Srichakram
Srichakram
In the Hindu devotional practice, there are three kinds of external symbols used for worship of the Supreme.
Yanthras are also called chakras.Among the devotees of shakthi, the Sri-Yantra,or Sri-chakra is the holiest and the most significant of these.
The diagram consists of a series of nine triangles superimposed around a small central circle known as Bindu, forming forty-three Konas or triangular projections. In the centre is the Bindu, representing shiva-shakti in union in the casual state from which all the other parts of the diagram representing the cosmos are evolved. Enclosing it and superimposed on one another are the four shiva triangles with apex upwards and five shakti triangle inclusive of the central one, with apex downwards. These are surrounded by two circles of lotuses, one with eight petals and the other with sixteen petals.Outside these, are three circles around and a rectangular enclosure of three lines for the whole figure, with four entrances on the four sides.
BINDU
The small central circle known as Bindu stands for shiva-shakti in the causal of creation. Shakti is here represented as Mahatripurasundari, the great Mother or the Divine Beauty of the three Puras or Bindus. The rest of the Sri-chakra represents the whole of the Cosmos as evolved from the Bindu, standing for Tripura-sundari or creative cosmic power.
TRIANGLES
Surrounding the Bindu are a series of overlapping triangles. Four of them called shiva triangles, having their apex upwards, and the other five are superimposed upon the former with apex dowards. They are the five or shakti-triangles. These nine constitute the nine basic categories of the universe, evolving from the Supreme Mother Tripurasundari represented by the central Bindu or small circle. Hence they are called the nine Mula-prakrtis or Root substances of the universe.The shiva-triangles and the shakti-triangles are superimposed in order to indicate that shiva is optimum only when shakthi is there with him and vice versa and they together constitute the microcosmic and cosmic aspects. In the individual they are present as the nine Dhatus or substances constituting the body of the individual. The shakthi elements are skin, Blood, flesh, Medhas fat and bone. The shiva elements are Semen, Marrow, the vital Energy and the Individual Soul. On the Cosmic side, the five evolutes of shakti are the five Elements, the five thandras, the five sense organs and Mind have their origin in shakti element, while Maya, Suddha-vidya, Mahesvara and Sadashiva form the shiva element. Thus the nine basic triangles symbolise the twenty five Tattvas that constitute the cosmos and individual bodies according to Sakta cosmology. These 9 triangles intersect to form forty two Konas or triangles, (excluding the one having bindu) middle. In all these Konas are placed the different letters of the alphabet, which stand for the Devatas, who are emanations of Tripurasundari as the conscious forces governing the various powers of Nature in the Cosmos and the individuals. The portions of the Sri-chakra lying outside the forty-four centres comprising the Bindu also are all supposed to be included in the latter-the eight petalled lotus in the central triangle , the sixteen petalled lotus in the eight angled chakra, the three circles in the two ten-angled. chakras surrounding space with the rectangular lines and four entrances in the fourteen-angled chakra.