- The six pointed star by O J Graham
- Explore the power of astrology TRIKONA by Dr. A.P. Parashar/Dr. V.K. Parashar
If anyone has the book please lend it to me
Sunday, November 21, 2010
found!!!
two interesting book and now i am trying to buy them or borrow them
symbolism
The hexagram is based on the gestalt 
. The earliest examples of 
found are dated back to around 800-600 B.C. If the structure had been designed by a process of random experimentation with the basic graphic gestalt , the hexagram as graphically simpler than 
would have been created long before it. Present archeological and historical facts, however, indicate that first appeared at least 3,000 years later than .
During antiquity was a symbol for the Jewish kingdom. When this kingdom was conquered in A.D. 70, and, in fact, already some 100 years before that, the Jewish people began to spread throughout the world, as did the symbol .
The hexagram is sometimes known as the shield of David or the Magen David. According to the late Danish semiotician S.T. Achen, the Muslims refer to asSolomon's seal, whereas E. Zehren points out that the sign on Solomon's seal was . The hexagram is frequently used in the magic formulas in the old book of witchcraft, The Key of Solomon.
The alchemists of the Middle Ages used first and foremost as a general symbol representing the art of alchemy and secondly as a sign for combinations of 
, water and , fire. Combined these two triangles formed the symbol for fire water, the essence orspiritus of wine: alcohol. It was also used as a sign for quintessence, the fifth element.
In some alchemical contexts, however, was used to mean drink! or swallow!
The Jews in Europe used during the Middle Ages on their banners and prayer shawls. When they were repressed by the Church and the princes, however, a pointed hat, and later a yellow ring, were used to identify them as Jews, thus facilitating their segregation, not .
The hexagram became more popular during the nineteenth century and was used to decorate newly built synagogues. The founders of the Zionist movement adopted the hexagram as a rallying symbol in their attempts to create a Jewish national state in Palestine.
On November 9, 1938, at the orders of Heydrich, the hexagram combined with the colour yellow, earlier used to symbolize the Jews, and on ships' flags to symbolize that there was plague aboard, was introduced to mark all those of Jewish birth.
In blue appears on the flag of Israel since 1948.
It is interesting to note that also appeared in pre-Columbian America. In Uxmal, Central America, a plaited hexagram is found on a cliff engraving from around 1000 A.D. It has a "trailing" or "hanging" element, 
, under it, similar to structures used in the Phoenician cultural sphere around the Mediterranean during antiquity.
The hexagram, plaited and red, is used as a symbol for the Magen David Adom, a humanitarian organization similar to the RedCross.
Like the sign is hardly used in modern ideography except as a sign for electrical motors with 3-phase or 6-phase windingin engineering. The "empty" hexagram, without crossing lines, or the filled version, 
, is never used in Western ideography except as a form for a policeman's badge in Iceland and in certain states in the US (the sheriff's star). As form of a policeman's badge 
is also common in the United States.
. The earliest examples of found are dated back to around 800-600 B.C. If the structure had been designed by a process of random experimentation with the basic graphic gestalt , the hexagram as graphically simpler than would have been created long before it. Present archeological and historical facts, however, indicate that first appeared at least 3,000 years later than . During antiquity
was a symbol for the Jewish kingdom. When this kingdom was conquered in A.D. 70, and, in fact, already some 100 years before that, the Jewish people began to spread throughout the world, as did the symbol .The hexagram is sometimes known as the shield of David or the Magen David. According to the late Danish semiotician S.T. Achen, the Muslims refer to
asSolomon's seal, whereas E. Zehren points out that the sign on Solomon's seal was . The hexagram is frequently used in the magic formulas in the old book of witchcraft, The Key of Solomon.The alchemists of the Middle Ages used
first and foremost as a general symbol representing the art of alchemy and secondly as a sign for combinations of , water and , fire. Combined these two triangles formed the symbol for fire water, the essence orspiritus of wine: alcohol. It was also used as a sign for quintessence, the fifth element. In some alchemical contexts, however,
was used to mean drink! or swallow!The Jews in Europe used
during the Middle Ages on their banners and prayer shawls. When they were repressed by the Church and the princes, however, a pointed hat, and later a yellow ring, were used to identify them as Jews, thus facilitating their segregation, not .The hexagram became more popular during the nineteenth century and was used to decorate newly built synagogues. The founders of the Zionist movement adopted the hexagram as a rallying symbol in their attempts to create a Jewish national state in Palestine.
