The Sri Yantra or Shri 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, "the beauty of the three worlds". 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.[1]
Together the nine triangles are interlaced in such a way as to form 43 smaller triangles in a web symbolic of the entire cosmos or a womb symbolic of creation. Together they express Advaita or non-duality. This is surrounded by a lotus of eight petals, a lotus of sixteen petals, and an earth square resembling a temple with four doors.[1]
The Shri Chakra is also known as the nava chakra because it can also be seen as having nine levels. "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. These levels starting from the outside or bottom layer are:[1]
The Sri Chakra (called the Shri Yantra) is the symbol of Hindu tantra, which is based on the Hindu philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism. The Sri Yantra is the object of devotion in Sri Vidya.
Shri Chakra as popularly mistook to be a symbol of Lakshmi is actually a representation of Lalitha Mahatripurasundari, an aspect of Parvati Devi.[2] Shri does not mean Wealth in this context. The term 'Shri' is used to denote the reverence to be given to this holy Yantra. The Shri Chakra is often referred as the Chakra Raja which means King of all Chakras which makes it a supreme instrument in the path of spiritual advancement.
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The Triple Goddess, from her own will to manifest, extends herself in a ninefold way, as modifications of moon, sun and fire. The attributions of the various mandalas shows the type of energy represented. The meditation in Bhavana Upanshad is a figurative way of describing this celestial city or mountain which is a human being.
The island of jewels is the gross human body with its 9 alchemical bases or dhatus. Each is figuratively described as a gem—diamond, emerald, sapphire, ruby &c. The sea of nectar (semen/ova) is the base for the arising of the human body. The diagram suns up the meditation. We can see that this island of gems is a very pleasant place to he, full of gardens, with a beautiful, begemmed palace, wafted with a gentle breeze upon which is carried great fragrance, cool, alluring.
This indicates the Kaula view that one gains liberation by a very pleasant way, enjoying as one goes. This paradise island is very, very close. Each of the elements in the island meditation has a subtle meaning associated with the esoteric physiology of Shri Vidya.
She, Lalita, united with Shiva, is subtlety of subtlety, hidden behind the curtain hanging from the canopy. Her forms may appear to become progressively less subtle, but she still remains herself.
In the tantric belief, the first four folds/layers of the Samkha Kshetra at the Jagannath Temple at Puri have been equated with the tantric Sri Yantra formulation.
Recently in 1990, unverified reports of Sri Chakra Geoglyph appeared mysteriously as massive earth etching in dry bed of a lake east of Steens mountain about 70 miles south east of Burns, Oregon. Google Earth does not show a Sri Chakra at the aforementioned place or in the close vicinity. The report says that, Sri Chakra had been drawn at a scale of nearly one-quarter-mile across. Air National Guard pilot Bill Miller was the first to report the earth etching during a fly-over on August 10, 1990. It was identified as an ancient Hindu meditation icon known as Sri Chakra. How it appeared there is still a mystery. A few people from other State claimed they had created the Sri Chakra, but their claims were found to be baseless and some have attributed the formation of Sri Chakra to aliens and UFO.[3][4][5][6]