"Omkara" redirects here. For the film, see Omkara (film). This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional references or sources for verification. Tagged since September 2010. It may contain improper references to self-published sources. Tagged since November 2010. Devanagari Om Om or Aum (also Auṃ, written in Devanagari as ॐ and as ओम्, in Sanskrit known as praṇava प्रणव [lit. "to sound out loudly"] or Omkara or auṃkāra (also as Aumkāra) ओंकार (lit. "auṃ syllable") is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Indian religions, i.e. Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Aum is commonly pronounced as a long or over-long nasalized close-mid back rounded vowel, [õːː]) though there are other enunciations pronounced in received traditions. It is placed at the beginning of most Hindu texts as a sacred incantation to be intoned at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or prior to any prayer or mantra. The Māndukya Upanishad is entirely devoted to the explanation of the syllable. The syllable consists of three phonemes, a, u and m, which symbolize the beginning, duration, and dissolution of the universe and the associated gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, respectively.1 The name Omkara is taken as a name of God in the Hindu revivalist Arya Samaj. Contents 1 Name, phonology and written representation 2 In Hinduism 2.1 Early Vedantic literature 2.2 Pauranic Hinduism 2.2.1 Dvaita 2.2.2 Advaita 2.3 In proper names 3 In Jainism 4 In Buddhism 5 "Onkar" in Sikhism 6 References 7 External links // Name, phonology and written representation The Sanskrit name for the syllable is praṇava, from a root nu "to shout, sound", verbal pra-nu- being attested as "to make a humming or droning sound" in the Brahmanas, and taking the specific meaning of "to utter the syllable aum" in the Chāndogya Upanishad and the Shrauta Sutras. More rarely used terms are akṣara (lit. symbol, character) or ekākṣara (lit. one symbol, character), and in later times omkāra becomes prevalent. Phonemically, the syllable is /aum/, which is regularly monophthongized to [õː] in Sanskrit phonology. It is sometimes also written with pluti, as o3m (ओ३म्), notably by Arya Samaj. When occurring within a Sanskrit utterance, the syllable is subject to the normal rules of sandhi in Sanskrit grammar, however with the additional peculiarity that after preceding a or ā, the au of aum does not form vriddhi (au) but guna (o) per Pāṇini 6.1.95 (i.e. 'om').

The aum symbol is a ligature of Devanagari ओ+ँ (oṃ, encoded in Unicode at U+0950 ॐ, the Tibetan script variant ༀ at U+0F00, and the Chinese version 唵 at U+5535 or 吽 at U+543D). Ek Onkar (Punjabi ਇਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ, Ik Onkar, iconically ੴ in Gurmukhi script, a combination of the numeral one ੧ and an ura base glyph ੳ extended with a "peculiar modification,"2), from Sanskrit ekomkāra "one omkāra" per the special sandhi rule treated above, is a symbol of the unity of God in Sikhism, and is commonly found on Gurdwaras. The Ek Onkar ligature is encoded as a single character in Unicode at U+0A74 (ੴ). Om in various scripts The symbol Aum in the Tamil script   The symbol Aum in Telugu and Kannada script   The symbol Aum in Oriya and Bengali script.   The Balinese Om symbol   The symbol Aum in Tibetan script   In Hinduism An article related to Hinduism Auṃ • Brahman • Ishvara Hindu • History of Hinduism Deities Brahman Ishvara Trimurti Brahma • Vishnu • Shiva Devis and Devas Saraswati · Lakshmi · Parvati Shakti · Durga  · Kali Ganesha · Subrahmanya · Ayyappa Rama · Krishna Hanuman Prajapati · Rudra Indra · Agni · Dyaus Bhumi · Varuna · Vayu Philosophy Concepts Brahman · Om · Ishvara Atman · Maya Karma · Samsara Purusharthas (Dharma · Artha · Kama · Moksha) Schools Astika Samkhya · Yoga Nyaya · Vaisheshika Purva mimamsa Uttara mimamsa (Vedanta) (Dvaita, Advaita, Vishishtadvaita) Nastika Charvaka Scriptures Vedas Rigveda • Yajurveda Samaveda • Atharvaveda Divisions Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka, Upanishad Upavedas Ayurveda • Dhanurveda Gandharvaveda • Sthapatyaveda Vedangas Shiksha · Chandas · Vyakarana Nirukta · Kalpa · Jyotisha Upanishads Rig vedic Aitareya Yajur vedic Brihadaranyaka · Isha Taittiriya · Katha · Shvetashvatara Sama vedic Chandogya · Kena Atharva vedic Mundaka · Mandukya · Prashna Puranas Brahma puranas Brahma · Brahmanda Brahmavaivarta Markandeya · Bhavishya Vaishnava puranas Vishnu · Bhagavata Naradeya · Garuda · Padma Shaiva puranas Shiva · Linga Skanda · Agni · Vayu Itihasas Ramayana · Mahabharata Other scriptures

