Coloring after 35 years! Sriyantra painting, the geometrical representation of AUM.

in eternal aum consciousness
Oct 21, 2023
8 min read

Updated: Oct 24, 2023

A divine coincidence

After aum chanting, my buddy utpal, told that being the first day of navratri, there is a program on sriyantra today, conducted by govinddasji online. One only has to register. That's all. It was from 8 pm to 11 am.

Anadmaya kosha, the blissful state

As i move from vigyanamaya kosha of Shiva, the masculine form or sat into the AnandMaya kosha of Parvati Devi the chit energy form, feminine, both of whom do exist as yin yang, purush and prakriti, shiv and Parvati, male and female, invisible and visible. I feel the connection stronger and stronger...

Prior to this, my friend Kamal had mentioned performing a Puja in kashi a month back, which was related to Devi upasna.

A few months back, we met Kamals cousin, who is a advanced Devi upasak.

I had visualised my mantra a few months back on krishna and Kali together.

My friend Anjana introduced me to gft mantra which is about bhagwati, the divine mother.

All these dots are getting connected to sriyantra, Sri chakra, sri devi now.

Painting after 35 years!

There are many videos on making the drawing of Sri yantra, but none on colouring. This intrigued me even further, on how, painting itself could be a meditation.

As the program began on a zoom link, 16 of us, eager to learn, leaving the dandia aside, joined from respective homes.

I have taken up a colours in hand after 35 years. I used to sketch and paint till my engineering days, then i had stopped. This itself was amazing to hold colours in hand! This is one of the things i simply love to do.

During the painting of Sri yantra, i listened to the aum sound as directed and step by step, layer by layer, i colored.

Immersion in aum during painting

Here is the link to the aum sound. In the form of sound, dovinddasjis guru, Swami vishwanada will be with you as you paint the sriyantra. Play it in the background.

https://on.soundcloud.com/W8WCJ

Some insights from the program.

1. Sriyantra is the geometric representation of AUM. You can not create the sriyantra by playing the aum sound, as people have tried with vibration tables!. But as it represents the entire creation, so does aum

2. It is multi dimensional. What we are seeing is the 2d or 3d form. It will manifest itself in more dimensions as one meditates on it.

3. The basic form of connecting with the sriyantra is to color it, which Coloring each layer, i think of affirmations like the ones given below.

Here is a template you can use. Download and print it for colouring.

There is a specific sequence of colouring which I have given in each layer. I am not going into the technical aspects of what each layer means, as i myself don't know about it at this stage. You can refer to the links given in this blog to learn more.

Understanding the yantra

But like every other machine, this yantra works, even if you don't know how it works. For example, you don't know the technology behind the light bulb, the electricity, the filament dimensions, the vacuum inside. It still. works. If you understand about the machine, it's better, but it's not necessary to see the results. So let's start.

I have learnt that knowing more does not necessarily produce a better result.

The detailed program is here for part one.

https://shop.discoveringyouniverse.com/product/sri-yantra-painting-meditation-online-course-basic-option/

There are Advanced levels of the program, which can be found on this site too.

Some basic information can be found here

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Yantra#:~:text=Comprising%20nine%20interlocking%20triangles%2C%20it,termed%20the%20%22Navayoni%20Chakra%22.

This gives Advanced information on the geometry and significance of each part of Sri yantra.

https://kathleenkarlsen.com/sri-yantra-meaning/

An excellent website on sacred geometry is given here.

http://www.smphillips.mysite.com/the-sri-yantra.html

And

https://sriyantraresearch.com/index.htm

The painting process.

For each layer, we are asked to think of a particular aspect of the self. To affirm. To hear aum and then paint.

What i have shared is my experience of the program, as closely as i could. I can never replicate the program in this text, and that is not the intention either.

Most of the people think about their desires, what they want etc. In the journey to the self, i have realised that the greatest fulfillment comes through giving. Giving with my purpose of innovation. The measure of value addition is sales! The dots have connected together.

9 layers

There are 9 layers to the Sri yantra. They are described here in different labels for you to make it easier to understand.

The sequence of paining in each petal or triangle of the layer is numbered here.

Which colours to use?

Choice of colors. You can paint the Sri yantra in many different colors. The ones I have made are shown below for reference.

The text given below is organised like

Layer number.

Affirmation.

Insight from the common perspective, the mind and the self!

Layer 1.

I live with gratitude.

This is just

Being grateful for what i have. Just remember all the things you are grateful for. With every stroke of your paint brush or pencil or pen, have one thought of gratitude. Before you put the next stroke. You will be amazed as your complete this part. As you put the strokes, you will feel as if you have run out of items to be put in the list. you will then start appreciating every small thing in life.The simplest being, you are still alive, well, healthy, have food, water, shelter, which many don't have!

Common: many just complain that they don't have x y z. Without appreciating what they have.

Mind: gratitude is the foundation or the representation of the earth itself. Nature is always giving. It does not take any thing from us. This layer has 4 sides.

This is the first step, as without gratitude to what we have, there is nothing else we will attract. Usually people think of being grateful for health etc. This is the aspect of being. All prayers start with being grateful. This is also given in the hopppoppono song. Thank you. This can also be implemented using a gratitude journal or just thinking about how thankful you are when you wake up.

