sri yantra/sri chakra symbol (shree yantra) and its meaning

Also referred to as the Sri Chakra, the Sri Yantra (Shree Yantra) symbol is
known as the “mother of all yantras”.

This is because all yantras are derived from the Sri Yantra. This yantra is
thought to be a representative of Mount Meru, a mountain that is considered to
be right in the center of the universe, and the Sri Yantra is considered to be
where spiritual pilgrimage takes place.

It represents our bodies at a microcosmic level (through the chakras), and the
cosmos on a macrocosmic level.

The Sri Yantra: Meaning and Symbolism – What is the Sri Yantra?

The Sri Yantra is a symbol that is comprised of nine interlocking triangles with
two circles of lotus petals enclosing them. The entire design is surrounded by a
gated frame that is referred to as the “earth citadel”. The triangles are centered
around the central point of the Sri Yantra, known as the bindu.

These triangles are drawn by superimposing five downward triangles (the

female, or Shakti), and four upward triangles (the male, or Shiva). These nine
triangles create three smaller triangles, each of which being the house of a
particular deity.

This sacred pattern is what the sages of the Siddha Yoga and their disciples use
to discover the secrets of our universe, and have done so for a thousand or more
years according to the belief.

In fact, the Advait Vedanta sages propose that the Sri Yantra/Sri Chakra/Shree
Yantra is the key to understanding the principles of creation and destruction, and
everything in between.

It is difficult to just try and explain the Sri Yantra, as one has to truly experience
it to fully understand its power.

Most people who study this pattern are involved with Siddha yogis, the Sri
Vidya School of Tantra, or followers of the Supreme Goddess, Aadi Shakti, in
her form of Shri Lalita (also known as Tripura Sundari).

Studying the Sri Yantra helps followers to visualize existence in its totality, and
those who are adept with the Sri Yantra use its symbols to understand their own
place within the universe. The ultimate goal of studying the Sri Yantra is to
rediscover one’s roots, and that means more than just their ancestry.
The Triangles of Sri Yantra/Sri Chakra/Shree Yantra

The nine triangles of the Sri Yantra/Sri Chakra/Shree Yantra are interlaced to
form a total of 43 smaller triangles, each one being a step along the path to
connecting with the universe, and to the Goddess.

Each triangle is represented by a deity, which are described in the Devi

Khadgamala mantra. It is also known as the nav chakra, because the nine levels
correspond to a mudra, a yogini, and the deity, using the following levels:

 Bhupar – A square consisting of three lines with four portals

 Sarva Aasa Paripurak – A 16-petal lotus flower
 Sarva Sankshobahan – An 8-petal lotus flower
 Sarva Saubhagyadayak – A pattern of 14 small triangles
 Sarva Arthasadhak – A pattern of 10 small triangles
 Sarva Rakshakar – A pattern of 10 small triangles
 Sarva Rogahar – A pattern of eight small triangles
 Sarva Sisshiprada – One small triangle
 Sarva Anandamay – One point, or bindu

How Old is the Sri Yantra/Sri Chakra/Shree Yantra Symbol?

There is evidence of the Sri Yantra dating back to the seventh century C.E.,
found in an Indonesian inscription. But, it is thought that it goes back even
further, to its origin country, India, and that it was used long before this
Indonesian inscription was created.

The Sri Yantra is considered a timeline of man’s spiritual journey, from basic
existence to total enlightenment, and this journey is taken in steps until one
reaches the center, taking man beyond his limitations. Each step of this journey
relates to a circuit of the Sri Yantra, with the ultimate goal being the bindu.

The Mathematical Mystery of the Sri Yantra

Even today, mathematicians are unable to understand the mathematical

complexity of the Sri Yantra. They cannot figure out how the ancients were able
to create such a pattern without having the benefits of modern mathematics.
The Sri Yantra symbol is based on Pi (Phi, the golden ratio, or Fibonacci series),
and it is a pattern that has been known to sages for more than a thousand years,
yet still confuses mathematicians.

It can be made by a computer easily, but for a person to create something of this
magnitude, it would take decades to figure it out.

This is why mathematicians are baffled as to why the ancients were able to
figure it out, and often explain it as being very good at using their imaginations.

The Sri Yantra/Sri Chakra/Shree Yantra as the Representation of the

Universe and the Body

It is interesting to note that not only does the Sri Yantra represent the universe as
a whole, it also represents the human body.

Each part of the Sri Yantra/Sri Chakra/Shree Yantra relates to a chakra in the
body, and it also the universe. It helps us to understand how we are connected to
the universe, and helps us to ultimately unite with the universe through that
understanding.

For a yogi, the steps of the Sri Yantra are a spiritual journey, or pilgrimage. With
each step, the yogi moves from the base to the center until they reach the
ultimate goal of becoming one with the universe, merging with the supreme
consciousness.

Religious Practices Regarding Sri Yantra/Sri Chakra/Shree Yantra

Many believe that the Sri Yantra represents the power of the Goddess, and that it
is actually the Goddess herself, in geometric form. This is another reason why it
is believed to hold so much power for those who follow the goddess.

They are not only meditating to connect with the universe, but also with the
Goddess. It is used in three forms: a two-dimensional form, as well as two
three-dimensional forms.

Near Bangalore, there is the Sringeri Temple, which is known to have what is
considered to be the ideal and perfect Sri Yantra, as close to perfection as it can
get. This is the site of the very first center of religious studies, which was
instituted by Adi Shankaracharya. This is a three-dimensional Sri Yantra/Sri
Chakra/Shree Yantra.
Other people meditate to a two-dimensional poster, known as a Meru, which is
thought to remove negative vibes and influence good luck. Still others meditate
further to commune directly with the Goddess and with the universe.

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 The deity of the Sri Chakra is known to us from the Brahmaṇḍa Puraṇa as
Lalita Tripurasundari, the playful transcendent beauty of the three cities.

The Sri Chakra is an iconic representation of the deepest intuitions of the

Vedas. It represents both the recursive structure of reality and also
expresses the fact that Nature and Consciousness are interpenetrating .

The great Goddess Lalita, also known as Tripurasundari, Maharajni and

Rajarajesvari amongst other names, is the presiding deity of the most esoteric
yogic practices associated with the Sri Chakra (also called Sri Yantra) that are
collectively called Sri Vidya.

According to the Vedic view, reality, which is unitary at the transcendental level,
is projected into experience that is characterised by duality and paradox. We
thus have duality associated with body and consciousness, being and becoming,
greed and altruism, fate and freedom. The gods bridge such duality in the field
of imagination and also collectively in society (Kak, 2002): Vishnu is the deity
of moral law, whereas Shiva is Universal Consciousness. Conversely, the
projection into processes of time and change is through the agency of the
Goddess. Consciousness (Purusa) and nature (Prakrti) are opposite sides of the
same coin.

The mystery of reality may be seen through the perspectives of language

(because at its deepest level it embodies structures of consciousness) and logic
(Nyaya), physical categories (Vaisesika), creation at the personal or the
psychological level (Sankhya), synthesis of experience ( Yoga), analysis of
tradition (Mimamsa), and cosmology (Vedanta). These are the six darshanas of
Indian philosophy. More particularly, sages have argued that the yogic journey
into the deepest point of our being, a practice that is popularly called ‘Tantra’, is
the quickest way to understanding.

As our ordinary conception of who we are is determined by name and form

(Namarupa), this journey requires challenging our most basic beliefs related to
our personal and social selves. One needs to travel to the deepest layers of our
being wherein spring our desires, some of which are primal and others that are
shaped by culture and experience. Since name and form belong to the realm of
time and change, this path is that of the Goddess. The path of the Goddess is
quick, but it is filled with danger since it involves deconstructing one’s self and
then arriving at a new synthesis. This path has been popular with warriors,
intellectuals and aesthetes and its practitioners include India’s greatest
philosophers.

We explore first the question of the antiquity of the Sri Chakra by showing that
it figures in a very early text, the Svetashvatara Upanishad (SU). The deity of
the Sri Chakra is known to us from the Brahmaṇḍa Puraṇa as Lalita
Tripurasundari, the playful transcendent beauty of the three cities. The meaning
of the Chakra and its nine circuits will be explained.

