Guiding Light: Shri Chakra Raja Nilaya

Shri Chakra Raja Nilaya is referred to as the Mother Goddess who is extolled as the ‘Tripura Sundari’. Mother Goddess is often worshiped in three forms - the intent for achievement (Ichha), knowledge for action (Gyana), and the energy required for ‘doing’ (Kriya). When all three combine into one, this becomes the unified Mother known as ‘Lalita’, the one who enjoys the ‘Leela’, the acts. 

Shri Chakra is the representative form of the Mother Goddess. This can be two dimensional or three dimensional. The nine ‘avarnas’, the loose equivalence being rings, and the presiding Goddesses on the premises are all projected and metaphorical too. The Bramhanda Purana gives us the Lalita Sahasranama Stotram. The Sahasra is the count referred to the word thousand, but it can also mean a year or even the number ‘countless’. 

Thousand names of the Mother Goddess are given as the exchange between God Hayagriva and Sage Agastya. Mother is referred to as ‘ShriMata’ as the opening name and acknowledged as a majestic queen and the one who occupies the great throne. These two names viz. ShriMaharagni and Shri Mat-Simhasaneshwari along with the first Shri Mata became the Mahamantra for many a purpose. 

The consorts of the three forms of the Mother Goddess are Bramha, Vishnu, and Shiva respectively for Knowledge, Intent, and Action parts. When combined as Lalita the Goddess has the consort in the form of Shri Kameshwara, meaning the Eshwara qualified by the Kama or the fulfilment. The typical form of Shiva is reclusive seeker in mountains. On the other hand, the Kameshwara along with his consort Lalita presents everything to the seeker in terms of required and beneficial, material things to kaivalya. 

The Shri Chakra is also seen as the representative form of the Bramhanda. Macro to micro representation facilitates the seeker’s imagination to expand from the micro to the macro. Shri Chakra is also ‘internalised’ by the seekers in terms of ‘experiencing’ the chakras and the energy points. The movement from the starting point till the final ‘Bindu’ may be the journey of the mystical energy of Kundalini from the Muladhara which is root-chakra to the Sahasrara which is the thousand-petalled lotus portrayed in the top of the head. Awareness and bliss will be the living state then.

Prof S Ainavolu is a Mumbai-based teacher of tradition and management. Views are personal. https://www.ainavolu.in/blog