The Granthis
Granthis are the energy knots or blocks in our personality where the energy & consciousness interact & manifest in a particular way. Granthi ग्रन्थि ("knot"): any one of three common blockages in the central pathway (sushumna-nadi) preventing the full ascent of the serpent power. According to the yogic tradition,there are three granthis: 1.) Brahma Granthi. 2.) Vishnu Granthi & 3.) Rudra Granthi.
- Brahma Granthi: First knot. It is the lowest knot covering the area of muladhara & svadhisthana chakras. It is also known as perineal knot.
- Vishnu Granthi: Second knot. It covers the area between manipura, anahata & vishuddhi chakras. It is also known as the navel knot.
- Rudra Granthi: Third knot. It covers the areas of Ajna & Sahasrara chakras. It is also known as forehead knot.
These three knots prevent the free flow of prana along chakras & prevent the arising of kundalini.
All the three gods takes the test of the sadhaka before they give the way forward.
Brahma granthi
"When the Brahma granthi (in the heart) is pierced through by Pranayama, then a sort of happiness is experienced in the vacuum of the heart, and the anahat sounds, like various tinkling sounds of ornaments, are heard in the body." Hatha Yoga Pradipika. 4.69
Brahma granthi is the manifest force of life & creation. Its relation to the world in which we live or according to Tantra, the world of yonis or different life forms, Brahma granthi controls the energies of mooladhara & swadhisthana. It is linked with the urge to procreate & with deep, instinctive knowledge, awareness & desires of sex. It is known as blockage of Brahma because it holds our consciousness at the level which is related to the desires of the physical dimensions like sensuality, sex, procreation & the instinctive urge to survive which cannot be transcend. Once this blockage is removed from the realm of consciousness & energy, instincts of the deep rootedness & energy are released. The kundalini or primal energy is thus able to rise beyond mooldhra & swadhisthan without bogged down by the attractions to which our consciousness is hooked.
Lord Brahma Gives the way.
Vishnu Granthi
Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
Vishnu Granthi is the area where he personality & the body are sustained. Manipura sustains the physical body is a practical way. The food we consume is converted into energy & distributed through the body. the process of converting matter into energy, a form which can be used for maintenance & growth of the body, is a function of manipura. In the same way, anahata sustains the mental structure in the form of emotions which are intense expressions of subtle energy. The raw, unrefined & unadulterated energy can manifest as anger, hatred, jealousy & so on. this energy is the force which sustains the manomaya kosha or mental body & the pranamaya kosha & the pranamaya kosha or pranic body. Vishuddhi, the all pervading space energy, sustains the Vijnanamaya kosha or energy body & the anandamaya kosha or spiritual body. So the sustaining aspect of all our human dimensions is governed by these three chakras which vitalize, feed, nurture & balance the subtle bodies. this is the function of the Vishnu granthi. Once the Vishnu granthi blockage is removed we begin to draw energy to sustain ourselves from the universe & not From the localized centers of body like lungs. the energies of the body become harmonious with the energies of the cosmos. The interaction between the individual personality & the cosmos begins to happen naturally & spontaneously.
Lord Vishnu Gives the way.
Rudra granthi
"When the Rudra granthi is pierced, and the air enters the seat of the Lord (the space between the eyebrows), then the perfect sound like that of a flute is produced." Hatha Yoga Pradipika. 4.75
Rudra granthi governs ajna & sahasrara chakras & represents the transformation of an existing form, idea or concept into the universal aspect. here there is a breaking away of the old, the ego awareness, the "I" Awareness, the mental awareness, the physical awareness & an evolving of the sixth sense or the eye of intuition, as the third eye of Lord Shiva.
The sixth sense & beyond is the state where the omniscient nature of consciousness is experienced, where the past, present & future become known. With that omniscient awareness in hand we move on to Sahasrara, where the final merger of the individual soul or atman with the universal, cosmic soul, takes place.
Symbolic Representation
The granthis are represented by the three lingas. The lingas are shiva symbols, subtle spaces where the universe is formed and is dissolved.
Brahma Granthi - Dhumra Lingam
In muladhara chakra. The lingam is black smoky and ill-defined. Symbol of the physical world. It is known as dhumra (dhum = smoky) lingam.
Note: also called Svayambhu linga: the self created linga.
Vishnu Granthi - Bana Lingam
In anahata chakra. The lingam is red or gold. Symbol of the subtle world.
Rudra Granthi - Itakhya Lingam
In ajna chakra. The lingam is black with a very consolidated outline. It is called the itarakhya lingam. Here, in ajna, the awareness of 'what I am' is more sharply defined and various capacities are being awakened.
Note: also called Itara linga.