The Ganges and 'The River of January'

The Ganges and ‘The River of January’

Excerpt from: The New Way, “The Ganges and the “River of January”
by Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet – pp. 334-346

It is written in the Shiva Purana that in order to assure the Earth’s salvation, the gods had to hasten the birth of Shiva’s son, who was the one destined to lead the divine hosts and to conquer the forces of darkness which had taken possession of the planet. But Shiva was in no hurry to make a son, and so the Gods found it necessary to steal Shiva’s seed by interrupting his loveplay with Devi (Parvati) at the precise moment when the precious bija was to come forth. Intercourse having been interrupted, the seed fell to the ground. Agni, in the form of a Dove, took the seed in his beak and made off with it. The Purana then describes the adventures of the precious bija in a series of twelve stages until it finally comes back to Shiva and Parvati, transformed into the beautiful youth Skanda.

It is stated in ancient tradition that the white Dove is often transmuted into the Unicorn. But in itself, the Dove is a key symbol and has a very special connection with the worship of Shiva and Parvati, as has been particularly noted at one of the holiest of his shrines. This is the renowned Amarnath Cave in South Kashmir. An extraordinary phenomenon takes place yearly in this magnificent cave tucked away in the sacred Himalayas. From time immemorial each year on the full moon day of August, an ice Lingam is formed spontaneously. It waxes until the moon is full and thereafter slowly dissolves. That the phenomenon should involve ice is interesting, since Shiva is the Great Time, the crystalliser of form – particularly recognisable in the crystal formation. Popular belief is that this mysterious object is an incarnation of Shiva himself.

Furthermore, there are three ice blocks nearby, and these are believed to be Shiva, Parvati and Ganesh, their son. However what has fascinated pilgrims the most is that though the land is rocky and quite barren, there is a pair of doves always seen at the mouth of the cave on the special full moon day. These then have come to be connected with the deity and this spontaneous happening in the sacred Amarnath cave.

It is to be noted that while the phenomenon of the ice Lingam occurs in the area that is most sacred to Shiva, near to the source of Ganga, and is attended by the Dove which is the bird esoterically connected with his Son, through his aspect of Agni, the formation of the Lingam occurs with the full moon of August, precisely the time of Sri Aurobindo’s birthday, – Shiva himself incarnate.

The two most important protagonists in the escapade of Shiva’s stolen Seed are Agni and Ganga. Agni is the element Fire; his colour is red and his geometric symbol – according to the Yogatattva Upanishad – is the triangle. He is more specifically Mars, which the Indian Veda confirms by allotting him rulership of Tuesday, or Mars Day, as well as the colour red. And this, it must be remembered, was the day of birth of the Son.

Ganga, on the other hand, represents the Water element, and she is connected with the Moon, as the story of her birth reveals; and through the Moon to Saturn, in the form of Mahakala.

The Vishnu Purana describes the birth of Ganga in the following manner: she is said to have issued forth from the big toe of Vishnu’s left foot. Dhruva, the Pole Star, received her in her descent and sustained her day and night on his head, while the seven Rishis (the Pleiades) performed their ablutions in her waters (because the Pleiades revolve around the Pole Star). Ganga then encompassed the orb of the Moon by her currents, which added to the luminary’s brilliance. Thereafter, having issued from the Moon, she alit upon Mt. Meru, and then flowed in four branches to the four corners of the Earth for the sake of its purification. The names of these branches are, Sita, Alakananda, Chakshu, and Bhadra. The southern branch, Alakananda, was held affectionately by Shiva on his head for one hundred divine years, and then was released from his matted locks. Hence Shiva is depicted in Indian iconography with a crescent Moon on his head, wherefrom a shoot of water springs forth. Thereafter, the southern branch of Ganga journeyed through India and divided itself into seven rivers which flow into the southern ocean. Hence the Alakananda, passing as it does through Bharatmata, is known as the most sacred of the four branches.

