Pranava yoga is meditation on the sacred mantra Om, as outlined in the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It is also called Aum yoga and Aum yoga meditation. It is, simply put, fixing the mind on the sound of the mantra “Aum” – the sacred syllable that both symbolizes and embodies Brahman, the Absolute Reality – as the mantra is constantly repeated in unison with the breath. The purpose of pranava yoga is to become free from suffering and limitation.
The purpose is well stated in the Prashna Upanishads:
“What world does he who meditates on Aum until the end of his life, win by That? If he meditates on the Supreme Being with the syllable Aum, he becomes one with the Light, he is led to the world of Brahman [the Absolute Being] Who is higher than the highest life, That which is tranquil, unaging, immortal, fearless, and supreme.”
— Prashna Upanishad 5:1.5.7
The mantra Aum[edit]
Aum, according to Hindu philosophy, is the primordial sound from which the whole universe was created. Aum, also called the Pranava, is the original Word of Power, and is recited as a mantra. A mantra is a series of verbal sounds having inherent sound-power that can produce a particular physical or psychological effect, not just something that has an assigned intellectual meaning. The word mantra derives from the Sanskrit expression mananaath thraayathe which loosely means “a transforming thought”; literally, “that which, when thought, carries one across [the worldly ocean of sorrow]”. The power of a mantra lies in its ability to produce an objective, perceptible change in the yogi who repeats it correctly.
In the yoga tradition, Aum is the most sacred of holy words, the supreme mantra. Aum is also called the Pranava, a Sanskrit word which means both controller of life force (prana) and life-giver (infuser of prana). “That which causes all the pranas to prostrate themselves before and get merged in the Paramatman, so as to attain identity with Him, is for that reason known as the Pranava.” – Atharvashikha Upanishad 1:10a.[1] Aum is called the Shabda Brahman – God as Sound/Vibration. According to yoga theory, the universe has emanated from this primal movement in God. By following the thread of Aum back in meditation to more and more subtle levels of awareness, the yogi regains union with Brahman.[2][3][4]
The Upanishads[edit]
The Upanishads (both the major and minor) are full of references to Aum and meditation on Aum. Below is a small sampling:
- “He who utters Om with the intention ‘I shall attain Brahman’ does verily attain Brahman.” – Taittiriya Upanishad 1.8.1
- “The Self is of the nature of the Syllable Om…Meditate on Om as the Self” – Mandukya Upanishad 1.8.12, 2.2.3)
- “The form of meditation that came to manifest as the foremost of all, for the regeneration of all seekers, was the First Word, indicative of Brahman [God]: the Syllable Om. Meditation on Om should be resorted to by seekers after liberation. This Syllable is the Supreme Brahman.” – Atharvashikha Upanishad 1:1,2
- “God is the Syllable Om, out of Him proceeds the Supreme Knowledge.” – Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:17
- “Om is Brahman, the Primeval Being. This is the Veda which the knowers of Brahman know; through it one knows what is to be known.” – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.1.1
- “One should meditate on this Syllable [Om].” – Chandogya Upanishad 1.1.1
- “The Syllable Om is the bow: one’s self, indeed, is the arrow. Brahman is spoken of as the target of that. It is to be hit without making a mistake. Thus one becomes united with it [Brahman] as the arrow becomes one with the target.” – Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.4
- Katha Upanishad 1.2.15, 1.2.16, 1.2.17
Bhagavad Gita[edit]
Speaking from the perspective of the Infinite Being, enumerating his major manifestation-embodiments, Krishna says: “I am the syllable Om.”(Gita 7:8) He also says the same thing in 9:17 (“I am…the sacred monosyllable”) and 10:25 (“Among words I am the monosyllable Om”).
