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Other accounts of these nadis hold that the zda proceeds from the right testicle and the pingala from the left testicle and passes on to the left and the right of the susumnd in a bent form (dhanur-akare). 'The three, however, meet at the root of the penis, which is thus regarded as the junction of the three rivers, as it were (triveni), viz. of susumna (compared to the river Ganga), 7da@ (compared to Yamuna) and piigala (compared to Sarasvati). The two ndadis, ida and pingala, are also described as being like the moon and the sun respectively, and susumnd as fire®. In addition to these nadis the Yogi-yajnavalkya mentions the name of another nadi, called alambusa, making the number of the important nadis fourteen, including suswmna and counting susumna as one nadi (i.e. including vajra and citrini), though the total number of nd@dis is regarded as being seventy-two thousand. Srikanada in his Nadi-vijfidna counts the number of ndadis as thirty-five millions. But, while the Tantra school, as represented in the works Sat-cakra-niriipana, Fiana-samkalini, Yogi-yajfia- valkya, etc., regards the nadis as originating from the nerve-plexus very serious mistake in his Pratyaksa-sariraka when he thinks that the nddis are to be regarded as being without apertures (nzrandhra). They are certainly not so regarded in the Ayur-veda orin the Sat-cakra-niriipana and its commentaries. In Yoga and Tantra literature the term na@di generally supersedes the term Sird of the medical literature. 1 Sabda-brahma-riipayah kundalinyah parama-siva-sannidhi-gamana-patha riipa-citrini-nady-antargata-siinya-bhaga iti. Pirnananda’s commentary on Sat- cakra-niriipana, St. 2. * Susumnayat kundalinyat. Hatha-yoga-pradipikd, 1v. 64. 3 Sat-cakra-niriipana, St. 1 and Yogi-yajnavalkya-samhitd, p. 18. XII] The Nervous System of the Tantras 355 lying between the root of the penis and the anus, and while Caraka regards them as originating from the heart, Srikanada regards them as originating from the region of the navel (nabhi-kanda) and going upwards, downwards and sideways from there. Srikandda, however, compromises with the Tantra school by holding that of these thirty-five millions there are seventy-two thousand ndadis which may be regarded as gross and are also called dhamanis, and which carry the sense-qualities of colour, taste, odour, touch and sound (paficendriya-gunavaha). There are again seven hundred nadis with fine apertures, which carry food-juice by which the body is nourished. Of these again there are twenty-four which are more prominent. * : The most important feature of the Tantra school of anatom is its theory of nerve-plexuses (cakra). Of these the first is the adhara-cakra, generally translated as sacro-coccygeal plexus. This plexus is situated between the penis and the anus, and there are eight elevations on it. It is in touch with the mouth of the susumnda. In the centre of the plexus there is an elevation called svayambhi- linga, like a fine bud with an aperture at its mouth. There is a fine thread-like fibre, spiral in its form, attached to the aperture of the svayambhi-linga on one side and the mouth of the susumna on the other. This spiral and coiled fibre is called kula-kundalini ; for it is by the potential mother-energy, as manifested in its move- ment of a downward pressure of the apana vayu and an upward pressure of the prana vayu, that exhalation and inhalation are made possible and life functions operate. Next comes the svadhisthana- cakra, the sacral plexus, near the root of the penis. Next comes the lumbar plexus (mani-pura-cakra), in the region of the navel. Next is the cardiac plexus (andhata-cakra or visuddha- cakra), in the heart, of twelve branches. Next is the laryngeal and pharyngeal plexus, at the junction of the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata, called the bharati-sthana. Next comes the lalana-cakra, opposite the uvula. Next to this is the aj#a-cakra between the eyebrows, within which is the manas-cakra, the centre of all sense-knowledge and dream-knowledge, and the seat of manas, the mind-organ. Vijfianabhiksu says in his Yoga-vdarttika that one branch of the susumna goes upwards from here, which is the nadi for carrying the functions of manas and is called mano-vaha _nadi; the Frana-samkalini tantra calls it jndna-nadi. It seems, therefore, that it is through this madi that connection is established 23-2 356 Speculations in the Medical Schools [cH. between the soul, residing in the brain, and the manas, residing in the manas-cakra. Sankara Miéra argues in his commentary on the Vaisesika-siitras, V. 2. 