The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
1 According to a note of R. Anantakrishna Shāstrī, translator of the
Lalitā, p. 213, the three “feet” are explained in another work of
Bhāskararāya as follows: White, the pure Samvit (Consciousness)
untainted by any Upādhis; red, the Parāhantā (Supreme Individuality),
the first Vritti (modification) from the Samvit; and the mixed—the
above-mentioned as one inseparable modification (the Vritti) of “I”.
These are known as the “three feet” (Charana-tritaya), or Indu
(white), Agni (red), Ravi (mixed).
2 So also the Devī Bhāgavata Pr. says: “The Shāmbhavī is white;
Shrīvidyā, red; and Shyāmā, black.” The Yantra of Shrīvidyā is the
Shrīchakra mentioned.
3 Shangkarāchāryyagranthāvalī (Vol. II), ed. Shrī Prasanna Kumāra Shāstrī. The editor’s notes are based on the Commentary of Achyutānanda Svāmī.
4 Atha panchamayāge abhedabuddhyā ātmānang shivarūpam ekātmānang vibhāvya ādhārāt paramashivāntang sūtrarūpāng sūkshmāng kundalinīng sarvashaktirūpāng vibhāvya sattvarajastamogunasūchakang brahmavishnushivashaktyātmakang sūryāgnichandrarūpang bindutrayang tasyā angge vibhāvya adhash chitkalāng dhyāyet (Comm. to v. 19).
The Bindu which is the “face” indicates Virinchi¹ (Brahmā) associated with the Rajas Guna. The two Bindus which are the “breasts,” and upon which meditation should be done in the heart, indicate Hari² (Vishnu) and Hara³ (Rudra) associated with the Sattva and Tamas Gunas. Below them meditate in the Yoni upon the subtle Chitkalā, which indicates all three Gunas, and which is all these three Devatās.⁴ The meditation given in the Yoginī Tantra is as follows: “Think of three Bindus above Kalā, and then that from these a young girl sixteen years old springs forth, shining with the light of millions of rising suns, illuminating every quarter of the firmament. Think of Her body from crown to throat as springing from the upper Bindu, and that her body from throat to middle, with its two breasts and three belly lines of beauty (Trivalī), arise from the two lower Bindus. Then imagine that the rest of Her body from genitals to feet is born from Kāma. Thus formed, She is adorned with all manner of ornaments and dress, and is adored by Brahmā, Īsha, and Vishnu. Then let the Sādhaka think of his own body as such Kāmakalā.”⁵ The Shrītattvārnava says: “The glorious men who worship in that body in Sāmarasya⁶ are freed from the waves of poison in the untraversable sea of the world (Sangsāra).”⁵
1 That is, He who creates, from Vi+rich.
2 He who takes away or destroys (harati) all grief and sin.
3 The same.
4 Mukhang bindung kritvā rajogunasūchakang virinchyātmakang bindung mukhang kritvā, tasyādho hridayasthāne sattvatamogunasūchakang hariharātmakang bindudvayang kuchayugang kritvā, tasyādhah yonigunatrayasūchikāng hariharavirinchyātmikāng sūkshmāng chitkalāng hakārārdhang kritvā yonyantargata-trikonākriting kritvā dhyāyet (ib.).
5 See p. 199, et seq., Nityapūjāpaddhati, by Jaganmohana Tarkā- langkāra.
6 That is equal, feeling; or being one with; homogeneity; union of Shiva and Shakti.
To the same effect are the Tantrik works the Shrīkrama¹ and Bhāvachūḍāmani² cited in the Commentary to the Ānanda-Laharī. The first says: “Of the three Bindus, O Mistress of the Devas, let him contemplate the first as the mouth and in the heart the two Bindus as the two breasts. Then let him meditate upon the subtle Kalā Hakārārdha in the Yoni.” And the second says: “The face in the form of Bindu, and below twin breasts, and below them the beauteous form of the Hakārādha.” The three Devatās Brahmā, Vishnu, and Rudra, with their Shaktis, are said to take birth from the letters A, U, M, of the Ongkāra or Pranava.³ Ma, as the Prapanchasāra Tantra⁴ says, is the Sun or Ātmā among the letters, for it is Bindu. From each of these ten Kalās arise.
Verse 8 of the first work translated says that in the Mūlādhāra centre there is the Triangle (Trikona) known as Traipura, which is an adjective of Tripura. It is so called because of the presence of the Devī Tripurā within
1 Tathā cha Shrīkrame:
Bindutrayasya deveshi prathamang devi vaktrakang
Bindudvayang stanadvandvang hridi sthāne niyojayet.
Hakārārdhang kalāng sūkshmāng yonimadhye vichintayet.
2 Taduktang Bhāvachūdāmanau:
Mukhang binduvadākārang
Tadadhah kuchayugmakam
Tadadhashcha hakārārdhang
Suparishkritamandalam.
The third line of this verse is also printed Tadadhah saparārdhang cha. But this means the same thing. Sapara is Hakāra, as Ha follows Sa. For further Dhyānas and mode of meditation, see p. 199 of the Nityapūjāpaddhati of Jaganmohana Tarkālangkāra.