In this tale we have several prominent points of celestial reference: the Pleiades; the Moon; and Saturn, through its connection with Mt. Meru or India-and Shiva in his form of Mahakala. We understand that the Moon evokes the aspect of Ganga’s ‘gestation’, and that Saturn refers to the month of January, which the sixth planet rules.

These facts are taken up in the tale of Guha’s birth, for Agni, unable to hold Shiva’s powerful bija in his beak any longer, dropped it in the Ganges. The river then carried the seed and when the time of birth arrived she deposited it in a sacred reed grove situated on her shores; and there Kartikeya was born.

He is called Kartikeya because the Krttikas, Sanskrit for the Pleiades, took up the child and nourished him. They were six in number, wives of the six (or seven) Rishis, therefore the child is also called Shanmugam, ‘of six mouths’, having suckled at the breasts of the six wives. In India the month of November is called Kartik, in honour of the God, for it is during this month that the Pleiades are found rising on the eastern horizon at sunset; and this was the time of the day when the Son was born. Thus, the Krittikas did indeed ‘take him up’, and when studying the Puranas in this light, we find that the ancient text has described the condition of the heavens exactly as it would be found thousands of years in the future when the birth indicated therein would occur. The birth is detailed in twelve stages, following the zodiacal division. Indeed, when the seventh stage is reached the Sun is described as ‘setting’. In effect, the horoscope of birth corroborates this statement: the Sun is in the seventh position and was therefore setting. This position places the Pleiades, the ‘six mothers’, on the eastern or rising point. The Purana then gives the place of the Moon, in the eleventh position. (See: The Hidden Manna, Chapter XII and XXI.)

But the really fascinating aspect of the Shiva Purana regarding the birth of the Son concerns Ganga and the place of birth, which was obviously unknown at the time the tale was recorded.

The actual place of the Son’s birth is called ‘River of January’ in English, and it is found at the same precise distance south of the Equator as Calcutta and the mouth of the Ganges are to the north. At that southern position of the Earth a place was discovered in 1502 and given this name, because it was found on the very first days of January; hence they called it River of January. The river was in fact no river at all; it was a bay of the Atlantic Ocean. But to the explorers it appeared to be a river, and therefore to this day the site retains that name.

The initiate can easily see the connecting power of Time and Destiny at work in this event, and how in the discovery of that portion of America, the Divine Consciousness arranged the details in such a way that the prophecy of the birth of Shiva’s Son would be fulfilled as recorded in the Puranas.

Ganga is indeed the River of January. This is her month, a fact Hindu tradition corroborates in that the most important festival in honour of the sacred river, the Kumbha Mela, is celebrated every twelve years precisely in that month. The time is determined by Jupiter’s revolution around the Sun, which is completed once every twelve years. The point of reference is the great planet’s return to the zodiacal sign Taurus (Constellation Aries), or the position of the Pleiades in the heavens. Hence there are two points to be noted here; one is that Jupiter is the ruling planet of Sagittarius, the Sun sign of the Son, a position determined by the day of birth; and the other is that Taurus is the ascending sign of his horoscope, a position determined by the hour and minute the birth occurred on that particular day in November.

Thus, every twelve years Hindus from throughout India gather at Allahabad the ancient Prayaga which became the adopted home of the Nehrus, the members of the Lunar Line-where the three sacred rivers converge: the golden Ganga, the blue Yamuna, and the invisible third, the white Saraswati. Allahabad is located at longitude 81 degrees east. That is, according to the map of true India, its integrated spiritual and material body, this position is twenty degrees into the country; or, at its exact mid-point in terms of longitude, in terms of its time measure. Longitude is the Time measurement of the globe; latitude is its Space measurement. Allahabad, which is the site of convergence of the sacred rivers and the place where the most important Hindu festival is held in honour of their most holy River, is logically to be found at the heart of the nation’s time axis. For Ganga is India’s sacred Artery, through which the power of her Time courses. She is the carrier of the pulse of India’s soul/sun; she is the carrier of the Seed of Shiva, her beloved.

