Ashtamangala

Ashtamangala
Ashtamangala: first row (left to right): parasol, pair

of golden fish, conch; second row: treasure vase,
lotus; Last row: infinite knot, victory banner and
wheel.
The Ashtamangala is a sacred suite of
Eight Auspicious Signs endemic to a
number of religions such as Hinduism,
Jainism, and Buddhism. The symbols or
"symbolic attributes" (Tibetan: ག་
མཚན་, THL: chaktsen) are yidam and
teaching tools. Not only do these
attributes (or energetic signatures) point
to qualities of enlightened mindstream,
but they are the investiture that
ornaments these enlightened "qualities"
(Sanskrit: guṇa; Tibetan: ཡ ོན་ཏན་, THL:
yönten). Many cultural enumerations and
variations of the Ashtamangala are
extant.
Carved wooden door with 8 auspicious signs

(Ashtamangala) in Nepal
In Buddhism
Groupings of eight auspicious
symbols were originally used
in India at ceremonies such as
an investiture or coronation of
a king. An early grouping of
symbols included: throne,
swastika, handprint, hooked
knot, vase of jewels, water
libation flask, pair of fishes,
lidded bowl. In Buddhism,
these eight symbols of good
fortune represent the offerings
made by the gods to
Shakyamuni Buddha
immediately after he gained
enlightenment.[1]
Tibetan Buddhists make use of a

particular set of eight auspicious
symbols, ashtamangala, in household and
public art. Some common interpretations
are given along with each symbol
although different teachers may give
different interpretations:
Conch …
Śaṅkha
The right-turning white conch shell

(Sanskrit: śaṅkha; Tibetan: ང་དཀར་
གཡས་འ ི ལ་, THL: dungkar yénkhyil)
represents the beautiful, deep,
melodious, interpenetrating and
pervasive sound of the dharma, which
awakens disciples from the deep
slumber of ignorance and urges them to
accomplish their own welfare and the
welfare of others.
The conch shell is thought to

have been the original horn-
trumpet; ancient Indian
mythical epics relate heroes
carrying conch shells. The
Indian god Vishnu is also
described as having a conch
shell as one of his main
emblems; his shell bore the
name Panchajanya meaning
"having control over the five
classes of beings".[1]
In Hinduism, the conch is an attribute of

Vishnu along with the Sudarshana
Chakra. Vaishnavism holds that Gautama
Buddha is an avatar of Vishnu.
Endless knot …
Endless knot
The endless knot (Sanskrit: śrīvatsa;

Tibetan: དཔལ་བེ ་, THL: pelbeu)[2]
denotes "the auspicious mark
represented by a curled noose
emblematic of love".[3] It is a symbol of
the ultimate unity of everything.[4]
Moreover, it represents the intertwining of
wisdom and compassion, the mutual
dependence of religious doctrine and
secular affairs, the union of wisdom and
method, the inseparability of śūnyatā
"emptiness" and pratītyasamutpāda
"interdependent origination", and the
union of wisdom and compassion in
enlightenment (see namkha). This knot,
net or web metaphor also conveys the
Buddhist teaching of interpenetration.
Pair of Golden Fish …

Pair of golden fish
The two golden fish (Sanskrit:

gaurmatsya; Tibetan: གསེ ར་ཉ་, THL:
sernya[5]) symbolise the auspiciousness
of all sentient beings in a state of
fearlessness without danger of drowning
in saṃsāra. The two golden fishes are
linked with the Ganges and Yamuna nadi,
prana and carp:
The two fishes originally

represented the two main
sacred rivers of India - the
Ganges and Yamuna. These
rivers are associated with the
lunar and solar channels,
which originate in the nostrils
and carry the alternating
rhythms of breath or prana.
They have religious
significance in Hindu, Jain and
Buddhist traditions but also in
Christianity (the sign of the
fish, the feeding of the five
thousand). In Buddhism, the
fish symbolize happiness as
they have complete freedom of
movement in the water. They
represent fertility and
abundance. Often drawn in the
form of carp, which are
regarded in the Orient as
sacred on account of their
elegant beauty, size, and life-
span.[1]
In Islam the (alive) fish has a significant

role in the meeting between Moses and
Khidr.
Lotus …
The lotus flower, or padma.
The lotus flower (Sanskrit: padma;

