Hindu Symbols and Their Meanings: Om, Swastika, Lotus and More

What is the main symbol of Hinduism?

Om (ॐ, also written Aum) is the most widely recognized symbol of Hinduism. Hindu scripture describes Om as the primordial sound of creation, and Hindu teachers explain it as standing for the creation, preservation and dissolution of the universe. The written sign has three curves, a crescent and a dot, and each part of the written Om stands for a state of reality.

Om is spoken at the start and end of many mantras, such as Om Namah Shivaya and the Gayatri Mantra. To chant it yourself, see Chanting Om and Om symbol meaning.

What does the swastika mean in Hinduism?

The swastika (svastika) is an ancient Hindu sign of auspiciousness and well-being. At a 2008 Hindu-Jewish leadership summit, a joint resolution called the swastika an ancient and greatly auspicious symbol of the Hindu tradition. Many Hindus draw it at the front threshold of their homes, especially at Diwali, and often inside rangoli. Its four limbs can be read as the four Vedas.

The Hindu swastika is usually upright, often with a dot between each pair of arms. It has nothing to do with the Nazi emblem, which the Nazis called the hakenkreuz ("hooked cross") and which was mistranslated as "swastika".

What does the lotus mean in Hinduism?

The lotus (padma, kamala) grows clean out of muddy water, and it stands for fertility and regeneration. Vishnu holds a lotus in one hand, and Lakshmi is shown standing on a lotus throne and holding lotuses. See Lakshmi and Brahma.

What do the conch, chakra and club of Vishnu mean?

You can recognize Vishnu by four objects he often carries: the discus, the conch, the club and the lotus.

Shankha (conch). The conch is blown like a trumpet in Hindu rituals, and its sound is considered the purest sound, the one from which creation springs.

Sudarshana chakra (discus) and gada (club). Both are weapons, and they signify Vishnu's power to destroy evil.

What do the trishula, damaru and rudraksha of Shiva mean?

Trishula (trident). Shiva uses the trishula like a spear to destroy demons.

Damaru (drum). Shiva often holds a small hourglass-shaped drum. Its sound is said to create life as it echoes through the cosmos.

Rudraksha mala (prayer beads). The beads of Shiva's rosary symbolize all time, past, present and future, and going beyond it. Devotees use malas for japa, the repetition of a mantra. See How a mala is used for japa.

What do the marks on a Hindu forehead mean?

Tripundra (three lines of ash). The three horizontal lines on Shiva's forehead represent three aspects of the divine: the creator, the preserver and the destroyer. During puja, many devotees of Shiva mark their own foreheads with these three lines in sacred ash (vibhuti) or sandalwood paste.

Vaishnava tilak (namam). Devotees of Vishnu wear a U- or V-shaped mark, a stylized footprint of Vishnu, applied in sandalwood paste during puja, often with a red line in the middle.

What does the diya lamp mean?

A diya is a small clay lamp filled with ghee or oil. Lighting it is the simplest act of Hindu worship. At Diwali ("a row of lights") rows of diyas symbolize the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and light over darkness. It is also the lamp waved in aarti. See How to use a diya at home safely.

Why do Hindu deities hold so many symbols?

Hindu images are meant to be read. Many arms emphasize the deity's immense power and ability to do several things at once, and each hand holds an object that tells you who the deity is and what they do. Once you know the objects, you can recognize the deities on a home altar:

Symbol	Sanskrit name	Carried or worn by	What it stands for
Om	Om, pranava	All Hindus	The sound of creation
Swastika	Svastika	Doorways, rangoli	Auspiciousness
Lotus	Padma	Vishnu, Lakshmi	Fertility, regeneration
Conch	Shankha	Vishnu	The purest sound
Discus	Sudarshana chakra	Vishnu	Power that destroys evil
Club	Gada	Vishnu	Power that destroys evil
Trident	Trishula	Shiva	Power over evil
Drum	Damaru	Shiva	The sound that creates life
Prayer beads	Rudraksha mala	Shiva	All time and going beyond it
Three lines of ash	Tripundra	Devotees of Shiva	Creator, preserver, destroyer
U-shaped mark	Vaishnava tilak, namam	Devotees of Vishnu	Vishnu's footprint
Lamp	Diya	Every Hindu home	Light over darkness

To learn who each deity is, see Hindu gods and goddesses, Vishnu and Shiva.

How to use these symbols at home

Most Hindu homes have a small home mandir with a picture or murti, a diya, and often an Om or swastika drawn in kumkum. A simple daily practice is to light the diya, chant Om or a short mantra, and offer a flower. Diya, the app, lets you light a diya, chant along with mantras and keep a daily practice. Diya is available for iPhone. See the Diya app.

Related reading

• Om symbol meaning
• Hindu gods and goddesses
• What is aarti at home?
• Set up a small home mandir