Before entering into any further discussion on Navavarana keerthanams of Muthu Swamy Deekshitar , it is very much necessary to have a detailed knowledge of what is srichakra , what it represents, what are its layers (aavaranas ) how it is drawn etc. Hence in this edition we intend to deal with the same.

This is a composition of Adi Sankaracharya made of 100 verses. The chanting of these verses results in the acquirement of mystic powers. The second half of the poem from verse 42 to verse 100 describe the beauty of Devi Tripura Sundari from her hair to her holy feet.

The first half from verse 1 to verse 41 are much more mystic in nature. But here too a few verses deal with devis's holy feet. Let us see what they convey.

Verse 2 Collecting a few particles of dust from Thy Lotus like feet, Brahma creates the world, Vishnu in the form of the serpent Adhisesa carries it with his 1000 hoods and Hara destroys.

Verse 3 - The dust from Thy feet is a light house which removes the inner darkness of the ignorant one. To the dull it is like a shower of the fragrance of enlightening. To the poor it is like an all giving Chintamani jewel and to those who are immersed in the ocean of Samsara (life) it is like the tusk of the Varaha incarnation of Vishnu.

Verse 4 The deities other than you give boons and freedom from fear through their hands. You are the only one without any such explicit signs of boons etc. O Devi, Refuge to the people, your feet themselves are capable of protecting us from fear and giving benefits much more than desired.

Verse 25 - The worship of the three deities Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh who are evolved from the three Gunas, Satva, Rajas and Tamas respectively, will be automatically attained by worshipping

Thy feet because these 3 deities are ever prostrating near the manipeeta carrying thy feet.

Thus we can understand that the worship of the feet of Tripurasundari removes all sins and gives us all sorts of benefits.

Now the various angles of Sri Devi's feet are exhibited in the form of various triangles of Srichakra. Hence the worship of Srichakra amounts to the worship of Sridevi's holy feet.

In the preface to the Lalitha Sahasranama, Rishi Hayagreeva has told Agasthya about the importance of worshipping Srichakra.

A devotee of Lalitha should compulsorily perform the following 3 functions. The worship of the king of Chakras (Srichakra). The chanting of Srividya mantra and the recital of the 1000 names of Devi. Other things are optional but also help in the spiritual progress of the devotee. Only a person who has performed lot of penance in the previous births will be able to do all these three in this life. One who is fortunate enough to do so is the real Sat Pathra (saintly person) whom other devotees should emulate. Even Mahesh will not be able to tell the amount of Punya (merit) earned by such a person. Lalitha Devi alone knows fully about the Quantum of punya earned by the worship of Srichakra.

Srichakra consists of a central point Bindu surrounded by 5 layers of 1, 8, 10, 10 and 14 triangles (43 triangles). These triangles are formed by the intersection of 5 downward pointed big triangles (Shakti Konas) and 4 upward pointed big triangles (Sivakonas) . This set of traingles is surrounded by 2 layers consisting of 8 petals and 16 petals. All these are covered by 3 circles.

The outermost layer is formed 3 parallel lines with gates on all the four sides. This is in short the constitution of Srichakra.

This has been well explained in verse No. 11 of Saundarya Lahari.

Like matter and energy in Physics, Purusha and Prakruti in Samkya Philosophy, infintely and zero in Mathematics, potential and kinetic energy in energetics, meaning and word in Linguistics, father and mother in sociology, Siva and Sakti are two inseparable entities in Indian Mysticism which are even in intercourse. Each and every thing in the world consists of Siva and Sakti aspects. Just as moonlight cannot be separated from the moon, sakti cannot be separated from Siva. Like all other things Srichakra also consists of Siva and Sakti aspects:

Shakti Chakras - Trikona, Ashtakona, inner Dasakona, outer Dasakona and the Chaturdasara.

Siva Chakras - The outer most parallel triple lines, the 16 petals, 8 petals and bindu.

These nine elements mentioned above constitute the body of Sakti and Siva respectively.

The limbs of Siva are merged with the limbs of Sakti in the following manner. Bindu in Trikona Ashtadala in Ashtkona, Shodasadala in the 2 Dasakonas and the Bhupura (Parallel lines) in Chaturdasa.

Only one who understands the in separable relation between Siva Chakras and Sakti chakras can be considered as a knower of Srichakra.

