muktiyoga is a person who is predes-
tined to attain liberation. See also
Dvaita Vedanta.
Muladhara Chakra
In many schools of yoga, and in the
secret ritually-based religious practice
known as tantra, the muladhara chakra
is one of the six psychic centers
(chakras) believed to exist in the subtle
body. The subtle body is an alternate
physiological system existing on a dif-
ferent plane of reality than matter, but
corresponding to the material body. The
six psychic centers are visualized as
multipetaled lotus flowers running
roughly along the spine, connected by
three vertical channels. Each of the
chakras has symbolic associations with
various human capacities, various sub-
tle elements (tanmatras), and different
seed syllables (bijaksharas) formed
from the letters of the Sanskritalpha-
bet, encompassing all sacred sound.
Above and below these centers are the
bodily abodes of Shiva(awareness) and
Shakti(power), the two divine principles
through which the entire universe has
come into being. The underlying
assumption behind the concept of the
subtle body is the homology of macro-
cosm and microcosm, an essential
Hindu idea since the time of the mysti-
cal texts known as the Upanishads.
The six chakras are traditionally enu-
merated starting from the bottom; the
muladhara chakra is the first. It is visual-
ized as a four-petaled lotus, located in
the region at the base of the spine. The
petals each contain a seed syllable, in
this case the consonants from “va” to
“sa.” The muladhara chakra is associat-
ed as the bodily seat for the subtle
element of earth, to which excretions
are compared. The muladhara chakra is
also considered the locus for the
kundalini, the latent spiritual energy
present in all human beings, visualized
as a serpent wound three times around
the muladhara chakra. Despite its
associations with the most mundane
element and the most impure bodily
function, the muladhara is also
the source of potential for religious
attainment. For further informationMuladhara Chakra
A man’s head is shaved in the traditional Hindu practice of mundan.
Removing one’s hair is believed to be purifying.