Hinduism And Hindu Theology - Where Is Amarnath?

 

“The Undying Lord” is the literal translation of  Amarnath. A Sacred location (tirtha) and pilgrimage destination devoted to the deity Shiva in the form of Amarnath, situated high in the Kashmiri highlands the Earthly abode of the Eternal, Auspicious and Undying Lord Shiva. 

• The site's centerpiece is a limestone cave, where melting snow trickles through limestone cracks each year, gradually forming an ice pillar. 
• This pillar may grow to reach more than seven feet tall at its tallest point, although the height varies greatly from year to year depending on the weather. 

• The linga, a cylindrical shape inadequately characterized as a "phallic sign," is the most popular aniconic picture of Shiva. 
• The ice pillar in the Amarnath cave is said to be a svayambhu, or "selfmanifested," linga of Shiva, according to Hindus. 

• These lingas are not created by humans, but rather by Shiva himself, who chooses to show himself out of love for his followers (bhakta). 
• Because Shiva is considered to be uniquely present, every svayambhu picture is thought to be especially holy. 

• These locations are often seen as especially effective settings for prayer and worship. 

The Amarnath cave is located in a remote location that is snowbound for the most of the year. 

• The pilgrimage takes place in the month of Shravan (July–August), with pilgrims planning their journey to arrive on the full moon day. 

• The pilgrimage formally starts in Shrinagar's Dashanami Sanyasi akhara, where the akhara's leader (mahant) wields a silver mace as a symbol of his power. 

• Ascetics are granted this status because they are living representations of Shiva, who is the ultimate ascetic. 
• The village of Pahalgam is where most pilgrims begin their trip. 

• They trek almost thirty kilometers to Amarnath from there, traversing two mountain ranges along the route. 

Despite the fact that the area is sparsely populated for the most of the year, during the pilgrimage season, camps and shops sprout up along the road, many of which are operated by local Kashmiri Muslims for whom the trip is a significant source of income. 

• The mahant, the local pandas (Hindu pilgrimage priests), and a handful of Muslims from a hamlet near Pahalgam divide the gifts at the shrine equally, though the state has done so since India's independence. 

• Parts of Kashmir were a war zone in the early 1990s, with Indian government troops fighting a variety of Kashmiri Muslim factions, some of whom sought greater self-determination and others seeking union with Pakistan. 

The journey, which goes through some of the most disputed regions, has been hampered by these issues. 

• Several assaults on pilgrims were recorded in 1994, allegedly spurred by pilgrims shouting anti-Muslim chants, and in 1995, the pilgrimage was conducted with strong security supplied by the Indian army. 

• Although there was no political unrest during the 1996 pilgrimage, several hundred pilgrims perished from hypothermia brought on by an unseasonably warm snowfall.

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Hinduism - What Is A Tirthayatra?

 

Tirthayatra (lit. "journey to a tirtha") is a Sanskrit word that means "journey to a tirtha." The broad phrase for religious pilgrimage, which is regarded as a significant act of religious virtue (punya).

The visit to a "crossing place" (tirtha), a holy spot or person through whom one might more readily converse with the realms beyond, was the main purpose of such travel.

The intrinsic sanctity of whatever area was being depicted at the moment, which was constantly represented as providing immeasurable benefits, even for activities undertaken unintentionally or in jest, was one of the key themes of traditional pilgrimage writing.

The emphasis on the pilgrims' inner condition, as well as the admonition that they would get no advantages unless they were earnest about their visit, was a second and apparently conflicting topic.

Pilgrimage to the holy sites was, in its ideal form, a vehicle for spiritual growth, including bathing (snana) in sacred rivers, visiting and worshiping strong deities, experiencing trials, making gifts to the ancestors, gift-giving, and leading a sober, disciplined lifestyle.

In truth, classic literature acknowledges both sides of this conflict—the necessity for personal devotion and the intrinsic sacredness of the locations themselves—though the emphasis shifts depending on the requirements of the time.

One theory that combines all of these themes is that the impact of all of one's activities, good or evil, were magnified in these sacred sites.

Pilgrims were therefore urged to reap the benefits of doing good acts while also being warned of the harsher repercussions of doing wicked deeds than usual.

In the past, pilgrimage required a significant expenditure of both time and money.

People would frequently go on pilgrimage for months or years, visiting a number of different pilgrimage sites.

This was seen as a spiritually worthy use of one's money, a belief that persists today.

For most individuals, such a chance comes just once in a lifetime, usually in their later years, and this long-awaited fulfillment must have added to their pleasure.

Although this pattern was greatly changed by the introduction of train transport in the late 1800s, it survived in the Himalayas until far into the twentieth century.

People were able to visit areas with relative ease and speed with the introduction of train travel.

This convenience promoted not just frequent trips, but also visits with fewer stops along the route.

The development of tourism, which is being pushed by state governments as a method to create cash for the local people, has caused the most recent alteration in pilgrimage patterns.

It is impossible to deny that "viewing the sights" has always been a component of pil grimage, providing a religiously sanctioned reason to travel.

However, the aim, then as today, was that this voyage be made for serious reasons rather than for fun.

Some modern Hindus are concerned that the advent of tourism has commercialized the holiness of their sacred sites; others, more sanguine spirits, believe that the emphasis on tourism is merely a greater expression of long-standing tendencies that will have no impact on the really devout.

~Kiran Atma

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Shabari Malai

 

In the highlands of Kerala's southern state, around 70 miles north of Trivandrum, there is a temple and holy spot (tirtha).

Shabari Malai is known for the temple dedicated to Aiyappa, a local deity who has been absorbed into the greater pantheon as the son of the gods Vishnu and Shiva; he is born when Vishnu assumes the appearance of the enchantress Mohini.

The annual month-long pilgrimage of Shabari Malai takes place between the middle of December and the middle of January, with the precise dates chosen by astrological calculations.

This pilgrimage is mostly undertaken by males, since the place is banned to women of reproductive age, according to the charter myth.

The pilgrimage is a highly planned ritual practice in and of itself.

Pilgrims prepare for the trek by practicing their spiritual discipline in well-defined village groups, each led by a local leader who monitors their stringent religious discipline.

