[INDOLOGY] Association between nāḍīs and dvāras within Jainism?

[jacob at fabularasa.dk]

Dear all,

I am currently working on an analysis of Jain gyān bāzī (Snakes & 
Ladders) charts. Evidence seems to indicate that the nine snakes which 
routinely appear on the charts are associated with "the nine great 
energy channels" (mahā nav nāḍī) of the human body, and that the nine 
rows of the charts are likewise associated with the nine "gates" (dvār) 
of the human body (i.e. eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, anus, urethra). The 
gates are furthermore associated with various rebirth categories, and 
the implied logic seems to be that by "closing off" the nine gates, one 
will be able to cut off the heads of the snakes, so to speak, stop the 
process of rebirth, and open up the tenth gate (brahmarandhra), thereby 
attaining liberation (and winning the game).

I am aware that Gorakhnāth associates ten nāḍīs with the ten dvāras in 
Siddhasiddhāntapaddhati 1.67, but I have not been able to find a similar 
association within Jainism. It is not at all impossible that Nāth 
thinking influenced the Jain charts in this respect, but I am not 
sufficiently well versed in Jain yoga to make such a call. If anybody is 
aware of such an association within Jainism or elsewhere, or perhaps 
even an association between dvāras and rebirth categories, I would be 
very interested to know about it.

Kind regards,
Jacob

Jacob Schmidt-Madsen
PhD Fellow (Indology)
University of Copenhagen
Denmark