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. Originally 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 Shreechakra and the highly coveted and the most powerful Shodashakshari mantra, which is the equivalent of all the other 64 put together.
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 Shreechakra also embodies countless number of deities and represents the whole of creation. Hence by worshipping the Devi in Shreechakra one is actually worshipping the highest ultimate force in the Tantrik form.
The Shodashakshari mantra is one of the most guarded secretes 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 Shreechakra says, “Your head can be given, your soul can be given but the Shodashakshari Mantra of the Devi can not be given”.
Various books and websites on Shreechakra have published what the publishers thought is the Shodashakshari Mantra. Let me make it clear that those who know it will never publish it and those who publish it do not know it. So don’t waste your full moon nights chanting those long mantras.
However, Shreechakra can also be worshipped by other Devi mantras. There are several traditions of the worshipping the Shreechakra. We are giving here a very simple and still very effective pooja of Shreechakra. It is known as the Shreechakra 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”
Or better still with the Panchadasakshari Mantra, also known as Panchadasi Mantra) which is one of the greatest mantras of Devi and next only to the Shodasi Mantra:
“Ka E i La Hreem – Ha Sa Ka Ha La Hreem – Sa Ka La Hreem”
Listen to this mantra:
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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 Sriyantra 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 Srichakra, Devi, is Known as Lalita Tripura Sundari. The form of Devi Kamakshi of Kancheepuram is the closest resemblance of the Devi as described in the scriptures.
Click to see picture.
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 “. It is difficult to say what She is not.
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.
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