{{Short description|Sacred sound in Indic religions}}{{Italic title}}{{redirect|Aum|other uses|Aum (disambiguation)|and|Om (disambiguation)}}{{Use Indian English|date=June 2013}}{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}File:Om symbol.svg|thumb|Om ligature in Devanagari DevanagariFile:004 Gopura, Aum Sign (26596636998).jpg|thumb|Om ({{script|Taml|à¯}}) in Tamil script with a trishula at Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore; Om appears frequently as an icon in temples (mandir mandirFile:Golden Mandala with Om symbol at Hindu temple in Malaysia.jpg|thumb|A rangoli featuring Om surrounded by stylised peacocks; Om often features prominently in the religious art and iconography of Indic religions Indic religionsFile:OM in Rakhi.jpg|thumb|A rakhi in the shape of Om]]{{Contains special characters|Indic}}Om (or Aum) ({{audio|LL-Q9610 (ben)-Titodutta-à¦“à¦.wav|listen}}; , ISO 15919: ÅŒá¹) is a symbol representing a sacred sound, syllable, mantra, and an invocation in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.BOOK, Jones, Constance, Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Ryan, James D., 2006, Infobase Publishing, 978-0-8160-7564-5, 319â€“20, en, BOOK, Beck, Guy L.,weblink Sonic liturgy: ritual and music in Hindu tradition, 2012, University of South Carolina Press, 978-1-61117-108-2, Columbia, 25, 824698506, Its written representation is the most important symbol of Hinduism.BOOK, Wilke, Annette,weblink Sound and Communication: An Aesthetic Cultural History of Sanskrit Hinduism, Moebus, Oliver, 2011, De Gruyter, 978-3110181593, Berlin, 435, It is the essence of the supreme Absolute, consciousness,James Lochtefeld (2002), "Om", The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 2: N-Z, Rosen Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0823931804}}, page 482BOOK, Holdrege, Barbara A.,weblink Veda and Torah: Transcending the Textuality of Scripture, SUNY Press, 1996, 978-0-7914-1640-2, 57, "Om". Merriam-Webster (2013), Pronounced: ËˆÅm Ä€tman, Brahman, or the cosmic world.David Leeming (2005), The Oxford Companion to World Mythology, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0195156690}}, page 54Hajime Nakamura, A History of Early VedÄnta Philosophy, Part 2, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120819634}}, page 318Annette Wilke and Oliver Moebus (2011), Sound and Communication: An Aesthetic Cultural History of Sanskrit Hinduism, De Gruyter, {{ISBN|978-3110181593}}, pages 435â€“456 In Indic traditions, Om serves as a sonic representation of the divine, a standard of Vedic authority and a central aspect of soteriological doctrines and practices.THESIS, Gerety, Moore, McKean, Finnian, 2015-05-20, This Whole World Is OM: Song, Soteriology, and the Emergence of the Sacred Syllable,weblink Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, 33, 1746-7527, The syllable is often found at the beginning and the end of chapters in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Hindu texts.Om emerged in the Vedic corpus and is said to be an encapsulated form of Samavedic chants or songs. 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 passage (samskara) such as weddings, and during meditative and spiritual activities such as Pranava yoga.David White (2011), Yoga in Practice, Princeton University Press, {{ISBN|978-0691140865}}, pp. 104â€“111Alexander Studholme (2012), The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum: A Study of the Karandavyuha Sutra, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-0791453902}}, pages 1â€“4 It is part of the iconography found in ancient and medieval era manuscripts, temples, monasteries, and spiritual retreats in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.T. A. Gopinatha Rao (1993), Elements of Hindu Iconography, Volume 2, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120808775}}, p. 248Sehdev Kumar (2001), A Thousand Petalled Lotus: Jain Temples of Rajasthan, {{ISBN|978-8170173489}}, p. 5 As a syllable, it is often chanted either independently or before a spiritual recitation and during meditation in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.Jan Gonda (1963), The Indian Mantra, Oriens, Vol. 16, pp. 244â€“297Julius Lipner (2010), Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0415456760}}, pp. 66â€“67The syllable Om is also referred to as Onkara (Omkara) and Pranava among many other names.BOOK, Misra, Nityanand,weblink The Om Mala: Meanings of the Mystic Sound, 25 July 2018, Bloomsbury Publishing, 978-93-87471-85-6, 104â€“, "OM". Sanskrit English Dictionary, University of KÃ¶ln, Germany
Common names and synonyms
The syllable Om is referred to by many names, including:

{{IAST|Praá¹‡ava}} (); literally, "fore-sound", referring to Om as the primeval sound.James Lochtefeld (2002), Pranava, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 2: N-Z, Rosen Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0823931804}}, page 522Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 74-75, 347, 364, 667
{{IAST|Oá¹…kÄra}} () or {{IAST|oá¹ƒkÄra}} (); literally, "Om-maker", denoting the first source of the sound Om and connoting the act of creation.Diana Eck (2013), India: A Sacred Geography, Random House, {{ISBN|978-0385531924}}, page 245R Mehta (2007), The Call of the Upanishads, Motilal Barnarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120807495}}, page 67Omkara, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, University of Koeln, GermanyCK Chapple, W Sargeant (2009), The Bhagavad Gita, Twenty-fifthâ€“Anniversary Edition, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-1438428420}}, page 435

(); literally, "one Om-maker", and an epithet of God in Sikhism. (see below).

{{IAST|UdgÄ«tha}} (); meaning "song, chant", a word found in Samaveda and bhasya (commentaries) based on it. It is also used as a name of the syllable Om in Chandogya Upanishad.Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, page 12 with footnote 1
{{IAST|Aká¹£ara}} (); literally, "imperishable, immutable", and also "letter of the alphabet" or "syllable".

{{IAST|EkÄká¹£ara}}; literally, "one letter of the alphabet", referring to its representation as a single ligature. (see below)

