Sri Chakra
S. Shankaranarayanan, Samata Books 2002, 122pp, p/bk, ISBN 81-85208-4902
This small volume is an exploration of the Sri Yantra of Sri Vidya. The author explores the various elements of the 'king of chakras', from the bindu, trikona, the nine arvanas and their indwelling shaktis. Granted much of this information is available elsewhere - for example in the works of Douglas Renfrew Brooks - but Shankaranarayanan brings the unique insights of a long-time devotee of Lalita and a practitioner of Sri Vidya, and provides many useful titbits for meditation and reflection, for example, his insightful observations on the Sri Chakra in its Meru-form, or the relationship between the Chakra and Mantra of Lalita.
Books dealing with the intricacies of Sri Vidya are few and far between. If you are a western practitioner of Sri Vidya, or have a general interest in the use of Yantras in South Asian magic & religiousity, this compact little book is well worth seeking out. - Phil Hine