The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
in the cosmic body of Īshvara, represented in the seven states preceding from Sakala Parameshvara to Bindu, so there is a similar development in the human body in Kundalī, who is the Īshvarī therein. There are evolved by this form the following states, corresponding with the cosmic development—viz., Shakti, Dhvani, Nāda, Nirodhikā, Ardhendu, Bindu. These are all states of Kundalī Herself in the Mūlādhāra, and are known as Parā sound. Each one of the letters composing the body of Kundalī exists in four states as Parā Shakti, or in the succeeding states of sound, Pashyantī, Madhyamā, and Vaikharī, to which reference is later made. The first is a state of undifferentiated sound, which exists in the body of Īshvara; the second and third as existing in the body of Jīva are stages towards that complete manifestation of differentiated sound in human speech which is called Vaikharī Bhāva. In the cosmic aspect these four states are Avyakta, Īshvara, Hiranyagarbha, and Virāt. The Arthasrishti (object creation) of Kundalinī are the Kalās, which arise from the letters such as the Rudra and Vishnu Mūrtis and their Shaktis, the Kāmas and Ganeshas and their Shaktis, and the like. In the Sakala Parameshvara or Shabdabrahman in bodies—that is, Kundalinī Shakti— the latter is called Chit Shakti or Shakti simply, “when Sattva enters”—a state known as the Paramākāshāvasthā. When She into whom Sattva has entered is next “pierced” by Rajas, She is called Dhvani, which is the Aksharāvasthā. When She is again “pierced” by Tamas, she is called Nāda. This is the Avyaktāvasthā, the Avyakta Nāda which is the Parabindu. Again, She in whom Tamas abounds is, as Rāghava Bhatta says, called Nirodhikā; She in whom Sattva abounds is called Arddhendu; and the combination of the two (Ichchhā and Jnāna) in which Rajas as Kriyā Shakti works is called Bindu. Thus it has been said: “Drawn by the force of Ichchhā Shakti (will), illumined by Jnāna Shakti (knowledge), Shakti the Lord appearing as male creates (Kriyā Shakti, or action).”
When the Kārana Bindu “sprouts” in order to create the three (Bindu, Nāda, and Bīja) there arises that unmanifested Brahman-word or Sound called the Shabdabrahman (Sound Brahman).¹ It is said: “From the differentiation of the Kārana Bindu arises the unmanifested ‘Sound’ which is called Shabdabrahman by those learned in Shruti.”² It is this Shabdabrahman which is the immediate cause of the universe, which is sound and movement manifesting as idea and language. This sound, which is one with the Kārana Bindu, and is therefore all-pervading, yet first appears in man’s body in the Mūlā- dhāra. “It is said in the Mūlādhāra in the body the ‘air’ (Prānavāyu) first appears. That ‘air’ acted upon by the effort of a person desiring to speak, manifests the all-pervading Shabdabrahman.”³ The Shabdabrahman which is in the form of the Kārana Bindu when it remains motionless (Nishpanda) in its own place (that is, in Kundalī, who is Herself in the Mūlādhāra) is called Parā Shakti or speech. The same Shabdabrahman manifested by the same air proceeding as far as the navel, united with the Manas, possessing the nature of the manifested Kāryya Bindu with general (Sāmānyaspanda) motion, is named
1 Ayamevacha yadā kāryabindvāditrayajananonmukho bhidyate taddashāyām avyaktah shabdabrahmābhidheyo ravas tatrotpadyate (ib.).
2 Tadapyuktam:
Bindos tasmād bhidyamānād avyaktātmā ravo ’bhavat,
Sa ravah shrutisampannaih shabdabrahmeti gīyate (ib.).
3 So’yang ravah kāranabindutādātmyāpannatvāt sarvagato’pi vyanjakayatnasangskritapavanavashāt prānināng mūlādhāra eva abhivyajyate. Taduktang:
Dehe’pi mūlādhāre’smin samudeti samīranah,
Vivakshorichchhayotthena prayatnena susangskritah.
Sa vyanjayati tatraiva shabdabrahmāpi sarvagam (ib.).
Pashyantī speech.¹ Pashyantī, which is described as
Jnānātmaka and Bindvātmaka (in the nature of Chit and
Bindu), extends from the Mūlādhāra to the navel, or,
according to some accounts, the Svādishthāna.
