The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
is joined to the Buddhi, it is called ‘Madhyamā’.” This name is derived from the fact that She abides “in the midst”. She is neither like Pashyantī nor does She proceed outward like Vaikharī, with articulation fully developed. But She is in the middle between these two.
The full manifestation is Vaikharī of the man wishing to cry out. In this way articulated sound is produced by air.¹ The Nityā Tantra also says: “The Parā form rises in the Mūlādhāra produced by ‘air’; the same ‘air’ rising upwards, manifested in the Svādhishthāna, attains the Pashyantī² state. The same slowly rising upwards and manifested in the Anāhata united with the understanding (Buddhi), is Madhyamā. Again rising upwards, and appearing in the Vishuddha, it issues from the throat as Vaikharī.”³ As the Yogakundalī Upanishad⁴ says: “That Vāk (power of speech) which sprouts in Parā gives forth leaves in Pashyantī, buds forth in Madhyamā, and blossoms in Vaikharī. By reversing the above order sound is absorbed. Whosoever realises the great Lord of Vāk the
1 Taduktamāchāryyaih:
Mūlādhārāt prathamam udito yash cha bhāvah parākhyah, Pashchāt pashyanty atha hridayago buddhiyug madhyamākhyah, Vyakte vaikhary atha rurudishor asya jantoh sushumnā, Baddhas tasmāt bhavati pavanapreritā varnasangjnā, (Bhāskararāya, op. cit.).
2 Bhāskararāya cities Her other name, Uttīrnā (risen up), and the Saubhāgya-Sudhodaya, which says: “As She sees all in Herself, and as She rises (Uttīrnā above the path of action, this Mother is called Pashyantī and Uttīrnā”).
3 Nityātantre’pi:
Mūlādhārāt samutpannah parākhyo nādasambhavah.
Sa evordhvatayā nītah svādhishthāne vijrimbhitah,
Pashyāntyākhyām avāpnoti tathaivordhvang shanaih shanaih,
Anāhate buddhi-tattvasameto madhyamābhidhah,
Tathā tayordhvang nunnah san vishuddhau kanthadeshatah
Vaikharyākhya ityādi (Bhāskararāya, op. cit.).
See also Ch. II, Prapanchasāra Tantra, Vol. III of Tantrik
Texts, ed. A. Avalon.
4 Ch. III.
undifferentiated illuminating Self is unaffected by any word, be it what it may.”
Thus, though there are four kinds of speech, grossminded men (Manushyāh sthūladrishah)¹ who do not understand the first three (Parā etc.), think speech to be Vaikharī alone,² just as they take the gross body to be the Self, in ignorance of its subtler principles. Shruti says: “Hence men think that alone to be speech which is imperfect”—that is, imperfect in so far as it does not possess the first three forms.³ Another Shruti also says:⁴ “Four are the grades of speech—those Brāhmanas who are wise know them: three are hidden and motionless; men speak the fourth.” The Sūta Sanghitā also says: “Apada (the motionless Brahman) becomes Pada (the four forms of speech), and Pada may become Apada. He who knows the distinction between Pada⁵ and Apada, he really sees (i.e., himself becomes Brahman).”⁶
Thus, the conclusions of Shruti and Smriti are that the “That” (Tat) in the human body has four divisions (Parā, etc.). But even in the Parā form the word Tat only denotes the Avyakta with three Gunas, the cause of Parā, and not the unconditioned Brahman who is above Avyakta. The word “Tat” which occurs in the transcendental sayings means the Shabdabrahman, or
1 That is, men who see and accept only the gross aspect of things.
2 Itthang chaturvidhāsu mātrikāsu parāditrayam ajānanto manushyāh sthūladrisho vaikharīm eva vāchang manvate (Bhāskararāya, ib.).
3 Tathā cha shrutih: Tasmād yadvācho’ nāptang tanmanushyā upa jīvanti iti, anāptam apūrnang tisribhir virahitam ityartha iti vedabhāshye.
