Aum Kundalinyai Namaha!

31

Devi Kundalini

Manastwam, vyoma twam, marudasi, marutsarathirasi,

Twamapastwam, bhumistvayi, parinatayam, nahi param,

Twameva svatmaanam, parinamayitum vishvapurusha,

Chidanandakaaram, haramahishi-bhavena bibrushe.

O Devi Kundalini! You are mind, space, air, fire, water, and earth.

Nothing exists beyond you.

You have transformed your form of blissful consciousness,

And taken on the shape of the universe.

A quotation from the Vedas says, “Even if man acquires the capacity to roll up the sky like a piece of leather, there would not be an end to sorrow unless he realizes the effulgent one within.”

The supreme consciousness residing in the sahasrara chakra at the top of the head is the effulgent one within. Kundalini Shakti embodies the cosmic energy of the Divine Mother that lies coiled up in the muladhara chakra at the base of the spinal column. (The Sanskrit word kundala means “coiled.”) Her form is like that of a coiled serpent; hence she is known as Mother Kundalini. She is the mystic fire of primordial energy. She is a fiery occult power, the force that underlies all organic and inorganic matter. She is Parashakti, the subtlest and most potent form of energy.

The energy that Devi Kundalini embodies is not a physical energy like electricity but a spiritual potential. This cosmic power is found in all human bodies and lies dormant in the muladhara chakra. As a cosmic reality it has no form, but in the human body, as yogis have discerned, it has a coiled-up shape and can be made to rise upward by the use of certain techniques. Though all human beings possess this shakti, very few know that they have it, and even fewer know how to make use of it. Various rites and practices to awaken this force have been suggested by all the paths of yoga that are taught in Hindu philosophy. The Tantric method of awakening this dormant energy in us is called kundalini yoga, sometimes called laya yoga. Kundalini yoga is the culminating meditative experience.

When consciousness manifests as energy, it possesses the twin aspects of potential and kinetic energy. Kundalini Shakti represents a polarization of these two energies. The human body is the potential pole of the energy of the supreme. The latent energy of the goddess is stored in the muladhara chakra. It becomes dynamic only when it is stirred to action through different types of yoga. Then it moves upward from the muladhara in order to unite with the quiescent supreme consciousness in the sahasrara. These two are like the poles of a magnet.

Kundalini is primordial, cosmic power and cannot be trifled with. Attempts to rouse it without proper knowledge of the technique can cause great damage both mentally and physically. All Tantric sadhana aims at awakening Kundalini Shakti and making her unite with her lord, Sadashiva (Shiva).

The same amount of thought that Western scientists have given to probing the secrets of external nature have been given by the sages of India to discovering the secrets of our internal nature. The detection of this energy called kundalini is one of their most amazing discoveries. Using the laboratory of their minds they prized open the secrets of the universe and discovered that these secrets lay within themselves. They underwent years of rigorous research and practiced intense self-denial and austerities before they discovered many amazing facts about kundalini. They described the details of the energy’s path so minutely that we have to conclude that they describe their personal experience. Only after verifying these truths many times did they give the information to their disciples, who in turn confirmed it and thus made it into a purely scientific truth that could be verified in the minds and bodies of all human beings, provided they had the courage to set out on a voyage of this unchartered territory. Spiritual research needs more than physical courage. It needs the ability to control our animalistic tendencies of sex, gluttony, smoking, drinking, oversleeping, jealousy, cheating others, thinking ill of others, and doing harm to others. One needs to follow a strict code of ethical conduct for many years before venturing to practice these techniques.

Scientists have only a physical view of energy, and they think it to be a blind phenomenon without any mental characteristics. According to them all manifestation of energy takes place by accident. The seers, however, realized that physical energy is actually derived from pure consciousness or chit, an aspect of Shakti. Prana, or life force, is derived from chit shakti. All forms of physical energy and the very evolution of life are influenced by prana. It is only very recently that modern physicists have become aware of this energy. Max Planck, for one, talks about a force of the spirit that sets atomic particles in oscillation and concentrates them into minute solar systems.