Svetashvatara’s Yantra

The sage Svetashvatara, who belonged to the late Vedic period, asks in his
Upanishad whether time (Kala) or nature (Svabhava), or necessity (Niyati) or
chance (Yadṛccha), or Puruṣa is the primary cause of this reality. He answers in
a riddle that goes:

tamekanemi trivṛtaṃ ṣoḍaSantaṃ Satardharaṃ viṃSatipratyarabhiḥ aṣṭakaiḥ

ṣaḍbhirviSvarupaikapaSaṃ trimargabhedaṃ dvinimittaikamoham .1.4

Who (like a wheel) has one felly with three tires, sixteen ends, fifty spokes,
twenty counter-spokes, six sets of eight, one universal rope, with three paths and
illusion arising from two views. SU 1.4

This looks like the description of a Yantra, but we don’t have enough
information on how to proceed to draw it. An interpretation of these numbers as
different categories of Sankhya was provided by Shankara (788-820) although
he did not specifically address its graphical design.

We argue that this describes the Sri Chakra. This might appear surprising at first
because the Svetashvatara Upanishad extols Rudra-Shiva and the Sri Chakra is
associated with the Goddess. But since Shiva does reside at the innermost point
(Bindu) of the Chakra along with the Goddess, it is not inconsistent with the
focus of the Svetashvatara Upanishad. Furthermore, SU 4.9 proclaims: mayaṃ
tu prakṛti vidyanmayinaṃ tu maheSvaram, consider Nature to be magical
(Maya) and the Great Lord (Mahesvara) to be the one who has cast the spell
(Mayin). The Goddess is another name by which Nature is known, therefore the
mystery of the Lord in the launching of the Universe can only be known
through the Goddess. The identification of the Sri Chakra in SU goes against the
scholarly view that the Sri Chakra is a post-major-Upanishadic innovation, and,
if accepted, this calls for a revision of the history of the development of Tantra.

The Bindu or dot in the innermost triangle of the Sri Chakra represents the
potential of the non-dual Shiva-Shakti. When this potential separates into
PrakaSa (the Aham or I-consciousness, Shiva) and Vimarsa (the idam or this-
consciousness, Shakti) it is embodied into Nada, Kala and Bindu. Nada is the
primal, unexpressed sound (interpreted by human ear as Oṃkara) and Kala is
the “Kama Kala,” the desire to create, which the Vedas tell us is the desire “May
I be many” (Chandogya Upanishad. 6.2.1.3). Bindu, as the potential universe
ready to separate into various categories is Mahatripurasundari. Shiva as
Prakasa (luminosity or consciousness) has realised himself as “I am”, through
her, the Vimarsa Shakti (nature as the reflector).

It must be stated that within the Yogic tradition, it has always been believed that
Tantra is a part of the Vedas itself. In the Devi Sukta (Rigveda 10.125), the
Goddess describes herself as supreme. In the Sri Sukta of the Ṛigvedic hymns
(appendices), the goddess Sri is associated with prosperity, wealth, and fortune,
and she is spoken of as deriving joy from trumpeting elephants. The Sri Sukta,
addressed to Jatavedas of Fire, was invoked at the fire ritual. In Kauṭilya’s
Arthashastra (14.117.1) there is reference to the goddess being invoked for the
protection of a fort. In the Bṛhadaraṇyaka Upanishad 7.4 there is a reference to
the goddess Vac.

The Vedic triads, together with the dyadic male and female components, enlarge
through expansion (Prapanca) so the universe is a projection (Vimarsa) of the
Absolute’s self-illumination (Prakasa).

The supreme deity in the form of Shakti (Parashakti), Sri as the great goddess
(Mahadevi) is one of the aspects of Lalita Tripurasundari. Lalita Tripurasundari
has three manifestations: Sthula, or descriptive as image; Sukṣma, or subtle as
mantra; and para, or transcendent as Yantra or Chakra. Lalita Tripurasundari is
also called Rajarajeshwari or just Sridevi. Those who see the three
representations as interrelated are called the followers of the Kaula tradition, as
has been the case with the Kashmiris.

In the South, the Tirumantiram (Srimantra in Sanskrit) of the seventh century

siddha Tirumular knows Srividya. In the Lalitasahasranama, Lalita is described
in terms similar to those of Durga. Lalita is worshiped as the Srividya mantra
and as the Sri Yantra.

The Srividya mantra is known in three forms: kadi (starting with ka), hadi
(starting with ha), and sadi associated with Sri Manmatha, Lopamudra, and
Durvasa respectively. The mantra is divided into three parts, which represent
three sections (kuṭa or khaṇḍa) of the image of the Goddess: Vagbhavakuṭa,
Kamarajakuṭa, and Shaktikuṭa.

The kadividya of Sri Manmatha: ka e i la hrim (vagbhavakuṭa) ha sa ka ha la

hrim (kamarajakuṭa) sa ka la hrim (Shaktikuṭa).

The hadividya of Lopamudra: ha sa ka la hrim (vagbhavakuṭa) ha sa ja ha la

hrim (kamarajakuṭa) sa ka la hrim (Shaktikuṭa)

The sadividya of Durvasa: sa e i la hrim (vagbhavakuṭa) sa ha ka ha la hrim

(kamarajakuṭa) sa ka la hrim (Shaktikuṭa)

The 18th century scholar Bhaskaraya maintained that the Srividya mantra is
meant in Rigveda 5.47.4 where it is said: catvara iṃ bibharti kṣemayantaḥ,
“that with four iṃs confers benefit”. The kadi mantra (pancadaSakṣari) has four
long i vowels. According to some, the 16-syllable mantra (ṣoḍaSakṣari) is
obtained by adding the seed-syllable (bijakṣara) Sriṃ to the 15-syllable mantra.

The Sri Vidya mantra is viewed as 37 syllables, representing the 36 tattvas of

reality of Saivism and the 37th transcendent Parashiva state. These are divided
into 11 for the Vagbhavakuṭa, 15 for the Kamarajakuṭa, and 11 for the
Shaktikuṭa.

The Sri Chakra and Lalita Tripurasundari

The three cities in the name of Lalita Tripurasundari are that of the body, the
mind, and the spirit, or that of will (Iccha), knowledge (Jnana) and action
(Kriya). They may also be seen as the knower, the means of knowledge, and the
object of knowledge; the three gunas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas; Agni (fire),
Surya (sun) and Chandra (moon); Sṛṣṭi (creation), Sthiti (preservation) and
Laya (dissolution); intellect, feelings, and sensation; subject (mata), instrument
(mana), and object (meya) of all things; waking (jagrat), dreaming (svapna) and
dreamless sleep (suṣupti) states; as Atma (individual self), Antaratma (inner
being) and Paramatma (supreme self) and also as past, present and future.

Her five triangles represent the Pancha bhutas (five elements). She holds five
flowery arrows, noose, goad and bow. The noose is attachment, the goad is
revulsion, the bow is the mind and the flowery arrows are the five sense objects.
Their union is harmony or samarasa.

Shankara (788-820) spoke of the Sri Chakra in the Saundaryalahari (SL)

(Subramaniam, 1977). In SL11, the Sri Chakra is described in terms of its four
Srikaṇṭha (upward pointing) and five Shivayuvati (downward pointing)
triangles, which create its 43 triangles. If we look Sri Chakra’s structure as
consisting of three basic triangles, then within each triangle are lower
hierarchical levels of two other triangles, of alternating polarity. The 42 outer
triangles are arranged in four circles around the middle triangle, with counts of
8, 10, 10, and 14 in the four arrays. The Sri Chakra is also associated with the
Chakras of the yogi’s body. According to SL 14:

Fifty-six for earth (Muladhara); for water fifty-two (maṇi-puraka), sixty-two for
fire (Svadhiṣṭhana); for air fifty-four (Anahata), seventy -two for ether
(Visuddhi); for mind sixty-four (Ajna Chakra) are the rays; even beyond these
are your twin feet.