4 Shrutyantare’pi: chatvāri vākparimitā padāni tāni vidur brāhmanā ye manīshinah, guhā trīni nihitā nenggayanti, turīyang vācho manushyā vadantīti (ib.).
5 The Pada, or word, is that which has a termination. Pānini says (Sūtra, I, iv, 14): “That which ends in Sup (nominal endings) and in Tin (verbal terminations) is called Pada.” Again, the Sup (termination) has five divisions.
6 Bhāskararāya, loc. cit.
Īshvara endowed with the work of creation, maintenance, and “destruction,” of the Universe. The same word also indicates indirectly (Lakshana) the unconditioned or supreme Brahman who is without attributes. The relation between the two Brahmans is that of sameness (Tā- dātmya). Thus, the Devī or Shakti is the one essence of consciousness (Chidekarasarūpinī)—that is, She is ever inseparate from Chit. The relation of the two Brahmans is possible, as the two are one and the same. Though they appear as different (by attributes), yet at the same time they are one.
The commentator cited then asks, How can the word Tat in the Vaikharī form indicate Brahman? and replies that it only does so indirectly. For sound in the physical form of speech (Vaikharī) only expresses or is identified with the physical form of Brahman (the Virāt), and not the pure Supreme Brahman.
The following will serve as a summary of correspondences noted in this and the previous Chapter. There is first the Nirguna Brahman, which in its creative aspect is Saguna Shabdabrahman, and assumes the form of Parabindu, and then of the threefold (Tribindu); the four who are represented in the sense above stated by the four forms of speech, sound or state (Bhāva).
The causal (Kārana) or Supreme Bindu (Parabindu) is unmanifest (Avyakta), undifferentiated Shiva-Shakti, whose powers are not yet displayed, but are about to be displayed from out the then undifferentiated state of Mūlaprakriti. This is the state of Supreme Speech (Parā Vāk), the Supreme Word or Logos, the seat of which in the individual body is the Mūlādhāra Chakra. So much is clear. There is, however, some difficulty in coordinating the accounts of the threefold powers manifesting
is joined to the Buddhi, it is called ‘Madhyamā’.” This name is derived from the fact that She abides “in the midst”. She is neither like Pashyantī nor does She proceed outward like Vaikharī, with articulation fully developed. But She is in the middle between these two.
The full manifestation is Vaikharī of the man wishing to cry out. In this way articulated sound is produced by air.¹ The Nityā Tantra also says: “The Parā form rises in the Mūlādhāra produced by ‘air’; the same ‘air’ rising upwards, manifested in the Svādhishthāna, attains the Pashyantī² state. The same slowly rising upwards and manifested in the Anāhata united with the understanding (Buddhi), is Madhyamā. Again rising upwards, and appearing in the Vishuddha, it issues from the throat as Vaikharī.”³ As the Yogakundalī Upanishad⁴ says: “That Vāk (power of speech) which sprouts in Parā gives forth leaves in Pashyantī, buds forth in Madhyamā, and blossoms in Vaikharī. By reversing the above order sound is absorbed. Whosoever realises the great Lord of Vāk the
1 Taduktamāchāryyaih:
Mūlādhārāt prathamam udito yash cha bhāvah parākhyah, Pashchāt pashyanty atha hridayago buddhiyug madhyamākhyah, Vyakte vaikhary atha rurudishor asya jantoh sushumnā, Baddhas tasmāt bhavati pavanapreritā varnasangjnā, (Bhāskararāya, op. cit.).
2 Bhāskararāya cities Her other name, Uttīrnā (risen up), and the Saubhāgya-Sudhodaya, which says: “As She sees all in Herself, and as She rises (Uttīrnā above the path of action, this Mother is called Pashyantī and Uttīrnā”).
3 Nityātantre’pi:
Mūlādhārāt samutpannah parākhyo nādasambhavah.
Sa evordhvatayā nītah svādhishthāne vijrimbhitah,
Pashyāntyākhyām avāpnoti tathaivordhvang shanaih shanaih,
Anāhate buddhi-tattvasameto madhyamābhidhah,
Tathā tayordhvang nunnah san vishuddhau kanthadeshatah
Vaikharyākhya ityādi (Bhāskararāya, op. cit.).
