Aum Chakrarajayai Namaha!

30

Sri Chakra

Lakshmi, lajje, mahavidye, shraddhe, pushtiswadhe, dhruve,

Maharatri, mahavidye,

Narayani namosthute!

O Lakshmi! O modesty!

Of great knowledge, faith, prosperity, O firm one!

O great night, O great knowledge,

O Narayani! Praise be to you!

Yantra means an instrument, a machine, or a storehouse of power. All forms of creation are nothing but energy, and a yantra, due to its mathematical precision, is a powerhouse of inherent energy. Within its concrete form it encloses the uncontrollable power of the deity. It limits the limitless within a figure of crisscrossed lines that bind and channel the form of the deity. It creates a field of power that lives, breathes, and moves with life and within which the power of the divine can be invoked. Yantra images exist within us, but in order to perceive them we must develop a new way of seeing and sharpen our inherent faculty in which these images are stored. These images are pulled out of the vast ocean of consciousness that holds within it all conceivable forms. As our awareness penetrates into deeper levels of consciousness, our inner experiences also change. They become more abstract. The forms we see in nature are only their gross representations, which rest on their abstract subtle forms, and these are what the yantra represents. The yantra is the original form of everything in nature. Every image in nature can be represented by its linear dimension, which is the yantra.

A yantra is composed of a combination of the basic primordial shapes: the bindu or point, line, circle, square, and triangle. The focal point of a yantra is always the center or bindu. It represents the nucleus or seed from which creation has evolved and into which it will return— the process of creation and dissolution. It also represents the union of the two dual principles of the universe, Shiva and Shakti, consciousness and energy. The bindu represents the state of their union preceding creation. In the human body this focal point is found at the top back portion of the head. You will find that the Brahmins in India cover this spot with a tuft of hair.

Space cannot be circumscribed by anything less than three lines, so the triangle is considered to be the first form to have emerged out of creation. In its inverted (downward-pointing) form it represents Mula Prakriti or the matrix of creation; the upward-pointing triangle represents Purusha or Shiva or pure consciousness. In the Sri Chakra we see an intersection of the upward-pointing triangle with the downward-pointing one, which represents the downward thrust of energy that is met with an upward thrust of consciousness.

The circle represents the cycle of timelessness, which has no beginning and no end. It denotes eternity and implies the process of birth, life, and death as an eternal cycle of events. The square is the substratum on which the yantra rests and denotes the physical or terrestrial world that has to be transcended.

Chakras are a type of yantra. They are always in the shape of a wheel, representing constant movement. The chakra signifies the constant and dynamic circulation of the power of the infinite. The chakra, like the yantra, can lead us to the direct perception of the divine. The perfect lines of beauty, harmony, and symmetry with which the Master Mathematician designs the universe are caught in the chakra. Like yantras, chakras are drawn with lines, triangles, circles, and squares. They frequently employ the lotus motif.

The mandala is always represented within a circle. Any form that is pictorially created within the consciousness can form a mandala. Tantric iconography is filled with mandalas of the deities. These are often not the forms that are visible to the gross vision but the forms that are seen by the inner eye. An object can be visualized from both the outside and the inside, but the difference is that when you visualize inwardly, you catch a glimpse of what lies beyond the form. The mandalas that you create will depend on your level of consciousness. The more evolved your mind, the more universal will be the mandalas you create. The Tantric mandalas were created by those who had transcended the material plane and become enraptured in some supracosmic ecstasy.

Every civilization has its own mandalas, and these give us a clue as to the level of consciousness of that society. These mandalas are created in the subconscious abyss of the mind, and hence they have a profound influence on the minds of those who look at them, even though they may not be able to understand what they see. They can influence generations of people long after they were made. That is why Tantric mandalas have such a strong impact on us even today. All the ancient temple art of India was in the form of mandalas, since the artists were inspired by their inner vision, and that is why the art has withstood the test of time and exists as immortal and eternal ideas.

Even today mandalas are drawn in various colors in front of houses and for special rituals. The mandala that is normally drawn before the commencement of any Tantric ritual is not a mere decorative image. It actually provides a potent and graphic focus for the operation of subtle forces both internally and externally. Each deity has his or her own mandala. Concentration on the mandala awakens the deep-rooted instincts within us and reveals unknown mysteries, in the form of dreams and visions. This is a psychologically subtle way of dispensing with a fearful enemy for which you have no outward defense. These mandalas are always aesthetic and are able to capture and direct our imagination, which is our link with our higher mind.

