aShtAra cakra

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- krishnarao (lanka.krishnarao)

Subject :- AShtAra cakra

Sriguruh sarvakAraNaBhUtA Saktih |

SrImahAgaNAdhipatayEnamah ||

 

" savitrIBhirvAcAm SaSimaNi SilABhanga ruciBhih

vaSinyABhistwam saha janani sancintayati yah |

sa kartA kAvyAnAm Bhavati mahatAm Bhangi ruciBhih

vacOBhirvAgdEvI vadana kamalAmOda madhuraih || "

 

This is the 17th Sloka in the soundaryalahari of Sri

AdiSankarAcArya. Generally understood literal meaning of this is

narrated by elders as ---

 

O mother, he who meditates upon the vAgdEvatAs along

with you as having the luster of precious moonstone pieces, will

become the author of great poetry similar to the sweet fragrance of

the mother vagdEvi`s/saraswati`s lotus mouth.

 

For this, some doubts are arising in my mind. But

after some analysis and observation, I think I could find an answer

for all my doubts which I feel like sharing it with other members of

our group too.

 

The `aShtAra cakra' is also regarded as " navayOni

cakra. It will not be correct to say that in the formation of

`SrIcakra', firstly `bindu', then `trikONa' and afterwards the

`aShtAra cakra' manifests.

In the same way, it is not correct to arbitrate that all the

other remaining cakrAs too were created one after another. In fact

all the cakrAs have revealed themselves at the same time,

instantaneously according to our `sphOta vAda'.

While drawing the `aShtAra cakra' itself, the `trikONa' and

the `bindu' both simultaneously manifested inside of this " navayOni

cakra " .

 

" saptavimSatAvayavEShu triBhistriBhir avayavai rEkaikA

yOni stAsAm kONatrayEShu punah punar bIja trayam

nyasEt || "

So says tantrarAja commentary.

 

" baindavam cakram Etasya tri rUpatwam punar BhavEt |

dharmadharmau tadha~~tmAnO mAtR^I mEyau tadhA pramA

||

navayOnyAtmakamidam cidAnanda Ganam mahat |

cakram navAtmakam idam navadhA Bhinna mantrakam ||

baindavAsana samrUDha samvartAnala citkalam |

ambikArUpamevEdm aShtAram swarAvR^itam || "

 

The `bindu' itself by extending angularly, have transformed as

`trikONa'. Again after further extension, it created two more

triangles, to indicate one upwards as creation and another one

downwards as dissolution. So we have to say that `bindu' and

`trikOna' are interlinked and not at all different from the `aShtAra

cakra'.

 

puNyam, pApam, Atma, antarAtma, paramAtma, j`nAnAtma, mAtA and mEym,

all these eight items in the eight

angle points and in the middle `pramA' which means the

knowledge obtained from the experience, all of these put together

itself is the " navayOnicakra " . All the other cakras will have the

interconnected unification with this `navayOni cakra' and this cakra

will have the authority over all the other cakrAs.

 

" niruddha vAyu sanGatta sPurita grandhimUlatah |

hR^idayAntara samvitti SUnya puryaShTakAtmanA ||

bIjarUpa swara kalA spR^iShta vargAnusAratah |

rahasya yOginIrdEvi samsAra daLanOjjwalE |

sarva rOgaharE cakram samsthita vIravanditE ||

vaSinyA raktavarNA varadABhaya mudritAh |

pustakam japamAlAm ca Bhukti siddhim mahESwari |

ISwarIm tripurAsiddhim pUjayEd bindu tarpaNaih ||

So says `nityA ShODaSikArNva'. Nonexistant like so subtle

form of the `samvit kalA' which exists in the interior of `hR*tpadma'

in the name of " rahasya yOgini " itself is called as " puryaShtakam'.

So subtle it is. that it is not accessible to any of the external

senses, except for the intellect. In fact, our own subtle body itself

is this `puryaShtakam'.

This `navayOni cakra' having the predominance of " SuddhavidyA

tattwam " which was described as " ahantEdantayOr aikya buddhih "

 

The pair of bindu itself divided into nine cakrAs in the name of

" AdhAra navakam " , in the nine forms as nine cakrESwaris.

