THE

SHAKTI
COLORING
BOOK
Goddesses, Mandalas, and the
Power of Sacred Geometry

Illustrations & Text by

Ekabhumi Charles Ellik

Foreword by
Sally Kempton

BOULDER, COLORADO
 Contents
List of Goddesses for Coloring … viii part 3: Coloring Shakti
Notes to the Reader … ix
Getting Started … 26
Foreword by Sally Kempton … xi
Sacred Art Basics … 26
Introduction … 1
Coloring Mediums and Tips … 27

part 1: Recognizing Shakti part 4: Manifesting Shakti

What Is Shakti? Or Who? … 4 A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating
Swords, Books, and Lotuses: a Five Elements Yantra
The Goddesses’ Attributes … 6 Overview of the Practice … 114
Ornamentation: The Power of Beauty … 7 Tools and Materials … 114
Mandalas: Sacred Circles … 8 The Steps … 115
Yantras: Realization Devices … 9
Geometry: Vocabulary of Reality … 10 Epilogue: Lakshmī’s Gift … 125
Choosing Colors Mindfully … 14 Glossary of Sanskrit Terms … 127
Resources and References … 132
part 2: Embodying Shakti Acknowledgments … 133
Sacred Art: A Yogic Method … 18 About the Author … 134
Preparing Ourselves: Transforming Personal
Circumstance into a Mandala
of Realization … 19
Virtue Cultivation: Spiritual Practice
in Daily Life … 21
Flavors of Life: Bhāvas and Rasas … 22

vii
 List of Goddesses for Coloring

Goddess: Mystic Diagram Figurative Illustration

Parā Vāch: Mandala of the Trident and Lotuses … 29 Supreme Word and Creative Inspiration … 31
Durgā: Durgā Yantra … 33 Demon Destroyer of Impregnable Power … 36
Kāmākhyā: Shrī Yantra … 37 Generative Power of Desire … 39
Pārvatī: Yantra of the Cosmic Womb … 41 Marriage as Spiritual Union … 43
Tapasvinī: Auspicious Twelve Lingas Mandala … 45 Absolute Self-Mastery … 47
Sītā: Festival of Lights Kolam … 49 Purifying Nature of Total Loyalty … 51
Chāmundā: Mandala of the Mothers … 53 Annihilation of the Separate Self … 55
Sarasvatī: Mahāsaravatī Yantra … 57 Flowing Imagination and Discerning Intuition … 59
Rādhā: Mandala of the Divine Dance … 61 Rapturous Love of God … 63
Annapūrnā: Annapūrnā Yantra … 65 Sustainer of Ultimate Consciousness … 67
Ardhanārī: Yantra of the Three Bindus … 69 Complete Union of Opposites … 71
Kālī: Kālī Yantra … 73 Total Freedom and Fearlessness … 75
Tārā: Tārā Yantra … 77 Redeemer Who Carries Souls Across Tribulations … 79
Lalitā: Tripurasundarī Yantra … 81 Erotic Play of Manifestation … 83
Bhuvaneshvarī: Bhuvaneshvarī Yantra … 85 Universal Earth Goddess of Love … 87
Bhairavī: Tripurabhairavī Yantra … 89 Divine Wrath Triumphant … 91
Chinnamastā: Chinnamastā Yantra … 93 Self-Sacrifice and Action beyond Reason … 95
Dhūmāvatī: Dhūmāvatī Yantra … 97 Smoky One Free of All Attachments … 99
Bagalāmukhī: Bagalāmukhī Yantra … 101 Stunning Beauty That Halts Falsity … 103
Mātangī: Mātangī Yantra … 105 Wild Creativity outside Propriety … 107
Lakshmī: Kolam with the Goddess’s Feet … 109 Pure, Delightful Abundance … 111

viii
 Introduction
I live on Earth at present, and I don’t know what I am. I know that I am not a category.
I am not a thing — a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process —
an integral function of the universe.
Richard Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983)

