A chakravarti (Sanskrit: चक्रवर्तिन्, cakravartin; Pali: cakkavatti; Chinese: 轉輪王, Zhuǎnlúnwáng, "Wheel-Turning King"; 轉輪聖王, Zhuǎnlún Shèngwáng, "Wheel-Turning Sacred King"; Japanese: 転輪王, Tenrin'ō or 転輪聖王, Tenrinjōō) is an ideal (or idealized) universal ruler, in the history, religion, and mythologies of India. The concept is present in the cultural traditions of Vedic, Hindu, Jain and Buddhist narrative myths and lore.[1] There are three types of chakravarti: chakravala chakravarti, a king who rules over all four of the continents (i.e., a universal monarch); dvipa chakravarti, a ruler who governs only one of those continents; and pradesha chakravarti, a monarch who leads the people of only a part of a continent, the equivalent of a local king. [2] Dvipa chakravarti is particularly one who rules the entire Indian subcontinent (as in the case of the Maurya Empire, despite not conquering the southern kingdoms).[3]: 175 The first references to a Chakravala Chakravartin appear in monuments from the time of the early Maurya Empire, in the 4th to 3rd century BCE, in reference to Chandragupta Maurya and his grandson Ashoka.
Chakravarti, from Amaravati Stupa, 1st century CE, using the "Royal Gesture" and surrounded by his attributes. Possibly represents Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire.
The word cakra-vartin- is a bahuvrīhi compound word, translating to "one whose wheels are moving", in the sense of "whose chariot is rolling everywhere without obstruction". It can also be analysed as an 'instrumental bahuvrīhi: "through whom the wheel is moving" in the meaning of "through whom the Dharmachakra ("Wheel of the Dharma) is turning" (most commonly used in Buddhism).[citation needed] The Tibetan equivalent Tibetan: ཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་, Wylie: khor los sgyur ba'i rgyal po translates "monarch who controls by means of a wheel".[citation needed]
14 Ratnas of Chakravartin, 17th century manuscript
In Buddhism, a chakravarti is the secular counterpart of a buddha. The term applies to temporal as well as spiritual kingship and leadership, particularly in Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, a chakravarti is a powerful ruler whose dominion extends to the entire earth. In both religions, the chakravarti is supposed to uphold dharma, indeed being "he who turns the wheel (of dharma)".
It was believed that once a chakravarti emerged the "Future Buddha" Maitreya would appear on earth.[3]: 175
In early Buddhist art there are more than 30 depictions, all from the Deccan. In most the Chakravarti King uses the "Royal Gesture" in which the king "clenches his left hand at his chest and reaches up with his right hand". He is surrounded by his seven attributes: the Chakraratna wheel, his state elephant, charger horse, "the octagonal gem which is so luminous it can light the path of his army by night", his queen, defense minister and finance minister.[3]: 175–176
According to the traditions "Vishnu, in the form of Chakra, was held as the ideal of worship for Kings desirous of obtaining Universal Sovereignty,"[5]: 48 a concept associated with the BhagavataPuranas, a religious sanction traceable to the Gupta period,[6] which also led to the Chakravartin Concept.[5]: 65 There are relatively few examples of chakravartins in both northern and southern India.
In Southern India, the Pallava period beginning with Simhavishnu (575 CE – 900 CE) was a transitional stage in southern Indian society with monument building, establishment of (bhakti) sects of Alvars and Nayanars, flowering of rural Brahmanical institutions of Sanskrit learning, and the establishment of Chakravartin model of kingship over a territory of diverse people; which ended the pre-Pallavan era of territorially segmented people, each with their culture, under a tribal chieftain.[7] The Pallava period extolled ranked relationships based on ritual purity as enjoined by the shastras.[8] Burton distinguishes between the Chakravatin model and the Kshatriya model, and likens kshatriyas to locally based warriors with ritual status sufficiently high enough to share with Brahmins; and states that in south India the kshatriya model did not emerge.[8] As per Burton, South India was aware of the Indo-Aryan Varna organized society in which decisive secular authority was vested in the Kshatriyas; but apart from the Pallava, Chola and Vijayanagar line of warriors which claimed Chakravartin status, only few locality warrior families achieved the prestigious kin-linked organization of northern warrior groups.[8]
During the each motion of the half-cycle of the wheel of time, 63 Salakapurusa or 63 illustrious men, consisting of the 12 Chakravartin regularly appear.[9] The Jain cosmology or legendary history is basically a compilation of the deeds of these illustrious men. As per Jain cosmology, Chakravartins are Universal Monarchs or World Conquerors. Golden in complexion, they all belonged to the Kasyapagotra. The mother of a Chakravartin sees some dreams at the time of conception. A chakravartin is considered an ideal human being endowed with thirty-two major signs of excellence and many minor signs of excellence.