On November 9, 1938, at the orders of Heydrich, the hexagram combined with the colour yellow, earlier used to symbolize the Jews, and on ships' flags to symbolize that there was plague aboard, was introduced to mark all those of Jewish birth.
In blue
appears on the flag of Israel since 1948.It is interesting to note that
also appeared in pre-Columbian America. In Uxmal, Central America, a plaited hexagram is found on a cliff engraving from around 1000 A.D. It has a "trailing" or "hanging" element, , under it, similar to structures used in the Phoenician cultural sphere around the Mediterranean during antiquity.The hexagram, plaited and red, is used as a symbol for the Magen David Adom, a humanitarian organization similar to the RedCross.
Like
the sign is hardly used in modern ideography except as a sign for electrical motors with 3-phase or 6-phase windingin engineering. The "empty" hexagram, without crossing lines, or the filled version, , is never used in Western ideography except as a form for a policeman's badge in Iceland and in certain states in the US (the sheriff's star). As form of a policeman's badge is also common in the United States.
plan and format
Topic or Focus and working title:
The shatkona as a part of asthmangala and beyond ashtmangla
Justification (Why this topic or focus? What is the purpose of your research for you and for a wider audience? Why is it useful?):
Relationship to theory
There is nothing without a story in Indian Art. Every visual motif has a relevance in where, how and why it is used. The research I propose to take up is based on an aspect of an existing text called History of decorative art in Mughal architecture by R.Nath.
The Concept of the Ashtamangala
There are 8 main motifs used in Indian architecture before the Islamic invasion* which even theMuslims used in their buildings. They are used in other religions too and their meaning changes from religion to religion. The symbol has evolved through time and but the symbolism remains and so does the signification of auspiciousness.Relevance to the external environment/ Need The evolution of these motifs through time is very interesting. These motifs are still seen in our everyday environment, and are part our lives, even if we do not notice them.
Studying each of Ashtamangala symbol would not be feasible in the given time for this research. Therefore, I will focus on one symbol, the Shatkona. The form of the shatakona is made up of two triangles forming a star. The symbol is used in tantra, and other traditional knowledge/faith systems. The shatkona has adapted itself according to the changing times quite well. It’s adaption can be seen all around, my family home has a Iron gate which has star pattern and when I am travelling I can see the pattern on the windshield of car in front of me, pind baluchi has a whole wall which has star pattern. It’s a phenomenon which is going to be interesting to analyze especially in context of its modern day existence/relevance.
There is more confusions than answers everyone has their own conception about the Shatkona.
Relevance to your practice I feel every decorative motif found on our monuments has something to communicate and my research till now confirms it. I feel these motifs need a communicator to communicate their relevance in the society, their survival, their story.
I can see a story and I feel the story hidden behind the Shatkona. My research is an attempt to unearth this story.
What questions and methods you will use to answer them?
Sub questions and method used to answer them:
- What is the concept of the ashtmangalas?
Methods: Literature review. (Which books/articles/papers?)
Books: History of decorative art in Mughal architecture by R. Nath
Articles: Ashtmangala deva prashna by Shyamsundara Dasa
Ashtmangala by world lingo.com
Ashtmangla by symbol dictionary.com
- What is the meaning of Shatkona? From where did it originate? How it’s being used even today? What it was considered then and what it has become now?
Methods: Literature review.
Book: Yantra: the tantric symbol of cosmic unity by Madhu Khanna
Sri yantra – the ancient instrument to control the
psychophysiological state of a man
by alexey pavlovich kulaichev
- Can this generation relate to these motifs in the same way or any other way?
Method: Questionnaire about the motifs to be filled in by youngster and focus group discussion.
- How is it used these days? It’s journey from the forts and palaces to the normal household and from Sriyantra to the sign of satan?