Years ago, while teaching youth yoga, I drew pictures of the In those years as an instructor, I taught in yoga studios
monkey deity Hanuman in various yoga postures for my young filled with beautiful but nonyogic art. Even in studios filled
students. Coloring the pictures made study fun for the kids, and with Hindu imagery, people did not know what the images
it helped them with memorization. As my own studies progressed, symbolized. This is problematic because mixing and matching
deity practice became part of my daily routine. Illustrating deities artworks from different traditions with different methodologies
evolved from an aspect of instruction to the hub of my spiritual can create confusion and subtle impediments to yogic spiritual
life. I found that meditating on the deities and the rich symbol- practice. Most yoga students know that what we eat and how
ism of their depictions as I worked deepened my internal practice we eat it affects our health and spiritual development. What we
immeasurably. Though my young students and I both enjoyed put in our eyes is just as influential as what we put in our belly.
this creative activity, it did not occur to me to provide adult prac- When our artworks are in alignment with our spiritual goals,
titioners with images for coloring until I was asked. After seeing they shape our values in a way that complements our spiritual
the illustrations of deities I’d done for books by scholars, readers practice. Mystic artworks give us accurate models for our medi-
wrote to me requesting copies of the artworks. tations, acting as guides for our internal journey.
Many readers, especially yoga students, also wanted to know My first intention with The Shakti Coloring Book, therefore, is
more about these images, including the meaning of visual devices to introduce you to these glorious goddesses. You will learn how
like multiple arms and the symbolism of geometric shapes. Most beneficial it is to recognize the symbolism in their depictions and
of all, they wanted to know about the practice of making sacred how it relates to yogic practice. Just as it is helpful for a begin-
art. While there are many books explaining Hindu iconogra- ner to get to know the yoga postures (āsanas) before joining an
phy, and a few that cover painting, there are precious few books advanced class, so too it is helpful to get to know the goddesses in
that actually explain how to make art as a yogic practice. So I general before choosing to invite one into your home or practice.
typed up handouts to give to students; the information in these Only widely revered goddesses are included, none whitewashed
handouts was later refined by hands-on, practical experience. or candy coated. These images are all originals, though they are
Collecting these images and lessons into a book was the logical inspired by famous examples from different regions and histor-
next step. ical periods. These are playful depictions, not definitive icons.

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Diversity is a characteristic of Shakti, so this collection is diverse elemental shapes—what we call “sacred geometry” in the West. It
as well. is also a guided meditation that will help spiritual seekers purify
Part 1, “Recognizing Shakti,” gives you an explanation of what their energetic body and recognize the inherent unity of all things.
a goddess is and the keys to understanding the many layers of It is not necessary to read or understand all the information
meaning in these images. Readers who want to know more about in this book to enjoy coloring in these images. It is said that just
the hidden symbolism, such as why artists include all the extra catching a glimpse of these goddesses is a blessing. The infor-
arms, will enjoy this section. mation in this book is intended to help beginners get started
Once we know what we’re looking at, we can learn what to on the spiritual path, to enrich the practice of those who have
do with it. In part 2, “Embodying Shakti,” we explore spiritual already begun their journey toward self-realization, and to help
practices associated with the creation of mystic artworks. This is anyone enjoy these goddesses and the wisdom they hold. This
an introduction to making sacred art as a spiritual practice. is the book I wished for when I began making devotional art:
Part 3, “Coloring Shakti,” is our reward: images of stunning a practical guide for creative, art-loving people who want to
goddesses and their scintillating mystic diagrams. The brief spiritualize their craft and begin making art as a method of
descriptions on the back of each image are for anyone who has self-realization.
ever looked at a Hindu goddess and wondered, “Who is that?”
Part 4, “Manifesting Shakti,” is a step-by-step manual for cre-
ating a yantra, a specific type of mystic diagram composed of

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 part 1

Recognizing Shakti
I am the Sovereign Queen; the treasury of all treasures; the chief of all objects of worship;
whose all-pervading Self manifests all gods and goddesses; whose birthplace is in the midst of
the causal waters; who in breathing forth gives birth to all created worlds,
and yet extends beyond them, so vast am I in greatness.
Rigveda, Devī Sukta, Maṇḍala X, Sukta 125
 Recognizing Shakti
What Is Shakti? Or Who? this book demonstrate so colorfully, embracing the principle of
Shakti is power, both manifest power and the power within all diversity allows for different expressions of the whole. With this
experiences. The root, shak, means “to be able,” and the term understanding, we can recognize how the practice (sadhana) of
Shakti describes divine creative power and the hypnotic beauty of any one goddess can be a complete path. Complete union (yoga)
appearances as well as the power to transform and destroy. It is not necessarily and spontaneously includes all the others. This princi-
power over others in a hierarchical sense; it is the electric juice of ple remains true whether we think of the goddesses as people or
life. Women in particular exemplify this principle and therefore as virtues. A yogin (yogin is a gender-neutral version of the word
may also be called shaktis. Even deadly weapons are given this yogi) who completely embodies one virtue will naturally express all
name, indicating this power must be treated with care. the others as well. The individual self (and thus diversity) is not a
While shakti may be used as a general term for any goddess, it is means to an end, nor is it the end. It just is.
not so much a name as an epithet, carrying with it the implication There are different ways sacred art points toward this truth of
of spiritual might. All that can be seen, felt, smelled, or tasted is nondualism: Goddesses are portrayed taking birth as different
shakti. When we use the word Shakti as a proper name, however, avatars, or living inside the heart of other goddesses, or displaying
we are speaking of the Great Goddess (Mahādevī) who takes birth multiple heads. Goddesses are often portrayed in groups, such
as all beings, whose body is all reality. To make the distinction clear, as the ten Wisdom Goddesses, the seven (or eight) Mothers, the
she is sometimes called Parāśakti (or Parāshakti, “the Supreme sixty-four Yoginīs, and the nine Durgās. Each group is a mandala
Power”). She cannot be described, exactly, and therefore cannot be (sacred circle), yet each goddess also sits at the center of her own
portrayed in figurative form. This primordial being is analogous mandala in a bewildering kaleidoscope of beauty and power.
to what is known as Brahman (“Expansive Spirit”) by followers of Western readers are accustomed to logical hierarchies, order,
Vedanta, or Śiva (“Ultimate Consciousness”) to Śaivites. If we are clearly defined symbols, and philosophical models of reality that
to describe Her as being like the ocean, then all of us, even deities, validate our own human biases. But the universe doesn’t always
are like waves—temporary appearances that seem distinctive and conform to human reason, and as uncomfortable as it may be to
independent, yet are not separate from the whole. admit, the human brain just doesn’t have the capacity to grasp
Some modern philosophers have tried to explain this unfamiliar the universe in its entirety. This is why yogins speak of calming
truth to Western readers by claiming that Hinduism is monotheis- the mind and relying on intuition. We can still be aligned, act
tic—that all Hindus know their diverse goddesses and gods as mere harmoniously, and know without grasping all the details. This is
faces or symbols of the one supreme being. This is not a wrong view, when we rely on the wisdom mind, located at the heart, rather
but some say it is incomplete. The nondual view must also include than depending only upon the thinking machine inside our head.
diversity as an essential component of unity. As the goddesses of Meditation, ritual, and creative activities (like making sacred art)