Their preparatory vows begin 45 to 60 days before the actual voyage and include rigorous celibacy and avoidance of female company, distinctive clothes, a restriction on shaving and wearing shoes, a strict vegetarian diet, daily devotion, and the eradication of all social and rank inequalities among members.

In essence, the men preparing for the journey live as renunciant ascetics for a period of time before resuming their regular lives.

The pilgrimage age is a strenuous and demanding trek across the Periyar Hills' twisting slopes, during which pilgrims symbolically divest themselves of their egos in order to be replenished with God's love.

See E. Valentine Daniel's Fluid Signs, 1984, for a first-hand description of the Shabari Malai pilgrimage.

Hinduism - What Is A Tirtha?

 

("crossing location") Any holy place's most common name.

A tirtha provides a way to "cross over" from mundane life to sanctified life or, on a larger scale, to "cross over" from this ephemeral and ever changing world to the unchanging, blissful, final liberation of the soul, much like a ford on a riverbank provides a safe place to cross from one side to the other (moksha).

Many tirthas are real places—many of them on the banks of India's holy rivers, particularly the Ganges—and the name tirtha connotes a pilgrimage site in its most colloquial sense.

Traditional pilgrimage literature, on the other hand, is certain that tirthas are not limited to physical locations: The term may also apply to holy persons (ascetics, saints, gurus, and sages), as well as attributes like generosity, knowledge, compassion, and heart purity.

A tirtha is first and foremost a location or item that provides access to holiness and religious power, and this power is available to everybody in the case of physical sites (rivers, mountains, towns, temples, or pictures).

Such sacred sites are considered as providing not only quicker access to the divine, but also as regions where religious merit may be earned more easily and abundantly.

When looking over the literature on particular topics, one of the most prominent themes is the idea that religious activities conducted at site X (the actual tirtha) have the same worth as religious acts performed in regular places by a thousand (or a million, or a billion).

The rarified atmosphere in tirthas has a similar impact on bad deeds, amplifying their ramifications.

In this regard, a tirtha's activity may be likened to that of a microphone; just as a microphone magnifies any sound, whether harsh or pleasant, a tirtha magnifies the consequences of any action, for good or bad.

As a result, pilgrimage literature often reminds people of the holy merit that their deeds might bring, while also cautioning them that careless or bad actions can have equally terrible effects.

As a result, those on religious pilgrimage (tirthayatra) were urged to adopt an austere, self-aware lifestyle, both to avoid lapses and to make the trip a self-aware process of change.

Diana Eck, Banaras, 1999; E. Alan Morinis, Pilgrimage in the Hindu Tradition, 1984; A. W. Entwistle, Braj, 1987; Ann Grodzins Gold, Fruitful Journeys, 1988; and Peter van der Veer, Gods on Earth, 1988 are also good sources of knowledge.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Where Is The Kailas Mountain? Are There Present Restrictions On Pilgrims?

 A Himalayan mountain in southern Tibet that is revered by both Hindus and Buddhists as a pilgrimage site (tirtha).

Kailas is said to be Mount Meru, the universe's core, according to Hindu mythology.

The peak of Mount Kailas is also said to be where the deity Shiva resides.

The essential act of pilgrimage to Kailas for both Hindus and Buddhists is to walk around the mountain, metaphorically crossing the whole globe.

The trek starts at Manasarovar, a lake at the mountain's foot that is known as the Lake of the Gods in Hindu mythology.

The sixty-five-mile circuit is exceedingly challenging due to a number of factors: Even in June (the traditional pilgrimage month), the region is exceedingly isolated, the temperature is harsh and unforgiving, and the circuit itself is physically demanding, with its highest point over 19,000 feet above sea level.

Storms may strike at any time of year, and unprepared pilgrims might quickly perish from exposure.

Given these challenges, only a small percentage of individuals undertake this pilgrimage; nonetheless, those who do are rewarded.

For long years, Chinese travel restrictions in Tibet prevented anyone from making this journey.

These prohibitions have been lifted since the early 1990s, and small groups of religious pilgrims are once again undertaking the hallowed pilgrimage. 

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Hinduism - What Is A Jatra? What Is The Difference Between Yatra And Jatra?

 Jatra and Yatra is a vernacular variant of the Sanskrit word yatra, which means "travel." 

The term yatra is most often used to refer to travels to distant locations, while jatra refers to visits to locations within the immediate vicinity.

 

In Sanskrit, yatra signifies 'journey' or 'procession.' 

Yatra is a pilgrimage to holy locations such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places linked with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred destinations in numerous Indian-origin faiths such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

Pilgrims believe that visiting a holy site purifies them and brings them closer to the divine. 

• The trip is as significant as the goal, and the difficulties of travel are an act of dedication in and of themselves. 

• A tirtha-yatra is a pilgrimage to a holy spot that is usually done in a group. 

Anyone who participates in the yatra is referred to as a yatri. 

According to the Vedic Hindu Dharma Shastras, a Yatri should do padayatra, or pilgrimage on foot, preferably barefoot, as a type of tapasya in which the pilgrim should go without umbrellas or cars; nevertheless, many yatris do not observe these niyamas.

Yatras have become highly organized occurrences in recent years, with professional tourist organizations catering to yatris. 

• State governments are sometimes engaged in organizing yearly yatras, assigning numbers, registering yatris, and controlling yatri traffic. 

• The Hindu holy month of Shravan also marks the start of the annual Kanwar Yatra, a yearly journey by Shiva worshippers known as Kanwaria to Hindu pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand such as Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri to get water from the Ganges River. 

• Haridwar attracted 55 lakh (5.5 million) pilgrims in 2003. 

• The Char Dham Yatra, which includes Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, and the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir are two other Tirtha pilgrimages.
• In India and worldwide, there are several pilgrimage sites.

The term Jatra also refers to a journey or a trip but has a different origin of usage derived from traditional Jatra performances. 

The advent of Sri Chaitanya's Bhakti movement, where Chaitanya himself portrayed Rukmini in the performance of Rukmini Haran ("The kidnapping of the Charming Rukmini") from Krishna's life narrative, is often attributed with the genesis of jatra, which is essentially a musical theatre genre. 

Another example of a yatra undertaken by modern day devotees is the Rukmini Yatra.

