The Sri Yantra or Shri Chakra is a form of mystical diagram (yantra) used in the Shri Vidya school of Hinduism. It consists of nine interlocking triangles – four upward ones which represent Shiva, and five downward ones representing Shakti. All these surround the central point, the bindu. These triangles represent the cosmos and the human body. Because of its nine triangles, Shri Yantra is also known as the Navayoni Chakra. When the two-dimensional Shri Yantra is represented in three dimensions, it is called a Mahameru. Mount Meru derives its name from this shape. In addition to Mount Meru, all other yantras derive from the Shri Yantra.
Yantra means ‘instrument’ or ‘machine’ in Sanskrit. This sacred symbol is in use for thousands of years, and its origin is clouded in mystery. It is one of the most difficult geometrical figures to draw.
There are various interpretations and many figures that represent the Chakra. The three main types of Chakra are plane, pyramidal and spherical. The worship of Sri Chakra is an ancient practice followed not only in our country, but also in a few others. It is the worship of the deity in a diagrammatic form, which is regarded as the highest form of Devi worship. The Chakra is formed by nine interlocking triangles that radiate from the centre. It represents the goddess in the form of Tripura Sundari. The yantra represents the union of masculine and feminine divine.
The description of the yantra is age-old, dating back to the time of the Upanishads, as claimed by some scholars. The Chakra is generally regarded as auspicious, beneficent and benign and leading to prosperity. It has been installed in various temples, including the Kamakshi Temple in Kanchipuram and the Mookambika Temple in Kollur (by Sri Adi Shankaracharya). It is also found in the Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Generally, the Chakra is carved on a stone and is worshipped by the priest and devotees who pay obeisance to the sign that represents the supreme power. It could also be drawn on paper, precious stone, metal plates and alloys. It has its use as an astrological device too. These yantras are made on a particular date and time, according to the procedure laid out in the vedas.
Symbolism of Sri Yantra
The worship of the Sri Yantra is central to the Sri Vidya system of Hindu worship. It represents the Goddess in the form of Devi Tripura Sundari, the natural beauty of the three worlds: Bhu Loka (Physical Plane, Consciousness of the Physical Plane), Bhuvar Loka (Antariksha or Intermediate Space, Sub-Consciousness of the Prana) and Swar Loka (Svarga or Heaven or Super-Consciousness of the Divine Mind). The Sri Yantra is the symbol of Hinduism, which is based on the Hindu philosophy of the vedas. The Sri Yantra is the object of devotion in Sri Vidya.[5]
The Shri Yantra represents the evolution of the multiverse as a result of the natural Divine Will of the Godhead Aadi Paraa Shakti. The four upward-pointing isosceles triangles represent the Goddess’s masculine embodiment Brahman, while the five downward-pointing triangles symbolize the female embodiment Jagat jannani.[5] The 12 and 15 sides of the four upward and five downward triangles also correspondingly symbolise, on the physical plane, the 12 sidereal zodiac signs of the Sun and 15 ‘nityas’ phase-signs of the Moon.[6]
