Shrivatsa

Shrivatsa as a triangular mark on right side of Vishnu's chest

The Shrivatsa (Sanskrit: श्रीवत्स; IAST: Śrīvatsa, lit.'Beloved of Śrī')[1] is an ancient symbol, considered auspicious in Hinduism and other Indian religious traditions. It is said that the Shrivatsa symbol appears on the chest of an avatar of Vishnu when he is chosen to be Vishnu's incarnation[2]

  1. ^ Hinnells, John R. (25 March 2010). The Penguin Handbook of the World's Living Religions. Penguin UK. p. 284. ISBN 978-0-14-195504-9.
  2. ^ Sarat Chandra Das (1902). Tibetan-English Dictionary with Sanskrit Synonyms. Calcutta, India: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot, p. 69