Verse 17: Catuṣpīṭha-nyāsa

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 17:

अन्तरङ्गकरणान्य् उपाधयः स्वप्रकाशनभसोऽत्र सङ्क्रमात् ।
पीठभावम् उपयान्ति तानि तन्न्यासकर्म परधाम्नि हृल्लयः ॥ १७ ॥

antaraṅgakaraṇāny upādhayaḥ svaprakāśanabhaso'tra saṅkramāt |
pīṭhabhāvam upayānti tāni tannyāsakarma paradhāmni hṛllayaḥ || 17 ||

The [four] centers of the yogic body are the limiting factors of the sky of self-luminous awareness. They transform into the [four] power sites (pīṭha) located [in the body] in that order. The rite of installing those [four inner power sites] is dissolving the Heart into supreme radiance.

Notes:

Kaula tantra developed a number of important contributions to Indic religious and tantric traditions, including a highly specialized conceptual vocabulary capable of intimately describing various states of awareness and practice. Despite the generally poor reception that Kaula tantra received over the last centuries as a debaucherous pseudo-religion that indulges in intoxication, and other socially unacceptable practices, in truth, the advanced jñāna taught in many Kaula texts rivals even the most elevated teachings from the Upaniṣads and other profound sources of knowledge of the Self.

One of Kaula tantra's specialties is a particularly detailed understanding of kuṇḍalinī śakti, the subtle creative life-force energy of Śiva that manifests reality and is embodied in a latent "seed" form within the human body. Kuṇḍalinī travels through various centers known as cakras (wheels) and ādhāras (locations) both within and around the body and are variously described in tantric and yogic traditions. Central to Kaula teachings on tantric yoga and kuṇḍalinī are four immersions, or inner Kaula yogic states of consciousness known as: piṇḍastha, padastha, rūpastha, and rūpātīta. This fourfold classification is taught in a number of texts including the Kulapañcāśikā, Mālinīvijayottaratantra, Manthānabhairavatantra, Kaulajñānanirṇaya, Śāradātilakatantra, and Yoginīhṛdayatantra, among others. The specificities of what these four terms mean varies significantly through time, and between the texts and traditions that teach them, but are generally related to levels of immersion in consciousness, states of awareness, and aspects of kuṇḍalinī practice.^[1]

Professor André Padoux skillfully elucidated how Amṛtānanda understood piṇḍa, pada, rūpa, and rūpātīta according to his Dīpikā commentary on the Yoginīhṛdayatantra (1.41) as follows:

"The three terms "word" (pada), "form" (rūpa), and "beyond the form" (rūpātīta)—together, usually with piṇḍa rather than kaṇḍa—are the names of four centers of the yogic body. According to the Dīpikā, "word" refers to the haṃsa, which we may understand here as the inner breath of the heart. The "form" (rūpa) would be the bindu, on the forehead, on the so-called ājñā center. "Beyond the form" (rūpātīta) refers to the brahmarandhra."^[2]

In the first part of this verse (of the Cidvilāsastava), Amṛtānanda teaches that supreme, selfluminous, consciousness is not experienced due to four internal locations (along the spine) that block the flow of kuṇḍalinī.

Concerning these four impediments, the Yoginīhṛdayatantra further teaches:

पिण्डरूपपदग्रन्थिभेदनाद् विघ्नभेदनम् ।
गुह्यहृण्मुखमूर्धसु विद्यान्यासेन सुन्दरि ॥ ३.९१ ॥

piṇḍarūpapadagranthibhedanād vighnabhedanam |
guhyahṛṇmukhamūrdhasu vidyānyāsena sundari || 3.91 ||

"Since they are shared out among the [centers named] piṇḍa, rūpa, pada, and granthi, the [internal] obstacles [are destroyed] by the imposition of the vidyā on the secret place, the heart, the face, and the head, O Beautiful One!"^[3]

In his Dīpikā commentary on this verse, Amṛtānanda teaches that the four impediments are the same four Kaula states mentioned in first chapter of the Yoginīhṛdayatantra and that they exist at the same four locations (ādhāra [foundation], hṛdaya [heart], bhrūmadhya [point between the eyebrows], and brahmarandhra [cranial aperature]). Amṛtānanda also explains why pada and rūpa are reversed from the more standard ordering, why rūpātīta is glossed as granthi, and the method by which these obstructers are to be neutralized with a nyāsa of four special bīja mantras. Although not explicitly mentioned, it seems clear that Amṛtānanda is referencing these four Kaula states, understood as aspects of kuṇḍalinī practice at centers within the body, in this verse of the Cidvilāsastava.

In the second part of the verse, Amṛtānanda builds on teachings from the Yoginīhṛdayatantra and explains how piṇḍa, pada, rūpa, and rūpātīta transform into the four principal Kaula pīṭhas known as Kāmarūpa, Pūrṇagiri, Jālandhara, and Oḍḍiyāṇa.

The Yoginīhṛdayatantra teaches:

भासनाद् विश्वरूपस्य स्वरूपे बाह्यतोऽपि च ।
एताश् चतस्रः शक्त्यस् तु का पू जा ओ इति क्रमात् ॥ १.४१ ॥
पीठाः कन्दे पदे रूपे रूपातीते क्रमात् स्थितः ।

bhāsanād viśvarūpasya svarūpe bāhyato'pi ca |
etāś catasraḥ śaktyas tu kā pū jā o iti kramāt || 1.41 ||
pīṭhāḥ kande pade rūpe rūpātīte kramāt sthitaḥ |

"While manifesting everything that exists in essence then externally, these four energies [produce] KĀ PŪ JĀ O, in that order. These pīṭhās are located respectively in the bulb, the word, the form, and beyond all form."^[4]

The fourfold Kaula yoga was understood by Amṛtānanda as a practice relating to the ascent of kuṇḍalinī through four locations within the body as follows:

Kaula term	Meaning	Location	Pīṭha
piṇḍa	kuṇḍalinī śakti	mūlādhāra	Kāmarūpa
pada	haṃsa mantra	hṛdaya	Pūrṇagiri
rūpa	bindu	bhrūmadhya	Jālandhara
rūpātīta	supreme consciousness	brahmarandhra	Oḍḍiyāṇa

The sacred śakti pīṭhas play an incredibly important part in Śākta tantra, as they relate to the story of how the various parts of Sātī's body were scattered all over the Indic subcontinent after she self-immolated in protest of her husband (Lord Śiva) not being invited to her father's yajña. At each spot where a part of her body fell to the earth, a śakti pīṭha, or sacred center of divine energy associated with the goddess emerged. The śakti pīṭhas are immortalized with special temples at each location throughout the subcontinent and are powerful places of divine energy and worship. In line with a general development in Kaula tantra towards the interiorization of practice, śakti pīṭhas were also understood to exist as inner sites within the body, as well as projected onto a maṇḍala to worship, alleviating the need to physically go on pilgrimage. The culmination of this interiority of practice is known as the pīṭha nyāsa, one of the six foundational nyāsa practices used in the Śrīvidyā tradition, where all of the śakti pīṭhas are envisioned and mantrically installed on the body.

Of the numerous śākti pīṭhas, Kāmarūpa, Pūrṇagiri, Jālandhara, and Oḍḍiyāṇa stand out as especially connected with the transmission of Kaula teachings through the ages. These four sacred pīṭhas are extensively described in various Kaula tantras and gain special significance within the Kubjikā and Śrīvidyā traditions. In Śrīvidyā, the four pīṭhas (along with their respective gurus) are envisioned at the three corners of the innermost triangle of the Śrīcakra, with the fourth pīṭha placed in the center of the triangle at the bindu. These pīṭhas constitute an important part in the ritual worship, as well as the gurumaṇḍala, of Tripurasundarī.

Closing the verse, Amṛtānanda teaches that these four Kaula states transform into the four principal Kaula pīṭhas and that the supreme form of ritually installing these four pīṭhas, known within the Śrīvidyā tradition as the catuṣpīṭha nyāsa, consists of "dissolving the Heart into supreme radiance."