The concert, which took place in 1507 AD and lasted all night, is detailed in Chaitanya Bhagavata, Chaitanya's hagiography written by a disciple named Vrindavana Dasa Thakura. 

Though there are evidences of the presence of a type of singing known as 'Carya', which was popular in Bengal between the 9th and 12th centuries and existed in Orissa at the same time as the famous 'Carya Padas' style. 

Jatra performances are similar to Uttar Pradesh's Nautanki, Maharashtra's Tamasha, and Gujarat's Bhavai.

Though it originated in a religious setting abounding with diverse Bhakti Hinduism groups, it was superseded by morally didactic material towards the end of the 19th century, and finally became secular when it gained access into urban proscenium theatres during the Bengal Renaissance. 

The Jatra form's longevity in a fast changing social environment, while catering to a diverse audience, has been attributed to its inherent malleability and ability to adapt to shifting social dynamics, keeping it not just current and alive, but also flourishing.

~Kiran Atma

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Pilgrimage And Pilgrimage Places

 

 Pilgrimage.

  See tirthayatra.

 Pilgrimage Places.

  See tirtha.

Hinduism - What Is Tristhalisetu?

 

Tristhalisetu ("The Three Holy Cities' Bridge").

Narayana Bhatta (ca. 1513–1570), a brilliant scholar, wrote a pilgrimage tract that was meant to offer readers detailed directions for conducting the pilgrimage ceremonies at three key sites: Allahabad, a bathing (snana) spot at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers; Benares, a center of culture and religious learning; and Gaya, Bihar, a famous location for the dead's shraddha ceremonies.

The work starts with a section on pilgrimage in general, outlining the guidelines for doing it, and then moves on to three parts outlining pilgrimage prescriptions for Allahabad, Benares, and Gaya.

The Tristhalisetu is a prominent example of nibandhas ("collections"), a kind of commentarial literature.

The nibandhas were Hindu lore compendia in which the compilers selected allusions to a certain topic from the Vedas, dharma literature, puranas, and other authorized religious books, then combined these passages into a single volume, frequently with their own commentary.

Narayana Bhatta was one of his time's most knowledgeable men, and he was endeavoring to describe everything clearly, based on his sources, so that people would know what to do.

Richard Salomon edited and translated the first half of this work in The Bridge to the Three Holy Cities, 1985.

~Kiran Atma

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Panchvani

 

("Five Voices") is a Hindi word that means "five voices." Dadupanth, a religious society formed by northern Indian poet-saint Dadu (1554–1603), created a manuscript collection.

Dadu, Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and Hardas are among the five devotional (bhakti) poet– saints whose writings are included in this compilation.

The desert environment of Rajasthan has aided in the preservation of ancient manu scripts, some of which date back to the early seventeenth century.

The Panchvani manuscripts are among the poets' oldest written sources, making them an essential resource for the study of northern Indian devotional poetry's history.

See Winand Callewaert (trans.

), The Sarvangi of the Dadupanthi Rajab, 1978; and The Sarvangi of Gopaldas, 1993, for further information on the Dadupanth's literary treasures.

A hereditary priest who aids pilgrims with whatever ceremonies they may want or choose to undertake, as well as any other demands they may have.

Each panda family at a particular pilgrimage site (tirtha) has unique rights to serve pilgrims from a certain geographical area or regions; travelers are expected to seek out the panda serving their original region, whether or not the pilgrims currently reside there.

Pilgrims will write a note in the panda's pilgrim register (bahi) on each visit, recording the names of those who came and why they came.

The records are the definitive indication of the familial relationship between panda and pilgrim families, since some of these registrations extend back hundreds of years.

This hereditary link was important for pilgrims in the past since it offered resources like as housing, food, and other forms of assistance while they were journeying.

The pandas would minister to their customers, arranging for the appropriate ceremonies and, if necessary, lending them money.

When the pilgrims left, they would generally leave a tiny gift for the panda, as well as a commitment for a bigger sum, which the pandas would return to their homes to collect.

Although pandas are typically stereotyped as selfish and rapacious because to their propensity to demand what they believe a customer can afford, in their optimal form, both sides gain from the relationship.

Pandas have become less significant characters at many pilgrimage sites in recent years, and as a result, their prestige and revenue have dwindled.

Many pilgrimage locations have been established as religious tourist destinations, and the hotels and amenities that have been erected there have made pilgrims less reliant on their guides for lodging.

At the same time, save for the most significant ritual actions, such as those related to death, there has been a general drop in the performance of ritual acts in recent years.

Hinduism - Where Is The Kataragama Tirtha?

Sacred shrine (tirtha) devoted to the deity Skanda in his southern Indian avatar as Murugan, situated in the extreme southeastern portion of Sri Lanka.

The location is famous for being outside of India's mainland and for being a significant Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage destination.

According to legend, the site was founded when Skanda went hunting in the Sri Lankan forests, fell in love with a native lady called Valli, and pledged to stay in her house forever.

Skanda, the Hindu pantheon's mighty deity, is the son of the god Shiva.

His friendship with Valli demonstrates his openness and devotion to his devo shirts (bhakta).

The yearly Kataragama pilgrimage, which takes place in July–August, serves as a stage for demonstrating these qualities: Many individuals come to seek medical cure or release from suffering, while others come to fulfill promises made in exchange for advantages previously gained.

Carrying the kavadi, a yoke kept in place by hooks piercing the skin; piercing the mouth or cheeks with small arrows, one of Skanda's emblems; or hanging from hooks inserted in the back and thighs are all examples of severe self-mortification.

These devout followers are said to be rewarded for their suffering with a state of euphoria in which they are free of pain and bleeding.

Devotees are also said to be mouthpieces for the deity Skanda when in this state of ecstasy.

Other pilgrims seek them guidance on every possible situation, believing that Skanda will provide them with the best appropriate solution.

For further detail, read Paul Wirz's Kataragama: Ceylon's Holiest Place, published in 1966, and Bryan Pfaffenberger's "The Kataragama Pilgrimage," published in Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 28, No. 2, 1979. 

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Hinduism - What Is A Tirtha Shraddha?

 

 

Tirtha Shraddha is the name given to a specific sort of shraddha (ancestral memorial ceremony) that is done while visiting a pilgrimage site (tirtha).

