“Swastika an ancient religious symbol”

Swastika (卐) an ancient religious symbol used by Hindus symbolizes surya (sun), prosperity , Power , good luck and well-being.

The swastika  is also  used by Buddhists and Jains for and is commonly assumed to be an Indian sign. It is believed since golden ages that  that swastika has a power  to fix the vastu of the house. It throws out the negative energies from the life of a person. It is also believed that during the auspicious work, making the symbol of the swastika gives more auspicious results of that work. Along with Indian culture Various Eurasian, African and American cultures also widely recognized it. 

The swastika is an important Hindu symbol.The swastika symbol is commonly used before entrances or on doorways of homes or temples, to mark the starting page of financial statements, and mandalas constructed for rituals such as weddings or welcoming a newborn. The swastika has a particular association with Diwali, being drawn in rangoli or formed with deepak lights on the floor outside Hindu houses and on wall hangings and other decorations.

 In the diverse traditions within Hinduism, both the clockwise (卐)  and counterclockwise  (卍) swastika are found, with different meanings. The clockwise or right hand icon is called swastika, while the counterclockwise or left hand icon is called sauwastika or sauvastika.

The clockwise swastika is a solar symbol (Surya), suggesting the motion of the Sun in India (the northern hemisphere), where it appears to enter from the east, then ascend to the south at midday, exiting to the west. The counterclockwise sauwastika is less used; it connotes the night, and in tantric traditions it is an icon for the goddess Kali, the terrifying form of Devi Durga. The symbol also represents activity, karma, motion, wheel, and in some contexts the lotus.

 

 The Origin And Meaning of the swastika:

 The word swastika has been used in the Indian subcontinent since 500 BCE. The swastika is an ancient symbol that is originated in India with its roots in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism.

The word itself is said to be derived from the Sanskrit root, swasti, which is composed of su, meaning ‘good’ or ‘well’, and asti, meaning ‘it is’. It generally translates to ‘it is good.’The word swasti appears frequently in the Vedas and can mean good, auspicious, luck, success and prosperity.

It is said that The word swastika was first recorded by the ancient linguist Paṇini in his work Ashtadhyayi.

 How swastika can be drawn:

The above  video explains the procedure to draw a swastika. Swastika is one of the most auspicious symbols in Hinduism. It represents Lord Ganesha, the destroyer of obstacles.

There are two rules which should be observed while drawing a Swastika. 

1) All vertical lines in a Swastika should be drawn from bottom to top.

2) All horizontal lines in a Swastika should be drawn from left to right direction.

Swastika drawn in this way is all auspicious for everyone.

 Significance of Swastika Symbol in Indian Culture:

Swastika is also known as Satiya. The Vedic sages composed some special symbols based on their spiritual experiences. Swastika is one of these signs, which signify Mars and express happiness in life. Today the swastika is used differently in every religion and culture. According to Vastu Shastra, there are four directions in the Swastika East, West, North, and South. Therefore, it is worshiped in every Hindu auspiciousness, and in the same way, it is worship in some form in every religion. But according to Hindu beliefs, these lines are symbols of the four Vedas Rig Veda, Yajurveda, Atharva Veda, and Samaveda. Some also believe that these four lines show the four ends of Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe. In the Hindu religion, it is very auspicious to draw Swastik before any big or small ritual. At the beginning of any puja ritual in India, be it a wedding or Grah Pravesh Swastik sign is made and it is considered to bring good fortune.

Historical use of Swastika :

In Asia, the swastika symbol first appears in the archaeological record around 3000 BCE in the Indus Valley Civilisation It also appears in the Bronze and Iron Age cultures around the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.

In all these cultures, the swastika symbol does not appear to occupy any marked position, appearing as just one form of a series of similar symbols of varying complexity. In the Zoroastrian religion of Persia, the swastika was a symbol of the revolving sun. It is one of the most common symbols on Mesopotamian coins. The icon has been of spiritual significance to Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The swastika is a sacred symbol in the Bon religion, native to Tibet. 

In the diverse traditions within Hinduism, both the clockwise and counterclockwise swastika are found, with different meanings. The clockwise or right hand icon is called swastika, while the counterclockwise or left hand icon is called sauwastika or sauvastika.