Method: Observing its use taking photographs of it and reading about its uses.
Which main areas of literature do you intend to review and which specific key sources have you already identified
Key sources: Interview, observations of the pics taken and literature review. Use of visual tools?
Papers identified: Islamic star patterns By A. J. Lee
Books identified: History of decorative art in mughal architecture – R. Nath
Yantra: The Tantric Symbol of Cosmic Unity – Madhu Khanna
Tantric way by Ajit Mookerjee
Any other sources: (edit)
Internet
some uses of shatkona (hexagram)
- A six-point interlocking triangles has been used for thousands of years as an indication a sword was made, and "proved," in the Damascus area of the Middle East. Still today, it is a required "proved" mark on all official UK and U.S. military swords though the blades themselves no longer come from the Middle East.
- In Unicode, the "Star of David" symbol is U+2721 (✡).
- There is a plant named Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) in the lily family.
- In alchemy, the two triangles represent the reconciliation of the opposites of fire and water. Non-Jewish Kabbalah (also called Christian or Hermetic Kabbalah) interprets.
- the hexagram to mean the divine union of male and female energy, where the male is represented by the upper triangle and the female by the lower one. Moreover, it derives four triangular symbols from it (two triangles crossed like a capital letter A and two uncrossed) to represent the four elements: water, fire, air, and earth. This use of the symbol was used as an important plot point in Dan Brown's popular novel The Da Vinci Code and the Da Vinci Code film cites this as the origin of the star.
It was also used as a sign for quintessence, the fifth element.
- In southern Germany the hexagram can be found as part of tavern anchors. It is symbol for the tapping of beer and sign of the brewer's guild. In German this is called 'Bierstern' (beer star) or 'Brauerstern' (brewer's star).
- A six-point star is used as an identifying mark of the Folk Nation.
- The main runways and taxiways of Heathrow Airport are arranged roughly in the shape of a hexagram.
- A hexagram in a circle is incorporated prominently in the supports of Worthing railway station's platform 2 canopy (UK).
frustrating part of my research
whenever i try to find smething on shatkona i find the same bit of information every where be it some book or be it some website. I want information beyond that bit. If anyone knows anything about shatkona or can suggest me some book please comment
meeting with amba sanyal and jolly rohtagi
they both used to teach us cultural study while we were in foundation. Jolly ma'm taught us the concept of mandla which is also called yantra. So i called them and fixed a time to meet them
Amba ma'm : Amba ma'm found the topic interesting though she had little information about it. She asked me to meet jyotindra jain in IGNCA and discuss this topic with him as she feels he is the expert on this topic.
Jolly ma'm : As she was the one who taught me mandla i had expectation she can be one of my expert but she said she has very little information about shatkona and i should talk to kapila devi vatsyayan about this. She even suggested me to talk to zacharias sitchin but sadly he expired few days ago. She told me that meeting the tantriks will be a nice idea but there is a difference between thinkers and the makers. They might make or use yantras but i am not sure they know much about it, but if you could find a learned tatntrik he will be your best expert. She told me i can find a tantrik in Rishikesh.
About yin and yang thing she said every civilization has it archetypal symbols they might be related or there might be no relation at all, but its difficult to find a relation.
Amba ma'm : Amba ma'm found the topic interesting though she had little information about it. She asked me to meet jyotindra jain in IGNCA and discuss this topic with him as she feels he is the expert on this topic.
Jolly ma'm : As she was the one who taught me mandla i had expectation she can be one of my expert but she said she has very little information about shatkona and i should talk to kapila devi vatsyayan about this. She even suggested me to talk to zacharias sitchin but sadly he expired few days ago. She told me that meeting the tantriks will be a nice idea but there is a difference between thinkers and the makers. They might make or use yantras but i am not sure they know much about it, but if you could find a learned tatntrik he will be your best expert. She told me i can find a tantrik in Rishikesh.
About yin and yang thing she said every civilization has it archetypal symbols they might be related or there might be no relation at all, but its difficult to find a relation.
confusions left in my mind
- How is this thing similar or different from the concept of yin and yang as even yin and yang represents union.
- When exactly was it originated and how this concept developed?