The list of 12 chakravartin of Avasarpini as per Jainism is as follows[10]
^Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 81.
^ abcJohn M. Rosenfield (1967). "The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans". California Studies in the History of Art. University of California Press. ISSN 0068-5909.
^Harry Falk (2012). "Small-Scale Buddhism". In François Voegeli; Vincent Eltschinger; Maria Piera Candotti; Bogdan Diaconescu; Malhar Kulkarni (eds.). Devadattīyam: Johannes Bronkhorst Felicitation Volume. Bern: Peter Lang. p. 495. ISBN9783034306829.
^ abWayne Edison Begley (1973). Viṣṇu's flaming wheel: the iconography of the Sudarśana-cakra. Monographs on archaeology and fine arts. Vol. 27. New York: New York University Press.
^Śrīrāma Goyala, (1967). A history of the Imperial Guptas, p.137. Central Book Depot.
Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola
Cakkavatti Sutta The Wheel-turning Emperor (excerpt) Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms
February 12, 2023
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For people named Chakravarti see Chakravarti surname For the 2015 Indian historical drama TV series see Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Chakravarti Sanskrit term news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message A chakravarti Sanskrit चक रवर त न cakravartin Pali cakkavatti Chinese 轉輪王 Zhuǎnlunwang Wheel Turning King 轉輪聖王 Zhuǎnlun Shengwang Wheel Turning Sacred King Japanese 転輪王 Tenrin ō or 転輪聖王 Tenrinjōō is an ideal or idealized universal ruler in the history religion and mythologies of India The concept is present in the cultural traditions of Vedic Hindu Jain and Buddhist narrative myths and lore 1 There are three types of chakravarti chakravala chakravarti a king who rules over all four of the continents i e a universal monarch dvipa chakravarti a ruler who governs only one of those continents and pradesha chakravarti a monarch who leads the people of only a part of a continent the equivalent of a local king 2 Dvipa chakravarti is particularly one who rules the entire Indian subcontinent as in the case of the Maurya Empire despite not conquering the southern kingdoms 3 175 The first references to a Chakravala Chakravartin appear in monuments from the time of the early Maurya Empire in the 4th to 3rd century BCE in reference to Chandragupta Maurya and his grandson Ashoka Chakravarti from Amaravati Stupa 1st century CE using the Royal Gesture and surrounded by his attributes Possibly represents Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire Chola ruler Kulothunga III would be addressed as Chakravarti The word cakra vartin is a bahuvrihi compound word translating to one whose wheels are moving in the sense of whose chariot is rolling everywhere without obstruction It can also be analysed as an instrumental bahuvrihi through whom the wheel is moving in the meaning of through whom the Dharmachakra Wheel of the Dharma is turning most commonly used in Buddhism citation needed The Tibetan equivalent Tibetan ཁ ར ལ ས ས ར བའ ར ལ པ Wylie khor los sgyur ba i rgyal po translates monarch who controls by means of a wheel citation needed 14 Ratnas of Chakravartin 17th century manuscript In Buddhism a chakravarti is the secular counterpart of a buddha The term applies to temporal as well as spiritual kingship and leadership particularly in Buddhism and Jainism In Hinduism a chakravarti is a powerful ruler whose dominion extends to the entire earth In both religions the chakravarti is supposed to uphold dharma indeed being he who turns the wheel of dharma The Indian concept of chakravarti later evolved citation needed into the concept of devaraja the divine right of kings which was adopted by the Indianised Hindu Buddhist kingdoms of Southeast Asia through Hindu Brahmin scholars deployed from India to their courts It was first adopted by Javanese Hindu Buddhist kingdoms such as Majapahit through them by the Khmer Empire and subsequently by the Thai monarchs citation needed Contents 1 Buddhism 2 Hinduism 3 Jainism 4 See also 4 1 Similar Indic concepts 4 2 Generic similar concepts 4 3 Spread and evolution of Chakravarti concept beyond India 5 References 5 1 Citations 5 2 SourcesBuddhism EditIt was believed that once a chakravarti emerged the Future Buddha Maitreya would appear on earth 3 175 In early Buddhist art there are more than 30 depictions all from the Deccan In most the Chakravarti King uses the Royal Gesture in which the king clenches his left hand at his chest and reaches up with his right hand He is surrounded by his seven attributes the Chakraratna wheel his state elephant charger horse the octagonal gem which is so luminous it can light the path of his army by night his queen defense minister and finance minister 3 175 176 The early Buddhist Mahavastu 1 259f and the Divyavadana as well as the Theravadin Milindapanha describe the marks of the chakravarti as ruler uṣṇiṣa chhatra parasol horn jewel or vajra whisk and sandals These were the marks of the kshatriya Plastic art of early Mahayana Buddhism illustrates bodhisattvas in a form called uṣṇiṣin wearing a turban hair binding wielding the mudras for