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
