also correlated with the phonetic
elements of the sacred sound Om.
Om symbolizes the four states of
consciousness and is the sum and
quintessence of them all. The first stage
of consciousness is waking conscious-
ness, in which one perceives both
subject and object; then dreaming,
in which one’s experience is totally
subjective; then deep sleep, in which
(until waking) even consciousness
of oneself as subject has been lost.
The final state is so removed from
human experience that it cannot be des-
ignated by language, and so is simply
called “the fourth” (turiya). In the
Mandukya Upanishad, this fourth state
is clearly identified as the ultimate truth,
the atmanor inner Self, knowledge of
which brings final liberation of the soul.
Friday
(Shukravar) The fifth dayof the Hindu
week, whose presiding planetis Venus
(Shukra). Friday is also the day of
the week dedicated to the Goddessand
is thus potentially a powerfully
auspicious day. Although the Goddess
can be worshiped in many forms, one
of the most popular in northern India
is Santoshi Ma.Worship of Santoshi
Ma has spread dramatically since its
origin in the mid-1970s.
Full Moon
(Purnimasa or Purnima) In northern
India, the full moon is the final dayof
the lunar month, whereas in southern
India it is often considered the mid-
point. In either case, the full moon car-
ries associations of fullness, completion,
and abundance and is always an auspi-
cious time. One sign of its auspicious-
nessis the commonly accepted belief
that the religious merit generated from
rites performed on the day of a full
moon is equal to rites performed for an
entire month. There are festivals associ-
ated with the full moon of each lunar
month, but the most important are in
Baisakh (Buddha Purnima), Ashadh
(Guru Purnima), Shravan (Raksha
Bandhan), Kartik(Kartik Purnima),
and Phalgun(Holi).Funerary Rites
See deathbed rites, antyeshthi sam-
skara, and shraddha.Friday