The Sanskrit Alphabet.doc

The Sanskrit Alphabet (Part 1)

Swami Yogakanti Saraswati

AUM = A + U + M

The wonderful thing about the Sanskrit alphabet is that it works on so many levels. English uses the Roman script, and knowing its ABC helps us to read and write and use a dictionary, but the classical ‘dictionary’ order of Sanskrit is a master key. The different groupings of letters according to their place of formation, for pronunciation, from the throat to the lips is used in the structure of the alphabet and reflects the structure of the chakras. The script itself is called Devanagari, the script of the gods, which indicates its power. The letters are called akshara, which means not-destructible, indestructible. We will look at the links between the Sanskrit letters and the chakras systematically; it just takes a little time, but let us start at the beginning.

A is for Aum and sahasrara

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was Aum. Aum starts deep in the throat with ‘A’ (it’s a guttural vowel sounding like the ‘u’ in ‘cup’). Then it rolls forward through the mouth to ‘U’ (which sounds like the ‘u’ in ‘pull’). Finally there is the nasalised ‘mmm’ sound, which Sanskrit also classes as a vowel and is expressed with closed lips. Pronounce Aum carefully with awareness of where the sound vibrations are coming from and you can experience this right now.

So Aum actually, as well as symbolically, moves us through all the potential areas of our vocal sounds. It is given as the bija mantra, seed sound, of sahasrara – the thousand-petalled lotus which contains all the chakras within itself and joins the material, sensory universe to the transcendental dimension. It is also the bija mantra of ajna chakra where instructions or guidance from that

transcendental dimension are received while we inhabit a physical body.

Sanskrit has 16 vowels, and each vowel has its own letter in Devanagari script. It also has 32 consonants, and each of these also has its own letter in Devanagari, as we would expect. The akshara, or letter for each of these consonants, indicates that the A sound described above is included in the sound of the consonant. However, if a consonant is to be followed by a vowel other than A, then we indicate that by adding the shorthand symbol for that vowel, instead of using the whole letter as we do in English.

All this means there are a few more things to learn at the beginning, but everything is much more precise. The Devanagari script also contains many conjunct, sanyukta, letters for special combinations of its original letters – maybe that is why sahasrara has so many petals? Aum is the first of these special conjuncts; there is another very important one we will meet soon, and the rest you pick up later.

Aum creates the universe

Adi Shankaracharya, the tantric yogi who founded the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and the Dashnami tradition of sannyasa, said that Mandukya Upanishad is the most important upanishad. Why? Because its twelve slokas explain Aum, which is Shabda Brahman, the Word of the supreme consciousness, the energy vibration which results in the manifest universe issuing from the unmanifest.

Aumityetadaksharam idam sarvam tasyopavyaakhyaanam.Bhootam bhavadbhavishyaditi sarvam Aumkaara eva.Yachchaanyat trikaalaateetam tadapi Aumkaara eva.Sarvam hyetad Brahma ayam aatmaa Brahma

The word, Aum, is the universe. Everything that exists in the past, present and future is Aum and that which exists beyond the

threefold division of time is Aum. Everything that is, is Brahman, and the Self (atman) is Brahman.(Mandukya Upanishad v. 1 & 2)

The basic idea here, that the universe is made up of consciousness and energy or vibration, sounds like the basis of modern scientific understanding and is the underlying assumption of many spiritual traditions. Aum encompasses all the range of sounds and symbolises the total range of consciousness for a human being.

‘A’ is for awake

Mandukya Upanishad goes on to explain, with terse symbolism, the syllable Aum as it relates to the different states of consciousness that a human being can experience. ‘A’ relates to jagrat, the waking consciousness. Jagrat has nineteen mouths and seven limbs, so clearly in this state we are busy feeding ourselves and moving about.

Jaagaritasthaano bahishprajnah saptaanga ekonavinshatimukhah sthoolabhugvaishvaanarah prathamah paadah.

The first aspect is jagrat, the waking state, the awareness of external things, the terrain of Vaishvanara, the witnessing man on Earth. It has seven limbs and nineteen mouths and its enjoyment lies in the visible objects of the world.(Mandukya Upanishad v. 3)

Our nineteen mouths are usually explained as being the five karmendriyas or organs of action: anus, genitals, feet, hands and vocal cords; the five jnanendriyas or sense organs: nose, tongue, eyes, skin and ears; the five mahabhootas or elements: earth, water, fire, air and space; and the manas chatushtaya, the four mental organs: manas (mind that relates to sense and thought/counter thought), buddhi (intellect), chitta (memory) and ahamkara (ego).

Through these mouths we experience, ‘enjoy’ or ‘eat’ the manifest physical world of objects.

Our seven limbs in this jagrat, waking, state are the seven chakras that download the abundant cosmic energy into the body and mind so we keep ticking over nicely as we get born, do our duties, learn our lessons and die on planet Earth. It is the intriguing relationship between the chakras and the aksharas of the Sanskrit alphabet that this series of articles will explore.

‘U’ is for you dreamer

Of course, human beings are complex and subtle; we don’t only have one mode of consciousness. We are not entirely confined to the eyes-open-enjoy-the-senses modality. We dream too. We have our subtle side, hidden motivations, aims and aspirations. Mandukya Upanishad relates ‘U’ of Aum to svapna, the mainly subconscious dream state. There is that side to us which enjoys the subtle things of the mind and emotions and, at least each night, that side automatically expresses itself when our jagrat side closes down.

Svapnasthaano’ntah prajnah saptaanga ekonavinshatimukhah praviviktabhuktaijaso dviteeyah paadah.

Svapna, the dreaming state is the second aspect, over which Taijas rules. It possesses seven limbs and nineteen mouths but the objects enjoyed are invisible (subtle).(Mandukya Upanishad v. 4)

Practices such as yoga nidra help us to extend our awareness into this area of our personality and ‘bring back’ insights gained there so we can consciously apply them. It seems all esoteric traditions, from the Yaqui Indians to the Australian Aborigines have their own techniques to explore dreaming. Adepts are quite sure that dreaming is at least as real as waking. They often point out that our

daily lives are largely reflections of the subconscious samskaras, impressions, motivations, memory patterns or goals that we glimpse in our dream world (and forget about when we are awake unless we train ourselves not to).

This seems fairly deep, but Mandukya Upanishad points out that this dream realm also has nineteen mouths and seven limbs, so we’re still moving around a lot expressing ourselves and searching for satisfaction – but we are dealing with psychic, mental and emotional impressions rather than physical objects.

‘M’ is for mass of consciousness

As human beings we go deeper than that too. The ‘mmm’ at the end of Aum is related to sushupti, that deep part of sleep beyond dreams. Prajna is a special type of high energy intuitive wisdom that witnesses sushupti.