A shraddha includes two main features: symbolically feeding one's ancestor(s) by providing fried grain balls (pindas) and serving actual food to a group of brahmins who symbolize one's ancestors.

Tirtha shraddhas fall under the category of occasional deeds (naimittika karma) since they are only required under particular circumstances.

This step would not be necessary under normal circumstances, but it is required while visiting a pilgrimage site.

Traditional pilgrimage literature, most of it authored by brahmins who received such meals and other gifts, is adamant that this commitment should not be overlooked.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism And Hindu Theology - Who Is Aiyappa?

Hilltop god from Kerala, India's southernmost state, who is often confused with Aiyanar, the Tamil village deity. 

• The most significant of Aiyappa's temples is at Shabari Malai in central Kerala's highlands, where a large pilgrimage takes place each winter in December and January. 

• Because of his strong ties to the hills and hunting, it's probable that Aiyappa was formerly a native god of Kerala's hills, but he's now been incorporated into the broader Hindu pantheon as the son of Shiva and Vishnu. 

Despite the fact that both of these gods are male, Aiyappa is believed to be conceived when Vishnu assumes the guise of the feminine enchantress Mohini in order to seduce the demons into parting with the nectar of immortality. 

• Aiyappa is also known as Hariharaputra, which means "son (putra) of Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Shiva)." 

• Due to his unique conception, Aiyappa is destined to slay Mahishi, a particularly troublesome buffalo demon who has been granted the blessing that no one born from the union of man and female may kill her. 

• Aiyappa is abandoned by a riverside after his birth and adopted by King Rajashekhara, who calls him Manikanta. 

• Manikanta's stepmother is envious of her stepson and wants to pave the way for her own kid to ascend to the throne. 

• When Manikanta is twelve, his stepmother impersonates a sickness that she claims can only be cured by tiger's milk. 

• Everyone is hesitant to attempt to get the tiger's milk, but Manikanta eventually agrees. 

• Manikanta is stopped by Shiva's emissaries on his way to collect the tiger's milk, who remind him that his life's ultimate goal is to slay Mahishi. 

• Manikanta defeats the demon after a lengthy battle, but as he dances on the she-body, buffalo's another female figure emerges. 

• She introduces herself as Lila and want to marry Manikanta, but he refuses since he is a celibate student. 

• He appeases Lila by promising to marry her if no celibate pilgrim comes to see him on Shabari Malai that year—a promise that can never be fulfilled since celibacy is the single most essential criterion for the Shabari Malai pilgrimage. 

• Manikanta then appeases Lila by erecting a shrine on a nearby mountaintop in her honor. 

• Returning to his original mission of collecting the tiger's milk, Aiyappa commands Shiva to transform into a tiger, which he then rides back to his stepparents, asking them to milk the tiger to their hearts' content. 

One of the most popular Aiyappa pictures is of a little kid returning on the back of a tiger. E. Valentine Daniel, Fluid Signs, 1984; Kunissery Ramakrishnaier Vaidyanathan, Pilgrimage to Sabari, 1978; Lars Kjaerholm, “Myth and Fascination in the Aiyappu Cult: A View from Fieldwork in Tamil Nadu,” in Asko Parpola and Bent Smidt Hansen (eds. ), South Asian Religion and Society, 1986. 

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Hinduism - Who Are The Gayawal Of India?

Endogamous community of pilgrimage priests (pandas) living at Gaya, a pilgrimage site (tirtha) known for ceremonies of the dead.

Each Gayawal family has unique hereditary rights to assist all pilgrims whose ancestral homes are in a certain area or regions, regardless of where they are at the moment.

Pilgrims are meant to be served solely by their ancestral family priest at all pilgrimage locations.

This exclusivity offers the Gayawals more bargaining power with their pilgrim clientele, who are in a vulnerable position since most of them are performing ceremonies for deceased relatives.

The Gayawals are known for their avarice, greed, and overall lack of intelligence.

By brahmin norms, these characteristics, as well as the fact that they get a large portion of their revenue from the dead, which is deemed inaudible, make them rather debased.

To be fair to the Gayawals, the monopoly's relative strength is tempered by a feeling of ancestral responsibility to their customers— the recurring question is never whether the customers will be supplied, but how much they will have to pay. 

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Cosmic Consciousness by Kundalini Yoga

The holy Himalaya, from wherest daughter Ganges has its source, in the mountains where Shiva Mahadeva, the snowy king was born. The peaks rising high above humanity are his Earthly abode, and the place his wife, Parvati, considers Her home. 

The holiest spot (kshetra), the Pilgrims have traveled there since the beginning of time to meet and circumambulate (parikrama) Mount Kailasha (Kang Rinpoche), where Lord Shiva lives. The holy Mansarovar Lake is to the north-west of this noble mountain (Mapham Yum-tso). Shiva's paradise has been characterized as a land "resplendent with females, with lasting fragrances of all season's flowers, fanned by cool breezes, shadowed by the still shade of stately trees,... where troops of apsaras sing with madden passion."  

It is said that whoever contemplates Shiva's abode in the Himalaya is better than whoever worships Shiva in Kashi. This is the pilgrimage's destination, as well as the scene and location of the discovery of several holy scriptures known as Tantras, in which Parvati normally asks Shiva questions regarding the purpose and road to salvation.

However, there are various types of divine force and directions to sacred action and revelation in Hindu thought. As a result, the Tantric revelation holds that paying obeisance to Shiva and his consort does not require a trip to the actual peaks of the Himalaya or to Kailasha. All Tantras, whether Shaiva or Shakta, insist that a trip to Mount Kailasha is unnecessary, if not useless, since his mystic and symbolic abode is to be found in the thousand-petalled lotus, the Sahasrara-chakra, in the seeker's subtle or divine form. This abode is known as the shivasthana, the location where Shiva resides eternally and where all Yoga and meditation seekers are welcomed.

Tantra practitioners take a daily path as part of their devotion. An inner journey into the still-yet-vibrating center of cosmic consciousness in the subtle body is imperative and mandatory for the Tantric path seeker, even though an external journey to a pilgrimage center is taken. Although all schools of Indie religion talk of the divinity of the body, the Tantras articulate it in its most complete and structured form. A devotee who abandons the divinity that resides inside his body to worship that which resides beyond his body is likened to a person who abandons his home's riches and wanders as a beggar asking for alms.

