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Odisha Review June - 2014

Chakra, as an expression of infinity and ultimatetruth, is intimately connected with the spiritual

and cultural life of India from time immemorial.This is the symbol that has found an importantplace in the mythologies of many nations. In ourancient religious literature, particularlyVedic, Tantric, Buddhist and to someextent, Yogic the wheel constitutesa mystic symbol of esotericand secret doctrines. As thesun, time and life evercontinue to move on without stop, theywere allegorically termed ‘wheels’ by theancient people.

The Rig Veda treats the wheelprimarily as a symbol of the sun and oftime and in a few references, as a signof sovereign authority. The origin ofthe later symbolic representations andallegorical expressions of the wheelcan be traced back to Rig Vedicconcepts. The word ‘Chakra’ means turning orrevolving and is derived from the roots car, cakor kram, all meaning ‘to move’. Thus it meansthat whichever moves forward or rolls onunchecked or a thing that pervades. Chakra isallegorically applied to time which never stops andthe sun with its never-ceasing movement.

Chakra, The Symbol of Eternityand Sudarshan Chakra

Dr. Srinivas Acharya

The wheel of the sun is described in theVedas as golden which Indra steals and throwsagainst the demons of darkness at the decline ofday or night. (RV. 1.130.9.). Besides the Sun,Soma, Pusana, Marutas and Asvins are said topossess wheels in the Rig Veda.

The nervous centres inour body which are thepotential sources of vitality fordevelopment of energy and

spiritual power are termed aswheels by the mystics and these

wheels or centres are concealed in thedifferent parts of our body. For them,the body is only a vehicle driven bythe Atman mounted on these wheelsand constitutes only a medium or ameans to achieve or attain their ultimate

goal.

The Svetasvatara Upanishad describes indetail what it calls a revolving

Brahmachakra or Samsarachakra which is beingcaused to revolve by the greatness of God. TheUpanishad further says that the Hamsa (Jivatman)flutters about in the Brahmachakra which vitalisesall things and also appears in all things. This merry-go­round Jivatman, we are told, attains immortalityby escaping from this ever revolving

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Brahmachakra and attains Moksha when herealizes that Jivatman and Isvara are one and notdifferent and when the supreme soul favours himwith his blessings.

The Yoga Upanishads generally speak ofthe six mystic Chakras such as Muladhara,Swadhistana, Manipura, Anahata, Visuddha andAjna besides the Sahasrara which is thousand-spoked.

The Mahabharat advises one to be awareof the Kalachakra and try to understand itproperly and then throw it away, that is, escapefrom its rotation, the unending chain of repeatedexistence, also mentions another wheel from whichit does not ask one to run away but turn it andthen through it reach the ultimate goal from whereone never returns.

In Buddhist literature we find the conceptof the wheel of Dharma which is found inBuddha's sermons in Varanasi. ‘The spokes ofthe wheel are the rules of pure conduct; justice isthe uniformity of their length; wisdom is the time;modesty and thoughtfulness are the hub in whichthe immovable axle of truth is fixed.’ Buddhism,later, gave wider currency to symbolism of thewheel by incorporating all the above ideas andmaking it a household word for Buddhists. Thereis the Bhavchakra with twelve nidanas, such asjaramarana, jati, bhava, upadana, trisna,vedana, sparsa, sadayatana, namarupa,vijnana, samskara and avidya described in theBuddhist canons. These twelve nidanas arebelieved to be the main causes for thetransmigration of the soul or the repetition of birthand death. One who wants to escape from thiswheel should destroy there nidanas and,ultimately the bhavachakra as well.

Chakra as a circle has neither beginningnor end, and in value it is infinite. It is, in plain, a

sign of eternity, completeness (purnata), continuityand incessant progress, and above all, in Buddhismparticularly, it is a divine symbol of eternalDoctrine, the Dharma of the “Middle Path” whichleads to insight, supreme wisdom and Nirvana.