nonviolent cakravarti rule 4 Tibetan mandala of the six chakravartisHinduism EditSee also Bharata chakravartin According to the traditions Vishnu in the form of Chakra was held as the ideal of worship for Kings desirous of obtaining Universal Sovereignty 5 48 a concept associated with the Bhagavata Puranas a religious sanction traceable to the Gupta period 6 which also led to the Chakravartin Concept 5 65 There are relatively few examples of chakravartins in both northern and southern India In Southern India the Pallava period beginning with Simhavishnu 575 CE 900 CE was a transitional stage in southern Indian society with monument building establishment of bhakti sects of Alvars and Nayanars flowering of rural Brahmanical institutions of Sanskrit learning and the establishment of Chakravartin model of kingship over a territory of diverse people which ended the pre Pallavan era of territorially segmented people each with their culture under a tribal chieftain 7 The Pallava period extolled ranked relationships based on ritual purity as enjoined by the shastras 8 Burton distinguishes between the Chakravatin model and the Kshatriya model and likens kshatriyas to locally based warriors with ritual status sufficiently high enough to share with Brahmins and states that in south India the kshatriya model did not emerge 8 As per Burton South India was aware of the Indo Aryan Varna organized society in which decisive secular authority was vested in the Kshatriyas but apart from the Pallava Chola and Vijayanagar line of warriors which claimed Chakravartin status only few locality warrior families achieved the prestigious kin linked organization of northern warrior groups 8 Jainism EditMain article Salakapurusa Statue of Bharata Chakravartin at Shravanabelagola During the each motion of the half cycle of the wheel of time 63 Salakapurusa or 63 illustrious men consisting of the 12 Chakravartin regularly appear 9 The Jain cosmology or legendary history is basically a compilation of the deeds of these illustrious men As per Jain cosmology Chakravartins are Universal Monarchs or World Conquerors Golden in complexion they all belonged to the Kasyapa gotra The mother of a Chakravartin sees some dreams at the time of conception A chakravartin is considered an ideal human being endowed with thirty two major signs of excellence and many minor signs of excellence The list of 12 chakravartin of Avasarpini as per Jainism is as follows 10 Bharata son of Tirthankara Rishabhanatha Sagara ancestor of Bhagiratha as in the Puranas Maghava 11 306 Sanatkumara 11 306 Tirthankara Shantinatha Tirthankara Kunthunatha 11 308 Tirthankara Aranatha 11 308 Subhauma 11 308 Padmanabha Harishena Jayasena BrahmadattIn Jainism a Chakravartin Samrat was characterised by his possession of Saptaratna or Seven Jewels citation needed Ratna Chakra a miraculous diamond serrated discus that never misses its target Empress Divine Jewellery Immense Wealth Huge Army of War Chariots Huge Army of Cavalry Huge Army of ElephantsSome lists cite navaratna or nine jewels instead adding Prime Minister and Son citation needed See also Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chakravartins Similar Indic concepts Edit Chakraborty Chhatrapati Devaraja Kalachakra Maharaja Rajamandala SamraatGeneric similar concepts Edit Philosopher king Solar chariot Universal monarchy King of the UniverseSpread and evolution of Chakravarti concept beyond India Edit Greater India kingdoms of Southeast Asia IndianisationReferences EditCitations Edit Gopal Madan 1990 K S Gautam ed India through the ages Publication Division Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India p 81 Chakravartin Indian ruler Britannica a b c John M Rosenfield 1967 The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans California Studies in the History of Art University of California Press ISSN 0068 5909 Harry Falk 2012 Small Scale Buddhism In Francois Voegeli Vincent Eltschinger Maria Piera Candotti Bogdan Diaconescu Malhar Kulkarni eds Devadattiyam Johannes Bronkhorst Felicitation Volume Bern Peter Lang p 495 ISBN 9783034306829 a b Wayne Edison Begley 1973 Viṣṇu s flaming wheel the iconography of the Sudarsana cakra Monographs on archaeology and fine arts Vol 27 New York New York University Press Srirama Goyala 1967 A history of the Imperial Guptas p 137 Central Book Depot Burton Stein 1980 Peasant state and society in medieval South India Oxford University Press pp 63 64 a b c Burton Stein 1980 Peasant state and society in medieval South India Oxford University Press p 70 Wendy Doniger ed 1999 Encyclopedia of World Religions Merriam Webster p 550 ISBN 0 87779 044 2 Jaini Jagmanderlal F W Thomas ed Outlines of Jainism appendix III a b c d e Helmuth von Glasenapp 1999 Jainism An Indian Religion of Salvation Delhi Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 81 208 1376 6 Sources Edit Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend ISBN 0 500 51088 1 by Anna Dallapiccola Cakkavatti Sutta The Wheel turning Emperor excerpt Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chakravarti Sanskrit term amp oldid 1133400193, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
