MANTRA SHASTRA 2

 

Ajna

 

Ajna chakra is also called parama-hula and mukta-tri-veni, since it is from here

that the three nadis – Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna – go their separate ways. It

is a two-petalled lotus, situate between the two eyebrows. In this Chakra there

is no gross Tattva, but the subtle Tattva mind is here. Hakararddha, or half the

letter La, is also there. On its two petals are the red varnas "hang "and

"kshang."

In the pericarp is concealed the vija "ong." In the two petals and the pericarp

there are the three guna – sattva, rajas, and tamas. Within the triangular

mandala in the pericarp there is the lustrous (tejo-maya) linga in the form of

the pranava (pranavakriti), which is called Itara. Para-Shiva, in the form of

hangsa (hangsa-rupa) is also there with his Shakti – Siddha-Kali. In the three

corners of the triangle are Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara, respectively. In

this chakra there is the white Hakini-Shakti, with six heads and four hands, in

which are jñana-mudra, a skull, a drum (damaru), and a rosary.

 

Sahasrara Padma

Above the ajna-chakra there is another secret chakra, called manas-chakra. It is

a lotus of six petals, on which are shabda-jñana, sparsha-jñana, rupa-jñana,

aghrano-palabdhi, rasopabhoga, and svapna, or the faculties of hearing, touch,

sight, smell, taste, and sleep, or the absence of these. Above this, again,

there is another secret chakra, called Soma-chakra. It is a lotus of sixteen

petals, which are also called sixteen Kala. These Kala are called kripa (mercy),

mriduta (gentleness), dhairyya (patience, composure), vairagya (dispassion),

dhriti (constancy), sampat (prosperity), hasya (cheerfulness), romancha

(rapture, thrill), vinaya (sense of propriety, humility), dhyana (meditation),

susthirata (quietude, restfulness), gambhiryya (gravity), udyama (enterprise,

effort), akshobha (emotionlessness), audarya (magnanimity), and ekagrata

(concentration).

Above this last chakra is "the house without support" (niralamba-puri), where

yogis see the radiant Ishvara. Above this is the pranava shining like a flame,

and above pranava the white crescent Nada, and above this last the point Vindu.

There is then a white lotus of twelve petals with its head upwards, and over

this lotus there is the ocean of nectar (sudha-sagara), the island of gems

(mani-dvipa), the altar of gems (mani-pitha), the forked lightning-like lines a,

ka, tha, and therein Nada and Vindu. On Nada and Vindu, as an altar, there is

the Paramahangsa, and the latter serves as an altar for the feet of the Guru;

there the Guru of all should be meditated. The body of the Hangsa on which the

feet of the Guru rest is jñana-maya, the wings Agama and Nigama, the two feet

Shiva and Shakti, the beak Pranava, the eyes and throat Kama-Kala.

Close to the thousand-petalled lotus is the sixteenth digit of the moon, which

is called ama-kala, which is pure red and lustrous like lightning, as fine as a

fibre of the lotus, hanging downwards, receptacle of the lunar nectar. In it is

the crescent nirvana-kala, luminous as the Sun, and finer than the thousandth

part of a hair. This is the Ishta-devata of all. Near nirvana-kala is

parama-nirvana-Shakti, infinitely subtle, lustrous as the Sun, creatrix of

tattva-jnana. Above it are Vindu and Visarga-Shakti, root and abode of all

bliss.

Sahasrara-padma – or thousand petalled lotus of all colours – hangs with its

head downwards from the brahma-randhra above all the chakra. This is the region

of the first cause (Brahma-loka), the cause of the six proceeding causes. It is

the great Sun both cosmically and individually, in whose effulgence Parama-Shiva

and Adya-Shakti reside. The power is the vachaka-Shakti or saguna-brahman,

holding potentially within itself, the gunas, powers, and planes. Parama-Shiva

is in the form of the Great Ether (paramakasha-rupi), the Supreme Spirit

(paramatma), the Sun of the darkness of ignorance. In each of the petals of the

lotus are placed all the letters of the alphabet; and whatever there is in the

lower chakra or in the universe (brahmanda) exist here in potential state

(avyakta-bhava). Shaivas call this place Shiva-sthana, Vaishnavas,

Parama-purusha, Shaktas, Devi-sthana, the Sankhya sages Prakriti-purusha-sthana.

Others call it by other names, such as Hari-hara-sthana. Shakti-sthana,

Parama-Brahma, Parama-hangsa, Parama-jyotih, Kula-sthana, and

Parama-Shiva-Akula. But whatever the name, all speak of the same.

 

The Three Temperaments

The Tantras speak of three temperaments, dispositions, characters (bhava), or

classes of men – namely, the pashu-bhava (animal), vira-bhava (heroic), and

divya-bhava (deva-like or divine). These divisions are based on various

modifications of the guna (v. ante) as they manifest in man (jiva). It has been

pointed out that the analogous Gnostic classification of men as material,

psychical, and spiritual, correspond to the three guna of the Sankhya-darshana.

In the pashu the rajo-guna operates chiefy on tamas, producing such dark

characteristics as error (bhranti), drowsiness (tandra), and sloth (alasya). It

is however, an error to suppose that the pashu is as such a bad man; on the

contrary, a jiva of this class may prove superior to a jiva of the next. If the

former, who is greatly bound by matter, lacks enlightenment, the latter may

abuse the greater freedom he has won. There are also numerous kinds of pashu,

some more some less tamasik than others. Some there are at the lowest end of the

scale, which marks the first advance upon the higher forms of animal life.

