Symbolism in Sanatana Dharma

Date: June 1, 2025 Part 5: Understanding Hindu Rituals Continued from Part 4 Rituals are physical acts that establish our relationship with the Divine. The act of a ritual establishes rules and patterns of behaviour that we adopt towards the Divine. There is a philosophy, meaning and significance behind every ritual. Rituals become beautiful and meaningful

Date: May 12, 2025 Part 4: Vishnu, the Lord of the Universe Continued from Part 3 The word Vishnu is derived from the Sanskrit root “vish” which means “to pervade.” So, Vishnu is “the one who pervades” or “the all-pervasive”. Vishnu is the inside-out of the whole creation. Vishnu symbolises Brahman, the Ultimate Source of all that

Date: April 16, 2025 Part 3: Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer Continued from Part 2 Nataraja is an aspect of Shiva. He is the Cosmic Dancer. The word Nataraja literally means the Lord of Dance. In all the religious literatures of the world, we would usually find statements like “God created the universe” or such similar ideas.

Date: April 1, 2025 Part 2: Symbolism in Murti Puja Continued from Part 1 During his Parivrajaka days when Swami Vivekananda was travelling all over India on foot, he happened to be visiting the princely state of Alwar in Rajasthan. Raja Mangal Singh, the king of Alwar told him that he did not believe in

Date: March 18, 2025 Part 1 Introduction: The Language of Symbolism Those who are born outside the tradition of Hinduism generally feel completely at a loss to understand the spectacle that unfolds before their eyes whenever they are confronted with any outward signs of it. Lacking a single authority like Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, Hinduism