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

102 Treatment of Svara
Suṣumṇā is the supreme among these three; with Viṣṇu
as its presiding deity, it leads to the pathway of liberation.
It is established in the centre of the life-source¹¹ and is flank-
ed by iḍā on the left and piṅgalā on the right. The vital
breath moving through iḍā and piṅgalā is called moon¹² and
the sun¹³, for they determine the movement of time¹⁴; but,
suṣumṇā destroys¹⁵ time. (153 c-155b)
Sarasvatī¹⁶ and kuhū are on the either sides of suṣumṇā.
Gāndhārī and hastijihvā are respectively situated behind and
in front of iḍā; while pūṣā and yaśasvinī are similarly¹⁷ situated
with respect to piṅgalā. (155c-156)
Viśvodarā lies in the midst of kuhū and hastijihvā, and
vāruṇī likewise is in the midst of kuhū and yaśasvinī. Payasvinī
The psychophysical view of genesis presented by the author, point-
ing out the different psychophysical centres and their relation to music
ends here. An analytical study of this relationship is presented in
appendix II. It may, however, be observed that Śāradātanaya, a con-
temporary of, but somewhat anterior to Śārṅgadeva, provides us the
rudiments of the hypothesis incorporating this relationship. He relates
the seven tones to seven different places located in the body (cf. our
comments on 8-9 of Section 3) right from the Brahmagranthi. These
places roughly correspond to the psychophysical centres. It can, therefore,
be concluded that the line of thought linking musical sound (āhata nāda)
to the yogic experience of anāhata-nāda already existed in his time.
11. That is, the brahma-granthi in the centre of the body.
12. Candra of the text.
13. Bhāskara of the text.
14. Just as the sun and the moon serve as the standards for time, or
just as time is measured in terms of their movement, so is time
measured in terms of the movement of the vital breath through
iḍā and piṅgalā respectively; for it has been found by yogic
observation that the breathing process goes on alternatively
through the right or the left nostril for specific periods of time.
15. Suṣumṇā destroys the sense of time (kāla) for when the creative
power is aroused in the foundational cycle and rises upto the
thousand-petalled cerebral aperture (brahma-randhra), all
duality ceases and there is only oneness in consciousness.
Time is transcended in eternity.
16. Cf. Arthur Avalon (John Woodroffe): The Serpent Power,
pp. 113 and 114 for a detailed account of this topic in terms
of modern anatomy.
17. That is, pūṣā is located behind and yaśasvinī in the front of
piṅgalā.
Section ...
lies, in between pūṣā and sarasvatī, while śaṅkhinī exists bet-
ween gāndhārī and sarasvatī and alambuṣā is in the midst of
the life-centre¹⁸. (157-159a)
Now¹⁹, iḍā and piṅgalā (extend) upto the tips of the
left and the right nostrils respectively, and kuhū to the front
of the genitals.²⁰ Sarasvatī extends upto the tongue, while
gāndhārī is set by the back (of the body). Hastijihvā runs from
the left eye to the toes²¹ of the left foot; while vāruṇī pervades
the entire body; on the other hand, yaśasvinī extends from
the toe²² upto the right foot; while viśvodarā pervades the
whole body. Śaṅkhinī extends upto the left ear and pūṣā upto
the right eye, while payasvinī is extended to the extremity of
the right ear. Alambuṣā stands coiled around the root of the
anus. (159b-163b)
ङ उपसंहारः
नादस्य भुक्तिमुक्तिसाधकत्वम्
एवंविधे तु देहे ऽस्मिन्मलसंचयसंवृते ॥ १६३॥
प्रसाधयन्ति धीमन्तो भुक्तिं मुक्तिमुपायतः ।
E. Conclusion : The value of music for enjoyment
(bhukti) and for enlightenment (mukti). (163c-168ab)
Such is the body, a heap of filth surrounded by impuri-
ties of all sorts; and yet intelligent people utilise it as a means
for worldly enjoyment and for salvation (163c-164b)
The purport of the author seems to point out that the physical
body is so full of impurities and is a breeding ground for disease and
decay, yet intelligent people do not discard it on that account; the
18. The same as the life-source, called brahmagranthi.
19. From verse No. 159 (bcd) to 163 (ab) the extension of the
respective nāḍī-s is described. 20. Literally, penis.
21. Aṅguṣṭha of the text refers to the thumb.
22. As hastijihvā runs from the left eye to the toe in the left foot,
one might well expect in keeping with the law of symmetry in
nature, that corresponding to it, Yaśasvinī should run from
the right eye to the toe in the right foot; the present descrip-
tion, at any rate, sounds cryptic.