The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)

that luminary, it makes all things visible, and Jnāna is Fire because knowledge burns up all creation. When Jīva through Jnāna knows itself to be Brahman it ceases to act, so as to accumulate Karma, and attains liberation (Moksha). It may be that this refers to the Jīva, as the former represents the creation of Īshvara.

In the Yoginīhridaya Tantra it is said that Vāmā and Ichchhā Shakti are in the Pashyantī body; Jnāna and Jyeshthā are called Madhyamā; Kriyā Shakti is Raudrī; and Vaikharī is in the form of the universe.³ The evolution of the Bhāvas is given in the Shāradā Tilka⁴ as follows: the all-pervading Shabdabrahman or Kundalī emanates Shakti, and then follow Dhvani, Nāda, Nirodhikā, Arddhendu, Bindu. Shakti is Chit with Sattva (Paramākāshāvasthā); Dhvani is Chit with Sattva and

1 Yoginīhridaya Tantra; Commentary already cited referring to
Saubhāgyasudhodaya and Tattvasandoha. See also Tantrāloka, Ch. VI.

2 The following shows the correspondence according to the texts cited:

Bīja
Shonabindu

Shakti, Moon, Vāmā, Brahmā, Bhāratī, Ichchhā,
Rajas, Pashyantī, Svādhishthāna.

Nāda
Mishrabindu

Shiva-Shakti, Sun, Jyeshthā, Vishnu, Vishvambhara,
Jnāna, Sattva, Madhyamā, Anāhata.

Bindu
Sitabindu

Shiva, Fire, Raudrī, Rudra, Rudrānī, Kriyā, Tamas,
Vaikharī, Vishuddha.

3 Ichchhāshaktis tathā Vāmā pashyantīvapushā sthitā Jnānashaktis tathā Jyeshthā madhyamā vāg udīritā Kriyāshaktis tu Raudrīyam vaikharī vishvavigrahā.

(Cited under v. 22, Comm. Kāmakalāvilāsa.)

4 Chap. I.

Rajas (Aksharāvasthā); Nāda is Chit with Sattva, Rajas, Tamas (Avyaktāvasthā); Nirodhikā is the same with abundance of Tamas (Tamah-prāchuryāt); Arddhendu the same with abundance of Sattva; and Bindu the combination of the two. This Bindu is called by the different names of Parā and the rest, according as it is in the different centres, Mūlādhāra and the rest. In this way Kundalī, who is Ichchhā, Jnāna, Kriyā, who is both in the form of consciousness (Tejorūpā) and composed of the Gunas (Gunātmikā), creates the Garland of Letters (Varnamālā).

The four Bhāvas have been dealt with as coming under Nāda, itself one of the following nine manifestations of Devī.

Pandit Ananta Shāstrī, referring to Lakshmīdhara’s commentary on v. 34 of Ānandalaharī, says:¹

“‘Bhagavatī is the word used in the text to denote Devī. One that possesses Bhaga is called a Bhagavatī (feminine). Bhaga signifies the knowledge of (1) the creation, (2) destruction of the universe, (3) the origin of beings, (4) the end of beings, (5) real knowledge or divine truth, and (6) Avidyā, or ignorance. He that knows all these six items is qualified for the title Bhagavān. Again, Bha=9. “Bhagavatī” refers to the nine-angled Yantra (figure) which is used in the Chandrakalāvidyā.’

“According to the Āgamas, Devī has nine manifestations, which are:

“1. Kāla group—lasting from the twinkling of an eye to the Pralaya time. The sun and moon are included in this group. Time.

“2. Kula group—consists of things which have form and colour. Form.

“3. Nāma group—consists of things which have names. Name.

1 Ananta Shāstrī, op. cit., p. 72.

p. 181

“4. Jnāna group—Intelligence. It is divided into two branches: Savikalpa (mixed and subject to change) and Nirvikalpa (pure and unchanging). Chit.

“5. Chitta group—consists of (1) Ahangkāra (egoism),
(2) Chitta, (3) Buddhi, (4) Manas, and (5) Unmanas. Mind.

“6. Nāda group—consists of (1) Rāga (desire),¹ (2) Ichchhā (desire¹ strengthened, or developed desire), (3) Kriti (action, or active form of desire), and (4) Prayatna (attempt made to achieve the object desired). These correspond, in order, to (1) Parā (the first stage of sound, emanating from Mūlādhāra), (2) Pashyantī (the second stage), (3) Madhyamā (the third stage), and (4) Vaikharī (the fourth stage of sound as coming out of the mouth). Sound.

“7. Bindu group—consists of the six Chakras from Mūlādhāra to Ājnā. Psychic Essence, the Spiritual Germ.²

“8. Kalā group—consists of fifty letters from Mūlā- dhāra to Ājnā. Keynotes.³

“9. Jīva group—consists of souls in the bondage of matter.

“The Presiding Deities or Tattvas of the four constituent parts of Nāda are Māyā, Shuddhavidyā, Mahesha, and Sadāshiva. The Commentator deals with this subject fully, quoting extracts from occult works. The following is a translation of a few lines from Nāmakalāvidyā,⁴p. 182 a work on phonetics, which will be of interest to the reader:

1 Rāga should be translated as “interest,” as in Rāga-kanchuka. Ichchhā is the will towards action (Kriyā) in conformity therewith. Desire is a gross thing which comes in with the material world.

2 I cite the passage as written, but these terms are not clear to me.

3 I do not know what the Pandit means by this term.

4 “This work is not easily available to Pandits or scholars; we do not find this name in any of the catalogues prepared by European or Indian scholars. The make-secret policy has spoiled all such books. Even now, if we find any MS. dealing with occult matters in the houses of any ancient Pandits, we will not be allowed even to see the book; and actually these works have for a long time become food for worms and white ants” (Ananta Shāstrī).