3 Phetkārinī Tantra, Ch. I:
1 According to a note of R. Anantakrishna Shāstrī, translator of the
Lalitā, p. 213, the three “feet” are explained in another work of
Bhāskararāya as follows: White, the pure Samvit (Consciousness)
untainted by any Upādhis; red, the Parāhantā (Supreme Individuality),
the first Vritti (modification) from the Samvit; and the mixed—the
above-mentioned as one inseparable modification (the Vritti) of “I”.
These are known as the “three feet” (Charana-tritaya), or Indu
(white), Agni (red), Ravi (mixed).
2 So also the Devī Bhāgavata Pr. says: “The Shāmbhavī is white;
Shrīvidyā, red; and Shyāmā, black.” The Yantra of Shrīvidyā is the
Shrīchakra mentioned.
3 Shangkarāchāryyagranthāvalī (Vol. II), ed. Shrī Prasanna Kumāra Shāstrī. The editor’s notes are based on the Commentary of Achyutānanda Svāmī.
4 Atha panchamayāge abhedabuddhyā ātmānang shivarūpam ekātmānang vibhāvya ādhārāt paramashivāntang sūtrarūpāng sūkshmāng kundalinīng sarvashaktirūpāng vibhāvya sattvarajastamogunasūchakang brahmavishnushivashaktyātmakang sūryāgnichandrarūpang bindutrayang tasyā angge vibhāvya adhash chitkalāng dhyāyet (Comm. to v. 19).
The Bindu which is the “face” indicates Virinchi¹ (Brahmā) associated with the Rajas Guna. The two Bindus which are the “breasts,” and upon which meditation should be done in the heart, indicate Hari² (Vishnu) and Hara³ (Rudra) associated with the Sattva and Tamas Gunas. Below them meditate in the Yoni upon the subtle Chitkalā, which indicates all three Gunas, and which is all these three Devatās.⁴ The meditation given in the Yoginī Tantra is as follows: “Think of three Bindus above Kalā, and then that from these a young girl sixteen years old springs forth, shining with the light of millions of rising suns, illuminating every quarter of the firmament. Think of Her body from crown to throat as springing from the upper Bindu, and that her body from throat to middle, with its two breasts and three belly lines of beauty (Trivalī), arise from the two lower Bindus. Then imagine that the rest of Her body from genitals to feet is born from Kāma. Thus formed, She is adorned with all manner of ornaments and dress, and is adored by Brahmā, Īsha, and Vishnu. Then let the Sādhaka think of his own body as such Kāmakalā.”⁵ The Shrītattvārnava says: “The glorious men who worship in that body in Sāmarasya⁶ are freed from the waves of poison in the untraversable sea of the world (Sangsāra).”⁵
1 That is, He who creates, from Vi+rich.
2 He who takes away or destroys (harati) all grief and sin.
3 The same.
4 Mukhang bindung kritvā rajogunasūchakang virinchyātmakang bindung mukhang kritvā, tasyādho hridayasthāne sattvatamogunasūchakang hariharātmakang bindudvayang kuchayugang kritvā, tasyādhah yonigunatrayasūchikāng hariharavirinchyātmikāng sūkshmāng chitkalāng hakārārdhang kritvā yonyantargata-trikonākriting kritvā dhyāyet (ib.).
5 See p. 199, et seq., Nityapūjāpaddhati, by Jaganmohana Tarkā- langkāra.
6 That is equal, feeling; or being one with; homogeneity; union of Shiva and Shakti.
To the same effect are the Tantrik works the Shrīkrama¹ and Bhāvachūḍāmani² cited in the Commentary to the Ānanda-Laharī. The first says: “Of the three Bindus, O Mistress of the Devas, let him contemplate the first as the mouth and in the heart the two Bindus as the two breasts. Then let him meditate upon the subtle Kalā Hakārārdha in the Yoni.” And the second says: “The face in the form of Bindu, and below twin breasts, and below them the beauteous form of the Hakārādha.” The three Devatās Brahmā, Vishnu, and Rudra, with their Shaktis, are said to take birth from the letters A, U, M, of the Ongkāra or Pranava.³ Ma, as the Prapanchasāra Tantra⁴ says, is the Sun or Ātmā among the letters, for it is Bindu. From each of these ten Kalās arise.
Verse 8 of the first work translated says that in the Mūlādhāra centre there is the Triangle (Trikona) known as Traipura, which is an adjective of Tripura. It is so called because of the presence of the Devī Tripurā within
1 Tathā cha Shrīkrame:
Bindutrayasya deveshi prathamang devi vaktrakang
Bindudvayang stanadvandvang hridi sthāne niyojayet.
Hakārārdhang kalāng sūkshmāng yonimadhye vichintayet.
2 Taduktang Bhāvachūdāmanau:
Mukhang binduvadākārang
Tadadhah kuchayugmakam
Tadadhashcha hakārārdhang
Suparishkritamandalam.
The third line of this verse is also printed Tadadhah saparārdhang cha. But this means the same thing. Sapara is Hakāra, as Ha follows Sa. For further Dhyānas and mode of meditation, see p. 199 of the Nityapūjāpaddhati of Jaganmohana Tarkālangkāra.
3 Phetkārinī Tantra, Ch. I:
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