Sahasrara

thumb|Sahasrara

Sahasrāra (, IAST: , , with many alternative names and spellings) or the Crown Chakra is considered the seventh primary chakra in Indian spiritualistic yoga traditions. The chakra is represented by the colour violet.

Hatha yoga

The Sahasrāra is described in a few medieval hatha yoga texts including the Śivasaṃhitā and the Tirumantiram, but not within the Paścimāmnāya and Nath traditions; the Kubjikamatatantra describes only the six lower chakras. The scriptures vary in the position of the Sahasrāra; the Shiva Samhita states that it is beyond the body, whereas others place it at the fontanelle or brahmarandhra on the top of the head where the soul leaves the body at death.

Description

thumb|right|Image of a Sahasrāra Chakra with 1000 petals, in 20 layers of 50 petals each.

Location

Sahasrāra is located at the top of the cranium.

Appearance

Sahasrāra is described as a lotus flower with 1,000 petals of different colors. These are arranged in 20 layers, each with approximately 50 petals. The pericarp is golden and within it a circular moon region is inscribed with a luminous triangle, which can be either upward- or downward-pointing.

Seed Mantra

According to some Tantra traditions Sahasrāra chakra has no seed syllable, but rather silence, because it is perceived as beyond audible sound. Some take this to mean Visarga, the sound following the utterance of a sound, but not the sound itself. Others connect it to Om, like Ajñā Chakra.

Shirshasana
Vrikshasana
Khatu Pranam
Chanting Om
Kriya Yoga

There are also special Meditations on the Sahasrāra Chakra.

Associated chakras

In some versions of the subtle body, there are actually several chakras, which are all closely related, at the top of the head. Rising from Ajñā, we have the Manas chakra on the forehead, which is closely associated with Ajna. Above Manas there are Bindu Visarga at the back of the head; Mahanada; Nirvana, which is located on the crown; Guru; and the Sahasrāra proper, located above the crown.

Bindu Visarga

thumb|Brahmin (practising [[pranayama) with tuft of hair at the Bindu Visarga]]

thumb|upright=0.5|The Bindu Visarga is said to be connected with [[ajna, the third eye chakra.]]

The Bindu Visarga is at the back of the head, at the point where many Brahmins keep a tuft of hair. It is symbolized by a crescent moon on a moonlit night, with a point or bindu above it. This is the white bindu, with which yogis try to unite the red bindu below. It is said to be the point through which the soul enters the body, creating the chakras as it descends and terminating in the coiled kundalini energy at the base of the spine. It is often described as the source of the divine nectar, or amrita, though this is sometimes said to come from either ajña chakra or lalita chakra. This nectar falls down into the digestive fire (samana) where it is burnt up. The preservation of this nectar is known as "urdhva retas" (literally: upward semen). The white drop is associated with the essence of semen, while the red bindu is associated with menstrual fluid.

This chakra is sometimes known as the Indu, Chandra, or Soma Chakra. In other descriptions, it is located on the forehead - white, with 16 petals - corresponding to the vrittis of mercy, gentleness, patience, non-attachment, control, excellent-qualities, joyous mood, deep spiritual love, humility, reflection, restfulness, seriousness, effort, controlled emotion, magnanimity and concentration.

Mahanada

The name of this chakra means "Great Sound", and it is in the shape of a plough. It represents the primal sound from which emanates all of creation.

Nirvana

This chakra is located on the crown of the head. It is white in color and possesses 100 white petals. It marks the end of the sushumna central channel. It is responsible for different levels of concentration: dharana, dhyana and savikalpa samadhi. Within the triangle begins a series of ever higher levels of consciousness: Ama-Kala, the First Ring of Visarga, Nirvana-Kala, and Nirvana Shakti, which contains the Second Ring of Visarga. From here, Kundalini becomes Shankhini, with 3-and-a-half coils. The First Coil of Shankhini wraps around the Supreme Bindu, the Second Coil of Shankhini wraps around the Supreme Nada, the Third Coil of Shankhini wraps around Shakti, and the Half-Coil of Shankhini enters into Sakala Shiva, beyond which is Parama Shiva.

It is very important in the Tantric practice of Phowa, or consciousness transference. At the time of death, a yogi can direct his consciousness up the central channel and out of this wheel in order to be reborn in a Pure Land, where he can carry on his tantric practices, or transfer that consciousness into another body or a corpse, in order to extend life.

Kabbalah

In the West, it has been noted by many (such as Charles Ponce in his book Kabbalah.) that Sahasrāra expresses a similar archetypal idea to that of Kether, in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, which rests at the head of the tree, and represents pure consciousness and union with God.

Lataif-E-Sitta

Within the Sufi system of Lataif-e-sitta there is a Lataif called Akhfa, the "most arcane subtlety", which is located on the crown. It is the point of unity where beatific visions of Allah are directly revealed.

Alternative names

In Tantra: Adhomukha Mahapadma, Amlana Padma, Dashashatadala Padma, Pankaja, Sahasrabja, Sahasrachchada Panikaja, Sahasradala, Sahasradala Adhomukha Padma, Sahasradala Padma, Sahasrapatra, Sahasrara, Sahasrara Ambuja, Sahasrara Mahapadma, Sahasrara Padma, Sahasrara Saroruha, Shiras Padma, Shuddha Padma, Wyoma, Wyomambhoja
In the late Upanishads: Akasha Chakra, Kapalasamputa, Sahasradala, Sahasrara, Sahasrara Kamala (Pankaja or Padma), Sthana, Wyoma, Wyomambuja
In the Puranas: Parama, Sahasradala, Sahasraparna Padma, Sahasrapatra, Sahasrara, Sahasrara Kamala (Parikaja or Padma), Shantyatita, Shantyatita Pada
In the Agni Yoga teaching, the Brahmarandhra is often referred to as "the bell" (Russian: колокол).