Swadhisthana Chakra

The Sanskrit word swa means ‘one’s own’ and adhisthana means ‘dwelling place or residence’. Therefore, swadhisthana means ‘one’s own abode’. Although mooladhara occupies a very important place in the scheme of the chakras, swadhisthana, which is located very near to mooladhara, is also involved in and responsible for the awakening of kundalini shakti in mooladhara. In fact, it is said that previously the seat of kundalini was in swadhisthana, but there was a fall and subsequently mahakundalini came to rest in mooladhara.

The location point

Swadhisthana corresponds to the reproductive and urinary systems in the gross body and is physiologically related to the prostatic or utero-vaginal plexus of nerves. The location of swadhisthana is at the base of the spinal column, at the level of the coccyx or tailbone. This is a small bony bulb which can be felt just above the anus. It is anatomically very close to mooladhara chakra in both the male and female bodies. Swadhisthana kshetram is in the front of the body at the level of the pubic bone.

Traditional symbology

Swadhisthana can be experienced as black in color, as it is the seat of primary ignorance. However, traditionally it is depicted as a six petalled vermilion or orange-red lotus. On each petal there is a letter: bam, bham, mam, yam, ram, and lam, written in the color of lightning.

The element of this chakra is water, symbolized by a white crescent moon within the pericarp of the lotus. The crescent moon is formed by two circles which engender two further yantras. The larger has outward turned petals and represents the conscious dimension of existence. On the inside of the crescent moon is a similar petalled but smaller circle with petals facing inwards. This is the unconscious dimension, the store of formless karma. These two yantras are separated by the white crocodile in the crescent moon. The crocodile is the vehicle which carries the whole phantom of unconscious life. It symbolizes the subterranean movement of the karmas. Seated on the crocodile is the bija mantra vam, also stainless and white.

Within the bindu of the mantra reside the deva Vishnu and the devi Rakini. Vishnu has four arms, his body is of a luminous blue, he is wearing yellow raiment and lie is beautiful to behold. Rakini is the color of a blue lotus and she is clothed in celestial raiment and ornaments. In her uplifted arms she holds various weapons and her mind is exalted from drinking nectar. She is the goddess of the vegetable kingdom, and as swadhisthana chakra is closely related to the vegetable world, the observance of a vegetarian diet is said to be an important practice for awakening this chakra. The loka for swadhisthana is bhuvar, the intermediate plane of spiritual awareness. The tanmatra or sense connected with this chakra is taste. The gyanendriya or sense of knowledge is the tongue. The karmendriya or sense of action is the sexual organs, kidneys and urinary system. The chief vayu of swadhisthana is vyana which courses throughout the bodys and swadhisthana and manipura are the seat of pranamaya kosha. It is said that he who meditates on kundalini in swadhisthana chakra is immediately freed from his internal enemies - lust, anger, greed, etc. His nectar-like words flow in prose and verse and in well-reasoned discourse. He becomes like the sun illumining the darkness of ignorance.

Home of unconscious

Swadhisthana is regarded as the substratum or basis of individual human existence. Its counterpart in the brain is the unconscious mind and its storehouse of mental impressions or samskaras. It is said that all the karmas, the past lives, the previous experiences, the greater dimension of the human personality that is unconscious, can be symbolized by swadhisthana chakra. Individual being takes root in the unconscious mind, and the many instinctive drives that are felt at the level of this chakra bubble up from the depths of the unconscious.

In tantra there is the concept of the animal, and the master of the animal. In Sanskrit, pashu means animal and pati means master. Pashupati is the master or controller of all the animal instincts. This is one of the names of Lord Shiva, and it is also one of the attributes of swadhisthana chakra. According to mythology, pashupati is the total unconscious. It has absolute control over mooladhara chakra and the animal propensities during the first milestone of man’s evolution.

The unconscious principle of swadhisthana should never be considered as an inactive or dormant process. Rather it is far more dynamic and powerful than the normal consciousness. When the shakti enters swadhisthana chakra there is an overwhelming experience of this unconscious state. It is different from mooladhara, which is the manifest expression of that unconscious. In mooladhara, the karmas of the lower stages of our evolution are manifested in the form of anger, greed, jealousy, passion, love, hatred and so on. There we are working out that karma, manifesting and expressing it overtly. At the level of swadhisthana, however, there is no conscious activity or manifestation. This is hiranyagarbha, the universal womb, where everything exists in a potential state. In the Rig Veda it is said:

“In the beginning of creation there was hiranyagarbha, then came all the living beings, all the beings that exist, and He was the protector of all.” In the collective unconscious, the samskaras and the karmas exist in a seed state. For example, yesterday you may have had a pleasant or a painful experience. That experience has become a subconscious process or force which is acting, coloring your conscious awareness today. Like this, there are many experiences from the past which we do not consciously recall but nevertheless they are playing a part in determining our daily behavior, attitudes and reactions. There are many karmas influencing us in this way, but we remain completely unaware of them. According to tantra each and every perception, experience and association is recorded. If you have a quarrel or bitter exchange, that is a very strong registration. However, if you happen to pass someone on the path, look at him and walk on, this is also registered. Many things come within your range of association, and they are all automatically registered. They are not analyzed, but simply filed away in some layer of the mind. All those insignificant and unimpressive karmas, which have been registered automatically in our consciousness, form the total unconscious.

In kundalini yoga, swadhisthana is often regarded as a hindrance in the sense that these karmas lying embedded in the unconscious do not allow the rising kundalini to pass through. After the initial awakening, kundalini returns to dormancy time and time again, solely due to the karmic block at swadhisthana. These karmas are beyond the range of analysis. They have practically no form but they are a great force. To give a crude analogy, suppose there is a big water tank into which you drop all kinds of things. If you were to empty the tank five years later and examine the contents, you would no longer find those same objects which you put in. The matter would still be there but its form would have changed. The collective karma of the unconscious exists in swadhisthana as a form or force somewhat like the matter in this tank.

Therefore, the awakening of swadhisthana presents many difficulties to the sadhaka. When the explosion takes place and swadhisthana begins to erupt, the aspirant is often confused and disturbed by the activation of all this subconscious material. It is totally impossible for him to understand these impressions, which are often attributed to a disturbed mental condition.

Although the sadhaka may be duly apprehensive about entering this stage of awakening, it is absolutely necessary for his spiritual evolution. Provided he has a competent guru or guide who knows how to avoid all the pitfalls of this area, swadhisthana can be traversed safely and without problems.