The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
Tebhya eva samutpannā varnā ye vishnu-shūlinoh
Mūrtayah shaktisangyuktā uchyante tāh kramena tu.
And so also Vishvasāra Tantra (see Prānatoshinī, 10):
Shivo brahmā tathā vishnurongkāre cha pratishthitāh Akārash cha bhaved brahmā ukārah sachchidātmakah Makāro rudra ityukta iti tasyārthakalpanā.
4 Ch. III.
the Ka inside the triangle. This Ka is the chief letter of the Kāma Bīja, and Kang¹ is the Bīja of Kāminī, the aspect of Tripurasundarī in the Mūlādhāra. Here also, as the same verse says, there are the three lines Vāmā, Jyeshthā, and Raudrī, and, as the Shatchakra-vivriti adds, Ichchhā, Jnāna, and Kriyā.² Thus the Traipura Trikona is the gross or Sthūla aspect of that subtle (Sūkshma) Shakti which is below the Sahasrāra, and is called Kāmakalā. It is to this Kāminī that in worship the essence of Japa (Tejorūpajapa) is offered, the external Japa being offered to the Devatā worshipped in order that the Sādhaka may retain the fruits of his worship.³ There are also two other Lingas and Trikonas at the Anāhata and Ājnā centres, which are two of the Knots or Granthis, and which are so called because Māyā is strong at these points of obstruction, at which each of the three groups converge. The Traipura Trikona is that, however, in the Mūlādhāra which is the grosser correspondence of the Kāmakalā, which is the root (Mūla) of all Mantras below the Sahasrāra, and which, again, is the correspondence in Jīva of the Tribindu of Īshvara.
Before, however, dealing in detail with the Sahasrāra, the reader will find it convenient to refer to the tables on pp. 143 and 144, which summarises some of the details above given up to and including the Sahasrāra.
In the description of the Chakras given in this work, no mention is made of the moral and other qualities and things (Vritti) which are associated with the Lotuses in other books, such as the Adhyātmaviveka,⁴ commencing with the root-lotus and ending with the Soma Chakra. Thus, the Vrittis, Prashraya, Avishvāsa, Avajnā, Mūrchhā, Sarvanāsha, Krūratā,¹ are assigned to Svādhishthāna; Lajjā, Pishunatā, Īrshā, Trishnā, Sushupti, Vishāda, Kashāya, Moha, Ghrinā, Bhaya,² to the Manipūra; Āshā, Chintā, Cheshtā, Mamatā, Dambha, Vikalatā, Ahangkāra, Viveka, Lolatā, Kapatatā, Vitarka, Anutāpa,³ Kripā, Mridutā, Dhairyya, Vairāgya, Dhriti, Sampat, Hāsya, Romāncha, Vinaya, Dhyāna, Susthiratā, Gāmbhīryya, Udyama, Akshobha, Audārya, Ekāgratā,⁴ to the secret Somachakra; and so forth. In the Mūlādhāra, which has been described as the “source of a massive pleasurable æsthesia,” there are the four forms of bliss already mentioned; in the Vishuddha the seven subtle “tones,” Nishāda, Rishabha, Gāndhāra, Shaḍja, Madhyama, Dhaivata, Panchama; certain Bījas, Hung, Phat, Vaushat, Vashat, Svadhā, Svāhā, Namah; in the eighth petal “venom,” and in the sixteenth “nectar”;⁵ and in the petals and pericarp of the Ājnā the three Gunas, and in the former the Bījas Hang and Kshang; and in the sixpetalled Manas Chakra above the Ājnā are Shabdajnāna, Sparshajnāna, Rūpajnāna, Āghrānopalabdhi, Rasopabhoga, and Svapna, with their opposites, denoting the sensationsp. 142 of the sensorium—hearing, touch, sight, smell, taste, and centrally-initiated sensations in dream and hallucination. It is stated that particular Vrittis are assigned to a particular lotus, because of a connection between such Vritti and the operation of the Shaktis of the Tattva at the centre to which it is assigned. That they exist at any particular Chakra is said to be shown by their disappearance when Kundalī ascends through the Chakra. Thus the bad Vritti of the lower Chakras pass away in the Yogī who raises Kundalī above them.
1 Nityapūjāpaddhati, p. 80, by Jaganmohana Tarkālangkāra.
2 See p. 117, Vol. II, of Tantrik Texts, where that Commentary is printed.
3 Nityapūjāpaddhati, loc. cit.
4 Quoted in the Dīpikā to v. 7 of the Hangsopanishad.
1 Credulity, suspicion, disdain, delusion (or disinclination), false knowledge (lit., destruction of everything which false knowledge leads to), pitilessness.
2 Shame, treachery, jealousy, desire, supineness, sadness, worldliness, ignorance, aversion (or disgust), fear.
3 Hope, care or anxiety, endeavour, mineness (resulting in attachment), arrogance or hypocrisy, sense of languor, egoism or self-conceit, discrimination, covetousness, duplicity, indecision, regret.
