Quote:
On crossing this one comes up to the Brahmarandhra in the cranium (mUrdhasthAna), with its multi-coloured 1,000 petals. This is the so called Sahasrara of the mystic literature - the Aim and End of all spiritual progress. It is here that the Guru and the Chaitanya Sakti reside.
One would naturally expect that the series of chakras would come to an end here. But the picture on which the above account is based, mentions 6 chakras more beyond the Sahasrara, viz. (a) Urdharandhra, (b). Bhramaraguha, (c) Akunthapitha Punyagara, (d) Kolhata, (e) Vajradanda and (f) Niradhara Paramajyotischakra. The Urdharandhra, called Talu chakra in the Ms, is seated in the Talima and is a 64-lobed chakra, presided by Goraksanatha and Siddhanta sakti. This statement is interesting as it gives us an idea of what the followers of the path thought in connection with the founder of their school. The Bhramaraguha, also called Alekha, i. e. Alaksya chakra (called Brahma Chakra6 in the Ms), is the place, where samadhi-yoga ensues, and prana and manas cease to work. The lotus is described as furnished with ten millions of lobes and wonderfully brilliant. The presiding God of this centre is Alaksyanatha, the Sakti called Maya (= Mahamaya?; Akula in the Ms.) and the Rsi Mahavisnu.
The higher Chakra with an equal number of lobes has Akalanatha as Devata, Akalesvari as Sakti and as Akala as Rsi.
The Kolhata Chakra is in the Sikhamandala and corresponds to the Vaikuntha of the Vaisnavas and Kailasa of the Saivas. Both the Devata and the Sakti are named Ananta7. The Ms. calls this region a road to the Highest Void (paramashUnyamArga).
The description of Vajradanda is not very clear. It is said to be, as I understand it to be, in the form of a column, vast (mahAvishAla), lustrous (tejaHpu~njaprabhA) and long (dIrgha).
The final Chakra is in the Niralambasthana, with an infinite number of lobes, colours, matrkas, devas and worlds. This is the Highest Seat of the Gurudeva.
Beyond this is a series of 20 voids of which nothing is said. The Ms. observes that Final Liberation takes place in the Great Void (paramashUnyasthAna) above 21 Brahmandas. Transcending the great Void the Yogin becomes eternally free from 'coming and going', i. e. the wheel of birth and death: sa cha yogI tiShThati yuge yuge jyotiH sametya