| Main Entry: | yantra |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a geometric diagram used in meditation and tantric worship; also, any object used in this way |
| Etymology: | 1877; Sanskrit 'device for holding' |
yantra
in Tantric Hinduism and Vajrayana, or Tantric Buddhism, a linear diagram used as a support for ritual. In its more elaborate and pictorial form it is called a mandala. Yantras range from those traced on the ground or on paper and disposed of after the rite, to those etched in stone and metal, such as are found in temples.
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