What to “do” with aum is then outlined by Krishna: “Engaged in the practice of concentration… uttering the monosyllable Om–the Brahman–remembering Me always, he…attains to the supreme goal. I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast Yogi who constantly and daily remembers Me.”– Bhagavad Gita 6:13; 8:12-14[5]
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali[edit]
| Pada (Chapter) | English meaning | Sutras |
|---|---|---|
| Samadhi Pada | On being absorbed in spirit | 51 |
| Sadhana Pada | On being immersed in spirit | 55 |
| Vibhuti Pada | On supernatural abilities and gifts | 56 |
| Kaivalya Pada | On absolute freedom | 34 |
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the most ancient and authoritative text on Yoga, outlines the purpose and process of yoga as follows:
“Ishwara [God] is a particular Purusha [Spirit, Person] Who is untouched by the afflictions of life, actions, and the results and impressions produced by these actions. In Him is the highest limit of omniscience. 36 Being unconditioned by time He is teacher even of the ancients. His designator [vachaka] is the Pranava [Om]. 37 Its japa [constant repetition] and bhavanam is the way [or: should be done]. From it result [come] the disappearance of obstacles and the turning inward of consciousness. Disease, languor, doubt, carelessness, laziness, worldly-mindedness, delusion, non-achievement of a stage, instability, these cause the distraction of the mind and they are the obstacles. [Mental] pain, despair, nervousness, and agitation are the symptoms of a distracted condition of mind. For removing these obstacles [there should be] the constant practice of the one principle [the japa and bhavanam of Om].” – Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1:24-32[7]
Opinions on Aum[edit]
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“[Remembrance of the Pranava] must become so automatic that you cannot breathe without remembering It.”
“Om is the root of all sounds. Every other sound is contained in That, and It is used to take one beyond all sound.”[8]
“OM is the mantra, the expressive sound-symbol of the Brahman Consciousness in its four domains from the Turiya to the external or material plane. The function of a mantra is to create vibrations in the inner consciousness that will prepare it for the realisation of what the mantra symbolises and is supposed indeed to carry within itself. The mantra OM should therefore lead towards the opening of the consciousness to the sight and feeling of the One Consciousness in all material things, in the inner being and in the supraphysical worlds, in the causal plane above now superconscient to us and, finally, the supreme liberated transcendence above all cosmic existence. The last is usually the main preoccupation with those who use the mantra.” Letters on Yoga, Vol. II, p. 745-46
“If you are a serious student of Vedic mantras, you will chant Om because Vedic mantras begin with Om. Om, or the Omkara, is Krishna. Many people are fond of chanting Omkara. That is also nice, because Omkara is Krishna. If we simply remember, This Omkara is Krishna then we become perfect, because the goal is to become Krishna conscious. So you can become Krishna conscious while chanting Om.”[9]
“Om is the highest Name of God, and comprises many other Names of God. It should be borne in mind that Om is the Name of God exclusively—and of no other object material or spiritual—while the others are but descriptive titles and not exactly proper names.”[10]
“This is the Ultimate Word: but can any express its marvellous savor? He who has savored it once, he knows what joy it can give. Kabir says: Knowing it, the ignorant man becomes wise, and the wise man becomes speechless and silent.”[11]
“Constant japa of the Pranava, Omkar, Which is self-revealing, and constant focus on It as the form of Ishvara, and dedicating all actions to It as if you are not the doer yourself; is Kriya Yoga.”[12]
“Following the path of discrimination, let the pure mind be firmly fixed in Om.”[13]
“‘What will you gain’, some sages ask, ‘by merely hearing this sound?’ You hear the roar of the ocean from a distance. By following the roar you can reach the ocean. As long as there is the roar, there must also be the ocean. By following the trail of Om you attain Brahman, of which the Word is the symbol. That Brahman has been described by the Vedas as the ultimate goal.”[14]
“The purport of prescribing meditation on the Pranava is this. The Pranava is Omkara…the advaita-mantra which is the essence of all mantras…. In order to get at this true significance, one should meditate on the Pranava. …The fruition of this process is samadhi which yields release [moksha], which is the state of unsurpassable bliss.”[15]
- Amit Ray
In the book Om Chanting and Meditation:
Om chanting is a creative art, not just mechanical repetition of a word. Om is known as Pranava, which means new, the ever fresh. So, each uttering of Om mantra is always new, unique and fresh. We all are unique…. Therefore, our utterances of Om should be spontaneous and unique.[16]
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 — Los Angeles, July 1, 1970:
Gargamuni: Purport. “Vāsudevāya means to Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva. As by chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, one can achieve all the good results of charity, austerity, and penances, so by the chanting of this mantra, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, it is to be understood that the author or the speaker or any one of the readers of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam offer respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure. In the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the principles of creation are described, and as such the First Canto can be called ‘Creation.’ “
