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Hindu Symbols in Life

 

om

As the cross is to Christians, the Om is to Hindus. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa , au and ma which, when combined, make the sound Aum or Om . The most important symbol in Hinduism, it occurs in every prayer and invocation to most deities begins with it. As the symbol of piety, Om is often found at the head of letters, pendants, enshrined in every Hindu temple and family shrines.

 
swastika

Second in importance only to the Om, the Swastika, a symbol which look like the Nazi emblem, holds a great religious significance for the Hindus. Swastika is not a syllable or a letter, but a pictorial character in the shape of a cross with branches bent at right angles and facing in a clockwise direction. A must for all religious celebrations and festivals, Swastika symbolizes the eternal nature of the Brahman, for it points in all directions, thus representing the omnipresence of the Absolute The term 'Swastika' is believed to be a fusion of the two Sanskrit words 'Su' (good) and 'Asati' (to exist), which when combined means 'May Good Prevail'. Historians say Swastika could have represented a real structure and that in ancient times forts were built for defense reasons in a shape closely resembling the Swastika. For its protective power this shape began to be sanctified.

 

flag

If there is any color that can symbolize all aspects of Hinduism, it's saffron - the color of Agni or fire, which symbolizes the Supreme Being. The saffron color, also auspicious to the Sikhs, the Buddhists and the Jains, seems to have obtained religious significance much before these religions came into being.

Fire worship had its origin in the Vedic age. The foremost hymn in the Rig Veda glorifies fire: " Agnimile purohitam yagnasya devam rtvijam, hotaram ratna dhatamam ." When sages moved from one ashram to another, it was customary to carry fire along. The inconvenience to carry a burning substance over long distances may have given rise to the symbol of a saffron flag. Triangular and often forked saffron flags are seen fluttering atop most Sikh and Hindu temples. While Sikhs regard it as a militant color, Buddhist monks and Hindu saints wear robes of this color as a mark of renunciation of material life.

 
lotus

The holiest of flowers for Hindus, the beautiful lotus is symbolic of the true soul of an individual. It represents the being, which lives in turbid waters yet rises up and blossoms to the point of enlightenment. Mythologically speaking, lotus is also a symbol of creation, since Brahma, the creator came forth from the lotus that blooms from the navel of Vishnu.

 
kalash

An earthen pot or pitcher - called 'Purnakumbha' - full of water, and with fresh mango leaves and a coconut atop it, is generally placed as the chief deity or by the side of the deity before starting a Puja. Purnakumbha literally means a 'full pitcher' (Sanskrit: 'purna' = full, 'kumbha' = pot). The pot symbolizes mother earth, the water life-giver, the leaves life and the coconut divine consciousness. Commonly used during almost all religious rites, the pitcher also stands for goddess Lakshmi.

 
leaf
The water in the Purnakumbha and the coconut have been objects of worship since the Vedic age. The coconut (Sanskrit: Sriphala = God's fruit) alone is also used to symbolize 'God'. While worshipping any deity, a coconut is almost always offered along with flowers and incense sticks. Other natural objects that symbolize divinity are the betel leaf, the areca-nut or betel-nut, banyan leaf and the leaf of 'bel' or vilva tree.
 
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