Yatra supto na kanchana kaaman kaamayate na kanchana svapnam pashyati tatsushuptam. Sushuptasthaana ekeebhootah prajnaanaghana evaanandamayo hyaanandabhuk chetomuktah praajnastriteeyah paadah.

The third aspect is sushupti, deep dreamless sleep, lying beyond desire. Prajna is the Lord of this territory and abides in deep sleep in which all things have vanished and enjoys bliss. Prajna lies at the doorway between the dreaming and waking states. (Mandukya Upanishad v. 5)

No thoughts, no sensory experiences – what happens then? We don’t know; sleep is what happens when we’re not there. But if some state of mind is beyond the ego yet full of bliss, that sounds like samadhi. Sage Vyasa’s commentary on Rishi Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras says that samadhi is the natural state of the mind – it’s just that it is covered with vrittis, mental patterns or modifications. Well, it is! As we’ve seen – there are gross ones collected from

jagrat during our waking hours and subtle ones percolating away in swapna-dreams when we switch off from the external world for a while. And then there are the unconscious patterns. Since Freud established its existence and power, many have researched the unconscious. We can do it ourselves but to witness it takes purification, concentration and abundant energy – and most of us fall asleep doing it.

‘AUM’ for omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.

So how will we ever get beyond sushupti to turiya, the fourth dimension described by Mandukya Upanishad?

Naantahprajnam na bahishprajnam nobhayatah prajnam na prajnaanaghanam na prajnam naaprajnam. Adrishtam avyavahaaryam agraahyam alakshanam achintyam avyapadeshyam ekaatmapratyayasaaram prapanchopashamam shaantam shivamadvaitam chaturtham manyante sa aatmaa sa vijneyah.

Turiya, Lord of the fourth aspect according to the wise, remains unaware of the external, intermediate and internal worlds, is beyond both the conscious and unconsciousness. It is indescribable, bearing no relation to anything, where sight cannot penetrate, nor thought. Turiya enjoys pure awareness and experiences peace, bliss and non-duality, and is none other that atman. Realise this.(Mandukya Upanishad v. 7)

If we can swim like a great fish from bank to bank of the river of consciousness – roaming freely with awareness through wakefulness, dream and sleep – will we transcend?

Amaatrashchaturthah anyahaaryah prapanchopashamah shivo’dvaita evam Aumkaara aatma iva samvishatyaatmanaa aatmaanam.

The fourth aspect is Aum itself, the sacred indivisible word. Aum is atman, the transcendent, the beyond understanding, the cessation of all phenomena, the blissful, the non-dual. The knower of this highest Truth is merged in atman and attains the final goal, which is Brahman.(Mandukya Upanishad v. 12)

AUM is for Aum chanting

Aum chanting activates sahasrara and ajna chakra; there we receive divine guidance while we inhabit this body down on planet Earth. In fact, chanting Aum is the only form of japa advocated by Rishi Patanjali because he is really only interested in transcendence – for him reality is ajna and above – raja yoga samadhi is his theme.

For those of us still needing to fly over the mess or morass or ocean of samsara, ajna’s two petals (the two wings of the jiva-bird) are Ham and Tham. They are written Ham and Ksham by the tantrics, but that is a disguise of common usage. Really, say the hatha yogis, the mantra for ajna’s right wing sounds like Ham and indicates the pranavahi, the flow of vital solar energy known also as pingala nadi. The mantra on the left wing sounds like Tham and indicates the manovahi, the flow of the mind, the reflective lunar energy known also as ida nadi. It is only after balancing these two that we can fly. In order to balance them there is Ha-Tha yoga – which is another story.

To be continued in the next issue



HA + THA = HATHA as in Hatha YogaKA + SHA = KSHA

HAM, THAM, KSHAM, AUMSOHAM & HAMSA

In Part 1, it became clear that simply learning to be aware of sounds, how we make use of them and how they affect us has theoretical and practical implications. Aum both symbolises creation at the level of the manifest universe and at the level of human consciousness, and is the Word. It is also the bija mantra, seed vibration, of sahasrara and ajna chakra. So remembering Aum, or chanting it, or writing it repeatedly are simple but very powerful practices that we can all do. Remembering Aum tunes us back into the big realities of consciousness, life and evolution of awareness. And this is why the sage Patanjali recommends Aum chanting in his Yoga Sutras.

Tasya vaachakah pranavah. (1:27)Aum is the word denoting Ishvara (the Indestructible God).

Tat japah tat artha bhaavanam. (1:28)That (word Aum) should be recited repeatedly while dwelling mentally on its meaning.

Tatah pratyak chetanaa adhigamo’pyantaraayaha abhaavashcha. (1:29)From that practice the consciousness turns inward and the obstacles (to samadhi) are overcome.

A is for Aum and ajna

So Aum is for transcendence and is the beloved of the raja yogis. But another interesting level of how the Sanskrit alphabet works is that it describes the process of creation at the level of life forms (us created beings). It also describes the forces that influence us beings inhabiting material bodies on planet Earth. Hatha yoga is designed as a stair leading to the heights of raja yoga and samadhi, but is grounded in the dualities of existence on earth and our corporeal

life. It deals with cleaning the discs, or chakras, that control our endocrine glands, instincts, perceptions etc., and the nadis, or rivers of energy that flow between them like our nervous system and habit patterns.

Ajna means command or instruction, and in ajna chakra we receive instruction from the transcendental dimension, the inner self or guru through intuition. Aum is the bija mantra of ajna chakra relating to its transcendental aspect, the sushumna nadi that flows from sahasrara. Duality is represented by ajna’s two petals or wings or nadis. One relates to the mantra Ha for pingala nadi, the flow of masculine, solar vital prana, which leaves ajna chakra on the right side. The other relates to the mantra Tha for ida nadi, the flow of feminine, lunar, reflective mental energy, which leaves ajna on the left. You may not have consciously experienced the chakras and nadis as forces if you do not practise yoga, acupuncture, martial arts or some such discipline, but you still have to balance these two dimensions of your being, the external physical side and the internal mental side; and that is what ajna chakra represents.

Now relating this to the Sanskrit alphabet and how to use it, there are three curious points, mentioned in Part 1, that need amplification:

1. In Sanskrit, the full form of any consonant incorporates a free ‘a’ sound. For example, the letter sounds ‘tha’, not just ‘th’. To remove the ‘a’ sound from a consonant you have to use the special sign called a halant. So hatha is the name of the branch of yoga specializing in equalizing the flow of Ha and Tha. Hath is pronounced the same but without the final ‘a’ sound and means ‘force’.

