Manipura (Sanskrit: मणिपूर, ), called "city of jewels", is the third primary
chakraChakra is a Sanskrit word that translates as "wheel" or "turning"....
according to
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs, which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
tradition.
Also called the
solar plexus, manipura is "the center of etheric-psychic intuition: a vague or non-specific, sensual sense of knowing; a vague sense of size, shape, and intent of being." As such, some psychics recommend "listening" to it since it may help in making better decisions in one's life on many different levels.
Description
It is positioned at the solar plexus and it has ten
petalA petal is one member or part of the corolla of a flower. The corolla is the name for all of the petals of a flower. The corolla and calyx make up the outer whorls of a flower; these form what is known as the perianth, which is used to attract pollinators based on its bright color...
s which match the
vrittiVritti, in the context of Hinduism and yoga, is the name given to different tendencies, or psycho-physical propensities, which give scope for the mind to express a variety of feelings and emotions. Hindu texts describe vrittis to be a result of past actions and experiences that have left an imprint...
s of spiritual ignorance,
thirstThirst is the craving for fluids, resulting in the basic instinct of animals to drink. It is an essential mechanism involved in fluid balance. It arises from a lack of fluids and/or an increase in the concentration of certain osmolites, such as salt...
,
jealousyJealousy is an emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, such as a relationship, friendship, or love. Jealousy often consists of a combination of emotions such as anger, sadness,...
,
treacheryTreachery is a statutory offence in Australia. There was also an unrelated statutory offence bearing that name in the United Kingdom, but it has been abolished. Both of these offences were derived from or inspired by the related offence of treason. The name treachery was chosen because it is a...
,
shameShame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame....
,
fearFear is an emotional response to a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. Some psychologists such as John B. Watson, Robert Plutchik, and Paul Ekman have suggested that fear is one of a small set of...
,
disgustDisgust is an emotion that is typically associated with things that are regarded as unclean, inedible, infectious, or otherwise offensive. For example, "I am disgusted by the stench and sight of that heap of rotting viscera." In The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin...
,
delusionA delusion, in everyday language, is a fixed belief that is either false, fanciful, or derived from deception. Psychiatry defines the term more specifically as a belief that is pathological...
,
foolishnessFoolishness is the lack of wisdom. In this sense it differs from stupidity, which is the lack of intelligence....
and
sadnessSadness is an emotion characterized by feelings of disadvantage, loss, and helplessness. When sad, people often become quiet, less energetic, and withdrawn....
.
Manipura is associated with dynamism, energy, and will-power (
Itcha shaktiItcha shakti in Hinduism is willpower "Its most ordinary manifestation is the generation of certain nerve currents which set in motion such muscles as are required for the accomplishment of the desired object"...
.) It is associated with the power of fire, and digestion. Manipura is said to radiate and distribute
pranaPrana is the Sanskrit for "vital life" .It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana "breath", vac "speech", caksus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought" Prana is the Sanskrit for "vital life" (from the root "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus "full").It is one...
to the rest of the body. In this sense, it is roughly similar to the Chinese idea of the
dantianDantian, Dan Tien or Tan t'ien literally means "cinnabar or red field" and is loosely translated as "elixir field". It is described as an important focal point for internal meditative techniques.There are various points of Dantian...
in
qigongQigong is the Mandarin Chinese term used to describe various Chinese system of physical and mental training for health,martial artsand self-enlightenment....
.
Symbolism
It is associated with the following:
- Deities: Vahni, Rudra
' is a Rigvedic God, associated with wind or storm, and the hunt. The name has been translated as "The Roarer", or "The Howler"....
, Lakini
- Element: Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
- Animal: Ram
- Body Parts: Digestive system, Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light, and convert it to electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors connect light to movement . In higher organisms complex neural pathways exist that connect the eye, via the optic nerve to the visual cortex and other areas of the brain...
s, FeetThe foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion...
Practices
In kundalini yoga, different practices for arousing and balancing the energies of Manipura include various asanas which work on that part of the body, pranayama, Uddiyana bandha (exhaling and pulling back and up of the abdomen and diaphragm respectively) and agnisara kriya (practicing
jalandhara bandhaJalandhara Bandha , is the chin lock, one of the three internal locks or Bandhas described and employed in Hatha Yoga. It is performed by dropping the head slightly so that the chin is tucked close to the chest and the tongue pushes up against the palate in the mouth.-External links:*....
, and moving the abdomen in and out).
Other Associations
In the endocrine system, Manipura is said to be associated with the
pancreasThe pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as an exocrine gland, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that pass to...
, and the outer adrenal glands; the
adrenal cortexSituated along the perimeter of the adrenal gland, the adrenal cortex mediates the stress response through the production of mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, including aldosterone and cortisol respectively. It is also a secondary site of androgen synthesis.-Layers:Notably, the reticularis in...
. These glands create important hormones involved in digestion, converting food into energy for the body, in the same way that Manipura radiates prana throughout the body.
In Chinese
qigongQigong is the Mandarin Chinese term used to describe various Chinese system of physical and mental training for health,martial artsand self-enlightenment....
, there exists 3
DantianDantian, Dan Tien or Tan t'ien literally means "cinnabar or red field" and is loosely translated as "elixir field". It is described as an important focal point for internal meditative techniques.There are various points of Dantian...
s, which distribute and regulate
QiIn traditional Chinese culture, qi is an active principle forming part of any living thing....
energy (a concept similar to Indian
PranaPrana is the Sanskrit for "vital life" .It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana "breath", vac "speech", caksus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought" Prana is the Sanskrit for "vital life" (from the root "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus "full").It is one...
). The lower Dantian exists in the region of the stomach.
Western occultists make different kabbalistic associations with Manipura. For some, it relates to the sephira of
HodHod in the Kabbalah of Judaism is the eighth sephira of the Kabbalistic tree of life. It is derived from hod הוד in the Hebrew language meaning "majesty" or "splendor" and denoting "praise" as well as "submission"....
and Netzach, Netzach being that quality of energy to overcome different obstacles, and Hod being the tendency to control and break down energy into different forms, the two being contending and balancing forces, like the forces of
anabolismAnabolism is the set of metabolic pathways that construct molecules from smaller units. These reactions require energy. One way of categorizing metabolic processes, whether at the cellular, organ or organism level is as 'anabolic' or as 'catabolic', which is the opposite...
and
catabolismCatabolism is the set of pathways that break down molecules into smaller units and release energy. In catabolism, large molecules such as polysaccharides, lipids, nucleic acids and proteins are broken down into smaller units such as monosaccharides, fatty acids, nucleotides, and amino acids,...
in the human body.
Alternative names
- Tantra
Tantra or tantram is a philosophy according to which Shakti is usually the main deity worshipped, and the universe is regarded as the divine play of Shakti and Shiva. The word Tantra also applies to any of the scriptures commonly identified with the worship of Shakti...
: Dashachchada, Dashadala Padma, Dashapatra, Dashapatrambuja, Manipura, Manipuraka, Nabhipadma, Nabhipankaja
- Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
(late Upanishads): Manipura, Manipuraka, Nabhi Chakra
- Puranic: Manipura, Nabhi Chakra
External links