The Shri Yantra is also known as the nav chakra because it can be seen to consist of nine concentric layers that radiate outward from the bindu. (“Nau” or “nava” means “nine” in Sanskrit.) Each level corresponds to a mudra, a yogini and a specific form of the deity Tripura Sundari along with her mantra. The various deities residing in the nine levels of the Shri Yantra are described in the Devi Khadgamala Mantra. These levels, listed from outermost to innermost, are:[1]
Pooja
ओम् ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं ऐं क्लीं सौः
ओम नमः त्रिपुर सुंदरी
हृदयादेवी सिरोदेवी, सिखादेवी, कवचा देवी, नेत्र देवी अस्त्र देवी, कामेश्वरी भगमालिनी, नित्यकलिन, भेरुंडे, वाहिनीवासिनी, महावृक्षेश्वरी, शिवदुति, तर्वित, कुलसुंदरी, नित्या, नीलपताक, विजय, विजय, विजय देवी, विजयदेवी
परमेस्वर, परमेश्वरी, मित्रेसमयी, शतश्यामै, उददीसामयी, चारणानाथमयी, लोपामुद्रामायि, अगस्त्यमयी, कालतपनामयी, धर्मचर्ममयी, मुक्तकेश्वरमयीं दीपाकल्पनायति, विमुक्तियति, विष्णु-वैराग्यं, विष्णु-देवता, विष्णुवती, तुतलाति
अणिमा सिद्धे, लघिमा सिद्धे, गरिमा सिद्धे, महिमा सिद्धे, इसित्वा सिद्धे, वासित्वा सिद्धे, प्रकाम्य सिद्धे, भुक्ति सिद्धे, इक्षा सिद्धे, प्रपती सिद्धे, सर्वकामे सिद्धे, ब्राह्मी, महेश्वरी, कौमारी, वैष्णवी, वरुण महि, वराह, महिषी
सर्वसमक्षिणी, सर्वविद्या, सर्वकारिणी, सर्वस्वमेकरी, सर्वमन्दिनी, सर्वमहंक्य, सर्वखारी, सर्वबीज, सर्वयोन, सर्वतोकेनदे
त्रैलोक्य मोहना चक्र स्वामिनी प्रोक्ता योगिनी
कामाकारिणी, बुद्धिकारिणी, अहंकारकारिणी, सबदर्शनकारिणी, स्पार्सकारिणी, रूपकर्षिनी, रासकारिणी, गन्धकारिणी, चित्ताकारिनी, धैरीकारिणी, स्मृतिरक्षिणी, नमस्कारिनी, बीजकारिणी, अत्माकरसिनी अमातकारिणी,
सर्वसा परिपराका चक्र स्वनिम गुप्ता योगिनी
अनंगा कुसुम, अनंगा मेखले, अनंगा मडाने, अनंगा मदनंटुरे, अनंगा रेखा, अनंगा वैजनी, अनंगा कुश, अनंगा मालिनी
सर्वसंकोभना चक्र स्वामिनी गुप्ता तारा योगिनी
सर्वसम्मोहिनी, सर्व विद्या, सर्व कारिणी, सर्व हलदिनी, सर्व सम्मोहिनी, सर्व स्तम्भिनी सर्वमृम्भिनी, सर्व वासमकारी, सर्व जांजनी, सर्वमन्दिनी, सर्वतदाशिनी, सर्वपत्तनिपरिणी, सर्वमन्त्रमन्ति मम।
सर्व सौभाया दयाका चक्र स्वामिनी, संप्रदाय योगिनी,
सर्व सिद्धिप्रदे, सर्व संपतपाद, सर्व प्रियकामरी, सर्व मंगलाकारिणी,
सर्व कामप्रदे, सर्व दुःख विमोकाणी, सर्व मृत्तु प्रसमानी, सर्व विघ्न निवार्णी, सर्वगंगा सुंदरी, सर्व सौभग्य दैव सर्वार्थ साधिका चक्र स्वामिनी, कुलोत्कर्ण योगिनी,
सर्वजन, सर्वशक्ति, सर्वविद्या प्रदायिनी, सर्व ज्ञानमयी, सर्व व्याधिविनासिनी, सर्वधर्वरूपे, सर्व पाप हरे, सर्व आनंद माया, सर्व रक्षा स्वारूपिणी, सर्वपिता फला प्रदे, सर्व रक्षा चक्षुका चक्षारकः।
वासिनी, कामेश्वरी, मोदिनी, विमले, अरुण, जयिनी, सर्वेश्वरी, कौलिनी
सर्वग्रहो चक्र स्वामिनी, रहस्या योगिनी
बन्नी, छपिनी, पासीनी, अंकुशिनी
महा कामेश्वरी, महा वज्रेश्वरी, महा भगमालिनी,
सर्व सिद्धिप्रद चक्र स्वामिनी अति रहस्या योगिनी
श्री श्री महा भट्टारिके, सर्वानंद माया चक्र स्वामिनी परपरा रहस्या योगिनी
त्रिपुरे, त्रिपुरेशि, त्रिपुरसिद्धे, त्रिपुरम्बी महात्रिपुरसुन्दरी महामहेश्वरी, महामहाराजनी, महामहा साकेत, महामहागुप्ते, महामहाजनपते, महामहन्देन्, महामहाकांडे, महामहेशये
महामहन्नेन्द, महामहाकांडे, महामहाय, महामहास्री नागरासमंजनी
नमस्ते नमस्ते नमस्ते नमः नमः
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