There is no particular sequence in painting this layer. It has to be filled will a solid colour. I have painted it in green colour for example in one of the yantras.

Self: I am Grateful for Making me a medium to add value to others lives. I am so grateful to be a medium of "loka samasta sukhino bhavantu". This means, i am grateful to be fit, strong, balanced, prosperous , giving, clear in my roles, intelligent and creative to do so. I am ever grateful for this.

Layer 2.

I fulfill my inner desires.

Inner wishes, dreams, aspirations, goals.

Common:While painting this layer, one is aware of the inner desires. Some desire money, some desire fame and so on. This is the aspect of having. Let the desires come out and flow in the thoughts.

Mind: Loka samasta sukhino bhavantu is the inner desire. To create products and services in business to enable this. To help my friends and family to live in peace and harmony. To create a better world.

Self: desires are linked to roles. I am fortunate to have multiple roles, which fulfill my desire to give tremendous value addition consistently to anyone and everyone.

Layer 3.

I share my goodness with all. Goodness is what I am good at and what i love to do. These both are done from the heart.

Common: it's very difficult to share what you have. People don't share even their knowledge, let alone money and material things

Mind: This thought process is for sharing what you have. Not hoarding it. This is the principle of aparigraha. Non accumulation.

Self: The purpose of my life is innovation. The goal is giving without "expecting" anything in return. A part of the value addition comes back to me.

Layer 4

I create my own fortune. Fortune is what you get back, as you add value. So focus on value addition!

Common: This is taking responsibility in your hands. There is not one to blame, no excuses to give and no denial. You are trying truly out of the BED now!

Mind: As i give, I realise that a portion comes back to me as a reward. This creates my fortune. I don't have to worry about what will I get. I just have to focus on value addition.

Self: The fortune comes from knowing the true self. Inside. There are no twos. Everything in the universe is me and i am the universe. I do everything with love. With self love, i see my own universe. Abundance comes naturally to me.

Layer 5

I act with awareness.

Common: Awareness is very difficult to maintain as the roles take over and the mind collapses them with the identity of the self.

Mind: As I am aware, that if give just as a medium, i don't have any ego building up, that i did this and i did that. The is a role and not self.

Self: In tune with inner aum, i am always in the awareness state. I am aware of my role and the desires. This is the intellect layer.

Layer 6

I open up to love.

Common: Most people seek love in loving others and in relationships. These are external love subjects, which are related to the body, which has a name. Two variables can never create a constant! So seeking love in the material world is futile.

Mind: Self love. Is the ultimate love. You love everyone un conditionally, as you would love yourself.

Self: Aham brahmasmi. As everything is one, the love overflows. As my friend Sanjeev made me realise. We are already perfect! The Ananda layer. This is is acceptance state

Layer 7

I heal through faith.

Common: Faith is a big healer. For most, faith is on someone, a guru, a devta, a friend, mother etc.

Mind:The greatest faith is on the self. That is the only thing which is the witness to everything. Whatever you are, do and want, it knows. This is souls love in action for healing. Every pain in the body, every discomfort is the souls love, is manifestation. The mind, the body, the energy are all one.

The self: the healing happens naturally now, as awareness, fortune, gratitude, giving are all together. I just come a medium to remove the suffering of all the beings in this universe.

Layer 8.

I shine my eternal light. This is enlightenment. This is beyond the common perception and the mind.

Layer 9

I am that's all. This too is beyond anything that can be experienced.

Every day, i have made a sriyantra. The experience is given below.

Day 1:

Made a sriyantra based on chakra colors. Red to golden yellow in this session.

Day 2.

Made a sriyantra in colors recommended on the internet. With colour pencils. It took less then half an hour. This is given at the start of the blog.

Day 3:

i created in the sriyantra in a family of red colours.

While doing the painting, i was guided by the process given above for each layer.

Then I meditated on the yantra at night before going the sleep.

This is one of best relaxing sleeps ever. I have woken up fresh now.

Sriyantra is the geometrical representation of AUM. Which is close to my heart.

I am feeling so relaxed and at peace internally now, as if i have connected with the divine.

Day 4:

Tonight, i first outlined the yantra using shades of blue from outside to inside. Then Instead of filing colours from outside in, i colored from inside out. Centre triangle first. As i did this, i was fully engrossed in the reverse flow of affirmations. Starting with i am. This is the sequence of creation. From subtle to gross.

There is a technique in yoga, called animish yoga, where your look at at object, with half eyes closed, without blinking. I used this technique on the Sri yantra. The form of the yantra took a 3d shape in it's own... May be i need a larger sriyantra right in front of me for the next meditation...

Day 5:

Today the painting took an unusually long time, as rhe colours were vivid and many.

There was a marked decrease in pulse rate, a sign of relaxation, as the painting progressed.

Colour theme was the same as day 2. But instead of pencil, ink was used.

Slowly, with each day, I am getting into a, deep meditative state easily as i repeat the affirmations while painting each layer.

Day 6

Today, painted with metallic colours, but kept the triangles and the petals white, filling the other parts of the Sri yantra. This is like doing a reverse painting...

Day 7.

Today's sriyantra is made in metallic colours. Copper and gold only. Another intuition to use only these colours today... And what luck, the gold colour for over as soon as I finished the third layer!