Science is the result of the body-mind’s perception of the phenomenal world. It gives us only one aspect of reality. It can never understand that other levels of reality exist outside of the perceptions of the five senses. Today, when the twenty-first-century human being is faced with horrifying Frankensteins of his own making, threatening to totally wipe out all his precious discoveries with, for example, the dropping of just one nuclear bomb, he is forced to pay heed to the words of wisdom uttered by India’s sages more than five millenniums ago! Though our scientific discoveries have advanced in leaps and bounds, our spiritual evolution seems to have become stagnant. We have learned to split everything including the atom, but we have not found a method for uniting humanity into one civilized whole.

Modern thought, which is influenced by Western science, divides life into spiritual and secular. This unnatural division gives a fragmented vision of life, and it is the main cause of our mental suffering and inability to find peace within. We are totally unaware of the vast spiritual power that lies dormant in us. It is only by tapping this source that the human being can evolve to his or her highest potential. Different fields of inquiry cannot be kept in watertight compartments. At some point all of them have to merge, for life is a holistic phenomenon. The ancient seers of India were well aware of this, and they evolved an all-comprehensive vision of the ultimate unity of all life in the universe.

The macrocosmos is inherent in the microcosmos. The human being is a microcosm in which all the components of the macrocosm are found in minute perfection. Whatever exists outside us exists in us. All the tattvas (elements) that make up the macrocosm exist also in us. The macrocosm is said to contain fourteen lokas or worlds, seven below the earth and seven above; these are also found in the body of man. Lokas are those astral regions in which the fruits of one’s actions or karmas can be experienced. The seven lower worlds have corresponding locations in the legs of the human body. The seven upper worlds have their corresponding locations within the seven chakras in the upper body.

The chakras are lotus-shaped whorls of the spiritual energy of Parashakti. Because they are centers of spiritual energy, they cannot be seen by the physical eyes. They are situated in the astral body along the nadi (tube of astral matter that carries psychic energy) known as the sushumna, which lies in the physical body within the spinal column. The first six chakras can thus be found along the spinal column, with the seventh in the brain. Starting from the base of the spine and moving upward, these chakras are known as the muladhara, swadhishtana, manipura, anahata, vishuddha, ajna, and sahasrara. Each chakra has its bija (seed sound), tattva (element), guna (quality), deva and devi (presiding god and goddess), and nadis. The supreme power of the Divine Mother known as Kundalini Shakti lies coiled up in the muladhara. She has to be awakened by continuous sadhana or spiritual practices. Once she has risen, she has to be forced up through the other five chakras and made to unite with Sadashiva or the supreme consciousness, which lies in the sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head.

7. Sahasrara

6. Ajna

5. Vishuddha

4. Anahata

3. Manipura

2. Swadhishtana

1. Muladhara

The seven chakras

Yogic vision has described these chakras as being in the form of lotus flowers with varying numbers of petals. The petals are the nadis; each resonates to the sound of one letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, and each letter denotes one mantra of the Devi Kundalini. These sounds exist in the petals in latent form; they manifest and begin to vibrate only during intense meditation. The muladhara has four petals, the swadhishtana has six, the manipura has ten, the anahata has twelve, the vishuddha has sixteen, and the ajna has two. There are fifty petals in all in these six lower chakras, corresponding to the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. These fifty letters appear twenty times each in the sahasrara chakra, giving it a thousand petals, a number that indicates infinity.

The descent of consciousness into the forms of matter can be followed in the chakras of the human body. In the sahasrara chakra, the supreme consciousness is united with Mula Prakriti, which is the nature of the goddess manifesting as knowledge, strength, and activity. Mula Prakriti is the unmanifest potential of nature and the energy of the Divine Mother. As we saw in our discussion of Lalitha (chapter 7), she is capable of sustaining two forms—manifest and unmanifest— simultaneously. She is Satchidananda Swarupini (the form of bliss) as well as Bhavani (the form of becoming). From her come sattva buddhi (higher intellect), ahamkara (ego), and manas (mind) as well as the indriyas (subtle senses), which are situated between the ajna and sahasrara chakras. Then come the tanmatras or the subtle essences of the senses, which evolve into the five gross elements: akasa (etheric space), vayu (air), agni (fire), apas (water), and prithvi (earth).

