In Kasi (Varanasi) there is a Gurukula where students discuss and do some research about different practices and beliefs. One day, the guru (teacher), Vishnu Sharma took students for an outing across the city of Kasi and visiting the temples explaining the importance of each. After performing rituals at the temple of Sri Chakreswara (a very less known one) and a student asked guru of the reason behind having the Sri Chakram (the Yantra/tool that we are talking about now) on the Shivling.
Then the guru started explaining the history of the temple and the reason why the Shivling is manifested (prathishta in Sanskrit) in that fashion. It goes like this...
Once upon a time, Bhaskararaya was writing reinterpretation on the Lalita Sahasranaamam (a tribute to the mother Goddess by Adi Shakaracharya in Sanskrit) in Kasi while the other saints/teachers along with their students visited him. They paid homage to the Bhaskararaya and sat down to have a discussion on the reinterpretation he is doing. A name "Mahācātuśāṣṭikōṭi yōgini gānasēvita" which is among the other 1000 names given is explained as the mother goddess being served by 64 crore gods. One of the disciple of Swamy Kumkumaananda asked Bhaskararaya that what are the names of those 64 crore gods, what weapons they hold, what are their vehicles etc., to which Bhaskararaya replied by asking them to come to the shore of Ganga River after performing Sandhya Vandanam. As discussed all the students of Swamy Kumkumananda assembled at the banks of Ganga to hear from Bhaskararaya and what happened next is something very strange and all the students were very exited. What they see is Bhaskararaya sat in meditation posture and determined by praying to the Lalithambika. The students hear 64 crores voices telling their names, weapons they hold, vehicles they use etc., and were stunned not understanding what is happening and how Bhaskararaya is doing it. When the students asked the same to their guru Swamy Kumkumananda, he asked them to wash their eyes with the water he gave and go and see again. They saw all the 64 crore gods spread over the Ganga and reciting their name, weapons etc., and Lalitambika standing on the shoulder of Bhaskararaya. Overwhelmed, Bhaskararaya manifested the Shivling with Sri Chakram over it which is now called Sri Chakreswaralayam.
Knowing the history of the temple students were overjoyed and by evening they started back to Gurukula along with Vishnu Sharma. During their evening classes in Gurukula one of the student asked Vishnu Sharma on why a Sri Chakram is drawn when the commentator has visioned the appearance of Lalithambika from the Lalita Sahasranaamam. Vishnu Sharma further continues to elaborate how the Mantra gets manifests into Yantram and Yantram to a Vigraham (Idol of Goddess).
Vishnu Sharma explains...
The Mantra when pronounced properly will have accurate and wonderful effects. Each name in the Sahasranaamam takes a shape of a god/goddess. The sound that comes out will have some wave length, produces some heat in the air and depending on the pitch, sentence that is pronounced will give it a shape. In scientific terms Tonoscopy, the process of capturing the sound to visually represented form by using the tonoscope. In Canada a researcher Harischandra Mukherjee, did some research on Lalita Sahasranaamam using tonoscope and found some impeccable observations. The Lalita Sahasranaamam when recited with perfect pronunciation will form Sri Chakram and is recorded in the tonoscope. Here Mantra gets manifested into Yantram (tool).
Further continuing this research, taking an Apple as example as how that shape is formed with all its molecules and micro particles. Considering this Sri Chakram as the micro particle and further aligning it, this took a form of Sri Lalithambika. Here the Yantram (tool) gets manifested into Vigraham (Idol/Image).
Then the guru started explaining the history of the temple and the reason why the Shivling is manifested (prathishta in Sanskrit) in that fashion. It goes like this...
Once upon a time, Bhaskararaya was writing reinterpretation on the Lalita Sahasranaamam (a tribute to the mother Goddess by Adi Shakaracharya in Sanskrit) in Kasi while the other saints/teachers along with their students visited him. They paid homage to the Bhaskararaya and sat down to have a discussion on the reinterpretation he is doing. A name "Mahācātuśāṣṭikōṭi yōgini gānasēvita" which is among the other 1000 names given is explained as the mother goddess being served by 64 crore gods. One of the disciple of Swamy Kumkumaananda asked Bhaskararaya that what are the names of those 64 crore gods, what weapons they hold, what are their vehicles etc., to which Bhaskararaya replied by asking them to come to the shore of Ganga River after performing Sandhya Vandanam. As discussed all the students of Swamy Kumkumananda assembled at the banks of Ganga to hear from Bhaskararaya and what happened next is something very strange and all the students were very exited. What they see is Bhaskararaya sat in meditation posture and determined by praying to the Lalithambika. The students hear 64 crores voices telling their names, weapons they hold, vehicles they use etc., and were stunned not understanding what is happening and how Bhaskararaya is doing it. When the students asked the same to their guru Swamy Kumkumananda, he asked them to wash their eyes with the water he gave and go and see again. They saw all the 64 crore gods spread over the Ganga and reciting their name, weapons etc., and Lalitambika standing on the shoulder of Bhaskararaya. Overwhelmed, Bhaskararaya manifested the Shivling with Sri Chakram over it which is now called Sri Chakreswaralayam.
Knowing the history of the temple students were overjoyed and by evening they started back to Gurukula along with Vishnu Sharma. During their evening classes in Gurukula one of the student asked Vishnu Sharma on why a Sri Chakram is drawn when the commentator has visioned the appearance of Lalithambika from the Lalita Sahasranaamam. Vishnu Sharma further continues to elaborate how the Mantra gets manifests into Yantram and Yantram to a Vigraham (Idol of Goddess).
Vishnu Sharma explains...
The Mantra when pronounced properly will have accurate and wonderful effects. Each name in the Sahasranaamam takes a shape of a god/goddess. The sound that comes out will have some wave length, produces some heat in the air and depending on the pitch, sentence that is pronounced will give it a shape. In scientific terms Tonoscopy, the process of capturing the sound to visually represented form by using the tonoscope. In Canada a researcher Harischandra Mukherjee, did some research on Lalita Sahasranaamam using tonoscope and found some impeccable observations. The Lalita Sahasranaamam when recited with perfect pronunciation will form Sri Chakram and is recorded in the tonoscope. Here Mantra gets manifested into Yantram (tool).
Further continuing this research, taking an Apple as example as how that shape is formed with all its molecules and micro particles. Considering this Sri Chakram as the micro particle and further aligning it, this took a form of Sri Lalithambika. Here the Yantram (tool) gets manifested into Vigraham (Idol/Image).
This explanation from Vishnu Sharma gave an idea to the students about why Bhaskararaya manifested the Shivling here with Sri Chakram on it. This is the reason it is very important to recite the mantras with perfect pronunciation and keeping mind and heart pure.
Random Tonoscope experiments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zw0uWCNsyw
Courtesy:
Sri Chaganti Koteswara Rao garu
Sri Saamavedam Shanmuka Sharma garu
