TIWARI’S METHOD OF DRAWING SRI YANTRA For 100% Accuracy of Construction - Sudarshan Raj Tiwari [Ritual specification of the composition of nine intersecting triangles central to the diagram Sri Yantra requires that the triangles be laid out such as to make twenty-four triple intersections. ‘The deceptively simple geometry demands impossibly huge number of mathematical iterations when logie of modern mathematics is applied to ‘solve it’. Geometrically accurate traditional drawing of Sri Yantra is not available. Instructions noted in ancient commentaries are also only approximate and do not give accurate results - the instructions appear even cryptic and coded. In recent times, renewed interest in the diagram as an object of meditation has led to fesh research on it seeking ‘similar looking alternative constructs’ hased. ‘on comparative analysis of sacred geometry of the east and the west. Yet accurate construction of Sri Yantra has remained elusive. ‘This paper presents a restatement of the traditional instructions on drawing the Sri Yantra by removing erroneous lacuna introduced with later interpretive teatises — Sri Yantra constructed using these instructions and drawing methods are 100% accurate and true. The magic of the diagram is accurate representation of time and space universe through the geometry of triangles | Sri Yantra is the most exalted Tantric diagram and represents Goddess Sri or Tripurasundari, the Goddess of Universe. In the center of Sri Yantra is a composition of nine interpenetrating triangles; four Siva triangles (with apices up) and five Shakti triangles (with apices down). According to Saundaryalahari the house results when the triangles-composition is bounded by four outer circuits ~ eight-petal lotus, sixteen-petal lotus, three rings and three lines: rt'le{Z>Ls07}M Izjo'jItieM k~rle@Ik k\lelfleM zDef]g{jle/kk d"nk\s[ItleM . rt ZrTjfl/+z8; bnsnf>Iqjno— Ig/lvfleM ;fw+{ tj z/0fSf]OFM KI/OfttM .. (¢ Saindaryalahart.x from Laxmidhara’s commentary) Figure 1: Sri Yantra ‘Tiwari’s Method for Drawing Sri Yantra: Instructions available for drawing Sri Chakra from classical sources are incomplete and approximate only and, therefore, mathematically accurate measures and proportions will need to be established from consideration of its objectives and philosophies. Study of relevant traditional mathematical literature on space and time, the twin representational characteristic of universe, shows that chords and perpendiculars (kojya and jya) were used to simplify angular computations in spherical trigonometry as a circle is essentially a mesh of chords and perpendiculars. Given this, specification of angular measures as perpendiculars and chords line segments with the level of accuracy determined by the assumption that the are of 225 minutes angle looks straight. My trials show that Sriyantra seeks to represent space and time to thelevel of accuracy that took 100 minutes segments as straight and showed that the ‘error’ in time measure that results from this level of accuracy is to the tune of 5.25875 days for the 360 days year. This was magical because they had calculated that the actual length of solar year was indeed 365.25875. It must have been for such reasons that the basic triangles in Sriyantra is constructed using radial lines at angles 100 minutes apart and well related to the Solar mansions of the rasi and the Lunar mansions of the naxyatra: 15° or 900 minutes (1/2 of rasi), 30/3 or 1000 minutes (5/9 of rasi and 5/4 of naxyatra) Since there can be no doubt that angular specifications are more true as angles themselves, if the angles so specified could be drawn, then there should be no error in the diagram at all as this will nullify any error that could creep in with the change into parameters that can only be approximate, Therefore, the method proposed here specifies angles to draw the various chords required for the nine triangles and the accuracy of the diagram is directly linked to the accuracy of drawing of the specified angles only. Instructions for drawing Sri Yantra: [lengths are stated correct to fourth decimal place.] 1. Draw the brahmasutra and divide it into 72 parts by halving and tisecting as required. Draw a 3-4-5 right 1 triangle with its vertex at the center point, perpendicular as 36 and base 27. Draw the reference circle of diameter 45 i through half-way point on the hypotenuse. Similarly draw the circle with diameter 54 units Locate the point 7 intersection of the horizontal through the top extremity of the diameter ofthe citcle with radius 22.5 units (H) and the fever perpendicular on F of the circle of radius 27 units and draw circle through it and with its center at O. The radius ‘would measure 35.1461 Figure 2: Drawing 50° angle at the Center 2. Trisect the line segment 36 of one unit length and draw three squares (chaturasra traya) of sides 36, 35.6667 and 35.3333 units as Siva Chakra 4, 3. Draw the circle of radius 35 units. Trisect the space between the two circles of radii 35 and 35.1461 and make two additional circles with Y the centers at O and the radii through the new trisected points. These will have radii of 35,0974 and 35.0487, 4. Locate the intersection (X) of circle of radius 35 with the perpendicular on F. Join it to the center of the cirele to construct an angle of 50° (49.9948 atthe center 5. Draw a circle tough the intersection of etele of radius 35 0487 and the horizontal through Hand with its center at H. This will intersect the reference cirele at Cx and an angle of 16,6637° will be formed at the center, 6. Rub off the circle of radius 35.1461. Retain the three circles (brinatraya) of radii 35, 35.0487, and 35.0974 as Siva Chakra 3.Figure 3: Drawing 16.66" angle at the Center 7. Between the circles of radius 22.5 and 27 draw eight petals of a lotus symmetrically on cardinal and ‘comer axes. This will be astadalapadma Siva Chakra 2 8. Between circles of radius 