In
Hinduism, the two symbols represent the two forms of the creator God,
Brahmā: facing right it represents the
evolution of the universe (
Pravritti), facing left it represents the
involution of the universe (
Nivritti). It is also seen as pointing in all four directions (North, East, South and West) and thus signifies stability and groundedness. Its use as a sun symbol can first be seen in its representation of the god,
Surya. The swastika is considered extremely holy and auspicious by all Hindus, and is regularly used to decorate all sorts of items to do with Hindu culture. It is used in all Hindu
yantras and religious designs. Throughout the subcontinent of India it can be seen on the sides of temples, written on religious scriptures, on gift items, and on letterhead. The Hindu god
Ganesh is often shown as sitting on a lotus flower on a bed of swastikas.
The swastika is found all over
Hindu temples, signs, altars, pictures and iconography where it is sacred. It is used in all Hindu weddings, festivals, ceremonies, houses and doorways, clothing and jewelry, motor transport and even decorations on food items like cakes and pastries. Amongst the Hindus of
Bengal, it is common to see the name "swastika" (
Bengali:
স্বস্তিক sbastik) applied to a slightly different symbol, which has the same significance as the common swastika, and both symbols are used as auspicious signs. This symbol looks something like a stick figure of a human being.
[14] "Swastika" (
স্বস্তিক Sbastik) is a common given name amongst
Bengalis[15] and a prominent literary magazine in
Kolkata (Calcutta) is called the
Swastika.
The
Aum symbol is also sacred in Hinduism. While Aum is representative of a single primordial tone of creation, the Swastika is a pure geometrical mark and has no syllabic tone associated with it. The Swastika is one of the 108 symbols of
Lord Vishnu and represents the sun's rays without which there would be no life.
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