Pali Chatta Burmese ထီး
(IPA: [Hti]) | Sanskrit Chatra Thai ฉัตร | |
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Tibetan རིནཆེན་གདུགས
(rin chen gdugs) | ||
The chatra (from Sanskrit: छत्र, meaning "umbrella") is an auspicious symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism.
The chatra in various traditions
According to Hindu mythology, it is the emblem of Varuna, also considered an embodiment of kingship. Chatra is also a deity, yidam and ishta-devata. In various Dharmic traditions it is an accoutrement of chakravartin. A number of deities are depicted with chatra, and they include Revanta, Surya, and Vishnu (in his Vamana avatar). The chatra 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 chatra 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.