04/08/2026
“Solos Mongkol”: The Yantra at Wat Na Phra Meru’s Ubosot and Its Hidden Dhamma Codes
(ขอขอบคุณผู้เขียน สุภาวี รักษา, นิตยสารศิลปวัฒนธรรมออนไลน์และพิพิธภัณฑ์สถานแห่งชาติพระราชวังจันทรเกษม)
Wat Na Phra Meru (Wat Na Phra Meru Rachikaram) is situated along Khlong Sa Bua on the northern side of the city moat in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. It is presumed to have been built during the Early Ayutthaya period.
According to local legend, this is the only temple left unscathed by fire during the Fall of Ayutthaya (1767). This miraculous escape is attributed to the presence of the “Solos Mongkol Yantra”—a sacred talismans engraved on a sandstone slab enshrined at the front of the main ordination hall (Ubosot).
Consequently, the Solos Mongkol Yantra gained renown for granting invulnerability and safety, warding off fire, and protecting the realm.
Beyond its miraculous reputation, the Solos Mongkol Yantra conceals "Dhamma codes"—engraving Buddhist teachings within the numbers displayed across its grid.
The book Wat Phra Meru Rachikaram, published to commemorate the temple's 513th anniversary, elaborates on the structure of the Solos Mongkol Yantra as follows:
The Solos Mongkol Yantra is a synthesis of three distinct yantras, utilizing numbers to signify various auspicious meanings:
The Innermost Layer (9 cells): Represents the Jaturo Yantra.
The Middle Layer (12 cells): Represents the Trinissinghe Yantra.
The Outermost Layer (16 cells): Represents the Solos Yantra.
This yantra serves as a symbol for 16 auspicious virtues. The numbers within the middle frame of the Trinissinghe Yantra consist of four sets of three numbers. Their design ensures that each set of three numbers sums up to 15, with the number 5—symbolizing the Five Buddhas of the present era—serving as the central core in every group. The innermost layer similarly comprises 9 numbers, matching the structural harmony of the outer layer.
Furthermore, in the book Sacred Tattoos of Siam by Sangkeet Chantana-phot, additional Buddhist meanings behind the yantra’s numbers are explained as follows:
Number 1: Represents the virtue of Nibbana (Nirvana).
Number 3: Represents the virtues of the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha).
Number 4: Represents the virtues of the Four Noble Paths and Fruits or the Four Sublime States of Mind (Brahmavihara 4).
Number 5: Represents the Five Buddhas of this Bhaddakappa (Auspicious Aeon) or the virtues of the Five Precepts.
Number 8: Represents the virtues of Kammatthana (Meditation practice).
Number 9: Represents the virtues of the Four Paths, Four Fruits, and One Nibbana (Lokuttara Dhamma 9).
Number 10: Represents the virtues of the Teachers and Masters.
Number 14: Represents the virtues of the Sangha (Monastic Order), among others.
Therefore, beyond its sacred and protective beliefs, the Solos Mongkol Yantra functions as a spiritual code—preserving and propagating Buddhist doctrines to aid in the study of Dhamma teachings.
Those interested in viewing the authentic sandstone engraving of the Solos Yantra from Wat Na Phra Meru can visit the Chantharakasem National Museum in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province.
Text: Supawee Raksa
Photo: Engraved Sandstone Slab of the Solos Mongkol Yantra (Courtesy of Chantharakasem National Museum page)
