Similarly, in a society of people that has many ideas, beliefs, castes etc, yet they must get firmly tied with the nation
Several rituals and customs practised in Hinduism have some compelling reasons. In fact sometimes there’s science behind, sometimes belief system, a social practise or it’s due to traditions, which have been followed over centuries. But at the end of it, it’s symbolism. Today, we look at few customs and what it signifies.
Tortoise at the entrance of the temple
Ever wonder why this wise tortoise, which is a symbol of longevity, adorns almost all the Hindu temples around the world? It has a deep symbolic meaning, with its body parts (tail, head and the four limbs) being the centre of the concept. The six body parts symbolise six traits — Kaam (lust), krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh (human attachment to various things and people in life), mada (pride) and matsarya (envy). These emotions, if not controlled, tends to destroy a human’s peace of mind, among other things. A tortoise can take its body parts inside its shell and still survive. In a symbolic way, in order to be content with life and be happy, a person is expected to control these vices and look within. Even Bhagavad Gita (2.58) mentions this, stating, “One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.”
Significance of Lotus
Lotus grows in a muddy water body and despite this, not a bit of mud is found on the flower. This, in a symbolic way is seen as that where you come from doesn’t matter, as far as you know where you are heading. The leaves of the lotus flower is known to not hold on to anything on it, even a drop of water tends to slither down. What it symbolises is, that once a deed/action is done, we shouldn’t cling on to it. The thought that goes in to this, which is also mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, is that like the lotus leaves, which despite staying on the water, never retains even a drop of water-detachment to the karma. The idea also behind it being the national flower is that it had several petals stretched outward, yet they are all tied at its centre. Similarly, in a society of people that has many ideas, beliefs, castes etc, yet they must get firmly tied with the nation.
The writer Dr Asawari Bapat is PhD in ‘The Brahma and Kshatra in the Orient and Occident Thought’. Currently she is a guide for PhD students in the department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai.
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