The exact correlations between the four Kaula states and the four pīṭhas are not given in the Cidvilāsastava, but are inferred here from the Yoginīhṛdayatantra, as well as the catuṣpīṭha nyāsa as taught in early Śrīvidyā ritual manuals, and practiced within several contemporary Śrīvidyā lineages with the following correlations:

Kaula State	Cakra	Dhāma	Pīṭha	Śakti	Siddha
piṇḍa	mūlādhāra	agni	Kāmāgiri	icchā	Mitreśanātha
pada	anāhata	sūrya	Pūrṇagiri	jñāna	Ṣaṣṭhīśanātha
rūpa	bhrūmadhya	soma	Jālandhara	kriyā	Uḍḍīśanātha
rūpātīta	brahmarandhra	brahma	Oḍḍiyāṇa	parabrahmātma	Caryānātha

In this verse, Amṛtānanda builds on a large corpus of teachings on the four Kaula yogic states, the four pīṭhas, nyāsa, and the supreme transmission (śāmbhavakrama) of grace.

The second chapter of the Mālinīvijayottaratantra teaches how the four Kaula states are directly linked to the four classic avasthās:

भूयोऽप्यासामवस्थानां संज्ञाभेदः प्रकाश्यते ।
पिण्डस्थः सर्वतोभद्रो जाग्रन्नाम द्वयं मतम् ॥ ३६ ॥
द्विसंज्ञं स्वप्नमिच्छन्ति पदस्थं व्याप्तिरित्यपि ।
रूपस्थं तु महाव्याप्तिः सुषुप्तस्यापि तद्द्वयम् ॥ ३७ ॥
प्रचयं रूपातीतं च सम्यक् तुर्यमुदाहृतम् ।
महाप्रचयमिच्छन्ति तुर्यातीतं विचक्षणाः ॥ ३८ ॥
पृथक्तत्त्वप्रभेदेन भेदोऽयं समुदाहृतः ।
सर्वाण्येव हि तत्त्वानि पञ्चैतानि यथा शृणु ॥ ३९ ॥

bhūyo'pyāsāmavasthānāṃ saṃjñābhedaḥ prakāśyate |
piṇḍasthaḥ sarvatobhadro jāgrannāma dvayaṃ matam || 36 ||
dvisaṃjñaṃ svapnamicchanti padasthaṃ vyāptirityapi |
rūpasthaṃ tu mahāvyāptiḥ suṣuptasyāpi taddvayam || 37 ||
pracayaṃ rūpātītaṃ ca samyak turyamudāhṛtam |
mahāpracayamicchanti turyātītaṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ || 38 ||
pṛthaktattvaprabhedena bhedo'yaṃ samudāhṛtaḥ |
sarvāṇyeva hi tattvāni pañcaitāni yathā śṛṇu || 39 ||

"Furthermore, the different technical appellations of these states are revealed.

‘Corporeal' (piṇḍastha) and 'Everyway Propitious' (sarvatobhadra) are considered to be the two (other) names of the waking state. They consider the dream state to have two names: Abiding in Place (padastha) as well as Pervasion (vyāpti). There also two (terms) for the state of deep sleep: Abiding in Form (rūpāstha) and the Great Pervasion (mahāvyāpti). The Fourth State is technically called 'Accumulation' (pracaya) and Beyond Form (rūpātīta). The discerning (vicakṣaṇa) (i.e. jñānin) consider (the state) Beyond the Fourth to be the Great Accumulation (mahāpracaya).