- How powerful is shatkona alone without the contour of yantra around it.
- What is the difference between shatkona and five point star?
- how do the tantriks use it? I wanted to talk to tantriks of today and know what they think about the shatkona and is it relevant to their sadhna as described in the text.
- When exactly was it originated and how this concept developed?
- How powerful is shatkona alone without the contour of yantra around it.
- What is the difference between shatkona and five point star?
- how do the tantriks use it? I wanted to talk to tantriks of today and know what they think about the shatkona and is it relevant to their sadhna as described in the text.
meeting with Dr. Madhu Khanna.
Dr. Madhu Khanna wrote a book on yantra and has done a lot of research in the field of tantra. She is teaching at Jamia milia, Delhi at this moment.So I went to meet her.
I told her that I am doing research on Shatkona and i want her guidance on how to go further on this topic. She asked me to read her book as it will give me a fair idea about shatkona. She told me that shatkona is the basic foundation of every yantra, you can not conduct a puja without shatkona. She said we also assume a bindu and trikona to be shatkona as it depicts union.
Anahata: The Heart Chakra
origin
It is possible that as a simple geometric shape, like for example the triangle, circle, or square, the hexagram has been created by various different peoples with no connection to one another.
The hexagram is a mandala symbol called satkona yantra or sadkona yantra found on ancient South Indian Hindu temples built thousands of years ago. It symbolizes the nara-narayana, or perfect meditative state of balance achieved between Man and God, and if maintained, results in "moksha," or "nirvana" (release from the bounds of the earthly world and its material trappings).
Another theory, though apparently not very substantiated, about the origin of the shape is that it is simply 2 of the 3 letters in the name David: in its Hebrew spelling, David is transliterated as 'D-V-D'. In Biblical Hebrew, the letter 'D' (Dalet) was written in a form like an upside-down and backwards "L", but when seen in the Greek, the letter "Delta" (Δ) is a triangle. The symbol may have been a simple family crest formed by flipping and juxtaposing the two most prominent letters in the name. The letter "W" in this case could reference the compositing operation of the two Deltas.
Some researchers have theorized that the hexagram represents the astrological chart at the time of David's birth or anointment as king. The hexagram is also known as the "King's Star" in astrological circles.
In antique papyri, pentagrams, together with stars and other signs, are frequently found on amulets bearing the Jewish names of God, and used to guard against fever and other diseases. Curiously the hexagram is not found among these signs. In the great magic papyrus(Wessely, l.c. pp. 31, 112) at Paris and London there are twenty-two signs side by side, and a circle with twelve signs, but neither a pentagram nor a hexagram.
How do YANTRAS work ?
At the basis of YANTRA operation is something called "shape energy" or "form energy". The idea is that every shape emits a very specific frequency and energy pattern. Examples of old believes in shape energy are the YANTRAS and mandalas of eastern philosophies, the star of David, the five pointed star (pentagon), the Christian cross, the pyramids and so on. Certain 'powers' are ascribed to the various shapes. Some have 'evil' or negative energies and some 'good' or positive energies, but in YANTRA Yoga only the benefic and harmonious energies are used.
When one focuses on a YANTRA, his mind is atomatically "tuned in" by RESONANCE into the specific form energy of that YANTRA. The process of RESONANCE is then maintained and amplified. The YANTRA acts only as a "tune in" mechanism or a doorway. The subtle energy does not come from the YANTRA itself, but from the MACROCOSM.
Basically YANTRAS are secret keys for establishing RESONANCE with the benefic energies of the MACROCOSM. Very often the YANTRAS can put us in contact with extremely elevated energies and entities, being of invaluable help on the spiritual path.
At this moment, there is little known about YANTRAS in the Western world. Many people consider them just pretty pictures and some artists claim to draw "YANTRAS" from their imagination. They are very far from the true meaning and use of YANTRAS. First of all, YANTRAS cannot simply be invented from imagination. Every specific mood and emotion has an associated form energy and shape. This unequivocally determines the form of the YANTRA associated to that mood. The traditional YANTRAS were discovered through revelation, by clairvoyance, not invented. One needs to be a true spiritual master, a tantric guru, to be able to reveal a new YANTRA to the world.Search the Internet and the libraries and you will find very little consistent knowledge about YANTRAS. Some people placed YANTRAS upside down, a monument of their ignorance. You cannot place a YANTRA just any way you please. Anyone knows that when the cross is held upside down, it is no longer a benefic symbol. A YANTRA put upside down is no longer the same YANTRA.