Origin and spiritual significance
The etymological origins of Åm (aum) have long been discussed and disputed, with even the Upanishads having proposed multiple Sanskrit etymologies for aum, including: from "Äm" (; "yes"), from "Ã¡vam" (; "that, thus, yes"), and from the Sanskrit roots "Äv-" (; "to urge") or "Äp-" (; "to attain").JOURNAL, Parpola, Asko, 1981, On the Primary Meaning and Etymology of the Sacred Syllable Åm,weblink Studia Orientalia Electronica, en, 50, 195â€“214, 2323-5209, {{efn-ua|Praá¹‡ava Upaniá¹£ad in Gopatha BrÄhmaá¹‡a 1.1.26 and Uá¹‡ÄdisÅ«tra 1.141/1.142}} In 1889, Maurice Blumfield proposed an origin from a Proto-Indo-European introductory particle "*au" with a function similar to the Sanskrit particle "atha" (). However, contemporary Indologist Asko Parpola proposes a borrowing from Dravidian "*Äm" meaning "'it is so', 'let it be so', 'yes'", a contraction of "*Äkum", cognate with modern Tamil "Äm" () meaning "yes".BOOK, Parpola, Asko, The Roots of Hinduism : the Early Aryans and the Indus Civilization, 2015, 9780190226909, New York, In the Jaffna Tamil dialect spoken in Sri Lanka, aum' is the word for yes.{{cn|date=June 2023}}Regardless of its original meaning, the syllable Om evolves to mean many abstract ideas even in the earliest Upanishads. Max MÃ¼ller and other scholars state that these philosophical texts recommend Om as a "tool for meditation" and explain the various meanings that the syllable may hold in the mind of one meditating, ranging from "artificial and senseless" to the "highest concepts such as the cause of the Universe, essence of life, Brahman, Atman, and Self-knowledge".Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad, Oxford University Press, pages 1-21Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 67-85, 227, 284, 308, 318, 361-366, 468, 600-601, 667, 772The syllable Om is first mentioned in the Upanishads. It has been associated with various concepts, such as "cosmic sound", "mystical syllable", "affirmation to something divine", or as symbolism for abstract spiritual concepts in the Upanishads. 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". The symbolic foundations of Om are repeatedly discussed in the oldest layers of the early Upanishads.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, page 207John Grimes (1995), Ganapati: The Song of Self, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-0791424391}}, pages 78-80 and 201 footnote 34 The Aitareya Brahmana of Rig Veda, in section 5.32, suggests that the three phonetic components of Om (a + u + m) correspond to the three stages of cosmic creation, and when it is read or said, it celebrates the creative powers of the universe.Aitareya Brahmana 5.32, Rig Veda, pages 139-140 (Sanskrit); for English translation: See BOOK, Arthur Berriedale Keith,weblink The Aitareya and Kauá¹£Ä«taki BrÄhmaá¹‡as of the Rigveda, Harvard University Press, 1920, 256, However, in the eight anuvaka of the Taittiriya Upanishad, which consensus research indicates was formulated around the same time or preceding Aitareya Brahmana, the sound Aum is attributed to reflecting the inner part of the word Brahman. Put another way, it is the Brahman, in the form of a word.WEB,weblink Aitareya &Taittiriya Upanishads with Shankara Bhashya - English, The Brahmana layer of Vedic texts equate Om with bhur-bhuvah-svah, the latter symbolising "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". The Samaveda, the poetical Veda, orthographically maps Om to the audible, the musical truths in its numerous variations (Oum, Aum, OvÄ OvÄ OvÄ Um, etc.) and then attempts to extract musical meters from it.
Pronunciation
When occurring within spoken Classical Sanskrit, the syllable is subject to the normal rules of sandhi in Sanskrit grammar, with the additional peculiarity that the initial o of "Om" is the guá¹‡a vowel grade of u, not the vá¹›ddhi grade, and is therefore pronounced as a monophthong with a long vowel ({{IPA-sa|oË|}}), ie. Åm not aum.{{efn-ua|see PÄá¹‡ini, Aá¹£á¹ÄdhyÄyÄ« 6.1.95}}BOOK, Whitney, William Dwight,weblink Sanskrit Grammar: Including both the Classical Language, and the older Dialects, of Veda and Brahmana, 1950, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 12, 27â€“28, Furthermore, the final m is often assimilated into the preceding vowel as nasalisation ({{transliteration|sa|raá¹…ga}}). As a result, Om is regularly pronounced {{IPA-sa|ÃµË|}} in the context of Sanskrit.However, this o reflects the older Vedic Sanskrit diphthong au, which at that stage in the language's history had not yet monophthongised to o. This being so, the syllable Om is often archaically considered as consisting of three phonemes: "a-u-m".Osho (2012). The Book of Secrets, unpaginated. Osho International Foundation. {{ISBN|9780880507707}}.Mehta, Kiran K. (2008). Milk, Honey and Grapes, p.14. Puja Publications, Atlanta. {{ISBN|9781438209159}}.Misra, Nityanand (2018). The Om Mala, unpaginated. Bloomsbury Publishing. {{ISBN|9789387471856}}.VÄlmÄ«ki; trans. Mitra, VihÄrilÄla (1891). The Yoga-vÃ¡sishtha-mahÃ¡rÃ¡mÃ¡yana of VÃ¡lmiki, Volume 1, p.61. Bonnerjee and Company. {{pre-ISBN}}. Accordingly, some denominations maintain the archaic diphthong au viewing it to be more authentic and closer to the language of the Vedas.In the context of the Vedas, particularly the Vedic Brahmanas, the vowel is often pluta ("three times as long"), indicating a length of three morae ({{transliteration|sa|trimÄtra}}), that is, the time it takes to say three light syllables. Additionally, a diphthong becomes {{transliteration|sa|pluta}} with the prolongation of its first vowel. When e and o undergo {{transliteration|sa|pluti}} they typically revert to the original diphthongs with the initial a prolonged,JOURNAL, Kobayashi, Masato, 2006, PÄá¹‡ini's Phonological Rules and Vedic: Aá¹£á¹ÄdhyÄyÄ« 8.2*,weblink Journal of Indological Studies, 18, 16, realised as an overlong open back unrounded vowel (ÄÌ„um or a3um {{IPA-sa|É‘ËËum|}}). This extended duration is emphasised by denominations who regard it as more authentically Vedic, such as Arya Samaj.However, Om is also attested in the Upanishads without pluta,{{efn-ua|see {{IAST|MÄá¹‡á¸Å«kya Upaniá¹£ad}} 8-12, composed in Classical Sanskrit, which describes Om as having three {{transliteration|sa|mÄtra}}s corresponding to the three letters a-u-m}} and many languages related to or influenced by Classical Sanskrit, such as Hindustani, share its pronunciation of Om ({{IPA-sa|ÃµË|}} or {{IPA-sa|oËm|}}).
Written representations
South Asia
File:Shiva as the Lord of Dance LACMA edit.jpg|thumb|Statue depicting Shiva as the Nataraja dancing in a posture resembling the Devangari ligature for Om; Joseph Campbell argued that the Nataraja statue represents Om as a symbol of the entirety of "consciousness, universe" and "the message that God is within a person and without"Joseph Campbell (1949), The Hero with a Thousand Faces The Hero with a Thousand Faces Nagari or Devanagari representations are found epigraphically on sculpture dating from Medieval India and on ancient coins in regional scripts throughout South Asia. Om is represented in Devanagari as ', composed of four elements: the vowel letter {{script|Deva|à¤…}}{{nbsp}}({{IAST|a}}), the vowel diacritic {{script|Deva|à¥‹}}{{nbsp}}({{IAST|o}}), the consonant letter {{script|Deva|à¤®}}{{nbsp}}({{IAST|m}}), and the virama stroke {{script|Deva|à¥}} which indicates the absence of an implied final vowel. Historically, the combination {{script|Deva|à¤“}} represented a diphthong, often transcribed as {{IAST|au}}, but it now represents a long vowel, {{IAST|Å}}. (See above.) The syllable is sometimes written ', where {{script|Deva|à¥©}} (i.e., the digit "3") explicitly indicates pluta ('three times as long') which is otherwise only implied. For this same reason Om may also be written ' in languages such as Hindi, with the {{IAST|avagraha}} ({{script|Deva|à¤½}}) being used to indicate prolonging the vowel sound. (However, this differs from the usage of the {{IAST|avagraha}} in Sanskrit, where it would instead indicate the prodelision of the initial vowel.) Om may also be written ', with an {{IAST|anusvÄra}} reflecting the pronunciation of {{IPA-sa|ÃµË|}} in languages such as Hindi. In languages such as Urdu and Sindhi Om may be written {{script|Arab|Ø§ÙˆÙ…}} in Arabic script, although speakers of these languages may also use Devanagari representations.The commonly seen representation of the syllable Om, }}, is a cursive ligature in Devanagari, combining {{script|Deva|à¤…}}{{nbsp}}({{IAST|a}}) with {{script|Deva|à¤‰}}{{nbsp}}({{IAST|u}}) and the chandrabindu (à¤,{{nbsp}}{{IAST|á¹ƒ}}). In Unicode, the symbol is encoded at {{unichar|0950|Devanagari OM|ulink=Devanagari (Unicode block)}} and at {{unichar|1f549|OM Symbol|ulink=Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs}} as a "generic symbol independent of Devanagari font".In some South Asian writing systems, the Om symbol has been simplified further. In Bengali and Assamese Om is written simply as {{script|Beng|à¦“à¦}} without an additional curl. In languages such as Bengali differences in pronunciation compared to Sanskrit have made the addition of a curl for {{IAST|u}} redundant. Although the spelling is simpler, the pronunciation remains {{IPA-bn|ÃµË|}}. Similarly, in Odia Om is written as {{script|Orya|à¬“à¬}} without an additional diacritic.In Tamil, Om is written as {{script|Taml|à¯}}, a ligature of (Å) and (m), while in Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam, Om is written simply as the letter for Å followed by {{IAST|anusvÄra}} (, , and , respectively).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 (1921) held that the swastika is a monogrammatic representation of the syllable Om, wherein two Brahmi /o/ characters ({{unichar|11011|Brahmi letter O}}) were superposed crosswise and the 'm' was represented by dot.JOURNAL, Deb, Harit Krishna, The Svastika and the Oá¹kÄra, 1921, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, 17, 3, 231â€“247,weblink A commentary in Nature (1922) considers this theory questionable and unproven.JOURNAL, September 1922, Research Items: The Swastika, Gammadion, Fylfot, Nature, 110, 2758, 365, 10.1038/110365a0, 4114094, 0028-0836, free, {{Google books|1bMzAQAAMAAJ|The Swastika|page=PA365}} A. B. Walawalkar (1951) proposed that Om was represented using the Brahmi symbols for "A", "U", and "M" ({{script|Brah|ð‘€…ð‘€‰ð‘€«}}), and that this may have influenced the unusual epigraphical features of the symbol {{script|Deva|à¥}} for Om.BOOK, Roy, Ankita, 2011, Rediscovering the Brahmi Script,weblink dead,weblink 3 October 2015, Industrial Design Center, IDC, IIT, Bombay, See the section, "Ancient Symbols".JOURNAL, Kak, SC, 1990, Indus and Brahmi: Further Connections, Cryptologia, 14, 2, 169â€“183, 10.1080/0161-119091864878, Parker (1909) wrote that an "Aum monogram", distinct from the swastika, is found among Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions in Sri Lanka,BOOK, Parker, Henry, Henry Parker (author), Ancient Ceylon, 1909, 428, including Anuradhapura era coins, dated from the 1st to 4th centuries CE, which are embossed with Om along with other symbols.BOOK, Parker, Henry, Ancient Ceylon, 1909, 490,
East and Southeast Asia
The Om symbol, with epigraphical variations, is also found in many Southeast Asian countries.In Southeast Asia, the Om symbol is widely conflated with that of the unalome; originally a representation of the Buddha's urna curl and later a symbol of the path to nirvana, it is a popular yantra in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia and Thailand. It frequently appears in sak yant religious tattoos, and has been a part of various flags and official emblems such as in the Thong Chom Klao of King Rama IV ({{reign|1851|1868}})Deborah Wong (2001), Sounding the Center: History and Aesthetics in Thai Buddhist Performance, University of Chicago Press, {{ISBN|978-0226905853}}, page 292 and the present-day royal arms of Cambodia.James Minahan (2009), The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems, {{ISBN|978-0313344961}}, pages 28-29The Khmer adopted the symbol since the 1st century during the Kingdom of Funan, where it is also seen on artefacts from Angkor Borei, once the capital of Funan. The symbol is seen on numerous Khmer statues from Chenla to Khmer Empire periods and still in used until the present day.WEB, áž±áž˜: áž”áŸ’ážšáž—áž–áž“áŸƒážšáž¼áž”ážŸáž‰áŸ’áž‰áž¶áž±áž˜,weblink 2020-08-17, WEB, áž±áž˜ : áž¢áŸ†ážŽáž¶áž…áž±áž˜áž“áŸ…áž€áŸ’áž“áž»áž„ážŸáž¶ážŸáž“áž¶,weblink 2020-08-17, {{better source needed|reason=Khmer language blog articles; historical claims need scholarly sources, preferably in English|date=August 2021}}In Chinese characters, Om is typically transliterated as either (:wikt:å”µ|å”µ) ({{zh|p=ÇŽn}}) or (:wikt:å—¡|å—¡) ({{zh|p=wÄ“ng}}).
Representation in various scripts
Northern Brahmic {| class"wikitable" style"text-align: center; margin: 10pt;"
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| Gurmukhi (Ik Onkar)
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Meitei script>Meitei Mayek (Anji) Mtei|ê«²}} center|40px)
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Sharada script>Sharada Shrd|ð‘‡„}} center|40px)
Siddhaá¹ƒ script>Siddham Sidd|ð‘–Œð‘–¼}} center|40px)
Soyombo script>Soyombo Soyo|ð‘©ð‘©–ð‘ª–}} center|40px)
Takri script>Takri Takr|ð‘šˆð‘š«}} center|40px)
Tibetan script>Tibetan (Uchen) {{bo-textonly|à¼€}} center|40px)
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Zanabazar square script>Zanabazar Tirh|ð‘¨€ð‘¨†ð‘¨µ}}|
Southern Brahmic {| class"wikitable" style"text-align: center; margin: 10pt;"
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Balinese script>Balinese Bali|á¬’á¬}} center|40px)
Burmese script>Burmese Mymr|á€¥á€¯á€¶}} center|40px)
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Cham script>Cham Cham|ê¨…ê©Œ}} center|40px)
Cham script>Cham (Homkar) Cham|ê¨€ê¨¯ê¨±ê©Œ}} center|40px)
Grantha script>Grantha {{script ð‘}} center|40px)
Javanese script>Javanese Java|ê¦Žê¦´ê¦€}} center|40px)
Kannada script>Kannada Knda|à²“à²‚}} center|40px)
Khmer script>Khmer Khmr|áž±áŸ†}} center|40px)
Khmer script>Khmer (Unalome) Khmr|áŸš}} center|40px)
Lao script>Lao Laoo|à»‚àºà»}} center|40px)
Malayalam script>Malayalam Mlym|à´“à´‚}} center|40px)
Sinhala script>Sinhala Sinh|à¶•à¶‚}} center|40px)
Tai Tham script>Tai Lanna Lana|á©’á©´}} |
Tamil script>Tamil Taml|à¯}} center|40px)
Telugu script>Telugu {{script à°“à°‚}} center|40px)
Thai script>Thai Thai|à¹‚à¸à¹}} center|40px)
Thai script>Thai (Khomut) Thai|à¹›}} center|40px)
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| Kanji

