The Science of Kula-Kundalini: Awakening the Seven Chakras through Tantra

Devotee: Gurudev, Pranam.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Pranam baba, pranam. Tell me, pranam.

Devotee: Today, we would like to learn from you about a very important subject—Tantra Sadhana and the Kula-Kundalini associated with it, along with its seven chakras. We want to know about its significance in the context of Tantra Sadhana.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Well, Tantra Sadhana comes from Sadh (desire). If I think I will perform Tantra Sadhana, that is my Sadh. From Sadh comes Sadhana. Right? Now, to perform Sadhana, one must first understand one's own body—what is where. This must be known first. Secondly, the action of air (Vayu Kriya). This is a formidable thing—air. The air we breathe, what is its utility for us? We keep breathing it, but we don't even realize it.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: This action of air—establishing air in its proper place—is very necessary in Tantra. In simple Bengali, it is called Kumbhaka. That is, the better one can perform Kumbhaka, the faster they can recognize their own body and can travel anywhere at will. But that is extremely time-consuming. It's not like you feel like doing Tantra Sadhana today, perform Kumbhaka for one day, and then leave it. It is a yoga practice (Yogabhyas). This yoga practice takes a lot of time. It takes at least five years just to know the body.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: And these six chakras (Shat-Chakra) of ours are like lotuses. They are all facing downwards. When they are awakened through the action of air, they bloom. They bloom one by one; they don't all bloom at once.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Our first chakra is the Kula-Kundalini, which is Swayambhu (self-existent). It is spontaneous. It exists in everyone's body. It has to be awakened. There is a Shiva Lingam at the very base of our lower body, between where we defecate and where we urinate. There is a place there; it is called the Kula-Kundalini chakra.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: This appears like a Lingam of Shiva, which is coiled two-and-a-half times—some say three-and-a-half times, some say two-and-a-half times. This coil has to be unwound. Many say the Guru opens it, but actually, that's not it. It requires immense perseverance and the need for knowledge. The Guru might give the initiation, he might explain the processes, but you have to do it. No Guru opens the Kula-Kundalini. It is the Swayambhu Lingam; it is present in everyone.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Now, this has to be awakened. And these two-and-a-half or three-and-a-half coils—many say different things—this coil has to be opened. It is like a Lingam, you can call it a Shiva Lingam. A snake is wrapped around this Shiva Lingam. This snake is wrapped in three-and-a-half coils—some say two-and-a-half. Anyway, it has to be opened. It cannot be opened on its own. It has to be opened through air—it is all air pressure.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: After that comes the Muladhara Chakra. Muladhara—what do we call Adhara (receptacle) in our body? That which keeps me functioning—the Adhara, the vessel that keeps me functioning. That Muladhara Chakra—in one word, we call it the Kshiti (Earth) element. When we recite the Gayatri, you've seen the Brahmins say: Bhur Bhuvah Svah. They say this: Bhu, Bhuvah, Svah. This Muladhara Chakra is called the Kshiti element. Kshiti means earth. Bhu—the word Bhu means earth. Right? So this is the Kshiti element.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Now, generally, when a person is born, they are born from someone's womb. What is inside the womb? There is water in a bladder. And when the body is formed, when the flesh-mass is formed, we call that Earth. This is called Kshiti or Earth.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Now, the five elements (Pancha Bhuta) are creating us. Five elements are creating us. And we are born into these five elements. We are born with the five elements; they are forming my body: Kshiti (Earth), Ap (Water), Tejas (Fire), Marut (Air), Vyoma (Ether). Right? These five elements—it's called the Five Elements. Kshiti element, Ap element, Tejas element, Marut element, Vyoma element. My body is being formed with these five elements. Who is doing it? The Pancha Bhuta (Five Elements) are doing it.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: And we don't realize it, but these five elements are slowly consuming us. They are slowly consuming this body, and we don't realize it. At one point, we die, and then we say the body has merged back into the five elements. That's why Ramprasad Sen said a very beautiful thing: I have no resources, Mother; whatever I earn through hard work, the five elements consume by dividing it among themselves. This phrase has a profound meaning. Those who can grasp it, will; those who can't, won't.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Right? These five elements—they are the ones consuming my body. He realized this through his Sadhana—that these five elements are consuming me bit by bit. They create, and they also consume. That's why he realized it so deeply and said: I don't even have a penny with me—what I bring through hard work—who is eating it? They are the ones eating it by dividing it. He realized this. And that is why he could write this. This is not possible for an ordinary person; such writing is not possible for anyone except God.