Author: Gautam Chatterjee
Sanjay Chatterjee/
Photographer: Sanjay Chatterjee
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
Year: 0000
Language: English
Pages: 118
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8170173205
Description
Hinduism is not merely a religion but a way of life. Hinduism, in its traverse of four thousand years, has accumulated many a belief and practice, which encompass the whole socio-religio-cultural life of a devout. Since the mythological past, Hinduism is studded with varied signs and symptoms, which are mystic in character and symbolic in nature, and are also sacred symbols of spiritualism as well.
These symbols are the sacred rivers; mystic mantras like OM and GAYATRI; the auspicious symbol of Swastika; the Shivalinga, Salagram Shila or sacred stone objects; Tripundra Tilaks or Urdhapundra Tilaks- the process of besmearing the body with different marks of sandal pastes; the sacred conch or Sankha and venerated trees which have medicinal value and spiritual ethos like Tulsi, Vata, Rudraksha, etc. All these are part of modern Hinduism but to many devouts and observers these symbols stand enigmatic! Thus this book attempts to explore and unearth the hidden philosophy of these signs and gauge the socio-scientific base and tries to find out the real meaning of ritualistic methodologies of these symbols, which are the great objects of veneration of the Hindus down the ages.
Contents
PREFACE
LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Signs and Symptoms of Hinduism
Sacred Hindu Scriptures: An Overview
The Hindu Pantheism
Sacred Animal Symbols
The Mysticism of Mantra
The mystic mantra Om
The sacred gayatri mantra
The sacred swastika
Symbol of temple worship
The symbolic water and sacred rivers
Namaskar or Pranam: The sacred posture of Hindu salutation
The sacred Sikha
The Shivalinga
Tripundra: The Shaivite Tilaks
Salagram Shila
Urdhapundra: The Vaishnavite Tilaks
Sankha-the Sacred Conch
The Symbolism of Sacred Trees
Rudraksha: The Tears of Shiva
The Sacred Tulsi
The Sacred Bilva Tree
The Sacred Vata Vriksha
The Sacred Peepal Tree
The Sacred Kadali Tree
Mango Tree
Betel Leaf or Pan
Durba Grass
Soma Plant
Sacred Karpura
Sacred Flowers
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX