The Sanskrit term Ākāśacakra can be transliterated into English as Akasacakra or Akashacakra, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Akashachakra.

In Hinduism

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts

Ākāśacakra (आकाशचक्र) refers to a “one-spoked wheel”, as discussed in the ninth chapter of the Ahirbudhnyasaṃhitā, a Pāñcarātra work in 60 chapters dealing with topics such as Viṣṇu’s discus-power, the processes of creation and esoteric practices related to Sudarśana (such as mantras and yantras).—[Cf. the chapter aśuddhajagad-ādhāra-nirūpaṇa]: [...] Many are the cakra-wheels described, all of them seen as dynamically and intimately interrelated—just as wheels-within-wheels are. The thirty-spoked śakticakra, the six-spoked kālacakra, the eleven-spoked buddhicakra, the one-spoked ākāśacakra, the two-spoked vāyucakra—all of these (1-9) contained within the mahāvibhūticakra which itself contains innumerable spokes but which unifies within its circumscribed limits what has been created (10-35). Also described in this same symbolic way, as that which rolls out as Viṣṇu manifests a desire to withdraw His powers, is what is called the saṃhṛticakra (36-46).

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.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

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

Ākāśacakra (आकाशचक्र) refers to the “space circle” positioned in the dharma-puṭa or ‘dharma 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 ākāśacakra contains 36 pairs of Ḍākinī (sky-goer, khecarī) and Hero (sky Heruka, ākāśaheruka):

1. Kinnarī & Kinnara,
2. Gandhārī (Gandharvī) & Gandhahara,
3. Huttakī & Huttaka,
4. Pāṭavī & Pāṭavi,
5. Vīṇā & Vīṇaka,
6. Vaṃśā & Vaṃśa,
7. Mukundā & Mukunda,
8. Murajā & Muraja,
9. Gargarī & Gargara,
10. Kāṃsyā & Kāṃsya,
11. Śailendrikī & Śailendrika,
12. Gītā & Gīta,
13. Karaḍā & Karaḍa,
14. Tamaḍā & Tamaḍa,
15. Nṛtyā & Nṛtya,
16. Lāsyā & Lāsya,
17. Ḍukkā & Ḍhakka,
18. Tālīsāraṇā & Tāliśaraṇa,
19. Dundubhikā & Dundubhika,
20. Maudrī & Maudra,
21. Tānī & Tāna,
22. Mātunī & Mātu,
23. Tālavī & Tālava,
24. Ṭambhakī & Tambhaka,
25. Ḍamarī & Ḍamara,
26. Ḍuṇḍukī & Ḍuṇḍuka,
27. Kāhalī & Kāhala,
28. Orakī & Oraki,
29. Bhūkī (Bhukī) & Bhuki,
30. Ghaṇṭā & Ghaṇṭa,
31. Kiṅkinī & Kiṅkini,
32. Ghurghurī & Ghurghura,
33. Ḍukolikā (Ḍakolikī) & Ḍakoliki,
34. Śaṅkhī & Śaṅkha,
35. Ghoṣavatī & Ghoṣavati,
36. Parṣadā & Parṣad

They are dark blue in color; they each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife. Alternatively, the Ḍākinīs have their own marks and motions according to the taste instead of a small drum and a skull staff.

Source: MDPI Books: The Ocean of Heroes

Ākāśacakra (आकाशचक्र) refers to the “space 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, the Space Circle (ākāśacakra) outside [this] is like a dark blue lotus [in color]. Sky-going Yoginīs are in the middles of the thirty-six spokes [of the circle], as follows—[...] The colors [of these Yoginīs] are various and wonderful. Alternatively, [they have] the circle’s color (dark blue). [They] dwell in the upakṣetra (“near to the field”) [holy sites], are [inhabitants of] the third continent, and are excellent. Residing in this continent, they belong to the class of sky-going females. It is the Radiance Level. [All twelve levels are] connected with their respective [classes of holy] sites such as the pīṭha.”.

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Ākāśacakra (आकाशचक्र):—[=ā-kāśa-cakra] [from ā-kāśa > ā-kāś] n. the region of ether, [Vīracarita]

[Sanskrit to German]

Akashacakra in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Akasha, Cakra.

Full-text (+77): Parshad, Kamsya, Ghanta, Huttaka, Dakoliki, Dhakka, Maudra, Tambhaka, Kinnara, Matu, Damara, Gandhahara, Shailendrika, Tana, Dunduka, Vinaka, Gargara, Talava, Huntaka, Hutuka.

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