Sakti is in the form of triangle in the centre and Siva is in the form of Bindu. Other triangles and Petals are only their expanded form. One who performs the pooja of Srichakra without understanding the inseparability of Siva and Sakti does not get the fruits of his worship as Lalita Tripurasundari is not pleased.

In the body there are 9 Dhatus which are called moolaprakrutis. They are represented by the 9 Chakras in Srichakra . The 5 Sakti Datus are Tvak (skin), Asruk ( ), Mamsa (flesh), Medhas ( ) and Asthi (Bone) . The 4 Siva Dhatus are majja (marrow), Sukla (Semen), Prana (breath) and Jeeva (Life ). These are elements of the body. Parasakti is the 10th element controlling the nine. Thus our physical body is formed.

Similarly the cosmos was also formed. The five elements of the cosmos namely Prithvi, Ap, Tejas, Vayu and Aakasa are sakti elements. The Siva elements are Maya, Suddha Vidya, Maheswara and Sadasiva. These 9 elements are represented by 9 chakras of srichakras.

Thus we can understand that both the cosmos and the physical body are represented by Srichakra.

A Sage has tried to explain the nature of the various states of the mind through the concept of Srichakra in his book Matrukakshara Viveka.

represented by Bindu kalas and the 7 letters A,E,U,Ru,Lu, ay, O shown by 7 petals Jada sushupti - deep slumber - Visarga kala AA , EE, UU, Ruu, Luu, AI, AU - these letters are represented by the remaining 7 petals.

Jada Jagrat - awakened state (normal). The letters are Kavarga and Chavarga representing Pancha Bhutas and Pancha Tanmatras.

Ajada Jagrat - Enlightened and awakened state - The letters are Tavarga and Thavarga representing jnanendriyas and Karmanendriyas.

Jada Swapna - Normal dream, state - represented by Ya, ra, la, va, letters ajada swapna semi meditation state - Sa, Sha, Sa, ha represent this state.

Trikona - Turyavastha - Fourth state.

Bindu - the state beyond the fourth state.

Pa - Prakruti Pha - Ahamkara, Ba - Budhi,

Bha - Manas, Ma - Purusha and Ksha

The Siva situated in the Bindu

In these days of common strife, it is very much necessary that all religious people who believe in co-existence come together under one banner, So many efforts are being made for conducting inter-faith dialogue, Though not fully successful. Dr Radhakrishnan once said that there should be a religion of religions. It seems that such an effort was made thousands of years ago by the worshippers of Srichakra. Devi Tripura Sundari is variously addressed as Saura darsanangi (Sun), Shakta darsanangi (Shakti), Shaiva darsanangi (Shiva), Vaishnava darsanangi (Vishnu), Baudha darsanangi (Buddhism) while performing pooja to each avarana. As change or modification is the essence of life, the very same Srichakra can become a symbol of multi -religious commune with the bindu representing the maxim "There is only one god", The trikona representing the Hindu or Christian trinity, ashta kona the eight fold path of budhism, inner dasakona the ten commandments of the Jews, outer dasakona the ten incarnations of Vishnu arr the ten important prophets, from Adam to David in the Abrahamic religions, so on and so forth. But will anybody listen?

Each of the Aavarana of Srichakra has a distinct name which is self-explanatory. To summarise the whole concept of Srichakra, the whole thing is put in a tabular form.

	Srichakra	Name of Aavarana	Meaning	Pinda (body )	Anda (Cosmos)
1	Parallel lines	Trailokya mohana	Capitulating the 3 worlds	Prana	Maheswara
2	16 petals	Sarvaasa pari Poorakam	Fulfilling all desires	Sukla	Sudda vidya
3	8 petals	Sarva sam kshobhanam	Controlling everybody	Majja	Maya
4	14 triangles	Sarvasaubha agya dayakam	Giving all good fortunes	Asthi	Aakasa
5	10 triangles	Sarvaartha sadhakam	Attaining all desired things	Medhas	Vayu
6	10 traiangles	Sarva raksha karam	Protecting everybody	Mamsa	Tejas
7	8 triangles	Sarva rogaharam	Removing all ailments	Asruk	Ap
8	Central triangle	Sarva siddhi pradam	Giving all attainments	Twak	Prithvi
9	Bindu	Sarvananda mayam	Filled with total bliss	Jeeva	Sadhasiva