The Vedas speak of the supernal ether or akasa as the abode of vac or sound. Tantra calls this ether mahakaarana or the cause of all causes. It is the storehouse of all sounds and is the permanent place of the light of all lights. From this mass of formless light emerge the rays that fashion all forms during the course of evolution. Deva means “the shining one,” and the gods or devas are also emanations from this light. The formless radiance emits rays of definite forms and weaves them into the forms and features of the various gods. These lines of light that make the form-patterns of the gods are known as yantras and chakras. We can contemplate the absolute as a mass of ineffable light, but if we want to see the auspicious form of our favorite deity, this light has to be codified into a definite pattern of rays, and this codification results in the yantra or the chakra. Tantra says that by worshipping the chakra or yantra of a deity, we can immediately visualize the deity’s form and thus enable the god to manifest in front of our physical eyes. There is a wonderful passage in the Isavasya Upanishad that says:

The face of truth is covered with a brilliant golden lid;

That do thou remove, O fosterer of the law of truth, for sight;

O fosterer! O sole seer, O ordainer, O illumining sun!

O power of the father of all creatures!

Marshal thy rays, draw together thy light;

The light, which is thy most blessed form, that in thee I behold.

The Purusha there and there,

He am I.

Esoterically, this verse is a plea to the ordainer asking him to mass the rays of his eternal light in a special formation so as to enable us to see the glorious form of the godhead.

The circle represents that principle that has no beginning and no end and is perfectly symmetrical and equidistant from the center. It stands for the radiations from the one divine center to the circumscribed field of action of the world. The bindu or dot in the center normally denotes the supreme. Triangles represent the triple worlds of creation—three lower and three higher. Each triangle enfolds the yoni or womb, which is the origin of everything and which stands for the Divine Mother. Both equilateral and isosceles triangles are used. A triangle with its apex turned up indicates the single-pointed aspiration of the sadhaka that raises her from the broad-based depths of her being to the heights of the divine. The triangle with its apex pointing downward corresponds to the shakti or grace of the Divine Mother that immediately responds to the efforts of the seeker. The figure formed by two triangles intersecting each other is known as the shatkona or six-cornered figure; it represents the rising aspiration of the jivatman that is being enfolded in the responding grace of the Divine Mother. This figure, which forms the base of the Sri Chakra, represents the ascent of the inner power, which is encouraged by the higher power, which descends to welcome it. When the supreme Shakti of her own volition takes on the form of the universe and turns her gaze on her own pulsation, the chakra comes into being. The Sri Chakra is thus a master plan for the manifestation of the universe drawn by the divine architect on the board of the infinite.

The lotus is a flower that responds only to the call of light. It raises its head when the sun rises and closes its petals when it sets. The flower opens petal by petal, corresponding to the gradual unfolding of the latent spirituality in us. That is why the lotus plays such a significant part in all chakras. The centers of psychic consciousness in the human being are also known as chakras, and a lotus flower diagrammatically represents each of them.

The yantra known as the Sri Chakra is considered to be the king of all chakras. It is called Chakraraja in the Lalitha Sahasranama and constitutes the chariot of Lalitha. It is the most potent and famous of all yantras. It is the eternal abode of Maha Devi as Tripurasundari and the supreme storehouse of all felicity. The Lalitha Sahasranama says, “The japa of the king of mantras, the worship of the king of chakras, and the recital of the occult names are the fruits of no little tapas!”

The Sri Chakra is the king of all chakras for another reason also: it contains all other chakras within it, in the same way that the Divine Mother contains and sustains all other gods and goddesses. Therefore it is said that by using the Sri Chakra one can worship any god or goddess. The vibrations that emanate from it are so positive that even a person who sits near it is subtly influenced by it without his or her knowledge. Hence it is present in many centers of worship. Adi Shankaracharya is famous for having installed the Sri Chakra in all the temples that he visited or established all over India. Modern mathematicians are astounded by the beauty and symmetry of this amazing figure, the secret of which they have not been able to fathom. The lines and angles are delicate and sharp. The curves and petals are round and smooth. Its intricate pattern defies all intellectual analysis.

The universe is a projection of the Paramatman, who creates it in order to know himself and to see himself. The goal of life is a conscious and voluntary return of the jivatman back to the Paramatman. If the divine consciousness were only the inaction of unmanifest bliss, there would be no universe and no creation. In contrast, the supreme manifests himself so that he might become conscious of himself. The first manifestation is of light. This light contains within it the seed of an unformulated desire to manifest. This seed desire or vimarsha, as Tantra names it, is the original Shakti or Mother Goddess. Whereas the color of the light is pure white, the color of the desire or Shakti is red, since it presupposes the activity of rajas. This seed is the digit of desire. At this time the goddess is known as Kameswari (giver of desires). This desire creates a throb or spanda, which concentrates itself into a spot, or bindu. It contains the seed of the entire creation. When it gets into the mood to create further, it emanates as sound and is known as Sabda Brahman. Sabda Brahman contains both Shiva and Shakti, which projects into three points. These three points stand for iccha shakti, jnana shakti, and kriya shakti, or the powers of desire, knowledge, and action, without which the universe could not have been created. The three points also stand for the three gunas (sattva, rajas, and tamas), which are the qualities of primordial matter. They also denote the three states of consciousness—waking, dreaming and deep sleep. The three points form the primary triangle of the Sri Chakra. The bindu or dot in the center denotes the turiya state of pure consciousness.

