Tag: sanskrit tattoo designs
You Should Choose Sanskrit Tattoo Designs Because Of These Reasons
by Tim Newton on Mar.06, 2009, under Sanskrit Tattoo Designs Articles
There are many different types of tattoo designs, so why single out Sanskrit tattoo designs for special praise? What makes them better than dreamcatcher tattoo designs, for example? Because of these 5 reasons:
1. Sanskrit Has An Ancient History
Did you know that Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages on Earth, dating to before 1500 BC? Prominent language scholars like Heinrich Roth, Johann Ernst Hanxleden and Sir William Jones say that Sanskrit can be considered the Mother of all languages. Modern languages from the Indian subcontinent were derived from it, while many Asian and even modern European languages show its influence.
Not only does Sanskrit have a deep history, it even shares some advanced concepts in computer science. The Backus-Naur Form used to design modern computer languages has many parallels with the Sanskrit grammar defined by the ancient scholar, Panini. This grammar is the reason which keeps this language pure even after 3500 years.
2. Rich Mythologies Inspire Many Beautiful Designs
Much like Ancient Greek, Latin, and Norse, Sanskrit has a rich mythology. There are many stories of gods and great heroes, deeds of derring do, and legendary acts recorded in this language. For example, the Mahabharata has over 24,000 verses, making it one of the largest epic poems in the world. The Ramayana is two times bigger than both the Iliad and Odyssey combined. With such a wealth of mythology, it easily inspires many beautiful tattoo images.
If you love large, rich, complex tattoo designs like tigers, dragons and phoenix, why not think about creating a tattoo inspired by a scene from the Mahabharata or Ramayana?
3. Highly Spiritual/Mystic
Sanskrit was a language originally created for religion. Among the earliest religious texts in the world are the Sanskrit Vedas. The Vedas were later expanded into the Sutras (different from the Buddhist Sutras), then the Tantras, Shastra, Siddhanta and Jataka.
Even modern Indian companies, educational institutions and governments have created their mottoes by taking inspiring sayings from Sanskrit religious texts. For example:
- Life Insurance Corporation of India – Yogakshemam Vaha-myaham – “I shall take care of welfare” (taken from the Bhagavad Gita)
- Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology – Aa No Bhadra Kratavo Yanthu Vishvataha – “Let noble thoughts flow into your mind from all sides” (taken from the Rig Veda)
Take a page from these organizations and tattoo an inspirational saying from one of these ancient texts. If you are the spiritual or mystic sort, why not create a tattoo to call down the blessings of the gods on yourself?
4. Easy To Tattoo
Basic Sanskrit tattoo designs can be easy to create. The most popular images – the Trishula (Trident), Om, Padme (Lotus) – only need broad lines to shape them. The Sanskrit word tattoos are highly structured. You just need to etch the horizontal line on top, then the rest of the curved script beneath it.
5. Very Flexible
Sanskrit tattoo designs are very flexible. You can make armband tattoos, lower back tattoos, in memory tattoos, and much more.
For example, women might make lower back tattoos using the Lotus flower superimposed with the Om symbol while men may make a Trident tattoo on their biceps. If you do not like these images, why not use the Sanskrit written script to create your own tattoo designs? Armbands can be made as thin or thick as you like using various written Sanskrit alphabets.
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What Are The Top Three Sanskrit Tattoo Designs?
by Tim Newton on Feb.13, 2009, under Sanskrit Tattoo Designs Articles
I wonder what happened to good taste? I’ve been seeing more and more ugly tattoos lately, as well as the most outlandish piercings. Sure, I know that there have always been people with poor taste, but what I just saw was just plain ugly. A large blotchy tattoo covering half the face and the entire scalp and neck, as well pierced eyelids, pierced lips and pierced tongue. The tattoo itself was unrecognizable – more like someone threw paint on that youngster’s face. Whatever happened to traditional gorgeous designs like dragons, tigers and eagles, or the more modern tattoos based on ancient languages? For example, Sanskrit tattoo designs have a rich mythos and wealth of symbology which can be worked into astonishingly beautiful and elaborate designs. So, what are the top three Sanskrit tattoos?
Om Symbol
The Om symbol often appears in Sanskrit tattoo designs. This is not surprising, as it is the primary chant in many types of meditation which originate in the East. The sound Om is said to be one of the primal sounds which created the Universe. It both represents the three states of human consciousness (waking, dream and deep sleep) as well as the three main Hindu gods (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva).
