Q: Guruji, what is the relation between Mantra and Yantra?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: One is mantra is for one yantra. Mantra means word, yantra means picture. Mantra has a sound and yantra has a form.
Sometimes, a yantra, which means a diagram, would be put in temples.If you open a radio, there is a chip with some design on it; even your cell phone has a chip. The chip has a little design that you and me cannot understand. However, when you put the chip, only that number comes on your cell phone. Similarly, these yantras were the universal energy’s diagrams, the cosmic energy’s diagrams. There are many yantras; one of them is the Star of David, which is used in the Jewish tradition. These yantras are charged and put (in temples), and the statues are placed on top of these yantras. The statue is not important, but this yantra, this diagram underneath is most important.
There is mantra (chant), yantra (diagram) and tantra (technique). Tantra is the technique, i.e., how to energize the yantra, the diagram; the technique to do that is tantra. This is why we have yagnas (one of the techniques used to bring down the cosmic energy through the five elements). One has to know how many herbs have to be taken, how they should be taken, how to do the chanting.
In a yagna, the energy is brought down from the space element through chanting, to the air element; then to the fire element; then from fire to water, and from water to the yantra, the diagram (the earth element). So, in yagnas, this energy is being brought down from the subtle to the gross; this is the whole technique.