Prabhupāda: So this om means addressing the Lord. In the all the Vedic mantras they are addressing. Our this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, mahā-mantra, that is also addressing. Hare, Hare, addressing the energy of the Lord, Harā. The energy is Harā, Rādhā, Sītā. So when a female is addressed, it is like that: Hare, Late, Sīte, Rādhe. So Hare means addressing first, first of all the energy. The impersonalists, they do not know this, this addressing first of all Kṛṣṇa’s energy. We Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, we don’t worship Kṛṣṇa alone, ekala-vāsudeva. No. We must worship Kṛṣṇa along with His energy. Just like Kṛṣṇārjuna, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Arjuna is also energy, living entity, and Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, His internal energy, and marginal energy. So Kṛṣṇa means with His energy. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This bhagavate means full of energies. I have several times explained bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who possesses. Bhagavān. That is the meaning of word bhagavān. So when this bhagavān word is addressed, it is addressed as bhagavate. The word is bhagavat, bhagavat-śabda. Of course, these are grammatical arrangement. Vat, this affix, is there when it is meant… Sanskrit, every word, every syllable, has got meaning. That is Sanskrit language. It is not like that “beauty but, (?) beauty put.” No. If you say “beauty but,” then you must say “peauty put.” But in English, “beauty but, peauty put.” So in Sanskrit language, you cannot do like that. If you have to follow the rules, then the same rule will go on. So bhagavate address, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudevāya. This is the form of, fourth form of, śabda, sound vibration, fourth form. Just like kṛṣṇāya. When I offer something, kṛṣṇāya, viṣṇave. Similarly, bhagavate, vāsudevāya.
Initiation Lectures
Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture — Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:
Now the purport of this mantra I have several times explained, again explaining. Namaḥ. Namaḥ means surrender. Namaḥ om namaḥ, this is the way of chanting Vedic mantra. Oṁ means addressing the Absolute, and namaḥ means “I am surrendering.” Every Vedic mantra is begun om namaḥ. Oṁ means addressing. So this mantra is chanted with surrender, namaḥ. Nothing can be done without surrender because our, this conditional life is rebellious life. We have rebelled against the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. That is conditioned life. There are so many theses to support this rebellious condition. Somebody is thinking that “I am one with God”; somebody is thinking, “God is dead”; somebody is thinking, “There is no God”; somebody is thinking, “Why you are searching God? There are so many Gods loitering in the street.” So in this way many theses are there. All of them are different symptoms of rebellious condition. The sum and substance… Just like atheists, they are boldly saying, “There is no God.” Now…, but the impersonalists saying, “There may be God, but He has no head, He has no tail. That’s all.” So in this way our condition is rebellious condition. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā instructs that “You surrender.” Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So without surrender, there is no question of making any spiritual progress. Just like a person who has rebelled against the government—the first condition is to surrender; otherwise there is no question of mercy from the government. Similarly anyone, the living entity, any one of us who has rebelled against the supremacy of the Lord, the beginning of spiritual life is surrender.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk — April 1, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Kāla, kāla-sarpa means the dead(ly) poisonous snake, kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. Everyone knows. As soon as you use some indriya, there is some dangerous result. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpanā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ (SB 7.9.45). Take for… (break)
Dr. Patel: Oṁ is God.
Prabhupāda: Oṁ, yes. Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu.
Chandobhai: That is oṁ in that way.
Prabhupāda: Because oṁ means Kṛṣṇa. That is mām.
Dr. Patel: I told you.
Prabhupāda: When one chanting oṁ, if he remembers just the oṁ is Kṛṣṇa, then he’s successful. Mām. Oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ…
Chandobhai: Oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma.
Dr. Patel: It is ekākṣara Brahman.
Chandobhai: Vyāharan mām.
Prabhupāda: Vyāharan mām. If he knows…
Dr. Patel: Vyāharan mām anusmara (BG 8.7).
Prabhupāda: Anusmara. If he knows that oṁkāra is Kṛṣṇa, then he’s successful. If he thinks that oṁkāra is something else than Kṛṣṇa, then he’s not successful.
#Om #Omkara #Pranava
Om
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The “Om” symbol in Devanagari
Om (
listen (help·info), IAST: Oṃ, Devanagari: ॐ, Tamil: ௐ, Kannada: ಓಂ), also written as ‘Aum’, is the most sacred syllable, symbol, or mantra in Hinduism,[1] that signifies the essence of the ultimate reality, consciousness or Atman.[2][3][4] The Om sound is the primordial sound, and is called the Shabda-Brahman (Brahman as sound).[5] It is a syllable that is chanted either independently or before a mantra.[6][7] It is also found in Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.
