Trinisinghe manuscript
The Trinisinghe is an important Thai manuscript in the category of esoteric sciences. It belongs to the group of the five major lob phong manuscripts. The Trinisinghe manuscript is significant for providing the foundational knowledge required to understand number diagrams and calculations in the yantra system. It also explains the origins of certain numbers and symbols that appear in yantras.
The Trinisinghe manuscript consists of five key components: an homage to the teachers, the composition of the attharathasamongkhon, the origins of this numerical system, methods of multiplication and division of the auspicious numbers, and instructions on how to use the Trinisinghe powders and related yantras.
Compared with other lob phong manuscripts, original copies of Trinisinghe are relatively rare. In the National Library of Thailand, only nine manuscripts have been identified, with four of them representing distinct textual traditions, thus forming four versions.
Role
The Trinisinghe manuscript has played an important role in Thai society from the past to the present, being a repository of ancient knowledge in multiple fields, including mathematics, astrology and astronomy, medicine, and military strategy.In ancient mathematics, it describes the use of constant values in constructing numerical yantras, along with division methods resembling base-number calculations. In basic astrology, it outlines numbers representing celestial bodies and their corresponding powers. The Trinisinghe yantra tables are also developed from horoscope diagrams based on the movement of the sun along the ecliptic.
In the domain of esotericism, it is connected with the inscription of yantras, magical incantations, and the creation of protective amulets. Examples of its practical use include house construction, the installation of spirit shrines, and even integration with traditional medical manuscripts for healing practices.
Among the general public, the manuscript is best known in the form of the Trinisinghe Yantra. This yantra appears as two overlapping squares, divided into a 12-cell grid. Each cell contains one number, while the four central cells all contain the number 5. The widely circulated form of the yantra today is standardized, but historically it could be drawn in multiple variations.