Visuddha

Visuddha-cakra or Bharatisthana, abode of the Devi of speech, is above the last and at the lower end of the throat (kantha-mula). The Tattva of this cakra is “ether”. The lotus is of a smoky colour, or the colour of fire seen through smoke. It has sixteen petals, which carry the red vowels – “am”, “âm”, “im” “îm” “um” “ûm” “rm” “Å—m” “1m”, “1m”, “em”, “aim”, “om”, “aum”, am”, “ah”; the seven musical notes (nisada, rsabha, gandhara, sadja, madhyama, dhaivata and pancama): “venom” (in the eighth petal); the bijas “hum”, “phat”, “vausat”, “vasat “, “svadha”, “svaha”, “namah”, and in the sixteenth petal, nectar (amrta).

In the pericarp is a triangular region, within which is the androgyne S’iva, known as Ardhanarisvara. There also are the regions of the full moon and ether, with its bija “ham”. The akasa-mandala is transparent and round in shape. Akasa himself is here dressed in white, and mounted on a white elephant. He has four hands, which hold the noose (1) (pasa), the elephant-hook (2) (ankusa), and with the other he makes the mudras which grant blessing and dispel fear. S’iva is white, with five faces, three eyes, ten arms, and is dressed in tiger skins. Near Him is the white Sakti Sakini, dressed in yellow raiments, holding in Her four hands the bow, the arrow, the noose, and the hook.

Above the cakra, at the root of the palate (talumula) is a concealed cakra, called Lalana and, in some Tantras, Kala-cakra. It is a red lotus with twelve petals, bearing the following vrttis: – sraddha (faith), santosha (contentment), aparadha (sense of error), dama (self-command), mana (3) (anger), sneha (affection), (4) soka (sorrow, grief), kheda (dejection), suddhata (purity), arati (detachment), sambhrama (agitation), (5) Urmi (appetite, desire).

1. The Devi herself holds the noose of desire. Desire is the vasana form and the noose is the gross form (see next note).
2. The Varnakesvara-Tantra says : “The noose and the elephant-hook of Her are spoken of as desire and anger. But the Yogini-hrdaya i. 53 says: “The noose is ichchasakti, the goad jnana-sakti, and the bow and arrows kriya-sakti .”
3. Generally applied to the case of anger between two persons who are attached to one another, as in the case of man and wife.
4. Towards those younger or lower than oneself.
5. Through respect.