विशुद्धिचक्र-निलयाऽऽरक्तवर्णा त्रिलोचना ।
खट्वाङ्गादि-प्रहरणा वदनैक-समन्विता ॥ ९८॥
पायसान्नप्रिया त्वक्स्था पशुलोक-भयङ्करी ।
अमृतादि-महाशक्ति-संवृता डाकिनीश्वरी ॥ ९९॥

The one who resides in Vishudhdhi (throat) chakra ( vishudhdhichakra nilayā), mild red hued (āraktha varna), three eyed (trilōchana), holding khadvāngam ( a skull headed club) and other weapons¹ in her 4 hands (khadvāngādi praharanā), one faced (vadanaika samanvita), fond of payasānna – rice cooked in milk and sweetened (pāyasānna priyā), presiding over skin and touch (Twakstha) the outermost barrier of the physical body, terrifying to those who are ignorant (pasuloka bhayankari), surrounded by 16 mahashaktīs² or seated in a 16 petaled lotus representing the vowels/life giving aksharas (amtritādi mahashakti samvrutā), namely Dākini (dākinīswari).

अनाहताब्ज-निलया श्यामाभा वदनद्वया ।
दंष्ट्रोज्ज्वलाऽक्ष-मालादि-धरा रुधिरसंस्थिता ॥ १००॥
कालरात्र्यादि-शक्त्यौघ-वृता स्निग्धौदनप्रिया ।
महावीरेन्द्र-वरदा राकिण्यम्बा-स्वरूपिणी ॥ १०१॥

The one who resides in Anāhata (heart) chakra (Anāhatabja nilayā), blackish-green hued (syāmābhā), with two faces (vadanadwayā), teeth gleaming (damshtrōjwala), wearing a 51 beaded garland representing the 51 aksharās from अ to क्ष (akshamālādi dharā), in the realm/substratum of (presiding over) blood³ (rudira samsthithā), surrounded by 12 of her attendants such as kālarātri⁴ (kālaratrādi shakthyouka vrithā), fond of rice mixed with ghee⁵ (snigdhoudanapriyā), granting boons to warriors⁶ (mahāvīrendra varadā).

मणिपूराब्ज-निलया वदनत्रय-संयुता ।
वज्रादिकायुधोपेता डामर्यादिभिरावृता ॥ १०२॥
रक्तवर्णा मांसनिष्ठा गुडान्न-प्रीत-मानसा ।
समस्तभक्त-सुखदा लाकिन्यम्बा-स्वरूपिणी ॥ १०३॥

The one who resides in the Manipūraka chakra⁷ (manipūrābja nilayā), having 3 faces (vadanatraya samyutā), weilding such weapons as vajrā, spear etc in her 4 hands (vajrāyudhōpetha), surrounded by 10 parivāra devatas such Damari (dāmaryādi bhirāvrutā), bright red colored (raktha varnā), residing in the realm of flesh (māmsa nishtā), relishing jaggery rice (gudānnaprithamānasā), giver of sukha to all her bhakthās (samasthabhkathasukhadā), namely Lākinyambā.

स्वाधिष्ठानाम्बुज-गता चतुर्वक्त्र-मनोहरा ।
शूलाद्यायुध-सम्पन्ना पीतवर्णाऽतिगर्विता ॥ १०४॥
मेदोनिष्ठा मधुप्रीता बन्धिन्यादि-समन्विता ।
दध्यन्नासक्त-हृदया काकिनी-रूप-धारिणी ॥ १०५॥

The one who resides in Swādishtānam / coccyx (just above mūlādhāra) (swādishtānāmbhujagathā), having 4 beautiful faces that captivate the mind (chaturvaktra manōharā), having four hands that wield weapons such as the sūlam(trident ⁸(sūlādhyāyudha sampanna), yellow/golden colored (pītha varna), extremely proud (of her beauty) (athigarvitā), presiding over the realm of the fatty layer in the body (médhōnishtā)⁹, fond of honey (madhuprīta), surrounded by her parivara devatās such as bandinī¹⁰ (bandiniyādhi samanvitā), fond of yogurt rice(dadhyannāsaktha hrudayā), namely Kākini (kākini rūpadhārini).