The clockwise swastika is a solar symbol (Surya), suggesting the motion of the Sun in India here it appears to enter from the east, then ascend to the south at midday, exiting to the west. The counterclockwise sauwastika is less used; it connotes the night, and in tantric traditions it is an icon for the goddess Kali, the terrifying form of Devi Durga. The symbol also represents activity, karma, motion, wheel, and in some contexts the lotus. According to Norman McClelland its symbolism for motion and the Sun may be from shared prehistoric cultural roots. A swastika shaped temple tank built in 800 CE by Kamban Araiyan during the reign of Dantivarman is outside the temple complex of Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple (Vishnu temple) in Thiruvallarai, Tiruchirappalli, India. It is one of the important monuments of Pallava dynasty. 

In Buddhism, the swastika is considered to symbolise the auspicious footprints of the Buddha.The left-facing sauwastika is often imprinted on the chest, feet or palms of Buddha. It is an aniconic symbol symbolises eternal cycling .

In Jainism, it is a symbol of the seventh tirthankara, Suparsvanatha. In the svetambara tradition, it is also one of the aṣṭamangala or eight auspicious symbols. All Jain temples and holy books must contain the swastika and ceremonies typically begin and end with creating a swastika mark several times with rice around the altar. Jains use rice to make a swastika in front of statues and then put an offering on it.

 The four arms of the swastika symbolise the four places where a soul could be reborn in samsara, the cycle of birth and death– svarga "heaven", naraka "hell", manushya "humanity"or tiryancha "as flora or fauna" – before the soul attains moksha "salvation" as a siddha, having ended the cycle of birth and death and become omniscient.

The negative reputation of swastika symbol in Germany :

Unfortunately, due to its association with the Nazi party in Germany, since the second world war Swastika has acquired a very negative reputation in the West. From the perspective of Hinduism, considering Swastika an evil or negative symbol is similar to calling the day as night. It is what happens when the bad people takeover something that is good and auspicious. It happened to Swastika. As Sri Aurobindo said, it also happened to wealth. Wealth is considered an evil in many parts of the world, because it is largely under the control of asuric forces. When good people fall into the company of the bad, the association itself creates doubts and confusion in the minds of people. If today a person wears a symbol of Swastika on his shirt and goes to a restaurant owned by Jews, he may be asked to leave because it invokes such strong emotions. It will be worse if that person happens to be a Caucasian because he may be mistaken for a Klan member. We must be thankful that Hitler spared the symbol of Aum and the practice of Yoga. Otherwise, we would have had trouble practicing yoga or uttering Aum.

 It may be true that Swastika might have been used by several cultures in the ancient world. However, since the earliest times it has carried a great significance in Hinduism only. As we understand today, the Swastika was essentially a Vedic invention and a very sacred religious motif. For the ancient Indians it was not just a symbol, but an important concept. The symbol became prominent later, especially with the rise of ritual practices, festivals, temple traditions, and domestic, ritual worship in ancient India. Before that, Swastika was used in Vedic rituals both as a sacred world and a sacred symbol. Its importance seems to have grown further with the emergence of Tantra and the rise in the popularity of Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, good fortune and prosperity, as it was used in the construction of various Yantras and Chakras.

some facts about swastika symbol:

• In Sanskrit, the word swastika is a combination of ‘su’ meaning ‘good’ and ‘asti’        meaning ‘to exist’.
• Many Hindus draws swastika on their home entrance .
• There are a variety of symbolic meanings associated with the limbs of the swastika in      Hinduism.
• Other faith traditions originating in India also regularly use the swastika, with similar auspicious meaning.
• The swastika is India’s version of one of humanity’s most enduring, ancient symbols.
• The symbol of swastika also represents activity, karma, motion, wheel, and in some contexts the lotus.
• According to Hindu beliefs, these lines are symbols of the four Vedas Rig Veda, Yajurveda, Atharva Veda, and Samaveda.
• Peoples throughout the world used their own version of the symbol.
• In the diverse traditions within Hinduism, both the clockwise (卐) and counterclockwise  (卍) swastika are found, with different meanings.
• The clockwise or right hand icon is called swastika, while the counterclockwise or left hand icon is called sauwastika or sauvastika.
• The word swastika was first recorded by the ancient linguist Paṇini in his work Ashtadhyayi.
• The symbol had a major resurgence of usage in Europe and North America in the 19th century as a good luck symbol.
• Swastika is also known as Satiya.
• The Nazis used the hakenkreuz to represent their notion of Aryan identity. Where they miserably failed is in their understanding of the meaning of the Sanskrit term ‘aryan’.
•  After the horrors committed by the Nazis, there has been a justifiable revulsion to Nazi symbolism, including the Nazi presentation of its emblem.
•  In 2008, at the second Hindu-Jewish Leadership Summit a resolution formally           recognized the long positive history of the swastika.

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