Tibetan: པད་མ་, THL: péma), represent
the primordial purity of body, speech, and
mind, floating above the muddy waters of
attachment and desire. The lotus
symbolizes purity and renunciation.
Although the lotus has its roots in the
mud at the bottom of a pond, its flower
lies immaculate above the water. The
Buddhist lotus bloom has 4, 8, 16, 24, 32,
64, 100, or 1,000 petals. The same
figures can refer to the body's 'internal
lotuses', that is to say, its energy centres
(chakra).[6][7]
Parasol …
Jewelled parasol
The jewelled parasol (Sanskrit:
chatraratna; Tibetan: རི ན་ཆེ ན་ག གས་,
THL: rinchenduk[3]), which is similar in
ritual function to the baldachin or canopy:
represents the protection of beings from
harmful forces and illness. It represents
the canopy or firmament of the sky and
therefore the expansiveness and
unfolding of space and the element
æther. It represents the expansiveness,
unfolding and protective quality of the
sahasrara: all take refuge in the dharma
under the auspiciousness of the parasol.
Vase …
Treasure vase
The treasure vase (Tibetan: གཏེ ར་ཆེ ན་
པའ་ མ་པ་, THL: terchenpo'i bumpa)

represents health, longevity, wealth,
prosperity, wisdom and the phenomenon
of space. The treasure vase, or pot,
symbolizes the Buddha's infinite quality
of teaching the dharma: no matter how
many teachings he shared, the treasure
never lessened.[8]
The iconography representation of the

treasure vase is often very similar to the
kumbha, one of the few possessions
permitted a bhikkhu or bhikkhuni in
Theravada Buddhism. The wisdom urn or
treasure vase is used in many
empowerment (Vajrayana) and
initiations.
Dharmachakra …
The dharmachakra
The Dharmachakra or "Wheel of the Law"

(Sanskrit; Tibetan: ཆ ོས་ ི ་འཁ ོར་ལ ོ་ , THL:
chö kyi khorlo) represents Gautama
Buddha and the Dharma teaching. This
symbol is commonly used by Tibetan
Buddhists, where it sometimes also
includes an inner wheel of the Gankyil
(Tibetan). Nepalese Buddhists don't use
the Wheel of Law in the eight auspicious
symbols.
Instead of the Dharmachakra, a fly-whisk

may be used as one of the
Ashtamangala to symbolize Tantric
manifestations. It is made of a yak's tail
attached to a silver staff, and used in
ritual recitation and during fanning the
deities in pujas. Prayer wheels take the
form of a Dharmachakra guise. The
Sudarshana Chakra is a Hindu wheel-
symbol.
Victory Banner …
Dhvaja
The dhvaja (Sanskrit; Tibetan: ལ་མཚན་,

THL: gyeltsen) "banner, flag" was a
military standard of ancient Indian
warfare. The symbol represents the
Buddha's victory over the four māras, or
hindrances in the path of enlightenment.
These hindrances are pride, desire,
disturbing emotions, and the fear of
death. Within the Tibetan tradition, a list
of eleven different forms of the victory
banner is given to represent eleven
specific methods for overcoming
defilement. Many variations of the
dhvaja's design can be seen on the roofs
of Tibetan monasteries to symbolise the
Buddha's victory over four māras.
Banners are placed at the four corners of
monastery and temple roofs. The
cylindrical banners placed on monastery
roofs are often made of beaten copper.[9]
Sequences of symbols …
Different traditions order the eight

symbols differently.
Here is the sequential order of the Eight

Auspicious Symbols of Nepali Buddhism:
1. Endless knot
2. Lotus flower
3. Dhvaja
4. Dharmachakra (fly-whisk in Nepali
Buddhism)
5. Bumpa
. Golden Fish
7. Parasol
. Conch
The sequential order for Chinese

Buddhism was defined[10] in the Qing
dynasty as:
1. Dharmachakra
2. Conch
3. Dhvaja
4. Parasol
5. Lotus flower
. Bumpa
7. Golden Fish
. Endless knot
Hindu symbols
In Indian and Hindu tradition,[11] the
Ashtamangala may be used during
certain occasions including: pujas,
weddings (of Hindus), and coronations.
The ashtamangala finds wide mention in
the texts associated with Hinduism,
Buddhism, and Jainism. They have been
depicted in decorative motifs and cultural
artifacts.
The Hindu tradition lists them as:

lion called raja
bull called vrishaba
serpent called naga
pitcher called kalasa
necklace called vijayanti
kettle called bher
fan called vyajana
lamp called deepa[12]
The Hindu tradition lists them as:
fly-whisk
full vase
mirror
elephant goad
drum
lamp
flag
a pair of fish.
The list also differs depending on the
place, region, and the social groups.
Jain symbols
Adinath image with Ashtamangala placed in front of

