What does swastik symbolises

A Change in Meaning In the 1800s, countries around Germany were growing much larger, forming empires; yet Germany was not a unified nation until 1871. To counter the feeling of vulnerability and the stigma of youth, German nationalists in the mid-19th century began to use the swastika, because it had ancient Aryan/Indian origins, to represent a long Germanic/Aryan history. By the end of the 19th century, the swastika appeared in German nationalist "volkisch" (folk) periodicals and was the official emblem of the German Gymnasts' League. At the beginning of the 20th century, the swastika was a common symbol of German nationalism and could be found in a multitude of places such as the emblem for the Wandervogel, a German youth movement; on Joerg Lanz von Liebenfels' anti-Semitic periodical Ostara; on various Freikorps units; and as an emblem of the Thule Society. What Does the Swastika Mean Now? There is a great debate as to what the swastika means now. For 3,000 years, it represented life and good luck. But because of the Nazis, it has also taken on a meaning of death and hate. These conflicting meanings are causing problems in today's society. For Buddhists and Hindus, the swastika is a commonly used religious symbol. Italian summer camp forming group backwards swastika. De Agostini / Foto Studio Leoni / Getty Images But since the Nazis' use of the swastika, some people are trying to differentiate the two meanings of the swastika by varying its direction—making the clockwis...

The word “swastika” is derived from the Sanskrit svastika –“su” (“good” or “auspicious”) united with “asti” (“it is”), along with the diminutive suffix “ka.” The swastika literally means, “It is good” or”all is well”. The swastika is a cross with four arms of equal length, with the ends of each arm bent at a right angle. It is found worldwide in the art of the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Celts, Native Americans, and Persians. It is also related to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and is used in the flag of the Nazi Party. People use swastika as a charm to bring good fortune. Meaning of swastika in Hinduism It is believed that the word appeared for the first time Harivamsha Puranaand is noted to be absent in the Vedic Sanskrit. The word is found to be used, both in Ramayana and Mahabharata, but with a different meaning. Hindus consider the swastika as a symbol of auspiciousness, prosperity, and good fortune and use it to mark the opening pages of account books, pooja, doors, offerings, and thresholds. It is believed to have the power to ward off misfortune and negative forces from its surroundings. The swastika is considered as Lord Ganesha, by some sects of Hindu people, and is worshiped to bring in good luck or fortune. Some people believe that the swastika’s cross represents God and creation. They consider the four bent arms stand for the four human aims (purushartha) – righteousness (dharma), wealth (artha), love (kama), and liberation, (moksha). It is a persuasive emblem of...

The swastika is a symbol as old as humanity itself, one which to this day, despite it being confused with the hateful Nazi emblem, has a powerful positive message. We’ve gone over some of that history in 1) The Four Limbs Represent the Four Vedas: The left represents the Rig Veda, the top the Yajur Veda, the right the Sama Veda, and the bottom, the Atharva. Together these form the foundational teachings of Hinduism, representing several millennia of spiritual exploration and insight. 2) They Represent the Four Stages of Life: Clockwise from top: Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, Sannyasa. These are the four ashrama, or stages of life. When you are young you are in the brahmacharya stage, a student. After that comes the householder stage, grihastha. Then later in life comes vanaprastha, where you become a retired elder. Finally, a renunciation of material comforts and desires takes over during the final stage of sannyasa. Some people, after going through the brahmacharya stage, devote their entire lives to spiritual pursuits and enter sannyasa then. 3) And the Four Goals of Life: Accompanying the four stages of life are the four goals of life, the purusharta, (clockwise from left): Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. Very briefly, these are the four aims of life, and really encompass all the human experience. Dharma is the pursuit of living with a mode of conduct most conducive to spiritual advancement ; artha is the pursuit of prosperity; kama is seeking pleasure in life; mok...

Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • Importance of Swastika Swastika signifies good luck, peace, prosperity, auspiciousness, and universal brotherhood. Any Hindu ritual, whether it is a wedding, Satya Narayan Katha, Nav Graha Poojan, Grah Pravesh, or any other Pooja ceremony is not complete without using this symbol. It is marked all over the objects used in Hindu Pooja Rituals. The Swastika symbol can be seen in abundance on The swastika is derived from Sanskrit word “Swasti” meaning may all be well with you. The Swastika symbol has gained widespread popularity not only in the Hindu Religion but is also used in Buddhism and Use of Swastik Across Cultures and Continents In fact, Swastik has been used across many cultures and continents. The symbol of Swastika was used in Ancient Greece. It can be found in the remains of the ancient city of Troy. It was also used by the ancient Druids and Celts, the Nordic Tribes, and even by the early Christians. Adolf Hitler also used the Swastika Symbol. The Swastika symbol is known by different names in different countries. In China, Swastika is known as ‘Wan.’ In Japan, it is known as ‘Manji.’ In England, it is known as ‘Fylfot.’ In Germany, it is known as ‘Hakenkreuz’ and as ‘Tetraskelion’ or ‘Tetragammadion’ in Greece. A very renowned Sanskrit Scholar P.R. Sarkar in 1979 pointed out that the deeper meaning of ‘Swastika’ word is ‘Permanent Victory.’ He also stated that the Swastika symbol could take positive and negative meaning depe...

When archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann traveled to Ithaca, Greece in 1868, one goal was foremost in his mind: discovering the ancient city of Troy using Homer’s Iliad. The epic poem was widely believed to be no more than a myth, but Schliemann was convinced otherwise. For him, it was a map to the hidden location of ancient cities. Over the next several years the German businessman, who made his fortune in trading raw materials for ammunition production, tramped around the Mediterranean. Schliemann took Homer’s advice on everything from local customs to It wasn’t until 1871 that Schliemann achieved his dream. The discovery catapulted him to fame, and with his fame came a burst of interest in all that he uncovered. The intrepid archaeologist found his Homeric city, but he also found something else: the swastika, a symbol that would be manipulated to shape world history. Schliemann found his epic city—and the swastika—on the Aegean coast of Turkey. There, he continued the excavations started by British archaeologist Frank Calvert at a site known as He would go on to see the swastika everywhere, from Tibet to Paraguay to the Gold Coast of Africa. And as Schliemann’s exploits grew more famous, and archaeological discoveries became a way of creating a narrative of national identity, the swastika grew more prominent. It exploded in popularity as a symbol of good fortune, appearing on Coca-Cola products, Boy Scouts’ and Girls’ Club materials and even American military uniforms, “T...

Amazing facts about India. In 1921, Robert Baden Powell founded the Boy Scouts movement. And he used a specific symbol to denote gratitude to those who helped the Boy Scouts and thus became part of their brotherhood. And that was the swastika symbol. Robert Baden Powell wrote these lines when explaining why he chose the swastika: “…Anyway, whatever the origin was, the Swastika now stands for the badge of fellowship among Scouts all over the world, among Scouts all over the world, and when anyone has done a kindness to a Scout it is their privilege to present him or her with this token of their gratitude, which makes him a sort of member of the Brotherhood, and entitles him to the help of any other Scout at any time and at any place…” Thus, the swastika symbolized friendship. Interestingly, a birthday card printed in 1907 by E. Philips in the United States of America used the swastika as a good luck symbol. The text on the back of the card explained the secret of the swastika symbol as: The swastika is the oldest cross and emblem in the world. It forms a combination of four ‘Ls’ standing for luck, light, love and life. It has been found in ancient Rome, excavations in Grecian cities, on Buddhist idols, on Chinese coins dated 315 BC. and our own Southwest Indians use it as an amulet. It is claimed that the mound builders and cliff-dwellers of Mexico, Central America, consider the swastika, a charm to drive away evil and bring good luck, long life and prosperity to the posses...

• 1 The swastika was long used as a symbol of well-being in ancient societies, including those in India, China, Africa, native America, and Europe. • 2 Adolf Hitler designed the Nazi flag in 1920. He combined the swastika with the three colors of the German Imperial flag (red, black, and white). • 3 Nazi symbols, including the swastika flag, are banned in a number of countries today, including Germany. The Origins of the Swastika The word swastika comes from the Sanskrit svastika , which means “good fortune” or “well-being." The motif (a hooked cross) appears to have first been used in Eurasia, as early as 7000 years ago, perhaps representing the movement of the sun through the sky. To this day , it is a sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Odinism. It is a common sight on temples or houses in India or Indonesia. Swastikas also have an ancient history in Europe, appearing on artifacts from pre-Christian European cultures. Its “Discovery” and Meanings in Modern Europe The symbol experienced a resurgence in the nineteenth century, as a result of growing European interest in the ancient civilizations of the Near East and India. During his extensive excavations, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the hooked cross on the site of ancient Troy. He connected it with similar shapes found on pottery in Germany and speculated that it was a “significant religious symbol of our remote ancestors.” Other European scholars and thinkers linked the symbol t...