Shri Yantra, explanations and construction

The Shri Yantra, symbol of the Shri Vidya, representation of the Goddess Lalita Tripurasundari.
She stands before the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva; she transcends them to carry us to union with ParamaShiva, the absolute God.
In the Shri Yantra, at its centre, lies the seed of Shiva, the absolute.
Then an equilateral triangle, recalling all the triads of the world and of its manifestation, such as the 3 gunas.
Then a chakra formed of 8 triangles, the chakra that destroys all diseases.
Then a larger chakra of 10 triangles, protector of all, the Goddess Lalita Tripura Malini with her mantra HRIM KLIM BLEM, who protects us and allows us to pass this stage…
Then another chakra of 10 triangles, the chakra that grants all objects to the sadhaka, with the meeting of 10 shakti of the Kula Kaula…
Finally the largest of the chakras, with 14 triangles, which brings good fortune; its mantra is AIM KLIM SAUH. It invokes 14 shakti associated with the main nadis.
Then the wheel of 8 petals, which are virtues or non virtues depending on our path in the Shri Yantra; the mantra is HRIM KLIM SAUH
Then comes the wheel of 16 petals, which are the 16 desires; its mantra is AIM KLIM SAUH.
And finally the 4 gates, the citadel of the earth; its mantra is AM AM SAUH.
The practitioner starts from the outside and, stage by stage, reaches the centre of the Shri Yantra to find realisation and fusion with the absolute there.
At each stage there are specific mantras and shakti to meet, worship and pray to.

A few of my creations; some are for sale, feel free to ask me...

Extract from the book by Ajit Mookerjee and Madhu Khanna
« THE TANTRIC WAY », Seuil edition.

Yantras are instruments that make concentration easier.

According to the Tantraraja Tantra, there are nine hundred and sixty yantras.

The SHRI YANTRA, the most famous of them, is the projection of a philosophical fragment of the highest importance for tantric thought. It is difficult to determine the exact date of its conception and construction, but it must have been conceived in very ancient times and handed down through the centuries.

Many tantric texts, such as the Kâmakalâvilâsa, have revealed its nature, meaning, construction and use, and a description of its structure is also found in the Saundaryalahari, traditionally attributed to Sankara.

The Sri Yantra is a figure formed by the intersection of nine triangles: five, with their apex pointing downwards, represent Sakti, and the other four, pointing upwards, Siva.

The whole is centred on the bindu (the original point from which manifestation arises).

Because it is made of nine (nava) triangles (yoni), it is often called Navayoni Chakra, the wheel of nine triangles.

The Shri Yantra is a model symbolising the very form of Sakti and her power, as well as the form of the universe, that is, the various stages of the manifestation of Sakti. It is an illustration of the cosmic field in which creation takes place. Like creation itself, the Sri Yantra comes into existence under the impulse of primordial desire. The impulse of desire (Kâmakalâ), arising from the very nature of Prakriti, creates a vibration (spanda) that resounds as sound (nâda).

This manifestation is represented by a point, or bindu. At the first stage of manifestation, the bindu is called Parâ Bindu; it is the nucleus of concentrated energy, the seed of the ultimate Sound, and the dynamic and static aspects of the two (Siva Sakti) in one.

It contains all the potentialities of becoming.

When creation begins, it turns into Aparâ Bindu: « The essential point in the middle of the Yantra is the supreme Sakti; when it grows, it takes the form of a triangle » (Kâmakalâ vilâsa). The point takes on a radius, the polarisation of Siva Sakti takes place within it, the dynamic and static energies interact, and two further points emerge to form a triad of points: the primordial triangle, or Mûla trikona.

The three points are represented by Sanskrit syllables, and the three basic vibrations emanate from a single primordial sound substratum. The inverted triangle represents the pattern of the first form of original desire in the creative process (symbol of the female sex: the yoni).

It is a sign of evolution and represents the dynamic principle of creation. The static element predominates in the Parâ Bindu, so that it represents the male principle. All of creation comes from these two principles, the triangle and the point, and from the bliss of their union. Hence « the Sri Yantra is the body of Siva Sakti ».

The primordial triangle represents the three aspects of Shakti: Trividha bâla, the young one, Tripurâ Sundari, the beautiful one, and Tripurâ Bhairavi, the terrifying one. It also depicts the threefold process of creation (sristi), preservation (sthiti) and dissolution (samhara). It also represents all triads, such as the Gunas.

How to create a Shri Yantra: download the guide...
A very simple method

I sometimes run workshops on meditating on the Shri Yantra and constructing it.

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