Others approach and gradually merge into the vira class. The term pashu comes

from the root pash, "to bind." The pashu is, in fact, the man who is bound by

the bonds (pasha), of which the Kularnava Tantra enurnerates eight – namely,

pity (daya), ignorance and delusion (moha), fear (bhaya), shame (lajja), disgust

(ghrina), family (kula), custom (shila), and caste (varna). Other enumerations

are given of the afflictions which, according to some, are sixty-two, but all

such larger divisions are merely elaborations of the simpler enumerations. The

pashu is also the worldly man, in ignorance and bondage, as opposed to the yogi

and the tattva-jnani. Three divisions of pashsu are also spoken of – namely,

sakala, who are bound by the three pasha, called anu (want of knowledge or

erroneous knowledge of the self), bheda (the division also induced by maya of

the one self into many), and karmma (action and its product. These are the three

impurities (mala) called anava-mala, maya-mala, and Karmma-mala. Pratayakala are

those bound by the first and last, and Vijnana-kevala are those bound by

anava-mala only. He who frees himself of the remaining impurity of anu becomes

Shiva Himself. The Devi bears the pasha, and is the cause of them, but She, too,

is pashupasha-vimochini, Liberatrix of the pashu from his bondage.

What has been stated gives the root notion of the term pashu. Men of this class

are also described in Tantra by exterior traits, which are manifestations of the

interior disposition. So the Kubjika Tantra says: "Those who belong to

pashu-bhava .re simply pashu. A pashu does not touch a yantra, nor make japa of

mantra at night. He entertains doubt about sacrifices and Tantra; regards a

mantra as being merely letters only. He lacks faith in the guru, and thinks that

the image is but a block of stone. He distinguishes one Deva from another, and

worships without flesh and fish. He is always bathing, owing to his ignorance,

and talks ill of others. Such an one is called pashu, and he is the worst kind

of man." Similarly the Nitya Tantra describes the pashu as – "He who does not

worship at night, nor in the evening, nor in the latter part of the day; who

avoids sexual intercourse, except on the fifth day after the appearance of the

courses (ritu-kalang vina devi ramanang parivarjayet); who do not eat meat,

etc., even on the five auspicious days (parvvana)"; in short, those who,

following Vedachara, Vaishnavachara, and Shaivachara, are bound by the Vaidik

rules which govern all pashus.

In the case of vira-bhava, rajas more largely works on sattva, yet also largely

(though in lessening degrees, until the highest stage of divya-bhava is reached)

works independently towards the production of acts in which sorrow inheres.

There are several classes of vira.

The third, or highest, class of man is he of the divya-bhava (of which, again,

there are several degrees – some but a stage in advance of the highest form of

vira-bhava, others completely realizing the deva-nature), in which rajas operate

on sattva-guna to the confirmed preponderance of the latter.

The Nitya Tantra says that of the bhava the divya is the best, the vira the next

best, and the pashu the lowest; and that devata-bhava must be awakened through

vira-bhava. The Pichchhila Tantra says that the only difference between the vira

and divya men is that the former are very uddhata, by which is probably meant

excitable, through the greater prevalence of the independent working of the

rajo-guna in them than in the calmer sattvik temperament. It is obvious that

such statements must not be read with legal accuracy. There may be, in fact, a

considerable difference between a low type of vira and the highest type of

divya, though it seems to be true that this quality of uddhata which is referred

to is the cause of such differences, whether great or small.

The Kubjika Tantra describes the marks of the divya as he "who daily does

ablutions, sandhya; and wearing clean cloth, the tripundara mark in ashes, or

red sandal, and ornaments of rudraksha beads, performs japa and archchana. He

gives charity daily also. His faith is strong in Veda, Shastra, guru, and Deva.

He worships the Pitri and Deva, and performs all the daily rites. He has a great

knowledge of mantra. He avoids all food, except that which his guru offers him,

and all cruelty and other bad actions, regarding both friend and foe as one and

the same. He himself ever speaks the truth, and avoids the company of those who

decry the Devata. He worships thrice daily, and meditates upon his guru daily,

and, as a Bhairava, worships Parameshvari with divya-bhava. All Devas he regards

as beneficial. He bows down at the feet of women, regarding them as his guru

(strinang pada-talang drishtva guru-vad bhavayet sada). He worships the Devi at

night, and makes japa at night with his mouth full of pan, and makes obeisance

to the kula vriksha. He offers everything to the Supreme Devi. He regards this

universe as pervaded by stri (shakti), and as Devata. Shiva is in all men, and

the whole brahmanda is pervaded by Shiva-Shakti. He ever strives for the

attainment and maintenance of devata-bhava, and is himself of the nature of a

Devata.

Here, again, the Tantra only seeks to give a general picture, the details of

which are not applicable to all men of the divya-bhava class. The passage shows

that it, or portions of it, refer to the ritual divya, for some of the practices

there referred to would not be performed by the avadkuta, who is above all

ritual acts, though he would also share (possibly in intenser degree) the

beliefs of divya men of all classes – that he and all else are but

manifestations of the universe-pervading Supreme Shakti.

 

MATERIAL FOR BA PART3 PAPER 5