34 - Discourses on Tantra Volume One

Chapter 11

The Acoustic Roots of the Indo-Aryan Alphabet (4)

LR

The sound lr is the acoustic root of the sound hummm and of its inner import. The sound hummm is itself the acoustic root of struggle, of sádhaná, and according to Tantra, of the kuńd́alinii. As hummm is the acoustic root of struggle, people call it the battle cry. You may have noticed that when sádhakas progress along the spiritual path and attain bliss they sometimes release the sound hummm spontaneously during the practice of sádhaná. It has been mentioned that the utterance of hummm during sádhaná is a sign of progress in Tantra.

According to Tantra the kulakuńd́alinii is the sleeping divinity. By virtue of sádhaná and with the help of mantrágháta [striking at the kulakuńd́alinii with powerful incantative vibrations] and mantra caetanya [conceptual understanding of and psychic association with a mantra], and by smashing all obstacles, the kuńd́alinii can be raised to the sahasrára cakra. The practice adopted to raise the kuńd́alinii is called purashcarańa in Tantra. The kuńd́alinii is the sleeping divinity. To arouse it from slumber and raise it upwards is quite a struggle and hence hummm must also be the acoustic root of the kuńd́alinii. The controlling point of the kuńd́alinii, the múládhára, is called mańipadma or mahámańipadma in Maháyána Buddhist philosophy. The Tibetan Maháyániis recite Oṋḿ mańipadme hummm while turning their dharma cakras [prayer wheels]. I have seen Oṋḿ mańipadme hummm inscribed on the walls of Tibetan caves.

LRR

Lrr is the acoustic root of the sound phat́ (which is the acoustic root of putting a theory into practice) and is thus the atibiija, or mahábiija [super-acoustic root], of the phat́ biija. It is just like the sprouting of a seed, like a sudden awakening from slumber. When something which is sleeping or dormant suddenly bursts into the realm of light, we say colloquially [in Bengali] that it is making a phat́ sound. Lrr is also the acoustic root of the removal of lethargy. Hence, considering its enormous importance, it should not be deleted from the Bengali alphabet.

Each of the fifty letters is called mátrká varńa (“causal matrix”) because each is an acoustic root of some important factor, sound, vibration, divine or demoniacal propensity, human quality, or microcosmic expression. Thus no letter should be deleted from the alphabet. But the final decision in this regard rests in the hands of the scholars.

E

The rhythmic expression of mundane knowledge; the sprouting of mundane knowledge; mundane welfare; and the thought of mundane welfare; are symbolized by vaośat́. The sound e is the atibiija, or mahábiija, of the vibrations of vaośat́. In ancient times kings hungry for more land would pray to Indra, the king of the gods, to bless their Rájasúya Yajiṋa(10) or Ashvamedha Yajiṋa [Horse Sacrifice] to help them attain a vast empire. On those occasions they would say, Eḿ Indráya vaośat́.