Verse 5

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 5:

अमुष्मिन् धरायश्-चतुष्कोण-चक्रं समुद्भासि शूलाष्टकैरावृतं तत् ।
लसत् पीता-वर्णं तदित्-कोमलाङ्गं तदन्ते समास्ते धरायाः स्वबीजं ॥ ५ ॥

amuṣmin dharāyaś-catuṣkoṇa-cakraṃ samudbhāsi śūlāṣṭakairāvṛtaṃ tat |
lasat pītā-varṇaṃ tadit-komalāṅgaṃ tadante samāste dharāyāḥ svabījaṃ || 5 ||

In this (Lotus) is the square region (Cakra) of Pṛthivī,^[1] surrounded by eight shining spears.^[2] It is of a shining yellow colour^[3] and beautiful like lightning, as is also the Bīja of Dharā^[4] which is within.

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

In the pericarp of this Lotus is the square region Pṛthivī, which is described in detail. On. the four sides and four angles of the square are eight shining spears. The region is of yellow colour.

Cf. “O Thou of dulcet speech, in the Mūlādhāra is the fourcornered region of Dharā, yellow in colour and surrounded by eight spears (Śūla) like Kulācalas.”

Kulācala is by some interpreted to mean the breast of a woman. According to this view, the tips of these spears are shaped like a woman’s breasts. Others understand by the expression the seven Kula Mountains.^[5]

Cf. Nirvāṇa-Tantra: “O Devī, the seven Kula Mountains, viz., Nīlācala, Mandara, Candra-śekhara, Himālaya, Suvela, Malaya, and Suparvata—dwell in the four corners.” According to this notion, the eight spears are likened to the seven Kula Mountains on Earth.

“Within it” (Tad-ante).—Inside the region of Pṛthivī (Dharā maṇḍala) is the Bīja of Earth—viz., “ Laṃ”. This Bīja is also of a. yellow colour. The phrase “shining yellow colour” (Lasat-pīta-varṇaṃ) is descriptive of the Bīja also. So it has been said:

“Inside it is the Aindra-Bīja (Bīja of Indra),^[6] of a yellow colour possessed of four arms, holding the thunder in one hand, mighty^[7] and seated on the elephant Airāvata.”^[8]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Earth element, which is that of this Cakra. The form of this tattva is a square.

[2]:

The Aṣṭa-śūla are directed towards the eight points of the compass.

[3]:

The colour of the earth element which presides in this Cakra. Each Tattva manifests the form, colour, and action, of its particular vibration.

[4]:

That is, the Bīja of Pṛthivī, the earth Tattva or “Laṃ”. See Introduction.

[5]:

mahendro malayaḥ sahyaḥ śuktimān ṛkṣaparvataḥ |
vindhyaś ca pariyātraś ca saptaite kulaparvatāḥ ||
  —(quoted in Śabdastoma-mahānidhi).

Some read Pāriyātraḥ [Pāriyātra] in place of Pāripātraḥ [Pāripātra]. Śaṃkara says that the spears are here because the Cakra is inhabited by Ḍākinī who is one of the great Bhairavīs.

[6]:

The Bīja of Indra and the Bīja of Earth are the same.

[7]:

Māhā-bāhu, “possessed of great long arms—sign of prowess. Cf., Ājānu-laṃbita-bāhu (arms reaching the knees).

[8]:

The elephant of Indra. This and other animals figured in the Cakras denote both qualities of the Tattva and the Vehicles (Vāhana) of the Devata therein. See Introduction.