2. Remember that ajna chakra’s bija mantra Aum has its own special conjunct, sanyukta; it is not written just by stringing A, U

and mmm together in a line. Similarly, Ksha is another very important sanyukta. Its components are Ka and Sha.

3. You will notice that all the bija mantra and petal mantras of the chakras are nasalized. That final nasalized vowel sound actually has two different symbols in the Devanagari script. The sign called bindu, meaning a point or drop, is used most often when nasalizing a short vowel. The sign chandrabindu, moondrop, is mostly used for long vowels. Because the letters for Ha, Tha and Ksha all incorporate the short ‘a’ vowel, we nasalize them just by adding the simple bindu and get Ham, Tham and Ksham. Aum is made up of three vowel sounds which add up to a long one, so the chandrabindu is used there.

The icons or symbols of the chakras carved out by tradition are power packed, terse transmissions of information and experience, not merely decorative embellishments or rigid rules and they relate to actual forces. For hatha yogis the petals of ajna can be written as Ham and Tham, but tantrics wrote the latter as Ksham for experiential reasons we can discuss later.

These two petals of ajna relate to the two major flows that descend from ajna. The flow of vital energy called pranavahi relates especially to pingala nadi. The flow of mental energy called manovahi relates especially to ida nadi. Nada means to flow, nadi means river or current. Of all the 72,000 nadis in the human body, sushumna carries the greatest voltage of energy from sahasrara to ajna and, if ida and pingala have been sufficiently strengthened, purified and balanced, engulfs them in its journey down to mooladhara, awakening kundalini, the evolutionary energy in the individual, electrifying the consciousness and lifestyle on the way.

Ha is for hatha yoga

However absorbed we become in material objects and the sensory world like our office, car, food, status, beliefs etc., that is not the

most potent reality that our lives depend on, and the different perceptions and experiences induced by yogic practice help us to keep our priorities in order. It is an incontrovertible fact that for Earth-dwellers (us), the sun and the moon are the two great powers. Of course, if we still have trouble accepting that milk comes from cows rather than cardboard containers, we may tend to overlook the significance of living in the orbit of a yellow dwarf and of being orbited by a sizeable moon at close quarters.

Especially if we come from technological societies cut off from nature, we may not have realized that this is bound to have continuous profound consequences on every aspect of our daily life. We may not even keep track of the moon’s phases or the sun’s progress along its northern and southern paths. So how can we know whether it’s a good time to die? Or, alternatively, how to live skilfully, adapting to the changes we indwellers of the body experience physiologically, mentally, emotionally and psychically due to the cosmic tides?

The rishis, seers or sages, were wise enough to see our inter-relatedness clearly and they designed the system of hatha yoga. Its practices, attitudes and lifestyle balance ha-tha, the two sides to our nature, the two lives we have to live harmoniously. One is our relationship with the external material world of objects, people and reactive thoughts etc. when we are extrovert. The other is our relationship with our attitudes, reflections, samskaras, etc. when we are introvert. We have to balance these before the sushumna nadi flows, and the transcendental experiences of samadhi and Ishvara become stable.

Soham – Hamsa

If we keep a simple natural yogic lifestyle, we get up just before the sun does. We clear our bodies and minds of accumulated waste products, notice which nostril we’re breathing most freely through – and here we have it. Is it the right nostril, and pingala nadi, the

river of energy related to the sun, our left brain hemisphere functions, sympathetic nervous system and practical masculinity which is most influencing us today at sunrise? Or is it the left nostril, ida nadi, the river of energy related to the moon, right brain, the parasympathetic nervous system and psychic femininity which is going to dominate today?

Really it is simple to find out, just check which nostril you are breathing through most freely at this moment – it’s your own biofeedback apparatus inherited at birth, we just have to start using it. Each morning, step out of bed with the foot corresponding to the active flow, reminding yourself that ‘as we breathe so shall we act’ – whether consciously or unconsciously.

In hatha yoga we are fully aware as we breathe in and we breathe out. We breathe with the sure knowledge that the yellow dwarf which emits solar radiations that are pulsing out for light years across the galaxy is actually having a personal effect on us too. Some attitudes and actions are most successful when pingala nadi is dominating our personality and energy level and if we maintain awareness, we can synchronize our own internal rhythms with the macrocosm.

Likewise, the changing face of the moon indicates monthly rhythms which not only affect the ocean’s tides and the sprouting of plants, but also our level of lunacy, our reproductive cycles – the way you and I think and feel. Our success in some endeavours depends on our ability to focus, to remain serious, to introvert, so it is auspicious to do them when ida nadi is flowing freely.

Some texts such as the Shiva Swarodaya give copious advice on which activities are suitable when ida or pingala are flowing, apparently advocating success in an acquisitive lifestyle rather than success in samadhi.

Dakshine charabhaagena jagadutpaadayetsadaa.Madhyamaa bhavati krooraa dushthaa sarvatra karmasuSarvatra shubhakaaryeshu vaamaa bhavati siddhidaa

(Pingala) on the right aids worldly activity and the growth of the body. The middle flow (sushumna) is ‘wicked’ because any actions done during its flow with purposeful intention (for one’s self) do not bear fruit. The flow of the left nadi (ida) gives psychic ability (siddhi).(Shiva Swarodaya 57b & 58)

Other texts, such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, are mainly interested in achieving, maintaining and deepening samadhi. No doubt he would recommend sushumna’s flow. If asked about success in life, he would simply advise applying a balanced state of mind to whatever situations come in life by observing the yamas and niyamas, so that the experience of sushumna and samadhi can be prolonged.

The rishis who investigated the breath thoroughly found that human beings normally breathe about 20,600 times each twenty-four hours. Some said that the breath constantly repeats the mantra: So on the inhalation and Ham on the exhalation. Others with a different emphasis of attention heard Ham on the exhalation and Sa on the inhalation – what does it mean? That’s another story, and one best answered by listening to the breath rather than to some dictionary definition. But after listening to the breath for some time, we can place Aum at the eyebrow centre and the two petals of the lotus flower sometimes look like the two wings of a silver white bird, the hamsa, the mythological swan which can discriminate between reality and unreality.




SO + HAM = SOHAM = That I amHAM + SA = HAMSA = I am That; swanA‚ Aa‚ I, Ee, U, Oo, Ri, Ree, Lri, Lree, E, Ai, O‚ Au‚ Am‚ Ah‚= the 16 vowels of vishuddhi

We are learning the Sanskrit alphabet. It has theoretical and practical implications. So far we have discussed Aum. It is the Word (and the Word was with God and the Word was God), the Shabda Brahman. It is the bija mantra, seed sound, of sahasrara, which represents our transcendental aspect, and ajna chakra, representing our connection with the transcendental, the higher consciousness, our inner guru.

