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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Hinduism's Online Lexicon - A-z Dictionary N nada: (Sanskrit) "Sound; tone, vibration." Metaphysically, the mystic sounds of the Eternal, of which the highest is the transcendent or Soundless Sound, Paranada, the first vibration from which creation emanates. Paranada is so pure and subtle that it cannot be identified to the denser regions of the mind. From Paranada comes Pranava, Aum, and further evolutes of nada.

These are experienced by the meditator as the nadanadi shakti, "the energy current of sound," heard pulsing through the nerve system as a constant high-pitched hum, much like a tambura, an electrical transformer, a swarm of bees or a shruti box. Listening to the inner sounds is a contemplative practice, called nada upasana, "worship through sound," nada anusandhana, "cultivation of inner sound," or nada yoga.

The subtle variations of the nadanadi shakti represent the psychic wavelengths of established guru lineages of many Indian religions. Nada also refers to other psychic sounds heard during deep meditation, including those resembling various musical instruments. Most commonly, nada refers to ordinary sound. See: Aum, nadi, pranava, sound. nadanadi shakti: (Sanskrit) "Energy current of sound." See: nada. nadi: (Sanskrit) "Conduit." A nerve fiber or energy channel of the subtle (inner) bodies of man.

It is said there are 72,000. These interconnect the chakras. The three main nadis are named ida, pingala and sushumna. --ida: (Sanskrit) Also known as chandra ("moon") nadi, it is pink in color and flows downward, ending on the left side of the body. This current is feminine in nature and is the channel of physical-emotional energy. --pinga-a: Also known as surya ("sun") nadi, it is blue in color and flows upward, ending on the right side of the body.

This current is masculine in nature and is the channel of intellectual-mental energy. --sushumna: (Sanskrit) The major nerve current which passes through the spinal column from the muladhara chakra at the base to the sahasrara at the crown of the head. It is the channel of kundalini. Through yoga, the kundalini energy lying dormant in the muladhara is awakened and made to rise up this channel through each chakra to the sahasrara chakra. See: chakra, kundalini, raja yoga, tantrism.

naga: (Sanskrit) "Serpent," often the cobra; symbol of the kundalini coiled on the four petals of the muladhara chakra. See: kundalini, muladhara chakra.