Introduction to Tantra Sastra - Aghori

THE HUMAN BODY 43
and fire, which are those presiding in the lower Cakras,
the Mūlādhārā, Svādhiṣṭ hānā and Maṇ i-pūra centres.
The two former produce food and drink, which is assimilated
by the fire of digestion, and converted into the
body of food. The indriyas are both the faculty and
organs of sense. There are in this body the material
organs, as distinguished from the faculty of sense.
In the gross body (śarīra-kośa) there are six external
kośas—viz., hair, blood, flesh, 1 which come from the
mother, and bone, muscle, marrow, from the father.
The organs of sense (indriya) are of two kinds—viz.:
jnānendriyas or organs of sensation, through which
knowledge of the external world is obtained (ear, skin,
eyes, tongue, nose); and karmendriya or organs of action,
mouth, arms, legs, anus, penis, the functions of which
are speech, holding, walking, excretion, and procreation.
PRĀṆA-MAYA KOŚA
The second sheath is the prāṇ a-maya-kośa, or
sheath of “breath” (prāṇ a), which manifests itself in air
and ether, the presiding elements in the Anāhata and
Viśuddha-cakras.
There are ten vāyus (airs) or inner vital forces of
which the first five 2 are the principal—namely, the
sapphire prāṇ a; apāna the colour of an evening cloud;
the silver vyāna; udāna, the colour of fire; and the milky
samāna. These are all aspects of the action of the one
Prāṇ a-devata. Kuṇ ḍ alinī is the Mother of prāṇ a, which
1 The Prapānca-Sara (chap. ii) gives śukla (semen) instead of māṃ
sa
(flesh).
2 See Sārada-tilaka. The Minor vāyus are nāga, kūrma, kṛ karā, devadatta,
dhanaṃ
jayā, producing hiccup, closing and opening eyes, assistance to
digestion, yawning, and distension, “which leaves not even the corpse.”