TRIVIDHA NADI

DR THRIJIL KRISHNAN E M2ND YR MDDEPT. OF ANATOMY(AY)SDMCA, HASSAN

INTRODUCTION Nāḍi (tube, pipe") "Nadi" means movement. In the Rig Veda, it means stream. In Yoga, nadis are the channels of Kundalini

energy. The Nadis thus are channels, but not only

nerves (snayu). Yoga Nadis are the channels of mind and the

channels of chitta, the feeling self or being

Tantra Yoga identifies 14 principal nadis of which the following three are the most important

Acc to Siva samhitha total 3,50,000 nadi explained

Acc to their guna nadi’s are divided in to three types

Chitrini – satwa Varjini - raja Sushumna - tamo

EARLY REFERENCE

An early version of the nadi system is mentioned in the Katha Upanishad, which says:

"A hundred and one are the arteries of the heart, one of them leads up to the crown of the head. Going upward through that, one becomes immortal." (CU 8.6.6)

TYPES OF NADI IN TANTRIC YOGA 14 TYPES- According to Siva Samhitha

Sl no.

Nadi Place in body Place of termination

Karma

1 Sushumna Centre of the spin Crown of head Agni satwa

2 Ida Left side of sushumna

Left nostrile Chandra,tamas,ganga

3 Pingala Right side of sushumna

Right nostrile Soorya, rajas , yamuna

4 Hasti jihwa Infront of ida Right eye Darsana

5 Poosha Behind pingala Right ear Hearing

6 Yasawini Before pingalaBetween gandari & saraswathi

Left ear & left big toe

CONTINUEE….7 Alambusha Bifercate at

mouth & arms

8 Kuhuu Infront of sushumna & linga desa

Evacuation

9 Sankini Between Gandhari & saraswathi

Genital organs

Carries the essence of the food

10 Gandhari Behind ida Left eye darsana11 Saraswati Behind

sushumnaTounge Controls

speech & helps in digestion

12 Payaswini Between alambusha & kuhuu

Right big toe

13 Varunee Between yasawini & sivodhar

Flows the body

Evacuate

14 Sivodhari Between yusha &yasawini

Absorbs food

Out of these Sushumna, ida, pingala, Saraswathi , varjini and chitra are important

In regard to Kundalini Yoga, there are three of these nadis: Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna.

LOCATION OF THESE THREE NADI’S

Sushumna is located at the level of nasika , and left to it is the Ida and right to it is pingala. On the left side of the meru danda , ida nadi is situated and its controlling god is chandra

On the right side of the meru danda , pingla nadi is situated and surya is its controlling god

In between ida and pingala , the sushumna is located and the agni is its controlling god.

SUSHUMNA NADI Sushumna is located at the level of Nasika, and

left to it is the Ida and right to it is Pingala. Susumna Nadi connects the base chakra to the

crown chakra. It is very important in Yoga and Tantra in

general. Alternative medicine also refers to Sushumna In Raja Yoga or Yoga of Patanjali, when the

mind is quietened through Yama, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama the important state of Pratyahara begins.

A person entering this state never complains of Dispersion of Mind. This is characterised by observing the movements/jerks in Sushumna, the central canal in the subtle body. The movements indicate the flow of Prana through the central canal and in the process, the sushumna makes the way for the ascent of Kundalini.

Sushumna is the central channel is the channel of ascent, it is the power, which sustains our evolution and guides us, consciously or unconsciously, towards the higher awareness of the Sahasrara. Sushumnas is medium for the kundalini energy that runs along our spine and up to the crown of our head, it flows directly upwards and downwards, between Ida and Pingala, coursing through the charkas. The mouth or opening to the sushumna channel, as well as chitrini nadi and other finer nadis that are within the sushumna, situated at the root (muladhar chakra), located at the perineum, between the genitals and the anus.

Prana flowing in Sushumna brings a great feeling of joy and can easily be confused with Kundalini Awakening. As one can feel the tranquility, along with the warmth flowing through the levels of the spine, this calmness is very appealing but there is a difference between the flow of Prana through Sushumna and full Kundalini Awakening, where that Kundalini energy itself rising. Both Prana and Kundalini are forms of the universal energy of Shakti, though here, at this stage, it is still Prana that is flowing in Sushumna. However, if this knowledge and ability to focus on sushumna nadi was not gained until death, then the consciousness of this person will come out of the body through a different nadi, and will be integrated in one of the numerous worlds of the expression, according to the level of vibration and spiritual evolution.

PINGALA It is associated with solar energy. The word pingala means "tawny" in Sanskrit.

Pingala has a sunlike nature and male energy. Its temperature is heating and courses from the

left testicle to the right nostril. It corresponds to the river Yamuna. The Ida and

Pingala nadis are often seen as referring to the two hemispheres of the brain.

Pingala is the extroverted, solar nadi, and corresponds to the left hand side of the brain. Ida is the introverted, lunar nadi, and refers to the right hand side of the brain.

Pingala nadi is of fiery red , rudra rupi and agneya in its nature , hence called as surya nadi.

God of pingala with his twelve fold effect is located at the root of the meru danda ( in the lower part)

The colour of the pingala is whitish red .

IDA Ida is associated with lunar energy sometime

it is based on solar energy. The word ida means "comfort" in Sanskrit. Idā has a moonlike nature and female energy

with a cooling effect. It courses from the right testicle to the left nostril and corresponds to the Ganges river.

