Chhatraratna

Parasol.

The 'Jewelled/Precious Parasol' (IAST: chhatraratna; Sanskrit Devanagari: छत्ररत्न; Tibetan: རིནཆེན་གདུགས, Wylie: rin chen gdugs)^[1] is an auspicious symbol in the Dharmic traditions.

According to Hindu mythology, it is the emblem of Varuna, also considered an embodiment of kingship. Chhatra is also a deity, yidam and ishta-devata.^{[citation needed]} In various Dharmic traditions it is an accoutrement of chakravartin. A number of deities are depicted with Chhattra, and they include Revanta, Surya, and Vishnu (in his Vamana avatar). The Chhatra is cordoned amongst the symbols that approach universality within the numerous octavalent suites or sets of Ashtamangala, e.g., in the Digambar Jain tradition, and the Vajrayana tradition.

In Dharmic tradition iconography, traditional Tibetan medicine thangkas and Ayurvedic diagrams, the chhatra is uniformly represented as the Sahasrara.

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the umbrella or parasol is included in the 'Eight Auspicious Signs' or Ashtamangala.

The Chhatra shares a similar symbolic value to the baldachin, refer image of Vishvakarman.

Vishvakarman, Divine Architect of Vedas in a modern Hindu representation: note Chhatra.

Notes

1. ^ Sarat Chandra Das (1902). Tibetan-English Dictionary with Sanskrit Synonyms. Calcutta, India: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot, p.69

See also

• Flower Sermon

References

• Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola
• General Buddhist Symbols