All evolution proceeds from the subtle to the gross. Therefore what we call solid matter, including the body, actually emanates from the ethereal realm. Though the mind and the five elements pervade the entire body, there are certain centers where they are predominant. The ajna chakra is the center of the mind, and the five lower chakras are the centers of the five tattvas or elements. The human being is a microcosm in which the all-pervading spirit evolves into the form of mind and matter through the tattvas. Hence Tantrists insist that the first steps on this path should be nadi shuddhi and tattva shuddhi. They maintain that the final spiritual experience can be gained only after this purification. The path to perfection lies in retracing the way by which we have evolved—that is, from the gross elements to the subtle tanmatras, which in turn fold back into Parashakti, which is nothing but the Para Brahman.

As has been mentioned before, during the evolution of the cosmos, the universe unfolds and expands from the seed sound hreem. This vibrating mass of energy differentiates and expands in different wavelengths. By the fifth differentiation this energy evolves into the gross plane and creates the fifty articulate sounds or varnas. Varna means “color,” and indeed, each sound has a corresponding hue. The universe of forms is created from the combinations and permutations of these fifty primeval sounds. Sound is potential form and form is manifest sound. In fact, experiments have found that predictable forms can be produced from sound: a specific note at a particular pitch from certain instruments can produce a specific geometrical pattern traced on a bed of sand. Underlying all the forms of the physical world are the oscillating wavelengths of the fifty primeval sounds in varying combinations. The alphabets of the Sanskrit language are directly derived from these primordial sounds.

The chakras are also the centers of prana shakti within us. Prana is the vital life force, a psychic energy. All life energy is manifested in the world through prana. Without it not even a leaf can move. Heat, light, electricity, and magnetism are all manifestations of prana. Breath is the external expression of prana. By doing the yogic exercise called pranayama or control of the breath, one can influence the subtle pranic force. The mind cannot operate without prana. So control of the breath implies control of prana, which in turn leads to control of the mind. Within the human being, this prana assumes five different functions known as the pancha pranas, which control respiration, digestion, dreaming, evacuation, and blood circulation. These functions are linked to the different chakras. When we control the breath and direct it by the force of our will to different parts of the body, we can cure diseases and revitalize ourselves; this fact has been recognized in modern times and many people practice what is known as pranic healing. If we can control the prana within us, we can slowly learn the method of controlling the universal prana. This is how certain yogis perform miracles.

The physical body has certain plexuses that correspond to the location of the chakras. The muladhara corresponds to the sacrococcygeal plexus, the swadhishtana to the sacral plexus, the manipura to the solar plexus, the anahata to the cardiac plexus, the visuddha to the laryngeal plexus, and the ajna with the two lobes of the cerebellum. Above these lie the mind or manas in the middle cerebrum and finally the sahasrara, corresponding to the upper cerebrum, the function of which is still to be discovered by science.

The six lower chakras are thus vital centers of psychic energy that affect various essential physical functions within the body. They influence and govern the gross body outside the spinal column, which is coextensive with that section of the spinal column in which they are situated. The muladhara is the physical center controlling elimination. It is the subconscious center. The swadhishtana governs the generative organs; it is the sex center and controls the movements of greed and lust. The manipura governs the digestive organs. It is the center of the higher life forces and passions. The anahata is the seat of the cardiac and respiratory forces and controls the emotional center. The visuddha is the broadcasting system and is connected with the external mind. The ajna is the control room of motor activity, the center of the will, inner mind, occult vision, and dynamic thought. The sahasrara is the master switchboard. It is the center of higher consciousness. It is the intuitive mind that can connect with the astral planes and the cosmic mind.

The body may be divided into two main portions. The head and trunk form the main part and the legs the other. The center of the body lies between these two, at the base of the spine. The spinal cord runs through the whole body and supports it; it can be seen as the axis of the body. The legs and feet are the grossest part of the body since they show less sign of consciousness. The head and trunk, together with the spinal column, which contains white and gray matter, are more highly developed. The body and legs below the center contain the seven lower or netherworlds or lokas, which are upheld by their respective shaktis or sustaining powers. From the spinal column upward, to the cerebral centers, consciousness manifests freely. The seven upper worlds or lokas are situated here.

