Sahasrara Symbol – History And Meaning

Sahasrara is the 1,000-petaled lotus symbol in Hindu, Buddhist, and other traditions. It is the symbol of the crown chakra or Sahasrara, the last of 7 primary chakras of the energy body.

Sahasrara or crown chakra is said to govern the brain and the nervous system. It is located in the crown or the top of the head. This chakra is linked with the fontanelle, as well as the intersection of the skull’s sagittal and coronal sutures. 

If you want to learn more about the Sahasrara symbol, read on to find out the meaning, history, and significance of this Hindu and Buddhist symbol.

Sahasrara Symbol – History And Meaning

Sahasrara is associated with the spiritual and higher self, emotions, divinity, enlightenment, understanding, and oneness with the cosmos. It is also linked with indescribable knowledge and the consciousness that is apart from the physical world.

Sahasrara History

The chakra system originated in India between 1500 and 500 BC, first appearing in the Hindu Vedas, considered to be the oldest religious texts. However, this was not exactly in the sense of the so-called “psychoenergetic centers” but as chakravartin.

The chakravartin in this sense was the king who “turns the wheel of his empire” in every direction from the center, denoting the monarch’s power and influence. Later proofs of chakras appear in the Upanishads. 

The images and symbols that are popularly used to represent the Chakras are believed to trace back to the 5 symbols of yagna. These symbols used in yagna, a Vedic ritual performed in front of a sacred fire, are “square, circle, triangle, half moon, and dumpling.”

The knowledge of the chakra system is said to be passed down through oral traditions by the Aryan people. This system was customarily an Eastern philosophy, but New Age authors started to relate with the concept and wrote about the chakras. They expanded on the earlier texts, giving more people access to the knowledge of this ancient system.

In the 8th century CE, the psychic-energy chakra theories were introduced in Buddhist texts as “hierarchies of inner energy centers.” Only four chakras appear in these texts. In later Hindu texts, the list of chakras was expanded to a lot more.

The chakra system has always been interlaced with yoga since the very beginning. But what exactly is a chakra?

The term “chakra” is from the Sanskrit cakra. which means “mystical circle” or “vortex” or “spinning wheel.” Chakra and cakra are pronounced the same way, the former being generally used in the West. Chakra refers to psychic energy centers in the lingadeha or the ethereal body. 

The chakra system is prominent in the occult physiological practices of Tantric Buddhism and some certain forms of Hinduism. A chakra is a wheel of energy that runs along a person’s spine and inside the skull. 

Although some claim there are as many as 114 chakras all over the body, it is generally believed that there are 7 primary chakras. These are the Muladhara (root chakra), Swadhisthana (sacral chakra), Manipura (solar plexus chakra), Anahata (heart chakra), Vishuddha (throat chakra), Ajna (third-eye chakra), and Sahasrara (crown chakra). The chakras’ health has direct links to our physical as well as mental and emotional health.

Sahasrara or the crown chakra is the 7th primary chakra. It is found at the top of the head or crown, ruling the brain and the nervous system. Its symbol is the lotus flower with 1,000 petals. Sahasrara is spiritualism’s center of energy and that of universal knowledge that connects one to the Divine.

The Sahasrara Symbol

Sahasrara symbol is described as a violet-colored lotus flower with 1,000 petals. These are arranged in 20 layers with 50 petals each. In some depictions, the petals are of different colors. 

The lotus flower in the Sahasrara symbol has a gold-colored pericarp that encompasses around moon region with a luminous triangle inscription. This triangle is inverted in some depictions and upward-pointing in some.

Sahasrara symbol represents the opening of the spiritual self the way a lotus opens itself to the sun. The lotus flower, on the other hand, is commonly associated with beauty, purity, and renewal. 

The crown chakra symbolizes the main objective of yoga, where one’s soul becomes one with cosmic consciousness. It is the most subtle of all chakras, being associated with pure consciousness. All the other chakras are said to emanate from Sahasrara. 

The thousand-petaled lotus flower in the Sahasrara symbol signifies the full opening of consciousness, its thousand petals denoting infinity.

The deity associated with Sahasrara is Shiva in the form of pure, supreme consciousness. This chakra’s corresponding tattwa or element is the supreme and spiritual adi tattwa. Just like the Ajna chakra, Sahasrara’s seed mantra is AUM, the fundamental sound of the universe.

Sahasrara Symbol Meaning

Sahasrara is translated from Sanskrit meaning “thousand-petaled.” It is known as the crown chakra, the 7th major chakra in tantric yoga traditions.

The Sahasrara or crown chakra is found on the top or the crown of the head. It is also called the “thousand-petaled lotus,” literally because of the symbol’s lotus that has 1,000 petals. Other names for Sahasrara are “Brahmarandhra” which means “the door to God” and the “center of a million rays” because it supposedly radiates like the sun. 

Essentially, Sahasrara denotes the spiritual self. This chakra is connected to the higher consciousness or state of being and the desire for spiritual peace.