Through sushumna nadi, ajna connects us to transcendental union, but through the two petals representing ida and pingala nadis, we are tied into the manifest universe, which works on dualities. The tantrics call the petals Ham and Ksham. Ksham is a sanyukta, made up of joining two other sounds – it is not a pure sound in itself. Its two components are Ka and Sha. Originally, it was not even the sibilant Sha, but Sa, which is in Ham-sa, the mantra of the breath. But if you are practising khechari mudra, where the tongue curls back in the mouth, you can’t pronounce Sa or Tha and it becomes Ksha.

Ha is for hatha yoga

The most important nadi is sushumna, then the pair, ida and pingala, then the nadis leading to the openings of the body, which are related to the senses, excretion and reproduction. Hatha yoga is concerned with purifying and balancing all these nadis, especially ida and pingala, so sushumna will flow.

Malaakulaasu naadishu maaruto naiva gachchhatiPraanaayaamah katham siddhayeta tattva jnaanam katham bhavet?Tasmaannaadeeshuddhimaadau praanaayaamam tato’bhyaset.

The vital air does not enter the nadis so long as they are full of impurities. How then can one attain success in pranayama? How can there be knowledge of Truth, tattwa jnana? Therefore one should purify the nadis first, then pranayamas should be practised. (Gherand Samhita 5:34)

Dvaasaptatisahasraani naadeedvaaraani panjareSushumnaa shaambhavee shaktih shoshaastveva nirarthakaah.

There are 72,000 nadis throughout the cage of this body. Sushumna is the shambhavi, the remaining nadis are unimportant. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 4:18)

When ha-tha yoga achieves its goal our awareness transcends duality. A new dimension of experience called sushumna nadi or kundalini or samadhi awakens.

Our awareness, which previously illumined only jagrat, our ‘conscious’ mind and a little bit of svapna, the ‘subconscious’, gets tuned in to sushupti, the unconscious and even beyond to turiya – the superconscious. Our two eyes may close to the ephemeral ‘reality’ of the material sensory dimension, but the third eye of ajna opens to inner truth or Reality. However, as most of us do not dwell constantly above the eyebrows, let’s study the downward flowing energies in a little more detail.

The major pranavahi flow of vital energy leaves ajna from the right, and governs the right side of the body and left brain hemisphere. It consists mainly of pingala nadi, but is augmented by two other important nadis, yashashwini, which starts at the left ear, and pusha, which starts at the right ear and goes to the right big toe. Similarly, the manovahi flow of mental energy does mainly

consist of ida nadi but is augmented by gandhari, which starts at the left eye, and hastijihva, which starts at the right eye and runs to the left big toe.

Ajna chakra

Some sources say that the mantra for hastijihva is Ksham – the plot thickens! But anyway, the hatha yogis call the petals of ajna chakra Ham and Tham because then it is clear that these petals signify pingala and ida nadis. Also, it reinforces their belief in the importance of personal effort or force – hath– whereas the tantrics, of a more spontaneous ilk, feel effort is just laborious and everything should be more spontaneous in higher sadhana.

The energy of these vital and reflective, solar and lunar forces in our life and personality is channelled down from ajna throughout our whole form. It actually ties us into the body for our lifespan where we are affected by time and space. It is easy to see that the sun and moon both represent and in a very real sense are time for Earth-dwellers. What is time if not days and nights and months and years? So is the central function of ajna to lead us beyond duality, time/space through the mantra Aum or to lead into space and time through Ha and Tha? Maybe these are the ‘wormholes’ that Stephen Hawkins speculates could exist in the fabric of space/time.

So ajna directs the energy down through ida and pingala and this leads to the duality of daily life for us multi-dimensional creatures. Ajna is known as the third eye because we have to balance insight, the inward looking witness, as well as the expressive, dynamic aspects of life.

Vishuddhi chakra

The next major centre below ajna is vishuddhi chakra, at the pit of the throat. The bija mantra of vishuddhi is Ham and ‘Ha’ is a guttural sound, made in the throat. The essence of vishuddhi

chakra is akasha, the space tattwa. And Ham is the seed mantra of space.

Space (the absence of anything) is what we first need for manifestation to occur in. It is right on the edge between manifest and unmanifest, existence and non-existence. Without space for them to be in, we could have no sun, planets, mountains, bicycles, elephants or ants – there would be no room for them to be in or breathe in. But of course, as soon as any of these things do actually exist, that’s the end of that particular bit of space. So space is the subtlest of the five tattwas or elements: space, air, fire, water and earth, that make up manifest creation.

Each of the five lower chakras relates directly to one of the five tattwas and to particular sets of knowledge, needs, instincts, senses, etc. In this aspect, the different chakras are like discs containing distinct software programs.

In the Sanskrit alphabet, too, Ha has a special ambivalence; it is neither vowel nor consonant. It is called the aspirate and as such is very powerful. Sanskrit has 32 consonants and about half of them are aspirated, so Ha permeates the alphabet. The 32 consonants, 16 vowels constitute the 50 Sanskrit letters on the petals of the major chakras. They are called matrikas, or ‘little mothers’. Matrikas are simple modulations of vibrations within the range of human hearing and sound production capacities.

Ha and Tha, representing the sun and the moon and so many other things, are both matrikas. Are they therefore just symbols for these great forces or are they intrinsically connected with the existence of the things they symbolize? Do the matrikas actually create these chakras and nadis and great cosmic forces? How could these little sounds create sun and moon? How could fragile Kunti create Karna and the Pandavas? Mothers are wonderful beings. So Ham is the seed mantra of vishuddhi and leads us into the manifest universe through its essence akasha, in the form of deep space.

Tham is for cool new territory

Now there is another chakra called soma or manas chakra in the upanishads and yogic texts. It is not generally mentioned in the Satyananda tradition because for the most part, we are Earth-dwellers, mooladhara to manipura people. The office and what we might eat and with whom does rather rule our day. But, up beyond ajna is a whole galaxy of chakras that we don’t much use. Soma, the moon chakra, is one of the major ones next up from ajna and its bija mantra is Tham. If we are journeying towards subtlety, we pass through there.

It’s a fascinating point really. From ajna, if we return our awareness towards earth and mooladhara, then the next chakra is vishuddhi with its bija mantra Ham. That leads to the space necessary for the manifestation of this material universe and that is also the mantra for pingala nadi, which conducts the physical, vital energy. On the other hand, if we move our awareness up beyond the eyebrows and ajna, then the next centre, soma, has the bija mantra Tham which is connected with ida nadi and reflective mental energy. The inter-relationship of mantras here indicates that we are looking at a subtle integrated network on many levels.

To keep grounded and speak of things which can be spoken of, however, we will beam down to vishuddhi chakra via its mantra Ham.

A is for adhara

The vishuddhi lotus flower has 16 petals and these have been explained in various ways. They are called adharas or ‘bases’. And one thing it seems the sources agree on is that the Devanagari letters of the 16 Sanskrit vowels are inscribed on them. And vishuddhi is the centre for communication just as the vowels are the interlinking communication bases of all the other letters of the alphabet.

The chart shows the 16 Sanskrit vowels, their full akshara or letter for each consonant in Devanagari, and the sort of English vowel they sound most like. They are in the ‘alphabetical’ order used in a Sanskrit dictionary. The order in which these matrikas are found when you read them from the 12 o’clock position, clockwise around vishuddhi chakra, is listed at the beginning of the article.

In Part 1 we mentioned that every consonant’s letter includes an (‚ã) sound automatically. If the ‘a’ (‚ã) sound is not required it must be deleted by the halant sign ( á ) or replaced by the shorthand symbol of the required vowel, not by adding the whole vowel as we do in English. ‘So’ is therefore written Ôããñ using the matra for ‘o’ (ãñ) rather than the whole akshara letter ‚ããñ.

If you count down the chart, all the odd numbers from 1 to 13 are short vowels; all the even numbers from 2 to 14 are their corresponding long vowels. Why not chant them? A, aa, i, ee, etc. – like when you were a little kid in school? See if you can remember their order. It’s good to learn another language – it makes our brain’s dendrites develop and keeps us young, unafraid of death and full of the nectar of life! It’s also an appropriate sadhana because the jnanendriya, or organ of knowledge, on vishuddhi’s disc is the vocal cords for producing sounds and the karmendriya, organ of action, is the ear – for listening to the sounds.

Why not write them? Try to write them clearly just as they are printed on the page. Practise a little likhit japa, written repetition, of the matrikas of vishuddhi and develop your powers of communication. It may seem a big effort but none of the other chakras we will discuss have so many petals and once you learn this lot you have all the vowels! So (Ôããñ) – here is a little space – Ham (Öâ).




Kam (‡ãâŠ), Kham (Œãâ), Gam (Øãâ), Gham (Üãâ), Jnam (Ý), Cham (Þãâ), Chham (œâ), Jam (•ãâ), Jham (¢ãâ), Nyam (šãâ), Tam (›â), Tham (Ÿâ) = the 12 petals of anahata

Revision

Now we are in time and space. The time is counted out by the sun and moon externally and by the energies of pingala and ida nadis (conveying the solar and lunar forces) internally.

Sooryaachandramasau dhattah kaalam raatrimadivaatmakamBhoktree sushumnaa kaalasya guhyametadudaahyatam.

The sun and moon divide time into day and night. Sushumna is the consumer of time. This is the conveyed secret.(Hatha Yoga Pradipika 4:17)

So, time relates to the two petals of ajna. Space opens up before us in vishuddhi chakra, with its 16 petals indicating the adharas, the bases of manifest consciousness. The 16 adharas are explained at different levels. The simplest and most profound explanation relates to the four dimensions of consciousness: jagrat (waking), svapna (dream), sushupti (deep sleep) and turiya (the fourth dimension that transcends). This is the classification of a human being’s potential modes of consciousness as explained by the Mandukya Upanishad that we referred to in Part 1 of this series. Other not so famous upanishads such as the Advayataraka and the Mangalbhraman further subdivide each of these states into four so we have jagrat/jagrat, jagrat/svapna, jagrat/sushupti, jagrat/turiya, then svapna/jagrat, svapna/svapna etc. Swami Niranjanananda explains this in his books on yoga darshan.

Remember that the mantras of vishuddhi’s 16 petals are the 16 Sanskrit vowels and we started practising with them in Part 3. Vishuddhi chakra relates to akasha tattwa, the space element, and their bija mantra, seed vibration, is Ham (Öâ). Of course, when there is space and time, communication is needed, for now things can move apart – before these first steps towards manifestation, when everything was in total union, who would need to communicate with whom? So vishuddhi is not only the chakra of space, but also of communication.

A is for anahata

The next chakra down in order of manifestation is anahata where the memory of union is most precious. The union of Shiva and Shakti, consciousness and energy, is symbolized by the interlacing of two triangles: one upright (Shiva) and one inverted (Shakti). The bija mantra, is Yam (¾ãâ). What is air? It is gaseous, just atoms or simple molecules (tiny dances of energy in the space of consciousness).

Anahata chakra has twelve petals. Their mantras form the next group of Sanskrit letters that we will learn, and they are listed at the top of the first page. In Devanagari, the script of the gods, first come the 16 vowels of vishuddhi, then the 32 Sanskrit consonants are very systematically arranged on a phonetic basis, according to their precise sound and how it is made. The akshara, indestructible Sanskrit letters, are phonetic – which means that the name and sound of each letter is the same, and it never changes.

The first 25 consonants are arranged in five sets of five letters. Each set is called a varna. The first set of five sounds is made in the throat and to pronounce each varna we move further forward in the mouth from the throat till the last set is pronounced at the lips.

The varna of anahata

The order of the chakra’s petal matrikas is also the order of the sounds in the Sanskrit alphabet. The first varna is called kanthya in Sanskrit, meaning velar or guttural in English; its sounds are produced in the throat. Pronouncing the aksharas of the varnas is similar to reading anahata like a clock. The five aksharas of the alphabet’s first varna start with ka (‡ãŠ), then comes kha (Œã), ga (Øã), gha (Üã) and jna (Ý). To recite anahata’s petal mantras you just add the ‘m’ sound of bindu to each.

The second varna is called talavya, meaning palatal in English, and its sounds are produced at the back of the palate by the tongue making a ‘soft’ sound. In anahata and dictionary order, they are ch (Þãâ), chh (œ), ja (•ã), jha (¢ã) and a nya sound (šã).

The third varna is called moordhanya, which means cerebral or retroflex in English, and its letters are pronounced by the tongue curling back and touching the front part of the upper palate with a ‘hard’ sound. The aksharas of anahata’s last two petals are the first two retroflex consonants written as ta (›) and tha (Ÿ).

As an exercise in awareness, just close the eyes and feel inside the mouth. Be aware of how these sounds are made. It makes us realize that speech for the most part is an unconscious activity – the mouth does it without our awareness unless we have special training for some reason.

Now we know that breathing is also an activity which is unconscious for the most part. We also know the enormous benefits we gain by breathing consciously with awareness in the discipline of yoga. So what are the consequences of placing similar awareness on speech and sounds? In yoga, nada yoga, mantra yoga and even swara yoga investigate just that point.

