In the Shri Vidya school of Hindu tantra, the Sri Yantra ("sacred instrument",

also Sri Chakra) is a diagram formed by nine interlocking triangles that

surround and radiate out from the central (bindu) point. It represents the
goddess in her form of Shri Lalita r !ripura Sundari, "the beauty of the three
"orlds (Hea#en, $arth, Hell)".
%according to whom?&
!he "orship of the Sri 'hakra is
central to the Shri Vidya system of Hindu "orship. (our isosceles triangles
"ith the apices up"ards, representing Shi#a or the )asculine. (i#e isosceles
triangles "ith the apices do"n"ard, symboli*ing female embodiment Shakti.
!hus the Sri +antra also represents the union of )asculine and (eminine
,i#ine. -ecause it is composed of nine triangles, it is kno"n as the Navayoni
Chakra.
%.&
"!hese nine triangles are of #arious si*es and intersect "ith one
another. In the middle is the po"er point (bindu), #isuali*ing the highest, the
in#isible, elusi#e centre from "hich the entire /gure and the cosmos e0pand.
!he triangles are enclosed by t"o ro"s of (1 and .2) petals, representing the
lotus of creation and reproducti#e #ital force. !he broken lines of the outer
frame denote the /gure to be a sanctuary "ith four openings to the regions
of the uni#erse".
%3&
In a recent issue of -rahma#idya, the 4ournal of the 5dyar Library, Subhash
6ak argues that the description of Sri +antra is identical to the yantra
described in the 7#et89#atara :panisad.
%;&
!ogether the nine triangles are interlaced in such a "ay as to form <; smaller
triangles in a "eb symbolic of the entire cosmos or a "omb symbolic of
creation. !ogether they e0press 5d#aita or non=duality. !his is surrounded by
a lotus of eight petals, a lotus of si0teen petals, and an earth s>uare
resembling a temple "ith four doors.
%.&
!he #arious deities residing in the
nine layers of the Sri +antra are described in the ,e#i 6hadgamala )antra.
%<&
!he Shri 'hakra is also kno"n as the nav chakra because it can also be seen
as ha#ing nine le#els. "?ine" comes from "?au or ?a#a" of Sanskrit. $ach
le#el corresponds to a mudra, a yogini, and a speci/c form of the deity
!ripura Sundari along "ith her mantra. !hese le#els starting from the outside
or bottom layer are@
%.&
1. Trailokya Mohan or Bhupar, a s>uare of three lines "ith four portals
2. Sarva Aasa Paripurak, a si0teen=petal lotus
3. Sarva Sankshobahan, an eight=petal lotus
4. Sarva Saubhagyadayak, composed of fourteen small triangles
5. Sara Arthasadhak, composed of ten small triangles
6. Sarva Rakshakar, composed of ten small triangles
7. Sarva Rogahar, composed of eight small triangles
8. Sarva Siddhiprada, composed of . small triangle
9. Sarva Anandamay, composed of a point or bindu
!he Sri 'hakra (called the Shri +antra) is the symbol of Hindu tantra, "hich is
based on the Hindu philosophy of 6ashmir Shai#ism. !he Sri +antra is the
ob4ect of de#otion in Sri Vidya.
!he t"o dimensional Sri 'hakra, "hen it is pro4ected into three dimensions is
called a )aha )eru ()ount )eru).
In temples
Aarashakthi !emple Ba4agopuram in Aontiac, )ichigan, :S5.
%C&
6amakshi temple, Donna"ada, ?ellore
%citation ndd&
6amakshi temple, 6anchipuram
%citation ndd&
6alikambal temple, 'hennai
%citation ndd&
6amakshi temple, )angadu, 'hennai
%citation ndd&
Shree 6ali !emple, ut side Sanganeri Eate, )oti,unri Boad,
Daipur
%citation ndd&
?imishamba temple, SriBangapatana, )ysore ,istrict.
%citation ndd&
Arasanna )eenakshi !emple, Shi#anasamudra, )ala#alli !k, )andya
,ist,6arnataka.
%citation ndd&
6ollur )ookambike !emple, :dupi dist, 6arnataka
%citation ndd&
Aashupatinath !emple, ?epal, 5t the roof of Eanga )ai temple (!his
temple is car#ed in shape of meru shri yantra)
%citation ndd&
)atrubhutesh"ar !emple, Sri Bamanasramam, !iru#annamalai
installed by -haga#an Bamana )aharshi
%citation ndd&
5t 6amakhya !emple, Eu"hati, 5ssam (!his mandir itself in the shape
of shree yantra)
%citation ndd&
Authenka#il ,e#i !emple, 'herumukha, ?ooranad, 5lapphu*ha,
6erala
%citation ndd&
Sri !hyagara4as"amy udanurai Vadi#udai amman temple !hyagara4a
!emple, !iru#ottiyur