– Sri Swami Lakshman Joo
मन्त्रवेधं तु नादाख्यं बिन्दुवेधमतः परम् |
शाक्तं भुजङ्गवेधं तु परं षष्ठमुदाहृतम् ||
Vedha dīkṣā (penetrating initiation) is said to be sixfold: (i) mantravedha, (ii) nādavedha, (iii) binduvedha, (iv) śāktavedha, (v) bhujaṅgavedha and (vi) paravedha. All these sixfold initiations revealed in the Kulagahvara Tantra, take place in Prāṇa Kuṇḍalinī and each reflects a different experience in the rise of Prāṇa Kuṇḍalinī. The varieties of penetrating initiations come to the aspirant depending on his desires and longings.
Mantravedha is the first piercing where the Yogi hears the sound of the mantra. This kind of piercing takes place when the Yogi intensely desires and longs for the recognition of Supreme I-Consciousness. In this case, when Prāṇa Kuṇḍalinī rises, it takes the form of mantra and the Yogi hears a mantra such a Aum, śiva, ahaṃ or so.ahaṃ. At the same time, he feels complete oneness with the Kuṇḍalinī, this is called Mantra. His breath becomes full of bliss and this breath penetrates all the chakras. This kind of penetration is called Mantravedha.
Nādavedha is the second type of piercing. This piercing occurs when the Yogi desires to uplift people. Here, when the breath touches the Mūlādhāra cakra, it takes the formation of a drum sound.
The third type of piercing is called Binduvedha. Here, the blissful force of breath is transformed into a fountain of semen. The Yogi feels a fountain of semen rising from Mūlādhāra cakra to Brahmarandhra and spreading throughout his body. When the Kuṇḍalinī rises in the case of Bindu-vedha, the Yogi feels that sexual joy is nothing in comparison to the joy experienced in it.
The fourth type of piercing is called śāktavedha dīkṣā. In this piercing, an aspirant experiences the rise from Mūlādhāra cakra to Brahmarandhra when the blissful force of breath is transformed into pure energy. This is the rise of Kuṇḍalinī energy. It is called śāktavedha because this kind of penetration is filled with śakti or power.
Bhujaṅgavedha is the fifth type of piercing. In this kind, when Prāṇa Kuṇḍalinī is rising, the Yogi feels that a serpent is rising and producing a hissing sound. In this case, the rise of the blissful force of breath in the form of Prāṇa Kuṇḍalinī takes the form of a snake and penetrates all the chakras upwards.
Paravedha dīkṣā is the sixth type of piercing and is the Supreme Vedha. It is experienced by those who are always bent upon finding the Lord and nothing else. They are not interested in anything but only want to surrender themselves completely to the Lord.