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Anyway, that Kshiti element—we must first know the Abhut element, the Kshiti element. It is earth. Earth. So, we call our body flesh. Right? Our body is made of flesh, but actually, it is made of earth. Just as an idol is made of earth, our body, while in the womb, is formed as a mass of flesh. This we call Earth. It is made of earth.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Right? What comes after that? After Kshiti comes Ap. Ap means water. There is water in the bladder; we swim in it. And you have seen that scientifically—it is pure science, highly advanced science. Whether you talk about Kumbhaka or this Muladhara, it is highly advanced science. It took a long time to discover this science; now doctors have understood some of it, and treatments are being done accordingly as far as we know.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: The fat that is formed in the body—the word fat (Med) comes from Medini (Earth). From Med comes Medini. That's why this Kshiti element I'm talking about—we say this is a body of earth. This body is a body of earth, it will turn to ash after burning, and so on, we say. After that, Ap. Ap means water. A child cannot survive without water. There is water in the bladder; they stay in water. After that, what is it? This is the water element (Ap element). Kshiti, Ap, Tejas.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: This heat—what we call heat. Whose heat is this? It is the mother's body heat. It is affecting the child. Otherwise, the body won't be formed. If the heat of the mother's body is not maintained there, the child will die. Just as the child will die without water, the child will die without heat.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: So, Kshiti, Ap, Tejas. This is called the Tejas element. Then Bhu was one, Bhuvah is nothing else but the water element or the Ap element. After that comes Marut—meaning air. Marut means air. Air. So, this air is needed. The child cannot take this air directly; it gets some from the mother's umbilical cord when the mother breathes in and out. It survives on that breath.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Kshiti, Ap, Tejas, Marut, Vyoma. Vyoma means a gaseous substance that remains within that water. This... doctors can explain better what gaseous substance it is. Because that gaseous substance is there, the child slowly grows. Gaseous substance. Gaseous substance. So, Kshiti, Ap, Tejas, Marut, Vyoma—my body is composed of these five elements.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Right? So, first, we are saying Kula-Kundalini, where the Lord of Lords, Mahadeva Himself, resides. And a snake is coiled around. Some say two-and-a-half coils, some say three-and-a-half. Right? Some say two-and-a-half, some say three-and-a-half. So, this has to be opened. Without opening this coil, the Kula-Kundalini is not awakened. Right? After that is the Muladhara Chakra.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: That is, look—between where we defecate and where we urinate, there is... there are three Nadis (channels). These three Nadis are Ida and Pingala. One Ida, one Pingala. There are two Nadis which some call—in the language of our practitioners—Ganga and Yamuna. There are two rivers: Ganga is one river, Yamuna is another. There are these two rivers. What has emerged from between them? From the Muladhara, it has gone straight through the spine to the head. It has gone to the brain. It started from the Muladhara and went through the spine. What is in it? The Sushumna Nadi. Doctors generally cannot grasp this.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: That's why, after death, the Sushumna Nadi still functions. It takes four hours to cool down. That's why you'll see doctors give a certificate four hours after death, not before that. The only reason is that they cannot see the cold pulse (Thanda Nari). The healers (Kobiraj) of old could see the cold pulse and say, Yes, he is dead. They could see the cold pulse. Modern doctors cannot see the cold pulse, and they don't know the method. That's why they take four hours. After death, they say, Come back in four hours; we will give it then. The reason is nothing else—since they don't know how to see the cold pulse. This Nadi keeps functioning. Even if a person dies, the Nadi functions; it doesn't stop. It functions for four hours. Then the person's body slowly becomes cold. It doesn't happen immediately upon death. It takes four hours. And the color of the body changes after death. It doesn't happen immediately; it takes four hours.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Anyway, so the Muladhara Chakra was Bhu. After that is the Swadhisthana. This is Bhuvah. Bhuvah is the empty space; we call it Bhuvah. Bhu means earth. This empty space you see is Bhuvah. After that is Svah—meaning the sky. Bhur Bhuvah Svah—this is said in our Gayatri Mantra. And this mantra is the main mantra, which contains the seed of creation. We recite the Gayatri: Om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat. We say it, but it has a huge meaning. The seed of human creation is hidden in this Bhur Bhuvah Svah. Right?

