The Yogini Hridaya

She (Shakti) by whose transformation this creation in the form of objects, words, plexuses, & bodies exists should of necessity be known by us Varivasyarahasya, I, 5 (Adyar Edition) The Yogini ridaya (Heart of the Yogini), also known as !itya ridaya & Sundari ridaya, is said to be one part of the entire work known as the !ityashodashi-karna"a (Ocean of the 16-Nit as), the other part being often separatel treated as the #amakesh"ara $antra! The work, which abo"nds in elliptical ter#s & code words pec"liar to the $hri %id a tradition, is di&ided into '(-chapters corresponding to '(-parts (sanketa) described as chakra (or antra), #antra & p")a, or worship! The Yogini ridaya belongs to what is known as the *adi line of $hri %id a! *adi #eans +the letter *a etc+, & refers to the 1,-lettered #antra which starts ka e I la hrim, which is referred to elsewhere on this -eb site! The well known $hri Yantra is considered to be one with the #antra & with the de&ata (goddess in this case) known as $hri $hri .ahatrip"ras"ndari! The edition followed here is that p"blished as &ol"#e se&en in the $aras&ati /ha&ana 0rantha#ala, with an 1nglish introd"ction b 0opinath *a&ira), & which also incl"des '2-i#portant co##entaries known as the 3ipika b 4#ritananda & the $et"bhanda of /haskarara a! The Yogini Hrida a, in a $anskrit &er, "sing the iTrans for#at, #a be fo"nd on this site! There is an 1nglish translation of #amakesh"ara $antra, details of which can be fo"nd b going here! Yo" can find a 3e&anagari &ersion of this work here, b"t will need to install the $anskrit 56 font first to &iew it! 7t will be helpf"l to look at this page on Trip"ras"ndari to "nderstand the following abstract, as well as cons"lting the other doc"#ents on $hrik"la, referred to fro# the ho#e page of this site!

First Patala
The chapter opens with 3e&i addressing /haira&a! 7n the first &erse she sa s that in this %a#akesh&ara Tantra are #an concealed things & she wishes to know the rest which has not et been re&ealed! There are 86-verses (shlokas) in this chapter! /haira&a answers b sa ing he will re&eal the $"pre#e Heart of the Yogini, which is to be obtained orall , & sho"ld not be discri#inatel re&ealed! $hakti is fi&e-fold & refers to creation, while $hi&a is fo"r-fold & related to dissol"tion! "nion of ',-shaktis & '8-fires creates the chakra, that is the $hri
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Yantra! $hi&a & $hakti are 9ire & .oon bind"s & the contact of both ca"ses the Hardha-kala to flow, which beco#es the third bind", $"n, & which gi&es rise to the Baindava or first chakra! 7t is this first chakra, the bind" at the centre of the antra, which gi&es rise to the '5-triangles or na&a oni, & these, in t"rn, ca"se the '5-#andalas of the antra to blosso#! This /ainda&a or central bind", is $hi&a & $hakti, also referred to in the te:ts as the light & its #irror! The "lti#ate $hakti, b her own will (s&eccha a) ass"#ed the for# of the "ni&erse, first as a p"lsating essence, consisting of the &owels of the alphabet! The bind" of the antra corresponds to dharma, adharma & atma, which also corresponds to #atri, #e a & pra#a! The bind" is sit"ated on a dense, flowering #ass of lot"s, & is self-aware conscio"sness, the ;hitkala! The <"i&ering "nion of $hi&a & $hakti grad"all creates the different #andalas of the $hri Yantra, which correspond to different letters of the $anskrit alphabet! Kamakala s"bsists in the Mahabindu (great bind") & is witho"t parts! The te:t refers to nine different & s"ccessi&el s"btle for#s of so"nd which are be ond the &owels & consonants of the ,' (,1) letters of the alphabet! $he is e&er kind of $hakti, incl"ding 7ccha (will), =nana (knowledge) & *ri a (action), & e:ists as fo"r pithas or sacred centres, represented b the letters Ka(marupa), Pu(rnagiri), Ja(landhara) & d(ddi!a)" These seats e:ist in the #icrocos# between anus & genitals, at the heart, in the head, & in the bindu ab#ve the head , & ha&e the for#s of s<"are, he:agon in a circle with a bind", a crescent #oon & a triangle, & are of the colo"rs ellow, p"rple, white & red! These also correspond to '(-linga#s, which are known as $&a a#bh", /ana, 7tara & >ara, which are sit"ated in the pithas & are colo"red gold, bhand"ka red, & like the a"t"#n #oon! The &owels, which are di&ided into three, are sit"ated in the s&a a#bh" linga#, the letters *a to Ta are associated with the bana linga#, the letters Tha to $a are in the kada#ba region, while the entire circle of the letters, the #atrika, are associated with the para or s"pre#e linga#, which is one with the essence of the bind" of the antra, & is the root of the tree of s"pre#e bliss! These different ele#ents of speech, which are the k"laka"la, are also the sections of the #antra! 9"rther, these sections correspond to the waking state, to drea#, to deep sleep & to the t"ri a or fo"rth! /e ond this is the absol"te s"pre#e which b its own will e#anates the cos#os & is also one with the cos#os, the "nion of #eas"re, #eas"rer & the #eas"red, the triple peaks, & the &er self of 7ccha, =nana & *ri a shaktis! The "ni&erse has the appearance of e#anating fro# the "n#anifest Kameshvara & Kameshvari"

The n##se $hi%h &ripurasundari h#lds is I%%ha, the g#ad is Jnana, & the b#$ & arr#$s are Kri!a shakti, sa!s Bhairava ! / the blending of the ref"ge ($hi&a-*a#esh&ara) & $hri ($hakti-*a#esh&ari), the '6-other #andalas of the $hri Yantra co#e into creation! The re#aining shlokas (&erses) of this chapter deal with the creation of the other #andalas of the antra!

