The significance of Aum or Om

Discussion in 'Chitvish on Hindu Culture & Vedanta' started by Chitvish, Nov 16, 2006.

  1. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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    I am with you:)

    Dear Chitra,

    'We' analyse Bhakti...Oh no, I am not worthy of that. YOU anaylise and I will learn from it. I have yet to learn the pure form of Bhakti. Go ahead Chitra, I am eagerly looking forward to it. All my pleasure.

    L, Kamla
     
  2. Surya

    Surya Senior IL'ite

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    Hari Aum

    Dear Chitra,

    Another wonderful piece from you. After reading your post my heart filled with peace. The pictures are so pleasant to the eyes. Thankyou.

    oh...my madurai malli, i miss you.

    Iam always late. I think iam the last person to send you FB in all the threads.

    regards,
    kodi.
     
  3. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Hari Aum, Koti Surya !

    Late, but still latest ?
    Yes, wherever we live in the world, we Maduraikaris will miss our Madurai malli !
    Thankyou for the F B , Koti.
    Love & regards,
    Chithra.
     
  4. sunkan

    sunkan Gold IL'ite

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    Om And Its Meaning

    [​IMG]





    Meaning Of OM (AUM)
    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which men desire when they lead the life of continence … is Om. This syllable Om is indeed Brahman. Whosoever knows this 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."
    ~ Katha Upanishad I
    Om or Aum is of paramount importance in Hinduism. This symbol (as seen in the image on the right) is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism — omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable.
    Om, therefore, represents both the unmanifest (nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects of God. That is why it is called pranava, to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath. Om in Daily Life

    Although Om symbolizes the most profound concepts of Hindu belief, it is in use daily. The Hindus begin their day or any work or a journey by uttering Om. The sacred symbol is often found at the head of letters, at the beginning of examination papers and so on. Many Hindus, as an expression of spiritual perfection, wear the sign of Om as a pendant. This symbol is enshrined in every Hindu temple premise or in some form or another on family shrines. It is interesting to note that a newly born child is ushered into the world with this holy sign. After birth, the child is ritually cleansed and the sacred syllable Om is written on its tongue with honey. Thus right at the time of birth the syllable Om is initiated into the life of a Hindu and ever remains with him as the symbol of piety. Om is also a popular symbol used in contemporary body art and tattoos.
    The Eternal Syllable

    According to the Mandukya Upanishad,"Om is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it". The Music of Om

    Om is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om. It is believed to be the basic sound of the world and to contain all other sounds. It is a mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or soul. There is harmony, peace and bliss in this simple but deeply philosophical sound. By vibrating the sacred syllable Om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Ultimate Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the highest state of "stateless" eternity, states the Bhagavad Gita.
    The Vision of Om

    Om provides a dualistic viewpoint. On one hand, it projects the mind beyond the immediate to what is abstract and inexpressible. On the other hand, it makes the absolute more tangible and comprehensive. It encompasses all potentialities and possibilities; it is everything that was, is, or can yet be. It is omnipotent and likewise remains undefined. The Power of Om

    During meditation, when we chant Om, we create within ourselves a vibration that attunes sympathy with the cosmic vibration and we start thinking universally. The momentary silence between each chant becomes palpable. Mind moves between the opposites of sound and silence until, at last, it ceases the sound. In the silence, the single thought—Om—is quenched; there is no thought. This is the state of trance, where the mind and the intellect are transcended as the individual self merges with the Infinite Self in the pious moment of realization. It is a moment when the petty worldly affairs are lost in the desire for the universal. Such is the immeasurable power of Om.

    [​IMG] There have been many discussions about the significance and meaning of Aum. the following is a widely believed interpretation of Aum:


    </pre> Of all names of God, Aum is the Supreme. Aum (also Om) is the most comprehensive name of God. Other names encompass only some aspects of God. That is the reason why Om signifies only God and nothing else where as other names stand for other things as well.

    The word AUM (OM) is made up of three letters that express the three great aspects of GOD:


    </pre> A - denotes the power of God to create the Universe.

    U - denotes the power of God to preserve the Universe.

    M - denotes the power of God to dissolve the Universe.


    </pre> On this basis, God is known to Hindus by the three other names:


    </pre> A - Brahma (Creator)

    U - Vishnu (Preserver)

    M - Shiva (Destroyer)

    The symbol that you see on the scroll at the top of this page shows the various styles in which AUM is written. The symbol is in Devanagri script, a style of writing that is common to many of India's languages. However, we cannot say that the symbol is of any particular linguistic origin - it is not even Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. The symbol, like the meaning, is universal and symbolizes the formless aspect of God.
     
  5. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Re: Om And Its Meaning

    Thanks Sunkan for bringing this into our notice...

    I am surprised to see that it denotes the three aspects of GOD just as the Shiva lingam which represents Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.

    I also thought that the letter OM which is written is Sanskrit, moreover sanskrit is Devanagiri, this is how I thought---before reading this article.
    Thanks for clearing these doubts of mine.

    sriniketan
     
  6. vijayanarasimha

    vijayanarasimha New IL'ite

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    thank u mam, i think i am the last one and nobody will be after this as usual. thanks a lot for everything
     
  7. rajameenakshi

    rajameenakshi New IL'ite

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    Dear chitra ma,

    I am a great fan of you.I dont know you can do so many things.

    May God bless you with everything you want.

    pls tell me know how to do thithi nitya devada pooja and the procedure in short.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2013

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