The Cosmos of the Body

Immutability is a Hindu concept, whereas the celestial divine body is a Buddhist concept. Tantras have a physical form. They thought they were wonderful and had attained enlightenment. They say there is a "etheric double" in addition to the gross or material body, which is subject to degradation and death. The subtle body (sukshama-sharira), also known as a sacred body (divya-deha), or a pure body (siddha-deha), is unveiled, tamed, energised, and sublimated during an arduous Tantra-yoga process for the attainment of consciousness unity. The subtle body is free of defilement and exists independently of the cosmos' spatio-temporal matrix. The pure category of the universe is inextricably bound to this subtle entity. It is associated with the union of the male and female principles, Shiva and Shakti, and serves as a purified dynamic powerhouse for the evolution of the universe across ever subtler planes of universal consciousness. According to the Tantras, awakening the sacred potency of the subtle body does not simply result in the possession of spiritual strength (siddhi). It has the ability to change the body's very substance over time.

Human ascension to a superconscious state of consciousness, according to the Tantras, entails embodying the whole universe. A state of enlightenment, a shift in influence from the human world to the realm of cosmic consciousness. The body is seen as condensing the whole universe through this comocization. The citadel of the heart has been thought to be the sacred center among us since ancient times. The Chandogya Upanisad is where the concept of divinity-in-the-heart first appeared (VII, 1,1-3)

The heart is located within the city of Brahman, which is the flesh, and within the heart is a small dwelling. This house is shaped like a lotus, and it contains all that should be searched for, enquired about, and realized.

So, what is this lotus of the heart that resides within this house?

The cosmos within the lotus of the heart is as vast as the universe beyond. Heaven and earth, the sun, the moon, lightning, and all the stars are all included within it. Anything that exists in the macrocosm exists in this microcosm.

The lotus of the heart does not age, despite the fact that the body does. It does not perish as the body perishes. The true city of Brahman is the lotus of the heart, where Brahman resides in all his glory, not the body. 

The heart of the Supreme Principle, symbolized by the lotus, is the true city of the Supreme Principle, untainted by the mundane realities of everyday life. Later on, this idea was massively extended and developed.

Tantras and medieval Yoga-Upanisads include a formal paradigm of the microcosm, with lotuses serving as psychic centers of consciousness and self-realization. The micro-macro hypothesis of body universe is the scientific term for this. The divine or subtle body may be visualized in a variety of ways. The holy geography of India's terrain inspired one of the most convincing pictures to explain the correspondence and equivalence between the macrocosm and the microcosm. The Shiva Samhita paints a vivid picture of the divine self's sacred geography, in which the body reflects the sacred land's landscape:

Mount Meru is encircled by the seven continents in your body; rivers, seas, mountains, plains, and gods of the fields are also present. It contains priests, nuns, pilgrimage sites, and the deities that preside over them.

There are stars, planets, and the sun and moon; there are also the two celestial forces; that which kills, and that which creates; and all of the elements; ether, air, and fire, water, and earth. Yes, all that exists in the three realms is contained within your body.

All of the Yogis are doing their specified tasks around Mount Meru, but only the one who understands this is considered a real Yogi. In a related vein, the Shaktananda Tarangini (Chapter l,39ff) depicts the nine planets, twelve zodiac signs, fourteen cosmos planes, seven mountains, seven oceans, and seven islands circling Mount Meru, the Universe's central axis, as forming the framework of the body cosmos. There is a subtle body or celestial body within this outer shell that represents all the stars, planets, astral planes, and elements like a mirror reflects the natural universe. Whatever powers rule the external universe, the inner cosmos is governed by the same rules.

These are basically poetic representations of God's flesh. The Tantras vividly depict alternative maps of the subtle body that embodies the universe. According to the Tantrikas, we do not perceive our mind as anything apart from our body, like an outer garment, since it corresponds to and is the most personal extension of the Universe. 6 Since the subtle body is regarded as a miniature universe, its arrangement presupposes an inextricable connection with Tantra's ontology and worldview.

The Supreme Truth, according to Tantric philosophy, is self-luminous— pure consciousness, absolute, and all-pervasive. In its descent to manifestation, this consciousness polarizes as fire. In a religious level, Shiva, the static male principle, represents this consciousness. Shakti, his power, is associated with the feminine principle.

Shiva and Shakti are also at the heart of life. Shakti is a complex and active form of consciousness. During evolution, the Shakti philosophy completes itself and produces the realm of materiality, which is manifested in a variety of universe categories, including cognitive faculties, senses, their things, and the five elements. The map of the delicate body represents both of these types. Any form in the universe is a manifestation of consciousness (ctl).

The person loses sight of the unity of cosmic consciousness and lives with a false sense of self as a result of the veiling of shakti. Devi Kundalini, or the Coiled One, is the Shakti philosophy of the universe in the delicate body, conceived as an eternal pool of electricity (Shakti). Kundalini is depicted as a sleeping snake in her unmanifest, latent form. Muladhara, the 'root reinforcement' chakra, is found between the anus and the genitals, and is coiled in three-and-a-half circles along the central axis at the base of the spine. The act of resting

Kundalini Shakti is as subtle as a perfect lotus-stalk fibre and as vivid as a bolt of lightning. The microcosm is akin to an electric battery in which this cosmic force is stored in a dormant state. When this force is not channeled in a systematic manner, it either withers away or manifests in a small way.

Kundalini is the spirit that lies at the heart of all life in its broadest sense. It is the source of all forces, qualities, and life forms that this world will take. The energy in the gross form of a normal human is inert, since it does not vibrate or revolve. That it "knots" together our differentiated and dualising mind, which empowers us with a distorted sense of egohood, it lays inert in tangles. These knots are shown in three planes around the body's central axis. They are the results of our previous deeds (samskaras), dooming us to a life of deception.

They block Kundalini Shakti's complete and unrestricted movement. The ultimate aim of the cosmic awareness inner quest is to rediscover one's veiled cosmic existence. To get the goddess Kundalini up to the highest level of consciousness. This is thought to be the home of the para-bindu, the ultimate locus of the universe's seed.

