Any study of Yoga Sastra is incomplete without the knowledge of six plexus in the Human body. However two methods are being followed in studying this sastra.

Westerners study this sastra as an independent science demystified of their original Hindu terminology. This will mostly suit non-Hindus. However due to lack of knowledge of Hinduism in its full traditional form, many Hindus abroad and also in India prefer to follow this method.

So many non-Hindu friends of mine have asked me to explain certain notions in the Hindu Psyche.

• A Hindu is born whereas a Christian or Muslim is made.
• Hinduism is not a religion proper but a way of living.
• It is easier for a non Hindu born in Indian tradition to understand Hinduism than a Hindu born & brought up in Western tradition.

In order to understand the thought process behind these notions we must go throughout the history of Hindu Literature.

The Holy Bible & the Holy Quran are the sole authoritative books on Christianity & Islam respectively. But no single book, not even the Bhagavad Gita can claim to be the sole religious book of the Hindus. The 4 Vedas, their 6 Angas, the 18 Puranas, 18 Upanishadas, The Yoga Sutras, Nyaya Sutras, Ayurveda, Natya Sastra, Sangeetha Sastras, Brahma Sutras etc, all these can claim to have directly or indirectly contributed to the evolution of Hinduism as a religion in India through the centuries. Any study of o ne of these sastras without the rudimentary knowledge of other Sastras will prove incomplete in the long run. Anyway Hindus born in India, having knowledge of Hindu Traditions, are hereby advised by Srikrishnamangal to study Yoga sastra as an inseparable part of a composite whole as it is easier and more fruitful.

Coming back to the subject of six plexus, their placement, the number of petals in each plexus, the letters connected with each of the petal are explained in the following Slokas.

Table No. 1

Chakras	Mooladhara	Swadhisthana	Manipuraka	Anahata	Visuddhi	Aajna
Placement	Base	Linga	Nabhih Naval	Hridaya (Heart)	Kanta (Neck)	Lalata (Forehead)
Petal	4	6	10	12	16	2
Letters	Va to Sa	Ba to La	Da to Pha	Ka to Tha	Vowels	Ha & Ksha

The traditional Hindu way of performing Yoga is to conceive a main Yogini for each of the plexus & a Sub Yogini for each of the Petals and pray or meditate on them.

The King of Srividyopasakas, the one & only Bhaskaracharya or Basurananda Natha has composed Yogini sthavam for this purpose which will be very useful for devotees for meditation.

Its placement is in the neck. Its Yogini is DAKINI. She is to be contemplated as whitish red & three eyed with sword khatwanga, Trisula & Mahasharma in her 4 hands. She is possessed one face, creates fear in the minds of Pagans, and is extremely fond of milky food (Payasanna) she is the reigning deity of the Skin. She is surrounded by 16 sub-yoginis, Amruta etc, situated in 16 petals which make up the Visuddhi Chakra. She is worshipped by Srividyopasakas. I too salute her.

Notes: - according to Srikrishnamangal devis one face refers to Sabda Guna of Akasa which is the element connected with Visuddhi Chakra.

The 16 petals, their reigning Sub-Yogini, corresponding letters, the power acquired, the Aananda (Bliss ) experienced, the English equivalent name, the areas controlled by these sub-centres are enumerated below : -

The Contemplation on this Chakra gives the following fruits knowledge of Past, Present & Future, poetic ability, oratory, calm mind, Diseaselessness, Sorrowlessness, Long life etc.

Now let us see what other yogic texts have to say about this Chakra.

Adi Shankaracharya contemplates on Devi along with Shiva in this chakra through this Sloka.

In thy Visuddhi Chakra I meditate on Siva, the creator of Akasa, resembling a pure crystal in purity, along with the Devi who is equal is Siva in all respects. In the lunar brilliance proceeding from them both, the whole universe, free from the darkness or ignorance, rejoices like the Bird Chakori (Female Partridge).

Notes: In Sanskrit poetry the Bird Chakora is conceived as delighting in moonlight and consuming that light. When the Kundalini rests in the Visuddhi Chakra, the darkness of ignorance is removed from the heart of the devotee and along with that there is the upsurge of the light of consciousness and bliss. This is not a mere subjective experience. The whole universe becomes the light of consciousness to the aspirant. The deities adored here are called Vyomeswara and Vymeswari. Some consider the deity to be Ardha Nari Nateswara or Sadasiva.

Finally we come to Lalitha Sahasranamavalis description of Visuddhi Chakra.

Readers can see from the above how Mantrasastra (Sound therapy), Ayurveda (Medicine) & Yoga Sastra are interwoven in the above Yogini Sthavam. While the alphabets from AM to AH belong to Mantra Sastra, the reference to skin & payasanna come within the realm of Ayurveda. The rest are connected with Yogasastra & Para-Psychology. Thus this worship enables a devotee of Devi to attain all benefits described in these Sastras.

Shri Mani Bhaumic in his article New Physics Points to Cosmic Spirit (T.O.I 28-01-2003) says, "The irreducible primary realities of field and consciousness are inseparable aspects of the same elementary process of our universe united through mutual participation. The Biological nervous system just provides a material structure for unfolding consciousness in each individual."

Yoga Sastra enables an individual to connect his individual consciousness with the common source, which has an inherent quality of awareness, which is present to all space & time & which is called as Brahman in Vedanta & Immanence in Christian Theology.

We shall discuss about the other chakras in the coming editions.

(To be continued.)