Eternal India Encyclopedia

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PERCEPTIONS

SRI CHAKRA

AND ITS NINE STAGES OF WORSHIP

The

Sri Chakra

denotes the wheel of

creation - life, mind, cosmos and time. The

goal is to lift the soul above this wheel.

The

chakra

represents the nine steps of

the mind which strives to reach the supreme

in the core of the human system. At each

stage as mental transformations take place,

the feeling of duality diminishes gradually

and there is definite progress towards the

divine goal, until all sense of a separate "I"

has vanished. The

chakra

thus symbolises

the creative awakening of the

saadhaka

all

the way up to the Ultimate Reality.

The nine sheaths of Sri Chakra

first

sheath

(or

Trilokya

Mohana

Chakra

Bhoopura

) with four

entrances

corresponds

to the gross sheath, or

the

annamaya kosha.

The

vasana

of this

chakra

is in the state of

jaagrat

or waking.

The mind is attracted to the pleasures of the

world in this

chakra

and is the enjoyer of

gross objects. Through the worship of this

chakra

, the mind is brought under control,

through the

mantras: Am, Aam, Sau.

Tripu

reshi

the

second

chakra

sarvaasha par-

ipuraka

or fulfilment of all

desires. Mind is all in all in

this

chakra,

since mind is

the place where desires

originate.

Swapna,

or the dream state, is

the

vasana

here, and the moon reigns. The

sheath has a sixteen-petal lotus in

Vishud-

dhi Chakra, A saadhaka

has secret and

subtle experiences here, in the subtle body

constituted of

pranamaya, manonmaya

and

vignaanamaya

koshas.

The

upaasana

brings about mental modifications by the

movement of the mind and the

praana.

The

mantras

used here for chanting are

Eim,

Kleem, Sou.

The

third

sheath

the

eight-petal lotus known as

Tripura Sundari

which has

the

characteristic

sankshopana,

sushupti

or deep sleep which is the

vasana

indicated. This is

the nature of

pralaya

or deluge. Here the

saadhaka

is in a dormant state, enjoying his

inherent

aananda

but he has not yet gained

the supreme wisdom. Still, he has a glimpse

aananda.

The

mantras

used for worship

here are

Hrim, Klim, Sau.

The fourth

sheath

com-

prises the fourteen triangles

known as

Tripura Vasini

which

grants all

saubhagya

or auspi-

ciousness. Here bliss is said

to be auspiciousness. The

state of

vasana

is that of a

jig-

naasu

or .seeker after knowledge of God. It

is said that in this

chakra

apparent differ-

ences caused through maya's veil over the

Parameshwara

begin to dissolve.

Ishvara

Guru

, hands down traditional divine knowl-

edge to the seeker and the Goddess is seen

as adorable, one who cuts down all differ-

ences and brings about oneness. The

man-

tras

used here are

Heim, Hleem, Asou.

The fifth sheath of ten

outer triangles is that of the

Guru,

known as

Tripurashri,

which is

sarvarthasadhaka

grants all prosperity. The

Gum

is to be propitiated here

and one should render

seva

service to the

Guru.

When you

move

into

the

sixth sheath of the ten inner

triangles known as

Tripu-

ramalini

it protects you from

everything. Here the aspect

shravana

or listening to the

Guru

with faith in his teach-

ings. The way is set for inner contentment,

with the feeling of the

Mahavakya, tat tvam

asi,

inculcating the union of Shiva and

Brahma. There is the state of

abhaya,

fear-

lessness, for fear can exist only if there are

two. When you yourself are that (or every-

thing), then there can be no fear. It makes

the

saadhaka

dwell in his own state. The

mantras used here are

Hrim, Kleem, Bleem.

The seventh sheath of eight triangles

known as

Tripura Siddha,

to remove all

roga

or disease.

The disease referred to here

is not physical illness, but

the disease of

bhava roga

samsaara.

The special fea-

ture here is that of

manana

chanting, to root out all doubt caused by this

disease of worldly delusion. This leads us to

the direct realisation of

Shivam,

the self-lu-

minous

undivided

knowledge.

The

Saadhaka

realises unity, that he is not dif-

. ferent from

Aatman

Brahman.

The mind

is completely purified for total introspection.

The

mantras

used are

Hrim, Sreem, Sau.

.The eighth

aavarana

the basic triangle known

Tripuramba

grants all

siddhis,

needs the charac-

teristic of

nididhyasana,

to obtain absolute identity

with

Brahman.

This

knowledge of the identity

of the Shiva and Brahma ponstitutes the real

siddhi.

Here the mind is modified to a super-

fine state, known- as the turiya state or the

fourth state when the knowledge of reality

is complete. The

saadhaka

is then said to be

nirvikalpa samaadhi.

The

mantras

used

here are

Hsrim, Hsklreim, Hsrow.

The ninth sheath

Mahatripura Sundari,

the one of the bindu or dot is very

close to the eighth one, the state

nididhyasa

and leads smoothly

to the

samaadhi

state, which is

the state of this final point of the

Sri Chakra.

The

mantra

for the

bindu,

or final

sheath which grants

sarva aananda

panchaadasi;

(the fifteen

mantras

are:

Ka, Eh, Ee, La, Hrim

Ha, Sa, Ka, Ha, La, Hrifn

Sa, Ka, La, Hrim.

The

mantra "Shreem"

is added to these

fifteen when the Goddess is propitiated as

Shodashaakshari

(the one of sixteen let-,

ters).

Thus the

Sri Chakra

is verily the macro-

cosm; the/microcosm is the body of the two-

in-one- the union of

Shiva Shakthi.

(S B)

— “Divine Glory”

Eternal India