Om is part of the iconography found in ancient and medieval era manuscripts, temples, monasteries and spiritual retreats in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.[8][9] The symbol has a spiritual meaning in all Indian dharmas, but the meaning and connotations of Om vary between the diverse schools within and across the various traditions.
In Hinduism, Om is one of the most important spiritual sounds.[10][11] It refers to Atman (soul, self within) and Brahman (ultimate reality, entirety of the universe, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles, knowledge).[12][13][14] The syllable is often found at the beginning and the end of chapters in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Hindu texts.[14] It is a sacred spiritual incantation made before and during the recitation of spiritual texts, during puja and private prayers, in ceremonies of rites of passages (sanskara) such as weddings, and sometimes during meditative and spiritual activities such as Yoga.[15][16]
The syllable Om is also referred to as onkara (ओङ्कार, oṅkāra), omkara (ओंकार, oṃkāra), and pranava (प्रणव, praṇava).[17][18]
Contents
Origin and meaning
The syllable Om is referred to as praṇava.[19][20] Other used terms are akṣara (literally, letter of the alphabet, imperishable, immutable) or ekākṣara (one letter of the alphabet), and omkāra (literally, beginning, female divine energy).[21][22][23][24] Udgitha, a word found in Sama Veda and bhasya (commentaries) based on it, is also used as a name of the syllable.[25] The word has three phonemes: “a-u-m”,[26][27][28][29] though it is often described as trisyllabic despite this being either archaic or the result of translation.
The syllable Om is first mentioned in the Upanishads, the mystical texts associated with the Vedanta philosophy. It has variously been associated with concepts of “cosmic sound” or “mystical syllable” or “affirmation to something divine”, or as symbolism for abstract spiritual concepts in the Upanishads.[14] In the Aranyaka and the Brahmana layers of Vedic texts, the syllable is so widespread and linked to knowledge, that it stands for the “whole of Veda”.[14] The etymological foundations of Om are repeatedly discussed in the oldest layers of the Vedantic texts (the early Upanishads).[30][31] The Aitareya Brahmana of Rig Veda, in section 5.32, for example suggests that the three phonetic components of Om (pronounced AUM) correspond to the three stages of cosmic creation, and when it is read or said, it celebrates the creative powers of the universe.[14][32] The Brahmana layer of Vedic texts equate Om with Bhur-bhuvah-Svah, the latter symbolizing “the whole Veda”. They offer various shades of meaning to Om, such as it being “the universe beyond the sun”, or that which is “mysterious and inexhaustible”, or “the infinite language, the infinite knowledge”, or “essence of breath, life, everything that exists”, or that “with which one is liberated”.[14] The Sama Veda, the poetical Veda, orthographically maps Om to the audible, the musical truths in its numerous variations (Oum, Aum, Ovā Ovā Ovā Um, etc.) and then attempts to extract musical meters from it.[14]
The syllable Om evolves to mean many abstract ideas in the earliest Upanishads. Max Müller and other scholars state that these philosophical texts recommend Om as a “tool for meditation”, explain various meanings that the syllable may be in the mind of one meditating, ranging from “artificial and senseless” to “highest concepts such as the cause of the Universe, essence of life, Brahman, Atman, and Self-knowledge”.[33][34]
Written representation
Phonologically, the syllable ओम् represents /aum/, which is regularly monophthongised to [õː] in Sanskrit phonology. When occurring within spoken Sanskrit, the syllable is subject to the normal rules of sandhi in Sanskrit grammar, however with the additional peculiarity that after preceding a or ā, the au of aum does not form vriddhi (au) but guna (o) per Pāṇini 6.1.95 (i.e. ‘om’). It is sometimes also written ओ३म् (ō̄m [õːːm]), notably by Arya Samaj, where ३ (i.e., the digit “3”) is pluta (“three times as long”), indicating a length of three morae (that is, the time it takes to say three syllables) — an overlong nasalised close-mid back rounded vowel.
The Om symbol 
is a ligature in Devanagari, combining ओ (au) and chandrabindu (ँ, ṃ). In Unicode, the symbol is encoded at U+0950 ॐ DEVANAGARI OM and at U+1F549 🕉 OM SYMBOL(“generic symbol independent of Devanagari font”).
