Introduction to Tantra Sastra - Aghori

THE HUMAN BODY 51
say, disinclination), sarva-nāśa (false knowledge), 1 and
krūratā (pitilessness). Within a semicircular space in
the pericarp are the Devatā, the dark blue Mahāviṣṇ u,
Mahālakṣmī, and Saraswatī. In front is the blue fourhanded
Rākinī Śakti, and the bīja of Varuṇ a, Lord of
water or “vaṃ.” Inside the bīja there is the region of
Varuṇ a, of the shape of an half-moon, and in it is
Varuṇ a himself seated on a white alligator (makara).
MAṆ I-PŪRA
Maṇ i-pūra-cakra 2 is a ten-petalled golden lotus,
situate above the last in the region of the navel. “Fire”
evolved from “air” is the Tattva of the cakra. The ten
petals are of the colours of a cloud, and on them are the
blue varṇ as—“daṃ,” “dhaṃ,” “naṃ,” “taṃ,” “thaṃ,”
“daṃ,” “dhaṃ,” “naṃ,” “paṃ,” “pham” and the ten vṛ ttis
(vide ante), namely, lajjā (shame), piśunata (fickleness),
īrṣā (jealousy), tṛ ṣṇ ā (desire), suṣupti (laziness), 3 viṣāda
(sadness), kaṣāya (dullness), moha (ignorance), ghṛ ṇ ā
(aversion, disgust), bhaya (fear). Within the pericarp is
the bīja “raṃ,” and a triangular figure (maṇ ḍ ala) of Agni,
Lord of Fire, to each side of which figure are attached
three auspicious signs or svastikas. Agni, red, fourhanded,
and seated on a ram, is within the figure. In
front of him are Rudra and his Śakti Bhadra-kāli.
Rudra is of the colour of vermilion, and is old. His body
is smeared with ashes. He has three eyes and two
hands. With one of these he makes the sign which grants
1 Lit. “destruction of everything,” which false knowledge leads to.
2 So-called, it is said by some, because during samaya worship the Devī is
(Pūra) with gems (manī): see Bhāskara-rāya’s Commentary on Lalitāsahasra-nāma,
verses 37 and 38. By others it is so called because (due to the
presence of fire) it is like a gem.
3 Deeply so, with complete disinclination to action: absence of all energy.