The nadis are tubes of astral matter that carry psychic currents. They have no connection with nerves, arteries, or veins. (Again, though physical correlates are given to specify the whereabouts of nadis and chakras, it must be understood that they are situated not in the physical body but in the astral body. They are made of subtle forces that are not visible to gross perception.) The word nad means “motion” in Sanskrit. It is through these nadis that the pranic current or life force moves and flows and thus they have a vital role in kundalini yoga. All nadis spring from a place called the kanda, which is shaped like an egg and is located just above the muladhara chakra. The kanda is another great psychic center.

Out of the innumerable nadis in the body, the three that play a most important role are the sushumna, ida, and pingala. Of these the sushumna is chief. It extends from the muladhara chakra at the bottom of the spine to the brahmarandra orifice at the crown of the head. This nadi passes through the cylindrical cavity of the spinal column. Inside the sushumna is another nadi called the vajra, which is radiant like the sun and filled with rajas. Inside this is another called the chitra, which is pale like the moon and is sattvic. Within this lies the slender nadi called the Brahma nadi; when kundalini is awakened, its passage upward lies through the Brahma nadi.

The ida nadi lies on the left side of the sushumna, and the pingala on the right side. The ida starts from the right testicle and pingala from the left. They meet the sushumna nadi for the first time at the muladhara chakra and make a knot there. This is known as the Brahma granthi or the knot of Brahma. The three meet again at the anahata or heart chakra; the knot they form there is called the Vishnu granthi, or knot of Vishnu. They meet for the third and last time at the ajna chakra, where they make a knot known as Rudra granthi or knot of Rudra (Shiva). The Lalitha Sahasranama says that the goddess Lalitha herself is the one who cuts all three knots (the Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra granthis); it is only after cutting these three knots that one can have access to Sadashiva, who resides in the sahasrara chakra. The ida nadi exits the body through the left nostril and pingala through the right. The ida is also known as the chandra nadi or the nadi of the moon and has a cooling effect on the body. The pingala is also known as the surya nadi or the nadi of the sun and is heating. The ida controls the nourishment of the body and the pingala the digestion of food. When the nadis are clogged with impurities, one cannot meditate and the body becomes unhealthy. One has to practice pranayama in order to purify them.

Muladhara means “root center.” Four important nadis emanate from the muladhara chakra, giving it a four-petaled lotus shape. The petals are crimson in color. The Sanskrit letters corresponding to these four nadis are vam, sham, shham, and sam. This chakra is located at the base of the spinal column, between the reproductive organs and the anus. It is just below the kanda, the egg-shaped junction from which all nadis arise. The tattva or element of this chakra is prithvi or earth; it is found in the center of the lotus in a square mandala that is yellow in color. It resonates to the mantra lam, which is the bija mantra or seed sound of the earth element. This chakra corresponds with the Bhur loka or the earthly plane; the seven netherworlds lie below this chakra. The swayambhuva linga of Shiva is also to be seen in this chakra: Devi Kundalini lies facing downward at the mouth of the sushumna nadi with her face on the head of this linga. She is curled up into three and a half coils like a snake. The three full coils represent the three gunas of Prakriti—sattva, rajas, and tamas—while the half coil represents the vikritis or modifications of Prakriti. Ganesha is the presiding deity of this chakra and Dakini the goddess. The animal connected with this chakra is the elephant. The Brahma granthi or the knot of Brahma, where the ida, pingala, and sushumna nadis meet for the first time, is in this chakra. The yogi who concentrates on this chakra gets full knowledge of kundalini and the method of awakening it. Levitation or control over the gravity of the earth is one of the siddhis that can be obtained by concentration on this chakra.