The Om or Aum symbol is found on ancient coins, in regional scripts. In Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura era coins (dated from the 1st to 4th centuries) are embossed with Aum along with other symbols.[35] Nagari or Devanagari representations are found epigraphically on medieval sculpture, such as the dancing Shiva (ca. 10th to 12th century); Joseph Campbell (1949) even argued that the dance posture itself can be taken to represent AUM as a symbol of the entirety of “consciousness, universe” and “the message that God is within a person and without”.[36]
The Om symbol, with epigraphical variations, is also found in many southeast Asian countries. For example, it is called Unalom or Aum in Thailand and has been a part of various flags and official emblems such as in the Thong Chom Klao of King Rama IV (r. 1851–1868).[37] The Cambodian official seal has similarly incorporated the Aum symbol.[38] In traditional Chinese characters, it is written as 唵 (pinyin – ǎn), and as 嗡 (pinyin – wēng) in simplified Chinese characters.[citation needed]
There have been proposals that the Om syllable may already have had written representations in Brahmi script, dating to before the Common Era. A proposal by Deb (1848) held that the swastika is “a monogrammatic representation of the syllable Om, wherein two Brahmi /o/ characters (U+11011 𑀑 BRAHMI LETTER O) were superposed crosswise and the ‘m’ was represented by dot”.[39] A commentary in Nature considers this theory questionable and unproven.[40] Roy (2011) proposed that Om was represented using the Brahmi symbols for “A”, “U” and “M” (𑀅 𑀉 𑀫), and that this may have influenced the unusual epigraphical features of the symbol ॐ for Om.[41][42]
Hinduism
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Om Symbol at Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada
Om came to be used as a standard utterance at the beginning of mantras, chants or citations taken from the Vedas. For example, the Gayatri mantra, which consists of a verse from the Rigveda Samhita (RV 3.62.10), is prefixed not just by Om but by Om followed by the formula bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ.[43] Such recitations continue to be in use in Hinduism, with many major incantations and ceremonial functions beginning and ending with Om.[7] Maheshwarananda (2002) suggests that the Om reflects the cosmological beliefs in Hinduism, as the primordial sound associated with the creation of universe from nothing.[44]
Upanishads
The syllable “Om” is described with various meanings in the Upanishads. Descriptions include “the sacred sound, the Yes!, the Vedas, the Udgitha (song of the universe), the infinite, the all encompassing, the whole world, the truth, the ultimate reality, the finest essence, the cause of the Universe, the essence of life, the Brahman, the Atman, the vehicle of deepest knowledge, and Self-knowledge”.[34]
Chandogya Upanishad
The Chandogya Upanishad is one of the oldest Upanishads of Hinduism. It opens with the recommendation that “let a man meditate on Om”.[45] It calls the syllable Om as udgitha (उद्गीथ, song, chant), and asserts that the significance of the syllable is thus: the essence of all beings is earth, the essence of earth is water, the essence of water are the plants, the essence of plants is man, the essence of man is speech, the essence of speech is the Rig Veda, the essence of the Rig Veda is the Sama Veda, and the essence of Sama Veda is the udgitha (song, Om).[46]
Rik (ऋच्, Ṛc) is speech, states the text, and Sāman (सामन्) is breath; they are pairs, and because they have love for each other, speech and breath find themselves together and mate to produce a song.[45][46] The highest song is Om, asserts section 1.1 of Chandogya Upanishad. It is the symbol of awe, of reverence, of threefold knowledge because Adhvaryu invokes it, the Hotr recites it, and Udgatr sings it.[46][47]
The second volume of the first chapter continues its discussion of syllable Om, explaining its use as a struggle between Devas (gods) and Asuras(demons).[48] Max Muller states that this struggle between gods and demons is considered allegorical by ancient Indian scholars, as good and evil inclinations within man, respectively.[49] The legend in section 1.2 of Chandogya Upanishad states that gods took the Udgitha (song of Om) unto themselves, thinking, “with this song we shall overcome the demons”.[50] The syllable Om is thus implied as that which inspires the good inclinations within each person.[49][50]
Chandogya Upanishad’s exposition of syllable Om in its opening chapter combines etymological speculations, symbolism, metric structure and philosophical themes.[47][51] In the second chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad, the meaning and significance of Om evolves into a philosophical discourse, such as in section 2.10 where Om is linked to the Highest Self,[52] and section 2.23 where the text asserts Om is the essence of three forms of knowledge, Om is Brahman and “Om is all this [observed world]”.[53]
Katha Upanishad
The Katha Upanishad is the legendary story of a little boy, Nachiketa – the son of sage Vajasravasa – who meets Yama, the Indian deity of death. Their conversation evolves to a discussion of the nature of man, knowledge, Atman (Soul, Self) and moksha (liberation).[54] In section 1.2, Katha Upanishad characterizes Knowledge/Wisdom as the pursuit of good, and Ignorance/Delusion as the pursuit of pleasant,[55] that the essence of Veda is to make man liberated and free, look past what has happened and what has not happened, free from the past and the future, beyond good and evil, and one word for this essence is the word Om.[56]
The word which all the Vedas proclaim,
That which is expressed in every Tapas (penance, austerity, meditation),
That for which they live the life of a Brahmacharin,
Understand that word in its essence: Om! that is the word.
