Are there Mandalas in Trika Shaivism (like in Tantra Buddhism)?

Question

For example, Lord NilaLohita is surrounded by different forms of Rudra like Bhava, Sarva, Pashupati, Rudra, Mahadeva, and Ishana in different directions in Atharvaveda Vratya Sukta (chapter 15).

Are Mandalas also used in Trika Shaivism?

Answer 1

Yes, Mandalas are very essential components of Trika Shaivism. In many rituals, deities are worshipped inside Mandala form. Sri Abhinavagupta frequently discusses the use of Mandalas to perform various rituals in Tantraloka and Tantrasara. For example, in chapter 14 of Tantrasara, he discusses forming a Mandala in the form of Tridents and invoking deities in that Mandala.

अथ पुत्रकदीक्षाविधिः। स च विस्तीर्ण: तन्त्रालोकात् अवधार्य:। संक्षिप्तस्तु उच्यते। समय्यन्तं विधिं कृत्वा तृतीयेऽह्रि त्रिशुलाब्जे मण्डले सामुदायिकं यागं पूजयेत्, तत्र बाह्यपरिवारं द्वारदेवताचक्रं च बहिः पूजयेत्, ततो मण्डलपूर्वभागे ऐशकोणात् आरभ्य आग्नेयान्तं पङ्क्तिक्रमेण गणपतिं गुरुं परमगुरुं परमेष्ठिनं पूर्वाचार्यान् योगिनीचक्रं वागीश्वरीं क्षेत्रपालं च पूजयेत्। तत आज्ञां समुचिताम् आदाय शूलमूलात् प्रभृति सितकमलान्तं समस्तम् अध्वानं न्यस्य अर्चयेत्, ततो मध्यमे त्रिशूले मध्यारायां भगवती श्रीपराभट्टारिका भैरवनाथेन सह, वामरायां तथैव श्रीमदपरा, दक्षिणारायां श्रीपरापरा, दक्षिणे त्रिशुले मध्ये श्रीपरापरा, वामे त्रिशुले मध्ये श्रीमदपरा, द्वे तु यथास्वम्। एवं सर्वस्थानाधिष्ठातृत्वे भगवत्या: सर्वं पूर्णं तदधिष्ठानात् भवति इति। ततो मध्यशूलमध्यारायां समस्तं देवताचक्रं लोकपालास्त्रपर्यन्तम् अभिन्नतयैव पूजयेत् तदधिष्ठानात् सर्वत्र पूजितम्। (Tantrasara chapter 14)

Now, the procedure of Putraka and other types of initiations will be elaborated. This is an elaborate procedure, and it should properly understood by studying the Tantraloka; however, it will also be explained here. After completion of the procedure for attaining the status of samayin, one should perform rituals on the third day for all the deities in the mandala, consisting of the trident and the lotus. There, the external family (parivara) of the deities and the group of deities of the doors should be worshipped outside. Then, to the east of the sacred diagram (mandala), beginning from the northeast to the southeastern part of the mandala one should worship Ganesha, Guru, Paramaguru, the great-grand-teacher, the perfected teachers of the past (Purvacharya), the host of Yoginis, the Goddess of Speech (Vagiswari), and the guardian of the field (Kshetrapala), in linear order. After receiving the proper permission from them, he should place the entire sixfold path there, beginning from the root of the trident to the end of white lotus, and should then worship them. After this, in the middle trident on the middle prong, he should worship the venerable Goddess Sriparabhattarika together with Lord Bhairava. On the left prong venerable Srimadapara and on the right prong venerable Sriparapara, together with Bhairava, should be worshipped. On the right trident, occupying the middle prong is goddess Sriparapara, and on the left trident the goddess Srimadapara occupies the middle prong, and the other deities are to be placed accordingly. Thus, as the supreme Goddess is predominant over all, everything attains fullness because of that superiority. Then, in the middle prong of the middle trident, the entire group of deities (Devata chakra), ending with their weapons (astra), the guardians of the quarters (Lokapalas), should be worshipped, conceiving them as being identical with the supreme Goddess.

Above ritual describes worshipping of deities in a Mandala and there are many other types of Mandalas too.