Glossary

Chakravaka

Chakravaka

An aquatic bird resembling geese or swans that recurs in Buddhist and Hindu iconography. In Buddhism, it appears in representations of the Bhavachakra (the Wheel of Life), whereas in Hinduism, the bird symbolises constancy and conjugality. It is also the name of a raga (series of musical notes) in Carnatic music. From the Sanskrit chakravaka, meaning “ruddy duck.”

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