Yes, this syllable is Brahman,
This syllable is the highest.
He who knows that syllable,
Whatever he desires, is his.— Katha Upanishad, 1.2.15-1.2.16[56]
Maitri Upanishad
The Maitrayaniya Upanishad in sixth Prapathakas (lesson) discusses the meaning and significance of Om. The text asserts that Om represents Brahman-Atman. The three roots of the syllable, states the Maitri Upanishad, are A + U + M.[57] The sound is the body of Soul, and it repeatedly manifests in three: as gender-endowed body – feminine, masculine, neuter; as light-endowed body – Agni, Vayu and Aditya; as deity-endowed body – Brahma, Rudra[l] and Vishnu; as mouth-endowed body – Garhapatya, Dakshinagni and Ahavaniya;[58] as knowledge-endowed body – Rig, Saman and Yajur;[59] as world-endowed body – Bhūr, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ; as time-endowed body – Past, Present and Future; as heat-endowed body – Breath, Fire and Sun; as growth-endowed body – Food, Water and Moon; as thought-endowed body – intellect, mind and psyche.[57][60] Brahman exists in two forms – the material form, and the immaterial formless.[61] The material form is changing, unreal. The immaterial formless isn’t changing, real. The immortal formless is truth, the truth is the Brahman, the Brahman is the light, the light is the Sun which is the syllable Om as the Self.[62][63]
The world is Om, its light is Sun, and the Sun is also the light of the syllable Om, asserts the Upanishad. Meditating on Om, is acknowledging and meditating on the Brahman-Atman (Soul, Self).[57]
Mundaka Upanishad
The Mundaka Upanishad in the second Mundakam (part), suggests the means to knowing the Self and the Brahman to be meditation, self-reflection and introspection, that can be aided by the symbol Om.[64][65]
That which is flaming, which is subtler than the subtle,
on which the worlds are set, and their inhabitants –
That is the indestructible Brahman.[66]
It is life, it is speech, it is mind. That is the real. It is immortal.
It is a mark to be penetrated. Penetrate It, my friend.Taking as a bow the great weapon of the Upanishad,
one should put upon it an arrow sharpened by meditation,
Stretching it with a thought directed to the essence of That,
Penetrate[67] that Imperishable as the mark, my friend.Om is the bow, the arrow is the Soul, Brahman the mark,
By the undistracted man is It to be penetrated,
One should come to be in It,
as the arrow becomes one with the mark.
Adi Shankara, in his review of the Mundaka Upanishad, states Om as a symbolism for Atman (soul, self).[70]
Mandukya Upanishad
The Mandukya Upanishad opens by declaring, “Om!, this syllable is this whole world”.[71] Thereafter it presents various explanations and theories on what it means and signifies.[72] This discussion is built on a structure of “four fourths” or “fourfold”, derived from A + U + M + “silence” (or without an element).[71][72]
- Aum as all states of time
- In verse 1, the Upanishad states that time is threefold: the past, the present and the future, that these three are “Aum”. The four fourth of time is that which transcends time, that too is “Aum” expressed.[72]
- Aum as all states of Atman
- In verse 2, states the Upanishad, everything is Brahman, but Brahman is Atman (the Soul, Self), and that the Atman is fourfold.[71] Johnston summarizes these four states of Self, respectively, as seeking the physical, seeking inner thought, seeking the causes and spiritual consciousness, and the fourth state is realizing oneness with the Self, the Eternal.[73]
- Aum as all states of consciousness
- In verses 3 to 6, the Mandukya Upanishad enumerates four states of consciousness: wakeful, dream, deep sleep and the state of ekatma (being one with Self, the oneness of Self).[72] These four are A + U + M + “without an element” respectively.[72]
- Aum as all of knowledge
- In verses 9 to 12, the Mandukya Upanishad enumerates fourfold etymological roots of the syllable “Aum”. It states that the first element of “Aum” is A, which is from Apti (obtaining, reaching) or from Adimatva (being first).[71] The second element is U, which is from Utkarsa (exaltation) or from Ubhayatva (intermediateness).[72] The third element is M, from Miti (erecting, constructing) or from Mi Minati, or apīti (annihilation).[71] The fourth is without an element, without development, beyond the expanse of universe. In this way, states the Upanishad, the syllable Om is indeed the Atman (the self).[71][72]