मूलाधाराम्बुजारूढा पञ्च-वक्त्राऽस्थि-संस्थिता ।
अङ्कुशादि-प्रहरणा वरदादि-निषेविता ॥ १०६॥
मुद्गौदनासक्त-चित्ता साकिन्यम्बा-स्वरूपिणी ।

The one who resides in the Mūlādhāra chakra / perineum(āsana dwāram) (Mūlādhārāmbhujarūdha), having 5 faces (panchavaktrā), presiding over the skeletal component (asthi samsthithā) ¹¹, bearing ankusa and other armories(ankushādi praharanā)¹², surrounded by Varadā and 3 other devatās (varadādi nishevitā)¹³, fond of rice cooked with green gram ¹⁴(mudgoudanāsakthachiththā), namely Sākini (sākinyambā swarūpini).

आज्ञा-चक्राब्ज-निलया शुक्लवर्णा षडानना ॥ १०७॥
मज्जासंस्था हंसवती-मुख्य-शक्ति-समन्विता ।
हरिद्रान्नैक-रसिका हाकिनी-रूप-धारिणी ॥ १०८॥

The one who resides in the ājna chakra/(brūmadhya)’between the eyebrows’ ¹⁵(Ājnā chakrābja nilayā), white-hued (shuklavarnā), with six faces(shadānanā), presiding over the realm of majja or bone marrow (majja samsthā)¹⁶, attended by the shaktis Hamsavati and Kshamāvati¹⁷ (hamsavati mukhyasakthi samanvita), fond of yellow(turmeric) rice (haridrānnaika rasikā), namely Hākini (Hākini rūpa dhārini)

सहस्रदल-पद्मस्था सर्व-वर्णोप-शोभिता ।
सर्वायुधधरा शुक्ल-संस्थिता सर्वतोमुखी ॥ १०९॥
सर्वौदन-प्रीतचित्ता याकिन्यम्बा-स्वरूपिणी ।

The one who resides in the sahasrāra chakra ¹⁸(sahasradala padmasthā), shining with the radiance of all colors ( sarva varnōpa shobithā)¹⁹, weilding all kinds of weapons in her thousands of hands (sarvāyutadharā), residing in the most subtle/untouched element of the body (shukla samsthithā)²⁰, facing all directions (sarvathōmukhi), fond of all foods (sarvoudhanaprīta chiththā), namely Yākini (Yākinyambā swarūpini).

The concept of having no specific attribute at this level (which is the description of the nirguna brahman or the Infinite) seems deceptively simple to understand and sounds easily accesible. However, it is attained only after practice to transcend the other realms. It is only attained after repeated sādhana (practice) that is needed to understand, access and transcend the other 6 chakras.²¹