4
help us to cultivate our intuitive wisdom. This is why the heart is Symbolic Animals
always at the center of a sacred art composition. Many goddesses are depicted sitting on a characteristic animal, known
The Sanskrit word for “goddess” is devī, which can be roughly as their vehicle (vāhana). Animals also appear frequently as apparel and
translated as “shining” or “playful.” There are different classes of decorative motifs. Animals help both to identify a goddess and to give
devīs, from local geographic deities to great enlightened devīs who insight into how her power is expressed.
exemplify cosmic principles. Historically, goddesses associated Antelope or deer: longevity, faithfulness, tranquility, peace, harmony
with forces of nature and significant landmarks were worshiped When held: regent of animals, control of natural forces
as local deities and village protectors. Like people, goddesses grow Antelope skin: mastery over the flitting mind
and change over time. Some of these tribal goddesses became Boar or sow: loyalty, perseverance, courage, hunger
preeminent divinities (such as Durgā) or came together in groups Bull: strength, discipline, endurance, wealth, sexual power
encompassing a spectrum of universal principles (such as the ten Centipede: poison, hatred, fear, darkness
Wisdom Goddesses). Devī is a more specific word than Shakti. All Cow: generosity, abundance, patience, fertility
beings are forms of Shakti, but not all shaktis are devīs. Crocodile, fish, or makara (a mythical beast with the tail and feet of a
It is of utmost importance to choose an enlightened goddess bird and trunk of an elephant): water, fertility, fearsomeness, wealth
as our tutelary deity. There are unenlightened goddesses, just as Crane: patience, focus, grace, longevity
there are unenlightened people. It is said that these goddesses are Crow: intelligence, karma, death
not completely realized due to their identification with a feeling Dog: guardianship, loyalty, impurity
of ultimate bliss without impermanence or pain. Hidden beneath Eagle: speed, wind, righteousness, the sun
the glory of such beings is a sense of incompleteness that eventu- Elephant: strength, intelligence, equanimity, self-control, wealth
ally leads to spiritual destitution. It is important for us as spiritual Elephant skin: mastery over ignorance
seekers to understand this, as it helps us to recognize the value of Fish: water, fertility, nourishment
a human birth. Our physical body, along with all the pleasant and Horse: courage, speed, power
unpleasant experiences it affords, is said to be the supreme vehicle Human: devotion, intelligence, freedom, sensuality, desire
for realization. Humans have a great deal of freedom to experiment Human skin: mastery over desire
with different ways of being, and the difficulties we experience Human corpse: mastery over death and unseen forces
provide great motivation to seek out spiritual practices. We are not Lion: power, protection, dignity, fearsomeness
rejecting our humanity when we do deity practice; we are working Monkey: curiosity, playfulness, mind, devotion
with these powerful enlightened beings to expand our notion of self Owl: wisdom (or ignorance!), night, mystery
to include the cosmos. Full realization necessarily includes the “bad” Parrot: speech, intelligence, immortality, love
stuff, which is why some of the goddesses may appear frightening. Peacock: beauty, dignity, romance, digestive power, immortality
They have an important role to play in our spiritual journey: they Ram: force, vigor, fire, perseverance
show us how to cultivate equanimity amidst impermanence and Rat: greed, cleverness, activity
pain. We must embrace their lessons if we are to be complete; the Snake: immortality, kundalinī-shakti, water, danger, sexual power
wondrous path of the Goddess encompasses all phenomena. When Swan or goose: discernment, breath of life, boundlessness
we embrace Her totality without aversion, we may then relax into Tiger: power, destruction, beauty, fearlessness, passion
the blissful, expansive state that is our true nature. Tiger skin: mastery over passion or anger

