page_title: Shri Yantra
section_title: Appearance
hierarchical_section_title: Shri Yantra / Appearance
caption_attribution_description: English: Tipura Sundari yantra or the Shri yantra
context_page_description: The Shri Yantra, Sri Yantra, or Shri Chakra is a form of mystical diagram used in the Shri Vidya school of Hinduism. It consists of nine interlocking triangles that surround a central point known as a bindu. These triangles represent the cosmos and the human body. Because of its nine triangles, Shri Yantra is also known as the Navayoni Chakra. When the two-dimensional Shri Yantra is represented in three dimensions, it is called a Mahameru. Mount Meru derives its name from this shape. In addition to Mount Meru, all other yantras derive from the Shri Yantra.
context_section_description: In the 2009 issue of Brahmavidya (the journal of the Adyar Library), Subhash Kak argues that the description of Shri Yantra is identical to the yantra described in the shrisukta in veda.
  The Shri Yantra's 9 constituent triangles vary in size and shape and intersect to form 43 smaller triangles, organized in 5 concentric levels. Together they represent the totality of the cosmos and express Advaita or non-duality. In the middle, the power point (bindu) represents the cosmic center. The triangles are circumscribed by two concentric circles composed of 8 and 16 petals, representing the lotus of creation and reproductive vital force. The entire configuration is framed by the broken lines of an earth square, representing a temple with four doors open onto the regions of the universe.
caption: Tipura Sundari yantra or the Shri yantra
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