The six Chakras are classified in granthis (knots) of two. The lowest two
chakras correspond to 108 rays, the middle two to 116, and highest two to 136
rays. I have argued elsewhere that this provides an explanation for the layout of
the great Shiva temple at Prambanan in Indonesia (Kak, 2010)

The Sri Chakra embodies the tripartite division of the cosmos into earth,
atmosphere, and the sun, which is mirrored in the individual by the body, the
breath, and the inner lamp of consciousness; it also represents the three parts of
the body: neck to head, neck to navel, and navel to the bottom of the trunk. It is
within the wheel of time (kalaChakra), and it is both the human body
(microcosm) and the universe (macrocosm) . Its middle 43 triangles are
surrounded by a circle of eight petals that, in turn, is surrounded by a 16-
petalled circle. At the outermost are three lines, which are called the bhupura.
They are also categorised into nine circuits or Avaraṇas, where the bhupura is
the outermost avaraṇa. These nine avaraṇas have 108 presiding Devis. In the
Sri Chakra puja they are systematically worshipped one by one with their names
and mantras. The nine circuits symbolically indicate the successive phases in
the process of becoming.

The nine chakras are compared in the Tripura Upanishad to the nine yogas,
namely the eight familiar ones of Patanjali and the additional one of sahaja.

The Sri Chakra

Lalita Tripurasundari’s three Shaktis, which are shown in the three corners of
the inner triangle, are Bhagamalini, Vajresi, and Kamesvari, who are associated
with Brahma, Viṣṇu, and Rudra. The central bindu is where the Goddess is
united with Shiva, the Universal Consciousness.

Chakra puja or Yantra puja is the worship of the deity. Devi, the cosmic female
force, is the first step of creation. The counterpoint male principle has three
emanations: Rudra from the left, Brahma from the middle, and Viṣṇu from the
right. At the centre of the Sri Yantra is Kamakala, which has three bindus. One
is red, one is white and one is mixed. The red bindu is Kurukulla, the female
form; the white bindu is Varahi the male form; and the mixed bindu is the union
of Shiva and Shakti

Looking at the Sri Chakra from outside in within the circular part of the Yantra,
we thus have one felly with three tires, 16 ends of the petals in the outer circle,
and a total of 50 (eight petals and 42 triangles outside of the central one)
“spokes”, with 20 triangles in the middle two circuits that may be termed
“counter-spokes”, a total of six circuits of petals and triangles have either eight
or more than eight members, the universal rope is the Bhupura, the three paths
are the paths ruled by Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva embodied by the three
goddesses in the innermost triangle.

The Sri Chakra maps the inner sky as one goes from outside to inside; it is also
located in the body in terms of the six Chakras. The count of 50 of the Sri
Chakra is mapped to 50 petals of the Chakras as one goes from the base
(muladhara) to the ajna Chakra. The specific number of lotuses is 4, 6, 10, 12,
16, and 2. The Sahasrara Chakra’s 1,000 petals parallel the infinity associated
with the innermost triangle of the Sri Chakra.

Inside the square are three concentric circles, girdles (mekhala) . The space
between the square and three girdles is the Trailokyamohana Chakra, or the
Chakra that enchants the three worlds; at this stage the adept sees himself as his
social self completely immersed in the magic of life.

Next are two concentric rings of 16 and eight lotus petals respectively. The first
of these is Sarva Saparipuraka Chakra, which is the Chakra that fulfils all
desires; the second is the Sarvasankṣobhaṇa Chakra, indicating dissolution of
apartness and duality.

The fourth Chakra, consisting of the fourteen triangles forming the outer rim of
the complex interlocking of triangles, is the Sarvasaubhagyadayaka, giver of
good fortune, which leads one to spiritual insight and success.
The next two Chakras are each constructed of ten triangles. Called
Sarvarthasadhaka, making all means effective, and Sarvarakṣakara, protecting
the unifying thread in all experience, they indicate stages when inner realisation
begins to strengthen. The seventh Chakra, consisting of eight triangles, is the
Sarvarogahara, removing all attachment to duality, at which the sadhaka is near
deep transformation.

An inverted triangle is the eighth Chakra of Sarvasiddhaprada , that provides

all powers and validation. The last Chakra, the bindu, is Sarvaanandamaya, full
of bliss. It is the heart of one’s self in which one witnesses the union of one’s
own nature and spirit, Shakti and Shiva.

The Sri Yantra and its worship encompass the deepest secrets of Vedic
knowledge. Not only does it represent the inner cosmos, which has the
framework of infinity and recursion across scale and time and a mirroring of the
outer and the inner, the ritual associated with it is the heart of yajna.

The Chakra is a representation of Devi in many forms: Lalita, Katyayani,

Kameshwari, Kamakṣi, Durga, Caṇḍi, Kali, Amba, and so on, that is reality
(Sat), mind (Chit) and bliss (Ananda). As Mahavidyas, Devi has the forms Kali,
Tara, Tripurasundari, Bhuvaneshwari, Chinnamasta, Bhairavi, Dhumavati,
Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and Kamala (Lakshmi).

Śārikā Devī (painting by Veer Munshi)

The Sri Yantra ritual infuses the yantra with mantra that represents the union of
space and sound. Its closed, concentric circuits (maṇḍalas) correspond to the
nine planes of consciousness of the sadhaka. Each plane is a stage on the ascent
of one’s being toward the inner self.

The vowels and consonants of Sanskrit are inscribed in the vertices of the Sri
Yantra (Abhinavagupta, 2005). In each of the nine circuits (Avaraṇas) specific
deities are invoked. The deities are like veils concealing the deeper essence.
After the sadhaka has invoked all the devatas in the prescribed manner, he
obtains an insight in which all the deities of the plane are fused to become the
presiding deity of the circuit.

The Nine Avaranas

The Bhupura is the first (outermost) avaraṇa of the Sri Chakra. These lines
have 10, 8, and 10 devis respectively. They include the eight Matrika Shaktis,
which are the psychological forces that spring out of ego. The second Avaraṇa
has 16 petals in which reside 16 devis that rule over different aspects of physical
well being. The third Avaraṇa is the eight petal circle with eight devis who
represent various actions as well as non-action. The first three Avaranas
represent sṛṣṭi, or extension of creation

The fourth avaraṇa is the outer set of 14 blue triangles, which represent the 14
worlds and the 14 main nadis in the human body; the fifth avaraṇa consists of
10 red triangles; the sixth has the inner 10 red triangles; these three avaraṇas
represent sthiti, or preservation. The seventh is the inner eight green triangles;
the eighth is the inner triangle. The three corners of this triangle are:
Kameshwari, the Rudra Shakti or Parvati; Vajresi is the Vishnu Shakti, Laksmi;
and Bhagamalini is the Brahma Shakti, or Sarasvati . The ninth avarana is the
bindu, which is the cosmic union of Shiva and Shakti. The deity, Maha
Tripurasundari, is the personification of Para Brahman. These three avaraṇas
represent samhara, or absorption.Do the nine sheaths stand up to scientific
scrutiny? Modern neuroscience has not yet reached a level where the sheaths
covering the innermost sense of self can be examined in the laboratory (Kak,
2004). But it does speak of centers that mediate different aspects of selfhood.
The nine sheaths, in the Sri Chakra, are a consequence of the interplay between
the realities of various kinds of triads that were mentioned before. To that
extent, the nine sheaths are a reasonable way of representing the inner space of
our being which is validated by the experience of the sages.

The Devi Mahatmya presents an account of what Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and

Mahasaraswati do to bring about the transformation of Prakṛti from Tamas to
Rajas, from Rajas to Sattva and from Sattva to Supreme Vijaya, which is
mastery in the absolute. The Navaratri is a form of Sri Chakra puja where the
nine nights represent the nine avaraṇas. The first three days are a worship of
Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati; on the subsequent days, their
exploits are celebrated. The completion of the sadhana is the marriage of Shiva
and Parvati. The process is like overcoming the demonic materiality of one’s
own self that is represented elsewhere by Ravana. This victory is celebrated on
the tenth day (Vijayadashami) as that of Durga over Mahishasura.

In Kashmir, the goddess Sarika Devi subsumes in herself all the nine avaranas,
which is why she is shown with nine sets of arms.

We have seen much overlap between the numbers described in the

Svetashvatara Upanishad and those of the Sri Yantra. In our opinion the case for
the two yantras being the same is compelling. The conception of the Goddess as
the Supreme power out of which all the Gods emerged, encountered in the
Durga Saptasati, existed at the time of the Svetashvatara Upanishad for it is also
proclaimed in the Devi Sukta of the Rigveda (10.125). Furthermore, we have
evidence of yantric structures in India that go back to about 2000 BC (Kak,
2005) as well as representations of the Goddess killing the buffalo demon from
the Harappan period, so we are speaking here of a very ancient tradition.

