Śivasaṃhitā 2.9

This verse introduces a striking dynamic: the second stream of nectar does not flow gently but is drawn with force — haṭhāt — through the central channel. The adjective śuddhadugdhābha, «brilliant as the purest milk», evokes absolute luminosity and purity, while the verb karṣati (to draw, to pull) suggests an active, almost magnetic extraction from the lunar sphere above.

The word maṇḍala here refers to the lunar disc or sphere — the cosmic source from which this radiant stream is pulled. Suṣumnā, the central channel running through the subtle spine, is identified as the pathway through which this energy descends to constitute the inner moon. This creates a subtle paradox: the moon produces nectar, yet it is itself produced through the suṣumnā’s reception of lunar energy.

The significance of suṣumnā as the vehicle for the purest lunar ray reframes the usual Haṭha Yoga narrative, which emphasizes the upward ascent of kuṇḍalinī through this channel. Here, suṣumnā also functions as a receptor of descending grace. This bidirectionality — energy rising and nectar descending — suggests a more complete model of the subtle body as a site of continuous cosmic exchange rather than mere upward striving.