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The syllable is mentioned in all the Upanishads, specially elaborated upon in the Taittiriya, Chāndogya and Māndukya Upanishad set forth as the object of profound religious meditation, the highest spiritual efficacy being attributed not only to the whole word but also to the three sounds a (a-kāra), u (u-kāra), m (ma-kāra), of which it consists. A-kara means form or shape like earth, trees, or any other object. U-kāra means formless or shapeless like water, air or fire. Ma-kāra means neither shape nor shapeless (but still exists) like the dark energy content of the Universe. When we combine all three syllables we get AUM which is a combination of A-kāra, U-kāra, and Ma-kāra.3 The Katha Upanishad has: "The goal, which all Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which humans desire when they live a life of conscience, I will tell you briefly it is aum" "The one syllable evākṣara, viz. aum is indeed Brahman. This one syllable is the highest. Whosoever knows this one syllable obtains all that he desires. "This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahma." (1.2.15-17)4 The Chāndogya Upanishad (1.1.1-1) states: om ity-etad akṣaram udgītham upāsīta / aum iti hy udgāyati / tasyopavyākhyānam "The udgi:tā ["the chanting", that is, the syllable om] is the best of all essences, the highest, deserving the highest place, the eighth." The Bhagavad Gi:tā (8.13) states that: Uttering the monosyllable Aum, the eternal world of Brahman, One who departs leaving the body (at death), he attains the Supereme Goal (i.e., he reaches God). In Bhagavad Gi:tā (9.17): Lord Krishna says to Arjuna - "I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable Oḿ. I am also the Ṛig, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas." The Bhagvad Gi:tā (17.23) has: om tatsatiti nirdesho brahmanstrividhah samratah "OM, tat and sat has been declared as the triple appellation of Brahma, who is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss." In the following sūtra it emphasizes, "The repetition of Om should be made with an understanding of its meaning".5 In the book Om Chanting and Meditation Amit Ray states: Om is not just a sound or vibration. It is not just a symbol. It is the entire cosmos, whatever we can see, touch, hear and feel. Moreover, it is all that is within our perception and all that is beyond our perception. It is the core of our very existence. If you think of Om only as a sound, a technique or a symbol of the Divine, you will miss it altogether. ..... Om is the mysterious cosmic energy that is the substratum of all the things and all the beings of the entire universe. It is an eternal song of the Divine. It is continuously resounding in silence on the background of everything that exists. 6 Pauranic Hinduism The Om Parvat in Pithoragarh district. Its snow deposit is said to resemble the Aum symbol. God Ganesha is sometimes identified with the Aum

In Purānic Hinduism, Aum is the mystic name for the Hindu Trimurti, and represents the union of the three gods, viz. a for Brahma, u for Vishnu and m for Mahadev which is another name of Shiva. The three sounds also symbolize the three Vedas (Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda). According to Hindu philosophy (see Māndukya Upanishad), the letter A represents creation, when all existence issued forth from Brahma's golden nucleus; the letter U refers to Vishnu the God of the middle who preserves this world by balancing Brahma on a lotus above himself, and the letter M symbolizes the final part of the cycle of existence, when Vishnu falls asleep and Shiva has to breathe in so that all existing things have to disintegrate and are reduced to their essence to him. More broadly, Aum is said to be the primordial sound that was present at the creation of the universe. It is said to be the original sound that contains all other sounds, all words, all languages and all mantras. Dvaita Vaishnava Dvaita philosophies teach that 'Aum' is an impersonal sound representation of Vishnu/Krishna while Hari Nama is the personal sound representation. A represents Krishna, U Srīmati Rādhārāni and M jivascitation needed. According to Srīdhara Svāmi the pranava has five parts: A, U, M, the nasal bindu and the reverberation (nāda)citation needed. Liberated souls meditate on the Lord at the end of that reverberation. For both Hindus and Buddhists this syllable is sacred and so laden with spiritual energy that it may only be pronounced with complete concentration. Advaita Aum symbol on a temple elephant's forehead In Advaita philosophy it is frequently used to represent three subsumed into one, a triune, a common theme in Hinduism. It implies that our current existence is mithyā and maya, "falsehood", that in order to know the full truth we must comprehend beyond the body and intellect the true nature of infinity. Essentially, upon moksha (mukti, samādhi) one is able not only to see or know existence for what it is, but to become it. 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 sacred triunes (three-in-ones):citation needed Creation (Brahma)- Preservation (Vishnu)- Destruction (Shiva) into Brahman the Atman Waking- Dreaming- Dreamless Sleep into Turiya (transcendental fourth state of consciousness) Rajas (activity, heat, fire) - Tamas (dullness, ignorance, darkness) - Sattva (purity, light, serenity or peace/shānti) into Brahman Body, Speech and Mind into Oneness Generate(Brahma-Saraswati), Operate(Nārāyan-Lakshmi), Destroy(Shiv-Shakti) as GOD within Satchitānanda In proper names

