Kundalini Splendor

Recently I attended a sound healing workshop, in which the instructor offered a quite unfamiliar sequence of sounds (all vowels) to awaken the chakras. I had trouble learning this technique, and later realized that I prefer the more traditional soundings for the chakras as follows (moving from number one at the bottom or root chakra and then up):

Chakra sounds—(bija sounds)

Lum (base, root chakra at base of spine)

Vum (second chakra, sexual feelings)

Rum (third chakra, solar plexus, personal power center)

Yum (fourth chakra, heart, love)

Hum (fifth chakra, throat)

Aum (sixth chakra, pituatary, third eye)

Visarga

I had looked this information up on the internet, but when I reached the last term (visarga) I realized I did not know what it meant.. So I googled this term on the internet, and came up with the following. Now I do not pretend to understand all the information offered in this excerpt, but for some reason I am quite captivated by discussions of certain ancient Indian terms and
beliefs, even when I do not fully comprehend their meaning. It is as if I get the "gist" of them, without full rational cognition. So I am reprinting here some of what I found and perhaps you too will gain from "osmosis" if not full comprehansion.





Bindu Visarga - A drop of moon on the crown of Tripura Sundari
Tripura Sundari Mandir, Banswara Rajasthan

In the definition of Kundalini, this is the source of creation, represented by the dot or Bindu in the center of the Sri Chakra. The Bindu means the drop or the point, or literally Bindu Visarga which is the falling of the drop. This is represented by the crescent moon and a white drop which is the nectar that is dripping down from the Vishuddhi chakra. It is the ultimate source of immortality, that state which is called bliss when this chakra is activated through sadhana.

"From that Bindu came ether, air, fire, water, earth and the letters of the alphabet" - Kama Kala Vilasa

The Bindu is connected with the Vishuddhi Chakra and its seat is at the back of the head, typically where brahmins leave a tuft of hair growing. It is believed during sandhya, the brahmin ties this tuft of hair tighter, and while he practices mantra, he develops a powerful and continuing awareness of this Bindu point. This is one of the traditional methods of accessing the Bindu Visarga consciously.

In Tantra, Bindu is depicted by the crescent moon on a moonlit night. The Bindu is closely related to the kalas, that is the waxing and waning of the moon. The Bindu gives a hint towards the vast void beyond, the Sahasrara. It is said when the Bindu is awakened, the sound of OM is heard within the self. It is also believed that this Bindu, or the moon, produces a very intoxicating secretion, which is nectar or ambrosia or amrita or soma. At this point, the bhakta enters the state of complete bliss and is no longer dependent on the world for sustenance.

Other explanations to the same Bindu define this as the red and the white Bindu, where the red represents the Goddess, alias blood of menstruation. White represents the sperm or shukla. The red Bindu is established as the sun and the white Bindu as the moon, representing the ida and the pingala. There are various interpretations to what the Bindu really is, but what strikes out most is that which is depicted on the crown of Goddess Tripura Sundari or that of the great Lord Kameshwara.

This is a phenomenon that renders the bhakta immortal, supreme and one with the divine. Great sages have made this secret phenomenon understandable to the masses by simple depiction. Simple depiction that hides within itself a supreme phenomenon unknown until contemplated upon.

This is embedded in the depiction, in the music, in the verses, in the songs to the great Goddess Kamakshi, Tripura Sundari. Quoting...

Tripurasundari Vijaya Sthava
[Ode of Victory to Tripurasundari]

Lakshya bhakthi rasardhra hruthsarasije sadbhi sadaradhitha|
Sandrananda mayi sudhakara kala gandojjwalanmoulike||
Sarvani sarana gatharthi samani sachinmayee sarvadha|
Srichakradhi nivasini, vijayathe Srirajarajeswari|| 14

Victory to the Goddess who resides in the center of the Sri Chakra, who lives among those hearts drenched in devotion towards her. She resides in the realm of happiness among those good. She wears the crescent moon on her crown and is the consort of Lord Shiva in her all pervasive form. She consoles those who seek protection in her, who is true knowledge, who is wisdom, who is Bindu, who is bliss all within the self.

