Yantra: Yogic Numerology

Yantra (yogic numerology) is the arcane science of Number, Name and Form ...

As a subset of Jyotish (Vedic Astrology), the science of yantra interprets the inherent mathematical/numeric structures that are the fundamental organization of the Universe - those forms, structures and relationships which also lie deep within the collective unconscious of man.

The “science of being hidden behind form”, yantra provides a method by which to know one’s self better, to understand one’s purpose in life, and to learn to live “in tune” with the cycles of nature, rather than “out of tune” with them.

The Power of Numbers

It is no coincidence that many famous philosophers like Pythagoras, Aristotle and Rene Descartes were also mathematicians. Numbers are a doorway to the mysterious - a means to penetrate beyond the physical into the metaphysical. 

This is the secret knowledge of the originators of Vedic Mathematics who encoded secret meaning into elements of the spiritual life, much of which can still be seen today within the structure of day to day life in India.

The yogic numerology of yantra recognizes that each number has a special quality to it and is not simply a measure of quantity.

This esoteric science is a sophisticated meditation upon numbers that should not to be confused with the popular “numerology” of the West. 

Numbers are archetypical; they exude their own power, energy and influence. They are outward manifestations of deep, mystical patterns, which are the underlying order of the Universe.

Yantra Yoga – the Yoga of Self-discovery.

The famous Bengali Tantric, Swami Kanakananda, taught that through geometrical form (yantra) one could pierce the veils that obscure reality. Yantra systematically analyses the manifest world of number, name and form, and explores their hidden relationships. it is a spiritual exploration through mathematics, or a revelation of the sacred numerology that underlies all that is and ever will be.

Yantra is an esoteric analysis of one’s self and of life. The influence of numerical coding embedded within us as a result of our time of birth, carries keys to understanding our individual dharma (life purpose), and our cyclic karmic flows. 

This yogic numerology provides a guide to navigate through the ebbs and flows, and ever-changing phases of life, helping one to maintain a clearer path to more fruitful destinations.

There are three main divisions in the yogic numerology of yantra: Dharma Marga (life path), Karma Yuga (personal bio-rhythms), and Nama Darshana (name analysis)

Dharma Marga

We all came into this world after countless lives lived in different cultures and previous ages. This is a fundamental belief in yoga and Eastern culture. Throughout this odyssey of the jiva (individual soul), a unique body of immeasurable experiences has accumulated within each of us, which has led us individually to our own current state of (spiritual) evolution.

Dharma Marga or “Birth path” reveals this psychic and spiritual inheritance of ours. Through understanding this personal “legacy”, we can progress more consciously in this lifetime, and continue to evolve spiritually.

Dharma Marga uncovers the “True Self”, the Self behind the attitudes, perceptions and beliefs conditioned in the subconscious as a result of the current culture, society and circumstances of one’s life.

Dharma Marga reveals one’s inherent strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies, as well as the changing influences throughout the different stages in life (ashramas), knowledge of which allows one to forge an evolutionary path and to find fulfilment and lasting happiness in life. As Abraham Maslow said:

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be.”

Dharma Marga helps us to discover what we “can” and “must be!”

Karma Yuga (Personal Biorhythm)

Cycles are the inherent characteristic throughout Nature and are ever-present in all aspects of human activity. By understanding these cycles we may go with the flow of nature rather than against the currents, thus fulfilling ourselves in a positive, logical way rather than in a haphazard, unpredictable manner.

In the yogic numerology of yantra, this cyclic progression of time is known as the Karma Yuga, and by understanding the various stages that we are constantly passing through, we gain immense power to influence the manifestation of our goals and efforts in life.

Nama Darshana

A name is the most powerful mantra that contributes to shaping one's life. The Sanskrit term “naama” (or name) means “essence”, and it is in this very fact that the power of a name is apparent. Even in modern times, the psychology around a name is now recognized, and various theories and approaches have developed around the central notion that a name strongly affects how people act and react.

Not only does the utterance of a name elicit deeply seeded psychological responses, it also educes subtle “qualities” that are characteristic of that name’s “essence”. Nama Darshana deduces the qualities inherent in a name.

Be it one’s own name, the name of one’s business, or any other use of a name, this analysis helps one to recognize whether or not a name is “in tune” or “out of tune”; that is, whether one’s name is in tune with their Dharma Marga, or even whether a business’s name supports or hinders the goals of that business (i.e., financial profit, charity, political objectives, etc.). Sometimes something so simple as a poorly chosen name can provide a large obstacle toward fulfillment of potential.