The swadhishtana chakra is located on the sushumna nadi at the root of the reproductive organs. Swadhishtana means “one’s own place.” It corresponds to the Bhuvar loka. This chakra controls the lower abdomen, kidneys, uterus, and reproductive organs in the gross body. Six nadis emanate from this chakra, giving it the appearance of a six-petaled lotus. The color of the petals is vermilion. The vibrations of these nadis correspond to the letters bam, bham, mam, yam, ram, and lam. The tattva associated with this is apas or water, which is found in a space shaped like the crescent moon that is pure white in color. The seed sound of this chakra is vam, which is the bija mantra of Varuna, the god of waters. The presiding deity is Brahma and the goddess is Rakini (a form of Saraswati). The animal connected with this chakra is the crocodile. He who concentrates on this chakra will lose all fear of water and will even be able to walk on water.

The manipura chakra is located in the region of the navel corresponding to the solar plexus. Manipura means “full of rays.” This chakra controls the liver, stomach, and spleen. Ten nadis emanate from this chakra, giving it the appearance of a ten-petaled lotus. The petals are dark purple in color. The vibrations produced by these nadis correspond to the Sanskrit letters dam, dham, nnam, tam, tham, ddam, ddham, nam, pam, and pham. Its corresponding element is agni (fire), which is located in a deep red triangle with its apex pointing downward in the center of the chakra. Its bija mantra is ram, which is the seed sound of Agni, the god of fire. This chakra corresponds with the Swar loka or the heavenly region. The presiding deity is Vishnu and the goddess is Lakini (Lakshmi). The animal connected with this chakra is the ram. The yogi who concentrates on this chakra will have no fear of fire and will remain unscathed even if thrown into a blazing conflagration.

Next comes the anahata chakra, situated in the region of the heart corresponding to the cardiac plexus. Anahata means “soundless sound.” Twelve nadis emanate from this chakra, giving it the appearance of a twelve-petaled lotus. The petals have a deep maroon color. The vibrations produced by these nadis correspond to the Sanskrit letters kam, kham, gam, gham, gnyam, cham, chham, jam, jham, jnyam, tam, and ttam. In the chakra’s center is a hexagonal shape with a dark smoky aura; here resides the vayu tattva or the element of air. The chakra has the bija mantra of vayu, which is yam. It corresponds to the Mahar loka. The presiding deity is Isha (Rudra) and the goddess is Kakini (one of the forms of Kaali). The animal connected to this chakra is the antelope. The nada or sound of Sabda Brahman is heard from this chakra. In fact, the yogi in deep meditation can hear many astral sounds emanating from this chakra. This is the second place where the ida and pingala nadis meet the sushumna and form a knot; this knot is known as the Vishnu granthi or the knot of Vishnu. This chakra is full of sattva and one who meditates on it will find her heart overflowing with love for the whole of creation. She will also have control over the element of air and will be able to fly.

The visuddha chakra is located at the base of the throat, corresponding to the laryngeal plexus. Visuddha means “purity.” The sixteen nadis that emanate from this chakra are smoky purple in color and give it the shape of a sixteen-petaled lotus. The vibrations they produce correspond to the leteres am, aam, im, eem, um, oom, rim, reem, lum, loom, em, aem, om, aoum, um, and ah. The related tattva is akasa or ether; it resides in the center of the chakra in a circle that is pure blue in color. The seed sound of this element is ham. This chakra corresponds to the Jana loka. The presiding deity is Sadashiva and the goddess is Shakini (a form of Durga). One who concentrates on this chakra will obtain knowledge of the past, present, and future.

The ajna chakra is situated in the space between the two eyebrows, known as the cavernous plexus in the physical body. Ajna means “command/order of a holy person.” This chakra corresponds to the Tapo loka. The seed mantra here is (aum), which is found in a pure white circle that is the seat of the mind. The chakra has two nadis, one on either side, that are pure white in color and give it the appearance of a two-petaled lotus. They vibrate to the sound of the letters ham and ksham. The element here is avyakta, the primordial cloud of undifferentiated energy and matter from which the five elements emanate. The presiding deity is Paramashiva in the form of a swan; the presiding goddess is Hakini (one of the forms of the Maha Devi). The ida and pingala nadis meet the sushumna for the final time at this junction and form a knot known as the Rudra granthi or the knot of Rudra. One who concentrates on this chakra will be able to destroy all the karmas of previous lives. She becomes fully liberated—a jivan mukta. She can acquire all the major siddhis or supernormal powers. Yogis consciously fix their prana here at the time of death.

