Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini (31 page)

Matrika-power is Kundalini. It is stated: ‘The sound Ka is Kundali herself; Kundali is in the form of fifty-sounds matrika’ (—Gayatritantra, 3.148). Further, ‘Kundali is in the form of 50 sounds; she is nada and bindu; she is in the nature of consciousness; she is prakriti (primus)’ (—Gayatritantra, 3,132), and ‘Kundali who is in the form of fifty-sounds is eternal and the embodiment of highest spiritual knowledge. The attainment of Supreme Brahman is only possible through her; she is Supreme Kundali’ (—Gayatritantra, 3.130).

It has been stated: ‘The thread of what has been called a garland of fifty is in the nature of Power and Consciousness; Kundali-power (that is, the power in sound-forms) has (in this manner) been strung’ (—Shaktanandataraṅgini, 8.8). This matrika-garland is also called the garland of spiritual knowledge. So it is stated: ‘Fifty-matrika-power has been termed jñanamala (a garland of spiritual knowledge)’ (—Gayatritantra, 3.149).

Kundalini has two aspects: one is subtle which is beyond sound, and the other is the sound-form. There are fifty sounds and they are collectively called matrika. Sound is power. This power is in the nature of life-energy principle and manifest as sound. The sound-power is an aspect of Kundalini. Kundalini in her sound aspect is the principal Dewata (embodied divine consciousness) arising from appropriate mantra. The matrika-warnas are primary sound units. Matrika-sounds arise from Kundalini and are embedded in her. So, Kundalini is the root of matrika and in whom again matrika dissolves. After the dissolution of matrika into Kundalini, she remains in her subtle form.

Matrika-sounds

Matrika-sounds are primary sound-units, and each unit exhibits a specific form of sound. A sound-unit is composed of three fundamental parts: bija, nada and bindu. The bija part represents a specific sound of one kind, without being mixed with other sounds. Through the instrumentation of nada the bija-sound is rarefied, concentrated and conducted to bindu where the sound is transformed into spiritual consciousness. So a bija is always with nada-bindu. The bijas of matrika are fifty and therefore there are fifty forms of specialized sound. So, we have fifty primary sound-units.

Matrika-sound can be classified into two groups : principal and subordinate. The principal sound-forms are endowed with powers to activate or inhibit the powers of the subordinate sound-forms and to make the subordinate forms operate and cooperate with them or other subordinate forms. The subordinate matrika-sounds uncoil their powers with the help of the principal forms. The subordinate forms are able to exhibit great power when combined with appropriate principal matrika-sounds. The controlling mechanism lies mostly in principal forms. The subordinate forms cannot be successfully combined with each other without the help of the principal forms.

Principle sound-units are of two kinds—short and long. Short-power units inhibit the specific power of a subordinate sound-unit at short intervals in order to activate the specific power of another subordinate unit. Long-power matrika-units are able to activate a subordinate unit to its limit. The combination of matrika units may be of the short-power type, the long-power type, or both types. In the short-power type, different units operate with short intervals between, and in the long-power type, the units operate at longer intervals. The nature of the combination of matrika-units determines the nature of the specific sound-motion. Tables
4.1
and
4.2
are the two tables of matrika-units: In all, there are fifty matrika sounds.

Table 4.1 Principal matrika-units—sixteen in number

Table 4.2 Subordinate matrika-units—thirty-four number

Matrika-units exhibit certain general and specific characteristics. The following are the general characteristics:

1  Matrika-units contain three gunas (primary attributes)—sattwa, rajas and tamas. The centre of sattwa is in bindu, of rajas in nada, and of tamas in bija.

2  Matrika-units may go beyond gunas when they are reduced to the principle of sound and become Kundalini.

3  Matrika-units are endowed with three forms of power—sentience-power, willing-power and action-power.

4  Matrika-units consist of bindu, nada, and bija.

5  Matrika-sounds are transformed into five forms of dewata (embodied divine consciousness) at the five tanmatra levels. The five dewatas are: Brahma, Wishnu, Rudra, Isha, and Sadashiwa.

6  Matrika-sounds are endowed with five forms of pranas. They are: prana, apana, samana, udana, and wyana.

7  Matrika-units constitute four forms of knowledge at four levels. They are:

(a) Highest spiritual knowledge at the sub-bindu level.

(b) Knowledge of tanmatras and mahabhutas.

(c) Super-sensory knowledge.

(d) Sensory knowledge.

Another important point is the colour phenomenon of matrika. Colour is an indication of the nature of energy predominating in a sound-unit. The bija-power when in motion creates a power-line which is seen in colour. The three fundamental colours are yellow, red and black. Sattwa predominates in yellow, rajas in red and tamas in black. Yellow indicates that bindu has greater influence on bija; red indicates the greater influence of nada on bija; and black shows the power of bija itself. The original colours are also changed to show the mixed character of the power-motion. The
Table 4.3
shows the normal colours of the matrika-units.

When the matrika-units exhibit creative power, all of them become red at the sahasrara (thousand-petalled centre) level. But when they show the power of absorption or when they are going to be absorbed into Kundalini, they become white, that is transparent. From an evolutionary point of view, whiteness indicates a trace of the finest form of sattwa, and from the point of view of absorption, a white matrika is in a state where it is reducible to Kundalini. At the ajña level, the normally red ‘h’ becomes white and ‘ksh’ retains its normal white colour.

Table 4.3 Table of matrika colours

N.B. All the matrika units are connected with nadabindu and give the sound ‘
ng
’ except ‘ang’ and ‘
ah
’.

At the wishuddha level, the matrika ‘h’ becomes the sound-form of the sound tanon. The sound-form is called the bija of sound tanon. As a bija of sound tanon, ‘h’ with nada-bindu becomes ‘hang’ and its colour is white. In this centre there are sixteen matrika-units, from ‘
a
’ to ‘
ah
’, and all of them are red.

At the anahata level, the matrika ‘yang’ becomes the bija-sound of touch tanon and is in smoke colour. So it retains its original colour. It is in this colour that ‘yang’ is reducible to ‘hang’. In this centre there are twelve matrika-units, from ‘
k
’ to ‘
th
’. They are red. At the manipura level, the matrika ‘rang’ becomes the bija-sound of sight tanon and retains its original red colour. There are ten matrika-units in this centre, ranging from ‘d’ to ‘ph’, and they are blue in colour.

At the swadhishthana level, the matrika ‘wang’ becomes the bija-sound of taste tanon. It changes its yellow colour to white. In this centre there are six matrika-units which are golden in colour.

At the muladhara level, the matrika ‘lang’ is the bija-sound of smell tanon. This matrika-sound retains its original yellow colour. There are four matrika-units in this centre. They are of a golden colour.

Waikhari-sound

Madhyama-sound becomes waikhari-sound (gross aspect of sound) which operates as sound-energy in the material field and is transformed into sound (gross), a part of which is audible to the human ear. The audible part of sounds may be classified according to the following groups:

1  Language form—

(a) spiritual and philosophical forms;

(b) scientific forms;