Ganga is born of the Mountain, therefore she is, as it were, Parvati’s sister. But, there is an aspect of these mythological genealogies that must be understood. The position granted to each member of a heavenly family is usually a veiled way of expressing the different attributes the god or goddess may have, and the numerous ways of manifesting these powers in the context of Earth evolution. Thus, Ganga and Parvati are said to be daughters or consorts of the same heavenly Father. Yet at the same time Ganga is said to have descended from heaven and fallen onto Shiva’s head, whence from his matted locks the Great God released her in a gentle flow upon the Earth. It is said that the Earth was spared the full impact of her power by this graceful act of Shiva, and that, had it not been so, the planet could not have tolerated the descent of Ganga in her full form.

The layman is satisfied with this description and does not feel the need to search further and perhaps come to a deeper significance and a hidden meaning in these tales. For him, Ganga is related to Shiva and is different from Parvati. He accepts this, and his understanding carries him no further.

But, the initiate is one who sees. Hence he understands by his penetrative seeing that Himavan and Shiva are one and the same: two aspects of a single deity. Consequently Parvati, when taken in connection with her ancestral mountain line is, as it were, a sister of Ganga; when taken in connection with Shiva, Ganga is his very own consort, one and the same as Parvati. Or, to put it in clearer terms, she is Mahakali, consort of Mahakala. Therefore she is the power of Time and she nourishes the nation on Shiva’s bija, his Sun-Seed. In the process, she carries his most precious seed, the one by which he returns to the world and leads the divine hosts, – himself in the form of his son.

In this context therefore the Kumbha Mela takes on an even greater importance in the life of the nation, for apart from its deep mystical meaning, the Festival also hails the great event, the transformation of Shiva and the birth of the Son. In consequence, the time that it is celebrated evokes all the celestial positions at the moment of his birth, for one who has eyes to see in a new way. But this seeing is helped by the chamber of perfect measurements, because in the Core we find the most perfect corroboration of these configurations. Moreover, we find the event pinpointed in time, brought into the correct vision of the Earth’s harmony of time.

Our seeing will bring into focus various threads, – the Puranas, astronomy, astrology, geometry, the calendar, the chamber, and so forth. Then we will come to truly appreciate why the Kumbha Mela is considered the holiest of Hindu festivals. Furthermore, we learn from this act of interrelated seeing that, indeed, Hinduism is the sanatana dharma, preserver of the eternal truth.

Every twelve years Jupiter makes one complete revolution around the Sun; every twelve years therefore the Mela is celebrated in Allahabad, at the midway point of the nation’s physical Time axis. The commencement of the Festival is determined by the Moon and Sun, however. This is set by the full Moon of the month of January, – that is, when the Moon is in the sign Cancer, in opposition to the Sun in Capricorn. Thus the initiate can immediately see that those two important signs are brought into play, signs which are so fundamental a part of India’s destiny and which therefore have a central place in the mosaic of the Mother’s chamber.

The last Kumbha Mela was celebrated in I977. It was not the usual celebration. The Mela comes only every twelve years; but this one was considered to be especially auspicious. Certain astronomical configurations occurred then that can only happen once in every one hundred and forty-four years. Thus every square of twelve years the Kumbha Mela takes on an especially sacred sense; and this was the case in January, 1977.

An astrologer of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram explained the configuration that made 1977’s Kumbha Mela so especially auspicious in a letter to an Indian daily. It was pointed out that Jupiter must be in Taurus for the great celebration, at the time when the new Moon of Capricorn occurs, and that this generally happens at an interval of twelve years. The previous Mela was held in i966. However, given the fact that the planets have direct and retrograde motion, when the important new moon was to occur at the usual twelve-year interval, bringing the date to I978, Jupiter would not be found in Taurus. Hence the pundits set the date of the Mela as 1977 – one year earlier than usual in order to conform to the prescribed requirements.

