SRI YANTRA

SRI YANTRA

‘Sri Yantra’ or ‘Sri Chakra’ is a ‘yantra’ formed by nine interlocking triangles that surround and radiate out from the central (‘bindu’) point, the junction point between the physical universe and its unmanifest source. It represents the goddess in her form of ‘Shri Lalitha’ or ‘Tripura Sundari’. Four of the triangles point upwards, representing ‘Shiva’ or the masculine. Five of these triangles point downwards, representing ‘Shakti’ or the feminine. Thus, the Sri Yantra also represents the union of masculine and feminine Divine. Because it is composed of nine triangles, it is known as the ‘Navayoni Chakra’. Together the nine triangles are interlaced in such a way as to form forty-three smaller triangles in a web symbolic of the entire cosmos or a womb symbolic of creation. Together they express ‘Advaita’ or non-duality philosophy. This is surrounded by a lotus of eight petals, a lotus of sixteen petals and an earth square resembling a temple with four doors.