Sudarshan Chakra, the King of Wheels

Origin of Sudarshan Chakra- The VishnuPurana contains the following story about theorigin of Chakra.

Suryadev (The Sun God} marriedSamjna, daughter of Visvakarma. But, due to theinsufferable heat of her husband the marital life ofSamjna became miserable, and so she requestedher father to lesser the heat of Surya. Andaccordingly Visvakarma ground Surya on agrinding machine and thus diminished only 1/8 ofthat effulgence, which glowing red-hot droppedon the earth, and with that Visvakarma made theSudarshana Chakra, the Trishula, thePuspakavimana and the weapon called Sakti. Outof those four things the Trishula came to bepossessed by Siva, the Puspakavimana byKubera and Shakti by Brahma. The SudarshanChakra which was glowing like anything wasdeposited in the sea. (Visnu Puran, Part-3Chapter-2). There is a story in the Mahabharataas to how the Chakra thrown into the sea cameinto possession of Mahavisnu. While Srikrishnaand Arjuna were in a picnic on the shores of theYamuna, Agnideva went to them and requestedthem to give Khandava forest to him for food. AsTaksaka, friend of Indra, was living in the forestthe latter was causing heavy rains to fall there.Krishna and Arjuna realized the fact that Agniwould be able to consume the forest only aftersubjugating Indra. But, how to manage it ? ThenAgni said that he would supply the weapon tofight Indra with, and accordingly he meditated onVaruna, who presented to him (Agni) a chariot

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and flag with monkey as symbol, a quiver whichwould never become empty of arrows (AkshayaTunira), a bow called Gandiva and the SudarshanChakra. Agnidev gave the Chakra to Srikrishnaand the other things to Arjuna. (M.B. Adiparva,Chapter 297.)

Regarding the creation of SudarshanChakra it is stated in the Brahmapurana that inorder to get rid of the cruel and wicked demonsall gods prayed Vishnu. He asked all gods tocombine all their energies. God Shankar shapedthis combined energy into a wheel. He handedover this wheel to Mahavishnu to kill demons.

Sudarshan Chakra as a weapon orAyudha signs in the right hand of Vishnu, thereforehe is known as ‘Chakri’ and ‘Chakradharin’.Sudarshan Chakra is regarded as a deity in ourscriptures. The four deities on the Ratnasinghasanof Srimandir, - Sri Jagannath, Sri Balabhadra,Devi Subhadra and Sri Sudarshana are knownas Chaturddhamurthi in general. Here the shapeof Sri Sudarshan is like a pole. Both the wheeland pole shapes of Sri Sudarshana have differentmythological back-grounds. The-Chakraudha ofSri Jagannath is made of Gold.

Sri Sudarshana is worshipped as the deityof energy and power. He gets the Ajnamala fromSri Jagannath and as the representative arrives at

Gamhabedi on the full moon day of Shravana toperform birth rites of Sri Balabhadra in theMarkandeswar temple premises.

Sudarshana, the king of wheels stands at the topof Sreemandira is known as Neelachakra. Themagnificent temple of Sri Jagannath presents animposing sight and can be seen from miles awaythrough its Neelachakra and Patitapabana is 11ft.8" and which is an amalgamation of eight differentmetals. Neelachakra has circles, one is at thecentre and the other is the outer. There are eightbars which connect the inner and the outer circleboth. Srimad Bhagabadgeeta reveals the mysteryof the eight bars. The eight bars represent eightfactors of the nature. God Srikrishna says thatearth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and alsothe ego- these constitute his nature eightfolddivided.

Neelachakra is the supporter of thePatitapaban Banner. Those who are unable tocome and not allowed to enter into the templethey witness it from outside to get the benefit ofseeing Sri Jagannath. Neelachakra attractspilgrims, saints, sages over the ages.

Dr. Srinivas Acharya, Mishra Lane, Markandeswar Sahi,Puri-1.