Ashtamangala

The Ashtamangala — the eight auspicious symbols — form Jainism’s and Buddhism’s shared sacred emblem-set: the swastika, srivatsa, nandavarta, vardhamanaka, bhadrasana, kalasha, minayugala, and darpana (the Jain list), with the Buddhist variants (the conch, lotus, wheel, parasol and companions).

Overview

The Jain eight (the list standardized in medieval texts — the svastika, śrīvatsa, nandāvarta, vardhamānaka, bhadrasana, kalaśa, darpaṇa, and the fish-pair); the Buddhist eight (the conch, lotus, dharma-wheel, parasol, victory-banner, treasure-vase, endless-knot, golden-fish — the Tibetan canonization); the symbol-sets’ temple, manuscript, and textile presence.

Significance

Auspiciousness as a visual theology (the emblems’ protective and celebratory roles — the marriage manuscripts, the temple lintels, the thangka borders); the shared Indic vocabulary across Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu art (the kalasha and svastika’s ecumenical presence); the swastika’s Indic auspiciousness versus its 20th-century corruption (the historical note).

Practice

The symbols’ ritual use (the ashtamangala-puja in Jain practice, the symbol-painted thresholds, the manuscript-covers’ illumination); the contemporary diaspora’s emblem-continuity.

Verification notes

• Both lists follow their traditions’ canonical sources.
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).