Summary of the Viśuddha Cakra (verses 28-31)

At the base of the throat^[1] is the Viśuddha Cakra, with sixteen petals of smoky purple hue. Its filaments are ruddy, and the sixteen vowels, which are red and have the Bindu above them, are on the petals. In its pericarp is the ethereal region (Nabho-maṇḍala), circular and white. Inside it is the Candra-maṇḍala, and above it is the Bīja Haṃ. This Bīja is white and garmented in white,^[2] seated on an elephant, and is four-armed. In his four hands he holds the Pāśa (noose) and the Aṅkuśa (goad), and makes the Vara-mudrā and the Abhaya-mudrā. In his lap is Sadā-Śiva, seated on a great lion-seat which is placed on the back of a bull. He is in his form of Arddha-nārīśvara, and as such half his body is the colour of snow, and the other half the colour of gold. He has five faces and ten arms, and in his hands he holds the Śūla (trident), the Taṅka (battle-axe), the Khaḍga (sacrificial sword), the Vajra (thunderbolt), Dahana,^[3] the Nāgendra (great snake), the Ghaṇta (bell) the Aṅkuśa (goad), the Pāśa (noose), and makes the Abhaya-mudrā. He wears a tiger’s skin, his whole body is smeared with ashes, and he has a garland of snakes round his neck. The nectar dropping from the down-turned digit of the Moon is on his forehead. Within the pericarp, and in the Lunar Region and seated on bones, is the Śakti Sākinī, white in colour, four-armed, five-faced and three-eyed, clothed in yellow, and carrying in Her hand a bow, an arrow, a noose, and a goad.

(Here ends the fifth section)