The straight line is composed of an unbroken series of points. These points, moving independently, give length (without breadth) to it. The straight line thus signifies growth and development, and like time, consists of an infinite number of discreet points.

The triangle is the archetype symbol of a sacred enclosure, since space cannot be bounded by fewer than three lines. The triangle is thus conceived as the first closed figure to emerge when creation emerged from chaos. In this aspect it is known as the root of all manifested nature. The rhythm of creation is crystallized in this primal form.
Tantra calls the triangle the cone of fire, a reference to its shape. This is the fire of aspiration which is ever burning in the heart of the spiritual seeker.
The threefold structure of the triangle is interpreted over multiple levels. Some of these visualizations are:
1). Creation, Preservation, and Destruction, i.e. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
2). The three tendencies: the neutral, the positive and the negative - Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas.
3). The three Vedas: Rig, Yaju, and Sam.
4). Past, Present, and Future.
5). The three seasons: Spring, Summer, and Winter.
6). The three main pilgrimages: Prayag, Gaya, and Kashi.

When used in a yantra, a triangle is either inverted or upright. The inverted triangle is a symbol of feminine power, the creative essence of the universe, also known as Shakti. It is the dynamism of this Shakti that gives rise to the creative impulse in nature. This inverted triangle is generally the first enclosure surrounding the infinitesimal nucleus of most yantras.
The triangle pointing upwards is symbolic of the male principle (Purusha). When the two triangles penetrate each other forming a hexagon, it symbolizes the fusion of polarities, the union of Shiva and Shakti, male and female. This union is the cause of the manifested universe.
When the triangles part at the apex, time and space cease to exist, and all creative activity comes to a standstill. This is shown in the hourglass shape, which is the shape of the Damaru, the drum of Shiva, from which all rhythms of manifestation are said to have emerged. Here it is interesting to note that Panini's treatise on the grammar of Sanskrit, the world's most ancient grammar, states that the Sanskrit language too has proceeded from the rhythms of Shiva's drum.
[ next ] The Circle and Square