation (Jnānendriya) and action (Karmendriya). In Chapter II of the Prapanchasāra Tantra it is said: “Ether is in the ears, air in the skin, fire in the eye, water in the tongue, and earth in the nostrils.” The Karmendriyas are possibly so arranged because the Tattvas of the respective centres in which they are placed are, as above stated, of similar grades of subtlety and grossness. As explained below, each class of Tattvas is dissolved in the next higher class, commencing from the lowest and grossest centre, the Mūlādhāra. So far the Tattvas have been those of the “matter” side of creation.
Progress is next made to the last or Ājnā Chakra, in which are the subtle Tattvas of Mind and Prakriti. The Chakra is so called because it is here that the command (Ājnā) of the Guru is received from above. It is a lotus of
No commentary for this page.