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The magical two letter word "OM"

By Super Admin

Om written in Sanskrit is "Aum" It has many meanings like the sound the universe made when it came into was created. Some people take this literally and some metaphorically.

Also, the phonetics of the sound Aum starts in the bottom of the vocal cavity, then to the glottis, then to the mouth cavity and ultimately disappear into the silent void. This process symbolizes the creation, the maintainence, the destruction of all things and the return to where they came.

As a Mantra repeating the word "om" is a great way to slow down the breathing, calms the nervous system and gives the glands and organs of the body a vibrational massage.

AAaauuuuummmmm....

There are lots of facts and details that can be added to the essence of this word - OM. The whole world and the creation is in a way hidden in this word. To me, Om is power, knowledge, energy, meditation, God, creation, fragrance, in a way; it is a welcome to God the almighty. The mantra Om has been handed down to us by the Himalayan sages. It is the most important mantra of yoga. Traditionally,every thing manifested comes from the primordial vibration which is symbolized by Om. All the material objects and the living beings including each of us, all spiritual teachings , including yoga, all languages, including Sanskrit, including the Vedas everything is represented by the vibration of the word Om.

Om as a sound symbolizes the fact that all the material objects , all the phenomena and all the patterns both microcosmic and macrocosmic levels are states of energy vibrations. Om is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is said to be the sound of the universe. What does that mean?

Somehow, the ancient yogis knew what scientists today are telling us-that the entire universe is moving. Nothing is ever solid or still. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Om. We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it in the rustling of the autumn leaves, the waves on the shore, the inside of a seashell.

Chanting Om allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves-the setting sun, the rising moon, the ebb and flow of the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we chant Om, it takes us for a ride on this universal movement, through our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy, and we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and soothing.

By sound and form, AUM symbolizes the infinite Brahman (ultimate reality) and the entire universe.

A stands for Creation

U stands for Preservation

M stands for Destruction or dissolution

This is representative of the Trinity of God in Hindu dharma (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva).The three portions of AUM relate to the states of waking, dream and deep sleep and the three gunas (rajas, satva, tamas).The three letters also indicates three planes of existence, heaven (swarga), earth (martya) and netherworld (patala).All the words produced by the human vocal organ can be represented by AUM. A is produced by the throat, U & M by the lips. In the Vedas, AUM is the sound of the Sun, the sound of Light. It is the sound of assent (affirmation) and ascent (it has an upwards movement and uplifts the soul, as the sound of the divine eagle.

There can be no concluding sentence to the notion of Om. Though it consists of two letters but still the word has a huge meaning behind it. It describes the world and the creation and beyond . It is a beautiful word by itself. It is the symbol of the Absolute. Om is the symbol of the essence of Hinduism. It means the oneness with the Supreme and the merging of the physical being with the spiritual. It is the sound form of the atman.

Story first published: Thursday, June 30, 2011, 9:14 [IST]