Kundalini Shakti is as subtle as a perfect lotus-stalk fibre and as vivid as a bolt of lightning. The microcosm is akin to an electric battery in which this cosmic force is stored in a dormant state. When this force is not channeled in a systematic manner, it either withers away or manifests in a small way.

Kundalini is the spirit that lies at the heart of all life in its broadest sense. It is the source of all forces, qualities, and life forms that this world will take.

The energy in the gross form of a normal human is inert, since it does not vibrate or revolve. That it "knots" together our differentiated and dualising mind, which empowers us with a distorted sense of egohood, it lays inert in tangles. These knots are shown in three planes around the body's central axis. They are the results of our previous deeds (samskaras), dooming us to a life of deception.

They block Kundalini Shakti's complete and unrestricted movement. The ultimate aim of the cosmic awareness inner quest is to rediscover one's veiled cosmic existence. To get the goddess Kundalini up to the highest level of consciousness. This is thought to be the home of the para-bindu, the ultimate locus of the universe's seed.

Kundalini, in a microcosmic context, is the root of the two most vital currents that control life. The first is Prana, or essential energy, which is present in all of us as air, life, or a source of energy.

The second is virya or ojas1, a virile vitality that encourages all forms of artistic expression and mystic unfoldment. The awakened Kundalini is felt as a current, kinetic, and effulgent rising up the subtle channel, the Sushumna-nadi, at the crown of the head, the abode of Shiva, the Absolute as Pure Consciousness, in its manifest state (rif).

Shiva and Shakti are thus found at diametrically opposed points that are linked by the body-cosmos' central axis.

Numerous etheric pathways and vortices make up the subtle body (chakras). While the details of their arrangement and symbolism may differ from one school to the next, there is a universal model. 8 In the microcosm, there are three key subtle pathways. The most notable, the Sushumna-nadi, the body-cosmos' central axis, is flanked on the right by a lunar line, Ida, which represents the female principle, and on the left by the solar channel, Pingala, which represents the male principle. From the base of the spine, two waves of energy flow from Ida and Pingala, spiraling in opposing directions around the Sushumna, which reaches them between the eyebrows. They then split up into two groups.

Both the left and right nostrils are involved. Yoga entails bringing these two slight currents together in the Sushumna, the median tube.

The subtle body simply maps one's divine path from the stage of material life to the final state of beatitude.

Each of the psychic vortices refers to one of the stages of this yogic path. The microcosm's inner map is made up of seven psychic vortices depicted as circuits (chakras) or lotuses. They are spaced around the Sushumna, the subtle body's vertical axis, which corresponds to the spinal column's line from the base to the crown of the head. In Kundalini yoga, the seven main points of influence in the subtle body (according to Hindu tradition) serve as yantras for inner meditative experience. Geometrical figures, such as wheels (chakras) or lotuses, are used to represent them. They are arranged on the Sushumna, the subtle body's vertical axis, which approximately corresponds to the spinal column and cortex. Each chakra is identified with a sound sensation, aspect, color, deity, animal image, and category of the universe, since these chakras encompass the whole psycho-cosmos.

The Muladhara (root) Chakra is located at the base of the spine and is the first chakra. It serves as a focal point for the psychic body's powers. A square with an inverted triangle is one of its symbols. The snake-symbol of the latent microcosmic form of energy, Devi Kundalini, is coiled around a linga icon in the center of this yantra. It is governed by the element earth, and its seed motto is Lam.

Svadishthana Chakra is located behind the genitals. It's a vermilion color. It takes the shape of a circle with six petals and a white crescent moon in the middle. The mantra of the water factor Vam is inscribed in the middle.

The navel center, Manipura Chakra, is ruled by the element fire. It is pictured as a ten-petal lotus. A red triangle with three swastika symbols appears inside the lotus (T-shaped). Am is the seed mantra.

The fourth, Anahata Chakra, is found in the heart level and is shaped like a lotus with twelve petals and a hexagon in the middle. The Anahata Chakra is the seat of the air elements, and it is a key revealer of celestial sound in meditation. Yam is the seed mantra.

The Vishuddhi Chakra is located at the level of the throat and is the fifth chakra. It has a smoky purple color to it. A sixteen-petaled lotus with a downward-pointing triangle is the symbol. The symbol of the ether element, represented by a circle, is in the middle. Ham is the seed mantra.

Ajna, the sixth chakra, is situated between the brows and is in charge of different stages of meditation. A shell with two petals and an inverted triangle bearing a linga emblem is the symbol. Om, the primordial vibration, is the seed mantra.

The pinnacle of yogic practice, the seat of the Absolute, is represented by the seventh chakra, Sahasrara Chakra (Shiva-Shakti). Four fingers' width above the top of the head is how it's visualized. It is symbolized by a thousand-petalled inverted lotus, which symbolically rains divine radiance on the subtle body. The Sahasrara is colorless since it neutralizes all colors and sounds.

There are 50 lotus petals from the root center to the center of the brows, corresponding to the letters of the alphabet (matrika) inscribed on the petals. These are the divisions that make up the universe and reflect Vaikhari vak's gross state. Each chakra has its own distinct image, which is associated with a god, animal symbol, mantra, color, rank, and universe plane (see Figure 1). This intricate symbolism depicts the Goddess Kundalini as the microcosm and forms the inner map of the body universe. 9

The five psychic sheaths of the human body are all attached to these chakras: the Muladhara, Svadhishthana, and Manipura are associated with the visible or corporeal sheath, the Annamaya-kosha. The Pranamaya-kosha, or essential energy sheath, is connected to the Anahata and Vishuddhi-chakras, which manifest in air and ether. The Ajna-chakra represents the third sheath, Manomaya, the emotional sheath, and Vijnanamaya, the intelligence sheath. Finally, the Anandamaya kosa, or happiness body, is connected to pure consciousness, which is housed in the Sahasrara-chakra.

Awareness and meditation (jnanadhyanaprakasah) expose these internal chakras, which mark the stages of the Kundalini Shakti's spiritual journey. They embody the seven ascension planes and provide the internal structure by which the adorer works out his universe unification. The subtle body scheme also acts as a framework for reciprocal correspondences between the body universes' internal layers and the cosmos' exterior planes.