Above these six lotuses we have the seventh, which is known as the sahasrara (“thousand-petaled”). All the other chakras are intimately connected with the sahasrara chakra. Situated at the crown of the head, it corresponds to the pineal gland in the physical body. One thousand nadis emanate from this chakra, giving it the look of a thousand-petaled lotus. Each of the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet is repeated twenty times in these petals. This chakra corresponds to the Satya loka. It is the abode of Lord Shiva in his aspect as the Para Brahman or supreme consciousness. When Kundalini Shakti is united with Sadashiva in this chakra, the yogi enjoys supreme bliss and goes into a state of superconsciousness called samadhi.

The brahmarandra (“hole of Brahman”) is an orifice at the crown of the head. The physical counterpart is the fontanel, which is very soft in an infant but hardens with age. The jivatman or the embodied soul enters the body through this opening at the time of birth. When a yogi departs from the physical body, he or she bursts open the brahmarandra and departs the way he or she came. Prana escapes through this opening, and thus the yogi attains immortality. The prana of ordinary individuals exits the body through one of its other orifices.

Thus Devi Kundalini is pure consciousness itself. She is Prana Shakti as well as Parashakti—the life force and the supreme force. It is through her that the world of matter exists. She is the subtlest form of energy. Creation, preservation, and dissolution are all found in her. She maintains both the individual body as well as the cosmos through her subtle prana. She is the dynamic working power of the universe.

The equilibrium of the universe is maintained by a polarity of positive and negative, of static and dynamic. In kundalini yoga, it is said that the static ground force or Shiva resides in the seventh chakra, known as the sahasrara. The dynamic feminine power or Shakti lies in the muladhara at the base of the spine. This manifestation of cosmic power in the body, known as kundalini, is in a dormant, potential state. In kundalini yoga, this divine power that lies asleep in every human being is aroused and pulled upward through the six chakras until it reaches the sahasrara chakra, which is the seat of Sadashiva, the supreme consciousness. This is the height of the meditative experience.

The static power of kundalini can be vitalized by pranayama and other yogic processes and made dynamic. When the energy is completely vibrant, Kundalini Shakti rises and passes through the various chakras and finally unites with Shiva in the sahasrara, and the two poles become one. The yogi attains the state of consciousness known as samadhi. In this state, even though the body continues to exist, one appears inert, since the individual consciousness is no longer fixed on the body and the objective world but has been united with the supreme consciousness. Yogis have been known to stay in this state of suspended animation for many years. The question may be asked as to how such a body manages to sustain itself. The answer is that when this union takes place, there is a continuous dripping of nectar from the brahmarandra that sustains the whole organism for an incalculable period of time. When Devi Kundalini sleeps, the human being is awake to the world and clamors and frets for the objects of the world. When the goddess is awake, the individual no longer hankers for the world of the senses and is awake only to the supreme reality. He or she is asleep to the world of duality and enters into the state of unity. The so-called happiness of the world turns into an ecstasy beyond words. As the Bhagavad Gita says, “That which is night to the yogi is day to the ordinary man and what is day to him is night to the yogi.”

In worldly-minded people given to purely physical pleasures and sexual enjoyments, this kundalini power is never awakened. It lies dormant throughout their lives. The power has to be stimulated through some form of spiritual practice and not through the acquisition of wealth or any other form of material control. When an aspirant seriously practices all the disciplines as given in the shastras (scriptures), under the guidance of a qualified guru, the layers of ignorance veiling kundalini begin to be cleared and are finally torn asunder and the energy is pushed upward through the chakras.

