Soundarya Lahiri verse11-Bhashyam Shankaracharya Swami(Kanchi)

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triangles (the nine primary causative forces of the universe) consisting of the four distinct Shiva triangles (with apex upwards),

and the five distinct Shakti triangles (with apex downwards), all lying apart from the Bindu, along with a lotus of eight petals,

one of sixteen petals, the three circles around the three lines, turn out to be forty-three in number” - 11

Having explained the inner mental worship (Antarpuja) in the previous verse, Srimadacharya proceeds to describe the

Bahiryaga or external worship in the manifestation of Sridevi as Srichakra, which is her gross (Sthoola) form intended for external

worship by the less spiritually advanced devotees. The Srichakra is usually drawn on metal plates, sandal paste, vermilion, turmeric

powder, on the bark of a tree called Bhurja, on silk or some other pure base and worshipped with accessories such as sandal paste,

flowers, incense, lamp, food offerings and lighting of camphor.

The Srichakra emanates from a combination of four triangles with their apex pointing upwards, called the Shiva Chakras and

five triangles with their apex downwards, called the Shakti Chakras, forming in all, 43 angles at the ends, bounded by a lotus of

eight petals, which in turn is surrounded by a lotus of sixteen petals; the whole encircled by a girdle of three circular rings and at last

bounded by quadrangular ramparts all round, having entrance-like openings one in the middle of each of the four sides.

Rudrayamala describes the Srichakra as follows:

bindutrikoNavasukoNadashArayugma manvashranAgadalasaMyutaShoDashaaram .

vR^ittatrayaM cha dharaNiisadanatrayaM cha shriichakrametaduditaM paradevataayaaH

No mention is made of the four openings on the four sides of the Bhupuratraya in the above Rudrayamala verse.

Lakshmidhara quotes the above verse in his commentary with a different reading of the second line thus also quoting Sruti

pramAna:

vR^ittabhUpuratrayayutaM paritashchaturdvAh .

shriiChakrametaduditaM paradevatAyAH ..

The Vamakeshwara Tantra also mentions the four openings thus:

guNavR^ittaM tataH kuryAt chaturashraM cha tadbahiH .

chaturdvArasamAyuktamevaM syAcchakramuttamaM ..

To summarize, the component parts of the Srichakra are:

1. The Bindu in the center.

2. The Trikona – the small triangle around the center.

3. The Ashtakona – the group of eighteen triangles surrounding the trikona.

4. The Antardashara – the inner group of ten triangles encircling the Ashtakona.

5. The Bahirdashara – the outer row of ten triangles surrounding the Antardashara.

6. The Chaturdashara – a set of fourteen triangles surrounding the Bahirdashara.

7. The Ashtadala – a lotus of eight petals surrounding the Chaturdashara.

8. The Shodashadala – a lotus of sixteen petals surrounding the Ashtadala.

9. The Mekhalatraya – the three circles or girdles around the Shodashadala.

10. The Bhupura – the three quadrangular lines with openings on all the four sides.

According to the reading ‘trayashchatvAriMshat’, the angles of the Srichakra are forty-three, but Srimadacharya reckons the

angles as forty-four taking into account the Bindu also. The word ‘shrIkaNTha’ means ‘the one with poison in the throat’ i.e. Shiva.

The words ‘shrIkaNTha’ and ‘shivayuvati’ connote the four Shiva and the five Shakti triangles in the Srichakra. The word

‘prabhinnAbhiH’ suggests the Shiva Konas and the Shakti Konas being kept apart. The combination of these nine is spoken of as

‘mUlaprakR^itibhiH’ in the verse. And this union of Shiva and Shakti is the cause of all creation. The Mulaprakritis in respect of

the microcosm or human body are the Dhatus or basic components of the human frame. They are tvak (skin), asR^ik (blood),

mAmsa (flesh), medas (lymph), asthi (bone). These five relate to Shakti while the four Shiva triangles denote majjA (marrow),

shuklaM (semen), prANaH (the five Pranas – Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana) and Jiva – the soul. In the microcosm or

the universe, the five Shakti Konas denote the earth, water, fire, air and ether. The four Shiva Chakras represent Maya, Suddha

Vidya, Maheshwara and Sadashiva. The entire universe being only a manifestation of the Shiva Shakti union, the microcosm and

the macrocosm are to be considered as Srichakra for the purpose of inner meditation.

The Bindu, the eight-petalled lotus, the sixteen-petalled lotus and the quadrangular lines are called the Shiva Chakras while the

Trikona, the Ashtakona, the Antardashara, the Bahirdashara and the Chaturdashara are reckoned as the five Shakti Chakras. The

Shiva Chakras and the Shakti Chakras are united – the bindu in the Trikona, the eight-petalled lotus in the Ashtakona, the sixteenpetalled

lotus in the two Dasharas and the Bhupura in the Chaturdashara. The devotee has to realize the inseparable identity of Shiva

and Shakti in this manner.

‘prabhinnAbhiH’ is also explained as meaning mingled or united. ‘sharaNakoNAH’ means resting place or abode. The emphasis is

on Sridevi’s presence in the Srichakra – whether in a diagrammatical Srichakra or in the microcosm or in the macrocosm. An

alternate reading – ‘charaNakoNAH’ would mean that all creation emanates from Sridevi’s feet.

 

 

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