27 and (22.52) or 31.8198 draw sixteen petals of a lotus symmetrically on cardinal, corner and intermediate axes. This will be sodasadalapadma Siva Chakra | ‘That the very fine proportions and measure specified for drawing the circles and squares making the two outermost Siva-chakra provide for a straight edge and compass method of drawing the angles 16.66" and 50° actually provides a method of trisecting 50” (as shown in Fig. 9 and 10 above) required to measure time according to naxyatra. It will be seen from the following steps of drawing that these angles are also needed to be drawn to properly draw Sri Yantra. We can also see that the diameters of the two circles making the two inner Siva circuits (that carry the eight and sixteen petal lotus patterns as symbolic seat for the Shakti-chakra) display a relationship similar to the measures of Sarsen Circle and Aubrey Circle of Stonehenge. This 0 indicates how such proportions and angles are crucial in accurate reading of solar and lunar time or the relative movement of Sun and Moon. It may also be noted here that the rays of the rising sun also make a 50° angle on June 22 underscoring the importance of this angularity in relating movement of Sun and earth. (for Stonehenge see, Fonseca 1995)’ Figure 4: Drawing the first set of Triangles Drawing of these four Siva circuits thus give us lines which subtend angles 50° and 1/3" of 50° (= 16.66°) at the centre. The method of drawing the 1/3” of 50° can be used to draw angles measuring 13.33° and 136.66" also. Whereas all these angles will be used to represent the universe in the night sky mode (the upper part of the Shakti-chakra portion of the diagram) with appropriate details of Naxyatra positions, the lower part of the diagram will represent the same in the day sky mode with the appropriate details of position of Sun. In angular sense, if Naxyatra are related through 50° and its 1/3, Sun is related through 45° and its 1/3", Thus a mathematical “ahoratra’ dial is indicated through asymmetry and non-congruence of triangles thus incorporated, The angles 45” and 50° (which also measures 40°) also enable construction of the angular difference between the plane of the orbit of the moon and the ecliptic (measured in modern days as 5°09°) critical in predicting eclipses! 1. Draw radial lines at angles -15° and 50/3 and let them intersect the reference circle at E and C respectively. Draw horizontals through these points and make the triangles ABC (Al) and DEF (A2) with apices at the opposite end of the vertical diameter of the reference circle Figure 5: Drawing the Next Two Triangles using 40° and S0° angles,2. Draw a radial line at an angle of 45" and locate its point of intersection on base DE of triangle DEF, Draw a ine through this point and the centre (I) of the base BC of triangle ABC. Let this intersect BA at G. Draw another line through the point and the intersection of lines BC and DF and let this intersect AF at H. 3. Draw a radial line at an angle of 50° and locate the point of intersection on the cireumference Xx. Draw a ‘chord through it and locate the point Jon the brahmastara, the vertical axial lin. 4 Draw the triangle (A3) with apes at I, side joining I and G and the base through H. 5. Draw the triangle with apex at J, side through J and the outer triple intersection point on DE and base on the horizontal through G (A4), ‘The four triangles are thus drawn, Sides of the fifth triangle (AS) are also defined by lines joining H and outer triple intersection point on BC. 6 Draw radial lines at an angle of -13.33° and 136.66", 7. Mark the intersection of the 136.66" line with the circumference as Yy. Join Yy with the centre point of chord DE. Identify the intersection of this line with the radial ray of angle -13.33° and draw a horizontal through this point. This line forms the base of the ninth triangle (A9) with its apex pointing down and its apex is located in the middle of chord DE. 8. Identify the point of intersection between the base of the ninth triangle and the side of the triangle with apex at I and its base a horizontal through H. Draw a line through this point and the inner triple intersection point on chord BC and i identify the point of intersection with the drahmasuera axial diameter With this point as apex and the line as its side, ‘complete the triangle (A6) with its base line through J Figure 6: Drawing the last triangles using 13.33" and 136.66" angles 9. Draw a horizontal through the point of intersection of the sides of the triangle DFE (A2) and the sides of | the triangle with its base drawn through J (A6). Complete the fifth trianale with ts apex at H (AS). 10, With a horizontal through the apex of the triangle that has its base through J (A6), draw the base for the next triangle. Iis apex is given by the intersection of the base ofthe triangle (AS completed in step 9 above), ‘This is A7. 11. The last triangle (A8) is drawn with base horizontal joining the intersections of sides of A6 and A7 and its apex at the center of the base AM. All the triangles that make the five Shakti-chakras and the four Siva-chakras are thus drawn, There will be no error at any triple intersection. All the angles proposed are also critical in depicting time and its renewal cycles and their asymmetry energise the diagram. The diagram assumes truly the form of universe defined by time and seasonality as per ganitajyotish and is a true mathematical icon of the object itis,* Other descriptions of Sriyantra omit the three rings and the thre lines as circuits and stil others have variations inthe way the rings or lines are laid out - reflecting loss of meaning of these circuits over time. The loss also caused the eclipse of basic clues to drawing a correct Sri Yantra apparently hidden there Fonseca R, Stonehenge: Aspects of Ad Quadratum Geometry, Journal of Architecture and Planning Research 12:4 (Winter, 1995) pp. 357-368.