Om
Devanagari "Om" symbol
Om (also Aum, ॐ) is the most sacred syllable in Hinduism, in which Vedic tradition it originated. The syllable is sometimes referred to as, "the Udgitha" or "pranava mantra" (primordial mantra). As a seed syllable (bija), it is also considered holy in Esoteric Buddhism and is often represented as ༀ.
Found first in the Vedic scriptures of Hinduism, Aum has been seen as the first manifestation of the unmanifest Brahman (the single Divine Ground of Hinduism) that resulted in the phenomenal universe. Essentially, all the cosmos stems from the vibration of the sound 'Aum' in Hindu cosmology. Indeed, so sacred is it that it is prefixed and suffixed to all Hindu mantras and incantations. It undoubtedly the symbol of Hinduism.
Gods and Goddesses are sometimes referred to as Aumkar, which means Form of Aum, thus implying that they are limitless, the vibrational whole of the cosmos. In Hindu metaphysics, it is proposed that the manifested cosmos (from Brahman) has name and form (nama-rupa), and that the closest approximation to the name and form of the universe is Aum, since all existence is fundamentally composed of vibration. This is remarkably similar to current quantum physics in that it approximates super string theory, which posits that the universe is essentially composed of waves.
It is frequently used to represent three subsumed into one, a common theme in Hinduism. It implies that our current existence is mithya, or 'slightly lesser reality,' that in order to know the full truth we must comprehend beyond the body and intellect and intuit the true nature of infinity, of a Divine Ground that is immanent but also transcends all duality, being and non-being, that cannot be described in words. Within this metaphysical symbolism, the three are represented by the lower curve, upper curve and tail of the ॐ subsumed into the ultimate One, represented by the little crescent moon-shape and dot, known as chandra-bindu. Essentially, upon moksha, mukti, samadhi, nirvana, liberation, etc. one is able not only to see or know existence for what it is, but to become it. In attaining truth one simply realizes fundamental unity; it is not the joining together of a prior manifold splitting. When one gains true knowledge, there is no split between knower and known: one becomes knowledge/consciousness itself. In essence, Aum is the signifier of the ultimate truth that all is one.
Examples of Three into One:
'Aum'/'Om' can be seen as Shri Ganesh, whose figure is often represented in the shape of Aum. He is thus known as Aumkar (Shape of Aum). Shri Nataraja, or the Hindu god 'Shiva' dancing his dance of destruction, is seen in that popular representation mirroring the image of Aum. It is said to be the most perfect 'approximation' of the cosmic existence within time and space, and therefore the sound closest to Truth.
"The First Word Om (Aum)
It is also called Pranav because its sound emanates from the Prana (vital vibration), which feels the Universe. The scripture says "Aum Iti Ek Akshara Brahman" (Aum that one syllable is Brahman).
When you pronounce AUM:
A - emerges from the throat, originating in the region of the navel
U - rolls over the tongue
M - ends on the lips
A - waking, U - dreaming, M - sleeping
It is the sum and substance of all the words that can emanate from the human throat. It is the primordial fundamental sound symbolic of the Universal Absolute." --- [* http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa061003b.htm]
Today, in all Hindu art and all over India and Nepal, 'Aum' can be seen virtually everywhere, a standard sign for Hinduism and a vast but economical storehouse for the deep mythology inherent in the world's oldest religion.
It has been argued that Om can be translated, into English, as " Eternal Yea." Notes the Chandogya Upanishad, "That syllable, is a syllable of permission; for, whenever we permit anything, we say Om." However, this is a myopic perspective because the same Hindu scriptures, the Upanishads, that aver this function also attribute to it the divine property of the source of the universe. Aum is seen as the source of existence as we know it within the causal dimensions of time and space, and thus affirmatory meanings in languages are a natural progression. Aum is not only affirmation, but negation, and transcends both.
Aum/Om in Hindu Tradition
The Chandogya Upanishad (1.1.1-10) states, "The udgitha is the best of all essences, the highest, deserving the highest place, the eighth."
| Early Hinduism | Hinduism | Hindu Philosophy |
| Primary Scriptures: Vedas | Upanishads | Bhagavad Gita | Itihasa | Tantras | Sutras |
| Concepts: Brahman | Dharma | Karma | Moksha | Maya | Punarjanma | Samsara |
| Schools & Systems: Vedanta | Yoga | Tantra | Bhakti |
| Rituals: Aarti | Darshan | Puja | Satsang | Thaal | Yagnya |
| Hindu Teachers/Gurus and Saints: Sankara | Ramakrishna | Vivekananda | Aurobindo | Ramana Maharshi | Sivananda |
| Denominations: Vaishnavism | Shaivism | Shaktism | Neo- and quasi-Hindu movements |
With Buddhism's evolution and breaking away from Vedic/Hindu tradition, Aum and other symbology/cosmology/philosophies were coopted from the Hindu tradition. This character often appeared as "唵" in Buddhist scripts in East Asia.
Other Traditions, Interpretations and Understandings
Tibetan "Om" symbol