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

96 Treatment of Svara
11. गीतादिसिद्धौ चक्राणां साधकत्वं बाधकत्वञ्च
अनाहतदले पूर्वेऽष्टमे चैकादशे तथा ।
द्वादशे च स्थितो जीवो गीतादेः सिद्धिमृच्छति ॥१४०॥
the source of nectar² is located in the cerebral aperture³
(brahma-randhra). Spilling innumerable streams of ambrosia⁴,
it nourishes the body. (139)
11. Meditation of cakra-s as related to the cultivation of
music :
The embodied soul¹ established in the (contemplation
of) first, eighth, eleventh and the twelfth petals of the 'cycle
of the unmanifest'² (anāhata-cakra) attains proficiency in music
randhra, the cerebral aperture as its location. This aperture is symbolic
of void called parama vyoma or the highest ether or in other words, the
subtlest space (cf. Ṣaṭcakranirūpaṇa verses 40-48). The purport is as
follows :
"Within it is the full moon, without any spot whatsoever, resplen-
dent as in a clear sky. It shakes its rays in profusion, and is moist and
cool like nectar. Inside this, shines the great void which is served in
secret by all the gods." (Adapted with modifications from Arthur
Avalon's translation, the Serpent Power, p. 430).
So in the void, which is identified with bindu, parabindu or Īśvara or
called śūnya is the light which is formless (cf. Toḍala Tantra, 6th Ullāsa
as cited by Arthur Avalon; Serpent Power, p. 431). Thus consciousness,
when established in it, transcends time. And it is this transcendental
consciousness that obviously is variously named as immortality, ambrosia,
nectar and so on.
Now, first of all it may be made clear that 'K' has taken the view
(vide his comments on 121 ante) that at the time of birth the embodied
2. This is obviously a metaphorical expression, for nectar when
drunk bestows immortality, according to Indian mythology.
3. This is the void, the space in which is projected the entire
vision of life and action.
4. Sudhāsāra of the text. This can be interpreted to mean the
harmony of body, mind and soul resulting from immortality.

1. Jīva generally signifies a transmigratory soul embodied in a
   physical body.
2. The anāhata, lit. means unstruck. It may once again be
   noted that this centre corresponds to the cardiac plexus.

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment
चतुर्थषष्ठदशमैर्दलैर्गीतादि नश्यति ।
विशुद्धेरष्टमादीनि दलान्यष्टौ श्रितानि तु ॥१४१॥
दद्युर्गीतादिसंसिद्धिं षोडशं तद्विनाशनम् ।
दशमैकादशे पत्रे ललनायां तु सिद्धिदे ॥१४२॥
नाशकं प्रथमं तुर्यं पञ्चमं च दलं विदुः ।
ब्रह्मरन्ध्रस्थितो जीवः सुधया संप्लुतो यथा ॥१४३॥
तुष्टो गीतादिकार्याणि प्रप्रकर्षाणि साधयेत् ।
एषां शेषेषु पत्रेषु चक्रेष्वन्येषु च स्थितः ॥१४४॥
जीवो गीतादिसंसिद्धिं न कदाचिदवाप्नुयात् ।
etc.³; while (by concentration on) the fourth, sixth and tenth
of the petals one destroys one's capacity for music etc.
(140-141b)
In the 'cycle of purity'⁴ (viśuddhi-cakra) contemplation
on eight petals from the eighth onwards leads to success in
musical arts etc.⁵, while the sixteenth petal is destructive for
this purpose. (141c-142b).
The tenth and the eleventh petals of the psycho-physical
centre called lalanā bestow success (in the musical arts), while
its first, fourth and fifth petals are known to be detrimental.
(142c-143b)
The embodied soul⁶ whose attention is focussed in the
soul is fixed psychologically on one of the petals of these cycles, i.e.,
the psycho-physical centres in terms of attention, and according to the
point of attention it gains the predisposition of character as already
described in the foregoing pages. This particular verse seems to lend
an indirect support to this view though if one were dogmatic, one may
not yet find enough evidence for it.
3. Gītādi lit. means 'singing' or 'song' etc., but gīta or vocal
music is basic to Indian music as it has already been mention-
ed. Moreover, 'gīta' also is used in the general sense of music,
so it has been translated as such. 'S' includes instrumental
music and dance as well after the concept of saṅgīta.
4. Viśuddhi lit. means purity.
5. Gītādi lit. gīta etc. implies vocal and instrumental music and
dancing and may even include dance-drama
6. In other words the 'individual organism', which is sensitive to
perception.
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