Guru Shyama Khyapa: So we are saying—from the Muladhara Chakra, we are rising to the Swadhisthana. Swadhisthana is our Bhuvah. This is an element. After that, we come to the Manipura. This is the Svah element—the sky element. So, the earth, the empty space, and the sky—with these three, Bhur Bhuvah Svah. And this again is helping immensely in the formation of our body. Without these, our body wouldn't be formed. Right? This is a great theory. It's not just any theory. After Swadhisthana is Manipura. After Manipura is Janah, Tapah, Mahah... there are several, one by one.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: So what are we saying? We are saying, look—it is given here. Look. Swadhisthana is there. From Muladhara Chakra to Swadhisthana, Manipura Chakra. Right? This is the Tejas element. The body heat. And a person becomes Tejiyal (spirited/radiant) from this Tejas element. If a person doesn't have Tejas, they might die, or be born crippled or disabled, or let's say, be born impotent. Right?

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Now, look, here is the Kula-Kundalini Swayambhu Lingam. This is formed on its own. No one is creating this; God has sent it. There is a Shiva Lingam, and it has two-and-a-half coils—some say three-and-a-half, some say two-and-a-half. So, this coil has to be opened. Air will open it. We will come to the matter of air later. Then comes the Muladhara Chakra. Kshiti element. Meaning earth. Med, Medini, earth, Kshiti—whatever you call it. This is an element. The way our body is formed, it's made of Med, right? Med means Medini. After that comes Swadhisthana Chakra, Bhuvah. That empty space we talked about. After that is the Manipura Chakra, Svah, the Tejas element. After that comes the Anahata Chakra. This Anahata Chakra you see, what is it called? Mahah. This is the air element. Our body cannot function without air. This is called the air element. Right? After that, look what is there—Vishuddha. This is Janah. The ones that come after that, they are there one by one.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: We are looking at these three—Bhur Bhuvah Svah. We see the sky, we see the empty space, and we see the earth. Besides these, we can't see anything. But practitioners or great sages see Mahah after that. Then there is Janah, then there is Tapah, then at the head, in the sixteen-petaled lotus, there is Satyam. Satyam. This Satyam is God. God cannot exist without truth. Truth is God, God is Truth. God is established on Truth. When a person remains truthful, they don't have to call for God; they automatically become God-like. God loves them.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Just as you wander from temple to temple to find God, God also wanders in search of a human—a good human, a truthful person. He also searches, but you don't know it. He also goes from door to door, house to house, in search of a good person who is truthful. Right?

Guru Shyama Khyapa: So, these that you see—Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna Chakra, and then the Sahasrara Chakra. Sahasra-shara. Sahasra-shara Chakra. In our brain, there are many Nadis like tangled threads; it is called Sahasradhara. Right? It is called Sahasra-shara. Many call it Sahasradhara. Anyway, whatever you call it, it is called Sahasra-shara.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Now, think about it. This is your Kula-Kundalini Swayambhu Lingam. After that comes the Muladhara Chakra. Surrounding this Muladhara Chakra is the Trident (Trishul). The Lord of Lords, Mahadeva Himself. Mahadeva is established here in everyone. That is why Vivekananda said one thing: As many living beings, so many Shivas. Why did he say that? He said it by looking at this Muladhara Chakra. Where there is Shiva, there is Jiva (life); where there is Jiva, there is Shiva. Serve everyone as Shiva. He who loves living beings, serves God. He said that by looking at this—look, the Trident is surrounding all four sides. In whose hand is the Trident? It is in Mahadeva's hand. So, this is what we call the Muladhara Chakra. The Muladhara. Based on which we are alive. But we don't know it.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: After that is Bhuvah or the Swadhisthana Chakra. There is a color for each. There is a color for each chakra. And these lotuses you see blooming, they don't remain bloomed. When do they bloom? A practitioner, if they wish, through air, through action, through yoga—they bloom these lotuses one by one.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: And look, there is a Hamsa (Swan). This Hamsa—Ah-Sah. The sound we make with our throat, or the breath we take, we say Ah-Sah. That is, when we take a breath, we say Ah, and when we release it, Sah. Rechaka—when we do it, we take the breath and then release it. That's why there is an Ah and a Sah. See, the word Hamsa is here. Paramhansa. Ramakrishna Paramhansa Dev. The swan is here in the throat. This place. You see a swan drawn here. So, this is nothing else.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Now come to the Ajna Chakra. This is the Ajna Chakra. That is, the third Nadi that came from the Muladhara, the Sushumna Nadi, it comes from the spine to here, and then we call it the Ajna Chakra. If someone opens this, the Third Eye... if someone opens this, they will be able to see many things. You are sitting here; what can you see? You see the courtyard. But the one whose Ajna Chakra has opened, they can see the whole world. Right?

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Then there is the Sahasra-shara, Vishuddha, Ajna Chakra—there is the Sahasradhara Chakra. But the main play is with three—Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. These three are keeping us functioning.

Devotee: Gurudev, we are ending our discussion for today here. In the next episode, we will start again from this point. Our question to you will be—you said that to perform Tantra Sadhana, one has to awaken the Kula-Kundalini and know one's own body. Although we are ending our discussion today, we are informing our friends that our discussion has not ended completely. In the next episode, we will hear the rest of this discussion from Gurudev.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Om... Sahasra-kiranaya vidmahe, surya-atmane dhimahi, tanno suryah prachodayat.

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