Apasmāra and The Feet of Naṭarāja (continued)
Śrīraṅga Mahāguru points out how there is nothing mysterious about this trampling of Apasmāra. The pressing of Naṭarāja's foot upon Apasmāra's spine is highly significant from the point of view of the yogic science. Yogic texts describe several cakra–s ("wheels") in the human body. See for example, Yogacūḍāmaṇyupaniṣad 1.4-5 (In : Yoga Upanishads ed. Sastri, Pandit A. Mahadeva. Adyar : The Adyar Library and Research Centre, 1983 edition). Of the seven or more, the six cakra–s spanning the spine form one unit, whereas the one(s) from above the nape up to the cranium, another. The former is called śakti-sthāna and stand for the realm of Prakṛti ("Nature"); the latter is called called śāmbhava-sthāna, and stands for Puruṣa ("Person"). This has been taken note of in Varāhopaniṣad 5.53: mūlādhārādi-ṣaṭcakraṁ śakti-sthānam udīritam |
kaṇṭhādupari mūrdhāntaṁ śāmbhavaṁ sthānamucyate ||
मूलाधारादि-षट्चक्रं शक्ति-स्थानम् उदीरितम् |
कण्ठादुपरि मूर्धान्तं शाम्भवं स्थानमुच्यते ||
(In : Yoga Upanishads ed. Sastri, Pandit A. Mahadeva. Adyar : The Adyar Library and Research Centre, 1983 edition)
The entanglement of the jīva (the "individual self") in saṁsāra is primarily due to the jīva's being unable to go beyond the realm of Prakṛti to the original realm, viz. that of the Puruṣa. Naṭarāja thus applies pressure upon the Prakṛti portion of Apasmāra , and it is this that easens the "transportation" , a veritable squeezing of the jīva - from out of the realm of Prakṛti into that coveted realm of the Puruṣa, thus restoring the jīva to the original nature. It is thus an anugraha, favour, that the Lord has rendered to the jīva - the greatest possible benefaction indeed! As Śrīraṅga Mahāguru states it, what is apparently a nigraha, punishment, is indeed an anugraha, blessing! - a nigraha-rūpa-anugraha, as he would put it.