Shvetashvatara Upanishad
The Shvetashvatara Upanishad, in verses 1.14 to 1.16, suggests meditating with the help of syllable Om, where one’s perishable body is like one fuel-stick and the syllable Om is the second fuel-stick, which with discipline and diligent rubbing of the sticks unleashes the concealed fire of thought and awareness within. Such knowledge, asserts the Upanishad, is the goal of Upanishads.[74][75]The text asserts that Om is a tool of meditation empowering one to know the God within oneself, to realize one’s Atman (Soul, Self).[76]
Aitareya Aranyaka
Aitareya Aranyaka in verse 23.6,[clarification needed] explains Om as “an acknowledgment, melodic confirmation, something that gives momentum and energy to a hymn”.[10]
Om (ॐ) is the pratigara (agreement) with a hymn. Likewise is tatha (so be it) with a song. But Om is something divine, and tatha is something human.
— Aitareya Aranyaka 23.6, [10]
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita, in the Epic Mahabharata, mentions the meaning and significance of Om in several verses. For example, Fowler notes that verse 9.17 of the Bhagavad Gita synthesizes the competing dualistic and monist streams of thought in Hinduism, by using “Om which is the symbol for the indescribable, impersonal Brahman“.[77]
I am the Father of this world, Mother, Ordainer, Grandfather, the Thing to be known, the Purifier, the syllable Om, Rik, Saman and also Yajus.
The significance of the sacred syllable in the Hindu traditions, is similarly highlighted in various of its verses, such as verse 17.24 where the importance of Om during prayers, charity and meditative practices is explained as follows,[78]
Therefore, uttering Om, the acts of yagna (fire ritual), dāna (charity) and tapas (austerity) as enjoined in the scriptures, are always begun by those who study the Brahman.
Yoga Sutra
The aphoristic verse 1.27 of Pantanjali’s Yogasutra links Om to Yoga practice, as follows,[80]
तस्य वाचकः प्रणवः ॥२७॥
His word is Om.
— Yogasutra 1.27, [80]
Johnston states this verse highlights the importance of Om in the meditative practice of Yoga, where it symbolizes three worlds in the Soul; the three times – past, present and future eternity, the three divine powers – creation, preservation and transformation in one Being; and three essences in one Spirit – immortality, omniscience and joy. It is, asserts Johnston, a symbol for the perfected Spiritual Man (his emphasis).[80]
Puranas
The Hindu deity Ganeshais sometimes linked to the symbol Om and as the symbol for Upanishadicconcept of Brahman.[81][82]
The medieval era texts of Hinduism, such as the Puranas adopt and expand the concept of Om in their own ways, and to their own theistic sects. According to the Vayu Purana, Om is the representation of the Hindu Trimurti, and represents the union of the three gods, viz. A for Brahma, U for Vishnu and M for Shiva. The three sounds also symbolise the three Vedas, namely (Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda).[citation needed]
The Shiva Purana highlights the relation between deity Shiva and the Pranava or Om. Shiva is declared to be Om, and that Om is Shiva.[83]
Jainism
Aum in Jainism
In Jainism, om is considered a condensed form of reference to the Pañca-Parameṣṭhi, by their initials A+A+A+U+M (o3m). The Dravyasamgraha quotes a Prakritline:[84]
- ओम एकाक्षर पञ्चपरमेष्ठिनामादिपम् तत्कथमिति चेत “अरिहंता असरीरा आयरिया तह उवज्झाया मुणियां”[m]
- Translation: Veneration to the Arhats, veneration to the perfect ones, veneration to the masters, veneration to the teachers, veneration to all the monks in the world.[84]
- AAAUM (or just “Om”) is one syllable short form of the initials of the five parameshthis: “Arihant, Ashiri, Acharya, Upajjhaya, Muni“.[85]
ओं नमः (Oṃ namaḥ) Siddhanam (6 syllables), Om Nhi (2 syllables) and just Om (1 syllable) are the short forms of the Paramesthi-Mantra, also called Namokar Mantra or Navkar Mantra in Jainism.[84]
Buddhism
Om is often used in some later schools of Buddhism, for example Tibetan Buddhism, which was influenced by Indian Hinduism and Tantra.[88][89]
In Chinese Buddhism, Om is often transliterated as the Chinese character 唵 (pinyin ǎn) or 嗡 (pinyin wēng).
