Home › Glossary › Letter Y

Yantra

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A geometric diagram used in Hindu and tantric rituals as a visual representation of divine energy and cosmic order.

Detailed Definition
Yantras are meditative tools composed of interlocking triangles, circles, and lotuses, symbolizing the union of masculine and feminine divine principles. The Sri Yantra, for example, represents the goddess Tripura Sundari and the unfolding of creation. In poetry, yantras appear as metaphors for inner harmony, spiritual architecture, and the mapping of consciousness. Though less common than mantra in verse, their geometric precision inspires poets to reflect on symmetry, sacred space, and the visual dimension of devotion. They symbolize the cosmos in miniature and the mind’s capacity to hold the infinite.
Example
Example in poetry:
A meditation poem describes "tracing the yantra's geometric petals, spiraling toward the bindu center"; Poets explore sacred art through "the Sri Yantra, nine interlocking triangles mapping the cosmos"; In contemplative verse, "I gaze at the yantra until boundaries dissolve, pattern becomes portal"; Contemporary spiritual poetry uses "the yantra as mandala, visual mantra for focusing scattered mind"; A poet reflecting on practice writes "drawing the yantra daily, my hand learns the shape of devotion"; Tantric-inspired poetry depicts "within the yantra's angles she found the goddess encoded"
Additional Notes
A Yantra is a mystical diagram used in Hindu and Buddhist Tantra as a tool for meditation and ritual. It is a geometric representation of the cosmos and the deity's energy, often more abstract than a figurative image (Murti). The Sri Yantra, composed of interlocking triangles, is one of the most famous. The central point (Bindu) represents the unity of consciousness. For poets and artists, a Yantra is a visual mantra, a map of the mind and universe, and a symbol of how complex reality can be generated from and contained within simple, precise geometric forms.
Also Known As
Mystical Diagram Instrument
Skip to main content