1. Dākini resides in the first chakra as described by Vākdevis, she has only one face and 4 arms bearing such weapons as Khadvāngam, Kathu, Sūdam, Kedagam ↩︎
2. The throat (Vishudhdhi) chakra is represented by a 16 petaled lotus for the 16 vowels. Each vowel is sound ruled by the shakthis Amritā (अ), Ākarsini (आ),Indrāni (इ),Īsāni (ई), Uma (उ), Ūrdvakesi (ऊ),Rudhdhidāyi (ऋ), Rūkārā (ॠ), Lukārā (ऌ), Lrūkārā (ॡ), Ēkapādā (ए), Aiswaryātmika (ऐ), Ōmkārā (ओँ), Oushadātmikā (औ), Ambikā (अँ), Akshara (अः) ↩︎
3. Blood represents the element next to skin, aptly suited for the vishudhdhi (heart) chakra ↩︎
4. Residing in the second chakra in the order elucidated in the Lalitā Sahasranāmā, Rākini is therefore with two faces. The heart (anāhata) chakra is represented as a 12 petaled lotus for the first 12 consonants (क, ख, ग, घ, ङ, च, छ, ज, झ, ञ, ट, ठ) and each of these petals are presided by shaktis/attendants (such as Kālarātri, Khānthitha, Gāyatri, Ghantinī etc) ↩︎
5. Rice with ghee is believed to benefit blood production in the body ↩︎
6. Here, ‘warriors’ alludes to those who are eloquent and such eloquence is granted by Rākini who commands the 51 aksharas and the shabda brahman ↩︎
7. Lākini is with three faces as she resides in the 3rd chakra. The navel /nābhi (manipūraka) chakra is represented as a 10 petaled lotus for the next 10 consonants (ड,ढ,ण,त,थ,द,ध,न,प,फ) each of which have parivarata devatas such as Damari, Dhankāri, …, Pārvati,Phatkāri. ↩︎
8. Kākini has 4 faces commensurate with dwelling in the 4th chakra, wields weapons such as the trident (sūlam), noose(pāsam), skull(kapālam) and elephant hook(aṅkuśam) ↩︎
9. Medha , the fatty layer is the 4th layer below the skin, also another reason why it is the 4th chakra as described by the Vākdevis. Medha also means brain (or wisdom). ↩︎
10. Swādishtāna chakra is represented as a 6 petaled lotus for the 6 consonants (ब,भ,म,य,र,ल) for the 6 shaktis that rule those aksharās – Bandinī, Bhadrakāli, Mahāmāyā,Yasasvinī, Raktā, Lambōshti. ↩︎
11. Sākini presides over the bones which are the 5th layer from the skin and thus Mūladhāra is the 5th in the order of chakras described. ↩︎
12. Sākini has 4 hands bearing Aṅkusa(elephant hook),lotus, book(denoting vedas) and Gnāna (chin) mudra, all symbols of enlightnement. There is no explicit mention of Sākini’s color, but from other texts its inferred that she is grey in color (like the color of smoke from a yagna). ↩︎
13. Mūlādhāra chakra is usually represented as a 4 petaled red lotus with each petal denoting each of the aksharas व,श,ष,स and the corresponding parivāra devatas are Varadā, Shri, Shandā and Saraswatī. ↩︎
14. Mudgoudanam is rice cooked with green gram(mung dāl) but has specific proportions prescribed – green gram:rice:jaggery:grated coconut:ghee:pepper:rock salt:jeera in the proportion 32:16:8:8:8:2:1:1/2, cooked with required amount of milk. ↩︎
15. Hākini presides over the mind (manas) which in turn controls the other 5 chakras below
    ↩︎
16. Hākini is seated on a 2 petaled (white) lotus (representing Ājna chakra) with 6 faces representing the 5 indriyas controlled by the 6 face (mind). She has four hands bearing gnāna mudra, aksha mālā (beads), kapālam(skull) and udukkai (drum) ↩︎
17. The parivara devatas ruling the remaining two aksharas ह,क्ष are seated on the two petals of this chakra. ↩︎
18. Sahasrāra chakra is represented as a 1000 petaled lotus on top of the haed referred to as the ‘brahmarantram’. Yākini who presides over this chakra has innumerable faces and hands and is simply understood as “all encompassing” ↩︎
19. ‘varna’ also means aksharas. Saraswathi is also called Varnātmika ( the soul of all aksharas). Hence all the 51 aksharas are Yākini’s parivara devatās.
    ‘Sarva varna upa shōbita’ – When activated, the outer shell of the sahasrāra is said to be more lustrous than a full moon and the rays of this moon is multi colored – predominantly in the colors of the visible spectrum, (beginning with red at mūlādhāra, orange at swādishtāna, yellow at maṇipūra, green at anāhata, blue at viśuddhi, indigo at ājñā and violet at sahasrāra) and all the hues in between. ↩︎
20. The innermost realms after crossing the other 6 chakras that trascend the skin, blood, flesh, fat, bones, and mind is where Yākini resides and the term ‘shuklam’ encompasses all the vital fluids in the body to create, sustain and destroy (such as plasma, lymph, hormones, reproductive and many others at a cellular level) ↩︎
21. Sahasrāra is difficult to explain just as a chakra – rather, it is a state. It signifies the union of Shiva and Shakti ; The bindu where absolute bliss is attained ; The orifice through the mind (which is purified at the ājna chakra begins to realize the non-duality of the soul), passes to be freed from all (sancita) karma, never to be born again (in other words, attain moksha/liberation) ↩︎