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Swords, Books, and Lotuses: The Goddesses’ Attributes attributes. On the left side is Idā Nādī, which is passive, lunar, and
How do we know which goddess to approach for guidance or what feminine in nature. Objects that contain, bind, pour, or radiate are
type of commitment we might get ourselves into if we do? An easy held in the left hands. These symbolic objects represent the dis-
way to begin is by considering what the goddesses hold in their criminating awareness from which activity arises or ways in which
depictions. Usually, a goddess’s two key distinguishing attributes enlightenment is passively expressed, which is why they are known
are represented by what she holds in her foremost pair of hands. as “wisdom” attributes.
The symbols or gestures of her other hands modify or expand upon The attributes a goddess holds in her hands are usually depicted
her basic attributes, helping to give a more nuanced understanding in complimentary pairs, corresponding with the right and left
of her nature. The objects a goddess holds (referred to as attributes) channels. For example:
or the gestures she makes (known as mudras) represent virtues,
qualities, and/or characteristic powers. She is not defined by these Her Right Hand (Method) Her Left Hand (Wisdom)
attributes; she is described. Abhaya gesture Varada gesture
These attributes also allude to the mystic practices of the (palm turned upward) (palm turned downward)
fearlessness generosity
deity and of the likely benefits of engaging in her practices.
They are also a warning: playing with sharp weapons may lead Thunderbolt: revelation, vigor Bell: emptiness, clarity
to painful experiences. Scholars say these attributes represent
Prayer beads: devotion, Book: knowledge
magical powers that are the fruit of worshiping a goddess in that mantra
form. Those who use icons of goddesses for self-realization also
Skinning knife: renunciation, Skull cup: nectar of
understand a goddess’s attributes as a specific set of virtues. Be honesty realization
aware that the interpretations of what these attributes represent
Goad: guidance, Noose: connection, stillness,
depend on many factors, including regional variations and lin-
perseverance, power restraint
eage-specific teachings. The orientation of this book is toward
invoking the goddess’s virtue-blessing power, so they have been Sword: discernment, worship Shield: duty, dharma
listed accordingly. Head chopper sword: Head: personal ego,
Where the attributes are held usually corresponds with two of nonattachment conditioned mind
the three main energetic channels (nādīs) of the subtle body. These Discus: revolving time, Conch: resonant presence,
channels are represented by the symbols of sun, moon, and fire, illumination fearlessness
which appear frequently together in mystic artworks. The main
Trident: will, knowledge, Drum: pulse of creation
central channel, Sushumnā Nādī, is “the cool fire” and is balanced and action
in nature. Symbols related to this channel are usually not held in
Lotus: purity, cosmic womb, Jar or pot: effulgence, fertility
the hands, but worn as ornaments. On the right side is Pingalā radiance
Nādī, which is active, solar, and masculine in nature. Usually,
Club or mace: truth Staff: discipline, authority,
objects, like weapons, that require some kind of motion or activ-
justice
ity to put them into use are held the right hands. These symbolic
objects represent skillful means or ways in which enlightenment Arrow: love, focus, perception Bow: release, discipline,
concentration
is actively expressed, which is why they are known as “method”

6
 When attributes are joined together in a single hand, or shown in The depiction of multiple limbs is a relatively recent innovation
groups, their meaning is modified. Most commonly seen together in the vast scope of Indic art history. This visual device is useful for
are five arrows. They can represent five methods (generosity, dis- combining a deity’s many attributes in one image. It also conveys
cipline, patience, effort, and concentration), five senses (sight, a quality of multiplicity and motion inherent in most deities
sound, smell, taste, and touch), five passions (ecstasy, burning, and is a clear indication of omnipotence and omnipresence. For
unconsciousness, bewitchery, paralysis), or five poisons (ignorance, centuries, Indic deities were depicted with only two arms, even
desire, aversion, pride, jealousy). though they had multiple forms, attributes, and powers. A great,
The meaning of an attribute is modified by how it is depicted enlightened deity exists across time and space, manifesting many
and the presence of other attributes. For example, a bow made of locations simultaneously. In this sense, extra arms on deities are
sugarcane (sweetness) and five arrows made of flowers (five senses) like overlapping photographs of a body in motion, or a Cubist
carry a different implication (sensory pleasure) from those made of painting showing multiple points of view. We are seeing many
wood and iron and designed for warfare (focused action). A single realities all at once. It is not true that a deity with ten arms is more
arrow (love) and ornamental bow (release) may carry a different powerful than a deity with only two, but it may be that the rituals
interpretation altogether (liberation). All these examples of bows associated with a deity holding many attributes feel more intense
and arrows relate to the piercing quality of sensory perception, than rituals associated with a deity having only two.
but differ markedly in the associated principle. The first example
relates most closely to pleasure (kāma), the second to intentional Ornamentation: The Power of Beauty
activity (dharma or artha), and the last to liberation (moksha). An Europe is merely powerful; India is beautiful.
elegant benevolent goddess carrying a sword (discernment) and — Savitri Devi (1905–1982)
a shield (duty) is interpreted differently from a blood-spattered
wrathful goddess carrying a head-chopper sword (nonattachment) Ornamentation (alankara) is an expression of character, status,
and a head (conditioned mind). In both cases, the sharp blade and power, as well as love, devotion, and piety. In traditional Indic
symbolizes the power to separate real from unreal, but the different culture, no work of architecture or art is complete until it is orna-
depictions allude to how we may experience and express that same mented. The layers of embellishment seen on temples and statues
power when it is invoked through the lens of a particular goddess’s are an expression of authority as much as aesthetic fancy.
personality display. On a personal level, an ability to attract was understood as power
Some items may be held in either hand; in these cases, the on par with brute strength, so both kings and queens were praised
placement indicates whether the attribute represented by the by poets as being beautiful and alluring. Beauty was considered the
object is expressed actively (right side) or passively (left side). So physical manifestation of fecundity, authority, and power, so orna-
a sword held in the right hand indicates that a deity has an active, mentation was both a delight and a political necessity. Adorning
cutting attribute of discernment that may be felt intensely by the oneself and one’s environment was fundamental to one’s dignity,
practitioner. A sword held in the left hand indicates that the same self-possession, and propriety. What’s more, ritual jewelry, scented
attribute is present, but is more subtle and gentle in nature. By oils, even one’s posture and confident gait give spiritual protection.
carefully studying what attributes a goddess carries, and what To venture outdoors unornamented was to invite misfortune.
side they are carried on, we gain insight to how her influence is Some basic ornaments remain remarkably consistent in depic-
likely to be experienced. tions of deities: crowns, earrings, necklaces, garlands, belts, armlets,

