saundaryalaharI - 8 (contd. 1)

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shrI lalitAyai namaH

 

commentary (contd.):

 

description and construction of shrIcakra:

 

shrIdevI's abode is shrIcakra. Before we continue on this verse,

I would like to give a description of shrIcakra as a prelude to

this verse and upcoming verses of AnandalaharI.

 

The following construction is given by KaivalyAshrama for the

building of shrIcakra. Describe a circle, with an imaginary vertical

line of a suitable length as its diameter. Divide the diameter into

forty-eight equal parts and mark off the sixth, twelfth, seventeenth,

twentieth, twenty-third, twenty-seventh, thirtieth, thirty-sixth and

forty-second divisions from the top. Draw nine chords, at right angles

to the diameter, through the nine points marked off, and number them

accordingly. Rub off 1/16th part of No. 1, 5/48ths of No. 2, 1/3rd of

No. 4, 3/8th of No. 5, 1/3rd of No. 6, 1/12th of No.8, and 1/16th of

No. 9, at both ends of each. Draw triangles with lines, Nos. 1, 2, 4,

5, 6, 8 and 9 as bases and the middle points of Nos. 6, 9, 8, 7, 2,

1 and 3 respectively as their apexes. Draw also the two triangles with

Nos. 3 and 7 as their bases and the lower and the upper extremeties of

the diameter as apexes respectively. Thus we get forty-three triangles

pointing outwards, composed of one in the middle, eight triangles

around it, two sets of ten triangles around the eight triangles,

one set above the other, and fourteen triangles around them. Then,

by marking of eight points in the circumference equidistant from one

another, commencing from the upper extremity of the diameter and

construct one petal over each of them, form the eight-petalled

lotus. Then, circumscribe a circle touching the outer extremity of

the petals. Divide the circumference of the circle so described into

sixteen equal divisions and draw symmetrically sixteen petals over

them, as before. Then circumscribe a circle round the sixteen-petalled

lotus, as before, and enclose the second circle so described in two

concentric circles at equal distances from each other. Construct

three squares about the outermost circle, with sides equidistant

from each other, and the innermost square not to touch the outermost

circle. Mark off four doorways on the four sides, each equidistant

from either extremeties, and rub off the interspaces. The figure thus

formed is the shrIcakra. The centre of the circle is known as the

bindu.

 

VAmakeshwara tantra says that the five triangles with their apexes

pointing downwards are indicative of the shaktI and the four triangles

with their apexes pointing upwards are of shiva.

 

shrIcakra according to saMhAra-krama

 

LakshmIdhara, the well-known and reputed commentator of saundaryalaharI

holds that, in shrIcakra, the five triangles pointing upwards are of the

shaktI and the four pointing downwards are of shiva. He (lakshmIdhara)

speaks of the construction of the shrIcakra as consisting of two different

processes , the saMhAra-krama, from without inwards, and the

sR^iShTi-krama, from within outwards. The shrIcakra of the saMhAra-krama

can be obtained by turning the shrIcakra recognized by the vAmakeshwara

tantra upside down. This will be further discussed as part of commentary

of verse twenty-two.

 

shrIcakra according to sR^iShTi-krama

 

This is the shrIcakra as per the samayin-s. Draw an isosceles triangle

with its apex pointing upwards and its base parallel to the bottom line

of the sheet. Place the bindu, a dot, a little above the base, in an

imaginary vertical line bisecting the base. A little above the bindu,

draw a straight line parallel to the base, intersecting the sides of

the original triangle. Draw an isosceles triangle with apex pointing

upwards over this line. Draw a straight line through the apex of the

first triangle, parallel to its base and construct an isosceles

triangle on it, with apex pointing downwards, so that its sides may

pass through the points of intersection of the base of the second

triangle with the sides of the first triangle. These two points,

where three straight lines intersect each other, are technically

styled Marman-s, to distinguish them from the points of

intersection of two straight lines, which are known as saMdhi-s.

Thus, the eight corner-triangles are formed pointing outwards,

which together are known as the aShTakona-cakra. Produce the

topmost and the bottommost of the three horizontal lines both

ways and construct two isosceles triangles, one of them with apex

down and and the other with apex up, so that the sides of the former

may pass through the extremeties of the bases of the two triangles

pointing upwards and the sides of the latter triangle may pass

through the extremeties of the base of the original triangle

pointing downwards. By producing the sides downwards of the

inner triangle with apex up and drawing a straight line parallel

to the base, through the apex of the triangle pointing downwards,

a new triangle is formed. Similarly, by producing the sides upwards

of the triangle with apex down and drawing a straight line parallel

to the base, through the apex of the first outer triangle with

apex up, another triangle is formed. At this stage are obtained

ten corner-triangles pointing outwards, which together form what

is known as the 'antar-dashAra', the inner ten-spoked cakra.

Similarly, by producing the horizontal bases, drawing the arms

of trianglesat corner points so as to form Marman-s, and drawing

straight lines parallel to the bases, through the apexes of

triangles pointing up and down, the ten corner-triangles

pointing outwards and known as the 'bahir-dashAra' or the

outer ten-spoked cakra, is formed. Again, by producing both

waysthe bases at the top and the bottom of the 'antar-dashAra'

and constructing isoscles triangles with apex down and apex

up; and again by producing the sides of triangles whereby

Marman-s could be formed and drawing straight lines parallel

to the bases , passing through the apexes of the freshly

constructed triangles, the fourteen corner-triangles pointing

outwards known as the 'catur-dashAra', the fourteen-spoked cakra,

will be obtained. Thus, we get, in all, forty-three corner-triangles

including the innermost one, twenty-four saMdhi-s and eighteen

Marman-s.

 

The geometrical construction of the shrIcakra is presented above.

Much mathematical research is being done on the geomtry of the

shrIcakra and a sample of that is presented at

http://alumni.cse.ucsc.edu/~mikel/sriyantra/sriyantra.html

and the references contained therein.

 

The shrIcakra of the sR^iShTi-krama, as constructed

by lakshmIdhara will be discussed as part of commentary of verse

thirty-one and also earlier in other verses as well.

 

The devotional aspect of shrIcakra as the abode of shrIdevI

and the kunDalini will be presented in the latter verses.

 

The Divine Mother is the shaktI, the one that gives spandana

to Ishwara (verse 1). The Divine Mother is the cosmic power.

The jeeva without attributes is the same as Ishwara without

attributes. KuNDalinI is the segment of that cosmic power of

the Divine Mother and gives the spandana to the jeeva. Further

discussion on this is in verse 9.

 

[to be continued)

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

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