Yantra
What is a YANTRA ?
YANTRA literally means "support" and "instrument". A YANTRA is a geometric design acting as a highly efficient tool for contemplation, concentration and meditation. YANTRAS carry spiritual significance : there is a specific meaning that pertains to higher levels of consciousness.
The YANTRA provides a focal point that is a window into the absolute. When the mind is concentrated on a single, simple object (in this case a YANTRA), the mental chatter ceases. Eventually, the object is dropped when the mind can remain empty and silent without help. In the most advanced phases, it is possible to attain union with God by the geometric visualization of a YANTRA.
The YANTRA is like a microcosmic picture of the MACROCOSM. It is a focusing point and an outer and inner doorway. The YANTRAS are often focused on a specific deity and so. by tuning into the different YANTRAS you can tap into certain deities or creative force centers in the universe.
YANTRAS are usually designed so that the eye is carried into the center, and very often they are symmetrical. They can be drawn on paper, wood, metal, or earth, or they can be three-dimensional.
The most celebrated YANTRA in India is the Sri YANTRA, the YANTRA of Tripura Sundari. It is a symbol of the entire cosmos that serves to remind the practitioner of the nondifference between subject and object.
IN SIMPLE WORDS ITS THE GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF A MANTRA
trikona and bindu
The Tiangle (TRIKONA)
The triangle (TRIKONA) is the symbol of SHAKTI, the feminine energy or aspect of Creation. The triangle pointing down represents the YONI, the feminine sexual organ and the symbol of the supreme source of the Universe, and when the triangle is pointing upwards it signifies intense spiritual aspiration, the sublimation of one's nature into the most subtle planes and the element of fire (AGNI TATTVA). The fire is always oriented upwards, thus the correlation with the upward triangle - SHIVA KONA. On the other hand, the downward pointing triangle signifies the element of water which always tends to flown and occupy the lowest possible position. This triangle is known as SHAKTI KONA.
The intersection of two geometric forms (lines, triangles, circles, etc.) represents forces that are even more intense than those generated by the simple forms. Such an interpenetration indicates a high level in the dynamic interaction of the correspondent energies. The empty spaces generated by such combinations are described as very efficient operational fields of the forces emanating from the centeral point of the YANTRA. That is why we can very often encounter representations of MANTRAS in such spaces. YANTRA and MANTRA are complementary aspects of SHIVA and their use together is much more efficient than the use of one alone.
The Dot (BINDU)
the dot (BINDU) signifies the focalized energy and its intense concentration. It can be evnisaged as a kind of energy deposit which can in turn radiate energy under other forms. The dot is usually surrounded by different surfaces, either a triangle, a hexagon, a circle etc. These forms depend on the characteristic of the deity or aspect represented by the YANTRA. In the tantric iconography, the dot is named BINDU; in tantra BINDU is symbolically considered to be SHIVA himself, the source of the whole creation.
redefined brief
The concept of shatkona was interesting an I was so enchanted that i wanted to study it further, so i decided to study shatkona in detail. Some images of shatkona:
Shatkona
The Six Points Star (SHATKONA)
A typical combination often found in the graphical structure of a YANTRA is the superposition of two triangles, one pointing upwards and the other downwards, forming a star with six points (SHATKONA), also known as David's Star. This form symbolically represents the union of PURUSHA and PRAKRITI or SHIVA-SHAKTI, without which there could be no Creation.
bell and chain motif
I could not find much about it except the book by R.Nath. It depicts the awakening of deity by the sound of bell
swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing (卐) form or its mirrored left-facing (卍) form. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Pakistan as well as Classical Antiquity. It remains widely used in Eastern religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Following a brief surge of popularity in Western culture, the swastika from the 1930s became strongly associated with its iconic usage by Nazi Germany, and it has hence become stigmatized and to some extent taboo in the Western world; it has notably been outlawed in Germany if used as a symbol of Nazism. Many modern political extremists and Neo-Nazi groups such as Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging and Russian National Unity use stylised swastikas or similar symbols.