7
and anklets are worn by males and females alike. All are highly and a skirt of arms. Deities with no ornament are beyond worldly
symbolic, and most relate directly to esoteric anatomy. Metal cares, so close to absolute truth they can hardly even be said to have
ornaments are positioned on energetic nodes to hold and direct a body, much less jewelry!
energy within the body. Metal jewelry is said to have the quality of Most forms of deities have characteristic colors, which are
Shiva: cold and unmoving, it envelops and directs the warm, living seen in their skin tone, robes, and ornaments. Benevolent deities
energy of Shakti. These ornaments also serve a visual function in wear flowers, leaves, berries, seeds, precious metals, soft fabrics,
the image, making the figure both easier to draw and more visually and gems. They generally wear cheerful and harmonious colors.
captivating. This may explain why they remain popular among Wrathful deities also wear crowns and exuberant ornamenta-
artists. Many goddesses are portrayed heavily ornamented, even tion, but theirs are made of bones, snakes, skins, intestines, and
when the ancient scriptures and tales that the artworks are based freshly severed heads! They generally wear harsh combinations
upon explicitly state that they wear none! of intense colors. The symbolism of various materials, such as
Both the male and the female deities are frequently portrayed rudrāksha beads (worn by Pārvatī/Shiva) or tulsī beads (worn by
topless in ancient Hindu art. Most are not nude; they are simply Lakshmī/Vishnu), and the numerous flowers and gems in Indic
well dressed according to a standard unfamiliar to modern viewers. art is fascinating, wondrously complex, and far beyond the scope
As scholar Vidya Dehejia explains, “[T]he human body of the of this book.
Indian artistic tradition is neither naked nor nude; it is invariably
the body adorned.” Goddesses are sumptuously garbed in trans- Suggestion: Colors have been proven to influence our emotional
lucent silk scarves, leggings, belts, jewelry, crowns, and elaborate disposition and blood pressure. The use of ritual jewelry and
hair wrappings befitting royalty. Making images of deities sexy and ornament is universal. Try wearing a meaningful ornament
scantily clad conveys the potency and attractive power of the teach- while you work on your sacred art to help create a reverent
ings they exemplify. One who embodies truth and fearlessness has mood. It is especially powerful to wear the characteristic color
nothing to hide! of a goddess while coloring her image.
Lavish ornamentation is so ubiquitous on images of deities
that any lack thereof is significant. In ancient times, a woman Mandalas: Sacred Circles
with unbound hair and no jewelry was much more scandalous It is called mandala because the Ḏākinī who occupies it is
than one who was simply topless. No ancient viewer would miss
auspicious, because it is the abode of the host of Yoginīs, and
the significance of an unadorned goddess. A notable example is
because of its beauty.
Dhūmāvatī. She wears only rags, as she is completely unconcerned — Kulārnava-Tantra
with appearances and status. Much like the renunciate Buddha,
she has earlobes that remain stretched from the heavy gold earrings A mandala is a circular enclosure or grouping of objects into
she wore in her youth and now dangle empty to symbolize her which divine energies are invoked. Mandalas are usually created
complete disregard for social status. Images of Tapasvinī depict her on a flat surface, and a mantra or ritual object (like a pot of
engaged in great austerities to win her husband Shiva’s heart. She water) is placed at the center to hold the energy of the deity. The
wears little more than flowers and seeds, marking her as an ascetic. term mandala has become so widely used that it is now listed
Rare indeed is the “sky-clad,” or completely nude, deity, like fear- in English-language dictionaries as a synonym for “sacred space.”
less Kālī, but even she is depicted with a garland of human heads Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains all use them as ritual diagrams.