it, according to Digambara tradition
Ashtamangala, according to Svetambara tradition,
on Jain manuscript cover, LACMA M.72.53.22
(from left) : Swastika, Vardhmanaka (food vessel),
Pair of fish, Kalasha (pot), Bhadrasana (seat),
Srivatsa, Nandavarta, Darpan (mirror)
In Jainism, the Ashtamangala are a set of

eight auspicious symbols. There is some
variation among different traditions
concerning the eight symbols.[13]
In the Digambara tradition, the eight

symbols are:
1. Parasol
2. Dhvaja
3. Kalasha
4. Chamara
5. Mirror
. Chair
7. Hand fan
. Vessel
In the Śvētāmbara tradition, the eight

symbols are:
1. Swastika
2. Srivatsa
3. Nandavarta
4. Vardhmanaka (food vessel)
5. Bhadrasana (seat)
. Kalasha (pot)
7. Darpan (mirror)
. Pair of fish
See also
Dzi bead
Eight Treasures (Chinese equivalent)
Iconography
Mani stone
Sandpainting
Notes
1. Source: [1] (accessed: January 18,
2008) Archived 13 January 2008 at
the Wayback Machine
2. Source: Dpal be'u
3. Sarat Chandra Das (1902). Tibetan-
English Dictionary with Sanskrit
Synonyms. Calcutta, India: mainly
used in buddhismBengal Secretariat
Book Depot, p.69
4. Hyytiäinen, Tiina. "The Eight
Auspicious Symbols". In Saloniemi,
Marjo-Riitta (ed.). Tibet: A Culture in
Transition. Vapriikki. p. 198.
ISBN 978-951-609-377-5.
5. Source: gser nya
. Hyytiäinen, Tiina. "The Eight
ISBN 978-951-609-377-5.
7. Powers, John. Introduction to
Tibetan Buddhism: revised edition.
Snow Lion Publications. p. 23.
ISBN 978-1-55939-282-2.
. Hyytiäinen, Tiina. "The Eight
ISBN 978-951-609-377-5.
9. Hyytiäinen, Tiina. "The Eight
Transition. Vapriikki. pp. 198–199.
ISBN 978-951-609-377-5.
10. Zhou Lili. "A Summary of Porcelains'
Religious and Auspicious Designs."
The Bulletin of the Shanghai Museum
7 (1996), p.133
11. Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend
(ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna
Dallapiccola
12. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam
(ed.). India through the ages .
Publication Division, Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting,
Government of India. p. 70 .
13. Titze & Bruhn 1998, p. 234.
References
Beer, Robert (1999). The Encyclopedia
of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs,
(Hardcover). Shambhala Publications.
ISBN 1-57062-416-X, ISBN 978-1-
57062-416-2
Beer, Robert (2003). The Handbook of
Tibetan Buddhist Symbols, Shambhala
Publications. ISBN 1-59030-100-5
Titze, Kurt; Bruhn, Klaus (1998),
Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the
Religion of Non-Violence (2 ed.),
Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-
1534-3
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Ashtamangala: ﬁrst row (left to right): parasol, pair

Carved wooden door with 8 auspicious signs

Tibetan Buddhists make use of a

The right-turning white conch shell

The conch shell is thought to

In Hinduism, the conch is an attribute of

The endless knot (Sanskrit: śrīvatsa;

Pair of Golden Fish …

The two golden ﬁsh (Sanskrit:

The two ﬁshes originally

In Islam the (alive) ﬁsh has a signiﬁcant

The lotus ﬂower (Sanskrit: padma;

The treasure vase (Tibetan: གཏེ ར་ཆེ ན་

པའ་ མ་པ་, THL: terchenpo'i bumpa)

The iconography representation of the

The Dharmachakra or "Wheel of the Law"

Instead of the Dharmachakra, a ﬂy-whisk

The dhvaja (Sanskrit; Tibetan: ལ་མཚན་,

Different traditions order the eight

Here is the sequential order of the Eight

The sequential order for Chinese

The Hindu tradition lists them as:

Adinath image with Ashtamangala placed in front of

In Jainism, the Ashtamangala are a set of

In the Digambara tradition, the eight

In the Śvētāmbara tradition, the eight

Wikimedia Commons has media

Last edited 14 days ago by WikiCleanerBot

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

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