MANTRAMAHODADHI

First Chapter

From the knees to the navel, one should meditate on the water-mandala original: "Ambhas-mandala," the realm of water, resembling a half-moon, marked with two lotuses, associated with the va seed, and white in color. (15)

From the navel to the heart, one should meditate on the fire-mandala original: "Pavaka-mandala," the realm of fire, which is triangular, associated with the ra seed, red, and marked with a swastika. (16)

From the heart to the middle of the eyebrows, one should meditate on the wind-mandala original: "Marut-mandala," the realm of air, which is circular, marked with six dots, associated with the ya seed, and smoky in color. (17)

From the middle of the eyebrows up to the crown of the head, one should contemplate the ether-mandala original: "Akasha-mandala," the realm of space, which is circular, clear and beautiful, and associated with the ha seed. (18)

The feet, hands, anus, genitals, and speech, respectively, are to be surrendered, along with their own objects like movement, grasping, and so on. (19)

Smell, taste, sight, touch, and hearing are the senses, to be surrendered in order, residing in the earth, etc., and endowed with qualities like odor. (20)

Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Isha, and Sadashiva are spoken of as the lords of the earth-elements and others; they should be meditated upon in their respective mandalas. (21)

Nivritti cessation, Pratishtha foundation, Vidya knowledge, Shanti peace, and the fourth, Shantyatita beyond peace, these five kala aspects/phases are to be meditated upon as residing in the earth, etc. (22)

The winds original: "Prana-vayus," vital breaths—Samana, Udana, Vyana, Apana, and Prana—are to be meditated upon in the earth-mandalas and others, respectively, in this order. (23)

Having thus contemplated the elements, one should dissolve them one by one: earth into water, water into fire, fire into air, and air into ether. (24)

Having dissolved ether into ego, ego into the great principle original: "Mahat-tattva," the cosmic intellect, the great principle into nature original: "Prakriti", and nature into the Absolute original: "Maya/Atman". (25)

Having become pure existence and consciousness, one should contemplate the Papapurusha original: "the person of sin".

In the earth-mandala, the sense is movement, the action is smell, the quality is odor, the deity is Brahma, the phase is cessation, the wind is Samana, and the destination is the place to be gone to.