Ans. The next religious symbol which is also revered by Hindu and ranks second only to OM is the Swastika. Today, the Swastika is know the world over not as a religious symbolism of the Hindus but as the Nazi emblem. Hitler's use of the Swastika on the flag of National-socialist Germany has besmirched the Swastika.

But the Swastika continues to hold a religious significance for the Hindus. Like OM, the origins of Swastika are lost in the misty realms of the past and they can only be guessed by piecing together of the surviving clues. Unlike OM, the Swastika is not a syllable or a letter. It appears to be decorative character which

could have originated in a hieroglyphic (pictorial) script. The various ways in which the Swatika is depicted. is also revered by Hindu and ranks second only to OM is the Swastika. Today, the Swastika is know the world over not as a religious symbolism of the Hindus but as the Nazi emblem. Hitler's use of the Swastika on the flag of National-socialist Germany has besmirched the Swastika.

The word Swastika is normally believed to be an amalgam of the words Su and Asati. Su means 'good' and Asati meant 'to exist'. As per Sanskrit grammar the words "Su" and "Asati" when amalgamated into one word become Swasti (as in the case of

Su and Aaatam becoming Swagatam meaning welcome).

If this derivation of the word Swastika is true, then the literal meaning of the term Swastika would be 'let good-prevail'. There exist many types of signs which stand for the Swastika. Even the standard version has two forms the one facing the right also called the symbol of- the right hand path and the one facing the left called the symbol of the lefthand path.

These two Swastikas are also considered to represent the male and female. There is also a Swastika which is an amalgam of these two types.

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