Next, the Shabdabrahman manifested by the same air proceeding as far as the heart, united with the Buddhi, possessing the nature of the manifested Nāda and endowed with special (Visheshaspanda) motion, is called Madhyamā speech.² This is Hiranyagarbha sound, extending from the region of Pashyantī to the heart. Next,³ the same Shabdabrahman manifested by the same air proceeding as far as the mouth, developed in the throat, etc., articulated and capable of being heard by the ears of others, possessing the nature of the manifested Bīja with quite distinct articulate motion (Spashtatara), is called Vaikharī speech.⁴ This is the Virāt state of sound, so called because it “comes out”.
This matter is thus explained by the Āchāryya: “That sound which first arises in the Mūlādhāra is called Parā; next Pashyantī; next, when it goes as far as the heart and
1 Tad idang kāranabindvātmakam abhivyaktang shabdabrahmasvapratishthatayā nishpandam tadeva cha parā vāg ityuchyate. Atha tadeva nābhiparyantamāgachchhatā tena pavanenābhivyaktam vimarsharūpena manasā yuktam sāmānyaspandaprakāsharūpakāryyabindumayang sat pashyantī vāg uchyate (ib.).
2 Atha tad eva shabdabrahma tenaiva vāyunā hridayaparyantamabhivyajyamānang nishchayātmikayā buddhyā yuktang visheshaspandaprakāsharūpanādamayang sat madhyamāvāgityuchyate (ib.).
3 Atha tad eva vadanaparyyantang tenaiva vāyunā kanthādisthā- neshvabhivyajyamānam akārādivarnarūpang parashrotra-grahanayogyang spashtataraprakāsharūpabījātmakang sat vaikharī vāg uchyate (ib.).
4 That is, Shabda in its physical form. Bhāskararāya, in his commentary to the same verse (132) of the Lalitā, gives the following derivations: Vi=much; khara=hard. According to the Saubhāgya- Sudhodaya, Vai=certainly; kha=cavity (of the ear); ra=to go or enter. But according to the Yoga Shāstras, the Devī who is in the form of Vaikharī (Vaikharīrūpā) is so called because she was produced by the Prāna called Vikhara.
in the cosmic body of Īshvara, represented in the seven states preceding from Sakala Parameshvara to Bindu, so there is a similar development in the human body in Kundalī, who is the Īshvarī therein. There are evolved by this form the following states, corresponding with the cosmic development—viz., Shakti, Dhvani, Nāda, Nirodhikā, Ardhendu, Bindu. These are all states of Kundalī Herself in the Mūlādhāra, and are known as Parā sound. Each one of the letters composing the body of Kundalī exists in four states as Parā Shakti, or in the succeeding states of sound, Pashyantī, Madhyamā, and Vaikharī, to which reference is later made. The first is a state of undifferentiated sound, which exists in the body of Īshvara; the second and third as existing in the body of Jīva are stages towards that complete manifestation of differentiated sound in human speech which is called Vaikharī Bhāva. In the cosmic aspect these four states are Avyakta, Īshvara, Hiranyagarbha, and Virāt. The Arthasrishti (object creation) of Kundalinī are the Kalās, which arise from the letters such as the Rudra and Vishnu Mūrtis and their Shaktis, the Kāmas and Ganeshas and their Shaktis, and the like. In the Sakala Parameshvara or Shabdabrahman in bodies—that is, Kundalinī Shakti— the latter is called Chit Shakti or Shakti simply, “when Sattva enters”—a state known as the Paramākāshāvasthā. When She into whom Sattva has entered is next “pierced” by Rajas, She is called Dhvani, which is the Aksharāvasthā. When She is again “pierced” by Tamas, she is called Nāda. This is the Avyaktāvasthā, the Avyakta Nāda which is the Parabindu. Again, She in whom Tamas abounds is, as Rāghava Bhatta says, called Nirodhikā; She in whom Sattva abounds is called Arddhendu; and the combination of the two (Ichchhā and Jnāna) in which Rajas as Kriyā Shakti works is called Bindu. Thus it has been said: “Drawn by the force of Ichchhā Shakti (will), illumined by Jnāna Shakti (knowledge), Shakti the Lord appearing as male creates (Kriyā Shakti, or action).”
