The Chakra Series 7: THE SAHASRARA

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39. When the actions of Yogis are, through the service of the Lotus

feet of their Guru, in all respects good, then they will see above

the Aajna Chakra the form of the Mahaanaada, and will ever hold in

their hand the Siddhi of Speech. The Mahaanaada -- which is the

place of dissolution of Vaayu -- is the half of Shiva, and like a

plough in shape [i.e., Shiva is Hakaara; if the upper portion of the

letter Ha is removed, the remaining portion resembles an Indian

plough in shape]; it is tranquil and grants boons and dispels fear,

and makes manifest pure Intelligence [buddhi].

 

40. Above all these, in the vacant space wherein is Shankhinii

Naadii, and below Visarga is the Lotus of a Thousant Petals [i.e.,

the Sahasraara]. This Lotus, lustrous and whiter than the full Moon,

has its head turned downward. It charms. Its clustered filaments are

tinged with the color of the young Sun. Its body is luminous with

the letters beginning with A, and it is absolute bliss [kevalaananda-

ruupam].

 

41. Within the Saharaara is the full Moon, without the mark of the

hare [i.e. the "Man in the Moon"], respendant as in a clear sky. It

sheds its rays in profusion, and is moist and cool like nectar.

Inside it, the Candra Mandala, constantly shing like lightning, is

the Triangle and inside this, again, shines the Great Void [shuunya;

i.e. the Parabindu], which is served in secret by all the Suras

[i.e. Deities].

 

42. Well concealed, and attainable only by great effort, is that

subtle Bindu [shuunya], which is the chief root of Liberation and

which manifests the pure Nirvaana-Kalaa with Amaa-Kalaa. Here is the

Deva who is known to all as Parama-Shiva. He is the Brahman and the

Aatmaa of all beings. In Him are united both Rasa and Virasa, and He

is the Sun which destroys the darkness of ignorance [ajnaana] and

delusion [moha]. [A Shakta commentary adds, "His beloved is the

lustrous One [i.e., Shakti] who may be gained with difficulty by

the Brahman Road (brahma-vartma). The Para-Brahman is but the

effulgence of Her lotus feet." Other commentaries place both Shakti

and Shiva as one and the same as the aspirant's Guru.]

 

43. By shedding a constant and profuse stream of nectar-like

essence, the Bhagavaan instructs Yatis [i.e. those whose minds are

unified with the object of their worship] of pure mind in the

knowledge by which they realize the oneness of the Jiivaatmaa and

the Paramaatmaa. He pervades all things as their Lord, who is the

ever-flowing and spreading current of all manner of blass, known by

the name of Hamsah Parama, or Parama-hamsah.

 

44. The Shaivas call it the Abode of Shiva; the Vaishnavas call it

Parama Purusa; still others call it the the place of Hari-Hara

[Vishnu and Shiva combined into a single form]. Those who are filled

with a passion for the Lotus feet of the Devi call it the excellent

Abode of Devi; and other great sages [Munis] call it the pure place

of Prakriti-Purusa [i.e., Shakti-Shiva].

 

45. Those most excellent persons who have controlled their minds

[citta] and known this place are never again born in the Wandering

[samsaara; the world of birth and rebirth], as there is nothing in

the three worlds which binds them. Their minds being controlled and

their aim achieved, they possess complete power to do all that they

wish, and to prevent that which is contrary to their will. They ever

move toward the Brahman. Their speech, whether in prose or verse, is

ever pure and sweet.

 

46. Here is the excellent sixteenth Kalaa of the Moon [i.e. Amaa-

Kalaa; see Verse 42 above - DB]. She is pure, and resembles the

young Sun in color. She is as thin as the hundredth part of a fiber

in the stalk of a lotus. She is lustrous and soft like ten million

lightning flashes, and is downturned. She is the receptacle of the

stream of excellent nectar which comes from the blissful union of

Para and Paraa [i.e. Shiva and Shakti].

 

47. Inside Amaa-Kalaa is Nirvaana-Kalaa [again referring back to

Verse 42 above - DB], more excellent than the excellent. She is as

subtle as the thousandth part of the end of a hair, and of the shape

of the crescent moon. She is the ever-existant Bhagavatii [Goddess],

who is the Deity who pervades all beings. She grants divine

knowledge, and is lustrous as the light of all the suns shining at

one and the same time.

 

48. In the middle of the Nirvaana-Kalaa shines the Supreme and

Primordial Nirvaana-Shakti; She is lustrous like ten million suns,

and is the Mother of the three worlds. She is extremely subtle, like

the ten-millionth part of the end of a hair. She contains within Her

the constantly flowing stream of happiness [prema], and is the life

of all beings. She graciously carries the knowledge of the Truth

[Tattva] to the minds of the sages.

 

49. Within Her is the everlasting place called the Abode of Shiva

[according to Vishvanaatha, "the Unmanii state of Shakti, where

there is neither kaala (time) nor kalaa (space)" - DB], which is

free from Maayaa, attainable only by Yogiis, and known by the name

of Nityaananda. It is replete with every form of bliss, and is pure

knowledge itself. Some call it the Brahman; others call it the

Hamsa. The wise describe it as the Abode of Vishnu, and the

righteous speak of it as the ineffable place of knowledge of the

Aatmaa, or the Place of Liberation. [As the Padma-Puraana puts

it, "Shaivas, Sauras, Ganeshas, Vaishnavas and Shaktas, all verily

come to me like rain water to the ocean." - DB].

 

-- From the "Sat-Chakra-Nirupana"

 

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"Above the end of the Susumna Nadi is the Lotus of a Thousand

Petals; it is white and has its head downward turned; its filaments

are red. The 50 letters of the alphabet from A to La, which are also

white, go round and round its thousand petals 20 times. On its

pericarp is Hamsah, and above it is the Guru, who is Parama-Shiva

Himself. Above the Guru are the Suurya and Candra Mandalas, and

above them Mahaavaayu. Over the latter is placed Brahmarandhra, and

above it Mahaa-shankhinii.

 

"In the Mandala of the Moon is the lightning-like triangle within

which is the 16th Kalaa of the Moon, which is fine as the hundredth

part of the lotus fiber, and of a red color, with its mouth turned

downward. In the lap of this Kalaa is the Nirvaana-Kalaa, subtle

like the thousandth part of the end of a hair, also red and with

mouth downward turned. Below Nirvaana-Kalaa is the Fire called

Nibodhikaa, which is a form of Avyakta-naada. Above Nibodhikaa and

within Nirvaana-Kalaa is Para-Bindu, which is both Shiva and Shakti.

The Shakti of this Para-Bindu is the Nirvaana-Shakti, wo is Light

[Tejas] andd exists in the form of Hamsah, and is subtle like the

ten-millionth part of the end of a hair. That Hamsah is Jiiva.

Within the Bindu is the void (Shuunya) which is the Brahma-pada

(place of the Brahman).

 

-- From "The Serpent Power," by Sir John Woodroffe, 1919

 

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"There are seven spinning wheels of energy in you. If you pay

attention to the actions given below carefully and remember them,

you will experience these spinning wheels. ...

 

"7. Sahasrara, the wheel in the crown of your head. There is a 1,000-

petal wheel in the head, the brain wheel. It has the colors of blue

and violet and also all colors of rainbow in a lesser degree. From

here the sound of Hreem keeps emitting light beams flashing above

the head."

 

-- From "Seeing Goddess," by Sri Amritananda Natha Saraswati, 1998