surgeon opens up the spinal cord to see the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna, please note that he will see nothing of this sort! This is because the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna described in Indian Yogic scriptures are very subtle in nature. Thus no modern, material apparatus can prove its existence. These subtle nerves can only be experienced by an individual who has purified his mind so as to make it very subtle and focused. Very briefly these are 2 types of energy centers. One is in the brain (spiritual) and the other near the genitals (material). The electrical streams flowing in the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna subtle nerves are like a bridge that joins these 2 energy centers. Symbolically Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are compared to Rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. It is called Triveni or 3-fold union.
When a river flows very speedily it tends to create eddies. When the atmospheric wind is hot and speedy, one experiences cyclones in the summer season. Just like eddies in a river and cyclones in wind, the conscious energy flowing in the Sushumna is said to be merely an intense stream of electricity. It is called an energy wheel. In Yogic scriptures it is said that there are 6 such energy wheels.
In Indian mythology called Puranas the symbol of effort and son of Shakti (divine energy) is said to be Kartikeya Skand. He is Parvati’s son, yet according to Shiva Purana it was Kritikas (Pleide Stars) who reared him. Agni (fire) retained Kartikeya in its womb. Shiva’s Retas (sperm) manifested as fire and Vaishwanar (bodily hunger fire) in the form of a female, imbibed this Retas in her womb and nourished it. Yatudhanas, symbols of innumerous obstacles, had rendered the life of demigods full of distress. These Yatudhanas were defeated by