Meaning of SWASTIK..

In Sanskrit svastika means "all is well". It is a cross with four arms of equal length, with the ends of each arm bent at a right angle. Sometimes dots are added between each arm.

The swastika is an ancient symbol and very very common in India. It came from the Sanskrit word svasti (sv = well; asti = is), meaning well-being, good fortune, luck etc.

The swastika is most commonly used as a charm to bring good fortune. The right-hand swastika is one of the 108 symbols of the god Vishnu as well as a symbol of Surya or Sun. The symbol imitates in the rotation of its arms the course taken daily by the sun, which appears in the Northern Hemisphere to pass from east, then south, to west. (It is also a symbol of the sun among Native Americans.)

In India auspicious symbol of the swastika is very commonly used in Hindu art, architecture and decoration. It can be seen on temples, houses, doorways, clothing, cars, and even cakes. It is usually a major part of the decoration for festivals and special ceremonies like weddings.

The left-hand swastika (called a sauvastika) usually represents the terrifying Black magic. However, this form of the swastika is not "evil" and it is the form most commonly used in Buddhism. In Buddhism, the swastika signifies auspiciousness and good fortune as well as the Buddha’s footprint and the Buddha's heart. The swastika is said to contain the whole mind of the Buddha and can often be found imprinted on the chest, feet or palms of Buddha images. It is also the first of the 65 auspicious symbols on the footprint of the Buddha.

The swastika has also often been used to mark the beginning of Buddhist texts. In China and Japan, the Buddhist swastika was seen as a symbol of plurality, eternity, abundance, prosperity and long life.

The swastika is used as an auspicious mark on Buddhist temples and is especially common in Korea. It can often be seen on the decorative borders around paintings, altar cloths and banners. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is also used as a clothing decoration.

The Nazis adopted the swastika because it was understood as an Aryan symbol indicating racial purity and superiority. (The Nazis propagated a historical theory in which the early Aryans of India were white invaders.) There may also be a connection with the swastika's magical connections, for Hitler and other Nazi leaders were keenly interested in the occult.

Jai Gurudev :)