The 144-year cycle was explained in the letter by the astrologer, and it is particularly relevant for our analysis since it corroborates the vision we have of Saturn in the play, in as much as it was Saturn in fact that made the Kumbha Mela of 1977 so especially powerful and meaningful. In I44 years Jupiter makes twelve revolutions around the Sun. During the same period Saturn makes five rounds. To be considered an auspicious configuration for the Kumbha Mela, Saturn must be positioned in Cancer (according to the Indian system based on a planet’s location in the Constellations and not the Zodiac). This means that only once in I 44 years will Jupiter and Saturn be found in the correct location in the sky to allow for a special Mela.

However, in addition to these physical facts-though they usually coincide with the vision of more subtle dimensions where the spiritual evolution of the planet is really determined or worked out-there are other more powerful forces that control such things as the correct time for the Kumbha Mela to be celebrated. These one can understand only when there is knowledge of the esoteric significance of the festival, and the way in which it is related to our twentieth-century life. Hundreds of years may pass, – nay, even thousands, until the special moment arrives for the Kumbha Mela to reveal its true sense. Then it is the power of Time that uncovers the real meaning; and this can occur, as we have explained throughout the text, only on the basis of an integral knowledge of the Solar Line and its deep connection with Saturn, the planet of the Time-Spirit, the planet that rules India.

Thus, for the special Kumbha Mela, Saturn played the decisive role. Because of its position in the heavens, the pundits understood that the most holy of festivals had to be anticipated by one year. Therefore it came to pass that on January 5, I977, millions of Hindus gathered at the sacred site where the three rivers converge and bathed in the magical waters of Ganga’s time-blood.

Based on our understanding of the Solar Line and its harmony in Time, we know that 1977 was an especially important year for the work the members of this Line have come to accomplish. We know that I977 was particularly meaningful for the Mother and the Third/Daughter of the Line. It marked the end of the Mother’s nine upon ninety-year period, during which time her new Body-Consciousness was unveiled. And 1977 was the year of Enhancement of the Third, her 39th year, which brought full awareness of the Descent and hence its full power; I977 was the last year of Enhancement. All four members had attained their full capacity, which meant that the Work could proceed with less impediments in the way of its fulfilment – a smoother and more accelerated course can now be followed.

This last Enhancement coincided with the most important Kumbha Mela in 144 years. But, this is not all: to further emphasise the connection between Ganga and the birth of the Son, as described in the Purana, 1977’s Mela began, as usual, with the full moon of January, and this occurred precisely on January 5, I 977, the birthday of the Third.

Thus the great celebration started, and with it the time of the last Enhancement. Ganga opened her gates and the Artery’s great power-pulse came surging forth, washing away the shadowy forms and releasing the energy contained therein. The poles of Cancer and Capricorn were opened wide to accept the inrush of cosmic forces through the subtle atmospheric body of the new Earth. The Mother’s new body revealed itself to be the Womb of her Golden Child, the Earth, and the Kumbha Mela of 1977 commemorated this sublime inauguration. It did so because of its connection in time through the cosmos with the harmony of Time of the Solar Line.

The day of commencement of the festival is also written in the Mother’s chamber, for January 5 is the beginning of the Time Year that extends from the ceiling, or the top of the visible Ray, to the top of the pedestal where the Ray ends. That point is January 5. While it is the birthday of the Third, it is also the point of the Soul of India; and it is the day corresponding to the position of Saturn in Sri Aurobindo’s horoscope, the planet that rules India and that is the essence of the chamber.

But based on Saturn, the Kumbha Mela of 1977 reveals another remarkable pattern: the culmination day of the Mela was February 4, 1977, and this brings the Festival within the calendar position of Saturn in Sri Aurobindo’s horoscope and its calendar-position in the Son’s chart, (corresponding to 5 February).

