“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This word is known as "OM".
It is a particularly human trait to be curious about our origins, and the origins of our universe. How could so much – the diversity of our planet, the vastness of our solar system, the unknown reaches of space – come from nothing?
Spiritual traditions from all over the world have grappled with this question, and have recognized the profound role of the Divine Word as the origins, the beginning, of the universe. If at first there was nothing, the very first thing was a sound vibration, and from there everything sprang into existence and the material world was born. And Western science is now coming on board as well: quantum physicists have been studying the role of vibration at the root of matter itself.
And from a yogic perspective, there is a profound connection between speech (the expression of our thoughts) and prana (the life energy carried on the breath). When we speak, we are naming our reality, while using the power of the breath in order to form and express our words. Speech is prana in action. Prana naturally creates sound. Om is believed to be one of the most important sounds in the universe. It is considered as the first sound that emerged from the vibrations of cosmic energies that were behind creating this entire universe.
What is OM?
- Om is a sacred sound and a spiritual symbol in Indian religions. In Hinduism, it signifies the essence of the ultimate reality, consciousness or Atman. More broadly, it is a syllable that is chanted either independently or before a spiritual recitation in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.- In Hinduism, Om is one of the most important spiritual symbols. It refers to Atman (soul, self within) and Brahman (ultimate reality, entirety of the universe, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles, knowledge).
- The syllable Om is referred to as pranava.
- Om, symbolically embodies the divine energy, or Shakti, and its three main characteristics: creation, preservation, and liberation. The mantra, or vibration, derives from Hinduism and is considered to have high spiritual and creative power.
- It may just be a two letter word, but in itself, it holds the power of the entire universe. It is believed that when the Big Bang happened, the sound of OM remained constant throughout the universe and can be sensed even today.
- Om is the source of all religions and religious scriptures. The uttering of the sacred and mystical Om is called Onkar or Omkar. It is the sound of Brahma. It is the predominating force and power.
- Eight of the Upanishads have sections dealing with Om. These are
- The Upanishads consider Om as the basis of every other mantra. It is the sound of the origination and dissolution of the universe. The past, present, future and all that transcends time are all included in this sound. According to Taitreya Upanishad the origin of language is assigned to Prajapati, from whose meditation originated the divine syllable of OM, which coordinated all speech and represented the totality of the world.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna states:
I am the syllable Om...I am the sacred monosyllable...Among words, I am the monosyllable Om
His statements imply that Om is not a symbol of God, but is God. So there can be nothing greater or a subject more important.
In Bhagavad Gita 8.13, Sri Krishna states
Whoever controls his mind and knowing that the souls resides in the forehead repeats the word Om, knowing it as representing Brahma, and thinking of Me his soul leaves the body, that person shall attain the supreme goal.
The Sound of OM
Shiva's drum produced the sound of Om through it came the notes of the octave (SA, RI, GA, MA, PA, DHA, NI). Om is also the sound form of the Atman.Musically, it is also held that the term OM or AUM is made up by three base notes ' A ' 'U' 'M' or the basic 'SA' 'PA' of the fundamental scale and again Sa (the base note) of the immediately higher scale. When one pronounces these notes in continuity, all the basic notes from Sa to Ni also sound. Similarly when one pronounces AUM correctly, all the basic sounds also echo. It is believed to be the traditional way of clearing all the impediments in the vocal chord to make one chant the hymns correctly. Their unison makes one not only sound sonorous but also acts as the necessary preparation to chant a Mantra (Incantation) correctly.
OM is also sometimes written and pronounced AUM, a prolonging of the individual sounds contained in OM. Each of the three letters, and sounds, corresponds to a different aspect of the divine. The first sound, A, invokes Brahma, the creative aspect. The U sound invokes Vishnu, the preserver. And the M sound, Shiva, represents the destructive aspect of God. So the three sounds in this one syllable remind us of these three aspects of the Divine, without which nothing exists, everything is sustained, and all things dissolve back into the void.
Chanting OM
- When pronounced correctly, Om has four syllables and is pronounced AUM, beginning in the solar plexus and sending vibrations up into the chest.- The second syllable – U – moves the sound up into the throat as the sound moves forward along the upper palate.
- The third syllable – M – is a prolonged syllable and brings the vibration through the upper chakras as the teeth come together to touch gently.
- The final syllable is the deep silence of the Infinite as the overall vibration rises through the body and into the Universe.
It is used because the sound, and the vibrations it makes, helps to calm the mind and the central nervous system. Stress can easily build up in our busy day to day lives, so sparing some time to chant and ease the mind can be very helpful and beneficial to our health.
According to yoga and other scriptures, the letter OM corresponds to three gunas (values): A: tamas, it signifies darkness and ignorance (waking state) U: rajas, it signifies passion, activity and dynamism (dream state) M: sattva, it signifies purity, truth, and light (state of deep sleep)
Chanting OM connects to all living creatures, to nature and the universe. It has many physical benefits, as it slows down the nervous system and calms the mind. It relaxes the mind and decreases the blood pressure, which results in improvement of a healthy heart.
Things to Remember while Chanting OM
· First of all choose a quiet place, where there is no obstruction and open air. This can be done on any open ground, terrace, and place.· When waking up, try chanting OM, its sound vibrations are enough to catapult your day. And, if for some reason you can not do it in the morning then definitely before sleeping at night.
· It is believed that these words are symbols of religion, but it is not. This is also a kind of meditation, which by speaking, brings peace to the mind, and also the mind of the person gets relief. That is why there is no need for any god idol, sun-deity, incense etc to chant it.
· Speak it in loud voice, while sitting n the Padmasana on the ground and close your eyes and try to get the voice out of the stomach. Pull this word as long as possible and stop breathing and repeat this process again. Do this at least 2 minutes.
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