A description of Kundalini Shakti from the Jnaneshwari,
Saint Jnaneshwar’s Bhagavad Gita
1.
Then with a serene mind, and becoming
fearless and firm in the vow of chastity, the yogi should control his mind,
thinking of ME and remain devoted to Me.
Then
the active imagination subsides and the functions of the body and the mind
stand still. Thoughts of hunger and
sleep are not remembered. The in-beath which was confined by the anal constriction (mulabandha) moves backwards and being excited and puffy, it
grows in its place of confinement and strikes on the naval chakra. (manipura). Then this expanded in-breath churns the
belly from all sides and removes the impurities collected there from
childhood. But instead of rolling
at the bottom, it enters the belly and destroys the bile and phlegm therein. It consumes the seven humors without
leaving a trace, pulverizes the rolls of fat and draws out the marrow of the
bones. It calms the nerves and
makes the limbs loose frightening the spiritual aspirant, but he or she should
not fear. It gives rise to illness
which it cures instantly and mixes together the liquid (bile, phlegm etc.) and
solid (flesh, marrow etc.) parts of the body
(216-120).
O Arjuna, next the heat generated by the posture wakes up the serpent power
known as Kundalini like a young snake asleep with its mouth down, bathed in red
kumkum and resting on the three coils of its
body. She is like a streak of
lightening or a twisting flame or a polished band of pure gold.
Confined
in the naval chakra the Kundalini wakes up when she is pushed by the anal
contraction (mulabandha) (221-225). As if a star had fallen or the sun had
broken loose from its position in the sky or a seed of light that had been
planted begins to sprout, this serpent power uncoils and stands up relaxing her
body on the naval centre. She has been hungry for a long time and when she
awakens she opens her mouth wide.
She sucks in the in-breath sitting under the heart lotus and begins to
eat the upper and lower flesh (226-230). She easily swallows flesh wherever she
can find it and takes one or two mouthfuls of the heart's flesh also. Then she searches for the soles of the
feet and palms of hands, and piercing their upper parts she causes the limbs
and joints to shake. Thereafter
without leaving her place, she draws out the core of the finger-nails and
cleansing the skin clings to the skeleton.
She cleans up the bones and scrapes the fibers of muscles, so that the
roots of the hair begin to wither.
Then she quenches her thirst by lapping up the seven humors, and makes
the body completely dry (231-235).
Next she forcibly sucks in the out-breath which flows out of the
nostrils to a length of twelve fingers.
She thereafter simultaneously pulls up the in-breath as she pulls down
the out-breath and when they meet only the sheaths of nerve-centers remain. Both the breaths would have mingled at
that time but the Kundalini, being uneasy for a moment, asks them to keep
away. O Arjuna, this serpent power
eats up all the solid stuff in the body, and leaves nothing of the watery parts
also. When she eats these solid and liquid parts of the body, she becomes satisfied
and remains calm in the spinal cord (236-240).
In
this state of satiation, she turns her fiery venom into sweet nectar and
sustains life. It cools the body
internally, which regains the strength it had lost. The flow of energy in the
nerves stops and the nine life-breaths except the prana
stop and cause the body to lose its functions. Then the breaths flowing through
the left and right nostrils mingle, the knots of the three lower chakras
(nerve-centers) become loose, and the six nerve-centers become separated. The sun and moon currents of the breath,
which flow through the nostrils, are so subtle that they cannot be felt on a
piece fiber that held in front of them.
(241-245).
The intellect looses its luster and becomes still and the sense
of smell in the nose enters the spinal cord along with the Kundalini
Shakti. The vial of moon-nectar
situated above flows into the mouth of the Kundalini. The nectar fills her and then spreads
into the body which with the help of the prana is
saturated with feelings of intense bliss.
As wax, placed in a red-hot mould melts and fills it up, so the body
looks godly as if it was made of reddish light covered by a thin skin
(246-250). As the sun comes out in
full splendor when the clouds scatter so the dry scales of the skin all off
like husks from grain and the body looks as it had grown out of a crystal or
was carved out of a precious gem.
