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ICONOGRAPHY OF THE HINDUS, BUDDHISTS AND JAINS
'World Honoured One, let me now present an offering to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Thus saying, he offered to the Bodhisattva a valuable necklace, who accepted it and dividing it into two parts, he presented one to Šakyamuni and another to the Buddha Prabhutaratna. The rosary is the special symbol of Avalokitesvara, Prajñāpāramitā, Cundā, Bhrikuti, Vasudhară, etc.
2. Chakra: The chakra or wheel symbolises the rotation of the world, and also represents the Wheel of Dharma. It also stands for air.
In Buddhism, the chakra is symbolic of the Wheel of Law, which turns twelve times, or three revolutions, for each of the Four Noble Truths. It is represented with eight spokes, indicating the Eightfold path of salvation.
3. Citron: This is the 'seed' of the universe.
4. Danda: A staff. If it is held by Siva, it is indicative either of death or of Siva teaching.
5. Gadā: The gadā represents 'light'.
6. Garuda: The Garuda is symbolic of the human mind which can soar to the sky in an instant. It is the mind that pervades the bodies of all creatures.
7. Jaja: Jatās of Siva and Brahmă represent the variegated Brahman.
8. Kalasa: Vase. The Hindus believe that in the beginning the universe was all water. The Earth issued out of the Primeval Water. Brahmā, the Creator-god, therefore, carries this primeval water in his vase.
In the Buddhist pantheon, the kalasa holds ampita or the Elixir of Life. It is the special symbol of the Bodhisattva Padmapani, the Bud- dhist Creator-god as also of Maitreya, Bhrikuti, etc.
9. Khadga: The khadga is a sword. It is the symbol of enlightenment. As the sword cuts knots, so does the intellect pierce the deepest recesses of Buddhist thoughts. It is the special symbol of Manjusri. With his sword, he destroys ignorance.
10. Khețaka: The khetaka is a shield. It represents Dharma, which protects like a shield.
11. Nandi: The Nandi is Siva's Bull and symbolizes Dharma
12. Padma: In the Hindu pantheon, the lotus arising from Vishnu's navel represents Maņithe Earth. Padma also symbolizes water and creation.
The lotus has much importance in Hindu and Buddhist pantheons. It symbolizes self-creation.
This is why the Hindu Brahmã sits on a lotus. When the Buddha was born, he took seven steps and immediately lotus flowers sprang up underneath his feet. Every Buddha is 'Svayambhu', i.e., self-existent. The padma or lotus pedestal is indicative of divinity. The Adi-Buddha manifested himself in the form of a flame arising from a lotus. The lotus also represents the Active Female Principle or in Vajrayāna, the female sex organ.
13. Patra: The Buddhist monks carry a pătra or bowl which is used for begging alms. The Indian tradition has it that when the Buddha completed four weeks of Buddha-hood, Tapussa and Bhallika, two merchants of Ukkula in Orissa, were warned by a deity that they were approaching a Buddha. The merchants came to the Buddha and offered him rice and honey cakes. The Buddha could not accept food in his hands; whereupon, the four gods of the quarters brought him a stone bowl from which he ate the food.
The pătra is semi-circular in shape. It is usually held in the hands when these rest on the lap.
14. Pustaka: The pustaka is a book of palmleaves cut long and narrow or a manuscript which looks like one. In Buddhist tradition, it represents the Prajñāpāramită scripture of Transcendental Wisdom. This book is supposed to have been given by the Buddha to the Nagas for safe keeping. Năgărjuna recovered it from them and founded the Mahāyāna school on its teachings. The pustaka is the symbol of Mañjuśri, Cundā, Prajñāpāramita, etc.
The Hindu God Brahmă holds a sacred manuscript in one of his hands. It is the symbol of wisdom.
15. Tričūlā: The trisüla represents either the triple functions of God-Creation, Protection and Destruction or the three attributes or gunasSattva, Rajas and Tamas. Also called süla.
16. Vajra: The vajra is the special symbol of the Hindu God Indra. With this thunderbolt, he destroys the enemies of Hinduism.
Vajrapāni, the Buddhist Bodhisattva, also destroys the enemies of Buddhism with his vajra or thunderbolt. In Mesopotamia, the gods hold a double-trident. In India, it is the special symbol of siva. 'The Northern Buddhists believe that Buddha wrested the thunderbolt from the Hindu god Indra, and adopted it as a Buddhist symbol with the slight change of closing the points of the darts. The vajras of Hindu gods show three
