The Seven Chakras — Wheels of Life Force
The seven chakras (energy centers) along the spine are the map of the human energy body, each governing specific physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual functions.
The seven primary chakras (from base to crown): Muladhara (root — survival, grounding, earth); Svadhisthana (sacral — creativity, sexuality, water); Manipura (solar plexus — power, will, fire); Anahata (heart — love, compassion, air); Vishuddha (throat — expression, truth, space); Ajna (third eye — intuition, vision, mind); Sahasrara (crown — pure consciousness, union with Shiva). Each chakra is associated with a specific color, bija mantra (seed sound), lotus with a specific number of petals, element, deity, and psychological quality. The Tantric path works systematically through each chakra — grounding in the lower centers, opening the heart, refining expression, awakening intuition, and ultimately transcending the individual in the crown. The Sat Chakra Nirupana by Purnananda (1526 CE) is the classic text on the seven-chakra system.
The seven wheels of life spin in the subtle body — awakening each one, the practitioner becomes whole.
Purnananda's Sat Chakra Nirupana (1526 CE) fixed the now-standard sequence of six chakras plus the Sahasrara, each assigned a bija mantra, element, presiding deity, and lotus of a set number of petals.
Sat Chakra Nirupana