Sometimes it seems as if it were a form dressed up in the red gown of
sunset. Such is the beauty of the
inner light. Then the body becomes
supremely peaceful and glows with an unearthly luster (251-255). When the Kundalini drinks the moon
nectar it is a picture of delight and a form of great happiness like the bud of
the golden champak flower or the autumn dew reflecting the harvest moon. Even the god of Death stands in awe of
that body.
Then
old age recedes, youthfulness takes a leap backwards, and the childhood which
had long gone returns (256-260).
Even though the meditator looks so young he or she can perform great
feats with unexcelled courage. Even
as sparkling buds come out from the leaves of the golden tree new lustrous
finger-nails come out of his body.
He also gets new teeth, but they are so small that they look like two
rows of pearls set in the mouth.
New hair with atom-sized pearly tips grow on
his whole body. The palms of the
hands and the soles of the feet become red like red lotuses. It is impossible to describe the clarity
of the eyes (261-265). Just as an
oyster cannot contain the pearl when it grows too large and opens wide its
shell the power of sight… instead of being confined to the eyes…
goes out far and wide pervading all of heaven. O Arjuna, the body takes on a golden
color and possesses the lightness of wind because the Kundalini has devoured its
liquid and solid parts.
Then
the yogi can see beyond the seas, hear the sounds of heaven, and comprehend the
desire of an ant. He can ride on
the wind, walk on water without wetting his feet, and in this way he acquires
many miraculous powers (266-270).
Holding the hand of prana and climbing the
steps in the region of the chest, the Kundalini reaches the heart centre
through the spinal cord. This
Kundalini is the mother of the world who illumines the self and gives shade to
the sprouted seed of the universe.
It is the embodiment of the formless Brahman, the cask of Lord Shiva,
the main spring of the sacred syllable
When
this youthful Kundalini enters the heart-centre, she begins to utter unbeaten
sounds. The sounds fall lightly on the ears of intellect which is very close to
the serpent power (271-275). In the
cubicle from which these sounds emanate, they manifest themselves as words
drawn on
The
supreme Kundalini then enters this abode of the Self and offers the intellect
that she consumed on her journey as if it were a vegetable dish and it is eaten
completely leaving no trace of dualism.
When Kundalini enters the heart center she looks like a golden chain of
water flowing from a spring of light.
Next she casts aside her golden garment and gives up her fiery form to
become a subtle air like a candle extinguished by a breath of the wind or
lightening disappearing into the night sky. Suddenly she dissolves into the lotus of
the Heart and merges into formless Shakti.
Although she is called Shakti is still a subtle air (Vayu).
At
this time the meditator is not aware of the Nada, or
the Bindu or of the Kala jyoti. At this
time breath and mind control and meditation die. Kundalini is the crucible in which the
gross elements crumble. (286-290). The idea I have
unfolded here that the gross body is swallowed by the Kundalini is the
contention of the Natha bhaktas
and is disclosed by Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu.
1.
By applying himself thus
constantly the self-controlled Yogi attains peace consisting of infnite bliss, that abides in Me.
When
the Shakti loses her power, the body becomes invisible to the world. But it looks like the sky with limbs or
a skinned banana tree whose core is revealed. When it assumes this form the yogi is a
sky-rover. When he attains this
state, he works wonders in the world.
When he walks a retinue of eight powers follows his every step. But of what use are these powers to us,
O Arjuna?
O
Arjuna, the element of earth is dissolved by water, water is dissolved by fire
and wind blows out the fire in the heart.
The wind remains in the form of the body which is absorbed in the sky of
the Brahmarandhra. (296-300). Shakti retains her form until she
becomes one with Brahman.
Now
she is not known as Kundalini, but takes on the name 'Aerial' (maruta). Then she leaves the by the jalandhara
bandha and breaking open the end of the sushumna nadi she enters the cidakasha of Brahmarandhra.
Placing her foot on the back of Omkara she
crosses the second stage of speech known as pashyanti
and piercing the half crescent matra of
The
destruction of the veil of the five great elements causes the union of Shiva
and Shakti. And along with the chidakasha she becomes merged in the bliss of Brahman, just
as the sea water evaporates to become clouds. Just as clouds pour down into rivers and
ultimately return to the sea, the embodied self enters the abode of Brahman and
becomes united with it.