4 Mercy, gentleness, patience or composure, dispassion, constancy, prosperity (spiritual) cheerfulness, rapture or thrill, humility or sense of propriety, meditativeness, quietude or restfulness, gravity (of demeanour), enterprise or effort, emotionlessness (being undisturbed by emotion), magnanimity, concentration.
5 Both were extracted at the churning of the ocean, and, as so spoken of, represent the destructive and upbuilding forces of the world.
Moral qualities (Vritti) appear in some of the lower Chakras and in the secret twelve-petalled lotus called the Lalanā (and in some Tantras Kalā) Chakra, situate above the Vishuddha, at the root of the palate (Tālumūla), as also in the sixteen-petalled lotus above the Manas Chakra, and known as the Soma Chakra. It is noteworthy that the Vritti of the two lower Chakras (Svādhishthāna and Manipūra) are all bad; those of the Anāhata centre are mixed,¹ those of the Lalanā Chakra are predominantly good, and those of the Somachakra wholly so; thus indicative of an advance as we proceed from the lower to the higher centres, and this must be so as the Jīva approaches or lives in his higher principles. In the twelve-petalled white lotus in the pericarp of the Sahasrāra is the abode of Shakti, called the Kāmakalā, already described.
Between Ājnā and Sahasrāra, at the seat of the Kārana Sharīra of Jīva, are the Varnāvalirūpā Viloma Shaktis, descending from Unmanī to Bindu. Just as in the Īshvara or cosmic creation there are seven creative Shaktis from Sakala Parameshvara to Bindu; and in the microcosmic or Jīva creation seven creative Shaktis from
1 E.g., with Dambha (arrogance), Lolatā (covetousness), Kapatatā (duplicity), we find Āshā (hope), Cheshtā (endeavour), Viveka (discrimination).
CHAKRA
SITUATION
NUMBER
OF
PETALS
LETTERS
ON
SAME
REGNANT TATTVA
AND ITS
QUALITIES
COLOUR
OF
TATTVA
Mūlādhāra
Spinal centre of region below genitalsp. 4 va, sha, sha, sa
Prithivī; cohesion, stimulating sense of smell
Yellow
Svādhishthāna
Spinal centre of region above the genitalsp. 6 ba, bha, ma, ya, ra, la
Ap; contraction, stimulating sense of taste
White
Manipūra
Tebhya eva samutpannā varnā ye vishnu-shūlinoh
Mūrtayah shaktisangyuktā uchyante tāh kramena tu.
And so also Vishvasāra Tantra (see Prānatoshinī, 10):
Shivo brahmā tathā vishnurongkāre cha pratishthitāh Akārash cha bhaved brahmā ukārah sachchidātmakah Makāro rudra ityukta iti tasyārthakalpanā.
4 Ch. III.
the Ka inside the triangle. This Ka is the chief letter of the Kāma Bīja, and Kang¹ is the Bīja of Kāminī, the aspect of Tripurasundarī in the Mūlādhāra. Here also, as the same verse says, there are the three lines Vāmā, Jyeshthā, and Raudrī, and, as the Shatchakra-vivriti adds, Ichchhā, Jnāna, and Kriyā.² Thus the Traipura Trikona is the gross or Sthūla aspect of that subtle (Sūkshma) Shakti which is below the Sahasrāra, and is called Kāmakalā. It is to this Kāminī that in worship the essence of Japa (Tejorūpajapa) is offered, the external Japa being offered to the Devatā worshipped in order that the Sādhaka may retain the fruits of his worship.³ There are also two other Lingas and Trikonas at the Anāhata and Ājnā centres, which are two of the Knots or Granthis, and which are so called because Māyā is strong at these points of obstruction, at which each of the three groups converge. The Traipura Trikona is that, however, in the Mūlādhāra which is the grosser correspondence of the Kāmakalā, which is the root (Mūla) of all Mantras below the Sahasrāra, and which, again, is the correspondence in Jīva of the Tribindu of Īshvara.
Before, however, dealing in detail with the Sahasrāra, the reader will find it convenient to refer to the tables on pp. 143 and 144, which summarises some of the details above given up to and including the Sahasrāra.