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| Thaana
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| Warang Citi
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Hinduism
File:Rigveda MS2097.jpg|thumb|left|Om appears frequently in Hindu texts and scriptures, notably appearing in the first verse of the Rigveda{{efn-ua|in the early 19th-century manuscript above Om is written with "{{script|Deva|à¤…à¤‰}}" as ligature as in à¥ without chandrabindu chandrabindu{{Hinduism}}In Hinduism, Om is one of the most important spiritual sounds. The syllable is often found at the beginning and the end of chapters in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Hindu texts, and is often chanted either independently or before a mantra, as 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 during meditative and spiritual activities such as yoga.It is the most sacred syllable symbol and mantra of Brahman,WEB, 10 November 2020, Om,weblink which is the ultimate reality, consciousness or Atman (Self within).BOOK, Ellwood, Robert S., The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Alles, Gregory D., 2007, Infobase Publishing, 9781438110387, 327â€“328, en, It is called the Shabda Brahman (Brahman as sound) and believed to be the primordial sound ({{transl|sa|pranava}}) of the universe.BOOK, Beck, Guy L., Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound, Motilal Banarsidass, 1995, 9788120812611, 42â€“48, en,
Vedas
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 bhÅ«r bhuvaá¸¥ svaá¸¥.Monier Monier-Williams (1893), Indian Wisdom, Luzac & Co., London, page 17 Such recitations continue to be in use in Hinduism, with many major incantations and ceremonial functions beginning and ending with Om.
Brahmanas
Aitareya Brahmana
The Aitareya Brahmana (7.18.13) explains Om as "an acknowledgment, melodic confirmation, something that gives momentum and energy to a hymn".{{Blockquote|Om is the agreement (pratigara) with a hymn. Likewise is tathÄ {{=}} 'so be it' [the agreement] with a [worldly] song (gÄthÄ) [{{=}} the applause]. But Om is something divine, and tathÄ is something human.|Aitareya Brahmana, 7.18.13}}
Upanishads
File:Om syllable script.jpg|thumb|right|ÅŒá¹ƒ is given many meanings and layers of symbolism in the Upanishads, including "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 Ätman, the vehicle of deepest knowledge, and self-knowledge (Ätma jÃ±Äna jÃ±Äna
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".Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, pages 1-3 with footnotes It calls the syllable Om as udgitha (; 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 Rigveda, the essence of the Rigveda is the Samaveda, and the essence of Samaveda is the udgitha (song, Om).{{IAST|á¹šc}} () is speech, states the text, and {{IAST|sÄman}} () 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. 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.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 68-70Patrick Olivelle (2014), The Early Upanishads, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0195124354}}, page 171-185The second volume of the first chapter continues its discussion of syllable Om, explaining its use as a struggle between Devas (gods) and Asuras (demons).Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 70-71 with footnotes 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.Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, pages 4-6 with footnotes 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".Robert Hume, Chandogya Upanishad, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, pages 178-180 The syllable Om is thus implied as that which inspires the good inclinations within each person.Chandogya Upanishad's exposition of syllable Om in its opening chapter combines etymological speculations, symbolism, metric structure and philosophical themes.Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, pages 4-19 with footnotes 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,Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, page 28 with footnote 1 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]".Max Muller, Chandogya Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, page 35
Katha Upanishad
The Katha Upanishad is the legendary story of a little boy, Nachiketa, the son of sage {{transliteration|sa|VÄjaÅ›ravasa|italic=no}}, who meets Yama, the Vedic deity of death. Their conversation evolves to a discussion of the nature of man, knowledge, Atman (Self) and moksha (liberation).Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 269-273 In section 1.2, Katha Upanishad characterises knowledge ({{transliteration|sa|vidyÄ}}) as the pursuit of the good, and ignorance ({{transliteration|sa|avidyÄ}}) as the pursuit of the pleasant.Max Muller (1962), Katha Upanishad, in The Upanishads â€“ Part II, Dover Publications, {{ISBN|978-0486209937}}, page 8 It teaches that the essence of the 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.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 284-286{{poem quote|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}}
Maitri Upanishad
File:A Pahari painting of an OM containing deities, c.1780-1800.jpg|thumb|A Pahari painting of Om (), {{circa|1780-1800}}, decorated with deities: Shiva and Shakti (could be Vaishnavi or Siddhidatri); Vishnu and Lakshmi seated upon Shesha; Harihara (Vishnu-Shiva fusion deity); Brahma; and Dattatreya as a representation of the Trimurti TrimurtiThe 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.BOOK,weblink The Upanishads: Maitrayana-Brahmana Upanishad, Oxford University Press, Muller, Max, Max Muller, 2, 307â€“308, The sound is the body of Self, and it repeatedly manifests in three:

