Verse 8

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 8:

वज्राख्या विअक्त्रदेशे व्लसति सततं कर्णिका-मध्यसंस्थं
  कोणं तत् त्रैपुराख्यं तडिदिव विलसत्-कोमलं कामरूपम् ।
कन्दर्पो नाम वयुर् निवसति सततं तस्य मध्ये समन्तात्
  जीवेशो बन्धु-जीव-प्रकरमभि-हसन् कोटिसूर्य-प्रकाषः ॥ ८ ॥

vajrākhyā viaktradeśe vlasati satataṃ karṇikā-madhyasaṃsthaṃ
  koṇaṃ tat traipurākhyaṃ taḍidiva vilasat-komalaṃ kāmarūpam |
kandarpo nāma vayur nivasati satataṃ tasya madhye samantāt
  jīveśo bandhu-jīva-prakaramabhi-hasan koṭisūrya-prakāṣaḥ || 8 ||

Near the mouth of the Nāḍī called Vajrā, and in the pericarp (of the Ādhāra Lotus), there constantly shines the beautifully luminous and soft, lightning-like triangle which is Kāmarūpa,^[1] and known as Traipura.^[2] There is always and everywhere the Vāyu called Kandarpa,^[3] who is of a deeper red than the Bandhujīva flower,^[4] and is the Lord of Beings and resplendent like ten million suns.

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

In this Śloka is described the triangle in the pericarp of the Mūla-Cakra.

“Near the mouth of the Nāḍī called, Vajrā” (Vajrākhyā-viaktradeśe).—The mouth of the Vajrā is two fingers above that of the Suṣuṃnā and below the base of the genitals.

“The triangle known as Traipura” (Trikoṇaṃ traipurākhyaṃ).—The triangle, is so called because of the presence of the Devī Tripura within the Ka inside the triangle, and the letter Ka is the chief letter of the Kāma-bīja.^[5]

Cf. Śāktānanda-taraṅgiṇī^[6]: “Inside dwells the Devi Sundarī,^[7] the Paradevatā.”

“Soft” (Komala)—i.e., oily and smooth.

“Kāma-rūpa”^[8]: that by which Kāma is caused to be felt—it is Madanāgārātmaka.^[9]

Cf, “ The triangle should be known as the charming Śakti-pīṭha.”

This triangle is above the Dharā-bīja. Cf., Sammohana-Tantra, speaking of Dharā-bīja: “Above it (Dharā-bīja) are three lines—Vāmā, Jyeṣṭā, and Raudrī.”

“Kandarpa”—The presence in the Trikona of the Kandarpavāyu is here spoken of. It is everywhere (samantāt) that is, extended throughout the triangle.

“Lord of Beings” (Jīveśa).—So called because the continuance of life depends on Kāma or Kandarpa.

It is said that “In the Kanda (heart) region dwells Prāṇa; and Apāna dwells in the region of the anus.” The air in the region of the anus is Apāna, and Kandarpa-Vāyu accordingly is a part of Apāna-Vāyu.^[10] It is also said that^[11] “Apāna draws Prāṇa, and Prāṇa draws Apāna—just as a falcon attached by a string is drawn back again when he flies away; these two by their disagreement prevent each other from leaving the body, but when in accord they leave it.”

The two Vāyus, Prāṇa and Apāna, go different ways, pulling at one another; and neither of them, therefore, can leave the body, but when the two are in accord—that is, go in the same direction—they leave the body. Kandarpa-Vāyu, being a part of Apāna also pulls at Prāṇa- Vāyu, and prevents the latter from escaping from the body, hence Kandarpa-Vāyu is the Lord of Life.

In v. 10 the Author describes Kuṇḍalinī as “She who maintains all the beings of the world by Inspiration and Expiration.”^[12] He himself has thus said that Prāṇa and Apāna are the maintainers of animate being.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See Commentary, post.

[2]:

This triangle, says Viśvanātha, citing Gautamīya-Tantra is Icchā- Jñāna-Kriyātmaka—that is, the powers of Will, Knowledge and Action. See Introduction.

[3]:

A Form of the Apāna-Vāyu. Kandarpa is a name of Kāma, the Deva of Love.

[4]:

Pentapoeles Phoenicea [Pentapetes phoenicea?].

[5]:

That is, the Mantra “Klīṃ”; in Tantrarāja Śiva speaking to Devī says, “letter Ka is Thy form” The Nitya-pūjā-paddati, p. 80, mentions in this connection “Kaṃ,” the Bīja of Kāminī.

[6]:

When dealing with the Kakāra-tattva, p. 165, Prasanna Kumāra- Śāstrī’s edition.

[7]:

Sundari—i.e., Tripura-sundarī, a name of the Devī. See Trantrarāja (Tāntrik Texts, VIII, Chs. 4-6).

[8]:

Śaṃkara defines this as “the embodiment of the devotee’s desire” (Bhaktābhilāṣa-svarūpaṃ).

[9]:

Chamber of Madana (Deva of Love)—the Yoni.

[10]:

Vāyu here is a name for a manifestation of Prāna, the five most important of such manifestations being Prāna, Apāna Samāna, Vyāna, Udāna. See Introduction.

[11]:

This is an oft-repeated passage (Śāktānanda, p. 5).

[12]:

The Inspired and Expired breath is Hamsaḥ.