Dharmachakra

The Sanskrit noun dharma (धर्म) is a derivation from the root dhṛ 'to hold, maintain, keep',[8] and means 'what is established or firm'.

Madhavan and Parpola note that a wheel symbol appears frequently in Indus Valley civilization artifacts, particularly on several seals.

The pre-Buddhist dharmachakra (Pali: dhammacakka) is considered one of the ashtamangala (auspicious signs) in Hinduism and Buddhism and often used as a symbol of both faiths.

[15][note 2] The Buddha is said to have set the "wheel of dharma" in motion when he delivered his first sermon,[17] which is described in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.

The Mahā Sudassana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya describes this wheel as having a nave (nābhi), a thousand spokes (sahassārāni) and a felly (nemi), all of which are perfect in every respect.

[14] The dharmachakra symbol also points to the central Indian idea of "Dharma", a complex and multivalent term which refers to the eternal cosmic law, universal moral order and in Buddhism, the very teaching and path expounded by the Buddha.

The Buddhist terms for "suffering" (dukkha) and happiness (sukha) may also originally be related to the proper or improper fitting of wheels on a chariot's axle.

According to Benjamin Rowland:[14] ”The Sārnāth column may be interpreted, therefore, not only as a glorification of the Buddha’s preaching symbolised by the crowning wheel, but also through the cosmological implications of the whole pillar as a symbol of the universal extension of the power of the Buddha’s Law as typified by the sun that dominates all space and all time, and simultaneously an emblem of the universal extension of Mauryan imperialism through the Dharma.

The 24 spoke Ashoka dharmachakra is present in the modern flag of India, representing the pan-Indian concept of Dharma.

[29] The modern State Emblem of India is a depiction of the Lion Capital of Ashoka (Sanchi), which includes the dharmachakra.

An integral part of the emblem is the motto inscribed in Devanagari script: Satyameva Jayate (English: Truth Alone Triumphs).

Wheel of Dharma symbol
Ten Indus characters from the northern gate of Dholavira , dubbed the Dholavira Signboard .
Dharmachakra in front of a statue of Padmasambhava . Lake Rewalsar , Himachal Pradesh , India
Worshipers and Dharmachakra, Sanchi Stupa , South Face, West Pillar.
The original Lion Capital of Ashoka , from Sarnath. It originally supported a large dharmachakra on the top (reconstitution).
Wheel of the chariot of the sun, Konark Sun Temple .
The State Emblem of India features the 24 spoke Dharmachakra from the Lion Capital of Ashoka .
Jain illustration with dharmachakra and the motto Ahiṃsā Paramo Dharma (non-violence is the highest dharma).