The Meaning of the Sri Yantra symbol

We’ve all seen symbols in jewellery or on t-shirts, etc but do you know the meaning of them? Today we look at the Sri Yantra symbol.

“Yantra” means ‘instrument’, a sacred geometry symbol used for contemplation or meditation, and the Sri (pronounced Shree) Yantra is the ‘mother’ of all yantras. It represents all of creation – the microcosm and the macrocosm. The 9 triangles represent the divine masculine and feminine meeting in the middle – the 4 pointing upwards for the masculine Shiva, and the 5 pointing downwards, for the divine feminine Shakti. The 2 layers of Lotus petals surrounding it consist of an inner ring of 8, representing all activities (such as speech, motion, etc) and an outer ring of 16, which represent fulfillment of all the hopes and desires, including 10 organs, 5 elements and the mind. The 3 outer circles represent the past, present and future.

If the Sri Yantra resonates with you, then find a quiet space to meditate on this symbol for 5 minutes, and write down/draw what comes up for you.