as gender-endowed body â€“ feminine, masculine, neuter;
as light-endowed body â€“ Agni, Vayu, and Aditya;
as deity-endowed body â€“ Brahma, Rudra,{{efn-ua|later called Shiva}} and Vishnu;
as mouth-endowed body â€“ garhapatya, dakshinagni, and ahavaniya;{{efn-ua|this is a reference to the three major Vedic fire rituals}}
as knowledge-endowed body â€“ Rig, Saman, and Yajur;{{efn-ua|this is a reference to the three major Vedas}}
as world-endowed body â€“ {{IAST|bhÅ«r}}, {{IAST|bhuvaá¸¥}}, and {{IAST|svaá¸¥}};{{efn-ua|this is a reference to the three worlds of the Vedas}}
as time-endowed body â€“ past, present, and future;
as heat-endowed body â€“ breath, fire, and Sun;
as growth-endowed body â€“ food, water, and Moon;
as thought-endowed body â€“ intellect, mind, and psyche.Maitri Upanishad â€“ Sanskrit Text with English Translation{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} EB Cowell (Translator), Cambridge University, Bibliotheca Indica, page 258-260

Brahman exists in two forms â€“ the material form, and the immaterial formless.Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 2, Maitrayana-Brahmana Upanishad, Oxford University Press, pages 306-307 verse 6.3 The material form is changing, unreal. The immaterial formless is not 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.BOOK, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Motilal Banarsidass, 1980, 978-8120814684, Deussen, Paul, 1, 347, English, BOOK, Maitri Upanishad: Sanskrit Text with English Translation, Cowell, E.B., Bibliotheca Indica, Cambridge University Press, 258, Cowell, E.B., {{efn-ua|Sanskrit original, quote: WIKISOURCE, à¤®à¥ˆà¤¤à¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¯à¤£à¥à¤¯à¥à¤ªà¤¨à¤¿à¤·à¤¤à¥, sa, Maitri Upanishad, Sanskrit, }}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 (Self).
Mundaka Upanishad
File:A Yantra with Tamil Om symbol in center, at a Mariamman Temple.jpg|thumb|Shri Yantra with Om () at its center, Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore; yantras are frequently used as aids in Hindu meditation Hindu meditationThe Mundaka Upanishad in the second Mundakam (part), suggests the means to knowing the Atman and the Brahman are meditation, self-reflection, and introspection and that they can be aided by the symbol Om. It uses a bow and arrow analogy, where the bow symbolizes the focused mind, the arrow symbolizes the self (Atman), and the target represents the ultimate reality (Brahman).Paul Deussen (Translator), Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Vol 2, Motilal Banarsidass (2010 Reprint), {{ISBN|978-8120814691}}, pages 580-581Eduard Roer, Mundaka Upanishad Bibliotheca Indica, Vol. XV, No. 41 and 50, Asiatic Society of Bengal, page 144 {{poem quote|That which is flaming, which is subtler than the subtle,on which the worlds are set, and their inhabitants â€“That is the indestructible Brahman.{{efn-ua|Hume translates this as "imperishable Aksara", Max Muller translates it as "indestructible Brahman"; see: Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 2, Mundaka Upanishad, Oxford University Press, page 36 and Robert Hume, "Thirteen Principal Upanishads" weblink, page 367}}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{{efn-ua|The Sanskrit word used is Vyadh, which means both "penetrate" and "know"; Robert Hume uses penetrate, but mentions the second meaning; see: Robert Hume, Mundaka Upanishad, Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, page 372 with footnote 1}} that Imperishable as the mark, my friend.Om is the bow, the arrow is the Self, 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.Mundaka Upanishad, Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, pages 372-373Charles Johnston, The Mukhya Upanishads: Books of Hidden Wisdom, (1920â€“1931), The Mukhya Upanishads, Kshetra Books, {{ISBN>978-1495946530}} (Reprinted in 2014), Archive of Mundaka Upanishad, pages 310-311 from Theosophical Quarterly journal}}Adi Shankara, in his review of the Mundaka Upanishad, states Om as a symbolism for Atman (Self).Mundaka Upanishad, in Upanishads and Sri Sankara's commentary â€“ Volume 1: The Isa Kena and Mundaka, SS Sastri (Translator), University of Toronto Archives, page 144 with section in 138-152
Mandukya Upanishad
The Mandukya Upanishad opens by declaring, "Om!, this syllable is this whole world". Thereafter, it presents various explanations and theories on what it means and signifies. This discussion is built on a structure of "four fourths" or "fourfold", derived from A + U + M + "silence" (or without an element).Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 2, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814691}}, pages 605-637{{Citation |last=Hume |first=Robert Ernest |title=The Thirteen Principal Upanishads |url=https://archive.org/stream/thirteenprincipa028442mbp#page/n411/mode/2up |pages=391â€“393 |year=1921 |publisher=Oxford University Press}}