8
Scholar Robert Thurman explains, “It is a blueprint of an indi- Yantras: Realization Devices
vidual’s ultimate liberation and supreme bliss . . . fully integrated If mantra is the soul of the initiate’s chosen deity,
with his or her environment and field of associates.” He goes yantra is the deity’s body.
on to say that, “It is the architecture of enlightenment in its — George Feuerstein, PhD (1947–2012)
bliss-and-compassion-generated emanations. It is a womb palace
Traditional yantras are revelations. When the great yogins of the
within which infinite wisdom and compassion can manifest as
ancient past were in deep states of meditation, what they heard
forms discernible to ordinary beings.”
were mantras (mystic sounds) and what they saw were yantras
Ceremonial mandalas tend to be large and visually complex—
(mystic diagrams). These seers said that the energy bodies of
in many cases, big enough for practitioners to enter and walk
goddesses resemble these mystic diagrams, and they passed this
around inside. The outer circles and lines represent protective
knowledge to their students through oral lineages. Most of this
barriers. Mandalas are often temporary constructions, made for
knowledge is still secret. It is only in the last century that some
specific ceremonies and symbolically destroyed afterward. They
information has become public, though much is still not com-
are constructed with areas of color and elaborate designs, often
including figurative images of the deities who inhabit them. monly known.

Mandalas usually describe a relationship between many beings Scholars explain that a deity yantra represents an archetype, but

or symbolize the entire cosmos. Unlike a yantra, the Hindu yogins say it is more than a symbol. Yantras do not simply describe
mandala has no intrinsic power until the deity is invoked into it. a being—they are the being in manifestation and are therefore
Esteemed scholar Gudrun Bühnemann wrote, “It is not possible potent. They have blessing power. When we meditate upon these
to summarize all attempts at defining ‘Mandala,’ ‘Yantra,’ and mystic diagrams, we are repatterned into a more enlightened state.
‘chakra’ in the literature. The use and function of these terms Roughly translated, yantra means “tool” or “device.” The term
are complex, and it will be impossible to arrive at a universally yantra is broad enough to also include hexes, charms, and talismans.
valid definition.” The Sanskrit word can be broken into two parts: yam, meaning “to
Hindu temples are architectural mandalas, a sacred space support” or “to hold,” and tra, meaning “to protect” or “to liber-
enclosing, protecting, and focusing the power of the enshrined ate.” So the spiritual yantra holds the energy of liberation; it is a
central deity. In some meditation practices, the deity is visualized realization device.
sitting at the center of the top floor of an enormous palace built Often portable and small in size, yantras may be inscribed
in the shape of a mandala. We enter the imaginary palace just as on metal plates or wood, painted on cloth or paper, and even
we would a temple. As we pass through a gate and move toward be worn as ritual jewelry. Yantras are written; their power comes
the center, we move from the gross to the subtle, from diversity from the lines, mantras, and/or spells inscribed upon them. Their
to unity. We are climbing a symbolic mountain, beginning with designs vary wildly, from curving symbols that almost look like
the densest element (earth) and moving upward toward the most handwriting to complex geometric patterns that resemble (and
subtle (space). For yogins, this symbolizes the subtle movement may also be) mandalas. For example, yantras made for mediation
of our consciousness from the lowest energy center (chakra), at may lack text. Though scholars say these yantras are historically
the base of the spine, up toward the highest, at the crown of the Tantric, it is difficult to say for certain where they originated
head. (We will learn a simplified version of this practice in part 4, because similar geometric shapes appear in mystic diagrams
“Manifesting Shakti.”) worldwide. The yantras we see today were refined over hundreds