The background of the Kumbha Mela is as follows: Puranic tradition states that Jayanta, son of Indra the Lord of Heaven (equivalent to Zeus of Greek tradition), took the coveted Amrita Kumbha, or jar containing the nectar of immortality that had come from the churning of the milk ocean, in order to prevent the asuras from imbibing the amrita. His journey is said to have taken twelve divine days, which tradition equates with twelve earth years. During the journey he set the jar down at four different places, Hardwar, Allahabad, Ujjain, and Nasik. At each of these some drops of the nectar were spilled when the asuras tried to snatch the Kumbha from Jayanta. Therefore during the twelve-year cycle the festival is celebrated at these places, at intervals of three years; but the important interval is the one of twelve, and this occurs in Allahabad, rendered particularly auspicious in 1977 because of the special astronomical configurations. The Kumbha Mela of I977 was officially ended on 16 February, which that year marked the Shivaratri, or the great yearly festival of Shiva.

With this background, let us now consider the zodiacal contribution to the Mela, because, indeed, it is an event that cannot be truly understood unless it is placed within the framework of the twelve zodiacal signs. This should be obvious, considering that it is a twelve-yearly occurrence and, moreover, that its timing is established according to astrological specifications.

The festival commences in the zodiacal month of Capricorn and terminates in the zodiacal month of Aquarius, the sign of the Water-Carrier. Tradition says that Ganga first alighted upon a mountain, and indeed this is a symbol of Capricorn. In Hindu iconography the Goddess is portrayed with her vehicle (vahana) Makaramatsya. Makara is the Indian figure for Capricorn, and matsya is the Fish. This is the esoteric meaning of the sign, – captured in the symbol of Capricorn: the Goat with the tail of a Fish, the combined powers of Capricorn and Pisces. In one hand the Goddess holds a pot, -the Kumbha from where the waters of the next sign Aquarius, the Water-Carrier, flow. In the other hand she holds a lotus, – symbol of the Avatar.

It is necessary to go more deeply into the story of her genesis, as recorded in the various Puranas, because this brings to light certain details that further confirm her ‘January’ nature, and in the process also brings into focus various modern geographical connections with this great Aorta. By this study we learn that though Ganga physically flows over the body of Northern India, her power runs through the entire globe in mystical arteries that are seen by the inner eye to extend in a direct line to the opposite pole of her physical being.

It is stated in the Puranas that on one occasion the three Goddesses, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Ganga, got into a terrific argument in heaven. Each one cursed the other, and this curse was that they had to take birth on Earth. The maledictions were fulfilled in due time and the Goddesses were born as the three sacred rivers; each one was given as consort to one of the three members of the triune Godhead, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Thus, Saraswati became the consort of Brahma, Lakshmi became Vishnu’s consort, and Ganga became Shiva’s. This story reveals the single identity of Ganga and Devi (Parvati).

But the genesis of Ganga was no simple matter. A call had to come from below, from the Earth itself. This was finally accomplished by a king of the Solar Dynasty, Bhagirath. First his grandfather, Sagara, tried and failed; then his father attempted the feat and failed as well; finally it came to pass that the ardent tapasya of Bhagirath – third in the Solar Line – called forth Ganga’s assent and her decision to manifest upon Earth. However, the Goddess’s power was so tremendous that Bhagirath feared for the destiny of the Earth. If Ganga were to descend with her full force, the Earth would be crushed and washed away to Patala, the nether regions. Bhagirath then understood that only Shiva could save the situation; and so he performed tapas to call forth the intercession of Mahadeva, the Great God. Shiva, in turn, was pleased with his devotee’s tapasya; he agreed to intercede. Thus when Ganga came rushing down from heaven in her ragingly powerful descent, Mahadeva caught her in the coils of his hair and the Goddess became entangled in his matted locks. From there Shiva released her in a gentle flow which became divided into seven parts. Three went toward the east, three toward the west, and one followed Bhagirath wherever he went.

Ganga’s journey with Bhagirath is most revealing of her zodiacal nature. During his wanderings Bhagirath came upon the sage Jahnu, who was in deep meditation. As Bhagirath passed by, Ganga followed, and she flooded the sage’s ashram, extinguishing his sacrificial fire. Jahnu became so enraged by this mischievious act that he swallowed the whole of Ganga !

