Supplement No. 20

Exposition of Kehrp, Invisible Body

This Kehrp comprises 16 Chakhras (Yt. 13,89), plexuses or receptive nerve centres of magnetic force from which every part and every limb and organ of the body are developed. The subject of Chakhra as a constituent of Kehrp is highly intricate in character, since the constitution of each of the 16 Chakhras is based on the permutations and combinations of the four elements of the body, each getting 16 electrical circlings, making in all 64, the technical names of Chakhras, the relation of each with different organs and parts of the body, different planets influencing each, relation of different types and grades of Atash, fire-energies or heat with each of them etc. etc. into the details of which we cannot enter here. However, looking to the total unawareness about Kehrp and its Chakhras in philology it is deemed advisable to give below some hazy idea about them (translated from Gujarati from the "Frasho-gard" magazine Vol. XII Nos. 1-2 p. 46 and Chart):

"Just as our physical body has organs like brain, heart, lungs, liver etc. so the Kehrp, the subtle elemental body, has 16 organs called Chakhras. Again just as the windows of a house serve as the inlets for light from without, so the Chakhras are the inlets of the subtle elemental body for admitting planetary currents which descend through Ushtan, life energy. (Ysn. 55,1).

It is to these planetary currents admitted in the Kehrp that human beings react in weal or woe (dependent on the law of 'Akem-akai, vanguhim ashim vanghove', meaning 'evil to the evil, good reward to the good') (Ysn. 43, 5). These 16 Chakhras set the subtle four elements in motion, and in ordinary worldly people the constitution of every Chakhra varies. All the physical organs and limbs are respectively subject to these Chakhras, so that there is no part of the body, however small, but is under the control of one or more of the Chakhras."

In this way these various Chakhras of the Kehrp exercise control over the respective organs and limbs assigned to each. Among these Chakhras some are active, and others dormant.

Thus in ordinary human beings, Nos. 1 to 4 of the brain are dormant, while in saintly persons they are active.

Nos. 5 to 8 be longing to the senses are active in ordinary human beings, but dormant in holy persons. They are the faculty of (5) seeing, (6) smelling, (7) hearing, and (8) tasting respectively.

Now let us understand transformation, say, of Chakhra No.8, which belongs to the tongue, the organ of speech and taste. Ordinary human beings are subject to falsehood in speech, and to likes and dislikes in taste and immoderation in food and drink. But when a person takes to strict truthfulness in speech and simultaneously practices austerity and stoicism and partakes of pure food, the Chakhra of the tongue becomes inactive i.e., its erstwhile subjugation to sensuous enjoyment of taste changes into control over the tongue. Now the Chakhra of the tongue gets connected with the 10th Chakhra of the heart from which it was isolated so far.

The heart in turn is in connection with the cerebral Chakhra No.1, which is the highest, and hence called Mt. Alborz. Thus the latter, which was dormant so far, becomes active, principally with the observance of perfect truth. In this way when complete transmutation of all the Chakhras of the sensuous side is effected, the particles of his or her soul in the three lower kingdoms of animal, vegetable and mineral get reabsorbed in his or her soul whereby that person becomes saintly. We need not go into the detailed exposition of this subject here.

 

Two Meanings of Chakhra (1) Plexus and (2) Path

The term 'Chakhra' is used in Avesta in two different meanings, which are not correctly understood in philology. Rathvya Chakhra (Yt. 10.67) means righteous path; while 'Chakhrem Urvaesayat' (Yt. 13,,89) means turned or transformed the Chakhras i.e., plexuses (into good). In S.B.E. Vol. XXIII the latter (Chakhrem Urvaesayat) is rendered as:

"took the turning of the wheels."

Then in footnote (under wheel) it is said:

"The wheel of sovereignty (?) Cf. Yt. 10,67; this expression smacks of Buddhism."

In the former case (Yt. 1O,67} 'Rathvya,' is derived from Ratu, and Ratu from Aret, truth. Thus it is equivalent to Asha, also derived from the same root; and Chakhra is derived from Char, to go or to walk. So broadly speaking Rathvya Chakhra means 'walking on the path of truthfulness'. Mithra or Meher Yazad is the Lord of truthfulness. So in the above passage it is said:

"who (Mithra) moves with Rathvya Chakhra, the path of truthfulness",

that is, Rathvya Chakhra is the accompaniment of Meher Yazad. Thus this phrase does not mean 'wheel of sovereignty' nor it 'smacks of Buddhism'.

Now with respect to the term 'Chakhra' in Yt. 13,89 mentioned above, it may be stated that in this case Chakhra does not mean a 'wheel' in the ordinary sense, but the reference is to the evil plexuses of the Daevas Kehrp, the invisible body (Ysn. 55.1) which has 16 receptive nerve-centres each called Chakhra as explained in the beginning of this Supplement. Chakhrem Urvaesayat means that the evil Chakhra nerve-centres, giving birth to Evil of all kinds were turned or transformed into Good.