Not only that, there is the power of satya, the first of the yamas recommended by Patanjali, to be considered too. Satya, speaking the truth, is related to the root sat, which means Truth, Existence or Reality. Patanjali says that if you perfect satya, the siddhi or attainment is that whatever you say will happen. He is referring to the power of the word to create, and that conviction of the creative power of sound vibrations is the basis of mantra yoga, nada yoga, ajapa japa, the Vedas, the Bible and so forth. Also, in many ‘primitive’ cultures keeping one’s word was a mark of honour. Men and women were known to die to keep their word. It was thought to be something essential for integrity of character. What more can be said?

Phenomenal reality is for phenomena

The word anahata means ‘unstruck’. It refers to the subtle vibrations that exist but are not made by two objects colliding, as is the case with the gross sounds perceptible to the senses. This implies tuning into the subtle vibration of Truth that underlies phenomenal reality. Phenomenal reality means the reality we piece together from our senses and then pretend is Reality. Phenomenal reality is like the movie projected by the beam of light that we relate to, more or less, as if it is real, though we know it isn’t. Phenomenal reality – the sensory material world ‘we’ inhabit – is not even as real as the underlying reality of physics, i.e. that everything is actually made up of energy dancing in space.

Nevertheless, in anahata we become more involved. For the embryo in the womb the first sense to develop is touch. This is the sense that relates to anahata and is the twin of feeling in the sense of emotion – from the sticky, tacky, tamasic ones right through to the selfless sattwic kind of feelings. So in anahata the movie begins. The yogi attempts to view the movie as though it is real while maintaining awareness of the underlying Reality. So we love other beings, from mountains to fishes to people, while

maintaining the awareness that they are manifestations of Ishvara or God, the immortal Reality within phenomenal reality.

Kh is for Kham Brahman

Khechari mudra is the state or attitude where the tongue is rolled back inside the mouth, stimulating the higher chakras and energy junctions from inside, and the mind is merged in Reality. The upanishads say ‘Kham Brahman’, space is Brahman. Brahman means the transcendental Reality, Kham means space, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika explains that khechari means moving freely in Khe (which is another inflection of the word for space).

Chittam charati khe yasmat-jihvaa charati khe gataaTenaishaa khecharee naama mudraa siddhairniroopitaa.

The mind moves in Brahman, Khe, because the tongue moves in space, Khe. Therefore, the perfected ones have named this mudra khechari, moving in space or Brahman.(Hatha Yoga Pradipika 3:41)

Why all this talk of space when we have left vishuddhi and are looking at anahata? Nothing can exist without space, similarly each of the consonant petals of anahata refer to vishuddhi because they include the ‘a’ vowel sound (‚ã) as the unseen part of their inheritance. Also they all include bindu, the ‘m’ sound which is one of vishuddhi’s vowels. Also, we can now see the power of (Ö), the aspirate Ha sound which is the basic bija mantra of vishuddhi and its element space. If you look at the following table of the petals of anahata, you will see that half are aspirated sounds. The power of Ha!

Roman English sound Akshara Varna

script Ka as in kangaroo ‡ãŠ Kanthya

Kha khaki Œã “Ga gulf Øã “Gha ghetto Üã “Gna ashtanga Ý “Ch chump Þã TalavyaChh Saacchidananda œ “Ja jump •ã “Jha hedgehog ¢ã “Nya canyon šã “Ta ton › MoordhanyaTha hatha Ÿ “

If only we could read their story

Well, matrikas, the sounds and symbols of the Sanskrit alphabet, are known endearingly as little mothers, because of their propensity to create things. The æ of sahasrara created Öâ and àãâ of ajna, the 16 vowels create vishuddhi’s petals and the first two and a bit varnas give anahata’s petals. The essence of vishuddhi is Ham (Öâ) akasha, space, and the essence of anahata is Yam (¾ãââ) vayu, air, or atoms in gaseous form. Vishuddhi and anahata chakras are similar in their subtlety, but anahata is filling in the space with energies and feelings and the breath of life.

Let’s not be too ambitious, and just practise writing these new letters and memorizing them in order. Practise their pronunciation. Feel where the sounds are made when you say them. Feel where the tongue touches the palate in khechari mudra, listen to the breath. Remember the message of anahata as we maintain the witness position in our daily dramas. Listen for the subtle messages in the silences and we will find another story.

To The Sanskrit Alphabet (Part 5)


Dam (¡â), Dham (¤â), Nam (¥ãâ), Tam (¦ãâ), Tham (©ãâ), Dam (ªâ), Dham (£ãâ ), Nam (¶ãâ), Pam (¹ãâ), Pham (¹ãâŠ) = the matrikas of manipura

In Part 4, we had started exploring the 32 Sanskrit consonants and found that the first 25 of them were arranged in five sets, varna, comprised of five letters each. Varna is an interesting word, often translated as caste, as in the infamous ‘caste system’, it also means colour. As each mantra has its own particular colour, there is a very interesting story hidden in this word. To put it simply, mantra means ‘that which when repeated (mananaat) brings liberation (trayate)’ and is the vibration perceived as sound. Yantra means ‘vehicle or form which brings liberation’ and is the vibration perceived as a vision, as a form, usually in sparse geometric lines like the blueprints of a building, along with its colour. Mandala means the circular form emanating from the vibration and often contains symbolic life forms.

When the scriptures and gurus describe the colour of a chakra that they see, they do not always agree. Are some of them mistaken? Are apples always the same colour as each other? Is one apple the same colour all its life? A chakra is fundamentally composed of forces or elements that we perceive as mantra and/or yantra, mandala according to the way we tune into things. According to the intensity of the energy in any nadi, for example, its colour would be more intense and this would influence the whole chakra. So we can see that knowledge of the colour of a chakra is not a static thing to be memorised, it is a living experience that comes sometimes as a by-product of sadhana.

A is for anahata – varnas and outcasts

In Part 4, we focused on the first 12 consonants in alphabetical order and thus studied the first two varna mala, garlands of letters, and started the third. These sounds related to the twelve mantras on the petals of anahata chakra, the heart centre. Now the theme to pick up is the inter-relatedness of the chakras, and this is reflected in the relationship between the varnas and the chakras.

Anahata’s first five petal mantras comprise the first varna and are therefore kanthya, guttural sounds, and as these are made in the throat it emphasises anahata’s connection with vishuddhi chakra because vishuddhi’s location point is the throat. Also, the aspirate Ha (Ö), which forms the essence of vishuddhi’s bija mantra Ham (Öâ), is a guttural sound – though not a member of kanthya varna or any other. Pronounce Ha (Ö) right now and feel the activity in the back of the throat.

