Symbols and Its meaning

Symbol of Goddess Lakshmi1. The symbol of Lotus is indicative of being aware of our surroundings

and at the same time, be above our surroundings. The goddess Lakshmi is on the lotus and that signifies that the intent of the ‘symbol’ of Lakshmi is to indicate that we need to seek things that are higher than the rest.

2. Symbol of Wealth – if one puts a lady on a lotus, the lotus will sink – so wealth is not stable and we need to seek something higher and stable

3. One Hand – which is pointing down does not mean that she is blessing us with wealth – but is asking us to wait for our turn to seek higher knowledge

4. The other hand which is showering gold is again symbolic as the gold is either landing in a vessel or a pot – indicative that wealth if collected will remain in one place and ultimately wealth goes back to earth – and one cannot take wealth with them in the form of money or gold – thus should seek higher ‘wealth’ or knowledge.

5. One hand is holding a “kalash” which consists of a coconut – which is again a symbol of our head or the ‘self’ indicating that we need to seek what is important for our inner self.

6. There is one more that is holding a small lotus – indicative of the purity or rising via experience (lotus is usually found in marsh lands)

7. Overall, the symbol of this goddess is to focus on the aspect that true wealth is about something beyond money and gold and one needs to seek something that is stable instead of depending on gold or money which is predominantly very unstable.

Symbol of Goddess Saraswathi1. Lady on a Rock – indicates that knowledge is rock solid – now the

question is – what kind of knowledge is rock solid?2. There is one hand holding beads or ‘mala’ so, one way of seeking

knowledge is via meditation or ‘japa’3. One hand is holding the 4 vedas – but it is not held tightly, so

another way is via scriptures, but that too is not the ultimate knowledge

4. There are two hands that are playing an instrument called as “veena”. This is supposed to be an instrument created by Ravan or Ravana who tore up his internal nerves and created this instrument to please Shiva. This instrument is special because it stimulates the nerves which is the innermost attribute of a person – the soul. Thus, true knowledge is one that stimulates one’s soul.

5. So what is that true knowledge? The vehicle of this goddess is a swan – also known as “hamsa” in sanskrit. If one chants the word “hamsa” the word that comes out is “Saha : Aham” which in sanskrit means – Sah: (saha) means you, aham means me, so true knowledge is the state which takes one to negate all the difference between you and me – indicating that all are one and we all belong to the god consciousness.

6. To seek the true knowledge, it is important to realize that there are multiple means, chants, meditation, reading, etc, but the ultimate realization is when one negates the difference between one entity to the other and gets into the context of waves of bliss or “soundarya lahari”

Symbol of Lord Ganesha1. Elephants are metaphors for Knowledge, Intelligence and good Memory. A

person who has the head of an elephant would possess these traits of knowledge, intelligence and memory. These can be used to identify, assess and implement a solution to any problem. This is also a sign of the path of DIKW - Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom - the path that all beings take to assimilate, understand and acknowledge. This cannot be possible without the ability to listen to all (large ears) and be able to focus on what needs to be done (small eyes)

2. The multiple hands are a metaphor for being ambidextrous and having the ability to do many things at the same time. This complements the huge head - supporting the ability to think in multiple direction and also having the ability to implement them. The trunk is again a metaphor for being flexible and reachable.

3. A person with a huge body is also a metaphor for great strength. Elephants eat plants - fibers which are not easy to digest. So, a person who has the health and ability to digest anything is a metaphor for the aspect of 'acceptance' and 'endurance'

4. In some images/idols of Ganesha, there is a snake around the stomach as a belt. Snake is a metaphor for desires and a person who has 'tied' his desires will not be swayed by any kind of temptation.

5. The various instruments are symbols of bonding (rope/lotus) and unbonding (axe) - which again is a metaphor for the ups and downs of life and the importance to handle these ups and downs with listening, knowledge and intelligence.

6. The mouse is a metaphor for dexterity and the ability to move fast. Imagine having all the above skills along with the ability to move fast. This unusual combination is also symbolic of coexistence with nature and others.

7. All the food and fruits are all at the feet while only one plate of food is on hand - indicating that eat what is needed and let the rest of them be away.

8. The symbol of the 'blessing' hand is again to wait for your turn to reach this state via the knowledge of Saraswathi and blessings of Lakshmi

In Conclusion○ It is important that the symbols of these 'divine' beings are there to guide us to seek higher

knowledge. ○ One being always complements the other○ Lakshmi gives us the guidance of what we should NOT concentrate on, while Saraswathi

gives us focus on what we should and Ganesh shows us the result of following Lakshmi and Saraswathi

○ It is important that one understands the intent and the concept of these symbols to move from one level of spirituality to the next

○ Ultimately, it is these symbols and its intent that is the basis of the wonderful philosophy of hinduism.

○ One needs to get down to the basic level of why these symbols are created and what was the purpose of these symbols to be able to understand and introspect the beauty of how our gurus and sages have put together to help each one of us to move to the state of self consciousness and thus achieve great heights in both personal and professional life.