The Equinox (Volume I, Number III)

THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING must be learnt from the Guru himself, and though, as we are told in the ‘“ Pradipika,” a theoretical study of crores of Shastras cannot throw any light upon it, yet nevertheless in the “Shiva Sanhita” the difficulty seems to be solved by standing on one’s head.* 10. Shakti Chalana Mudra. Let the wise Yogi forcibly and firmly draw up the goddess Kundalini sleeping in the Adhar lotus, by means of the Apana-Vayu. This is Shakti- Chalan Mudra. . . .t The “Hatha Yoga Pradipika” is very obscure on this Mudra, it says: As one forces open a door with a key, so the Yogi should force open the door of Moksha (Deliverance) by the Kundalini. Between the Ganges and the Jamuna there sits the young widow inspiring pity. He should despoil her forcibly, for it leads one to the supreme seat of Vishnu. You should awake the sleeping serpent (Kundalini) by taking hold of its tail... As a special form of Kumbhaka is mentioned, most prob- ably this Mudra is but one of the numerous Pranayama practices, which we shall deal with shortly. 11. The Vajroli-Mudra. In the “Shiva Sanhita” § there is a long account of this Mudra in which the God says: “It is the most secret of all * “Hatha Yoga Pradipika,” p. 62; “Shiva Sanhita,” chap. iv, 45-47. Again this is the union of Shiva and Shakti, and that of the solar and lunar Pingala and Ida by means of the Sushumna—the path of the gods. + “Shiva Sanhita,” chap. iv, 76-81. t “Hatha Yoga Pradipika,” pp. 63, 69. § “Shiva Sanhita,” chap. iv, 53-75. 95