Yogashikha Upanishad (critical study)
by Sujatarani Giri | 2015 | 72,044 words
This page relates ‘Six Chakras (shadcakras) in Yogashikha-upanishad’ of the English study on the Yogashikha Upanishad—a key text from the Krishna Yajurveda, focusing on the pinnacle of Yogic meditation. This essay presents Yoga as a crucial component of ancient Indian philosophy and spirituality and underscores its historical roots in Vedic literature—particularly the Upanishads and Vedant. The chapters of this study are devoted to the faculties of the mind and internal body mechanisms such as Chakras as well as the awakening of Kundalini.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 2.1 - The Six Chakras (ṣaḍcakras) in Yogaśikha-upaniṣad
The word cakra is Sanskrit and signifies a wheel. It is also used in various subsidiary derivative and symbolical senses, just as its English equivalent, as we might speaks of the wheel of fate. According to Tantrayoga, there are six nerve centres (cakra) distributed in various parts of the body in addition to the centre in the brain known as sahasrāra. There are three nāḍis known as iḍā, piṅgalā and suṣumnā which connect these cakras to the brain. They can be correated with the spinal cord (suṣumnā) in the centre with the sympathetic chains on either side (iḍā-left sympathetic chain and piṅgalā) the right sympathetic chain. The six cakras can be correlated with the six autonomic pleasures of nerves, namely lower hypogastric plexus for mūlādhāra cakra, upper hypogastric plexus for svādhiṣṭhāna cakra, cocliac plexus for maṇipura cakra, cardiopulmonary plexus for anāhata cakra, cervical plexus for viśudha cakra and hypothalomo-hypophysical system for ājñā cakra. In modern Anatomy these plexuses are not given that much importance, though from the point of view of the function of the organs and viscera, these nerves play an important rate in regulating the activities of the whole body. The cerebral centex or sahasrāra influences the function of these vital organs through the autonomic nerve connections.
The invisible part of the physical body is of great importance to us, for it is the vehicle through which flow, the streams of vitality which keep the body is one of perpetual change, and in order that it shall live it, needs constantly to be supplied from three distinct sources. It must have food for its digestion, air for its breathing and vitality in three forms for its absorption. This vitality is essentially a force, but when clothed with matter it appears a highly refined chemical element.[1]
It is well known that each of these plexuses is fully represented by sympathetic and parasympathetic components. Further, these plexuses send their nerve connections to various organs which act both as sensory and motor nerves. Through these nerves the functions of the organs and viscera are fully regulated on the sensory side. From the plexuses the nerves reach the sympathetic ganglia (iḍā and piṅgalā) from where the sensations reach the spinal cord, (suṣumnā). Hence there occurs a local reflex action and also a central action after the sensory input reaches the brain. The local reflex are in the corresponding spinal cord level along with nerve plexuses and the organs concerned can be treated as on cakra. The Tantra experts have enumerated six cakras with sahasrāra (cerebral cortox) as the seventh centre of activity.
The Centres (Cakras):
The term is applied to the basic seven psychic centres outlined in Yoga. Cakras or force-centres are points of connection at which energy flows from one vehicle or body of a man to another. Cakra implies a vortex and thus we may define a psychic centre a “whirling vortex of psychic energy at the conjunction points of the mind and the body: When quite undeveloped they appear as small circles about two inches in diameter, glowing dully in the ordinary man; but when awakened and virified they are seen as blazing coruscating whirpools, much increased in size and resembling miniature suns. If we imagine ourselves to be looking straight down into the bell of a flower of the convolvulus type, we shall get some idea of the general appearance of a cakra. In order to understand that, we must know something of the constitution and arrangement of this etheric part of our bodies.
Cakras are in the liṅga śarīra (astral body). Liṅga śarīra is of 17 tattvas, viz., 5, jñānendriyas (ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose); 5, karmendriyas (speech, hands, legs, genitals, aṇus); 5 prāṇas (praṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, samāna); mānas (mind); and buddhi (intellect). These have corresponding centres in the spinal cord and the nerve plexuses in the gross body. Each cakra has control and function oven a particular centre in gross body. These can not be seen by the naked eyes. These can not be seen by the naked eyes. Some foolish doctors search for the cakras in the physical body. They can not find them there. Since they can not find any cakra in a dead body, they lose faith on śāstra and yogic kriyās.
Sukṣma prāṇa moves in the nervous system of the liṅga śarīra (astral body). Sthula prāṇa moves in the nervous system of the gross physical body. The two courses are intimately connected. They act and reach upon each other. The cakras are in the astral body even after the disintegration of the physical organism to death. According to a school of thought, the cakras are formed during concentration and meditation only. This is not possible. The cakras should exist there in a subtle state, the gross matter is the result of the subtle matter. Without the subtle body, the gross body is impossible. The meaning of this sentence should be taken to be that one can feel and understand the sukṣma cakras during concentration and meditation only.
The Force Centres [Table-6]
English name | Sanskrit name | Situation |
Root or basic cakra | mūlādhāra | at the base of the spine |
Slpleen or splenic cakra | svādhiṣṭhāna | Over the spleen |
Naval or umbilical cakra | maṇipūra | at the naval, over the solar plexus |
Heart or umbilical cakra | anāhata | over the heart |
Heart or cardiac cakra | viśuddha | at the front of the throat |
Brow or forontal cakra | ājñā | in the space between the eyebrows |
Crown or coronal cakra | sahasrāra | on the top of the head.[2] |
Petals on Cakras:
Each cakra has a particular number of petals with a Sanskrit alphabet on each petal. The vibration that is produced at each petal is represented by the corresponding Sanskrit letter. Every letter denotes the mantra of Devi kuṇḍalinī. The letters exist in the petals in a latent form. These can be manifested and the vibrations of the nāḍis felt during concentration.
The number of petals of the lotuses varies. Mulādhāra, svādhiṣṭhāna, maṇipura, anāhata, viśuddha, and ājñā cakra have 4, 6,10, 12 and 2 petals. The number of petals in each cakra is determined by the number and position of the Yoga nāḍis around the cakra. From each cakra gives the appearance of a lotus with the nāḍis crop up. The cakra gives the appearance of a lotus with the nāḍis as its petals. The sound produced by the vibrations of the Yoga nāḍis is represented by the corresponding Sanskrit letter. The cakras with their petals hand downwards when kuṇḍalinī is at the mūlādhāra cakra.
When it is awakened, they turn towards brahmarandhara. They always face the side of kuṇḍalinī.
When kuṇḍalinī is awakened, it passes on from mūlādhara to sahasrāra through all the cakras. At every centre to which the yogī directs the kuṇḍalinī, he experiences a special form of ānanda (bliss) and gains special siddhis (psychic powers) and knowledge. He enjoys the supreme bliss, when kuṇḍalinī is taken to sahasrāra cakra.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
The Chakras: A Monograph, p.3.
[2]:
The Chakras: A Monograph, p.7.