The lotus petals on each chakra contain
a letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, thus
encompassing all sacred sounds. Some
models of the subtle body are even
more developed, with each chakra
associated with a certain color and a
certain presiding deity.
These centers are capped at the top
of the head by the “thousand-petaled
lotus” (sahasradalapadma), which is
the abode of Shiva in the human body.
Connecting all of the centers are three
vertical channels (nadi)—the ida nadi
on the left, the pingala nadion the
right, and the sushumnain the center.
Coiled three times around the mulad-
hara chakra is the kundalini, the latent
spiritual force in all human beings.
This is considered an aspect of the uni-
versal Shakti, or feminine divine
power, but in most people is regarded
as dormant, symbolized by its coiled
state. The separation of Shakti and
Shiva at the opposite ends of the subtle
body also symbolizes the ordinary per-
son’s unenlightened state, since enlight-
enment transcends this duality, and the
two deities are united and identical.
The subtle body is a fundamental
aspect of tantrapractices and some
forms of yoga. In the types of yoga that
focus on the subtle body, including
kundalini yoga, the ultimate aim is to
awaken and straighten the kundalini,
moving it up the sushumna through
the chakras to the abode of Shiva.
Since the kundalini is nothing but raw
energy, the process must be carefully
controlled to prevent the aspirant from
unleashing uncontrollable forces, and
manuals warn against doing this with-
out being under the supervision of a
spiritual teacher (guru). The union of
Shiva and Shakti in the aspirant’s body
mirrors the action of these divine
forces in the macrocosm, and with this
union the aspirant gains bliss and final
liberation of the soul (moksha). For fur-
ther information see Arthur Avalon (Sir
John Woodroffe), Shakti and Shakta,
1959; Philip S. Rawson, The Art of
Tantra, 1973; Swami Agehananda
Bharati, The Tantric Tradition, 1977; and
Douglas Renfrew Brooks, The Secret of
the Three Cities, 1990.Suchi Hasta
In Indian dance, sculpture, and ritual, a
particular hand gesture (hasta), in
which the hand is closed except for
the index finger, which is pointing
downward to indicate something to the
viewer. The word suchimeans “needle”
but is derived from a verb that can mean
either “to pierce” or “to indicate”—both
meanings that imply focusing on a
particular place.Sudama
In Hindu mythology, one of the god
Krishna’s childhood friends who is a
symbol for god’s graceand providence.
In later life Sudama is desperately poor
and, at his wife’s urging, goes to beg for
help from his childhood friend, who is
now the king of Dwaraka. Sudama is so
poor that the only gift he can bring for
Krishna is a small packet of parched
rice, but Krishna greets him and gra-
ciously accepts it. The two have an
enjoyable visit in which they reminisce
about old times, and Sudama goes home
without asking for anything. Some of the
stories explain this lapse as stemming
from shame, but in others Sudama is
portrayed as having had such a nice
time that he simply forgets. During his
homeward journey Sudama worries
over the reception he will get from his
wife, but when he arrives he discovers
that his hut has been transformed into a
palace by Krishna’s divine power, and
from that day he is never poor again.Sudarshana
In Hindu mythology, the name for the
god Vishnu’sdiscus weapon (chakra),
which is fashioned by Vishvakarma, the
workman and architect of the gods.
According to the story, Vishvakarma has
married his daughter Sanjnato the sun,
but she finds her husband’s brightness
too much to bear. To help his daughter
adjust, Vishvakarma trims off some bitsSudarshana