Lord Shiva gave 64
Chakras and their Mantras to the world, to attain various spiritual and
material benefits. For his consort Devi he gave the Shree Chakra and the highly
coveted and the most powerful Shodashakshari mantra, which is the equivalent of
all the other 64 put together
Chakra pooja or Yantra
pooja is the worship of a deity in a diagrammatic form. This type of worship
exists in a lot of the other parts of the world also. The worship of Devi in
Shreechakra is regarded as the highest form of the Devi worship.
“Ka E i La Hreem – Ha Sa Ka Ha La Hreem – Sa Ka La Hreem”
It is said that in the
beginning God, who was one, wanted to become many and enjoy himself. As the
first step to creation he created Devi – the total cosmic Female force. For the
male part, out of his left he created Shiva, out of his middle he created
Brahma and out of his right he created Vishnu. That is why many regard the Devi
as more powerful than the Trinities and hence She is called Parashakti or
Paradevi – Para meaning beyond . Brahma created the universe. Vishnu controls
and runs the universe. Shiva along with Shakti is engaged in the eternal
dissolution and recreation of the universe.
The Bindu in the
center of the Shreechakra is the symbolic representation of the cosmic
spiritual union of Shiva and Shakti. Apart from that the Shree Chakra also
embodies countless number of deities and represents the whole of creation.
Hence by worshipping the Devi in Shree Chakra one is actually worshipping the
highest ultimate force in the Tantric form.
The Shodashakshari
mantra is one of the most guarded secrets of tantra. Usually the Guru gives it
to a highly deserving and tested disciple. Very few get it. Even in the Mantra
Shastra, where all other mantras are openly and clearly given, the
Shodashakshari Mantra is not directly given. Several hints about the mantra are
given and you are asked to get the mantra if you are capable and deserving. The
opening versus of the mantra shastra chapter on Shree Chakra says, “Your head
can be given, your soul can be given but the Shodashakshari Mantra of the Devi
cannot be given”.
However, Shree Chakra
can also be worshipped by other Devi mantras. There are several traditions of
the worshipping the Shree Chakra. We are giving here a very simple and still
very effective pooja of Shree Chakra. It is known as the Shree Chakra
Navavarana pooja as per the Khadgamala Vidhi. For all round spiritual and
material benefits it is a highly effective pooja. Any one can perform it.
If you cannot do a
detailed worship, simply worship the Sri Yantra 108 times with the simple Devi
Mantra:
“Om Aim Hreem Shreem
Sri Lalita Tripurasundari Padukam Poojayami Namah”
Components of Sree Chakram:
The Basics of Sri
Yantra: Before starting the worship it is advisable to know about the way the
Sri Yantra is constructed, what all it represents, about the 9 Avaranas, the
deities, their gunas and significance, so that your worship is more meaningful.
The following are the authentic details as given in various Tantra & Mantra
scriptures.
Five downward pointing
triangles representing Devi intersect with four upward pointing triangles
representing Siva, forming 43 triangles including the central triangle.
From the five Shakti
triangles comes creation and from the four Shiva triangles comes the
dissolution. The union of five Shaktis and four Fires causes the chakra of
creation to evolve.
At the centre of the
bindu of the Shri 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
& Shakti – the individual as the potential Shri Cakra. Varahi, the
father-form, gives four dhatus to the child and Kurukulla, the mother-form,
gives five dhatus to the child. Theses represent the nine dhatus of the human
body.
Varahi’s four fires
are the 12 (4 x 3) sun Kalas, the 12 Zodiac constellations. Kurukulla’s five
triangles are the 15 (5 x 3) Kalas of the moon, 15 lunar Tithis.
These nine triangles
also represent the nine stages of growth of the human child in the womb.
Surrounding the 43 triangles formed by the intersection of the nine triangles
is the 16 petals circle. Surrounding the 16 petal circle is an 8 petal circle.
After that the 3 lines and at the outermost part of the Sri Yantra there are 3
lines called the Bhupura.
The 43 triangles
constitute the six inner sections called Avaranas, the two circles of petals
are two more avaranas and the Bhupura of 3 lines is the last Avarana.
These 9 Avaranas of
the Sri Yantra have various presiding Devis. They are the Devi’s Parivar
(retinue) of total 108. In the Srichakra pooja they are systematically
worshipped one by one with their names and mantras. The presiding Deity of Sree
Chakra, is Known as Lalita Tripura Sundari. Lalita means The One Who Plays. All
creation, manifestation and dissolution is considered to be a play of Devi.
Tri-Pura means the three worlds and Sundari means beauty. She is the
transcendent beauty of the three worlds.
Tripura also
signifies:- She is the ruler of the the three gunas of Satva, Rajas and Tamas;
and sun, moon and fire – the zodiac and the planets, and therefore Time itself;
She is also “tripura” as Will (Iccha), Knowledge (Jnana) and Action (Kriya).
She is also “tripura” as intellect, feelings & physical sensation; and She
is triple as the three states of the soul – awakening, dreaming and -sleeping
states. Her five triangles also represent the Pancha Tatwas and the Pancha
Bhootas. (This is what the verse in Lalita Sahasranama means by -”Panchami
pancha bhuteshi pancha sankhyopacharini “.
Lalita holds five
flowery arrows, noose, goad and bow. The noose represents attachment, the goad
represents repulsion, the sugarcane bow represents the mind and the flowery
arrows are the five sense objects.
Sri Chakra worship is
one of the most guarded secrets of tantra and the Sri Yantra is the most
guarder Yantra.
“Nairutaicha Ganeshanaam Sooryam Vayuvya eevacha
Eeshane Vishnu Agneye Shivamchaiva prapoojayet”
Eeshane Vishnu Agneye Shivamchaiva prapoojayet”
When you sit facing
the east and with the tip of the top triangle pointing at you, at the bottom
right hand side corner of the Shreechakra is guarded by Lord Ganesha. The
bottom left hand side corner is guarded by Lord Surya. The top left side corner
is guarded by Lord Vishnu and the top right corner of the Shreechakra is
guarded by Lord Shiva. They must be worshipped before starting the Pooja of the
Nava-Avaranas.
After that the eight
primordial directions are guarded by the eight Lokapalas. Indra guards the
East, Agni guards the South East, Yama guards the South, Nirriti guards the
South West, Varuna guards the West, Vayu guards the North East, Soma guards the
North and Ishana guards the North East.
As if this is not
enough, each of the first eight Avaranas are guarded by eight Bhairavas and
eight Bhairavis! What is more these 64 pairs of Bhairavas & Bhairavis are
assisted by 10 million yoginis each – total 640 million (64 crores). This is
what the verse in Lalita Sahasranama says –”Maha chatu-shshashti-koti yogini
ganasevita.”
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