ग्रहयन्त्रम्The yantra of the planets
Verse 77
नवग्रहाणां वर्णेन नवकोणानि पूरयेत् । मध्यत्रिकोणद्वौ पार्श्वौ सव्यदक्षिणभेदतः ॥ ७७ ॥
navagrahāṇāṁ varṇēna navakōṇāni pūrayēt | madhyatrikōṇadvau pārśvau savyadakṣiṇabhēdataḥ || 77 ||
Translation
He should fill the nine angles with the colours of the nine planets. The two sides of the middle triangle, as left and right,
Word by word
- nava
- of the nine
- grahāṇāṁ
- planets
- varṇēna
- with the colours
- kōṇāni
- angles
- pūrayēt
- he should fill
- madhya
- of the middle
- trikōṇa
- triangle
- dvau
- the two
- pārśvau
- sides
- savya
- left
- dakṣiṇa
- and right
- bhēdataḥ
- (bhedataḥ) as
Meaning
The three interlaced triangles form nine angles, one for each planet. The commentary reads verses 77-78 together: the left and right sides of the central triangle are white and yellow, its back black ("other than white"), and the eight petals take the colours of the eight guardians of the directions.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Navagrahāṇām" and the rest. Then he should fill the nine corners with powders marked by the colours of the nine planets, the Sun and the rest. Then the two sides of the middle triangle, as left and right, are to be made white and yellow in turn. The back part of the middle triangle is to be made other than white (sitetara), that is, of black colour. Then he should fill the eight petals (parṇa, patra) with powders marked by the colours of the eight guardians of the directions, Indra and the rest.