Thus is taught how this (five-fold) differentiation recurs in each division of the reality principles (tattva)."^[5]

Kaula State	Avasthā
piṇḍa	jāgrat	the waking state
pada	svapna	the dreaming state
rūpa	suṣupti	the deep sleep, dreamless state
rūpātīta	turya	the fourth state, the supreme level

Similar to Amṛtānanda's understanding of the four Kaula states envisioned as centers along the spine, the twenty-fifth chapter of the Śāradātilikatantra also teaches how they are related to the practice of kuṇḍalinī practice:

पिण्डं भवेत् कुण्डलिनी शिवात्मा पदं तु हंसः सकलान्तरात्मा ।
रूपं भवेद् बिन्दुर् अनन्तकान्तिर् अतीतरूपं शिवसामरस्यम् ॥ २५.६२ ॥

piṇḍaṃ bhavet kuṇḍalinī śivātmā padaṃ tu haṃsaḥ sakalāntarātmā |
rūpaṃ bhaved bindur anantakāntir atītarūpaṃ śivasāmarasyam || 25.62 ||

"The "solid mass" (piṇḍa) is doubtlessly the kuṇḍalinī, equivalent to Śiva; the "position" (pada), on the other hand, is doubtlessly the haṃsaḥ, the inner Self of all. The "form" (rūpa) is doubtlessly the bindu of infinite lustre; the blissful union (sāmarasya) with Śiva is "form transcended” (atītarūpa)."^[6]

The nineteenth chapter of the Kumārikākhaṇḍaḥ of the Manthānabhairavatantra teaches foundational knowledge about the nature of the four Kaula states in relation to practice:

पिण्डस्थं च पदस्थं च रूपस्थं रूपवर्जितम् ।
निरञ्जनपदावस्थं तदा मुक्त महेश्वर ॥ ६ ॥
शब्दब्रह्म भवेत् पिण्डं पदं बीजाक्षरं स्मृतम् ।
रूपं च मण्डलं योग रूपातीतं च भैरव ॥ ७ ॥
निरञ्जन पिण्डस्थं च रूपस्थं रूपवर्जितम् ।
निरञ्जनपदे ज्ञेयास्तदाधोध्वे प्रशस्यते ॥ ८ ॥

piṇḍasthaṃ ca padasthaṃ ca rūpasthaṃ rūpavarjitam |
nirañjanapadāvasthaṃ tadā mukta maheśvara || 6 ||
śabdabrahma bhavet piṇḍaṃ padaṃ bījākṣaraṃ smṛtam |
rūpaṃ ca maṇḍalaṃ yoga rūpātītaṃ ca bhairava || 7 ||
nirañjana piṇḍasthaṃ ca rūpasthaṃ rūpavarjitam |
nirañjanapade jñeyāstadādhodhve praśasyate || 8 ||

"(In this way the adept realises the following states, namely) Established in the Body (piṇḍastha), Established in the Part (padastha), Established in Form (rūpastha), and Devoid of Form. Then (he attains) the state of the Stainless (nirañjana) which, O Great Lord, is free." The Body (piṇḍa) is the Word 'Brahman' (śabdabrahman). The Plane is said to be the letter of the seed-syllable (mantras). O Bhairava, Form is the Maṇḍala and Beyond Form is Yoga. It is taught that the Stainless, Established in the Body, Established in Form and Devoid of Form are to be known, (arranged) above and below, within the Plane of the Stainless."^[7]

The forty-fourth chapter of the Kumārikākhaṇḍaḥ continues that the four Kaula states manifest in the world as the four principal Kaula śakti pīṭhas, a direct parallel to Amṛtānanda's understanding in the Cidvilāsastava (although the order of their exact correlations does differ slightly, as is normal between the Śrīvidyā and Kubjikā traditions):

रूपातीतं तथा रूपं पदं पिण्डमनुक्रमात् ।
पिण्डं कुण्डलिनी शक्तिः पदं हंसः प्रकीर्तितः ॥ ५ ॥
रूपं बिन्दुमयं प्रोक्तं रूपातीतम् अनामयम् ।
तत्र पीठचतुष्कं तु संजातं तु कुलेच्छया ॥ ६ ॥
रूपातीतं तु कामाख्यं रूपं पूर्णगिरिर्महान् ।
पदं जालन्धराख्यं तु पिण्डमोडं प्रकीर्तितम् ॥ ७ ॥
का पू जा ओ चतुष्क तु मूलकौलक्रमागतम् ।

