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> It would be similar to having "God is great" or "Allahu 'Akbar" up there. This is not true, ।।श्री।। is not equivalent to "Allahu Akbar". It is commonly use

> It would be similar to having "God is great" or "Allahu 'Akbar" up there. This is not true, ।।श्री।। is not equivalent to "Allahu Akbar". It is commonly used term to denote a start of something, e.g. a notebook or a new project. I would say it falls in a gray area as it doesn't invoke any Indian deity and is pretty open to interpretation. It's functional equivalent in Indian Islamic tradition is 786.

danans 6y ago
> I would say it falls in a gray area as it doesn't invoke any Indian deity and is pretty open to interpretation. It's functional equivalent in Indian Islamic tradition is 786. Just because it does not invoke a particular deity doesn't mean it is not religious, and specifically Hindu. Unlike many other Sanskrit phrases that can be interpreted in secular contexts, that one is quite specifically Hindu, especially of abstract Hinduism that is more a system of philosophy and political identity then an affinity for any particular deity of the Pantheon. That all said, it's hardly surprising given that Indian culture has long had a tendency to distinctly mark even the most mundane and non-religious aspects of life with religious symbolism, regardless of the religion. The Enlightenment arrived relatively late to India, and with it the secular and religious dualism that is more pronounced in the West, which is why you don't tend to see scientific or technical documentation in the West imbued with religious symbols.
- eyeundersand 6y ago
  Thank you for the response. I'm from Nepal, so I know what a Garuda is and what Shree means. Another commenter also mentioned the connection with Indonesia but you're probably aware that it is the vahan (mount) of the lord Vishnu himself, so it is quite ubiquitous. I had not, for some reason, made the connection with the linux penguin and it makes a lot of sense in that context. Thanks! Regarding the other discussion on 786 and Shree, I agree with you. The closest parallel to Allah hu Akbar I can think of would perhaps be something like Aum Namaha Shivaya, but not really.
  - danans 6y ago
    > The closest parallel to Allah hu Akbar I can think of would perhaps be something like Aum Namaha Shivaya, but not really. Maybe something like Jaya Bhagavaan. Of course the amazing thing (to me) about Hinduism is the tendency towards non standardization, and the sheer diversity of symbolism despite the attempts to simplify it down to a single religious identity.
    - eyeundersand 6y ago
      Yes. Jaya Bhagwaan would be a lot closer, however I can't recall having heard it in any setting. It's usually Jay Shambho or Jay Shree Krishna and such, which are perhaps equivalents, although non-monotheism in the Sanatani Dharma prevents an exact analog to allah hu akbar, imo. Fair point about the non-standardization. Read somewhere that the Sanatani corpus/philosophy is the Linux of religions, which I thought was quite apt. Namaste.

danans 6y ago

> I would say it falls in a gray area as it doesn't invoke any Indian deity and is pretty open to interpretation. It's functional equivalent in Indian Islamic tradition is 786. Just because it does not invoke a particular deity doesn't mean it is not religious, and specifically Hindu. Unlike many other Sanskrit phrases that can be interpreted in secular contexts, that one is quite specifically Hindu, especially of abstract Hinduism that is more a system of philosophy and political identity then an affinity for any particular deity of the Pantheon. That all said, it's hardly surprising given that Indian culture has long had a tendency to distinctly mark even the most mundane and non-religious aspects of life with religious symbolism, regardless of the religion. The Enlightenment arrived relatively late to India, and with it the secular and religious dualism that is more pronounced in the West, which is why you don't tend to see scientific or technical documentation in the West imbued with religious symbols.

eyeundersand 6y ago
Thank you for the response. I'm from Nepal, so I know what a Garuda is and what Shree means. Another commenter also mentioned the connection with Indonesia but you're probably aware that it is the vahan (mount) of the lord Vishnu himself, so it is quite ubiquitous. I had not, for some reason, made the connection with the linux penguin and it makes a lot of sense in that context. Thanks! Regarding the other discussion on 786 and Shree, I agree with you. The closest parallel to Allah hu Akbar I can think of would perhaps be something like Aum Namaha Shivaya, but not really.
- danans 6y ago
  > The closest parallel to Allah hu Akbar I can think of would perhaps be something like Aum Namaha Shivaya, but not really. Maybe something like Jaya Bhagavaan. Of course the amazing thing (to me) about Hinduism is the tendency towards non standardization, and the sheer diversity of symbolism despite the attempts to simplify it down to a single religious identity.
  - eyeundersand 6y ago
    Yes. Jaya Bhagwaan would be a lot closer, however I can't recall having heard it in any setting. It's usually Jay Shambho or Jay Shree Krishna and such, which are perhaps equivalents, although non-monotheism in the Sanatani Dharma prevents an exact analog to allah hu akbar, imo. Fair point about the non-standardization. Read somewhere that the Sanatani corpus/philosophy is the Linux of religions, which I thought was quite apt. Namaste.