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

98 Treatment of Svara
(ii) ब्रह्मग्रन्थि :
आधाराद् द्व्यङ्गुलादूर्ध्वं मेहनाद् द्व्यङ्गुलावधः ॥१४५॥
एकाङ्गुलं देहमध्यं तप्तजाम्बूनदप्रभम् ।
तत्रास्तेऽग्निशिखा तन्वी चक्रात्तस्मान्नवाङ्गुले ॥१४६॥
aperture of the upper cerebrum⁷, being immersed in ambro-
sia⁸, finds fulfilment⁹ and should therefore cultivate the
musical arts¹⁰ with great excellence. (143c-144b)
The embodied soul¹¹ cannot in any way accomplish
anything (worthwhile) in the (field of) musical arts by concen-
trating¹¹ on any other petals or psycho-physical centres.
(144c-145b)
(ii) Brahma-granthi : 145c-148
Two finger-length above the base¹ and two finger-
breadth below the genitals² in the space of one finger-breadth
is the centre of the body, shining like molten³ gold. (145c-
146b)
There is located a slender flame of fire at a distance of
nine fingers from that centre⁴, and it is there that the life-
7. The brahma-randhra of the text.
8. The ambrosia of immortality, the timeless consciousness.
9. The person concerned realises the goal of individual existence
by attaining immortality and so has nothing more to achieve
in life and is thus free to devote himself to music etc.
10. This includes vocal and instrumental music and dance.
11. The individual while at the time of birth, if interested in art
should devote himself to such of the petals as are conducive;
that seems to be the idea.

1. The base is the foundational cycle, the mūlādhāra-cakra.
2. Mehāna of the text literally means penis, but even so the word
   is used in the general sense of sexual organ.
3. Tapta literally means—heated, but the author is using a simile
   in order to give an idea of the abstract. The flame itself is a
   symbolic expression for the creative power of life.
4. It is not clear if nine fingers is the distance from the mūlādhāra-
   cakra or the centre of the body just spoken of. 'K' does not
   comment and 'S' offers both the alternative interpretations
   without a judgement. But it seems that the centre of the body
   should be the point of reference, for otherwise there will be no
   relevance for describing it.
   Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 99
   देहस्य कन्दोऽस्त्युत्सेधादायामाभ्यां चतुरङ्गुलः ।
   ब्रह्मग्रन्थिरिति प्रोक्तं तस्य नाम पुरातनैः ॥१४७॥
   तन्मध्ये नाभिचक्रं तु द्वादशारमवस्थितम् ।
   लूतेव तन्तुजालस्था तत्र जीवो भ्रमत्ययम् ॥१४८॥
   source of the body is found, four fingers in elevation as well
   as in extension. This⁵ has been called 'brahma-granthi'⁶ by
   the ancients. (146c-147)
   Right in its⁷ centre is situated the 'cycle of the umbi-
   licus'⁸ (nābhi cakra) with twelve spokes, and like the spider
   caught in (its own) net, yonder there wanders the self-consci-
   ous being.⁹ (148)
   (iii) सुषुम्णा, नाड्यन्तराणि च
   सुषुम्णया ब्रह्मरन्ध्रमारोहत्यवरोहति ।
   जीवः प्राणसमारूढो रज्ज्वां कोह्लाटिको यथा ॥१४९॥
   (iii) Suṣumṇā and other nāḍī-s : 149-163b
   Mounted upon the vital breath¹, the self-conscious
   entity², through the suṣumṇā keeps on ascending to the
   cerebral aperture³ and descending back⁴, moving like a
   tight rope⁵ dancer. (149)
5. 'This' refers to the life-source of the body.
6. Literally, the knot of Brahman, i. e., the root of life force.
7. That is, in the centre of the brahma-granthi.
8. The nābhi-cakra, perhaps the same as maṇipūraka with the
   difference that it has been said to have only ten petals, where-
   as this one is described as having twelve spokes.
9. The self-conscious being is the jīva; this idea or concept is
   not native to European culture and therefore is foreign to
   English tongue; that is why it is being elucidated in different
   ways on different occasions.
10. A metaphor is used, the rope of a dancer is compared to prāṇa,
    as the dancer ascends by the rope; so the jīva ascends by
    prāṇa.
11. That is, jīva
12. This is technically known as brahma-randhra.
13. Descending back to the base, i.e., the foundational cycle, the
    mūlādhāra.
14. This rope seems to be vertical rather than horizontal. Perhaps
    it has an allusion to the Indian rope trick. This simile can