Second Patala
/haira&a tells the 3e&i he will describe the #antra! *nowing this, a &ira (hero) beco#es like Trip"ra herself! There are 6, &erses in this chapter! 4cc?to the te:t, each of the '5-#andalas of the $hri Yantra ha&e a partic"lar for# of Trip"ras"ndari presiding o&er the#, & a partic"lar &id a appropriate to each! 4cc?to the te:t, these for#s are &ripura-devi, &ripu-reshvari, &ripura-sundari, &ripura-vasini, &ripura-shri, &ripura-malini, &ripurasiddhi, &ripur-ambika, & the ninth is Mahatripurasundari ! %erse 12 sa s that the sho"ld be worshipped in this order in the '5-chakras (i!e #andalas)! The #antra #a be "nderstood in si: different wa s? bhavartha, samprada!a, nigama, kaulika, sarvarahas!a, & mahatattva"

The te:t then proceeds to o"tline the significance of these different wa s to "nderstand the #eanings (artha)! The 16th-cent"r sadhaka, /haskarara a, delineates the #eaning of these in his work #ari"asyarahasya, which is a&ailable with the $anskrit te:t & an 1nglish translation in the 4d ar @ibrar series (see /ibliograph )! This work also incl"des a detailed chart which shows the '(-fold di&isions of Trip"ras"ndari as well as the nine s"btle for#s of speech be ond the letters of the alphabet! /ha&artha is related to the 1,-lettered *adi &id a #antra! Ae#o&ing the '()rims fro# the #antra shows the essential nat"re of $hi&a & $hakti! The goddess e#bodies the (6-tatt&as & is identical with this #antra! This #eaning shows the essential sa#eness of de&i, #antra & the cos#os! The sa#prada a #eaning shows the identit of the #antra with the fi&e ele#ents of aether, air, *ire, $ater & earthB the 1,-letters of the #antra & the senses of so"nd, to"ch, i#age, taste & s#ell! $a s /haskara a? +4s there is no difference between the ca"se & its effect, between the thing signified ("achya) & the word which signifies the thing ("achaka), & between /rah#an & the "ni&erse, so also the "ni&erse & this %id a are identical Cin relation to each otherD!+ The +igarbha #eaning shows the identit of the s"pre#e de&ata with the g"r", & beca"se of the grace of the g"r", oneEs own self!
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The Kaulika #eaning is that she, the s"pre#e goddess, ra s o"t her attendant shaktis one with her! $o, she is 7ccha, =nana & *ri aB the fire, the s"n & the #oonB & the nine planets & other celestial pheno#ena, as well as the ob)ects of the senses, the senses, & other constit"ent parts which are also present in the #icrocos#! 7n this for# she is ,aneshi, & a n asa representing her in this wa can be fo"nd elsewhere on this site! 4gain, her shaktis & her are inseparable & this is represented b her inseparabilit fro# the $hri Yantra! The se%ret (-ahas!a) #eaning of the #antra is the "nion of the 3e&i with the ,' letters which represent 16 .oon kalas, 12 $"n kalas, & 1' 9ire kalas, corresponding to the *"lak"ndalini, which e:tends fro# the base chakra, shoots thro"gh the brow chakra & then be ond, ca"sing a flow of a#rita or nectar to drench the bod ! $he sleeps, she wakes, & she sleeps again, & once #ore, is identical with #antra, antra, g"r" & the shining own self! The s"pre#e absol"te is one with $hi&a & $hakti! The tatt&a #eaning is that she is one with the (6 tatt&as, also with the letters of the alphabet & the for#s the take! /reath, as well as ti#e, is the for# of the 3e&i Trip"ras"ndari! The practical application of these concepts is to be learned at the feet of the g"r", hi#self or herself one with the goddess!

Third Chapter
This is called the >")a $anketa, or section relating to worship in three senses described as para, parapara & apara! This, #"ch longer chapter, has 2'6 &erses! The first consists of identit with the s"pre#e absol"te, the second of #editation (bha&ana), while the third is related to rit"al worship! ($ee Subhagodaya, elsewhere on this site)! This chapter #ostl deals with n asa, & starts with the si:fold n asa related to ganeshas, grahas (planets), the 2F nakshatras, the si: oginis of the bodil dhat"s, the rashis or 12 sidereal constellations & the pithas, a translation of which #a be fo"nd elsewhere on this site! There is also a description of this si: fold n asa in the %andhar"a $antra! 7t follows with the $hri ;hakra n asa, fro# the !ityotsa"a, which, once #ore, is translated! Other n asas, incl"ding hand n asa are o"tlined, along with the dail p")a of Trip"ras"ndari & descriptions of the attendants (a&arana de&atas) to be fo"nd in the nine #andalas of the antra! The chapter closes with an ad#onition that the details of this tantra sho"ld be concealed & not re&ealed to an one who is not initiated into the practice!
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