Ashtamangala

The Ashtamangala (Sanskrit: अष्टमङ्गल, romanized: Aṣṭamaṅgala) is the sacred set of Eight Auspicious Signs (Chinese: 八吉祥, bajixiang) featured in a number of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.

An early grouping of symbols included: throne, swastika, handprint, hooked knot, vase of jewels, water libation flask, pair of fishes, lidded bowl.

In Buddhism, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he gained enlightenment.

Some common interpretations are given along with each symbol although different teachers may give different interpretations: The right-turning white conch shell (Sanskrit: śaṅkha; Tibetan: དུང་དཀར་གཡས་འཁྱིལ་, THL: dungkar yénkhyil) represents the beautiful, deep, melodious, interpenetrating and pervasive sound of the dharma, which awakens disciples from the deep slumber of ignorance and urges them to accomplish their own welfare for the welfare of others.

[1]The endless knot (Sanskrit: śrīvatsa; Tibetan: དཔལ་བེའུ་, THL: pelbeu)[2] denotes "the auspicious mark represented by a curled noose emblematic of love".

The two golden fish (Sanskrit: gaurmatsya; Tibetan: གསེར་ཉ་, THL: sernya[5]) symbolise the auspiciousness of all sentient beings in a state of fearlessness without danger of drowning in saṃsāra.

[1]The lotus flower (Sanskrit: padma; Tibetan: པདྨ, THL: péma) represents the primordial purity of body, speech, and mind, floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire.

[6][7] The jewelled parasol (Sanskrit: chatraratna; Tibetan: རིན་ཆེན་གདུགས་, THL: rinchenduk[3]), which is similar in ritual function to the baldachin or canopy: represents the protection of beings from harmful forces and illness.

The treasure vase (Tibetan: གཏེར་ཆེན་པོའི་བུམ་པ་, THL: terchenpo'i bumpa) represents health, longevity, wealth, prosperity, wisdom and the phenomenon of space.

[8] The iconography representation of the treasure vase is often very similar to the kumbha, one of the few possessions permitted a bhikkhu or bhikkhuni in Theravada Buddhism.

[citation needed] The Dharmachakra or "Wheel of the Law" (Sanskrit; Tibetan: ཆོས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ་, THL: chö kyi khorlo) represents Gautama Buddha and the Dharma teaching.

Ashtamangala: first row (left to right): parasol, pair of golden fish, conch; second row: treasure vase, lotus; Last row: infinite knot, victory banner and wheel.
Carved wooden door with 8 auspicious signs (Ashtamangala) in Nepal
Śaṅkha
Auspicious symbol – conch Rewalsar
Endless knot
Pair of golden fish
Auspicious symbol. Two Golden Fish. Likir Monastery, Ladakh
The lotus flower, or padma .
Auspicious symbol. Lotus – Padma. Likir Monastery .
Jewelled parasol
Auspicious symbol - Parasol. Rewalsar .
Treasure vase
Auspicious symbol – Vase. Rewalsar .
The dharmachakra
Dhvaja
Auspicious symbol – Victory Banner. Likir Monastery .
Four auspicious symbols. Mandi .
Auspicious symbols. Mandi .
Adinath image with Ashtamangala placed in front of it, according to Digambara tradition
Ashtamangala, according to Svetambara tradition, on Jain manuscript cover, LACMA M.72.53.22
(from left) : Swastika , Vardhmanaka (food vessel), Pair of fish, Kalasha (pot), Bhadrasana (seat), Srivatsa , Nandavarta , Darpan (mirror)