Om 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 Om. The four fourth of time is that which transcends time, that too is Om expressed.
Om as all states of Ä€tman .
: In verse 2, states the Upanishad, everything is Brahman, but Brahman is Atman (the Self), and that the Atman is fourfold. 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.Charles Johnston, The Measures of the Eternal â€“ Mandukya Upanishad Theosophical Quarterly, October, 1923, pages 158-162
Om 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). These four are A + U + M + "without an element" respectively.
Om as all of Knowledge.
: In verses 9 to 12, the Mandukya Upanishad enumerates fourfold etymological roots of the syllable Om. It states that the first element of Om is A, which is from Apti (obtaining, reaching) or from Adimatva (being first). The second element is U, which is from Utkarsa (exaltation) or from Ubhayatva (intermediateness). The third element is M, from Miti (erecting, constructing) or from Mi Minati, or apÄ«ti (annihilation). 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).

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.Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 308Max Muller, Shvetashvatara Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part II, Oxford University Press, page 237 The text asserts that Om is a tool of meditation empowering one to know the God within oneself, to realize one's Atman (Self).BOOK, Robert, Hume, 1921,weblink Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1.14 â€“ 1.16, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, 396-397 with footnotes, File:Ganesha-aum.jpg|thumb|The Hindu deity Ganesha is sometimes referred to as "{{IAST|oá¹ƒkÄrasvarÅ«pa}}" (Omkara is his form) and used as the symbol for (Upanishad]]ic concept of Brahman.BOOK, Grimes, John A.,weblink Ganapati: Song of the Self, State University of New York Press, 1995, 978-0-7914-2439-1, 77â€“78, BOOK, Alter, Stephen, Elephas Maximus: a portrait of the Indian Elephant, 2004, Penguin Books, 978-0143031741, New Delhi, 95, )
Ganapati Upanishad
{{See also|Ganesha#Om|Ganapatya}}The Ganapati Upanishad asserts that Ganesha is same as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, all deities, the universe, and Om.{{Sfnp|Grimes|1995|pp=23-24}}{{blockquote|(O Lord Ganapati!) You are (the Trimurti) Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesa. You are Indra. You are fire {{bracket|Agni}} and air {{bracket|{{IAST|VÄyu}}}}. You are the sun {{bracket|{{IAST|SÅ«rya}}}} and the moon {{bracket|Chandrama}}. You are Brahman. You are (the three worlds) Bhuloka [earth], Antariksha-loka [space], and Swargaloka [heaven]. You are Om. (That is to say, You are all this).Saraswatip=127Chinmayananda Saraswati>Chinmayananda's numbering system, this is upamantra 8.}}}}
Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana
The Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana, a Samavedic text, outlines a story where those who chant Om can achieve the same rewards as deities. However, the gods are concerned about humans ascending to their realm. To address this concern, a compromise is reached between the gods and Death. Humans can attain immortality, but it involves relinquishing their physical bodies to Death. This immortality entails an extended celestial existence after a long earthly life, where the practitioner aspires to acquire a divine self (atman) in a non-physical form, allowing them to reside eternally in the heavenly realm.JOURNAL, Gerety, Finnian M. M., 2021-02-01, Between Sound and Silence in Early Yoga: Meditation on " Om " at Death,weblink History of Religions, en, 60, 3, 217â€“218, 10.1086/711944, 233429885, 0018-2710,
Ramayana
In Valmiki's Ramayana, Rama is identified with Om, with Brahma saying to Rama:{{blockquote|"You are the sacrificial performance. You are the sacred syllable {{transliteration|sa|Vashat}} (on hearing which the {{transliteration|sa|Adhvaryu}} priest casts the oblation to a deity into the sacrificial fire). You are the mystic syllable OM. You are higher than the highest. People neither know your end nor your origin nor who you are in reality. You appear in all created beings in the cattle and in {{transliteration|sa|brahmana}}s. You exist in all quarters, in the sky, in mountains and in rivers."|Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 117WEB,weblink Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda - Sarga 117, valmikiramayan.pcriot.com, }}
Bhagavad Gita
File:Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva within an OM.jpg|thumb|An illustration of Om from a Mahabharata manuscript, 1795, decorated with murtis of Surya, Brahma, and Vishnu to the left, Shakti (could be Maheshwari) on the chandrabindu point, and Shiva (holding a trishula trishulaThe Bhagavad Gita, in the Epic Mahabharata, mentions the meaning and significance of Om in several verses. According to Jeaneane Fowler, 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".{{Blockquote|"Of this universe, I am the Father; I am also the Mother, the Sustainer, and the Grandsire. I am the purifier, the goal of knowledge, the sacred syllable Om. I am the á¹šig Veda, SÄma Veda, and the Yajur Veda."Krishna to Arjuna, Bhagavad Gita 9.17MUKUNDANANDA >AUTHOR-LINK=MUKUNDANANDA TITLE=BHAGAVAD GITA, THE SONG OF GOD: COMMENTARY BY SWAMI MUKUNDANANDA PUBLISHER=JAGADGURU KRIPALUJI YOG, JEANEANE D. >LAST=FOWLER TITLE=THE BHAGAVAD GITA: A TEXT AND COMMENTARY FOR STUDENTS ISBN=978-1845193461, 164, }}The significance of the sacred syllable in the Hindu traditions, is similarly highlighted in other verses of the Gita, such as verse 17.24 where the importance of Om during prayers, charity and meditative practices is explained as follows:{{Blockquote|"Therefore, uttering Om, the acts of yagna (fire ritual), dÄna (charity) and tapas (austerity) as enjoined in the scriptures, are always begun by those who study the Brahman."DATE=2012 PUBLISHER=SUSSEX ACADEMIC PRESS PAGE=271, K.T. >TRANSLATOR-LAST=TELANG EDITOR-FIRST=MAX URL={{GOOGLE BOOKSPLAINURL=YES, date=26 October 2001 isbn=978-0700715473 |page=120}}}}
Puranas
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.
Vaishnava traditions
The Vaishnava Garuda Purana equates the recitation of Om with obeisance to Vishnu.BOOK,weblink The Vishnu-Dharma Vidya [Chapter CCXXI], 16 April 2015, According to the Vayu Purana,{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} 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.ENCYCLOPEDIA, Esnoul, A.M., Oá¹ƒ, Encyclopedia of Religion, Macmillan Reference, 2005, 9780028659978, 2nd, USA, 6820â€“6821, The Bhagavata Purana (9.14.46-48) identifies the Pranava as the root of all Vedic mantras, and describes the combined letters of a-u-m as an invocation of seminal birth, initiation, and the performance of sacrifice (yajÃ±a).BOOK,weblink BhÄgavata PurÄá¹‡a, Canto 9, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc., en, 14, King PurÅ«ravÄ Enchanted by UrvaÅ›Ä«,
Shaiva traditions
File:Om Symbol at Kanaka Durga Temple.jpg|thumb|Om symbol with a trishula at Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada VijayawadaIn Shaiva traditions, 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.BOOK, Guy, Beck, 1995, Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound, Motilal Banarsidass, 978-8120812611, 154, After this, an epithet of Shiva is Omkareshwar, the Lord, Ishvara, of oá¹ƒkÄra.
Shakta traditions