See also Ch. II, Prapanchasāra Tantra, Vol. III of Tantrik
Texts, ed. A. Avalon.
4 Ch. III.
undifferentiated illuminating Self is unaffected by any word, be it what it may.”
Thus, though there are four kinds of speech, grossminded men (Manushyāh sthūladrishah)¹ who do not understand the first three (Parā etc.), think speech to be Vaikharī alone,² just as they take the gross body to be the Self, in ignorance of its subtler principles. Shruti says: “Hence men think that alone to be speech which is imperfect”—that is, imperfect in so far as it does not possess the first three forms.³ Another Shruti also says:⁴ “Four are the grades of speech—those Brāhmanas who are wise know them: three are hidden and motionless; men speak the fourth.” The Sūta Sanghitā also says: “Apada (the motionless Brahman) becomes Pada (the four forms of speech), and Pada may become Apada. He who knows the distinction between Pada⁵ and Apada, he really sees (i.e., himself becomes Brahman).”⁶
Thus, the conclusions of Shruti and Smriti are that the “That” (Tat) in the human body has four divisions (Parā, etc.). But even in the Parā form the word Tat only denotes the Avyakta with three Gunas, the cause of Parā, and not the unconditioned Brahman who is above Avyakta. The word “Tat” which occurs in the transcendental sayings means the Shabdabrahman, or
1 That is, men who see and accept only the gross aspect of things.
2 Itthang chaturvidhāsu mātrikāsu parāditrayam ajānanto manushyāh sthūladrisho vaikharīm eva vāchang manvate (Bhāskararāya, ib.).
3 Tathā cha shrutih: Tasmād yadvācho’ nāptang tanmanushyā upa jīvanti iti, anāptam apūrnang tisribhir virahitam ityartha iti vedabhāshye.
4 Shrutyantare’pi: chatvāri vākparimitā padāni tāni vidur brāhmanā ye manīshinah, guhā trīni nihitā nenggayanti, turīyang vācho manushyā vadantīti (ib.).
5 The Pada, or word, is that which has a termination. Pānini says (Sūtra, I, iv, 14): “That which ends in Sup (nominal endings) and in Tin (verbal terminations) is called Pada.” Again, the Sup (termination) has five divisions.
6 Bhāskararāya, loc. cit.
Īshvara endowed with the work of creation, maintenance, and “destruction,” of the Universe. The same word also indicates indirectly (Lakshana) the unconditioned or supreme Brahman who is without attributes. The relation between the two Brahmans is that of sameness (Tā- dātmya). Thus, the Devī or Shakti is the one essence of consciousness (Chidekarasarūpinī)—that is, She is ever inseparate from Chit. The relation of the two Brahmans is possible, as the two are one and the same. Though they appear as different (by attributes), yet at the same time they are one.
The commentator cited then asks, How can the word Tat in the Vaikharī form indicate Brahman? and replies that it only does so indirectly. For sound in the physical form of speech (Vaikharī) only expresses or is identified with the physical form of Brahman (the Virāt), and not the pure Supreme Brahman.
The following will serve as a summary of correspondences noted in this and the previous Chapter. There is first the Nirguna Brahman, which in its creative aspect is Saguna Shabdabrahman, and assumes the form of Parabindu, and then of the threefold (Tribindu); the four who are represented in the sense above stated by the four forms of speech, sound or state (Bhāva).
The causal (Kārana) or Supreme Bindu (Parabindu) is unmanifest (Avyakta), undifferentiated Shiva-Shakti, whose powers are not yet displayed, but are about to be displayed from out the then undifferentiated state of Mūlaprakriti. This is the state of Supreme Speech (Parā Vāk), the Supreme Word or Logos, the seat of which in the individual body is the Mūlādhāra Chakra. So much is clear. There is, however, some difficulty in coordinating the accounts of the threefold powers manifesting
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