Udgītha ( उद्गीथ); meaning "song, chant", a word found in Samaveda and bhasya (commentaries) based on it. It is also used as a name of the syllable Om in Chandogya Upanishad. [25] The colour of the top panel shall be India saffron (Kesari) and that of the bottom panel shall be India green. The middle panel shall be white, bearing at its centre the design of Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour with 24 equally spaced spokes. [18]

Kartar Singh Bhalla (2002). Let's Know Sikhism: A Religion of Harmony, Brotherhood and Tolerance. Star Publications. p.40. ISBN 978-81-7650-055-5. Ekākṣara; literally, "one letter of the alphabet", referring to its representation as a single ligature. (see below) The use of saffron in the national flag and as political symbolism has been opposed. [8] One line of opposition asserts that the color is sacred and should not be politicized. [8] Another source of opposition comes from Islamists who claim the color is forbidden in Islam and strongly prohibited to be worn by the males. [8] [20] Officially enacted by the government of India in 2002, the Flag Code of India is a set of laws and practices pertaining to the display and use of the flag of India. For example, one rule dictates the select governmental groups that are allowed to display the flag on cars, including the president and prime minister. horizontally striped deep saffron (muted orange)–white–green national flag with a 24-spoked blue chakra (wheel) in the centre. The flag’s width-to-length ratio is 2 to 3. 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 EuropeAitareya Brahmana, 7.18.13 [3] Upanishads [ edit ] Ōṃ is given many meanings and layers of symbolism in the Upanishads, including "the sacred sound, the Yes!, the Vedas, the udgitha (song of the universe), the infinite, the all encompassing, the whole world, the truth, the Ultimate Reality, the finest essence, the cause of the universe, the essence of life, the Brahman, the ātman, the vehicle of deepest knowledge, and self-knowledge ( ātma jñāna)". [29] Chandogya Upanishad [ edit ] The Vaishnava Garuda Purana equates the recitation of Om with obeisance to Vishnu. [94] According to the Vayu Purana, [ citation needed] Om is the representation of the Hindu Trimurti, and represents the union of the three gods, viz. A for Brahma, U for Vishnu and M for Shiva. [95] The Bhagavata Purana (9.14.46-48) identifies the Pranava as the root of all Vedic mantras, and describes the combined letters of a-u-m as an invocation of seminal birth, initiation, and the performance of sacrifice ( yajña). [96] Shaiva traditions [ edit ] Om symbol with a trishula at Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada a b Singh, Wazir (1969). Aspects of Guru Nanak's philosophy. Lahore Book Shop. p.20 . Retrieved 17 September 2015. Some have referred to Hinduism as the Vaidika dharma. [11] The word 'Vaidika' in Sanskrit means 'derived from or conformable to the Veda' or 'relating to the Veda'. [web 4] Traditional scholars employed the terms Vaidika and Avaidika, those who accept the Vedas as a source of authoritative knowledge and those who do not, to differentiate various Indian schools from Jainism, Buddhism and Charvaka. According to Klaus Klostermaier, the term Vaidika dharma is the earliest self-designation of Hinduism. [12] [13] According to Arvind Sharma, the historical evidence suggests that "the Hindus were referring to their religion by the term vaidika dharma or a variant thereof" by the 4th-century CE. [14] According to Brian K. Smith, "[i]t is 'debatable at the very least' as to whether the term Vaidika Dharma cannot, with the proper concessions to historical, cultural, and ideological specificity, be comparable to and translated as 'Hinduism' or 'Hindu religion'." [10] See also: Hindu reform movements Swami Vivekananda was a key figure in introducing Vedanta and Yoga in Europe and the United States, [99] raising interfaith awareness and making Hinduism a world religion. [100]

The term is also used in Buddhist architecture and Shinto to describe the paired statues common in Japanese religious settings, most notably the Niō ( 仁王) and the komainu ( 狛犬). [117] One (usually on the right) has an open mouth regarded by Buddhists as symbolically speaking the "A" syllable; the other (usually on the left) has a closed mouth, symbolically speaking the "Un" syllable. The two together are regarded as saying " A-un". The general name for statues with an open mouth is agyō ( 阿形, lit. "a" shape), that for those with a closed mouth ungyō ( 吽形, lit. "'un' shape"). [117] Katha Upanishad 1.2.15-1.2.16 [66] Maitri Upanishad [ edit ] A Pahari painting of Om ( ओं), c. 1780-1800, decorated with deities: Shiva and Shakti (could be Vaishnavi or Siddhidatri); Vishnu and Lakshmi seated upon Shesha; Harihara (Vishnu-Shiva fusion deity); Brahma; and Dattatreya as a representation of the Trimurti (top-to-bottom, left-to-right)Among the earliest known records of 'Hindu' with connotations of religion may be in the 7th-century CE Chinese text Record of the Western Regions by Xuanzang, [50] and 14th-century Persian text Futuhu's-salatin by 'Abd al-Malik Isami. [note 3] Some 16–18th century Bengali Gaudiya Vaishnava texts mention Hindu and Hindu dharma to distinguish from Muslims without positively defining these terms. [55] In the 18th century, the European merchants and colonists began to refer to the followers of Indian religions collectively as Hindus. [56] [57] [note 12] The use of the English term "Hinduism" to describe a collection of practices and beliefs is a fairly recent construction. The term Hinduism was first used by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1816–17. [47] By the 1840s, the term "Hinduism" was used by those Indians who opposed British colonialism, and who wanted to distinguish themselves from Muslims and Christians. [45] [61] [62] [63] Before the British began to categorise communities strictly by religion, Indians generally did not define themselves exclusively through their religious beliefs; instead identities were largely segmented on the basis of locality, language, varna, jāti, occupation, and sect. [64] [note 13] Definitions Sehdev Kumar (2001), A Thousand Petalled Lotus: Jain Temples of Rajasthan, ISBN 978-8170173489, p. 5 Om came to be used as a standard utterance at the beginning of mantras, chants or citations taken from the Vedas. For example, the Gayatri mantra, which consists of a verse from the Rigveda Samhita ( RV 3.62.10), is prefixed not just by Om but by Om followed by the formula bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ. [54] Such recitations continue to be in use in Hinduism, with many major incantations and ceremonial functions beginning and ending with Om. [16] Brahmanas [ edit ] Aitareya Brahmana [ edit ] Some scholars interpret the first word of the mantra oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ to be auṃ, with a meaning similar to Hinduism – the totality of sound, existence, and consciousness. [110] [111] However, the work of European linguists and other scholars was taken up by racist groups, for whom the swastika was a symbol of “Aryan identity” and German nationalist pride. This conjecture of Aryan cultural descent of the German people is likely one of the main reasons why the Nazi Party formally adopted the swastika or Hakenkreuz (Ger., hooked cross) as its symbol in 1920.