The word swastika is derived from the Sanskrit word svastika, meaning any lucky or auspicious object, and in particular a mark made on persons and things to denote good luck. It is composed of su- meaning "good, well" and asti "to be" svasti thus means "well-being." The suffix -ka either forms a diminutive or intensifies the verbal meaning, and svastika might thus be translated literally as "that which is associated with well-being," corresponding to "lucky charm" or "thing that is auspicious." The word in this sense is first used in the Harivamsa.[2]As noted by Monier-Williams in his Sanskrit-English dictionary, according to Alexander Cunningham, its shape represents a monogram formed by interlacing of the letters of the auspicious words su-astí (svasti) written in Ashokan characters
The Sanskrit term has been in use in English since 1871, replacing gammadion (from Greek γαμμάδιον). Alternative historical English spellings of the Sanskrit word include suastika,swastica and svastica.
Other names for the shape are:
- crooked cross, hook cross or angled cross (German: Hakenkreuz).
- cross cramponned, ~nnée, or ~nny, in heraldry, as each arm resembles a crampon or angle-iron (German: Winkelmaßkreuz).
- fylfot, chiefly in heraldry and architecture. The term is coined in the 19th century based on a misunderstanding of a Renaissance manuscript.
- gammadion, tetragammadion (Greek: τέτραγαμμάδιον), or cross gammadion (Latin: crux gammata; French: croix gammée), as each arm resembles the Greek letter Γ (gamma).
- sun wheel, a name also used as a synonym for the sun cross.
- tetraskelion (Greek: τετρασκέλιον), literally meaning "four legged", especially when composed of four conjoined legs (compare triskelion (Greek: τρισκέλιον)).
- The Tibetan swastika (卍) is known as g-yung drung
The Buddhist sign has been standardised as a Chinese character 卍 (pinyin: wàn) and as such entered various other East Asian languages such as Japanese where the symbol is called卍字 (manji). The swastika is included as part of the Chinese script in the form of the character "萬" (pinyin: wàn) and has Unicode encodings U+534D 卍 (left-facing) and U+5350 卐 (right-facing). In Unicode 5.2, four swastika symbols were added to the Tibetan block: U+0FD5 ࿕ (right-facing), U+0FD6 ࿖ (left-facing), U+0FD7 ࿗ (right-facing with dots) and U+0FD8 ࿘ (left-facing with dots)
Monday, November 8, 2010
cakra
Chakra (derived from the Sanskrit cakraṃ चक्रं ([ˈtʃəkrə̃]), pronounced [ˈtʃəkrə] in Hindi; Pali: chakka ॰हक्क, Tamil: சக்கரம், Chinese: 轮, Tibetan: འཁོར་ ལོ་; khorlo) is a Sanskrit word that translates as "wheel" or "turning".
Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices which, according to traditional Indian medicine, are believed to exist in the surface of the etheric double of man. The Chakras are said to be "force centers" or whorls of energy permeating, from a point on the physical body, the layers of the subtle bodies in an ever-increasing fan-shaped formation. Rotating vortices of subtle matter, they are considered the focal points for the reception and transmission of energies. Different systems posit a varying number of chakras; the most well known system in the West is that of 7 chakras.
It is typical for chakras to be depicted as either flower-like or wheel-like. In the former, a specific number of "petals" are shown around the perimeter of a circle. In the latter, a certain number of spokes divide the circle into segments that make the chakra resemble a wheel (or "chakra"). Each chakra possesses a specific number of segments or petals.
Texts describing the chakras go back as far as the later Upanishads, for example the Yoga Kundalini Upanishad.
It basically represents sun and time.
We can see it all around us in pre islam architecture. Even our national emblem has it. It's in khajuraho, mainly used in konark sun temple, ajanta caves bagh caves, sarnath etc.
It appears in birbal's palace, akbar's tomb,jehangiri mahal in the mughal architecture.
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