The Sri Chakra is an iconic representation of the deepest intuitions of the Vedas.
It represents both the recursive structure of reality and also expresses the fact
that Nature and Consciousness are interpenetrating (Kak, 2007). It is relatively
easy for the conditioned mind to question names and forms (Namarupa) as
compared to turn the gaze of one’s inner mind on one’s consciousness. The Sri
Chakra looks at reality through the lens of beauty and felt experience. By
helping one penetrate the various coverings of one’s mind, it takes the seeker to
Shiva, the fixed point of one’s self.

Sri Vidya Upasana-It’s Significance and Secret

February 25, 2012 by Shyam Moorkoth Kaambil -Making Things Happen

15 Votes

Hindu scriptures prescribe three different but intertwining paths to attain

liberation and these are: karma(ACTION), Bhakti(DEVOTION) and
Jnana(KNOWLEDGE)
Of these, karma directs the individual to perform faithfully all the duties, actions
and procedures prescribed by the Vedas and Shastras as befitting a man’s Varna
and Ashrama.The Bhakti path is where the individual is given the choice of a
form of the Divine Entity to contemplate, worship,meditate, and perform Pooja
etc. The Absolute that is formless, is allowed to be conceived of as having a
form to enable the human mind to hold on to something
and make progress in the Bhakti route. This Bhakti also consists of three distinct
groups of activities: a. Activities by the mind like Japa and Dhyana; b. Activities
of the organs like Pooja; c. Activities of the word of mouth like chanting
prayers. Depending on one’s preference or inclination, one can stick to only one
of the three or more of one and less of the others.The practice of Bhakti in all its
three forms constitutes Upasana. There the form Devatas to be adopted as the
object of devotion is also a matter of choice. Indeed, Bhagavan Krishna assures
us that he confers on the sincere devotee, unwavering devotion to the chosen
form. There are six Upasana paths known as the Shanmatas, properly codified
and
defined by the great Acharya, Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada. They are:
Ganapatya,Saura, Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta and Kaumara. As the name of each
indicates, each one has a different form of deity as the object of worship; the
other paths of Japa, Dhyana and the ritual of puja are all the same. Of these,
Shakta is the one where the form of Shakti is worshipped as Mother.
Interestingly, of the six, this is the only Upasana (i.e.
Srividya Upasana) that is always reverentially referred to with the attribute
‘Sri’. The principal form of worship here is that of Shakti or energy. That way,
this can also be viewed as worship of the energy aspect of the remaining five
forms and therefore, this integrates al the six methods into one. While for the
sake of conceptualizing, the power or energy is viewed as a distinct entity, it is
needless to say that it cannot be physically
separated from that of which this is the power. Hence the dictum, ‘ShaktiH
shaktimatorabhedaH’. The substratum on which this Shakti inheres is referred to
as ‘Shaktiman’, which is Shiva or Kameshwara himself. In other words, we try
to conceive of the single entity Shiva as basic or residual Shiva and its Shakti
separately. It is only logical that if one can conceive of such a dichotomy of a
single individual being, when
Shakti is taken out, what remains must be something inert (jada). That is the
profound principle with which Acharya’s Saundaryalahari starts.
Consistent with the physical science, this Shakti can be of two forms again:
potential and kinetic. In this system, the potential form is refereed to as
Prakasha (effulgence) and the kinetic as Vimarsha (illuminating). The
effulgence is the inherent characteristic of the first by which the seen world is
illuminated, enabling us to see. This is the explanation of the Shakta system for
the universe and the power that makes it to
be seen by all of us. In a higher plane, the concept of Guru also is conceived as
made up of the same principles of Prakasha and Vimarsha. The Guru as the
torch, remains the source of light and simultaneously the seen world. Guru
Padukas are always referred to as Prakasha and Vimarsha. Another way of
explaining this is by saying Prakasha is the absolute Brahman and Vimarsha is
the individual Jivatman, the guru representing the
state of Advaita, where the distinction of Jiva and Brahman ceases to exist.As
mentioned earlier, there are three paths to liberation. However, these are not
mutually exclusive but have among themselves some amount of overlapping.
Interestingly, in the path of Jnana itself, Adi Shankara stresses the Bhakti aspect.
Acharya has cleverly reconciled these two in his Vedantic definition of Bhakti
as the individual meditating upon or worshipping himself. Bhakti or Upasana is
of two kinds:
Gowni and Para. This first is also known as Sagunopasana. The human mind
which finds it impossible to visualize the Absolute, is provided with a form of
deity with face, hands,legs etc., so that the mind has something to hold on to,
rather than a formless Brahman.All worships generally are with respect to a
form of the Absolute. This form would be ofindividual’s choice or as indicated
to him by his Guru. The fundamental principle here is
one of visualizing or conceptualizing, which is called Bhavana. From this point
of view, it would appear that Bhakti is a process of reducing the adult mind to
that of a child. For example, if a child gets a doll, then it sees that as a real baby
in flesh and blood and tries
to do all acts of affection and love to that doll, adopting the role of a mother.
This means that an imaginary baby wholly replaces the concept of the doll. A
serious bhakta never perceives the idol or the picture or a Chakra that he
worships as anything different from
the Divine form of God. This is the essential requirement for Bhakti. Having
started to believe that the form he worships is his beloved deity, the other
activities or rituals cover the various tasks to be performed such as seating,
bathing etc. This whole process is commonly referred to as performing a Pooja.
Physically, there are sixteen such acts known as Upacharas.
1. Asana – offering a seat to the deity
2. Padya – offering water for washing the feet
3. Arghya – offering water for internal purification
4. Achamana – offering water to be taken in
5. Snana – offering a bath
6. Vastra – offering a dress
7. Abharana – offering ornaments
8. Gandha – offering sandal paste
9. Pushpa – offering flowers
10. Dhoopa – offering incense
11. Deepa – offering light
12. Naivedya – offering eatables
13. Tamboola – offering betel leaves and nut
14. Stotra – offering prayers
15. Pradakshina – going round the deity
16. Pranama – prostrating before the deity
These sixteen are the commonly offered Upacharas in any from of Pooja,
always firmly believing in the form that is being worshipped.
These very sixteen Upacharas also have a deeper or inner significance, which
could be related as the offerings to the Absolute without any form. Another
method of offering these rites reckons these as a group of five and not sixteen.
These are Gandha, Pushpa,Dhoopa, Deepa and Naivedya. This is called the
Pancha Upachara Pooja. the basic objective is bringing out the Divine principle
that inheres in every one of us out and
visualizing it in the external picture, idol etc., and carrying the above mentioned
sixteen or five Upacharas as one would do unto himself.
Performing these very rituals as part of the Pooja or Upasana in the Srividya
sampradaaya is a little more elaborate with a number of special sets of tasks
peculiar to this cult. To begin with, we have to understand the actual form that is
accepted for worship in this Pooja. The generally accepted form for worship as
Devi is an idol and a Chakra. Srichakra represents the creation and dissolution
of the universe starting from
the Brahman, which itself is depicted as the Bindu in the center of the Chakra.
The second requisite is what is known as a mantra. Any mantra is considered as
a zealously guarded secret. A mantra is a collection of letters, which on its face
may not convey any meaning. By definition, mantra means that by repeatedly
meditating upon which one is saved. It is the duty of every devotee of Srividya
to constantly meditate upon his mantra and chant it repeatedly so that there
result repeated vibrations in the astral centers of the individual. These are never
to be uttered aloud and therefore even the Vedas hint at these mantras in a coded
language only. The prescribed mantra for Srividya worship is what is known as
the Panchadashi. Literally translated, it means a fifteen-lettered mantra.
