Śivasaṃhitā 5.151

This verse offers a subtle anatomical description of the suṣumnā, the central channel of the energetic body. Its ‘lower mouth’ (adhovaktrā) descends from the root of the palate to the mūlādhāra, establishing a vertical axis that traverses the entire being. This image of the channel as a subtle spinal column is fundamental to understanding the movement of energy in yogic practice.

Suṣumnā possibly derives from su (good, excellent) and ṣumna (grace, benevolence), though some sources relate it to sūkṣma (subtle). The term nāḍī designates the channels through which prāṇa circulates; classical texts mention 72,000, though only a few are essential for practice. Mūlādhāra, the ‘root support,’ anchors the entire system.

The understanding that all nāḍīs converge between the mūlādhāra and the perineal region has direct practical implications for techniques such as mūlabandha and aśvinīmudrā. By contracting and releasing this area, the practitioner stimulates the root of the entire nāḍī system, preparing the ground for the ascent of kuṇḍalinī through the central channel.