Ha (Ö) is not the only outcast. Only 25 of the 32 Sanskrit consonants are members of the varna. Are the missing seven in some way inferior? Let us see. Certainly if Ha (Ö) is a guideline they are not lacking in any way; this is a Karna among letters, an unacknowledged emperor, the aspirate sound which freely gives its strength to half the consonants!

The second varna is comprised of the set called talavya, palatals, being sounds pronounced with the tongue at the back of the palate. Now this group of sounds seems central to anahata. Firstly, they are soft and tactile, and anahata relates to feelings – both because its jnanendriya, organ of knowledge, is the tactile skin and because anahata is the realm of emotional feelings. Also Yam (¾ãâ) is the bija mantra of anahata and Ya (¾ã) is also a palatal consonant (though once again not a member of the varna). Pronounce Ya (¾ã) right now and you can feel the tongue gently touching the back of the palate – go on experiment! You can’t see it but you can feel it.

The last two petals of anahata belong to the third varna, the moordhanya, retroflex group where the tongue curls back and strikes the front of the palate giving ‘hard’ sounds. This third varna is shared between anahata and manipura.

Transformation in manipura

The mantras of manipura’s ten petals, in clockwise order, begin with the remaining three consonants from moordhanya varna: da (¡), dha (¤â) and a na sound (¥ã). So we can see that anahata and manipura are mutually interactive, just as the wind fans the flames.

Vaayuh parichito yasmaadagninaa saha kundaleemBodhayitvaa sushumnaayaam pravishedanirodhatah.

When the vayu is increased then the gastric fire (samana) should be taken along with kundalini in the aroused sushumna and blocked.(Hatha Yoga Pradipika 4:19)

The mantras of the next five petals relate to the dantya varna, dental sounds. So the tongue moves forward and hits the back of the teeth for Ta (¦ã), Tha (©ã), Da (ª), Dha (£ã) and Na (¶ã). Dantya varna is the only complete varna in manipura and so is of actual importance. Also manipura chakra has fire as its tattwa or essence and so its bija mantra is Ram (Àâ). The fire symbolises transformation. Digestive fire transforms our food into our body, domestic fire transforms wood into heat and light, yogic fire transforms man into superman, and so forth. Ra (À) is a dental sound, but is not confined to any varna.

The last two petals begin oshthya varga, and are the labial consonants produced by the lips. Practise these sounds so you can feel them: pa (¹ã), pha (¹ãŠ).

Roman English sound Akshara Varna script Da as in dunk ¡ moordhanyaDha redhead ¤ “Na ant ¥ã “Ta tattwa ¦ã dantya Tha thirst ©ã “Da bud ª “Dha dhyana £ã “Na number ¶ãPa punk ¹ã oshthyaPha elephant ¹ãŠ “

In precisely the same way that the sounds of anahata glide into those of manipura, those of manipura phase smoothly into swadhisthana. It reflects the interactive relationship between the chakras. The fire dries up the wetness of swadhisthana and transforms it into clouds and the gases of the sky.

Similarly, in our personalities, once we overcome the limitations of the habitual instinctive swadhisthana/mooladhara survival mode programming of the old brain, we can move into manipura’s more expansive vision. As the drive for power that is characteristic of manipura gets refined, working only for oneself and one’s own movie expands into a feeling for others and it becomes appropriate to activate anahata’s wish fulfilling tree. Helping others becomes as important as helping oneself. Like the sensitive elephants who broke their chains and ran from the beach to the hills, we may also pick up other people not related to us in any way, and carry them on our backs to safety from the tsunami.

U are the immortal atman

Awakening manipura means we overcome that fear which is an underlying shadow side of the lower chakras, mooladhara and swadhisthana. The fear of the unknown, whether it be the

unconscious lurking within us like a crocodile or the fear of death, abhinivesha.

We have to overcome abhinivesha as the first step in overcoming the five kleshas, or causes of pain. How do we overcome this fear of death? By self-confidence, atma vishvas, knowing that the body is just a phenomena, but we are the immortal atma, learning the lessons our lives are spelling out. In manipura we overcome fear and its consequences and obsessions. We move into the agni mandala, the circle of fire. Because there is light we begin to see, so the eyes are the jnanendriya, organs of wisdom, for manipura. And we become free to move, so the feet are its karmendriya, organs of action.

M is for meditate

So – manipura sadhana? Draw a lotus flower with ten petals, write in the matrikas on the correct petals and meditate on the journey of life.

Yadyat pashyati cahkshurbhyaam tattadaatmeti bhaavayet.Yadyachichrinoti karnabhyaam tattadaatmeti bhaavayetLabhate naasayaa yadyat tattadaatmeti bhaavayet.Jihyayaa yadrasam hyeti tattadaatmeti bhaavayetTrachaa yadyat sprishedyogee tattadaatmeti bhaavayetEvam jnaanendriyaanaam tu tattadaatmeti dhaarayet.

Whatever one sees with one’s eyes let one consider as AtmanWhatever one hears with one’s ears let one consider as AtmanWhatever one smells with one’s nose let one consider as AtmanWhatever one tastes with one’s tongue let one consider as Atman andWhatever the yogi touches with the skin let one consider to be Atman.(Yogatattvopanishad 69–71)


Swami Yogakanti Saraswati (Australia)

Bam (ºãâ ), Bham (¼ãâ), Mam (½ãâ), Yam (¾ãâ), Ram (Àâ), Lam (Êãâ) = the matrikas of swadhisthana Vam (Ìãâ ), Sham (Íãâ), Sham (Óãâ), Sam (Ôãâ) = the matrikas of mooladhara

Swadhisthana – our own place

Yoga Chudamani Upanishad stresses the importance of manipura as the solid base for kundalini awakening. The tradition states that kundalini can start many times from mooladhara and fall back; one is established only when manipura is awakened and the willpower, the ability to perform tapas and endure the purifying fiery nature, is awakened along with it. However, it is not awakening manipura alone that enables kundalini to stabilize; it’s a matter of balance. We need a balanced human personality. And swadhisthana is the deep ocean of the unconscious, where the samskaras and karmic imprints roll about, the ocean from which our lives evolved. Manipura and swadhisthana chakras are mutually interactive, but swadhisthana dampens the flames and brings us down to earth. See how the consonant sounds related to the mantras of swadhisthana’s petals interrelate.

What is the first thing you notice? Three of the six are not varna members. In fact, we have already met two of these outcasts because they are the bija mantras of anahata and manipura chakras. Yam (¾ãâ) is for anahata and its vayu tattwa, air element. Ram (Àâ) is for manipura chakra and its agni tattwa, fire element. Hatha Yoga Pradipika mentioned the interaction of these two elements as vital in the awakening of kundalini and here are their mantras ensconced in swadhisthana!

