सङ्गीतरत्नाकर: प्रथम भाग (शार्ङ्गदेव - स्वरगताध्याय सविस्तार व्याख्या व अनुवाद सहित)

396 Treatment of Svara
10. Thousand 1000 Immortality Most conducive
petalled Lotus
(Sahsrāra-cakra)
It may be observed from the above chart that of the
ten psychophysical centres mentioned, only four are said to
be related to the cultivation of musical arts, wholly or partly,
positively or negatively. In the terms of the chart, the
centres or the petals not related to music positively or nega-
tively are described as non-conducive. The centres or petals
that are helpful in the advancement of musical arts are
described as conducive and those of them that are harmful
are described as destructive. This has been done in view of
the author's statement (vide 144c-145b) that concentration
on any other centres or petals is not helpful.
The first three centres are not related to advancement
in music, probably because these centres are related to gross
manifestation (cf. Sir John Woodroffe's views cited in the
comments on 124c-126b ante). The next three centres viz.
the cycle of the unmanifest, the cycle of purity and Lalanā
cakra are partly related to musical arts. These three centres
are located in the heart, the throat and the back of the neck
which exactly correspond (except for the last that corresponds
roughly) to the situation of the three registers of human
voice, viz. the heart, the throat and the head. The next
three centres are related to the mind and its powers and
functions, while the last one viz. Sahasrāra is the gateway to
supreme bliss and immortality; and consequently, concen-
tration on this centre is considered to be wholly beneficial
to the cultivation of musical arts. Thus, six of the ten centres
are non-conducive, three partly conducive and partly non-
conducive and one wholly conducive.
It will be interesting to observe the fruits of concen-
tration on particular petals as conducive and destructive in
terms of the positive and the negative.

Appendix II 397
The positive and the negative fruits of concentration
related to Music.
Sl. Psychophysical No. Positive fruits No. Negative Total
No. Centre of of concen- of fruits of No. of
petal tration petal concen- related
tration petals
4 Cycle of the 1 Freedom from 4 Hope¹
unımanifest fickleness
(Anāhata-cakra) 8 Equanimity 6 Worry 7/12
11 Discernment 10 Mental
12 Will instability
5 Cycle of purity 8 Nectar
(Viśuddhī-cakra) 9-15 Seven Tones 16 Poison 9/16
5 Lalanā-cakra 10 Devotion 1 Arrogance 5/12
11 Satisfaction 4 Sorrow
5 Agony
10 Sahsrāra full
Shorn of its metaphorical framework, the whole
scheme seems to suggest that for the cultivation of musical
arts one should concentrate on the positive qualities and
avoid paying attention to the negative qualities as shown
above. This abstract makes the whole idea intelligible.

1. Hope has been described as destructive perhaps because hope
   and disappointment go together.