The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (273 page)

(Skt.). In Hinduism, eight objects to make auspicious an important occasion, e.g. the coronation of a king. They are variously listed, but a typical list includes: a lion, bull, elephant, banner, trumpet, water-jar, fan, lamp. For a lesser occasion the list might include: a king,
brahman
, cow, sun, water, fire, gold, ghee.
In Buddhism, the practice was adapted to express veneration of the
Buddha
as universal sovereign. The eight symbols are often placed before images of the Buddha. They are: parasol (power and protection); two fish (kingship); conch shell (conqueror); lotus blossom (purity); water-jar (nectar of
am
ta
); banner (victory of the spirit); knot (endless eternity); wheel of teaching (
dharma-cakra
).

 
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(Skt., ‘eight-limbed yoga’). A name in Hinduism for
R
ja-yoga
, which has eight steps (a
ga): for details, see
R
JA-YOGA
.

 
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