In the thealogy of Shakta traditions, Om connotes the female divine energy, Adi Parashakti, represented in the Tridevi: A for the creative energy (the Shakti of Brahma), Mahasaraswati, U for the preservative energy (the Shakti of Vishnu), Mahalakshmi, and M for the destructive energy (the Shakti of Shiva), Mahakali. The 12th book of the Devi-Bhagavata Purana describes the Goddess as the mother of the Vedas, the Adya Shakti (primal energy, primordial power), and the essence of the Gayatri mantra.BOOK, Rocher, Ludo, The PurÄá¹‡as, 1986, O. Harrassowitz, 978-3447025225, Wiesbaden, WEB, 1 August 2018, Adi Parashakti - The Divine Mother,weblink 26 May 2021, TemplePurohit - Your Spiritual Destination Bhakti, Shraddha Aur Ashirwad, BOOK, Swami Narayanananda,weblink The Primal Power in Man: The Kundalini Shakti, 1960, Health Research Books, 9780787306311,
Other texts
File:Radha and Krishna on a single lotus within an "Om" sign surr Wellcome V0045039.jpg|thumb|Radha and Beng|à¦“à¦}}) and surrounded by scenes from their life
Yoga Sutra
The aphoristic verse 1.27 of Pantanjali's Yogasutra links Om to Yoga practice, as follows:{{poem quote|His word is Om.URL=HTTPS://ARCHIVE.ORG/STREAM/YOGASUTRASOFPATA00PATA#PAGE/N5/ YEAR=1912 TRANSLATOR-LAST=JOHNSTON PUBLISHER=NEW YORK, C. JOHNSTON, }}Johnston states this verse highlights the importance of Om in the meditative practice of yoga, where it symbolises the three worlds in the Self; the three times â€“ past, present, and future eternity; the three divine powers â€“ creation, preservation, and transformation in one Being; and three essences in one Spirit â€“ immortality, omniscience, and joy. It is, asserts Johnston, a symbol for the perfected Spiritual Man.
Chaitanya Charitamrita
In Krishnava traditions, Krishna is revered as Svayam Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord himself, and Om is interpreted in light of this. According to the Chaitanya Charitamrita, Om is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord. A is said to represent Bhagavan Krishna (Vishnu), U represents Srimati Radharani (Mahalakshmi), and M represents jiva, the Self of the devotee.WEB, Indian Century - OM,weblink www.indiancentury.com, BOOK, Kaviraja, Krishnadasa,weblink Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc., 1967, en, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, 20, the Goal of VedÄnta Study,
Jainism
(File:Jaipur Jain Aum.jpg|thumb|Painting illustrating the Jain Om symbol, from Jaipur, {{circa|1840}}){{see also|Jainism and non-creationism|Jain symbols#Om}}In Jainism, Om is considered a condensed form of reference to the PaÃ±ca-Parameá¹£á¹hi by their initials A+A+A+U+M ({{IAST|o3}}{{IAST|m}}).The Dravyasamgraha quotes a Prakrit line:{{Sfnp|Von Glasenapp|1999|pp=410-411}}{{poem quote|{{IAST|Oma ekÄká¹£ara paÃ±ca-parameá¹£á¹hi-nÄmÄ-dipam tatkathamiti cheta "arihatÄ asarÄ«rÄ ÄyariyÄ taha uvajjhÄyÄ muá¹‡iyÄ".}}AAAUM [or just "Om"] is the one syllable short form of the initials of the five supreme beings [{{IAST|paÃ±ca-parameá¹£á¹hi}}]: "Arihant, Ashariri, Acharya, Upajjhaya, Muni".{{Citation |last=Malaiya |first=Yashwant K. |article-url=http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/om.html |article=Om â€“ significance in Jainism |url=https://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/scripts.html |title=Languages and Scripts of India |publisher=Colorado State University}}}}By extension, the Om symbol is also used in Jainism to represent the first five lines of the Namokar mantra,WEB, Namokar Mantra,weblink 2014-06-04, Digambarjainonline.com, the most important part of the daily prayer in the Jain religion, which honours the {{IAST|PaÃ±ca-Parameá¹£á¹hi}}. These five lines are (in English): "(1.) veneration to the Arhats, (2.) veneration to the perfect ones, (3.) veneration to the masters, (4.) veneration to the teachers, (5.) veneration to all the monks in the world".{{Sfnp|Von Glasenapp|1999|pp=410-411}}
Buddhism
Om is often used in some later schools of Buddhism, for example Tibetan Buddhism, which was influenced by Hinduism and Tantra.BOOK, Samuel, Geoffrey,weblink Tantric Revisionings: New Understandings of Tibetan Buddhism and Indian Religion, 2005, Motilal Banarsidass, 9788120827523, Geoffrey Samuel, WEB, Vajrayana Buddhism Origins, Vajrayana Buddhism History, Vajrayana Buddhism Beliefs,weblink 2017-08-04, www.patheos.com, In East Asian Buddhism, Om is often transliterated as the Chinese character {{script|Hant|}} (pinyin {{transl|zh|ÇŽn}}) or {{script|Hant|(:wikt:å—¡|å—¡)}} (pinyin {{transl|zh|wÄ“ng}}).
Tibetan Buddhism and Vajrayana
File:OM MANI PADME HUM.svg|thumb|The mantra om mani padme hum written in Tibetan script on the petals of a sacred lotus around the syllable hrih at the center; Om is written on the top petal in white]]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, AvalokiteÅ›vara. This mantra is particularly associated with the four-armed {{IAST|á¹¢aá¸Äká¹£arÄ«}} form of AvalokiteÅ›vara. Moreover, as a seed syllable (BÄ«ja mantra), Om is considered sacred and holy in Esoteric Buddhism.WEB, "Om" - the Symbol of the Absolute,weblink 2015-10-13, Some scholars interpret the first word of the mantra {{IAST|oá¹ƒ maá¹‡i padme hÅ«á¹ƒ}} to be {{IAST|auá¹ƒ}}, with a meaning similar to Hinduism â€“ the totality of sound, existence, and consciousness.BOOK, Olsen, Carl, The Different Paths of Buddhism: A Narrative-Historical Introduction, Rutgers University Press, 2014, 978-0-8135-3778-8, 215, BOOK, Getty, Alice,weblink The Gods of Northern Buddhism: Their History and Iconography, Dover Publications, 1988, 978-0-486-25575-0, 29, 191â€“192, registration, {{IAST|Oá¹ƒ}} 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".WEB, Gyatso, Tenzin, On the meaning of: OM MANI PADME HUM - The jewel is in the lotus or praise to the jewel in the lotus,weblink 2017-04-17, Internet Sacred Text Archive, BOOK, C. Alexander Simpkins,weblink Meditation for Therapists and Their Clients, Annellen M. Simpkins, W.W. Norton, 2009, 978-0-393-70565-2, 159â€“160, According to Simpkins, Om is a part of many mantras in Tibetan Buddhism and is a symbolism for wholeness, perfection, and the infinite.BOOK, C. Alexander Simpkins,weblink Meditation for Therapists and Their Clients, Annellen M. Simpkins, W.W. Norton, 2009, 978-0-393-70565-2, 158,
Japanese Buddhism
(File:Kannonshoji Azuchi Kyoto pref Japan01s3.jpg|thumb|Nio statues in Kyoto prefecture of Japan, are interpreted as saying the start (open mouth) and the end (closed mouth) of syllable "AUM")
A-un
{{See also|Om mani padme hum}}The term {{nihongo|A-un|}} is the transliteration in Japanese of the two syllables "a" and "{{IAST|hÅ«á¹ƒ}}", written in Devanagari as {{script|Deva|à¤…à¤¹à¥‚à¤}}. In Japanese, it is often conflated with the syllable Om. The original Sanskrit term is composed of two letters, the first ({{script|Deva|à¤…}}) and the last ({{script|Deva|à¤¹}}) letters of the Devanagari abugida, with diacritics (including anusvara) on the latter indicating the "-{{IAST|Å«á¹ƒ}}" of "{{IAST|hÅ«á¹ƒ}}". Together, they symbolically represent the beginning and the end of all things.WEB, 2001, "A un" (é˜¿å½),weblink 14 April 2011, Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System, In Japanese MikkyÅ Buddhism, the letters represent the beginning and the end of the universe.Daijirin Japanese dictionary, 2008, Monokakido Co., Ltd. This is comparable to Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, similarly adopted by Christianity to symbolise Christ as the beginning and end of all.The term a-un is used figuratively in some Japanese expressions as {{nihongo|"a-un breathing"|é˜¿å½ã®å‘¼å¸|a-un no kokyÅ«}} or {{nihongo|"a-un relationship"|é˜¿å½ã®ä»²|a-un no naka}}, indicating an inherently harmonious relationship or nonverbal communication.
NiÅ guardian kings and komainu lion-dogs