Hreengarathraya saputathi mahatha manthrena sampoojitha|
Hothri Chandra sameerana agni jala bhobaswannabhoroopini||
Hamsa sohamithi prakrushtadishanair aradhitha yogibhi|
Srichakradhi nivasini, vijayathe Srirajarajeswari|| 15

Victory to the Goddess Rajarajeshwari who resides at the center of the Sri Chakra, who is invoked by the great chant in the three hreem, who is in the sacred offerings, moon, air, fire, water, earth, sun and sky. Who is worshiped by great yogis who look upon her in the divine form of Hamsa Soham.

Tripura Thilakam
[The Ornament to the Tripurasundari]

Eeshashad unmishada marthya sakhi kusumaavalee vimala tharakaa|
Vrunda Sundara sudhamsu ganda subhagee kruthathi guru kaishikaam||
Neelakunchithga naalakaam nitalabhooshanayatha vilochanaam|
Neelakandasukruthonnatheem, sathathasraye Tripurasundareem|| 3

My heart depends on the Goddess Tripura Sundari who is the greatest treasure of Lord Shiva, who is beauty described in her dense crown of hair which is embellished by the crescent moon she wears, that is surrounded by the very stars of the night sky. This appears like a fully opened flower of the Kalpaga tree. Among her blue locks of hair that gently flow down her crown, and frame her half open eyes that are like lilies blooming in the full moon night.

Lakshm aheena vidhu lakshanairjjitha vichakshanana saroruham|
Yikshukarmuka sarasanopamitha chillkayugamamathallikam||
Lakshaye manasi santhatham sakala dushkrutha kshaya vidhayineem|
Uksha vahana thapo vibhuthimahadaksharam Tripurasundarim|| 4

My mind remains awake towards the Goddess Tripura Sundari, who is beauty personified within the lotus face she has, growing like that of a million moons, and has teeth like the bow of a sugarcane of the God of love, who reduces the effect of all bad acts done, whose blessings is the greatest gift gotten from the worship of Lord Shiva.

The realm of the Goddess, the awakening of the Bindu is a drop of moonlight that descends into the consciousness of the Bhakta awakening him into the Sahasrara, the path to the realization of the void, of the universe beyond. The experience of this is probably far, but the very thought that the moon makes a poetic drop of elixir, brings intrigue and mystery into the subtlety of this great phenomenon, represented by a silver glow of the crescent moon on the face of the Goddess.

References:
Kundalini Tantra: Swamy Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar school of Yoga
Vedanta Spiritual Library.
Posted by Kavitha at Sunday, March 22, 2009
Labels: banswara, bindu visarga, Kamakshi, kameshwara, Kanchipuram, kundalini, Nataraja, Rajasthan, Shiva, tripurasundari, yoga
55 comments:

JC said...
Tripura literally means 'Three cities', which refer to Earth surface/ mean sea level that acts as abode for the relatively superior 'animal world'; Sky or Space as the abode of Heavenly Bodies, having Tripurasundari, that is, one of the members of our solar system, moon (virtually on the 'forehead of earth' and called Tripurasunderi teh most beautiful Queen of queens) as the 'true likeness' of the Nirakar Nadbindu (like the symboloc 'bindi' on the forehead of any person, representing 'sahasrara' that believably houses the essence of moon); and the netherland (underground/ below the mean sea level) that acts as the abode of burowing animals/ innumerable aquatic life forms...

"Hari anant/ Hari katha ananta..." conveys possibility of innumerable paths to reach the above realisation through eyes and the 'shabd' or words (in various alphabetic/ graphical symbols) of different Yogis who apparently act as different characters at different times repeating the 'Truths' for the 'common man' as well as the 'Absolute Truth' for teh 'seekers'...
7:49 AM
Kavitha said...
Joshi Uncle,

the essence of the moon, i have come to believe is before one attains samadhi, or activates the sahasrara chakra.

Its beyond this that the void or universe is experienced within the self.

Yosee,

I hope my previous comment didnt offend you. Apologies if it did. I tend to get carried away.
8:05 AM
JC said...
'Reading between lines', the mythological stories, 'Vishuddhi chakra' is indicated as the house of the 'mayavi rakshashas', literally 'defensive mechanism', interpreted by 'west' as the demons/ Satan,

(image found on internet)