In calligraphy, it is frequently written or drawn as Omkar, based on the form of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu elephant-headed God. There are four different parts – the upper curve represents the head, the large lower curve represents the belly, the side curve is the trunk, the semi-circle and dot are the sweetmeat ball held in the hand. This symbol represents the goal and Purpose of Life, the Truth of the world, the material world and the Sacred spiritual world, all that has form and all that is Formless.
Lotus Flower Together With The Om Symbol
The sacred lotus flower is called Padme in Sanskrit. This flower closes at night and sinks under the water, only to emerge in the morning to bloom again. For this reason, the ancient Hindus took the lotus as their symbol for the cycle of creation and destruction of the world. In the myth of Creation, in the same way that Brahma created the world, He was born from a lotus blossom springing from the navel of the god Vishnu.
In tattoos, the lotus flower is often drawn in a stylized manner, much like the bright, colorful Mandalas which Hindus draw on the floor for their religious celebrations. Many Sanskrit tattoo designs actually combine the Om and Padme (lotus) symbols together in various ways. Sometimes you see them superimposed, other times you see one on top of the other.
Lord Shiva’s Trident Symbol
Lord Shiva’s three-pronged trident is another popular image in tattoos. In Sanskrit, it is known as Trishula. Like much of Sanskrit symbology, it represents several trinities of ideas. The Trishula could represent the cycle of creation, maintenance and destruction of the worlds. It could equally mean the past, present and future.
For those who practice Kundalini Yoga meditation, the Trishula is a symbol of the three main energy channels of the human body coming together at the brow.
Given that Shiva cut off Ganesha’s original head with the Trishula, it is probably wise not to use this symbol together with the Omkar.
It is not important for you to know the meanings of all those Sanskrit symbols used in your tattoos, but don’t you think that it makes your tattoo art a lot more interesting? After all, just treating your Sanskrit tattoo designs as just a piece of nice-looking visual body art is rather boring, isn’t it?
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Three Reasons For You To Get Sanskrit Tattoo Designs
by Tim Newton on Jan.26, 2009, under Sanskrit Tattoo Designs Articles
Getting a new tattoo for yourself? Try Sanskrit tattoo designs. Why? Because Sanskrit is a very ancient language. It came from India and spread to the rest of the world, becoming the root of a number of modern languages. Now, Sanskrit itself is a dead language, only used in Hindu religious texts in India. If you think antiques and other ancient stuff are cool and interesting, you will definitely like these designs on your skin.
Here are three reasons why you should get Sanskrit tattoos:
1) They are popular, appearing on a number of Hollywood celebrities. Alyssa Milano has been seen with an Om tattoo on her wrist while Jessica Alba has a lotus blossom. Sanskrit tattoo designs are a great addition to the list of popular tattoos for women.
Permanent bracelets using Sanskrit characters are increasing in popularity. Some people like to use just the symbol Om around their wrist. Others prefer something that serves as a protective charm, for example “Om Jraam Jreem Jroum Sah Gurave Namaha” for achieving success in all things and general protection in all matters.
2) Sanskrit tattoo designs have a very deep meaning behind them.
For example, Om is said to be the sound which the Hindu God of Creation, Brahma, uttered to create the world.
Lotus flowers, too, are linked to the creation of the world. Because they rise from the water every morning to bloom, then close and sink underwater at night, they symbolize the cycle of creation and destruction of the world. The blooming lotus flower represents Brahma uttering the Om to create the world, while the closing of the flower represents the destruction of the world by Shiva.
This is one reason why the design of a lotus flower with a super-imposed Om symbol is so popular.
3) Sanskrit tattoo designs are beautiful.
The elegant curves of the Sanskrit alphabet, and the way the horizontal bar on top of each alphabet links up to each other makes a very beautiful design. The great age of the Sanskrit language, and its use for recording great myths and legends like the Mahabharata and Baghavadgita, also gives Sanskrit a depth and wealth of symbols to inspire many beautiful tattoos.
Overall, Sanskrit tattoo designs are popular and accessible, have great depth of meaning, and beautiful. Sanskrit tattoos are a great addition to your collection, and also good if you only want one tattoo. This is also good if you are just trying out your first tattoo, and want to get something inconspicuous. Other good designs for first-timers are small Celtic crosses, flowers, roses and hearts.
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