When the Kārana Bindu “sprouts” in order to create the three (Bindu, Nāda, and Bīja) there arises that unmanifested Brahman-word or Sound called the Shabdabrahman (Sound Brahman).¹ It is said: “From the differentiation of the Kārana Bindu arises the unmanifested ‘Sound’ which is called Shabdabrahman by those learned in Shruti.”² It is this Shabdabrahman which is the immediate cause of the universe, which is sound and movement manifesting as idea and language. This sound, which is one with the Kārana Bindu, and is therefore all-pervading, yet first appears in man’s body in the Mūlā- dhāra. “It is said in the Mūlādhāra in the body the ‘air’ (Prānavāyu) first appears. That ‘air’ acted upon by the effort of a person desiring to speak, manifests the all-pervading Shabdabrahman.”³ The Shabdabrahman which is in the form of the Kārana Bindu when it remains motionless (Nishpanda) in its own place (that is, in Kundalī, who is Herself in the Mūlādhāra) is called Parā Shakti or speech. The same Shabdabrahman manifested by the same air proceeding as far as the navel, united with the Manas, possessing the nature of the manifested Kāryya Bindu with general (Sāmānyaspanda) motion, is named
1 Ayamevacha yadā kāryabindvāditrayajananonmukho bhidyate taddashāyām avyaktah shabdabrahmābhidheyo ravas tatrotpadyate (ib.).
2 Tadapyuktam:
Bindos tasmād bhidyamānād avyaktātmā ravo ’bhavat,
Sa ravah shrutisampannaih shabdabrahmeti gīyate (ib.).
3 So’yang ravah kāranabindutādātmyāpannatvāt sarvagato’pi vyanjakayatnasangskritapavanavashāt prānināng mūlādhāra eva abhivyajyate. Taduktang:
Dehe’pi mūlādhāre’smin samudeti samīranah,
Vivakshorichchhayotthena prayatnena susangskritah.
Sa vyanjayati tatraiva shabdabrahmāpi sarvagam (ib.).
Pashyantī speech.¹ Pashyantī, which is described as
Jnānātmaka and Bindvātmaka (in the nature of Chit and
Bindu), extends from the Mūlādhāra to the navel, or,
according to some accounts, the Svādishthāna.
Next, the Shabdabrahman manifested by the same air proceeding as far as the heart, united with the Buddhi, possessing the nature of the manifested Nāda and endowed with special (Visheshaspanda) motion, is called Madhyamā speech.² This is Hiranyagarbha sound, extending from the region of Pashyantī to the heart. Next,³ the same Shabdabrahman manifested by the same air proceeding as far as the mouth, developed in the throat, etc., articulated and capable of being heard by the ears of others, possessing the nature of the manifested Bīja with quite distinct articulate motion (Spashtatara), is called Vaikharī speech.⁴ This is the Virāt state of sound, so called because it “comes out”.
This matter is thus explained by the Āchāryya: “That sound which first arises in the Mūlādhāra is called Parā; next Pashyantī; next, when it goes as far as the heart and
1 Tad idang kāranabindvātmakam abhivyaktang shabdabrahmasvapratishthatayā nishpandam tadeva cha parā vāg ityuchyate. Atha tadeva nābhiparyantamāgachchhatā tena pavanenābhivyaktam vimarsharūpena manasā yuktam sāmānyaspandaprakāsharūpakāryyabindumayang sat pashyantī vāg uchyate (ib.).
2 Atha tad eva shabdabrahma tenaiva vāyunā hridayaparyantamabhivyajyamānang nishchayātmikayā buddhyā yuktang visheshaspandaprakāsharūpanādamayang sat madhyamāvāgityuchyate (ib.).
3 Atha tad eva vadanaparyyantang tenaiva vāyunā kanthādisthā- neshvabhivyajyamānam akārādivarnarūpang parashrotra-grahanayogyang spashtataraprakāsharūpabījātmakang sat vaikharī vāg uchyate (ib.).
4 That is, Shabda in its physical form. Bhāskararāya, in his commentary to the same verse (132) of the Lalitā, gives the following derivations: Vi=much; khara=hard. According to the Saubhāgya- Sudhodaya, Vai=certainly; kha=cavity (of the ear); ra=to go or enter. But according to the Yoga Shāstras, the Devī who is in the form of Vaikharī (Vaikharīrūpā) is so called because she was produced by the Prāna called Vikhara.
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