The original bindu is the point of contact between the creator and his creation. It is the drop that swells into the ocean of consciousness. It is the cipher by which everything else is deciphered. The bindu is the navel of the Sri Chakra, from which the whole of creation originates.

This bindu becomes the triangle, and the triangle expands into the eight-edged figure, then to a ten-cornered figure, and so on. Thus the bindu of the primary triangle transforms itself through a series of lines, triangles, circles, and squares to the fully formed shape of the Sri Chakra. When the great goddess subjects herself to the division of the three bindus, she is known as Tripurasundari. She is both the transcendent point in the middle of the primary triangle and the three points that form the triangle.

The Sri Chakra

The figure of the Sri Chakra actually contains nine chakras. The shape on the extreme outside is a square traced by three lines, one inside the other. These lines are not joined, for they have four portals opening out to the four directions. This is the ground sketch representing the earth plane (bhupura). When we enter a portal we see three concentric circles, which are known as girdles. The space between the sides of the square and the girdles is a chakra in itself, which is known as the “enchanter of the three worlds” (trailokya mohana chakra). Sixteen lotus petals are arranged next to the three girdles, with their tips pointing to and touching the girdle and their bases resting on another circle. This chakra is known as the “fulfiller of all desires” (sarvasya paripuraka chakra).

Inside this circle is yet another circle. The space enclosed by these two circles is smaller than the space formed by the sixteen lotus petals. Inside this space are arranged another eight lotus petals, with their tips touching the centers of eight of the sixteen outer petals. This chakra is known as the “agitator of all” (sarva sankshobhana chakra).

Inside this final circle we come to the figure formed by the superimposition of five downward-pointing triangles with four upward-pointing triangles. This figure contains forty-three small triangles inside it. The outermost chakra consists of fourteen triangles and is known as the “giver of all auspiciousness” (sarva saubhagya chakra). The next figure consists of ten triangles and is known as the “accomplisher of all purposes” (sarvartha sadhaka chakra). Inside this is a ten-cornered figure known as the “giver of protection” (sarva rakshakara chakra). Next comes an eight-cornered figure, which is the “remover of all diseases” (sarva rogahara chakra). Inside this is the primary triangle with its apex pointing down, which is the “giver of all powers” (sarva siddhiprada chakra). In the heart of this is the dot or bindu, which is the seat of the Tripurasundari and is filled with unending bliss (sarva anandamaya chakra).

The Sri Chakra is thus formed out of the bindu and many intersecting triangles. The primary triangle, the eight-cornered figure, the two ten-edged figures, and the fourteen-pointed figures are known as Shakti chakras. The figures with eight and sixteen petals, the three girdles, and the three squares or bhupuras are known as Shiva chakras. Thus the Sri Chakra, which is the body of Shiva and Shakti, is formed with four Shiva chakras and the five Shakti chakras.

We have seen how the Sri Chakra’s original formation is of nine chakras, five pointing downward and four pointing upward. The ones pointing downward are known as Shakti konas (triangles) and the four pointing upward are known as Shiva konas. The esoteric meaning here is that the dynamic Shakti is superimposed on the static Shiva. The amazing picture of Kaali dancing on the inert form of Shiva is a graphic representation of this.

The five Shakti konas also stand for the five elements and the four Shiva konas for vidya, maya, Maheswara, and Sadashiva (the eternal entity of Shiva, corresponding to Brahman). These four principles in combination with the five elements produce the universes inherent in the Sri Chakra. Thus every aspect of matter contains both Shiva and Shakti, in varying degrees of concentration. The Sri Chakra denotes both the microcosm and the macrocosm in the body of the two-inone—Shiva/Shakti. This verse by Sri Kapali Sastriar, a disciple of Sri Aurobindo, describes this union: “His body is the dense sky, which she embraces secretly. Their breath of love spreads a hidden beauty all around. Their dance in space causes a series of universes and glittering stars as though they were the beads of perspiration caused by their intense bliss of union.”