In the Subtle Body, the Path and Goal of Cosmic Consciousness

Internal waystation markers and mirrored yogic mark symbolically unique journey phases as subtle-channels in the to evolution wholeness and lotus of consciousness. The body currents of crucial breath serve as the vehicle for the yogic journey. They quickly pass through the Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna delicate pathways of the body universe to join with Shiva at the crown of the head.

These psychic sources have been likened to the Ganga, Yamuna, and Sarasvati rivers. And their meeting (triveni) in Prayag, Uttar Pradesh, is symbolically depicted in the Ajna Chakra, in the center between the eye brows, to signify that the worshipper's delicate body contains the greatest holy center. The Ajna Chakra is where certain yoga schools start the meditative path. They conclude that the adept must purify his cognitions and the dross of the dualising mind at the confluence of the three channels before beginning the awakening of the energy. It is the confluence of the three holy rivers, symbolically, and it is here that the original purification takes place before the journey.

In the same way as a pilgrim is guided by the holy scenery, an inward psychic path is guided by the psychic centers symbolized by the lotuses.

The Kundalini Shakti ascends like a blazing snake on her way, bursting through vortices and untying psychic blockages that lie in the direction of the Sushumna, the subtle body's central axis. Ascension (aroha) and regression (pranayama) are the two distinct stages of the yogic path (avaroha).

"She shines brightly in her ascent; she looks like nectar in her descent," the Devigita (Chapt 10.3) says. First and foremost, the yogi, when roused by contemplative methods, leads the cosmic force.

In the shape of a tapering blaze of light, this force rests in the breath alongside the true self (jivatma). It is brought to the root-centre at the base of the spine by the Yogi. The inner quest then continues. The five gross elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, as well as their respective cognition organs, are found in the five psychic centers, starting with Muladhara (=earth element), Svadhisthana (=water element), Manipura (=fire element), Anahata (=air element), and Vishuddhi (=ether element). Symbols of god and action.

The sense of smell and the theory of smell (tanmatra) are related to the earth factor at the base of the spine, as well as the feet as the motion organ. Similarly, other chakras have specific associations.

The Kundalini Shakti ascends like a blazing snake on her way, bursting through vortices and untying psychic blockages that lie in the direction of the Sushumna, the subtle body's central axis. Ascension (aroha) and regression (pranayama) are the two distinct stages of the yogic path (avaroha).

"She shines brightly in her ascent; she looks like nectar in her descent," the Devigita (Chapt 10.3) says. First and foremost, the yogi, when roused by contemplative methods, leads the cosmic force.

In the shape of a tapering blaze of light, this force rests in the breath alongside the true self (jivatma). It is brought to the root-centre at the base of the spine by the Yogi. The inner quest then continues. The five gross elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, as well as their respective cognition organs, are found in the five psychic centres, starting with Muladhara (=earth element), Svadhisthana (=water element), Manipura (=fire element), Anahata (=air element), and Vishuddhi (=ether element). Symbols of god and action.

The sense of smell and the theory of smell (tanmatra) are related to the earth factor at the base of the spine, as well as the feet as the motion organ. Other chakras, too, have specific associations with elements and celestial categories (see figure 1.) They make up the twenty-five categories of formation when taken together (tattvasrishti).

The celestial energy's primary goal in the body is to remove and consume (layakrama) all five elements, their properties, and the associated consciousness and action organs at each psychic base.

The method of dissolving these elements into pure celestial awareness starts with each of the five elements consuming and dissolving into the next in their respective psychic centres, together with their mantras, deity reflection, and animal icons. Thus, at the Muladhara Chakra, the earth-element is incorporated into the subtle concept of scent (gandha-tanmatra), contemplating the diety with his animal symbol. The world is melted into water in the next step when meditating on Vishnu and his consort; the subtle concept of scent can be transformed into taste. The true self (jivatma), Kundalini Shakti, and the water aspect should then flow into the navel center's fire field. The yogi should think of Rudra and his Shakti, as well as the lustrous sense of vision, and absorb all of this, as well as the principle of taste (rasa-tattva), into the principle of sight/form (rupa-tattva). The yogi can then move on into the area of air at the centre of the throat. He meditates here on Isha, the air divinity and his Shakti, and absorbs the principle of seeing into the principle of touch (sparsha). And, while discussing Shiva and his consort, he meditates on the area of ether, where he absorbs the previous principle of touch into the principle of expression (vak) and the sense of hearing. The theory of expression (shabda-tattva) is then absorbed into egosense (ahamkara), egosense into mind (mahat-tattva), and mind into subtle Prakriti at the Ajna Chakra. And Prakriti into the ultimate bindu, which represents the Shiva philosophy, residing in Shiva's abode, the thousand-petalled lotus. 10

Spiritual enlightenment is commonly thought of as a journey from the gross to the subtle, but this movement is just half of the journey's total cycle. The descent of the subtle knowledge of cosmic consciousness is the other part of the inner path. The nectarine bliss of harmony at the Shivasthana, in the highest chakra, is visualised as a spray of nectar flowing down to the lower chakras from the cold rays of the moon of consciousness (citcandrika). The cyclic transition from the essence of consciousness to the mind and intellect, to the sensory organs, the earth aspect, and finally to the outside world of the senses comes to an end here.

The twin poles through which the whole period of involution and evolution of celestial energy takes place are the earth sphere, the lowest concept in the order of creation and the highest pinnacle of cosmic consciousness. The climb is called samhara-krama, and it is the first half of the path to completeness.

The Kundalini Shakti is taken back to its original resting ground at the base of the spine on the reverse journey. In the course of her descent, the current divine body is recreated.

With ambrosial nectar extracted from Shiva and Shakti's union, the energy now reverses her movement and empowers the vortices that lie in her way. This energy must be returned in the same way that she was directed upwards. She returns with a trickle of nectar that she sprinkles on each of the chakras. In other words, she infuses and inundates each psychic vortex with rasa, bursting with Shiva and Shakti's ultimate bliss of unification of consciousness. This union resurrects them and sets the stage for the flood of nectar that results from their joy. The Kundalini Shakti is referred to as the "universal vessel bearing the stream of celestial nectar (brahmandabhanda)" in this act.

