Ashoka Chakra

                           
                                                                   
                                                    Ashoka Chakra

According to Hindu religion, Puranas mentioned that only 24 Rishis wielded the whole power of the Gayatri Mantra. These 24 rishi in Himalayas are represented through the 24 letters of Gayatri Mantra. The all the 24 spokes of Dharmachakra are representation of all these 24 rishi of  Himalayas in which Vishvamitra is first and Yajnavalkya is last who governs the religion (Dharma). Ashok Chakra is symbol of Dharmchakra and also known as Samay Chakra in which all the 24 spokes represented 24 hours of the day and symbol of the movement of the time.The Ashoka Chakra is a depiction of the dharmachakra; represented with 24 spokes.It is so called because it appears on a number of edicts of Ashoka, most prominent among which is the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

When Buddha achieved nirvana (Enlightenment) at Gaya, he came to Sarnath on the outskirts of Varanasi. There He found his five disciples (panch vargiya Bhikshu) Ashwajeet, Mahanaam, Kaundinya, Bhadrak and Kashyap, who had earlier abandoned him. He preached his first sermon to them, thereby promulgating the Dharmachakra. This is the motif taken up by Ashoka and portrayed on top of his pillars. This is the origin of the chakra in the Indian flag and it asserts the strong ties of India with the Buddhist faith. It is also known as Bhavachakra.

However, the 12 out of 24 spokes represent the twelve causal links taught by The Buddha. The twelve causal links, paired with their corresponding symbols, are:

The twelve causal links, paired with their corresponding symbols, are:

Avidyā lack of knowledge - a blind person, often walking, or a person peering out

Saṃskāra constructive volitional activity - a potter shaping a vessel or vessels

Vijñāna consciousness - a man or a monkey grasping a fruit

Nāmarūpa name and form (constituent elements of mental and physical existence) - two men afloat in a boat

Ṣaḍāyatana six senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) - a dwelling with six windows

Sparśa contact - lovers consorting, kissing, or entwined

Vedanā pain - an arrow to the eye

Tṛṣṇa thirst - a drinker receiving drink

Upādāna grasping[1] - a man or a monkey picking fruit

Bhava coming to be - a couple engaged in intercourse, a standing, leaping or reflective person

Jāti being born - woman giving birth

Jarāmaraṇa old age[2] and death[3] - corpse being carried.

These 12 in reverse represent a total 24 spokes representing the Life-The Dhamma.

24 Spokes of Ashok Chakra according Hindu religion:

1. Love

2. Courage

3. Patience

4. Peacefulness

5. Magnanimity

6. Goodness

7. Faithfulness

8. Gentleness

9. Selflessness

10. Self-Control

11. Self Sacrifice

12. Truthfulness

13. Righteousness

14. Justice

15. Mercy

16. Gracefulness

17. Humility

18. Empathy

19. Sympathy

20.Spiritual Knowledge

21. Moral Values

22. Spiritual Wisdom

23. The Fear of God

24. Faith or Belief or Hope