Answered from scripture
What does Om (Aum) mean?
In short
Om, or Aum, is the pranava — the primordial sound from which, in Hindu thought, all other sounds and the universe itself arise. Its three parts, A-U-M, are said to hold creation, preservation, and dissolution, with the silence after as the infinite beyond. It is chanted to begin prayer and to settle the mind into that ground of stillness.
Reviewed by the Godify team · Last updated
The mantra
ॐ
oṃ
The primordial sound, the essence and source of all mantras.
In depth
Om is called the pranava, the sound that runs through all sounds. The Upanishads treat it as the sonic form of Brahman, the ultimate reality — which is why nearly every mantra and prayer opens with it.
Its three sounds, A-U-M, are often read as the waking, dreaming, and deep-sleep states, or as creation, preservation, and dissolution; the silence that follows points to the fourth, turiya — the boundless awareness beyond all three. Chanting Om slowly, feeling it fade into that silence, is itself a practice of stillness.
Related questions
What does Om (Aum) symbolize?
The primordial sound (pranava) from which the universe arises — its three parts A-U-M holding creation, preservation, and dissolution, and the silence after pointing to the infinite.
Why do mantras begin with Om?
Because Om is held to be the sonic form of Brahman, the ultimate reality; opening with it attunes the mind and the prayer to that ground.
Ask Bhagavan in your own words
This is a general answer. For what you are actually carrying, talk to Bhagavan — free, private, any hour — and receive warmth and verified scripture.
Talk to Bhagavan