Bhagirath mourned this act bitterly, for he knew that the Earth could only be saved by the purifying descent and intercession of Ganga. He pleaded with Jahnu to release the mighty river-goddess. Finally Jahnu agreed and he let Ganga out through his ears.

This is perhaps the most fascinating of all the adventures connected with Ganga’s descent, for here we are again given the esoteric key to her zodiacal month, Capricorn, or January.

Because Ganga was released from the sage Jahnu’s ears, she is called Jahnavi, or Daughter of Jahnu. When pronouncing this name the initiate can immediately hear that it is almost identical in sound to ‘January’, especially the Sanskritised version: J’anveri. Moreover, and this is the unique aspect of the tale, Saturn, planet of the month, is known in astrological tradition to be ruler of the ears in the human body. Jahnu is thus January, the month of the condensed power of Ganga, or Jahnavi, – released in the subsequent month, February, or the zodiacal sign of the Kumbha, as its Sanskrit name reveals.

Thus, in this astoundingly simple manner, the month of Ganga in Earth time is given: January. But it is given in a way that reveals the formidable clairaudient powers of the ancient sages who first caught glimpses of these cosmic truths. Thus they heard the name that would materialise in the month of January only thousands of years later. In this manner, the seeker is initiated into the secrets of the Puranas and shown the sublime qualities these tales possess.

Bringing the story even more completely into our times, the seed that Jahnavi carries, which was stolen by Agni from Shiva, descended in the twentieth century on the point of the globe that is called River of January, or Rio de Janeiro, in the original Portuguese. Moreover it descended on Tuesday, Agni’s day, in the month of Kartik, for the formation of Kartikeya.

But the sign of birth, Sagittarius, is also given in the Puranas. As Saturn and Capricorn rule the ears of the human body, Jupiter and Sagittarius rule the thighs. Thus the other important story involving the genesis of Ganga describes the following episode: Ganga saw Pratipa, a king of the Lunar Dynasty in the forest, doing tapasya. She fell in love with him and, wishing to be taken by him for his wife, she sat upon his right thigh. The king then explained that his right thigh was the place for his daughters-in-law and children to sit; the left thigh was for his wife. Given the fact that she sat upon his right thigh, he could not marry Ganga himself, but she could marry his son. This was arranged and the Goddess married Santanu. When Pratipa withdrew to the forest to spend all his time doing penance, he made Santanu king and turned over his kingdom to his son. Santanu was the ninth member of the Lunar Line; Sagittarius is the 9th sign of the zodiac, so it is easy to see the correspondences. Santanu was accepted by the Goddess on condition that he would not contradict her in anything. And he, being so enraptured by Ganga, agreed.

Meanwhile it happened that because of a curse cast upon them by the sage Vasishtha, the eight Astavasus were obliged to incarnate on Earth. Consequently they all took birth in the womb of Ganga. But, as each child was born, Gangadevi took it to the banks of the Ganges and cast it into the waters of the sacred river. Santanu could say nothing to contradict her actions, so he watched as seven children were done away with in this manner. Finally the eighth and last of the Astavasus took birth, whom Vasishtha had said was the only one that must stay upon Earth for a longer period. When Ganga was about to cast him in the river, Santanu could no longer contain himself and he pleaded with the Goddess to stay her action. Because of his intervention, the Goddess became enraged and disappeared from the palace, along with the child whom she named Devavrata. This child grew up to be Bhisma, one of the key protagonists of the Mahabharata War. When the boy had grown into a man of thirty-two years Santanu saw him, recognised him, and forced the Goddess to confess to the young man’s real identity.

