Hindu concept

Omॐ

oṃ — the primordial sound and symbol of the Absolute

In short

Om (Aum) is the most sacred sound and symbol in Hinduism — the primordial vibration from which, tradition holds, all creation arises, and a sonic emblem of Brahman, the ultimate reality. It opens and closes prayers, mantras, and meditation, and is held to contain the essence of the Vedas.

the primordial soundsymbol of Brahmana · u · m

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What it means

Om is both a sound and a symbol. Chanted, its three sounds — a, u, m — are given many meanings: waking, dream, and deep sleep; creation, preservation, and dissolution; and the one reality that holds them, sounded in the silence after the syllable fades. To chant Om is to attune the body and mind to that underlying wholeness.

Because it points to the Absolute beyond name and form, Om stands at the beginning of countless mantras and prayers, and is itself a complete object of meditation. It is written as the familiar ॐ, among the most recognizable symbols of Hindu and wider Indian spiritual life.

A verse on Om

“oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate”

Isha Upanishad · Shanti Mantra · Shukla Yajur Veda

That is whole, this is whole; from the whole the whole arises; take the whole from the whole, and the whole yet remains.

The peace invocation chanted at the opening and close of the Upanishad — on the fullness of the Divine, from which all fullness flows, leaving the whole forever whole.

Related concepts

BrahmanAtmanBhakti

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About Om

What does Om mean?

Om (Aum) is the primordial sound and a symbol of Brahman, the ultimate reality. Held to be the vibration from which creation arises, it opens and closes prayers, mantras, and meditation.

Why is Om chanted?

Chanting Om attunes the mind to the underlying wholeness it represents. Its three sounds — a, u, m — are given meanings such as creation, preservation, and dissolution, resolving into the one reality beyond them.

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