The term is also used in Buddhist architecture and Shinto to describe the paired statues common in Japanese religious settings, most notably the NiÅ () and the komainu (). One (usually on the right) has an open mouth regarded by Buddhists as symbolically speaking the "A" syllable; the other (usually on the left) has a closed mouth, symbolically speaking the "Un" syllable. The two together are regarded as saying "A-un". The general name for statues with an open mouth is {{nihongo|agyÅ|é˜¿å½¢||lit. "a" shape}}, that for those with a closed mouth {{nihongo|ungyÅ|å½å½¢||lit. {{"'}}un' shape"}}.NiÅ statues in Japan, and their equivalent in East Asia, appear in pairs in front of Buddhist temple gates and stupas, in the form of two fierce looking guardian kings (Vajrapani).BOOK, Snodgrass, Adrian, The Symbolism of the Stupa, Motilal Banarsidass, 2007, 978-8120807815, 303, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Adrian Snodgrass, BOOK, Baroni, Helen J., The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism, Rosen Publishing, 2002, 978-0-8239-2240-6, 240, Komainu, 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 ({{transl|ja|AgyÅ}}), the other closed ({{transl|ja|UngyÅ}}).JOURNAL,weblink Komainu and NiÃ´, Dentsdelion Antiques Tokyo Newsletter, 11, 3, 2011, BOOK, Ball, Katherine, Animal Motifs in Asian Art, Dover Publishers, 2004, 978-0-486-43338-7, 59â€“60, BOOK, Arthur, Chris, Irish Elegies, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, 978-0-230-61534-2, 21, {{gallery|title = Some a-un pairsAn ungyÅ komainuAn agyÅ komainuUngyÅ NiÅ at the Central Gate of HÅryÅ«-jiAgyÅ NiÅ at the Central Gate of HÅryÅ«-ji}}
Sikhism
File:Ek onkar.svg|thumb|upright=0.9|Ik Onkar of Sikhism SikhismIk Onkar (; iconically represented as {{script|Guru|à©´}}) are the first words of the Mul Mantar, which is the opening verse of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture.BOOK, Doniger, Wendy,weblink Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of world religions, Merriam-Webster, 1999, 978-0-87779-044-0, 500, 23 September 2015, Combining the numeral one ("Ik") and "Onkar", Ik Onkar literally means "one Om ";BOOK, Mahinder, Gulati, 2008, Comparative Religious And Philosophies: Anthropomorphlsm And Divinity, Atlantic, 978-8126909025, 284â€“285, {{efn-ua|Quote: "While Ek literally means One, Onkar is the equivalent of the Hindu "Om" (Aum), the one syllable sound representing the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - the God in His entirety."}} these words are a statement that there is "one God",BOOK, Singh, Khushwant, The religious traditions of Asia: religion, history, and culture, RoutledgeCurzon, 2002, 0-7007-1762-5, Kitagawa, Joseph Mitsuo, Joseph Kitagawa, London, 114, The Sikhs, Khushwant Singh,weblink understood to refer to the "absolute monotheistic unity of God" and implying "singularity in spite of the seeming multiplicity of existence".BOOK, Singh, Wazir,weblink Aspects of Guru Nanak's philosophy, Lahore Book Shop, 1969, 20, 17 September 2015, {{efn-ua|Quote: "the 'a,' 'u,' and 'm' of aum have also been explained as signifying the three principles of creation, sustenance and annihilation. ... aumkÄr in relation to existence implies plurality, ... but its substitute Ik Onkar definitely implies singularity in spite of the seeming multiplicity of existence. ..."}}According to Pashaura Singh, Onkar is used frequently as invocation in Sikh scripture; it is the foundational word (shabad), the seed of Sikh scripture, and the basis of the "whole creation of time and space".Ik Onkar is a significant name of God in the Guru Granth Sahib and Gurbani, states Kohli, and occurs as "Aum" in the Upanishads and where it is understood as the abstract representation of three worlds (Trailokya) of creation.BOOK, Kohli, S.S., The Sikh and Sikhism, Atlantic, 1993, 81-71563368, 35, {{efn-ua|Quote: "Ik Aumkara is a significant name in Guru Granth Sahib and appears in the very beginning of Mul Mantra. It occurs as Aum in the Upanishads and in Gurbani, the Onam Akshara (the letter Aum) has been considered as the abstract of three worlds (p. 930). According to Brihadaranyaka Upanishad "Aum" connotes both the transcendent and immanent Brahman."}} According to Wazir Singh, Onkar is a "variation of Om (Aum) of the ancient Indian scriptures (with a change in its orthography), implying the unifying seed-force that evolves as the universe". JOURNAL, Singh, Wazir, 1969, Guru Nanak's philosophy, Journal of Religious Studies, 1, 1, 56, Guru Nanak wrote a poem entitled Onkar in which, states Doniger, he "attributed the origin and sense of speech to the Divinity, who is thus the Om-maker".{{Poem quote|Onkar ('the Primal Sound') created Brahma, Onkar fashioned the consciousness,From Onkar came mountains and ages, Onkar produced the Vedas,By the grace of Onkar, people were saved through the divine word,By the grace of Onkar, they were liberated through the teachings of the Guru.Adi Granth 929-930, Translated by Pashaura SinghPASHAURA >LAST=SINGH TITLE=GURMAT: THE TEACHINGS OF THE GURUS EDITOR-FIRST=PASHAURA EDITOR2-FIRST=LOUIS E. PUBLISHER=OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PAGE=227, }}"Onkar" is the primordial sound/word. It is the soundless word (anahat naad or anahad naad). It is both the source as well as manifestation of the source. "Onkar" pervades the entire creation. The soundless sound is present everywhere and inside everything including us. In Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib is manifested form of this "Onkar". Hence, the Guru Granth Sahib is called "Shabad Guru". Shabad (word) is Guru and Guru itself is the Primordial Sound "Onkar" (God).{{cn|date=June 2023}}
Thelema
For both symbolic and numerological reasons, Aleister Crowley adapted aum into a Thelemic magical formula, AUMGN, adding a silent 'g' (as in the word 'gnosis') and a nasal 'n' to the m to form the compound letter 'MGN'; the 'g' makes explicit the silence previously only implied by the terminal 'm' while the 'n' indicates nasal vocalisation connoting the breath of life and together they connote knowledge and generation. Together these letters, MGN, have a numerological value of 93, a number with polysemic significance in Thelema. Om appears in this extended form throughout Crowley's magical and philosophical writings, notably appearing in the Gnostic Mass. Crowley discusses its symbolism briefly in section F of Liber Samekh and in detail in chapter 7 of Magick (Book 4).BOOK, Liber Samekh, Crowley, Aleister,weblink 27 May 2021, Internet Sacred Text Archive, BOOK, Crowley, Aleister, Magick in Theory and Practice - Chapter 7,weblink 27 May 2021, Internet Sacred Text Archive, BOOK, Crowley, Aleister, Magick : Liber ABA, book four, parts Iâ€“IV, 1997, 9780877289197, Second revised, San Francisco, CA, BOOK, Crowley, Aleister, Liber XV : Ecclesiae Gnosticae Catholicae Canon Missae, 2016, 9788393928453, Gothenburg,
Modern reception
The Brahmic script Om-ligature has become widely recognized in Western counterculture since the 1960s, mostly in its standard Devanagari form ({{script|Deva|à¥}}), but the Tibetan Om ({{bo-textonly|à¼€|lang=bo}}) has also gained limited currency in popular culture.WEB, Messerle, Ulrich, Graphics of the Sacred Symbol OM,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171231191837weblink">weblink 31 December 2017, 14 January 2019, dmy-all,
In meditation
{{further|Pranava yoga}}Meditating and chanting of Om can be done by first concentrating on a picture of Om and then effortlessly mentally chanting the mantra. Meditating and mental chanting have been said{{by whom|date=February 2022}} to improve the physiological state of the person by increasing alertness and sensory sensitivity.JOURNAL, Kumar, S., Nagendra, H.R., Manjunath, N.K., Naveen, K.V., Telles, S., 2010, Meditation on OM: Relevance from ancient texts and contemporary science, International Journal of Yoga, 3, 1, 2â€“5, 10.4103/0973-6131.66771, 2952121, 20948894, 2631383, free, {{unreliable source?|date=January 2022}}
See also