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana)
In Tibetan Buddhism, Om is often placed at the beginning of mantras and dharanis. Probably the most well known mantra is “Om mani padme hum“, the six syllable mantra of the Bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteśvara. This mantra is particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteśvara. Moreover, as a seed syllable (bija mantra), Aum is considered sacred and holy in Esoteric Buddhism.[90]
Some scholars interpret the first word of the mantra oṃ maṇipadme hūṃ to be auṃ, with a meaning similar to Hinduism – the totality of sound, existence and consciousness.[91][92]
Oṃ has been described by the 14th Dalai Lama as “composed of three pure letters, A, U, and M. These symbolize the impure body, speech, and mind of everyday unenlightened life of a practitioner; they also symbolize the pure exalted body, speech and mind of an enlightened Buddha.”[93][94] According to Simpkins, Om is a part of many mantras in Tibetan Buddhism and is a symbolism for “wholeness, perfection and the infinite”.[95]
Niō guardian kings and Komainu lion-dogs
Aum is symbolically represented by Niō (仁王) statues in Japan, and their equivalent in East Asia. Niō appear in pairs in front of Buddhist temple gates and stupas, in the form of two fierce looking guardian kings (Vajra).[86] One has an open mouth, regarded by Buddhists as symbolically speaking the “A” syllable; the other has a closed mouth, symbolically speaking the “Um” syllable. The two together are regarded as saying “Aum”, the vajra-breath, or the Absolute in Sanskrit.[86][87]
Komainu (狛犬), also called lion-dogs, found in Japan, Korea and China, also occur in pairs before Buddhist temples and public spaces, and again, one has an open mouth (Agyō), the other closed (Ungyō).[96] Like Nio statues, they are traditionally interpreted to be saying the start and end of “Aun” – a transliteration of the Sanskrit sacred syllable Aum (or Om), signifying the start and end of everything.[97][98]
Sikhism
Ik Onkar of Sikhism
Ik Oankar, iconically represented as ੴ in Sikhism are the opening words of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture.[99] It is the statement that ‘there is one God’,[100] and that there is ‘singularity despite seeming plurality’.[101] The Oankar of Sikhism is related to Om in Hinduism, states the Indologist Wendy Doniger.[99] Some Sikhs disagree that Ik Oankar is same as Om.[99] The phrase is a compound of the numeral one (ik) and onkar, states Doniger, canonically understood in Sikhism to refer to “absolute monotheistic unity of God”.[99]
Onkar is, states Wazir Singh, a “variation of Om (Aum) of the ancient Indian scriptures (with a slight change in its orthography), implying the seed-force that evolves as the universe”.[102] Ik Onkar is part of the “Mul Mantra” in Sikh teachings and represents “One God”, explains Gulati, where “Ik” means One, and Onkar is “equivalent of the Hindu “Om” (Aum)”.[103] Guru Nanak wrote a poem entitled Oankar in which, states Doniger, he “attributed the origin and sense of speech to the Divinity, who is thus the Om-maker”.[99]
Oankar (‘the Primal Sound’) created Brahma, Oankar fashioned the consciousness,
From Oankar came mountains and ages, Oankar produced the Vedas,
By the grace of Oankar, people were saved through the divine word,
By the grace of Oankar, they were liberated through the teachings of the Guru.— Ramakali Dakkhani, Adi Granth 929-930, Translated by Pashaura Singh[104]
Ik Aumkara appears at the start of Mul Mantra, states Kohli, and it occurs as “Aum” in the Upanishads and in Gurbani.[105] However, the meaning of Oankar in the Sikh tradition, states Pashaura Singh, is quite different in certain respects than those in other Indian philosophical traditions.[104]
Modern reception
The Brahmic script om-ligature has become widely recognised in Western counterculture since the 1960s, mostly in its standard Devanagari form (ॐ), but the Tibetan alphabet om (ༀ) has also gained limited currency in popular culture.[106]
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