Meaning of the chakras & symbolism of the chakras

You've probably heard of the energy centers in our body, called chakras.

Chakra is a word that comes from an ancient Indian writing language, Sanskrit, and translates as “wheel” or “circle”.

The 7 chakra symbols are actually created in a circle shape, which may also remind you of the geometric shape known as a mandala.

Mandalas help us understand our place in the Universe because they represent perfect cosmic harmony.

Yes, the chakra symbols are actually lotus mandalas!

Each chakra lotus is represented with a different number of petals, which are the expression of their vibrational frequency:

• The root chakra symbol has 4 petals
• The sacral chakra symbol has 6 petals.
• The solar plexus chakra symbol has 10 petals.
• The heart chakra symbol has 12 petals
• The throat chakra symbol has 16 petals.
• The third eye chakra symbol has 2 petals
• The crown chakra symbol has 1,000 petals.

You can learn more about the importance of mandalas in the Meaning of Mandalas article on our blog.

When you look deeper into the early traditions of Hinduism and ancient tantric texts about the chakras, you find that each of these symbols is sacred and has deep metaphorical meaning.

In this article, I'll break down the elements of each chakra symbol and help you discover all the little secrets hidden within them.

Root Chakra Symbol Meaning

The root chakra symbol is represented by a lotus flower with 4 petals which represent the 4 aspects of the human being:

• The mind (or Manas in Sansktrit)
• Intellect (Buddhi)
• Consciousness (Chitta)
• The ego (Ahamkara)

At the center of the lotus is a square which represents the Earth and its founding energy.

Inside the square is a downward-facing triangle, which can be interpreted as a seed of consciousness and the place where our spirit incarnates into physical form.

As we evolve on our spiritual path toward enlightenment, we are able to expand our consciousness and the inverted triangle is a perfect representation of this idea.

You can learn more about the root chakra in our Root Chakra Healing Guide | Muladhara.

Sacral Chakra Symbol Meaning

The sacral chakra symbol can be described as an orange lotus flower with six vermillion-colored petals, which contains a circle and a crescent moon.

The seed mantra in the center of the sacral chakra symbol is a syllable व VAM.

There is a dot just above the seed mantra symbol, which represents the Hindu deity Vishnu.

The second chakra symbol has a moon at its center with water as the dominant element.

Just as the 28-day lunar cycle affects the waters of the sea by creating a magnetic attraction, it also affects your body.

For women, this often occurs in relation to the 28-day menstrual cycle.

But there is another element often represented in the tantric symbol of Svadhisthana:

Inside the crescent moon is an alligator-like aquatic creature called a makara.

The makara has a long tail, which symbolizes the coiling of the Kundalini and represents your deep desires and unconscious animal instincts.

You can learn more about the Sacral Chakra in our Sacral Chakra Healing Guide | Svadhisthana.

Solar Plexus Chakra Symbol Meaning

The solar plexus chakra symbol is represented by a yellow lotus with 10 petals and an inverted red triangle of fire (Tejas) in the middle.

The seed mantra at the center of the solar plexus chakra symbol is the sound syllable ram.

The triangle with T-shaped arms on either side represents the Sun and it is often depicted in Hindu paintings of the solar plexus chakra with the god Vahni, supported by a ram.

Each petal of the lotus corresponds to an aspect of Bradha Rudra, who is the deity of this chakra.

The black letters (vrittis) on the petals of the manipura symbol can be translated as:

• Spiritual ignorance (avidya)
• Thirst (trishna)
• Jealousy (dvesh)
• Betrayal (krurta)
• Shame (lajja)
• Fear (bhai)
• Disgust (nirasha)
• Stupidity (murkhta)
• Sadness (udasinta)

You can learn more about the Solar Plexus Chakra in our Solar Plexus Chakra Healing Guide | Manipura.

Heart Chakra Symbol Meaning

The heart chakra symbol is represented by a green lotus with 12 petals and 2 intersecting triangles in the center, forming a hexagram.

The first triangle symbolizes the masculine essence of God (interpreted as Shiva) and the second symbolizes the feminine essence of God (interpreted as Shakti).

Each petal of the heart chakra lotus is associated with one of the 12 virtues of a pure heart:

• Love
• Harmony
• Empathy
• Understanding
• Purity
• Clarity
• Compassion
• Unit
• Pardon
• Goodness
• Peace
• Bliss

In Hindu mythology, Vaju, who is at the center of the heart chakra symbol, is the god associated with the heart chakra.

Vaju is also known as the "deity of life" and the god of air and wind.

You can learn more about the heart chakra in our Heart Chakra Healing Guide | Anahata.

Throat Chakra Symbol Meaning

The symbol of the throat chakra is represented by a bright blue lotus with 16 petals, decorated with all the vowels of the Sanskrit language.

At the center of the lotus is a downward facing triangle with a circle inside, representing the element of space (ether) and a syllable 'HAM' हं, known as the Throat Chakra Bija Mantra .

The deity identified with the throat chakra is Sadashiva, a god/goddess normally clad in tiger skin with five heads (representing 5 elements) and ten arms.

Sadashiva is the expression of the balance of Yin and Yang and eternal purity.

You can learn more about the Throat Chakra in our Throat Chakra Healing Guide | Vishuddha.

Third Eye Chakra Symbol Meaning

The third eye chakra symbol is represented by an indigo blue lotus with 2 petals.

At the center of the lotus is a downward facing triangle representing enlightenment and your connection to the divine with an OM ॐ syllable, known as the third eye chakra bija mantra (or seed mantra).

OM is considered the fundamental sound of the world which includes all other sounds.

It is also a sacred spiritual symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, where it is considered the supreme sound of the Universe and a representation of the Creator.

Why does the third eye chakra symbol only have two petals?

The two petals of the ajna chakra are believed to represent Ida and Pingala, the two most important subtle energy channels (called "nadis" in Sanskrit) which travel up from the root chakra to the head and join the Sushumna nadi.

Sushumna is a central nadi that connects all of your chakras along the spine and guides your kundalini energy upward toward your crown chakra.

Sometimes the left petal of the third eye chakra symbol is adorned with a syllable HAM हं, which represents Shiva (symbol of the masculine principle) and the right petal is adorned with the syllable KSHAM क्षं, which is associated with Shakti (feminine principle ).

Two petals of anja chakra sybol can also be interpreted as the physical eyes, manifest and non-manifest spirit or the pineal and pituitary glands.

You can learn more about the Third Eye Chakra in our Third Eye Chakra Healing Guide | Ajna.

Crown Chakra Symbol Meaning

The crown chakra symbol is represented by a purple lotus with 1000 petals.

The circle in the center of the symbol represents the emptiness of space.

As your consciousness rises from the lower chakras up to the crown chakra, you will be able to connect and merge with this infinite space.

You can also think of it as a "circle of unity" with all living things in the universe.

The crown chakra symbol sometimes has an OM ॐ syllable in the middle, also known as the bija mantra (or seed mantra).

OM is considered the fundamental sound of the world which includes all other sounds.

It is also a sacred spiritual symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, where it is considered the supreme sound of the Universe and a representation of the Creator.

So why does the crown chakra lotus have 1000 petals?

The thousand petals are believed to symbolize the power of kundalini energy, which rises in the awakened crown chakra.

Ultimately, this amazing feeling can be described as a flower with many petals, opening at the top of your head.

You can learn more about the crown chakra in our Crown Chakra Healing Guide | Sahasrara.