Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra)

Understanding Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra) in Vedic Astrology

The Muladhara, also known as Root Chakra is one of the seven primary chakras as per Hindu Tantrism. It is usually represented in red colour but its root square form is usually yellow. This chakra is the foundation of the energy body and hence extremely important. A strong foundation is the basis of everything and hence this chakra lies at the base of everything that is important in life.

Vedic Astrology Analysis

Associated Element : Earth
Governing Planet : Saturn
If Muladhara chakra is blocked

Mental problems related to that are: indiscipline, Fear, being greedy & insecure, Facing tough situations, sleeplessness, work longevity
physical problems related to that are: Meat, muscles, teeth, bone, knee, feet, joints, rheumatism.

Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra)Location

This chakra is located near the basal end of the spinal column in and around the vicinity of the coccygeal plexus beneath the sacrumit while its kshetram or superficial activation point is located on the perineum.

Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra) Appearance

This chakra is surrounded by a square lotus which is surrounded by eight shining spears on the sides and with four red petals at its corners. The symbol of this chakra is represented in yellow colour. The main deity of this Chakra is Lord Indra who is considered to be the king of all gods. In this chakra he is represented in yellow colour having four arms and is holding a vajra and blue lotus in his hands. He is seen mounted on a white elephant Airavata who has seven trunks that denotes the seven elements that is vital to physical functioning. At times instead of Indra the deity can also be Ganesha with coral orange skin and wearing a lemon yellow dhoti and a green silk scarf draped around his shoulders. He has four hands, one holding a laddu, second a lotus flower, third a hatchet and fourth is raised in the mudra of dispelling fear.

Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra) Seed Mantra

The Bijra Mantra or the seed mantra of this chakra is LAM, which is the sound of spiritual awakening. This mantra releases the tensions and helps to remove the blockage in the chakra and helps to activate its energy. This process initiates the awakening of the dormant powers within us and raising them into consciousness. It leads to the emergence of beautiful and healing experience clubbed with happy moments which emerge from the past and gives us the strength and inspiration to continue further. Not only pleasant memories and feelings but this also helps to bring out the buried hurts and disappointments which were supressed in our consciousness but were never fully gone, giving us an occasional pain, so that they can also be healed and resolved. Failure and disappointments in life are not always bad. Infact they help us to learn a lesson and accept the negativities of life so that we can make efforts to overcome them. This chakra does the exact same thing by helping us come in terms with the unpleasant experiences of our life, so that we can be at peace.

Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra) Seat of Kundalini

The Kundalini, which is the great spiritual potential sleeps in a deep red inverted triangle which is place at the centre of the square below the seed syllable. It sleeps there waiting to be arounsed and brought back up to Brahman or the source from where it originated. The Kundalini is represented as a snake that is wrapped three and a haf times around the smoky grey lingam. When this spiritual energy is woken up it helps us to work our way towards the light of knowledge and attain the fruit of self-realisation.

Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra) Petals

The lotus blossom of the Muladhara chakra has four petals which depicts the four points of the compass. These petals represents the four fundamental psychic functions of Mind, intellect, consciousness and ego, the roots of which lies in this chakra. They are written in gold and represents the four vrittis of greatest joy, natural pleasure, delight in controlling passion and blissfulness in concentration. These petals also represent dharma or psycho spiritual longing, artha or psychic longing, kama or physical longing and moksha or longing for spiritual ilberation.

Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra) Function

This chakra is considered to be the foundation of the energy body. A lot of stress is laid on stabilising this chakra and this is where the awakening of Kundalini takes place. This chakra is also considered to be the seat of 'red bindu' or subtle drop which rises up to the 'white bindu' in the head to unite the female and masculine energies or Shakti and Shiva. This chakra is associated with the element of earth and the sense of smell and the action of excretion. Purananda Sawmi is 'Sat Chakra Nipurana' write that "By meditating thus on Her who shines within the Muladhara Chakra, with the luster of ten million Suns, a man becomes Lord of speech and King among men, and an Adept in all kinds of learning. He becomes ever free from all diseases, and his inmost Spirit becomes full of great gladness. Pure of disposition by his deep and musical words, he serves the foremost of the Devas."

Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra) Association with the body

This chankra is located near the base of the spine and is related to the perineum near the anus. Since it is associated with the sense of smell it is associated with the nose and as it is also associated with excretion it is associated with the anus.

Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra) Practices and awakening process

There are various ways of awakening of the energy of the Muladhara chakra. Some of them are asanas (such as garudasana, shashankasana and siddhasana), nosetip gazing or Nasikagra Drishti, specific pranayamas and most importantly the practice of Mula Bandha which involves the contraction of perineum which awakens the Kundalini and is also important for the retention of semen. The other way of awakening this chakra is by chanting the seed mantra which can be done by continuously chanting the seed mantra of Muladhara Chakra for more than 100000000 times. Doing so will help you attain all the siddhis of the muladhara chakra.

Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra) Comparison with other systems

Unlike the other six chakras there is no parallel to this chakra when we compare this with the other important tantric systems of Vajrayana in Tibet or the Sufi system of Lataif or the Kabbaah. Each one of them have different ways of systems that is not similar to this Chakra.