Different seers have explained the meaning of this mantra in different ways.
Nitya Shodashikarnava gives six different interpretations. SriBhaskararaya, in
his magnum opus VarivasyaRahasya, gives fifteen interpretations. A Keralite
scholar of this century, Perunkulam Veeraraghava Shastrigal has given more
than 60 interpretations, which have received the approval of Sacchidananda
Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Mahaswamigal, the 33rd distinguished occupant
of the Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sarada Peetham, who was universally
recognized as the foremost scholar of his times. In essence, this mantra is
considered as equal to the Vedic Mahavakyas, which clearly indicate the true
nature of Brahman and the true nature of
the individual self.
The first qualification for a Upasaka to perform Pooja is obtaining Diksha from
a competent Guru. the rite called Diksha is supposed to be destroying all the
limiting factors of the individual self and facilitate his union with Shiva.
aIyate shivasAyujyaM kShIyate pAshabandhanam. atha dIkSheti kathitaM
budhaiH sacChAstravedibhiH ..
It is the Guru who, after testing the disciple’s competence, initiates him into the
Upasana by teaching him the mantra, the Devata Swaroopa and the methods of
performing the rituals. Though the Sadhaka begins initially with external rituals,
he should rise to the level of performing Antaryaga as set out in
Bhavanopanishad. The first step in Bahiryaga is the method of entering the
room of worship. Next follows Tatva Achamana. This is a cleansing process
carried out by ingesting drops of water four times or seven times, praying each
time for the cleansing of the Anava, Mayika and Karmika Malas, which is
accomplished by the usage of Bija mantras. This prepares the Sadhaka’s mental
frame and sets it ready for the Jnana swaroopa to shine.
The next and the most important step is performing GuruPaduka Vandana. This
involves paying one’s respect to the lotus feet of the Guru. There is a special
prescribed procedure for performing this. Guru’s feet are supposed to be on the
head of the pasaka. Therefore, he has to worship with his hands locked in Mrigi
Mudra, the sandals of the preceptor. This procedure calls for worshipping his
own master (Guru), the Guru’s
Guru (Parama Guru) and his Guru (Parameshthi Guru). There are three separate
mantras for each of these. The GuruPaduka mantras collectively connote the
same concept as that of the Mahavakya – Tatvamasi. Actually, these syllables
are represented one each by the three Paduka mantras.
The next step is ringing the bell. This is symbolic of referring to the evolution of
the universe from Nada. By ringing the bell, the Devas are invited to the Pooja
simultaneously warding off the evil thoughts and forces present in the vicinity.
The actual part of the Pooja starts now with a declaration i.e. Sankalpa. This is
done by doing Pranayama – breathing in, holding the breath and breathing out,
using the Panchadashi
or Shodashi mantra, as taught by the Guru. Then, the time and place in which
the Upasaka is performing the Pooja are narrated with the prescribed necessary
time and space components. Accomplished Upasakas traditionally adopt the
Ashtanga method of narrating the time, which is distinctive and unique to
Srividya Upasana. Next in the order comes the seat on which one should sit and
perform the Pooja. The directions
pronounced by Lord Krishna in Gita – ‘Having firmly fixed in a clean place, his
seat, neither too high nor too low, and having spread over it the Kusha grass, a
deer skin and a cloth one over the other’, is adopted. One addition to this is the
repetition of a certain mantra along with which water is sprinkled on the seat
before being seated. Then follows a procedure for guarding oneself against
external influences by a process known as
Deharaksha. Then follows a Pushpanjali collectively to all the Devatas in the
Srichakra and also obtaining from Sri Dakshinamurthy, the foremost guru in
Dakshinachara and Samayachara, permission to proceed with Srichakra
Navavarana Pooja. Before actually invoking Sri Lalita Mahatripurasundari into
the Srichakra, a minor rite called Prana Pratishtha is performed. This is actually
fixing firmly the Yantra or Meru and energizing it before inviting the Devata to
come and occupy it. The purport is an expression of the fact that the power that
is present in our heart is brought out and
conceived to be installed in the Chakra. Now, a series of small tasks, which are
intended to bring into the Chakra the complete abode of Devi with all its
components by naming each one and imagining its being made to be present in
its appropriate position n the Srichakra. In reality, Sridevi’s abode which is
called as Srinagara contains a large number of oceans, islands, copses, gardens,
surrounding spaces, moats and a central
splendorous palace, as set out in sage Durvasa’s Arya Dwishati. All these are,
item by item, visualized in the Srichakra by referring to their individual names.
Thus, in effect, we have kind of reconstructed mentally the Srinagara before us
to worship the occupant
thereof. We then have to light and install two lamps on either side of the Pooja
mandala. Next step is to get the individual ready to stand before this divine
presence and perform the Pooja. This in turn involves five tasks: 1. Bhuta
Shuddhi which is a process of cleansing all the effects of the physical elements
of the individual’s body by a series of Pranayama steps, chanting special Bija
mantras simultaneously.
2. The way we fix firmly the deity being worshipped by a prana Pratishtha, the
individual must also fix himself firmly by performing Atma Prana Pratishtha.
3. The next step is to perform Pranayama to ensure concentration.
4. The fourth ingredient is a ritual to ward off all evil tendencies around us by a
process called Vighnotsarana.
5. The last in this category is known as the Shikha Bandha, which tying up one’s
hair into a knot to take care to prevent the hair from getting loose frequently and
interfering with the rituals connected with the Pooja. Today it is indeed rare to
find a male individual with uncropped hair; hence the ritual, though a real one,
has become imaginary.
The second major part of the Pooja rituals is what is known as Nyasa. In
Upasana, Nyasa refers to touching the various parts of our body, chanting a
mantra and visualizing the presiding Shakti of that mantra to be present in that
part of the body being touched.
There is a whole lot of different Nyasas with different mantras being used in
varying orders. In the Navavarana Pooja, the following main Nyasas are
generally performed:
1. Matrika Nyasa (Antarmatrika and Bahirmatrika Nyasa). Actually there are 14
types of Matrika Nyasas prescribed namely, Bindumatrika, Visargamatrika,
Binduvisargamatrika, Hrillekhadimatrika, Bijadimatrika,
Kamadimatrika,Tribijadimatrika, Balasamputitamatrika, Parasamputitamatrika,
Srividyayuktamatrika, Hamsamatrika, Paramahamsamatrika,
Pranavakalamatrika and Ashtatrimshatkala Matrika Nyasas. In addition to these,
if the Sadhaka is also initiated into the Vaishnava angas of Srividya, he should
perform Keshava Matrika Nyasa, Srikantha Matrika Nyasa if initiated into the
Shaiva angas and Prapanchayaga Matrika Nyasa if initiated into Maha
Ganapathi mantra. Bhutilipi Nyasa gives raip Siddhi of the mantra.
2. Karashuddhi Nyasa
3. Atmaraksha and Balashadanga Nyasa
4. Chaturasana (or Shadasana) Nyasa
5. Antashchakra and Bahishchakra Nyasas
6. Mahakameshwaryadi Nyasa
7. Moola Vidya Varna Nyasa
8. Laghu Shoda Nyasa (which involves Ganesha, Graha, Nakshatra, Yogini,
Rashi and Pitha Nyasas)
9. Maha Shodha Nyasa (which involves Prapancha, Bhuvana, Murti, Mantra,
Daivata
and Matrika Bhairava Nyasas)
10. Srichakra Nyasa (again of three types: Srishti, Sthiti and Samhara)
Only Upasakas who have been initiated into Maha Shodashi mantra can
perform Maha shodha Nyasa. Special Nyasas like Kama Rati Nyasa,
MathaNyasa, Shodashakshari Nyasa, NavasanaNyasa etc. are to be performed
only by people having poorna Diksha.
Certain Nyasas like Navayoni Nyasa, Yogapitha Nyasa etc are optional. There
are also Nyasas like Guhya Shodha Nyasa, Para Shodha Nyasa, Kamakala
MahaNyasa (involvingParamparya, AntarbahiH, Para, Pashyanti, Madhyama,
Vaikhari, Ayudha and Bhushana Nyasas), Mahashakti Nyasa, NavakashaNyasa,
Shambhvadi Charana Nyasa, Urdhwamnaya Nyasas, Aghorika, Panchavaktra,
Pancharatna, Divyaughadi, Shabdarshi etc, and Shadanvaya Mahashambhava
Nyasa (Rashmi Shatka Nyasa), MahaPaduka Nyasa, Maha Maha Paduka
Ashtottarashata kala Maha Nyasa, which require various
higher initiations (even after the poorna Diksha) like Diksha of Para Shodashi,
Para Paduka, guhya Shodashi, Guhya Paduka, the five secret Padukas and
Mahashambhava Diksha.