We have already mentioned that the bindu is the kamakala or the digit of desire of the supreme. It is the essence of love and bliss. So each chakra is a gradual development of that initial drop of love and bliss. Hence every aspect of life is meant to be filled with love and bliss.

The figure of the Sri Chakra also provides an esoteric path of return for the jivatman from the external world of matter to the point of unending bliss, or the bindu. The outermost chakra, as noted above, is known as the “enchanter of the three worlds,” and the jivatman who has come under the spell of the goddess in this chakra can remain for many lifetimes enjoying her play of beauty and becoming. After indulging in this for an incredible amount of time, the individual hankers to possess and own all this. She fulfills this desire in the next chakra, known as the “fulfiller of all desires.” But the more she possesses, the more she desires, so her mind is filled with agitation. And thus she passes to the next chakra, called the “agitator of all.”

After staying in this chakra for many births of such agitations and unfulfilled desires, the jiva decides to penetrate further into the labyrinth of her own consciousness and discover the source of bliss. Now she comes to the chakra known as the “giver of all auspiciousness.” From this point on progress becomes easier for the jiva, for divine grace is felt to be flowing toward her. All protection is given in the next chakra, and the disease and disharmony felt by the aspirant is removed. This in turn leads to all perfection and the attainment of powers or siddhis. From here it is but a step to reach the bindu or drop of bliss from which the whole journey started. Thus the chakra is a two-way map showing the descent of the divine into inert matter and the ascent of the jivatman back to the point of bliss from which it started its journey. The lesson the individual has to learn is that a perfect surrender to the Divine Mother will have the effect of pulling down divine grace.

The Sri Chakra can also be pictured in the human body. The bindu is contacted at the top of the spinal column in the sahasrara chakra on the crown of the head. The trikona or triangle is at the base of the spine in the muladhara chakra. The kundalini, which is the coiled energy of the Divine Mother in the muladhara chakra, travels upward until it attains union with Shiva in the bindu. The whole of creation is the outcome of the union of the bindu and the trikona—of Shiva and Shakti. All aspects of creation contain both these principles, the static and the dynamic. When the dynamic aspect is in the front, it is called Shakti, and when the static aspect is projected, it is known as Shiva.

Various formulas are given in ancient texts how the Sri Chakra should be drawn. In the Kaula tradition of the left-handed path of Tantra, the circle is drawn first and then the bases of the nine triangles. In the Samaya or right-handed tradition, the primary triangle is drawn first and the bindu placed inside, and then the sides are extended to form the rest of the figure. Both traditions employ the same method for drawing the outer petals, the three girdles, and the outer square. One important point to remember is that the petals should touch each other and no space should be left between them. Since the Sri Chakra is used with the intention of getting the most auspicious things of life and finally liberation itself, the color to be used in drawing it should be red. Saffron mixed with cow’s milk is recommended for drawing this chakra for a puja. It can also be made on copper, silver, or gold plates and installed permanently in a house or puja room with the appropriate mantras. Then it acts as an armor of protection.

When the Sri Chakra is made in an upright form it is known as the Meru. Here the nine chakras are on different elevations and not on the same plane. This elevated figure is a representation of Mount Meru, which is considered to be the axis of the earth.

Many methods of worshipping the Sri Chakra are given, but one of the easiest is by reciting the thousand and one names of the goddess in the Lalitha Sahasranama. She is greatly pleased if puja is done with vilva or tulasi leaves or lotus flowers. Worship of the Sri Chakra on full-moon nights is highly recommended. If one worships the goddess on full-moon nights by using the Sri Chakra and reciting the Lalita Sahasranama, one attains the form of the goddess. This is the outer method of worship of the Sri Chakra.

When inner worship is done, the Sri Chakra is identified with the subtle centers or chakras in the body. One can meditate on it either in the manipura chakra situated in the navel or in the anahata chakra over the heart. After some deep meditation the sadhaka starts to hear the nada or sound that emerges from the cave of the heart. This turns into the radiance from which creation originally started. Very soon the small individual personality is shattered in this blast of light and dissolves into it. The sadhaka’s sense of identity with the body, mind, and intellect is completely dissolved, and he or she becomes filled with bliss and light alone.

While there one can be wider than the world,

While there one is one’s own infinity.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The deathless Two-in-One,

A single Being in two bodies clasped,

A diarchy of two united souls,

Seated absorbed on deep creative mood;

Their trance of bliss sustained the mobile world.

—SAVITRI BY SRI AUROBINDO

Thus ends the thirtieth chapter of Shakti, known as “Sri Chakra,” which describes the yantra known as the Sri Chakra.

Aum Aim Hreem Kleem