14 and 15, that the nadis are themselves capable of producing tactile impressions; for, had it not been so, then eating and drinking, as associated with their corresponding feelings, would not have been possible, as these are effected by the automatic functions of prana1. Above the afa-cakra comes the soma-cakra, in the middle of the cerebrum, and finally, in the upper cerebrum, there is the sahasrara-cakra, the seat of the soul. The process of Yoga consists in rousing the potential energy located in the adhara-cakra, carrying it upwards through the aperture of the citrini or the brahma-nadi, and bringing it to the brahma-randhra or the sahasrara. This kundalini is described as a fine fibre like a lightning flash (tadid iva vilasat tantu-riipa-svariipa), which raises the question whether this is actually a physical nerve or merely a potential energy that is to be carried upwards to the upper cere- brum in the sahasrara-cakra; and it cannot, I think, be yet satis- factorily explained. But, judging from a wide comparison of the texts, it seems pretty certain that it is the kundali Sakti or the kundali energy which is carried upwards. If the kundali energy is inexhaustible in its nature, the whole discussion as to whether the adhara-cakra is depleted or not or whether the kundalini herself rises or her eject, as raised in Sir John’s Serpent Power, pp. 301-320, loses its point. How far the cakras can themselves be called nerve- plexuses is very doubtful, since the nerve-plexuses are all outside the spinal aperture; but, if the kundalini is to pass through the aperture of the citrini nadi and at the same time pass through the cakras, the cakras or the lotuses (padma) must be inside the spinal cord, But, supposing that these nerve-plexuses represent the corre- sponding places of the cakras inside the spinal cord, and also because it has become customary to refer to the cakras as plexuses, I have ventured to refer to the cakras as such. But it must be borne in mind that, as the kundalini is a mysterious power, so also are the cakras the mysterious centres in the path of the ascent of the kundalini. A nerve-physical interpretation of them as nerve- plexuses would be very unfaithful to the texts. A more detailed discussion on these subjects will be found in the treatment of Tantra philosophy in a later volume of this work. The chief interest of the present section is only to show that the Tantra * See Dr Sir B. N. Seal’s Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus, pp. 222-225. XIII] The Theory of Rasas and their Chemistry 357 anatomy is entirely different in its conception from the Ayur-veda anatomy, which has been the subject of our present enquiry. Another fact of importance also emerges from these considera- tions, namely, that, though in Drdhabala’s supplementary part of the Siddht-sthana the head is associated with sensory consciousness, Caraka’s own part refers to the heart as the central seat of the soul. But the Tantra school points to the upper cerebrum as the seat of the soul and regards the spinal cord and its lower end as being of supreme importance for the vital functions of the body. The Theory of Rasas and their Chemistry. The theory of Rasas or tastes plays an important part in Ayur-veda in the selection of medicines and diet and in diagnosing diseases and arranging their cures. In 1. 26 of Caraka we hear of a great meeting of sages in the Caitraratha Forest, attended by Atreya, Bhadrakapya, Sakunteya, Pirnaksa Maudgalya, Hiranyaksa Kausika, Kuméarasiras Bharadvaja, Varyovida, the Vaideha king Nimi, Badiga and Kankayana, the physician of Balkh, for the purpose of discussing questions of food and tastes. Bhadrakapya held that taste, or rasa, was that which could be perceived by the organ of the tongue and it was one, viz. that of water. Sakunteya held that there were two rasas, nutritive (upa- Samaniya) and denutritive (chedaniya). Pirnaksa held that there were threé rasas, upasamaniya, chedaniya and neutral (sadharana). Hiranyaksa held that there were four rasas, sweet and good, sweet and harmful, distasteful and good, distasteful and harmful. Kumiarasiras held that there were five rasas, earthy, watery, fiery, airy and ethereal (Gntariksa).. Varyovida held that there were six rasas, heavy (guru), light (laghu), cold (sita), hot (usna), smooth (snigdha) and dry (riksa). Nimi held that there were seven rasas, sweet (madhura), sour (amla), salt (lavana), hot (katu), bitter (tikta), pungent (kasd@ya) and alkaline (ksara). Badiga added one more to these, viz. unmanifested (avyakta), and held that there were eight rasas. Kankayana held that the rasas were of infinite variety and could not be counted, on account of the diversity of substances in which they are located (araya), their specific properties as light or heavy (guna), their action in developing or reducing the consti- ‘tuents of the body (karma) and their diversity as apparent to the organ of taste. Atreya Punarvasu held that there are six rasas only, 358 Speculations in the Medical Schools [cH. sweet (madhura), acid (amla), saline (lavana), hot and pungent (katu), bitter (tikta) and astringent (kasa@ya). The source (yont) of all these rasas is water.