When Aum is a part of a place name (for example Omkāreshwar), or is used as a man's name, it is spelled phonetically using ordinary letters of whatever Indian alphabet is used in the area. The adherents of Arya Samaj always use the ordinary letters अ(Ah), ऊ(ooh) and म(ma) to write Aum. In Jainism Depiction of Om in Jain script In Jainism, Aum is regarded to be a condensed form of reference to the five parameshthis, by their initials A+A+A+U+M (o3m). The Dravyasamgrah quotes a Prakrit line: ओम एकाक्षर पञ्चपरमेष्ठिनामादिपम् तत्कथमिति चेत "अरिहंता असरीरा आयरिया तह उवज्झाया मुणियां" oma ekākṣara pañca-parameṣṭhi-nāmā-dipam tatkabhamiti ceta "arihatā asarīrā āyariyā taha uvajjhāyā muṇiyā" "Aum" is one syllable made from the initials of the five parameshthis. It has been said: "Arihanta, Ashiri, Acharya, Upadhyaya, Muni" . Thus, ओं नमः (oṃ namaḥ) is a short form of the Navkar Mantra. In Buddhism Buddhists place om at the beginning of their Vidya-Sadaksari or mystical formulary in six syllables (viz., om mani padme hum) as well as most other mantras and dhāranis. As a seed syllable (bija mantra), it is also considered holy in Esoteric Buddhism. The syllable is often written with the Chinese character 唵 (pinyin ǎn) or 嗡 (pinyin wēng) in Buddhist texts of East Asian provenience. "Onkar" in Sikhism Main article: Ek Onkar Gurmukhi Ek Onkar symbol The term onkar in Punjabi is found in Sikh theology as a symbol of God and invariably emphasizes God's singularity, expressed as Ek Onkar, stating that the multiplicity of existence symbolized in the aum syllable is really founded in a singular God.7 Guru Nanak dev ji writes that, "From Onkaar, the One Universal Creator God, Brahma was created. He kept Ongkaar in his consciousness. From Ongkaar, the mountains and the ages were created. Onkaar created the Vedas."8 Khushwant Singh writes that, "The concept of om, which is somewhat elusive in Hinduism, is crystallized in Sikh theology and is given a status of symbol - the symbol of God." The singularity of God is expressed in the saying, Ek Onkar ("There is one God").9 Guru Nanak's teaching about God is summed in the Sikh Mool Mantra.10 References ^ Werner, Karel (1994). A Popular Dictionary of Hinduism. Curzon Press. ISBN 0700710493. ^ Ishar Singh, The Philosophy of Guru Nanak, p. 129 ^ Satyarth Prakāsh by Swāmi Dayānand Saraswati ^ :sarve vedā yat padam āmananti / tapām̐si sarvāṇi ca yad vadanti / yad icchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti / tat te padaṃ saṃgraheṇa bravīmy / om ity-etat // etad dhy evākṣaraṃ brahma / etad dhy evākṣaraṃ param / etad dhy evākṣaraṃ jñātvā / yo yad icchati / tasya tat // etad ālambanaṃ śreṣṭham / etad ālambanaṃ param / etad ālambanaṃ jñātvā / brahmaloke mahīyate // ^ Yoga Su:tras of Patanjali, English translation by Bon Giovanni. (sacred-texts.com) ^ Amit Ray,“Om Chanting and Meditation”, Inner Light Publishers, pp. 9-16, ISBN 8191026937 ^ Wazir Singh, Aspects of Guru Nanak's philosophy (1969), p. 20: "the 'a,' 'u,' and 'm' of aum have also been explained as signifying the three principles of creation, sustenance and annihilation. ... aumkār in relation to existence implies plurality, ... but its substitute Ekonkar definitely implies singularity in spite of the seeming multiplicity of existence. ..." ^ Siri Guru Granth Sahib (English Translation) (3rd ed.). pp. 929. http://www.gurbanifiles.org/translations/English%20Translation%20of%20Siri%20Guru%20Granth%20Sahib.pdf.  ^ Singh, Khushwant (2002). "The Sikhs". In Kitagawa, Joseph Mitsuo. The religious traditions of Asia: religion, history, and culture. London: RoutledgeCurzon. p. 114. ISBN 0-7007-1762-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=5LSvkQvvmAMC&pg=PA114&.  ^ Mahinder N. Gulati (2008). Comparative Religious and Philosophies. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 330. ISBN 8126909021.  External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Om Meaning of the word OM Aum in the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Su:tras v · d · eHinduism

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