Before moving on to the next set of rites in this Pooja procedure, one will have
to study and understand the implications of these various Nyasas, which are
very
important. Some similar kinds of Nyasas are also performed even when one is
not performing Pooja but only does Japa. Every mantra to be chanted will have
to be along
with some elements of the Japa process and these are Rishi, Chandas, Devata,
Karanyasa and Anganyasa.
We now move on to the fourth part of the Pooja procedure which is known as
Patrasadanam, which literally means spreading out vessels between the devotee
and the
Srichakra in a prescribed manner and a ceremonious manner. The following
vessels are recognized as obligatory in this regard:
1. Kalasha or Vardhani for keeping water for various sundry purposes
2. Shankha or conch also known as Samanya Arghya Patra to contain water for
certain special uses
3. Vishesha Arghya Patra to contain a special liquid prepared for the Pooja
4. Shuddhi Patra
5. Guru Patra
6. Atma Patra
7. Bali patra intended for offering Bali to the forces present around us as a
reward fornot interfering with the Pooja.
For each one of these Patras, there are fixed positions in the layout, a mandala
of a particular design, a method of filling the patra with the appropriate content
and a sequence of performing certain rites on each of them, chanting the
relevant mantras.
This part of the Pooja is a very elaborate one. There is a set of apparent and
esoteric meanings for each of these, which have to be fully understood. The
contents of each of these vessels have specific application and disposal in the
Pooja process. Yet another aspect of this is that these vessels and their contents
symbolically represent the very same type of corresponding vessels with
connected rituals in performing a Yagna or a sacrifice. It is this aspect that
establishes a connection between this particular Pooja with the rituals connected
with a Yagna, thereby bringing about integration between the karma and Bhakti
paths. This is a very important and special feature of Srividya. Hence Srichakra
Navavarana Pooja is also referred to as Yagna. At the end of the Pooja, there is a
prayer, which says, “Jagat Yagnena Tripyatu”. At the end of these rites, the
Kundalini Shakti, which is supposed to be Sridevi herself, is addressed with
certain mantras and offerings. Ultimately to a person who
keeps on performing this Pooja with great care and attention, the Kundalini
which is normally dormant, gets kindled and starts moving upward along the
Sushumna path towards the upper part of the head which houses the Sahasrara.
After this commences
the Pooja to all the deities who reside in the Srichakra. Another difference to be
recognized at this stage is that while other Poojas are done with flower alone, in
this Pooja, offerings are made by both hands – flowers in the right and a piece
of ginger held
in a clasp in the left which is dipped in Vishesha Arghya and droplets thereof
being offered simultaneously with the flowers. The utterance is thus ‘Pujayami
and Tarpayami’.
The Pooja in this part begins with requesting Sridevi to present Herself in the
Srichakra to enable us to perform the Pooja. This is called Avahana. The
concept is to bring out the Devi present in your heart and install her in the
Srichakra before you. This
is not only done mentally but also physically using a mantra and Trikhanda
Mudra. Now, we have the divine element present in us installed securely in the
external Srichakra.
Then the 64 Upacharas are offered to Devi to please her and make her
extremely happy. The detailed Aavarana Pooja starts with worshipping the
Chaturayatana deities. These are Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu and Shiva. These four
occupy the four corners of the square, which contains the Srichakra. First, the
fifteen Nitya Devis are worshipped as the powers that rule the fifteen days in a
fortnight. In the bright half of the fortnight, they are worshipped starting from
Kameshwari whereas the Pooja begins with Chitra Nitya in the dark half. There
is a sixteenth Nitya known as Maha Nitya, who is none other than Sridevi
herself from whom these fifteen emerge. The purpose of this part of the Pooja is
to comprehend that time itself has emanated from, and is subordinate to Sridevi.
Then Pooja is offered to the Guru Parampara or the lineage of gurus. The Gurus
are conceived as belonging to four separate groups: first is Paraugha and the rest
are Divya, Siddha and Manavaugha. The first offering is to the highest Guru
ruling over the present cycle of time known as Sri Charyanandanatha. Next in
priority is Sri Dakshinamurthy. After that, the full lineage of Gurus is offered
Pooja. Thirty-one Gurus are mentioned by name with Adi Shankara
Bhagavatpada’s as the thirty-second. These are then followed by the devotee’s
Parameshti, Parama and Swagurus.
The Pooja then moves over to the worship of the deities in the nine enclosures
of Srichakra. Pooja is offered next to five groups of Devis who are conceived to
be located over the Bindu in Srichakra in a five-fold Peetha. These goddesses
represent the stages
through which the Sadhaka has to pass, in moving from Savikalpa Samadhi to
Nirvikalpa state. After this, Pooja is offered to the deities of the Shanmatas and
six Chakras. There are four amnayas (six for Maha Shodashi Upasakas), each
one containing a sizable
number of individual Devatas. These can be offered Pooja and Tarpana
individually or in groups. After this, depending on the availability of time,
archana is performed with Sahasranama, Trishati or Ashtottara. Trishati archana
is always performed with
Kumkuma. The concluding part of the Pooja includes Dhoopa, Deepa,
Naivedya,Tamboola, Karpura Nirajana and Mantra Pushpa. At this point, it
becomes necessary to mention two additional features, which are peculiar to
Srividya Upasana. They are the
Arartikam and Kuladipam. These are one set of nine lamps and a single lamp
made out of wheat flour, sugar and ghee and lit. After this, Suvasini Pooja and
Tatvashodhana are performed. Yet another special feature of this Pooja is that it
is not only the main devotee who performs the Pooja but after he has finished,
others also partake in the ritual byeach one performing what is known as
Samayika Pooja. it is practically a very short form of the principal Pooja so that
everybody present also gets the satisfaction of having himself performed the
Pooja. it is also a means of training the aspirant to acquire the competence to
himself perform the Pooja in due course.
In the context of Srividya Upasana, two more aspects remain to be explained.
One of them is what is collectively known as Pancha Makara. These are five
things representing the five physical elements, which are denoted through
Madya, Mamsa,
Matsya, Mudra and Maithuna. Of these, Madya refers to the principle of fire,
Matsya to water, Mamsa to earth, Mudra to Vayu and Maithuna to ether. The use
of these five in their real physical forms, though used by certain cults, is not
prescribed for a Satvika Upasaka. Adi Shankara has actually condemned the use
of these and has practically banned Pooja performance with these things in their
normal form. These articles are to be used by those at the lowest level of
evolution. The intention is to curb and channel their natural propensity to use
these, by prescribing elaborate rituals and procedures and sanctifying them. For
the evolved Sadhakas, these five connote the five Tanmatras, which are the five
arrow of Mahatripurasundari. Madya is the ambrosia flowing from the Chit
Chandra mandala, Mamsa means the control of tongue, the two Matsyas are the
Ida and Pingala, Mudra refers to the center of Sahasrara and Maithuna is the
union of Jivatman and Paramatman. The Shastras have pointed out that the use
of these articles in their literal form is like walking on the edge of a sword,
embracing a tiger and wearing a snake. As referred to earlier, every area of
Srichakra contains a variety of Devatas. There are separately described
procedures for performing Pooja for each of them. Each of these Devis is ruling
over one or the other aspects of secular life like health, wealth, happiness,
education, winning over rivals or competitors, achieving particular special
powers etc.
While the total worship pf Sri Lalita Mahatripurasundari through the Aavarana
Pooja will grant everything in this world and the other and lead one to total
liberation at the end, these particular literally lesser powers have the way of
granting whatever is
specifically asked for separately. Besides, there are separate Aavarana Pooja
procedures in regard to some of the Anga Devatas of Devi in Srichakra such as
Maha Ganesha, Varahi, Shyamala, Chandi, Subrahmanya, Dakshinamurthy, and
Swarnakarshana
Bhairava etc. In addition, there is one Pooja addressed to a particular form
known as Shadanvaya Shambhavi which is in fact, a Pooja addressed to Devi in
