Important Hindu Symbols
The Hindu cross 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.
It is one of the 108 symbols of Vishnu
and represents the sun's rays without which there would be no life.
The most sacred symbol in Hindu dharma, Aum (OM) is the sound of
the infinite. Aum is said to be the essence of all mantras, the highest
of all matras or divine word (shabda), brahman (ultimate reality) itself.
Aum is said to be the essence of the Vedas.
By sound and form, AUM symbolizes the infinite Brahman (ultimate reality)
and the entire universe.
A stands for Creation;
U stands for Preservation;
M stands for Destruction or dissolution.
This is representative of the Trinity of God in Hindu dharma (Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva)
The three portions of AUM relate to the states of waking, dream and deep
sleep and the three gunas (rajas, satva, tamas)
The three letters also indicates three planes of existence, heaven (swarga),
earth (martya) and netherworld (patala)
In the Vedas, AUM is the sound of the Sun, the sound of Light. It is
the sound of assent (affirmation) and ascent (it has an upwards movement
and uplifts the soul, as the sound of the divine eagle or falcon.