You may think this is nothing to get excited about, but Lam (Êãâ) is the bija mantra of mooladhara chakra and of its essence, prithvi tattwa, the earth element. That means swadhisthana chakra is the home of vibrations causing our programming at three major levels, anahata, manipura and mooladhara, besides its own. No wonder swadhisthana is named as it is: swa meaning our own, adi meaning original and sthana meaning place, so adhisthana meaning home, and swadhisthana, our original home. Swadhisthana is undeniably genetic and its karmendriya is the genitals and its jnanendriya is the tongue.

Sadhana for swadhisthana? Draw the lotus flower with petals, write in the matrikas on the correct petals and meditate on the meaning of life.

Mooladhara

Vam (Ìãâ), mooladhara’s first petal reading clockwise, is the bija mantra of swadhisthana chakra. Lam (Êãâ), swadhisthana’s last petal, is the bija mantra of mooladhara chakra. Such a close connection between two chakras is not found anywhere else. Vam (Ìãâ) and Lam (Êãâ) tie the two centres together in a way that explains the innate connection between sexuality and self-preservation, the instincts programmed in at swadhisthana and mooladhara, and the two primal instincts in just about all living beings. Men and women, cockatoos and peacocks, mosquitoes, all the birds, beasts and flowers live and die under their sway.

Some say mooladhara is self-preservation/security/fear, while swadhisthana programs sexuality/preservation of species/joy; others say it’s the other way round. That is because men and women are slightly different. The male gonads are down around mooladhara, whereas the female ones are up beyond swadhisthana – which must imply something. Maybe it explains a lot about the different attitudes towards sexuality, security and reproduction that

are naturally held by men and women – this could be an exciting new area for yoga psychology.

We met mooladhara’s three sibilants in ajna when we were discussing how the tantrics named the solar petal of ajna chakra Ksham (àãâ), which is a conjunct letter made up of Sha (Óã) and Ka (‡ãŠ). It is from here in mooladhara that the Soham mantra of the breath commences on the inhalation. You may remember that the mantra of the breath includes the dental sibilant Sa (Ôã), but a dental sibilant means the tongue should be up close to the teeth. When you practise khechari mudra, the tongue is rolled back in the retroflex, moordhanya, position and so the sound becomes Sha (Óã).

None of mooladhara’s three sibilant consonants are part of the five varga which organize the first 25 consonants; rather they are the tail end of the alphabet, just before that powerful aspirate Ha (Ö) gives the final rattle. And speaking of snakes, this is of course the resting place of the goddess Kundalini who lies coiled in three and a half matras, speaking with Harry Potter and others of the chosen in her sibilant tongue.

So none of the petal mantras of mooladhara are members of the varna, and of course Lam (Êãâ), its bija mantra, is also

an outcast – but then there always have been those rumours that mankind’s consciousness slipped down to mooladhara. That there was a fall of consciousness from our own home in swadhisthana, which links us to the higher chakras, and into the pit, with the snake, whose one aim in life now is to get out of the tamasic state and unite with the higher consciousness again in sahasrara.

Revision and rebirth

So we see that swadhisthana chakra has, as half of its petals, the bija mantras of anahata (¾ãâ), manipura (Àâ) and mooladhara

(Êãâ) chakras, which indicates its close connection with them. It is in many ways the womb chakra – and the womb is in its immediate field of influence. Its name indicates that it is ‘our original place’, swa-adi-sthana, and we all came from the womb – or used to until, perhaps, very recently.

The womb extends between mooladhara/swadhisthana and manipura. The kanda and medhra, which together form the root source of most of the nadis in the human body, are described as occupying the same space, albeit as energy formations rather than physical structures.

Oordhvam vitastimaatram tu vistaaram chatur-angulamMridulam dhavalam proktam beshtitaambaralakshanam.

The kanda, situated above the anus, is one hand span high and four fingers breadth wide; it is soft and white as if enveloped in cloth.(Hatha Yoga Pradipika 3:113)

And in Yogachudamani Upanishad,

Oordhvam medhraadadhonaabheh kandayonih khagaandavaatTatra naadyah samutpannaah sahasraanih dvisaptatih.

Above the medhra and below the navel, the kanda is like a bird’s egg. From there 72,000 nadis emanate.(Yoga Chudamani Upanishad 15)

In one way mooladhara, swadhisthana and manipura are separate levels. From another perspective they are one system. They are so integrated that scriptures and masters attribute characteristics of one to the other frequently, both today and in classical texts. For example, in Saundarya Lahari, a poem by Adi Shankaracharya, chanted in praise of the Divine Mother who is responsible for creation, characteristics of swadhisthana and manipura are reversed for some purpose.

There is so much to learn and we are just starting the alphabet. There are mantras to be made and each mantra has its own yantra which one visualizes while chanting. The yantra for mantra 5 of Saundarya Lahari is fascinating because it combines all the bija mantras of vishuddhi, anahata, manipura, swadhisthana and mooladhara chakras, plus the three sibilants. The central mantra, which appears to be the bija mantra, is Tham (Ÿâ), which relates to ida nadi and the more feminine side of our nature and to the soma or manas chakra beyond ajna that we referred to in Part 1.

Haristvaam aaraadhya pranata-jana-saubhaagya-jananeemPuraa naaree bhootvaa pura-ripum api kshobham anayatSmaro’pi tvaam natvaa rati-nayana-lehyena vapushaaMuneenaam api’antah prabhavati hi mohaaya mahataam.

Adoring You, the bestower of prosperity on all your worshippers, Hari (Vishnu) was able to become a charming female and stir waves of passion in the mind of Hara (Shiva), the destroyer of the three cities.

Also

Smara (Kaama-dev the god of love) got a form by adoring you – a veritable feast for the eyes of his consort Rati, with which he has been able to cause infatuation even in the minds of sages.(Saundarya Lahari v. 5)

If you meditate on this, it seems that the yantra is grounded in the square representing mooladhara’s earth tattwa and contains all mooladhara’s mantras. The Devi, relating to the moon’s reflective energies and the more feminine side of our own nature, descends to mooladhara after creating all the chakras from vishuddhi to mooladhara through the vibrations of their bija mantras. Because of this descent of divine grace, material forms materialize. And how does that relate to the actual meaning of the verse? Well, that

is another story, but we have begun. As Rishi Gheranda said to his disciple Chandrakapila when they first met:

Abhyaasaatkaadivarnaanaam yathaa shaastraani bodhayetTathaa yogam samaasaadya tattvajnaanam cha labhyate.

Just as by learning the alphabet one can study all the sciences, shastras, so by thoroughly mastering yoga one attains knowledge of reality, tattwa jnana.(Gherand Samhita 1:5)

Documents

The Sanskrit Alphabet.doc