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or even thousands of years. Most are used to fulfill worldly desires, used to rectify imbalances among all the elements. The list below
but deity yantras are gateways to the divine. includes common shapes and symbols, from most simple to most
Yantras created for deity practice align the viewer with a spe- complex, and explains how they are utilized in sacred art.
cific form of divinity. We can intensify the experience by chanting Center dot: The dot at the center of the yantra is called the bindu
the appropriate mantra for long periods of time while creating, (“seed”). This primordial symbol is equated with the center of the uni-
coloring, or meditating on the yantra. Repeating a mantra while verse, the place of cosmic stillness around which all creation revolves.
meditating on a yantra is a bit like rubbing a bit of steel against a This is not a physical location on a map; it is the “all-point” and the
magnet until the steel becomes magnetized; we are transformed origin of all manifestation. It is where the male and female principles
by repeated exposure. Yantras are both a device and a vehicle of (or Shiva and Shakti) unite, where differences cannot exist. It is the
essence in the same way that a human body is both an organic summit of a symbolic mountain, from which the rest of the universe
machine and a seat of self-awareness. A deity yantra is simultane- (and the yantra) flows. Though the element of space is sometimes
ously a living being, a map of reality, a base for ritual, and an aid portrayed as a dot (usually a circle), space also pervades the other
for mediation. Harish Johari wrote, “No idol or picture of a deity four great elements and is inseparable from them. Meditating on
is as powerful as a Yantra. An iconographic idol is a personal thing, the bindu makes the mind one-pointed and still. (Note: There are
whereas a Yantra is universal, because it is composed of archetypal usually twenty-seven, and as many as thirty-six, elements in classical
forms that are common to all existing phenomena.” Tantra. Most are more subtle than space, like the “element” of time.)
Line: If we move away from unity in any direction, a line is
Geometry: Vocabulary of Reality formed. Two dots, symbolizing Shiva (consciousness) and Shakti

Philosophy is written in this grand book, the universe, which (power), become separate discernible locations on the same line,

stands continually open to our gaze. But the book cannot be connected yet apparently different. This line separates “this” from

understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language “that” and creates duality. All shapes in a yantra are understood to
be radiating from the center, like rays of the sun, which is why
and read the letters in which it is composed. It is written in the
lines are associated with the piercing quality of light. A vertical
language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, cir-
line is associated with the upward-moving nature of fire, while the
cles, and other geometric figures without which it is humanly
horizontal line is associated with the spreading quality of water.
impossible to understand a single word of it; without these, one
Diagonal lines imply movement and are thus associated with the
wanders about in a dark labyrinth.
wind. Lines direct attention and energy.
— Galileo Galilei (1564–1642)
Circle: It is the force of desire that causes us to expand outward
A deity yantra is an energetic diagram of an enlightened being and from the center, and because this primordial desire moves in all
may be used as a template for our own realization. These mystic dia- directions, we draw it as a circle. The radius of desire creates space
grams also show how the five great elements (mahābhūtas)—earth, for all of existence; thus, the circle represents the space element,
wind, fire, water, and space—may be invoked in an auspicious the wheel of life and death, and the eternal cycles of nature.
configuration. Mandalas and yantras can be read like a sentence; Many yantras have three concentric circles grouped together.
the geometric shapes within them are like words. A simple yantra Their meaning depends on where they are located. When they are
may use only one symbol, invoking the energy of that element (or located immediately around the central yantra, they usually repre-
principle) to accomplish a specific task. A complex yantra may be sent the three primordial principles of reality (tri-guna): harmony

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 East Gate Star or Sat-kona
or Citta (Dissolution &
Center Point or
Bindu (Space) Manifestation)

Hexagon (Wind)
Main Circle
(Water)

Triangle (Fire) Lotus Petals

(Radiant Expansion)

North Gate South Gate

or Ahaṁkāra or Buddhi

Outer Line
Main Square or
(Sun Throne)
Bhūpura (Earth)
Inner Line
(Moon Throne)

Clockwise Spiral or Counterclockwise

Swastika (Creation) Spiral (Destruction)

West Gate
or Manas

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