In the description of the Chakras given in this work, no mention is made of the moral and other qualities and things (Vritti) which are associated with the Lotuses in other books, such as the Adhyātmaviveka,⁴ commencing with the root-lotus and ending with the Soma Chakra. Thus, the Vrittis, Prashraya, Avishvāsa, Avajnā, Mūrchhā, Sarvanāsha, Krūratā,¹ are assigned to Svādhishthāna; Lajjā, Pishunatā, Īrshā, Trishnā, Sushupti, Vishāda, Kashāya, Moha, Ghrinā, Bhaya,² to the Manipūra; Āshā, Chintā, Cheshtā, Mamatā, Dambha, Vikalatā, Ahangkāra, Viveka, Lolatā, Kapatatā, Vitarka, Anutāpa,³ Kripā, Mridutā, Dhairyya, Vairāgya, Dhriti, Sampat, Hāsya, Romāncha, Vinaya, Dhyāna, Susthiratā, Gāmbhīryya, Udyama, Akshobha, Audārya, Ekāgratā,⁴ to the secret Somachakra; and so forth. In the Mūlādhāra, which has been described as the “source of a massive pleasurable æsthesia,” there are the four forms of bliss already mentioned; in the Vishuddha the seven subtle “tones,” Nishāda, Rishabha, Gāndhāra, Shaḍja, Madhyama, Dhaivata, Panchama; certain Bījas, Hung, Phat, Vaushat, Vashat, Svadhā, Svāhā, Namah; in the eighth petal “venom,” and in the sixteenth “nectar”;⁵ and in the petals and pericarp of the Ājnā the three Gunas, and in the former the Bījas Hang and Kshang; and in the sixpetalled Manas Chakra above the Ājnā are Shabdajnāna, Sparshajnāna, Rūpajnāna, Āghrānopalabdhi, Rasopabhoga, and Svapna, with their opposites, denoting the sensationsp. 142 of the sensorium—hearing, touch, sight, smell, taste, and centrally-initiated sensations in dream and hallucination. It is stated that particular Vrittis are assigned to a particular lotus, because of a connection between such Vritti and the operation of the Shaktis of the Tattva at the centre to which it is assigned. That they exist at any particular Chakra is said to be shown by their disappearance when Kundalī ascends through the Chakra. Thus the bad Vritti of the lower Chakras pass away in the Yogī who raises Kundalī above them.
1 Nityapūjāpaddhati, p. 80, by Jaganmohana Tarkālangkāra.
2 See p. 117, Vol. II, of Tantrik Texts, where that Commentary is printed.
3 Nityapūjāpaddhati, loc. cit.
4 Quoted in the Dīpikā to v. 7 of the Hangsopanishad.
1 Credulity, suspicion, disdain, delusion (or disinclination), false knowledge (lit., destruction of everything which false knowledge leads to), pitilessness.
2 Shame, treachery, jealousy, desire, supineness, sadness, worldliness, ignorance, aversion (or disgust), fear.
3 Hope, care or anxiety, endeavour, mineness (resulting in attachment), arrogance or hypocrisy, sense of languor, egoism or self-conceit, discrimination, covetousness, duplicity, indecision, regret.
4 Mercy, gentleness, patience or composure, dispassion, constancy, prosperity (spiritual) cheerfulness, rapture or thrill, humility or sense of propriety, meditativeness, quietude or restfulness, gravity (of demeanour), enterprise or effort, emotionlessness (being undisturbed by emotion), magnanimity, concentration.
5 Both were extracted at the churning of the ocean, and, as so spoken of, represent the destructive and upbuilding forces of the world.
Moral qualities (Vritti) appear in some of the lower Chakras and in the secret twelve-petalled lotus called the Lalanā (and in some Tantras Kalā) Chakra, situate above the Vishuddha, at the root of the palate (Tālumūla), as also in the sixteen-petalled lotus above the Manas Chakra, and known as the Soma Chakra. It is noteworthy that the Vritti of the two lower Chakras (Svādhishthāna and Manipūra) are all bad; those of the Anāhata centre are mixed,¹ those of the Lalanā Chakra are predominantly good, and those of the Somachakra wholly so; thus indicative of an advance as we proceed from the lower to the higher centres, and this must be so as the Jīva approaches or lives in his higher principles. In the twelve-petalled white lotus in the pericarp of the Sahasrāra is the abode of Shakti, called the Kāmakalā, already described.
Between Ājnā and Sahasrāra, at the seat of the Kārana Sharīra of Jīva, are the Varnāvalirūpā Viloma Shaktis, descending from Unmanī to Bindu. Just as in the Īshvara or cosmic creation there are seven creative Shaktis from Sakala Parameshvara to Bindu; and in the microcosmic or Jīva creation seven creative Shaktis from
1 E.g., with Dambha (arrogance), Lolatā (covetousness), Kapatatā (duplicity), we find Āshā (hope), Cheshtā (endeavour), Viveka (discrimination).
CHAKRA
SITUATION
NUMBER
OF
PETALS
LETTERS
ON
SAME
REGNANT TATTVA
AND ITS
QUALITIES
COLOUR
OF
TATTVA
Mūlādhāra
Spinal centre of region below genitalsp. 4 va, sha, sha, sa
Prithivī; cohesion, stimulating sense of smell
Yellow
Svādhishthāna
Spinal centre of region above the genitalsp. 6 ba, bha, ma, ya, ra, la
Ap; contraction, stimulating sense of taste
White
Manipūra
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