Even when it is awakened, kundalini does not proceed directly to the sahasrara except in the case of an exceptionally pure yogi. It must be moved forcibly from one chakra to another, which requires a great deal of concentration and patience. The energy may drop back at any time and have to be forced up again with great effort. When it reaches the sahasrara union takes place, but again the energy may not remain long in that state and can slip back. It’s only after long and continuous practice that the adept experiences permanent union and final liberation. The speed with which kundalini is aroused depends entirely on the aspirant’s longing for liberation, purification of the nadis, dispassion, and stage of evolution. In a course of time, the Divine Mother herself awakens the power and gives the sadhaka the knowledge as and when he or she is ready for it. Until the sadhaka is able to absorb this knowledge fully, nothing of importance will be revealed to him or her.

There are many methods for locating the chakras. They can be located both from the front and from the back. To locate them from the back, one’s concentration has to move along the spinal cord from chakra to chakra. To locate them from the front, one’s concentration has to move from the base of the spine to the navel, the heart, the throat, and so on. One’s consciousness must be kept always alert so that it is receptive to the inner vibrations that denote an energy center. The chakras may also be focused upon by chanting aum. At the muladhara, aum must be chanted at the lowest pitch. As one moves up, the pitch has to be raised by one degree for every chakra. The aum sound gradually becomes imperceptible. Another method for locating the chakras uses the Indian musical scale. There is a strange relationship between the seven notes of the scale and the seven major chakras. Sa corresponds to the muladhara, re to the swadhishtana, ga to the manipura, ma to the anahata, pa to the visuddha, da to the ajna, and ni to the sahasrara.

The petals of the lotuses in these chakras are initially closed and drooping, but as Devi Kundalini pierces their centers, the blossoms lift their heads and bloom in all their glory, emanating a divine light and fragrance and revealing their esoteric secrets. The more kundalini advances, the more the yogi advances on the spiritual path. When kundalini reaches the ajna chakra the yogi gets a vision of his personal god. When it reaches the sahasrara, he loses his individuality in the ocean of sat, chit, and ananda; Shiva and Shakti become united and the yogi becomes a fully illumined sage or jivan mukta. Even the ignorant individual knows that he wants happiness. To get this he uses whatever means come to his command. Unfortunately, he does not realize that the happiness of the world is a pale reflection of the bliss that lies within him and that he could taste, if only he knew the method of finding it. Kundalini yoga is one such method.

As is the case for all other Tantric practices, the technique of awakening kundalini can be learned only after attaining ethical perfection. Otherwise it will lead to spiritual and physical downfall. Before starting this yoga one has to follow a strict discipline and cultivate the following qualities: nonviolence, celibacy, perseverance, patience, acceptance, sparse eating habits, humility, honesty, and selfless service to others. One must become detached from the lure of worldly pleasures and free from desire, anger, greed, and jealousy. The aspirant must have deha shuddhi (purified body), nadi shuddhi (purified nadis), mana shuddhi (purified mind), and buddhi shuddhi (purified intellect).

The necessity of a spiritual guide on this path cannot be overemphasized. As is the case for all Tantric practices, the pitfalls of kundalini yoga are many, and one has to be guided by a proper guru. Kundalini can be roused by different methods advocated in different yogas. Hatha yogis use pranayama, asanas, and mudras. Bhakti yoga advocates devotion and perfect surrender to one’s personal deity. Raja yoga stresses concentration, meditation, and control of the mind. Jnana yoga supports the exercise of the analytical will, and Tantra advocates tattva shuddhi and the use of mantras and yantras in rituals. All these types of yoga have but one purpose, and that is the attainment of unity with the supreme consciousness. Every type of yoga is an attempt at the self-transformation of the base metal of the individual consciousness into the pure gold of supreme consciousness. The specific type of sadhana that one uses will depend on one’s nature. Any one of these paths may be used with great success by a selected few. But for most people, a combination of methods might be most effective. Many of the ordinary paths of yoga can be followed safely by even an ignorant practioner, but kundalini yoga is an occult science. It can lead one to the heights in the shortest possible time, but it can also precipitate us to the lowest depths of darkness of the mind. It is a path filled with pitfalls, and for this reason a guru is essential.