 

" icchA sakti tritayam paSOh satwAdi sanj~ikam |

mahA tryasram cintayAmi guru vaktrAdanuttarAt ||

aShtAra vyapadESO~yam cinnirvANaiShaNAdikam |

sUkSmam puryaShtakam dEvyA matir EShAhi gouravI ||

antar daSAra vasudhA j~nAna karmEndriyANi ca |

mahA Tripura sundaryA iti sancintayAmyaham ||

bAhyO daSAra BhAgO~yam buddhi karmAkSha gOcarah |

caturdaSAra vasudhA karaNAAni caturdaSa ||

vasucchadana padmAnka dESO yascakragO viBhuh |

avyaktAdyA prakR^itayO BhUtAntA niScinomyaham ||

ShODaSacCada padmAnka dESO BhUtAkSha mAnasam |

vikArAtmakamApannam dEvyAh samBhAvayAmyaham ||

In the `suBhagOdaya vAsana' it is described that this bindu is

in the form of the `indriyAs' which all subsist in all the nine

cakrAs.

 

This is an in-between state of subtle and causal body

conditions. It means that, it is a state of shifting to and from

`aBhEda swapna' and `aBEda suShupti'. From this site only, we always

portray the obvious illustration of the gross form of the

`paradEvata', saying " hrIm, SrIm, sauh " . This is the centre for all

imaginations. If meditated upon this centre and imagine the `swarUpa'

of SrImaha Tripura sundari, what is the wonder, if any one becoming an

author of sweet and elegant literature? A murderer and dacoit `bOya'

can become the author of `rAmAyaNa mahA kAvyam and a foolish denizen

also can become like a kALidas. In yOginI hR^idayam, it says,

 

" Madhya prapUjanAd dEvi vAkpatir jAyatE narah

tadhaivApara kandarpO bAhyamadhyAnta pUjanAt || "

 

" madhyaprapUjanam " means, pUja in the seventh, eighth and

ninth AvaraNAs. The meditation in the seventh AvaraNa means,

meditation in one`s own innermost mind (swAntarangam) which is in the

form of `puryaShtakam'. It is a kind of `dream state' pertaining to

the `jAgradAvastha'. " swapnAntE uccAvaca mIyamAnO rUpANi dEvah kurutE

bahUni " . He is attaining the ability to imagine many number of forms.

" apara kandarpah " means retaining the brahmAham BhAvana while

performing the `aparA pUja' (external services of worship).

 

" japAcchrAnrah punar dhyAyEt dhyAnAcchrAntah punarjapEt " .

Meditate for some time upon the form and for some time immerse

in your own self.

 

The tantra says that The eight `vagdEvatas (presiding

deities of speech), `vaSini', `kamESwari', `mOdini', `vimalA',

`aruNA', `jayinI', `sarvESwarI' and `kauLini', who officiate in this

aShtAra cakra, are all blood colored ( " vaSinyA rakta varNA " ). But in

the above SlokA the acArya is asking us to meditate upon them as white

moonstone pieces. How could it be possible? -- For this,

bR^ihadAraNyakopanishad has given the hint as follows.

 

There are some nADIs in the name of " hitA " , which are very tiny that

they are almost one thousandth part of a human hairsbreadth, spread

all over the body. The food substances entered into these nADIs

acquire several varieties of colors, because of the relative gradation

of the `vAta', `pitta' and `SlEShma' dOShAs in accordance with the

differences of diet; and by the inclusion of `rasa upAdhis like

`Sukla' etc. The `linga SarIra' which consists of

the five elements, five j~nanEndriyAs, five karmEndriyAs, prANa and

antahkaraNa as its seventeen limbs , is absolutely pure and

crystal like in nature. But when it takes refuse with the `hitA

nADIs' in the dream state, instigated by one`s own right and wrong

deeds, it shines in many forms like women, elephants, chariots, horses

etc., and experiences like enjoying with ladies and looking some

dreadful scenes. When one`s mind is pure, calm and serene, Its

experiences would be pleasant and secure. That is why, when we look

at the blood colored `vaSini' and other deities of the seventh

AvaraNa, in comprehension with the bindu-trikONa rUpa paramAtma, the

faculty of our `antaraga' gets purified and those deities all will

appear as having the luster of precious moonstone pieces.

 

In this way, having purified `antaranga', by meditating upon the

" paraSiva midhunam " which is accompanied by the `vaSini' and other

deities in the form of moonstone crystals.

 

mahatA Bhangi = pertaining to the uprising of the mahat tattwa

suBhagaih = with all the riches

xAgdEvI = relating to the vAgdEvatAs

vadana kamala = aShtAra padmam

AmOda madhuraih = with the nectarous flow which will satiate the

aShtAra cakra,

sah = such sAdhaka

kAvyAnAm kartA = The creation of brahma itself is " kAvyam " . The idea

behind is, that he will be able to become such "

" sR^iStikarta " (He will become " sAkShAt parabrahma swarUpa " himself.)

 

Yours always in the service of the mother,

krishnarao (SrIparasuKAnandanAtha)