Shri Krishna (Gopal) Yantra

Krishna ji

About

The Shri Krishna Yantra, also called the Gopal Yantra, is the yantra of Bhagwan Krishna as Gopal, the cowherd of Vrindavan. It is built around his eighteen-syllable mantra, क्लीं कृष्णाय गोविन्दाय गोपीजनवल्लभाय स्वाहा, which calls him Krishna, Govind and the beloved of the gopis. A six-pointed star sits inside a circle, eight lotus petals open around it, and a square frame with four gates holds the whole figure. The Narada Purana describes this same plan of star, lotus and square for the worship of this mantra. Devotees keep it in the puja place as an aid to remembering Krishna with love.

Parts of the yantra

Bhupura: the outer square of three lines with a gate on each side. Eight petals: a lotus around the circle, with one petal pointing straight up. Circle: the centre of the lotus (karnika). Shatkona: two crossing triangles forming a six-pointed star whose six points touch the circle; in the Narada Purana the beej क्लीं is written in the middle of this star, with the other seventeen syllables of the mantra around it. Centre: the full mantra in four lines — क्लीं कृष्णाय / गोविन्दाय / गोपीजनवल्लभाय / स्वाहा. Its sense is: 'To Krishna, to Govind, to the beloved of the gopis — this is my offering.'

How to use it

Keep the yantra upright, with one star point and one petal at the top, on a clean cloth in the puja place, beside your Krishna or Laddu Gopal murti if you have one. Light a diya and offer a tulsi leaf, a flower and a little makhan-mishri. Sit facing it, rest your gaze on the centre and let it move slowly over the star, the petals and the gates. Recite कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने। प्रणतक्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः॥ 11 times, or chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra on a mala. In many Vaishnav traditions the eighteen-syllable mantra is given by a guru at diksha, so read it here as part of the yantra rather than as a japa.

कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने। प्रणतक्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः॥

Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane →

The metal-plate version adds eight small petals between the big ones, a second circle around the lotus, and a plain bindu in place of the mantra. The printed drawing also numbers the six star points 1 to 6 as a guide for puja. Hari Bhakti Vilasa also speaks of three circles and sixteen filaments in the lotus. This drawing keeps the parts both versions share, with the mantra at the centre.