SRI CHAKRA - ŚRĪ CAKRA - श्री चक्रा

Śrī Cakra is the abode of Lalitāmbikā.  Śrī Cakra is made up of four triangles known as Śiva cakra-s facing up and five triangles known as Śaktī cakra-s facing down.  The total triangles formed out of the intersection of the nine triangles are forty four including the central dot or bindu.  Instead of nine triangles, if we take only eight triangles, the resultant triangle becomes static, instead of its present dynamic form.  Static is the quality of Śiva and dynamism is the quality of Śaktī.  Hence, this cakra has been made dynamic as this is the abode of Lalitāmbikā.  Śrī Cakra  is also known as the cosmic cakra.  A comparison can be drawn between Śrī Cakra and the nine cakra-s of kuṇḍalinī (six cakra-s + sahasrāra + kula sahasrāra + akula sahasrāra thus making it to nine).  Śrī Cakra is also compared to a human body, upper cakra-s representing the portion above the navel and lower cakra-s representing the portion below the navel.  Alternatively, this can be explained thus.  Śaktī koṇa-s (triangles) represent skin, blood, brain, muscles and bones.  Śiva koṇa-s represent soul, prāṇa, tejas and sperms or ova.  Śaktī koṇa-s represent gross matters and Śiva koṇa-s represent subtle matters.  A life comes into existence only if both gross and subtle matters conjoin.  The five Śaktī angles also represent the five elements ākāś, air, fire, water and earth and its modifications like karmendriya-s (hands, feet, etc), jñānendriya-s (eyes, etc), tanmātra-s (taste, etc), whereas the four Śiva  angles represent antaḥkaraṇa comprising of mind, intellect, individual consciousness and ego. According to some schools, consciousness is not included in antaḥkaraṇa.

Bindu also known as the dot is placed inside the centre triangle that faces downwards.  This bindu is said to be the cause of creation of the universe.  This can be compared to a tiny seed causing the growth of a huge tree.  The place around this bindu is the cause for bliss and this is the reason for calling this cakra as sarva-ānanda-mayī (sarvānandamayī).  The cause of the bliss is because Śiva and Śaktī stand united here (nāma 999).  This place is meditated at sahasrāra in the form of a bindu.  Not only Śiva-Śaktī form is meditated here, but also one’s iśṭa devatā and Guru are also meditated at sahasrāra.  Worshiping Śrī Cakra  is known as navāvaraṇa pūja.  Nava means nine and āvaraṇa means roundabouts.  Following is the number of goddesses worshipped in Śrī Cakra before reaching the central bindu.  In the first āvaraṇa twenty eight goddesses, in the second āvaraṇa sixteen goddesses, in the third āvaraṇa eight goddesses, in the fourth āvaraṇa fourteen goddesses, in the fifth āvaraṇa ten goddesses, in the sixth āvaraṇa ten goddesses, in the seventh āvaraṇa eight goddesses and in the eighth āvaraṇa fifteen goddesses and four of Her weaponries (nāma-s 8 – 11).  In the central triangle fifteen tithi nitya devi-s are worshipped, five on each side of the triangle.  Lalitāmbikā is worshipped at the bindu.  Apart from these goddesses, one’s guru lineage is also worshipped just above the central triangle.  Śrī Cakra and Mahā Meru are the same.  Mahā means great and meru means mountain.   She lives at the top of Mahā Meru, (the vertical form of Śrī Cakra is known as Mahā Meru).  Śrī Cakra is flat in formation and the bindu or the central dot is in the centre and in the case Mahā Meru, which is vertical in formation where the bindu is at the top. She is worshipped in bindu sthāna.