Hinduism Mandala

mandala of vishnu


religious meaning

a yantra two- or three-dimensional geometric composition used in sadhanas, puja or meditative rituals. considered represent abode of deity. each yantra unique , calls deity presence of practitioner through elaborate symbolic geometric designs. according 1 scholar, yantras function revelatory symbols of cosmic truths , instructional charts of spiritual aspect of human experience

many situate yantras central focus points hindu tantric practice. yantras not representations, lived, experiential, nondual realities. khanna describes:

despite cosmic meanings yantra reality lived. because of relationship exists in tantras between outer world (the macrocosm) , man s inner world (the microcosm), every symbol in yantra ambivalently resonant in inner–outer synthesis, , associated subtle body , aspects of human consciousness.

political meaning

the rajamandala (or raja-mandala; circle of states) formulated indian author kautilya in work on politics, arthashastra (written between 4th century bce , 2nd century bce). describes circles of friendly , enemy states surrounding king s state.

in historical, social , political sense, term mandala employed denote traditional southeast asian political formations (such federation of kingdoms or vassalized states). adopted 20th century western historians ancient indian political discourse means of avoiding term state in conventional sense. not did southeast asian polities not conform chinese , european views of territorially defined state fixed borders , bureaucratic apparatus, diverged considerably in opposite direction: polity defined centre rather boundaries, , composed of numerous other tributary polities without undergoing administrative integration. empires such bagan, ayutthaya, champa, khmer, srivijaya , majapahit known mandala in sense.