A in Buddhism
Beej Mantra
Religious symbol

Notes
{{notelist|15em}}{{notelist-ua|30em}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
Bibliography

JOURNAL, Francke, A. H., 1915, The Meaning of the "Om-mani-padme-hum" Formula, The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 47, 3, 397â€“404, 10.1017/S0035869X00048425, 25189337, 170755544,
JOURNAL, Gurjar, A. A., Ladhake, S. A., Thakare, A. P., 2009, Analysis of Acoustic of "OM " Chant to Study {{sic, I, t's, y, Effect on Nervous System |journal=International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=363â€“367 |citeseerx=10.1.1.186.8652}}
JOURNAL, Kumar, S., Nagendra, H., Manjunath, N., Naveen, K., Telles, S., 2010, Meditation on OM: Relevance from ancient texts and contemporary science, International Journal of Yoga, 3, 1, 2â€“5, 10.4103/0973-6131.66771, 2952121, 20948894, free,
JOURNAL, Kumar, Uttam, Guleria, Anupam, Khetrapal, Chunni Lal, 2015, Neuro-cognitive aspects of "OM" sound/syllable perception: A functional neuroimaging study, Cognition and Emotion, 29, 3, 432â€“441, 10.1080/02699931.2014.917609, 24845107, 20292351,
BOOK, Saraswati, Chinmayananda, Glory of Ganesha, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 1987, 978-8175973589, Bombay, Chinmayananda Saraswati,
MAGAZINE, Stein, Joel, 4 August 2003, Just say Om,weblink Time Magazine,
JOURNAL, Telles, S., Nagarathna, R., Nagendra, H. R., 1995, Autonomic changes during "OM" meditation,weblink Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 39, 4, 418â€“420, 0019-5499, 8582759,
WIKISOURCE, Vivekanda, The Mantra: Om: Word and Wisdom, The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 3/Bhakti-Yoga/The Mantra: Om: Word and Wisdom,
BOOK, Von Glasenapp, Helmuth,weblink Der Jainismus: Eine Indische Erlosungsreligion, 1999, Motilal Banarsidass, Shridhar B. Shrotri (trans.), 81-208-1376-6, Delhi, de, Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation, Helmuth von Glasenapp,

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Om#Jainism

Common names and synonyms

Origin and spiritual significance

Pronunciation

Written representations

South Asia

East and Southeast Asia

Representation in various scripts

Northern Brahmic {| class"wikitable" style"text-align: center; margin: 10pt;"

Southern Brahmic {| class"wikitable" style"text-align: center; margin: 10pt;"

Non-Brahmic {| class"wikitable" style"text-align: center; margin: 10pt;"

Hinduism

Vedas

Brahmanas

Aitareya Brahmana

Upanishads

Chandogya Upanishad

Katha Upanishad

Maitri Upanishad

Mundaka Upanishad

Mandukya Upanishad

Shvetashvatara Upanishad

Ganapati Upanishad

Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana

Ramayana

Bhagavad Gita

Puranas

Vaishnava traditions

Shaiva traditions

Shakta traditions

Other texts

Yoga Sutra

Chaitanya Charitamrita

Jainism

Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism and Vajrayana

Japanese Buddhism

A-un

NiÅ guardian kings and komainu lion-dogs

Sikhism

Thelema

Modern reception

In meditation

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

NiÅ guardian kings and komainu lion-dogs