her form completely one with Kameshwara. This worship is considered to be
ultimate because it
even transcends the gender and takes one on to a single principle. A complete
description of this together with all the necessary concepts is provided in the
fourteenth Shloka of Saundaryalahari and in the detailed commentary thereon
by several learned
commentators. The six principles referred to in these are of the five gross,
physical elements, earth, water etc., together with the mind as the sixth element.
Hence this to be the ultimate to be pursued by the devotee who aspires for
liberation
from all the worldly attractions. Although the detailed procedures are set out in
this compendium, only the Adhikari should undertake this form of worship for
this. The prerequisite is not only poorna Diksha with initiation into Maha
Shodashi but also the
higher initiation of Maha Shaambhava Diksha and the initiation into
Shaambhava Maha Padukas and other secret mantras. The three higher Saparyas
– Shadanvaya Shambhavi, Dakshinamurthy Aavarana or Brahmavidya Mandala
Pooja and the Guru mandala
Pooja, these have to be performed only on Pancha Parvas by the above said
Adhikari. These five occasions are the birthday of Guru, Diksha day of Guru,
Chitra Pournami, Guru Pournami and the Guru Kaivalya parva. Without
complete guidance from the
Guru, these procedures bring grave results to the Sadhaka. Saubhagya Hridaya
Stava gives more details about these procedures. Independent of all the above,
there is in practice a procedure called Chandi or Durga paddhati. This is also
considered as one of the Devi’s forms that inhere in the Srichakra. However,
there is not much mentioned about this in the popular Srichakra Pooja
procedures. There is a Smriti which says: Kalau chaNDI vinAyakau. This means
in
the age of kali, the two Devatas to be worshipped are Chandi and Ganapathi.
The worship of these two will itself give the benefit of other forms of worship.
The basis for this Chandi Upasana is found in Devi Bhagavata as well as the
Markandeya Purana,
which contains the well-known Saptashati. This narrates the three tales of
Sridevi fighting and destroying the evil forces in the forms of Madhu,
Kaithabha, Mahishasura and Shumbha – Nishumbha. These stories are narrated
in thirteen chapters in the form
of seven hundred stanzas or half stanzas. Each of these is considered as an
independent mantra by repeating which one attains profound benefits. In
addition, the mantra prescribed for this is what is known as Navakshari, the
nine-lettered mantra that has its basis in the Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, known
as the Devi Upanishad. The reader who has read so far would have got an idea
of the fundamental concepts of Srividya and the external Navavarana Pooja.
The oft-quoted saying,
YatrAsti bhogo na tatra mokShaH yatrAsti mokShaH na tu tatra bhogaG .
ShrIsundarI sAdhakapuMgavAnAM bhogashcha mokshashcha karastha eva ..
‘Where there is worldly enjoyment, there is no salvation; where there is
salvation, there is no worldly enjoyment. For the great worshippers of Sri
Sundari, both worldly enjoyment and salvation are at hand’ – will come alive
with a new significance.
The foremost of Srividya Upasakas have been Vasishta, Sanaka, Sanandana,
Sanatkumara and Shuka, who wrote the manuals of Samayachara known as the
Shubhagama Panchaka. Sage Durvasas, also known as Krodha Bhattaraka, who
Lalita
Stavaratna or Arya Dwishati and Shakti Mahimna Stotra are read with devotion
by pious people even today, formulated the Chintamani Pooja Kalpa, which is
observed at the Sri Kamakshi temple at Kanchipuram. Sage Agastya, to whom
Lord Maha Vishnu appearing as Hayagriva, taught Srividya including the
Sahasranamas of Shyamala, Varahi and Sri Lalita, as well as the esoteric
Trishati, is a well known Srividya Upasaka. Lopamudra, the wife of Agastya is
the Rishi of the Hadi Vidya. Kalidasa, who’s Chidgagana Chandrika contains
the esoteric subtleties of this Upasana, is known as Laghu Bhattaraka orSringara
Bhattaraka. Sri Gaudapaadaachaarya, who is famously known as the author of
Mandukya Karika, Subhagodaya Stuti and Srividya Ratna sutra, and as the guru
of Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada, is the foremost of the gurus of Srividya
Samayachara sampradaaya. Sri Adi Shankaracharya is widely regarded as the
Avatara of Lord Mahadeva Dakshinamurthy himself and is famous for his
Bhashya on the Prasthana
Trayas, various Prakarana Granthas and Stotras, including the Saundaryalahari,
the first 41 verses of which are a treasure house of mantra Shastra. His
Prapanchasara is a compendium of the Upasana procedures of different deities.
In all the monasteries
established by Acharyal, the worship of Lord Chandramouleshwara and Sri
Mahatripurasundari continues even today. Lakshmidhara, also known as Lolla,
is a great Upasaka of incomparable brilliance, whose commentary on
Saundaryalahari is the best
of the various versions available today. Sri Bhaskaracharya is an outstanding
Upasaka and scholar of Srividya who has written definitive commentaries on
Lalita Sahasranama, Saptashati, and Nityashodashikarnava etc. He has also
written extensively on Srividya, the notable work being his Varivasya Rahasya.
Sri Appayya Dikshita, well known as the author of Parimala, a commentary on
the Brahma Sutras, and over 100 other works, has contributed to the world, the
Ratnatraya Pariksha and Durga Chandrakalastuti dealing with Devi Upasana.
Even Bhaskaracharya refers to Dikshita in the honorific plural.
Other well known Upasakas include Muttuswamy Dikshitar and Sri Shyama
Shastry, two of the trinity of Carnatic classical music. Their lyrics disclose an
intimate and deep knowledge of the Upasana Krama.
The famous and great personalities mentioned above would not have followed
the Srividya path if it were contrary to the Vedas. This thought itself would be of
comfort, but some readers may still wish to have some reassurance by way of
references to
relevant Vedic texts. Some such proofs are given below:
1. The srisukta, as its very name indicates, hymns the Goddess, invoking her as
Sri. The Kamakala Bija is explicitly stated in this Sukta. Other texts also
describe the great Bija as follows: YaH praNIti ya IM shruNoti yadIM
shruNotyakalaM
shruNoti etc.
2. The Durga Sukta hymns the Goddess as Sri Durga.
3. The Kenopanishad states that Uma revealed herself to Indra and dispelled his
vanity and ignorance.
4. Parameshwara is worshipped as Ambikapati and Umapati in the Rigveda –
namo hiranyab ahave hiranyavarnaya hiranyarupaya hiranyapataye ambik
apataye umapataye pashupataye namo namah.
5. The presiding deity to whom oblations are offered in the Avahanti Homa is
Sri Annapurana, a manifestation of Sri Mahatripurasundari.
6. There are also the following Upanishads dealing with Srividya – Sundari
Tapini Pancjakam, Bhavanopanishad, Ratrisukta, Devisukta, Devyupanishad,
Tripuropanishad, Bahvrchopanishad, Kaulopanishad, Guhyopanishad,
Mahopanishad, Saraswati Rahasyopanishad, Saubhagya Lakshmi
Upanishad,Srichakropanishad etc.
A modern writer Sri Panchanana Tarkaratna Bhattacharya has written a
commentary on the Brahma sutras interpreting them from the standpoint of
Shakta philosophy. The same author appears to have interpreted the Bhagavad
Gita similarly.
There are three interesting thoughts while observing the India map, which
appears approximately as a triangle. Hence the country itself is of the form of
Kamakala. From Kanyakumari at the tip of the peninsula, where there is a
shrine for Bala Tripurasundari,
right up to the Himalayas, there are many holy shrines where Devi is
worshipped in different forms, providing a unifying thread. At the Vaishnavi
shrine in Jammu, we see only three stones representing the three Bindus of
Kamakala. The Tamil script contains a vowel of the three Bindu form. Sage
Agastya is a well-known Srividya Upasaka. Lord Subrahmanya is the son of
Shiva and Shakti, sprung to annihilate evil or Avidya and is represented by two
intersecting triangles, signifying the concept of Kamakala. All these add
credence to the traditional belief that Lord Subrahmanya gifted the Tamil
language to the southerners, through sage Agastya. The Shabda Brahman, an
aspect of chit, is the Kundalini Shakti. The Shakti is subtle and in the form of
mere light and not audible. From Moolaadhaara, her breath goes upward and
becomes Pashyanti (associated with Manas), Madhyama (associated with
Buddhi) and Vaikhari. Thence it is generated as the letters a to ksha. These
letters
combine to form words and mantras. The Sadhaka has to realize that the Devata
is not merely a syllable or a word and its meaning, but as a great power of
which the mantra is a notation. The letters have specific meanings in the mantra
Shastra and hence a mantra can be viewed as a coded form of conveying a long
