Here is the fifth of the Eight Auspicious Symbols, the right-turning conch, and its significance. This comes from Robert Beers definitive presentation of these in both his Handbook of Tibetan Symbols (shmb.la/handbook-tibetan-symbols) and the even more comprehensive Encyclopaedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs (shmb.la/encylopedia-tibetan-symbols). THE RIGHT-TURNING CONCH SHELL (Skt. dakshinavarta-shankha; Tib. dung gyas-’khyil) The white conch shell, which spirals towards the right in a clockwise direction, is an ancient Indian attribute of the heroic gods, whose mighty conch shell horns proclaimed their valor and victories in war. Vishnu’s fire-emanating conch was named Panchajanya, meaning ‘possessing control over the five classes of beings’. Arjuna’s conch was known as Devadatta, meaning ‘god-given’, whose triumphant blast struck terror in the enemy. As a battle horn the conch is akin to the modern bugle, as an emblem of power, authority, and sovereignty. Its auspicious blast is believed to banish evil spirits, avert natural disasters, and scare away harmful creatures. Vishnu’s fiery conch (Panchajanya) is held in his upper left hand and paired with the wheel or chakra in his upper right hand. These two attributes are commonly held by the first five of Vishnu’s ten avataras or incarnations: Matsya (the fish), Kurma (the tortoise), Varaha (the boar), Narasingha (the man-lion), and Vamana (the dwarf). In the Hindu tradition the Buddha is recognized as the ninth of Vishnu’s ten incarnations. It is perhaps more than coincidental that the two great heavenly gods, Indra and Brahma, are traditionally painted before the Buddha’s throne offering the attributes of Vishnu’s conch and wheel. Vishnu is also commonly known as the ‘great man’ (Skt. mahapurusha) or ‘right-hand god’ (Skt. dakshinadeva). These appellations are similarly applied to the Buddha, with his right-curling hair, and his body endowed with the thirtytwo auspicious marks of the great man (Skt. mahapurusha-lakshana). Early Hinduism classified the conch into gender varieties, with the thicker-shelled bulbous conch being the male or purusha, and the thinner-shelled slender conch being the female or shankhini. The fourfold Hindu caste division was also applied: with the smooth white conch representing the priestly or brahmin caste, the red conch the warrior or kshatriya caste, the yellow conch the merchant or vaishya caste, and the dull gray conch the laborer or shudra caste. A further division was made between the common conch shell, which naturally spirals to the left and is known as a vamavarta; and the more rare right-spiraling conch shell, which is known as a dakshinavarta and is considered most auspicious for ritual use. The tip of the conch shell is sawn off to form a mouthpiece, and the right-spiraling wind passage thus created acoustically symbolizes the true or ‘right-hand’ (Skt. dakshina) proclamation of the dharma. Brahmanism adopted the heroic conch as a ritual symbol of religious sovereignty. The early Buddhists similarly adopted it as an emblem of the supremacy of the Buddha’s teachings. Here the conch symbolizes his fearlessness in proclaiming the truth of the dharma, and his call to awaken and work for the benefit of others. One of the thirty-two major signs of the Buddha’s body is his deep and resonant conch-like voice, which resounds throughout the ten directions of space. Iconographically the three conch-like curved lines on his throat represent this sign. As one of the eight auspicious symbols the white conch is usually depicted vertically, often with a silk ribbon threaded through its lower extremity. Its right spiral is indicated by the curve and aperture of its mouth, which faces towards the right. The conch may also appear as a horizontally positioned receptacle for aromatic liquids or perfumes (see page 33). As a hand-held attribute, symbolizing the proclamation of the Buddhadharma as the aspect of speech, the conch is usually held in the left ‘wisdom’ hand of deities. For more information on this anf the other seven Auspicious Symbols, see the Handbook of Tibetan Symbols: shmb.la/handbook-tibetan-symbols Or the more comprehensive Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and motifs: shmb.la/encylopedia-tibetan-symbols
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 01:58:01 +0000