Ida nadi controls all the mental processes while Pingala nadi controls all the vital processes.

Nadi emerging from the left testis passes through the right nose and the nadi emerging from right nushka passes through the left nose

Ida is the ascending nadi and pingala is the descending nadi .

The colour of the nadi resembles to that of white lotus flower

God of the ida has eight fold effect on the body and nurishes the body through sprinkling nectar.

WESTERN TRADITION AND INTERPRETATIONS Sometimes the three main nadis (Ida, Pingala and Sushumna)

are related to the Caduceus of Hermes: "the two snakes of which symbolize the kundalini or serpent-fire which is presently to be set in motion along those channels, while the wings typify the power of conscious flight through higher planes which the development of that fire confers". In this framework of mystic western esotericism welded with yoga concepts, sometimes the three nadis are related and named as alchemical sulphur and alchemical mercury.

In the East, the symbol of the two serpents twisting on the rod corresponds to the two currents Pingala and Ida which coil around the Merudanda: the first is red, hot and dry, likened to the Sun and the Alchemic Sulphur; the second, Ida, is cold and wet, like the Alchemic Mercury and is correlated with the Moon for its silver pallor.

For reference to Chandogya Upanishad 8.6.6 and interpretation as an early form of the occult physiology see: McEvilley, Thomas. "The Spinal Serpent", in: Harper and Brown, p.94

FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Nadis are thought to carry a life force energy known as prana in Sanskrit, or qi in Chinese-based systems. In particular prana (active) is supposed to circulate inside Pingala, while apana (passive) is supposed to circulate inside Ida. Inside Sushumna is supposed to circulate kundalini when awakened. The Ida and Pingala nadis are often seen as referring to the two hemispheres of the brain. Pingala is the extroverted (Active), solar nadi, and corresponds to the right hand side of the body and the left hand side of the brain.

Ida is the introverted, lunar nadi, and corresponds to the left hand side of the body and the right hand side of the brain (there is a contralateralization). These nadis are also said to have an extrasensory function, playing a part in empathic and instinctive responses. The two nadis are believed to be stimulated through different Pranayama practices, including nadi shodhana, which involves alternate breathing through left and right nostrils, which would alternately stimulate respectively the left and right sides of the brain

The rhythmical breathing and special breathing techniques are supposed to influence the flow of these nadis or energetic currents. According to this kind of interpretation (which is the Yoga interpretation) the breathing techniques will purify and develop these two energetic currents and will lead to breathing special exercises whose goal is to awake kundalini among seven Nadi Chakras in our body. Of the seven, four are in the trunk of the body, two in the head- and there is one in the neck. Chakra is the power center associated with the subtle body of man. Each chakra is ruled by an incarnation of Goddess Parashakti.

IMPORTANCE OF NADI IN YOGA Yoga practice can only go so far until you

develop a good understanding of the pranic system of nadis and chakras. All Yoga asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing practices) mudras (postures of attitude) and bhanda's (energy locks) are performed to stimulate the flow of prana through the nadis and activate the chakras. And all this has the ultimate intention of awakening what is known in yoga as Kundalini - the evolutional energy in man.

NADI RELATED TO CHAKRA As sushumna flows inside the central canal of the spinal cord,

ida and pingala simultaneously flow on the outer surface of the spinal cord, still within the bony vertebral column.

Ida, pingala and sushumna nadis begin in mooladhara chakra in the pelvic floor. From there, sushumna flows directly upwards within the central canal, while ida passes to the left and pingala to the right.

At swadhisthana chakra, or the sacral plexus, the three nadis come together again and ida and pingala cross over one another. Ida passes up to the right, pingala to the left, and sushumna continues to flow directly upwards in the central canal.

The three nadis come together again at manipura chakra, the solar plexus, and so on. Finally, ida, pingala and sushumna meet in the pineal gland - ajna chakra.

Muladhara chakra- basal plexus Swadishtana chakra- sacral plexes Manipuraka chakra- solar plexus Anahata chakra- cardic plexus Visudhara chakra- pharyngeal plexus Ajna chakra- frontal nerve centre Brahma randra- brain region

CONCLUSION Nadi in yoga texts describe the channels in the body

through which prana flows 10 types of pranas explained in yoga . These pranas act as motor force controlling the

involuntary action of the organism. 72000 nadi’s are explained in yoga in that 14 nadi’s are

important Ida , pingala and sushumna plays vital role in yogic

practice . Majority of the scholars believes these channels as part of

sensation which the yogis experience during the yoga procedure .

Besides the nadi’s chakras also connected with the acivity of prana during yogic exercise .so there is close connection between chakra and nadi’s

DIGAMBHARA SWAMI WROTE… When a dead body is dissected , the

post-mortum examination does not reveal any wheel with so many spokes or any lotus with so many petals as are reported by Yogis, the yogis them- selves perceives them as the result of their practices while the current of life is flowing in their bodies .

REFERENCES 1. Yogic and tantric medicine- Prof. O.P

Jaggi. 2. siva samhitha 3. siva sutras the yoga of supreme

identity- Jaideva Singh 4.Kundalini for beginners- Ravindra

kumar 5. Goreksha samihitha 6. Human anatomy in ayurveda- Dr.

Govinda Raju

THANKS…..