message or prayer. The Sadhaka must realize that he, his Guru, the mantra, the
Chakra and the Devata are all one. The Kundalini Shakti is coiled like a serpent
around a Karnika in the
Moolaadhaara and is normally dormant, with its head on top of the Karnika. The
Sadhaka’s aim is to awaken the Kundalini, lead her through the six Chakras, and
unite her with Sadashiva in the Sahasrara. Nectar flows from such union and
drenches all the
Nadis, and the Sadhaka experiences great bliss. Kundalini at first does not stay
very long in the Sahasrara. The length of the stay depends on the strength of the
Sadhaka’s practice. There is a natural tendency to return to Moolaadhaara but
the Sadhaka will use his efforts to retain her at the Sahasrara. Liberation is got
only when she takes up her permanent abode at the Sahasrara. The unknown can
be explained only through the known. An example that readily comes to mind is
the Ananda Mimamsa in the Taittariya Upanishad. Arousing the Kundalini can
be done through either Hatha Yoga or through meditation and Japa, done over
many years. This should not be forced or hurried. The grace of the Guru is
absolutely necessary. The latter method i.e. by meditation and Japa is safer.
While taking Kundalini through the Chakras, the Sadhaka should mentally offer
worship at each of the Chakras.
Arousing the Kundalini by mantra Japa should be done only in the Shukla
paksha.It cannot be sufficiently emphasized that arousing the Kundalini should
be attempted only by a person with total self-control, through sincere and
constant Japa done with
devotion over many years and with the specific approval of the Guru. to do
otherwise may cause dangerous consequences and lead to several physical and
mental ailments. The advice of the Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
should be carefully heeded in this respect.As this Vidya is the means of both
Bhoga and Moksha, it is taught secretly only to eligible persons. The
practitioner is also enjoined to keep this Upasana secret. The Sruti says:
AntaH shAktaH bahiH shaivaH loke vaiShNavaH.
The Shakti Upasana should be known only to the mind and not broadcast. Even
while wearing on the forehead the Sindura Prasadam of Devi, the Upasaka
should cover it with bhasma. As Shiva and Shakti are one, this can be done.
Likewise, in view of
statements such as ‘mAmeva paurushaM rUpaM gopikAnayanAmR^itam’,
‘kadAchit
laliteshAnI pumrUpA kR^iShNavigrahA’ etc., indicating Abheda between
Ambika and Narayana, discoursing at gatherings on Bhagavan’s greatness
amounts to discoursing on Devi’s greatness. It has been said that all Dvijas are
Shaktas since they chant the Gayathri mantra.
The Tripura Tapini Upanishad establishes the equivalence of each Koota of
Panchadashi mantra with the Gayathri mantra. Chanting the Panchadashi mantra
once is equivalent to chanting the Gayathri mantra thrice. The aspirant who
decides to take up this
Upasana must be sincere, devoted, of good character, hailing from a good
family, pure in mind, keen on attaining the Purusharthas. A good shishya is one
who has studied the Vedas and the Upanishads, but is unable to retain their true
import in this mind, and wishes to practice this Upasana as a means of attaining
Brahma Jnana. Such a shishya must seek a Guru. The importance of Guru has
been stressed in all Shastras. Upadesha becomes effective only if it is learnt
from a Guru; merely reading from books will be unproductive, and will even
cause misery. The shishya should surrender to a Guru and pray for
enlightenment. The relationship between the Guru and the shishya is a sacred
one. The Guru will also test the shishya, put him through a probationary period,
and if he is convinced that the shishya is a fit and proper person, will instruct
him. Unfortunately, nowadays we find that imparting Srividya mantra Upadesha
has become a matter of commerce. Srividya is being taught as an year’s crash
course! This is to deplored. In fact,the learned commentator Rameshwara Suri,
in the course of his commentary on the Parashurama Kalpasutras, quotes this
verse:
guravo bahavaH santi shishyavittApahArakAH .
durlabhoyaM gurudevi shishyasantApahArakaH.
One should look for Guru who rids shishya of his ignorance, not wealth. Due to
the grace of a proper Guru, all the obstacles and inconveniences of the shishya
in acquiring Brahma Jnana are destroyed. By constantly chanting the mantra
taught to
him, the shishya overcomes all misery and enjoys supreme bliss. The Shishya’s
duties include serving the Guru to the best of his ability, having total faith in the
Guru and chanting the mantra taught to him constantly. In Srividya, the guru
shishya lineage has
come as an unbroken chain, starting from the first guru, Paramashiva. At the
time of Diksha, the Guru will teach the Guru Paduka mantra. The shishya is
taught about his immediate Guru, his Guru’s Guru and his Guru. The Shishya
should develop the attitude
that the Guru’s feet rest on his head, the Paramaguru’s feet on the Guru’s head
and so on. The Guru Paduka mantra contains the letters Ham saH, which
represents the breathing in and breathing out, happening subconsciously all the
time. This is known as
the Ajapa Gayathri. Ha denotes Paramashiva and sa denotes Parashakti. This
mantra therefore teaches the identity of Shiva and Shakti. The Paduka mantra
also has the words ShivaH and Soham. It will be readily seen that Soham is the
same as HamsaH, read in reverse order. These three words occur in all the three
Guru Paduka mantras, in different permutations and serve to confirm the
identity of Shiva and Shakti. Further, their relevance as regarding the
Mahavakyas has been already explained. The mantras also include Tritari or the
Vimarsha Pranava, Bala, and 12 Bijas in two groups of four and eight. The four
are known as Khechari and the eight as Ananda Bhairava or Navanatha Bijas.
Their meanings are highly esoteric and should be learnt from a Guru. The two
other Rahasya Bijas in these mantras denote the Turiya Pranava, connoting the
effulgence of the Supreme Being. A very exacting daily routine has been
prescribed for the sincere and committed Srividya Upasaka, covering all
activities from the time of waking up early in the morning until retiring to bed at
night. Their purpose is to make the Sadhaka constantly meditate on the Shiva
swaroopa even while engaged in other actions. The routines prescribed for the
Sadhaka include Dhyana of the Guru, Pranayama, Divyamangala Dhyana,
Rashmi Mala, Ajapa Samarpanam, Ablutions, Sandhya Vandana and different
kinds of Parayanams such as Natha, Ghatika, Tatva, Tithi Nitya, Nama and
Mantra Parayanas. Devi Upasakas narrate the time according to the ashtanga
system. As regards to Japa, it should be noted that the mantra of each Devata
can be chanted only at the time prescribed for it. For example, the mantra of
Maha Ganapathi has to be chanted early in the morning, that of Shyamala in the
afternoon and that of Varahi at night. A question may arise, why are there so
many Devatas? These are only aspects of the Parashakti and, to adopt the
contemporary management jargon, have jurisdiction over certain areas. Within
these, the Devatas have been delegated authority and responsibility and have
been empowered to deal with the prayers of the devotees. When the occasion
arises, Parashakti can withdraw these aspects into Herself. The Sadhaka must
also clearly appreciate that Japa corresponds to the Manana and Nidhidhyasana
prescribed in regard to the Upanishads. While chanting Srividya Maha mantra,
for greater efficacy, the Sadhaka should try to keep in mind the meanings of the
mantra, and pronounce the letters in the manner explained by Sri
Bhaskaracharya in Varivasya Rahasya. The Sadhaka may also contemplate on
the Shakti in each of the Adharas while doing the Japa, and gradually move her
upwards over a period of time.
The Sadhaka will experience, as his Japa and Upasana progress, that he is able
to get some supernatural powers, Siddhis as they are known. His mind will also
be distracted by various material pleasures thrusting themselves upon him. He
must be
careful, remembering parokShapriya hi devaH and these are directed at
preventing him from attaining his goal of Brahma Jnana. As we started with
Maha Ganapathi, we should also end with another manifestation known as
ucchishta Ganapathi. It has been suggested that the name should be Utkrishta
Ganapathi instead.. In the secret Sahasranama of this form of Ganapathi, various
important aspects of Srividya Upasana are mentioned.
As the Phala Sruti of Sri Lalita Sahasranama says, only the person who in crores
of births and deaths has sung the names of other deities will develop sincerity
and interest in singing the names of Mahatripurasundari. Only in the last Janma,
one becomes a
Srividya Upasaka. Those who have earned this through their Tapas in many
Janmas, will enter this Upasana Marga.