तन्त्रसार (महामाहेश्वर अभिनवगुप्त - तन्त्रालोक का प्रामाणिक सार-संग्रह सटीक)

liii other holy spots. Though those places are considered au- spicious yet they are really external and be of help for att- aining Siddhis, whereas the internal pīṭhas are of much help, for by fixing the vital energy in different locations of the body one is able to attain liberation. Just as there are a good number of holy spots outside, similarly they have their locations inside the human body, They are generally known as Pīṭha, upapīṭha, sandohaka, kṣetra, upakṣetra. Pīṭhas are three, namely, (a) Kāmarūpa, Pūrṇagiri and uḍḍiyāna. Kāmarūpa is of the form of icchā, the other two are of the nature of nāda and bindu respectively and have their locations at the right and left side of the body. The following chart shows them clearly : (b) Upapīṭha : 3 (c) Sandohaka : 3.

1. Devīkoṭṭa : Śākta 1. Puṇḍravardhana : Lalanā
2. Ujjayinī : Bindu 2. Vārendra : Vaindava
3. Kulagiri : Vyāpinī 2. Ekāmra : Vyāpti (d) Kṣetra : They are the petals of the heart lotus
4. Prayāga 2. Varaṇā 3. Aṭṭahāsa 4. Jayantikā
5. Vārāṇasī 6. Kaliṅga 7. Kulūtā 8. Lāhulā (e) upakṣetra : 8 The eight tips of the lotus.
6. virajā 2. Eruḍikā 3. Hālā 4. Elāpū
7. Kṣīrikā 6. Rājapurī 7. Māyāpurī 8. Marudeśa (f) Upasandohaka : 8 The meeting point of petals.
8. Jālandhara 2. Naipāla 3. Kaśmīra 4. Gargikā
9. Hara 6. Mlecchadigdvāravṛtti 7. Kurukṣetra 8. Kheṭaka Though places that are external are of no help for attaining release, yet they are acceptible, for deities who are well-versed in jñāna and yoga are born there and have sanctfied the place. Moreover, by their stay in those places devoted people may become recipient of jñāna and yoga.