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Swastika
is derived from su (well), asti (is) and ka (a noun ending). It means
‘it is well’ and hence signifies happiness, pleasure and good luck. It is a mystic symbol or figure, which is sacred to most Indian sects. The symbol is shaped like a Greek cross with the extremities of the four arms bent round in the same direction. |
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A
swastika is of two types: the right-handed or male, representing the
vernal sun and the god Ganesha. In this Swastika, the extremities
of the arms of the cross bend clockwise. It is considered auspicious.
The
left-handed or female cross represents the autumnal sun and the goddess Kali.
Its arms are bent in an anti-clockwise direction and it is believed to be
inauspicious.
The
auspicious symbol is used by the religiously inclined on the opening page
of account books. It is also used in ceremonies related to marriage,
tonsure, the worship of Lakshmi, and during the invocation of the
nine planets. It is worshipped as a symbol of the sun, Ganesha
and the
serpent kingdom. According to the Vayu Purana, serpents bear the
sign of a swastika on their hoods. In festivals and on auspicious
occasions, the swastika is drawn on the floor of the house. A yogasana
(see Yoga) is named after this symbol, and is considered to signify or
evoke good luck.
Many
theories have been propounded about the swastika. It has been described as
the emblem of Zeus, the god of sun, fire and rain, the Trinity (see Trimurti)
and also the Supreme Being, Brahman. Most scholars however regard it as a
fire or solar symbol and hence it is called the solar or fire cross. It is
believed to be derived from the chakra, which is symbolically
reduced to four spokes and set at right angles. In the Vedas it is
referred to as ‘the wheel of the sun’. It indicates cosmic procession
and evolution around a fixed center. It also represents the principle of
life and movement that transfers the dwarf to the giant and the microcosm
to the macrocosm, named rkvam, the rhythmic movement.
This
symbol has been in use since the time of the Indus
Valley Civilization (c. 3000 BC - 700 BC). A large number of seals discovered in
Harappa, one of its prime sites, bear swastika designs. Since then, it has
represented good luck. Panini, the great Indian scholar, used this symbol
as the name of a sign in his grammatical treatise, Ashtadhyayi (‘Eight
Chapters’, 450 BC).
The
symbol is not exclusive to India and is known all over the world. Proof of
its widespread use has been found in archaeological discoveries in Egypt,
China, Greece and Mexico. Curiously, Hitler used the inauspicious
anti-clockwise swastika the Nazi emblem. |
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