In strictly psychic terminology, the journey can be translated as the unfolding of consciousness from its incipient state to the outpetalling of the soul flower. C.J. Jung has beautifully represented a visual philosophy of consciousness through the animal symbols of the psychic vortices through his long years of study into the mechanisms of the psyche. These are sometimes defined as "vehicles of consciousness."

Symbols of Animals

The fundamental elephant force that drives our atus facilitates the reconstruction of root consciousness, our chakra, aware of the Muladhara, which represents the cosmos. The earth aspect represents the earth's sustaining powers.

Kundalini energy ascends to the plane of Svadhisthana Chakra, where it meets the Makara, or Leviathan, propelled by the energy of the root support. If the elephant is the driving force, the Leviathan is the "engine that keeps you alive in the conscious world," according to Jung.

Waters, too, are essential for life to exist. Yet, as Jung points out, there is a power it obstructs that for what it is: "the greatest blessing in the waking world is the greatest curse in the unconscious." As a result, the Makara is optimistic, almost like a "dragon that devours." The aquatic energy of Makara turns into a Ram, the holy beast of Agni, or God of fire, in the next chakra, the Manipura Chakra. Ram is associated with Mars, the fiery world, which "represents impulses, impulsiveness, rashness, aggression, and all such things." It symbolises the ultimate act of love. To become mindful of one's passion on a subconscious basis is to seek its sublimation. The robust Ram is replaced in the next Anahata Chakra by a light-footed gazelle, which is also a sacrificial cow. The gazelle is portrayed as a majestic animal that is elusive, quick on its feet, light as air, and "gravity defying," rising high and resembling an eagle. From the Manipura to the Anahata, one experiences "the crossing over" to the sphere of self-recognition, a sign of "lightness of mind and emotion," the ego on its ascent. Here, one travels onto a plane where one recognises one's cosmic ability, leaving behind the mundane social and egoistic personality. This crossing over is very difficult to accept because it entails giving up one's self to the "consciousness that is at the limit." The elephant's symbol reappears in the Vishuddhi Chakra as the milky white Airavata, Indra's bearer. According to Jung, the elephant undergoes a transition, which initially took us closer to our psychic unfoldment. The elephant's blackness has transubstantiated into the purity of white, and the element earth has become ether, the psyche's explosive material. There is no animal sign at the Ajna Chakra. Instead, the chakra's corolla resembles a "winged seed," a full blinding white light perfectly aware of its celestial dimensions. The Sahasrara Chakra, the final summit, is an etheric void that is symbolless since it is "one" with cosmic consciousness.

When the channel awakens and harmonises, she pierces the twin forces. Sheasunders purifies and empowers the six Kundalini chakras by increasing the knots chakras, sharpening and empowering them with divine strength. When the Kundalini cleanses the Muladhara-chakra, which is aligned with the earth philosophy and springs from the delicate nature of smell, the aspirant is able to taste divine fragrances that are not available in everyday life. The Kundalini expands and saturates the entire body in the form of ultra-subtle pranic energy as the related centres awaken. The dreaming mind is fully overtaken by a vibratory stirring. Involuntary body motions, such as arm and leg trembling, may occur, and one may recoil into a waking state of trance sleep (yoganidra) or dive into a state of divine whirling ghurni, or be overcome by a torrent of compassion. One may adopt a variety of postures and movements on the spur of the moment (mudras and asanas). The unfolding of Kundalini Shakti is marked by many lakshanas13. Someone can be moved to write beautiful poems, sing devotional songs, or gain random awareness of some thing, person, or place. In this state, the adept loses awareness of his detachment from the celestial body, which is his own reflection, and breaks his earthly bonds in an instant.

The false sense of identification with the body vanishes and the aspirant is free of dualising thinking until the two discordant currents of the lunar (Ida) and solar (Pingala) channels become firmly harmonised in the median channel, Sushumna. He then reaches a state of samadhi, or undifferentiated immersion, on his own. The condition is a striking characteristic of the Shaiva and Shakta traditions.

Awakened Kundalini 

When the channel awakens and harmonises, she pierces the twin forces. She asunders purifies the six Kundalini chakras, increasing the knots chakras, across and the median. She sharpens and instils supernatural influence in them. When the Kundalini cleanses the Muladhara-chakra, which is aligned with the earth philosophy and springs from the delicate nature of smell, the aspirant is able to taste divine fragrances that are not available in everyday life. The Kundalini expands and saturates the entire body in the form of ultra-subtle pranic energy as the related centres awaken. The dreaming mind is fully overtaken by a vibratory stirring. Involuntary body motions, such as arm and leg trembling, may occur, and one may recoil into a waking state of trance sleep (yoganidra) or dive into a state of divine whirling ghurni, or be overcome by a torrent of compassion. One may adopt a variety of postures and movements on the spur of the moment (mudras and asanas). The unfolding of Kundalini Shakti is marked by many lakshanas13. Someone can be moved to write beautiful poems, sing devotional songs, or gain random awareness of some thing, person, or place. In this state, the adept loses awareness of his detachment from the celestial body, which is his own reflection, and breaks his earthly bonds in an instant.

The false sense of identification with the body vanishes and the aspirant is free of dualizing thinking until the two discordant currents of the lunar (Ida) and solar (Pingala) channels become firmly harmonised in the median channel, Sushumna. He then enters a state of samadhi, or undifferentiated absorption, on his own. The state of samadhi is viewed as a state of active consciousness, conscious and absolute, in which the immanent and transcendent are woven into a continuous spectrum in the Shaiva and Shakta traditions.

The yogi is supposed to undergo both internal and external extension of consciousness. In the ascending and descent of the Kundalini Shakti, he internalizes the world in the subtle body in the first step. His beatific vision of oneness openly manifests in the external universe, mediated by the senses, in the next phase. Unmilana samadhi, or feeling the joy of consciousness with open eyes14, is the term for this. The blissful and holy body is where Shiva and Shakti's artistic union is felt. The planet is not negated or abolished; rather, every atom of the universe is infused with the all-pervasive force of blissful consciousness. The cosmic play of Kundalini Shakti is maintained by the exteriorization of the referential universe into harmony and the exteriorization of bliss into the outer world.

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