The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hindusim vol 2
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Svayamsevak<br />
reference to any <strong>of</strong> the other pramanas,<br />
the means by which human beings can<br />
gain true and accurate knowledge. <strong>The</strong><br />
issue about whether these things existed,<br />
and what they were if they did, was a<br />
source <strong>of</strong> lively disagreement among<br />
Indian thinkers.<br />
Svayambhu<br />
(“self-born”) Epithet <strong>of</strong> the god Brahma.<br />
This name underscores his role as the<br />
fashioner <strong>of</strong> the worlds—as the agent<br />
responsible for arranging the cosmos,<br />
he cannot himself be a created being.<br />
According to Hindu mythology, at the<br />
beginning <strong>of</strong> each cycle <strong>of</strong> creation<br />
Brahma emerges from the calyx <strong>of</strong> a<br />
lotus that sprouts from the god Vishnu’s<br />
navel; at the time <strong>of</strong> cosmic dissolution<br />
he again enters the lotus, and is reabsorbed<br />
into Vishnu’s body. See Brahma.<br />
Svayambhu<br />
(“self-manifested”) Images<br />
Name denoting any image <strong>of</strong> a Hindu<br />
divinity believed to exist by virtue <strong>of</strong><br />
divine self-revelation, rather than by<br />
being made or established by human<br />
hands. <strong>The</strong>se images are believed to be<br />
intensely holy and powerful, and to have<br />
a more pronounced sense <strong>of</strong> the deity’s<br />
presence. <strong>The</strong>y mark instances where<br />
these deities have revealed themselves<br />
out <strong>of</strong> grace, in order to become accessible<br />
to their devotees (bhakta), and<br />
they are places where the deities are<br />
believed to be particularly present and<br />
“awake,” and thus more receptive to<br />
requests for favors.<br />
Svayambhu images can be found for<br />
each <strong>of</strong> the three major Hindu deities.<br />
Images <strong>of</strong> the Goddess are <strong>of</strong>ten natural<br />
rock formations, such as the image <strong>of</strong><br />
the goddess Kamakhya, which is a natural<br />
cleft in the rock, or the stone images<br />
<strong>of</strong> many <strong>of</strong> the Shiwalik goddesses; they<br />
can take other forms as well, such as the<br />
image <strong>of</strong> the goddess Jwalamukhi,<br />
which is a burning vent <strong>of</strong> natural gas.<br />
For the god Vishnu, the best-known<br />
self-manifested form is the shalagram, a<br />
black stone containing the spiralshaped<br />
fossil shell <strong>of</strong> a prehistoric sea<br />
creature, which is believed to be a symbol<br />
<strong>of</strong> his discus (chakra). <strong>The</strong> god<br />
Shiva’s pillar-shaped symbol known as<br />
the linga appears in the widest variety <strong>of</strong><br />
self-manifested forms. Many <strong>of</strong> these<br />
self-manifested lingas are found in natural<br />
rock formations, such as at<br />
Kedarnath; Amarnath, where the linga<br />
appears as a pillar <strong>of</strong> ice; and the bana<br />
linga, which is a naturally rounded<br />
stone, usually small enough to be easily<br />
portable. Further, in the Hindu religious<br />
groups that stress the subtle body, both<br />
Shiva and the Goddess are believed to<br />
be present within one’s own body. In<br />
some cases for all these deities, carved<br />
images are claimed to be self-manifest<br />
forms; in their usual motif the statue’s<br />
location is revealed to a favored devotee<br />
in a dream. A self-manifested image<br />
is a powerful claim for any site and will<br />
bolster its importance as a place <strong>of</strong><br />
divine access.<br />
Svayamsevak<br />
(“<strong>vol</strong>unteer”) Rank-and-file member <strong>of</strong><br />
the Rashtriya Svayamsevak Sangh (RSS).<br />
<strong>The</strong> RSS is a conservative Hindu organization<br />
the express purpose <strong>of</strong> which is<br />
to provide the leadership cadre for a<br />
revitalized Hindu India; for most <strong>of</strong> its<br />
history it has characterized its mission<br />
as cultural and character-building<br />
rather than religious or political. <strong>The</strong><br />
svayamsevaks are the rank-and-file<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the local RSS branches<br />
(shakhas), and are thus “foot soldiers”<br />
who make up the organization’s core<br />
membership. <strong>The</strong> shakhas in any given<br />
area are overseen by a full-time RSS<br />
worker known as a pracharak (“director”),<br />
who serves as a liaison between<br />
the local units and the RSS leadership,<br />
and oversees RSS activity in his area.<br />
<strong>The</strong> svayamsevak is the lowest level<br />
<strong>of</strong> RSS membership. Most members do<br />
not advance beyond this rank, since to<br />
do so requires complete commitment to<br />
the RSS and its ideals; those who do,<br />
however, are usually gifted leaders. <strong>The</strong><br />
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