rūpātītaṃ tathā rūpaṃ padaṃ piṇḍamanukramāt |
piṇḍaṃ kuṇḍalinī śaktiḥ padaṃ haṃsaḥ prakīrtitaḥ || 5 ||
rūpaṃ bindumayaṃ proktaṃ rūpātītam anāmayam |
tatra pīṭhacatuṣkaṃ tu saṃjātaṃ tu kulecchayā || 6 ||
rūpātītaṃ tu kāmākhyaṃ rūpaṃ pūrṇagirirmahān |
padaṃ jālandharākhyaṃ tu piṇḍamoḍaṃ prakīrtitam || 7 ||
kā pū jā o catuṣka tu mūlakaulakramāgatam |

"(This descent takes place in the following stages): Beyond Form (Rūpātīta), Form (Rūpa), Word (Pada), and Body (Piṇḍa), in due order. The Body is the energy Kuṇḍalinī. Word (pada) is said to be the Gander. Form is said to be the Drop and Beyond Form is the reality free of all defects (anāmaya). The four sacred seats have arisen there by the will of Kula. Beyond Form is Kāmākhya. Form is the great Pūrṇagiri. Word is said to be Jālandhara, while the Body is said to be Oḍḍa. The group of four, KĀ, PŪ, JĀ, and O has come (into the world) through the root Kaula transmission."^[8]

Concerning how these four states were a critical part of Kaula knowledge, another Kubjikā tantra, the Ṣaṭsahasrasaṃhitā teaches:

अथवा चित्तवेधं तु यः करोति गुरुस् तु सः ॥
कुलग्रन्थे सुभाषाभिर् अप्रबुद्धं प्रबोधयेत् ।
पिण्डस्थं च पदस्थं च कायद्रव्यगतं क्रमम् ॥
परं सूक्ष्मं तथा स्थूलं यः कथेत् तु गुरुस् तु सः ।
द्विजादिस्वपचान्तस्य ईदृशी न विचारणा ॥
अथ विप्रो गुरुः प्रोक्तो यस्यास्ति चेदृशी क्रिया । २०.९-१२ ।

athavā cittavedhaṃ tu yaḥ karoti gurus tu saḥ ||
kulagranthe subhāṣābhir aprabuddhaṃ prabodhayet |
piṇḍasthaṃ ca padasthaṃ ca kāyadravyagataṃ kramam ||
paraṃ sūkṣmaṃ tathā sthūlaṃ yaḥ kathet tu gurus tu saḥ |
dvijādisvapacāntasya īdṛśī na vicāraṇā ||
atha vipro guruḥ prokto yasyāsti cedṛśī kriyā | 20.9-12 |

"Again, the one who pierces the mind (cittavedha) (with the energy of grace) is a (true) teacher. He should awaken the unawakened to the Kula scripture (grantha) by means of good languages (subhāṣā). The one who can explain the (yogic states known as) 'Established in the Body' (piṇḍastha), 'Established on the Plane' (padastha) and the procedure (krama) related to (the ritual offering) of bodily substances -what is supreme, subtle and gross -is a (true) teacher. (Caste is) no consideration, (whatever he be), starting from a Brahmin to an outcaste. Indeed, the teacher is one whose action (kriyā) (ritual and yogic) is such is said to be a Brahmin (vipra -regardless of his caste)."^[9]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

I am grateful to Somadeva Vasudeva for outlining historical processes in the Kaula understanding of these four terms in a talk, "The Kaula Yoga of the Mālinīvijayottara tantra" that he gave in 2022. I only hope he continues his masterful work on Kaula yoga in the near future.

[2]:

Padoux 2013, 40.

[3]:

Translation by Padoux 2013, 117.

[4]:

Translation by Padoux 2013, 39.

[5]:

Translation by Dyczkowski 2023 VI, 441.

[6]:

Translation by Bühnemann 2011, 231.

[7]:

Translation by Dyczkowski 2009, Text and Translation Vol III, 42-43.

[8]:

Translation by Dyczkowski 2009, Text and Translation Vol IV, 317.

[9]:

Translation by Dyczkowski 2009, Introduction Vol I, 492-3.