Chakra
Part of a series on
Hinduism
History · Deities
Denominations
Mythology
Beliefs and practices
Dharma · Artha ·
Kama · Moksha ·
Karma · Samsara
Yoga · Bhakti · Maya
Puja · Hindu temple
Scriptures
Vedas · Upanishads
Ramayana · Mahabharata
Bhagavad Gita · Puranas
Dharmaśāstra · others
Related topics
Hinduism by country
Gurus and saints
Reforms · Criticism
Calendar · Hindu Law
Ayurveda · Jyotisha
Festivals · Glossary
Chakra (derived from the Sanskrit cakraṃ
?????, pronounced [/ˈtʃʌkrə/] Pali: chakka,
Tibetan: khorlo, Malay: cakera) is a Sanskrit
word that translates as wheel or disc or
turning.
Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like
vortices which, according to traditional Indi-
an medicine, are believed to exist in the sur-
face of the etheric double of man.[1] The
Chakras are said to be "force centers" or
whorls of energy permeating, from a point on
the physical body, the layers of the subtle
bodies in an ever-increasing fan-shaped form-
ation (the fans make the shape of a love
heart). Rotating vortices of subtle matter,
they are considered the focal points for the
reception and transmission of energies.[2]
Seven major chakras or energy centers (also
understood as wheels of light) are generally
believed to exist, located within the subtle
body. Practitioners of Hinduism and New Age
Spirituality believe the chakras interact with
the body’s ductless endocrine glands and
lymphatic system by feeding in good bio-en-
ergies and disposing of unwanted bio-ener-
gies.[3]
It is typical for chakras to be depicted in
two ways:
• 1. flower-like
• 2. wheel-like
In 1. a specific number of petals are shown
around the perimeter of a circle,
In 2. a certain number of spokes divide the
circle into segments that make the chakra re-
semble a wheel or "chakra." Each chakra pos-
sesses a specific number of segments or
"petals."
Much of
the original
information on
Chakras comes from the "Upanishads", which
are difficult to date because they are believed
to have been passed down orally for approx-
imately a thousand years before