Hridayacakra, Hṛdayacakra, Hridaya-cakra: 3 definitions

Introduction:

Hridayacakra means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

The Sanskrit term Hṛdayacakra can be transliterated into English as Hrdayacakra or Hridayacakra, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Hridayachakra.

In Hinduism

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

[«previous next»] — Hridayacakra in Pancaratra glossary
Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts

Hṛdayacakra (हृदयचक्र) refers to the “wheel of the heart”, according to the fourteenth chapter of the Īśvarasaṃhitā (baroda edition) also known as the Nṛsiṃhakalpa, a Pāñcarātra work consisting of 640 verses and 14 chapters written in the form of a dialogue between Īśvara and Pārvatī.—Description of the fourteenth chapter:—Īśvara is here describing how one is to meditate in the wheel of the heart [hṛdayacakra] on certain objects and ideas in order thereby to effect changes upon those objects or ideas. Āsana-postures are recommended to accompany these meditations, different postures yielding different effects. [...]

Pancaratra book cover
context information

Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

Discover the meaning of hridayacakra or hrdayacakra in the context of Pancaratra from relevant books on Exotic India

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: academia.edu: The Structure and Meanings of the Heruka Maṇḍala

Hṛdayacakra (हृदयचक्र) refers to the “heart circle” positioned in the sahaja-puṭa or ‘innate layer’ of the Herukamaṇḍala: a large-scale and elaborate maṇḍala of Heruka, consisting of 986 deities, as found in the Ḍākārṇava chapter 15.—The Herukamaṇḍala consists of four layers (puṭa) consisting of concentric circles (cakra, totally one lotus at the center and 12 concentric circles, that is, 13 circles in total).

The hṛdayacakra contains 36 pairs of Ḍākinī and Hero, collectively called Light Heruka (laghuheruka):

  1. Vajradharī & Vajradhara,
  2. Akṣobhyī & Akṣobhya,
  3. Vairocanī & Vairocana,
  4. Ratneśikā & Ratneśika,
  5. Padmanartī & Padmanarta,
  6. Amoghī & Amogha,
  7. Locanā & Locana,
  8. Māmakī & Māmaka,
  9. Pāṇḍarā & Pāṇḍara,
  10. Tārā & Tāra,
  11. Rūpavajrā & Rūpavajra,
  12. Śabdavajrā & Śabdavajra,
  13. Gandhavajrā & Gandhavajra,
  14. Rasavajrā & Rasavajra,
  15. Sparśavajrā & Sparśavajra,
  16. Dharmadhātuvajrā & Dharmadhātuvajra,
  17. Kṣitigarbhī & Kṣitigarbha,
  18. Khagarbhakī & Khagarbhaka,
  19. Pāṇī & Pāṇa (= Vajrapāṇī & Vajrapāṇa),
  20. Lokanāthī & Lokanātha,
  21. Sarvanī & Sarvana (= Sarvanivaraṇaviṣkambhinī & Sarvanivaraṇaviṣkambhina),
  22. Samantabhadrī & Samantabhadra,
  23. Ratnolkī & Ratnolka,
  24. Nairātmyā & Nairātmya,
  25. Bhṛkuṭī & Bhṛkuṭa,
  26. Parṇasaurikā & Parṇasaurika,
  27. Yamāntakī & Yamāntaka,
  28. Prajñāntakī & Prajñāntaka,
  29. Padmāntakī & Padmāntaka,
  30. Vighnāntakī & Vighnāntaka,
  31. Acalī & Acala,
  32. Nīladaṇḍī & Nīladaṇḍa,
  33. Ṭakkirājī & Ṭakkirāja,
  34. Mahābalā & Mahābala,
  35. Uṣṇīṣā & Uṣṇīṣa,
  36. Sumbharājñī & Sumbharājña.

They are reddish yellow in color; they each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife.

Source: MDPI Books: The Ocean of Heroes

Hṛdayacakra (हृदयचक्र) refers to the “heart circle”, according to the 10th-century Ḍākārṇava-tantra: one of the last Tibetan Tantric scriptures belonging to the Buddhist Saṃvara tradition consisting of 51 chapters.—Accordingly, “[...] Now, furthermore, I shall explain this, the Heart Circle (hṛdayacakra), outside the [Adamantine Circle]. [Deities reside] in the middles of the circle’s spokes colored in reddish-yellow as follows: [...] The color [of their bodies] is the same as [the color] of the circle (reddish-yellow). [...]”.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

Discover the meaning of hridayacakra or hrdayacakra in the context of Tibetan Buddhism from relevant books on Exotic India

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