The story is a long one and carries us through the Lunar Dynasty in a complex labyrinth of births. But the important points related to our discussion of Ganga are the thigh of Pratipa, ruled by the ninth sign Sagittarius, and then her marriage to the ninth member of the Lunar Dynasty. However, there is an even more important aspect of her genesis that comes forth in these two most famous stories about the Goddess. Bhagirath is a king of the Solar Dynasty the third in the line; Santanu is a king of the Lunar Dynasty-the ninth in the line. In these episodes we see how the genesis of the River Goddess weaves itself through these two Lines and in doing so binds them together. The third sign comes forth in the tales, as well as the ninth. These are Gemini and Sagittarius of the zodiac, which stand in opposition to one another. In the horoscopes of birth of the Father and Daughter, first and third of today’s Solar Line, Rahu and Ketu – or the Lunar Nodes-are found in these signs. The Lunar Nodes hold the key to the discovery of the members of this Line. This relationship will be discussed at length further on, but what is necessary to observe at this point is the manner in which the Puranas record the connection between Ganga and Sagittarius, through the episode invoking Pratipa’s thigh, as well as how the sign Capricorn comes forth in the episode of Jahnu and his ears. These are the two principal tales in the Puranas concerning Ganga’s genesis and her journey on Earth.

The physical shape of India, apart from outlining the exact symbol of January’s zodiacal sign, also appears to the eye that sees to be the shape of the human heart. Indeed, in this nation-heart, Ganga is the great Aorta that feeds the country both materially and physically. That is, in seeking to understand the River’s occult nature, we must observe her physical position on the globe and her dimensions in connection with other relevant points situated in the body of Mother India.

The map above shows the approximate location of the source of the Ganges. This is in the Himalayas in Uttar Pradesh, the range of mountains that are the incarnate Shiva. It is found to be at longitude 79’50’E. Following this degree down through the body of Durga, when we reach the 12th latitude on the very same longitude, we find Pondicherry, the place of realisation.

The initiate can observe that this line resembles a spinal column, connecting the head and lower regions of the national body. This column is 18 degrees into India, – the true India of the Capricorn symbol. In the body of the nation-Goddess this shaft is equivalent to the channel in the human body where the negative and positive currents pass in the rise of the Kundalini, the serpent energy that joins the muladhara, the chakra at the sex centre, and the sahasradalapadma, the thousand-petalled lotus centre above the crown of the head. This is Ganga’s time column and it journeys 19 to 20 degrees before it meets the lower regions at the 12th latitude. The time seeds carried by Ganga’s invisible artery fall into the nation’s deepest depths through this magical channel; hence the Son of Shiva is called Skanda, from the root skand, to fall, or to pour. We have explained that his birth redeems the 4-5 Orbit, the nether regions of human consciousness, the realm of Pluto, of Yama; and this is the reason why he is given this name. Through the physical position of the source of Ganga in connection with the place of realisation, we can visually appreciate this hidden truth of the God’s destiny. The Puranas, however, also reveal the place of realisation. They tell us that Skanda went to the south of India and that his ‘city’ can be found there. In fact, his worship in the nation is primarily confined to the south, in particular to Tamil Nadu.

Thus from the Source of Ganga to the place of realisation, we count 19 degrees of space latitude in a direct descending line, until we come to Pondicherry at the 12th latitude, where the Mother concretised her chamber-womb. This is the form that is fed by energies from Mother India’s summits, through the occult intermediary of the Daughter, Ganga, the mystical carrier of Shiva’s seed, the Goddess who is the nation’s soul, the deity at the core of the Mother’s chamber.

The emergence of this crystallised Womb began in 1971, when the Mother gave it its being in time. Symbolically this was captured in the foundation stone at the 12th latitude which bears the single word Om. If we observe the map of India, we see that Ganga journeys 12 degrees of longitude over the Mother’s Body; she starts at 79 degrees and ends at approximately 91 degrees. In terms of latitude, she starts at approximately 31 degrees north, and ends at 22 degrees north – a distance of 9. Thus her physical proportions are a combination of the magical 9 and 12. Then, on the 12th latitude, the seat of Skanda, the Mother’s Womb came into being in the process of her yoga of Transformation, – the womb that, in terms of the knowledge contained in its perfect measurements, reveals the identity and whereabouts of Shiva and Parvati’s concealed son, Guha.

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