THE WORLD OF SYMBOLS

The world of symbols

The word symbol in simple words means any sign that has some meaning. But the second part that say about the meaning hardly anyone now days try to know about it. 99% of the people does not the meaning behind the various symbol that they either see every day or worship every day.

Now why only symbol why not any other thing, the sole reason behind it is that a symbol create uniqueness that no other thing can create. We can take a simple and a very common example since in Hindu mythology its very common to put Tika or Tilak but did we every thought why people in south put it horizontally and people from north put it vertically it is so because everyone what to be unique and by doing this they try to be unique. Now we can easily say who is from which group.

People in areas like Amazon basin make them self unique buy putting white stripes in their whole body and thus they different from others. Same would be with the Red Indians they make them self from their big red hat that they wear. So these are the various unique symbols that are used by people of various places to create uniqueness.

Almost every one of us worship god in some form. But how many of have questions why lord Ganesha have only the head of elephant why not other animal we only worship god but it’s important to understand the message behind these then only we can implement it and then only it can be told as true worship.

Now talking with respect to Hindu mythology take Lord Ganesha i have taken Lord ganesha because it is the god that symbolises a student so the important question is that why only elephant head why not any other animal it is so because elephant has a biggest ears and this symbolises that as a student we should listen more and speak less because elephant has small mouth. And a big stomach symbolises that as a student we should digest more of new things and should store them too. And also that time big body structure means strength that time.

Take Lord Kali or Lord Durga these are the goddess that show anger and power and whenever there is more of evil then we as a person should kill all the evils around us. But the logical question is why only a Women god why not Men god? Is there any reason behind it. Yes because it’s only in the Indian society in which women are given more importance and considered more powerful than men this symbolises the inner strength of a women. And why Lord Kali took her tong out as she put a leg on Lord Shiva this symbolises that an Indian Women should respect their husband its depict Indian tradition, and whenever required the husband should stop or guide there wife whenever required.

These are the things that we worship every day but we never question why we are doing it, its high time to know what this all symbols mean.

Take a very latest example of Pepsi blue, the company came up with a blue colour Pepsi and it was during the time when the World Cup was going on the main logic behind it was that since the colour of the drink was blue and the colour of India team jersey was also blue people will associate the drink with Indian Team. But what happen?

The product was a flop it does not run as per the expectation the reason that a blue colour symbolises different thing no person can associate any food or drink in colour blue because colour blue means poison and many people even said that it look like kerosene oil, so they rejected the product so just a single colour that symbolises different thing can effect to the extent that it make the whole product.

The same was the case with TVS when it was launch it came with two colour black and green but green colour got the maximum sales not the black it is so because during that time Indian Economy was agriculture economy so people go for green colour and black means evil so people do not prefer black colour so this is another example of how important the symbol can be.

During the time of Election we vote for a particular symbol like lotus means BJP and Palm means Congress and so on. We never remember the name of all the people but we remember the symbol so this is how it creates uniqueness and thus attract us with the help of emotional pull that they belong to our group.

There are many thing in life that we see and do but we never try to know what it symbolises because of this many people misuse the fact and thus guide us to the wrong path so it’s now high time just does not move around because other are saying something just go for what the thing that we worship or see every day says that will guide you to the right path. And thus the world is all about symbols that we see around us and thus how we interpret ate it and take meaning out of it.

- SHANKAR