Shri Yantra

The r-yantra as shown here is based on a commentary of Kaivalyrama on Saundarya-Lahari. Useful corrections of a3 and a5 were found elsewhere. The units given can be transformed into any scale; we have choosen the scale 1 unit = 1,5 mm. a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6 a7 a8 a9 a10 a11 a12 a13 in units 1 5 5,5 6 9 6,5 8 12 20 24 35 36 43 48 72 our scale in mm 1,5 7,5 8,25 9,75 12 18 30 36 52,5 54,5 64,5

(1) Bindu Using a pencil, draw a cross in the middle of a sheet of graph paper. The exact point where the two lines of the cross meet, i.e., the middle of the cross, is called the bindu. The bindu symbolizes the divine origin of all creation. Mark this bindu with a felt pen. (2) Circles Take a compass and draw four circles with the radii a9, a10, a12 and a13. Now draw a square around the last circle (a13) so that this circle fits exactly into the square. This square symbolizes the gross material aspect of creation.

(3) Gates Draw on top of the middle of each side of the square a gate with the width a8 and the depth a6. The outer border of this square with its gates can now be traced with a felt pen. See detail:

Alternatively, you can enlarge the top of each gate to a depth of a4 and a width of a11:

(4) Broadening To broaden the boundary, use the outer border of the yantra and draw two additional lines within this border, tracing the outer border with the spacing a1. The third circle (radius a12) is traced with a felt pen, and two additional circles with the radius a1 are added. Finally, the first two circles (radius a9 and a10) can be traced with a felt pen as well.

(5) Sectoring Divide the two outer rings into sectors of 22.5 degrees.

(6) 16 Petals Using a compass, draw sixteen semicircles as depicted to the right and below.

Using these semicircles as a guide, draw the 16 petals (oaa-dala) of the outer lotus according to your liking.

(7) 8 Petals In the same manner, draw the semicircle outlines of the eight petals of the inner lotus (aa-dala-padma).

Again, draw the eight lotus petals (aa-dala) according to your liking, using the semicircles as guides.

(8) Reference lines Now we will construct the r-cakra inside the inner circle, using nine triangles that indicate different aktis. Five of them will have their apex pointing downwards, and four pointing upward. First draw six horizontal reference lines with the following distances. From the top: a4, a4 and a2, and from the bottom: a3, a5 and a4. It is very important that these measurment are exact.

(9) Triangles 1-2 Draw the first two triangles using the innermost reference lines as the base of the triangles, as depicted to the right.

(10) Triangles 3-4 Draw triangles 3 and 4 with the apex touching the lowest and uppermost reference lines, respectively. The arms of the triangles are drawn through the intersection of the first two triangles.

(11) Triangles 5-6 Draw a horizontal line within triangle 3. It is situated exactly between the bindu and the base of triangle 2. Now you can draw triangles 5 and 6. The apex of triangle 5 is touching the hoizontal reference line that we have just created and its arms are running through the intersections of triangles 1 and 4, and 2 and 3. The apex of triangle 6 is touching the base of triangle 1 and its arms are running through the intersections of triangles 2 and 3, and 1 and 4.

(12) Triangle 7 Now draw triangle 7. Its basis is the reference line that we created in step number (11).

(13) Triangles 8-9 The base of triangle 8 is touching the base of triangle 4 and its arms cross the intersection of triangles 6 and 7. Draw a horizontal line within triangle 7 through the intersections of triangles 5 and 6. This is the base of triangle 9. The apex of triangle 9 is touching the base of triangle 2.

(14) Cakras These nine triangles form fourtythree small triangles, which make up five cakras. The small triangle at the center enclosing the bindu is called the tri-koa-cakra. The eight triangles surrounding it form the aa-koacakra. The ten triangles surrounding the aa-koacakra form the inner (antar-) dara-cakra, whereas the next ten triangles surrounding the antar-dara-cakra form the outer (bahir-) dara-cakra. And finally, the outermost fourteen triangles form the caturdaracakra.

(15) Complete yantra Now you can trace all lines of the r-yantra with a felt pen, and erase the reference lines.

The process of creation (si-krama) bindu:

plus caturdara-cakra:

plus tri-koa-cakra:

plus aa-dala-padma:

plus aa-koa-cakra:

plus oaa-dala-padma:

plus antar-dara-cakra:

plus mekhal-traya:

plus bahir-dara-cakra:

plus bh-gha:

Viu-yantra (o namo bhagavate vsudevya) There are hundreds of similar yantras for different deities. You see here for example a Viu-yantra for the famous mantra o namo bhagavate vsudevya, with the outer lotus only containing twelve petals and a simplified r-cakra in the middle. To draw the simplified r-cakra, start with two reference lines with a spacing of a7 from the bindu.