The Yoga-Kundalini Upanishad is the eighty-sixth among the one hundred and eight important Upanishads. It is a most important work on kundalini yoga. It prescribes methods by which prana can be controlled and kundalini aroused and taken to its consummation in the sahasrara chakra. Pranayama and other yogic processes by which the state of samadhi can be attained are described in detail.

When kundalini travels from chakra to chakra, layer after layer of the mind becomes opened and the yogi acquires psychic powers known as siddhis. Many misguided people take to the practice only for the sake of attaining these powers. They use these powers to gain fame and wealth, and this eventually leads to their downfall. These powers are meant to be used for the benefit of the world and for furthering spiritual evolution, not for selfish ends.

As mentioned before, when kundalini sleeps the human being is awake to the joys of the world. When it awakes, the human being also awakes to the light within. Some of the signs of awakened kundalini are that the body becomes light as air. You begin to possess an inexhaustible energy and become divinely intoxicated. During meditation you will behold divine visions, tastes, smells, and sounds. But these are only the side effects. If you become deflected from the true purpose of the yoga and run after these tantalizing things that Devi Kundalini dangles before the unwary, you will never attain the goal. This is the time to be assiduous in the practice and never let up until you have achieved the final goal of unity with the supreme consciousness. In this state the yogi experiences cosmic love, peace, fearlessness, and harmony. When Devi Kundalini unites with Sadashiva, nectar starts to flow from the brahmarandra to the muladhara chakra, flooding both the astral and the physical body, satisfying the presiding gods and goddesses of the various chakras and thus filling the yogi with paramananda or supreme bliss.

What we have to understand from the study of the various Puranas and other scriptures is that a deep philosophy underlies all the traditional Hindu methods of worship and the various Puranic allegories. The path of spiritual sadhana is shrouded in a mystery that is not apparent even to the sadhaka. We may imagine that we are the ones who have started this yoga and who have been successful in it, but the fact is that even the heroism and strength that we put into it are the force of the Divine Mother working within us. A child may shake off his mother’s restraining hand and run forward, secure in the knowledge that she is right there behind him. Similar is the case with us. Whatever intelligence we may possess and whatever extraordinary gifts and powers we might have are but a pale reflection of her mighty powers. She walks beside us and steers our course from within. Everything that is worthwhile in our existence we owe to her alone. Her watchful vigilance never falters even for a second. Those who have perfect faith in her can walk blindfolded on the path of life, for we can be sure that she is guiding our footsteps every inch of the way.

If we allow the cosmic mother to fill us with her love and beauty, our problems will vanish. As the child feels secure when holding the hand of his mother, so the devotee has no cares, for she knows that her beloved mother is always beside her. Every human being regardless of gender should try to develop motherly qualities. Only then will we be able to love the whole universe and all the people in it. We must not limit our maternal love to our children alone but must learn to look on everyone as our child. This is the only way in which humankind can attain peace. Most of us have experienced the glory of the unqualified love that a human mother can give. This is only a ray of the flooding sunshine of love that the Divine Mother can give us.

The wine that Chandika quaffs before her battle with Mahishasura is a divine nectar that she will give to all her devotees. May all taste of this divine beverage and attain the perfection that every human being is capable of. Chandika promises, “I will be present wherever my glories are sung and wherever I am worshipped with true devotion. My power destroys ill health and bestows prosperity. It protects and restores peace. By the mere remembrance of my name, one crosses over all troubles and sorrows. My devotees will always be protected from all types of fears.”

I am the queen of the universe, the giver of all wealth and fruits of works.

I am intelligence and omniscience.

Although I am one, through my powers I appear manifold.

I cause war for protection; I kill the enemy and bring peace on earth.

I stretch out heaven and earth.

I have produced the father.

As the wind blows by itself, so I produce all phenomena by my own will.

I am independent and responsible to none.

I am beyond the sky, beyond this earth.

My glory is the phenomenal universe;

Such am I by my own powers.

—RIG VEDA 10, HYMN 125

Thus ends the thirty-first chapter of Shakti, known as “Devi Kundalini,” which describes the goddess Kundalini and the practice of kundalini yoga.

Aum Aim Hreem Kleem