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As a Hindu the sound of “OM” is something we listen to every other day, yet have you ever really thought about the significance of chanting OM?
Om is the primordial sound. In the beginning, the Brahman, the absolute reality was the one and only, and the simple thought of “I am only one – may I become many” created a vibration which became a sound called OM.
Today we all know that energy can be converted from one form to another like from electricity to sound, heat to electricity and many more. Even our famous scientist Einstein who said e = mc2 proved that matter is nothing but waves of energy. So when our supreme power decided to create this universe, they were able to utilise this sound vibration of Om to manifest the creation. This same vibration is present everywhere around us. The inner sound is called “antar-naada”. Infact the closest approach to Brahman is this sound of Om.
A lot of literatures related to yoga have made a mention regarding the Om mantra. A lot of the Upanishads especially the Mandukya Upanishad have said that Om represents everything that is manifest and yet still has its roots in the unmanifest. The pure sound of Om is also called as the “pranava” which means that it sustains life and travels through our breath or praana.
Significance of OM
Om signifies the four states of the supreme being mainly the three sounds in Om (Aum) denote the waking, dreaming ,deep sleep state and the silence between successive repetitions of the mantra represents the turiya state or the fourth state. The three states denotes the conscious, sub conscious and the unconscious state of the mind. According to some of the scriptures and samkhya, they believe that the whole material creation which includes the human mind and body are a manifestation of the mula prakriti (primordial creation) which in turn is formed of the three gunas mainly the sattva, rajas, tamas. The 3 letters corrsoponds to the 3 gunas as:
A for tamas which means darkness, ignorance. U for rajas which means passion, dynamism and M for sattva which means purity, truth and light. And the last state which is the silence between the 2 Aums represents a state of pure consciousness which transcends the three gunas. Some literature also have interpreted the meaning of Aum as A for Brahma the creator, U for Vishnu the sustainer and M for Shiva who is the destroyer and the silence between the 2 Om sounds as the reality that lies beyond trinity. Certain other scripts have modified it and said that A means the present, U is for the past an M is for the future and the silence between the sounds is to represent the reality beyond time and space.
The Symbol OM
It is not only the sound of Om that represents the 4 states of Brahma,even the symbol of Om which is written in Sanskrit denotes everything. The materialistic world during the waking state is depicted by the large lower curve while the deep sleep state is drawn by the upper left curve and the dream state which lies between the waking and the deep sleep state emanates from the confluence of the two. The point and semicircle are separate from the rest of the world wherein the point represents the turiya state of absolute consciousness and the open semicircle symbolises infinite which reveals that the point cannot be gasped if one limits oneself to finite thinking.
Other Names of OM
Different literatures have given different names and terminologies to this divine sound of Aum. Some Upanishads refer Om as “Udgita “which means the uplifting chant or the Omkara. In the yoga sutra of Patanjli it is referred to as the “Praanava. “Others call it as the “Taraka “the one that will help us cross the ocean of this perishable life while others call it the Akshara which means the indestructible or imperishable.
Om is one of the myriad of mantras and Mantra means sound tool in Sanskrit. In fact various ancient languages like the Tibetan, prototypical Egyptian and even Sanskrit have all evolved as complex systems of onomatopoeia, where in the sound movements can produce energy and this is predominantly represented in the right hemisphere of the brain. On the contrary the narrative strand of sounds is governed mainly by the left hemisphere of the brain.
The fascinating and striking feature of mantra is that the sound themselves before they are assigned any meaning start resonating in different parts of our body and mind and create actual interactions or events. Aum is infact onaomatopoeic and thus while performing it can create an event inside the nervous system which becomes an object of concentration and meditation and a focal point for expanding the physical and emotional awareness. The word Aum only sonorates without any fricatives or plosives.
On resonating the mantra aloud allowing air to flow through the nasal passage and smoothly transionitiong between the 3 sounds, the A has a wide opening and a broader vibratory effect on the body indicating the gross consciousness of the waking state. The U has a funnelling effect which tends to narrow the consciousness into subtler sensations, thoughts and impressions as in a dream state. And the nasal sound of M makes the cranium of the brain vibrate over the cerebral cortex and denotes the sleep state of consciousness. Some literatures have shown that Aum is also found in the form of amen in Christianity, Judaism and ancient Egyptian where it codes for the immutable eternal aspect of consciousness.
Chanting of OM
Even the chanting of Om has its own significance. The Patanjali states that Om mantra should be chanted keeping and understanding its meaning and importance. It is important to sit in a comfortable and quiet place in a cross legged seated posture with spine upright, head, neck and spine in a vertical alignment. Close the eyes and take a deep breath and while exhaling start chanting the Om sound. Try to feel the vibration of the sound build in the naval area and travelling upwards. As you continue to chant the vibration should move towards the base of the throat and once it reaches the throat it should be converted into a deep humming sound of M. Try to feel the vibration till it reaches the crown of the head called the sahasrara chakra. The entire process needs to be repeated at least 2 or more times. At the end of the final chant make a sincere attempt to feel the vibration of the Om sound permeate through the whole body- every single cell in the body.
This feeling and the symbolic representation of the sound varies from one person to another. It is important to develop a state of complete relaxation and a proper breathing. At the same time the individual should have complete interest and curiosity only then will the effect of the mantra get a foothold in the system, In fact the mantra can be done vocally, whispering or silently in the mind too. But however most of the practioners believe that it is best to start aloud and then proceed gradually to the silent variations. Even group chanting of the mantras help to synchronize the brain waves between the participants and helps to achieve another level of collective effect.
Benefits of Chanting OM
On continuous recitation of the mantra called “udgita pranayama” it tends to give one peace, calmness, serenity and tranquillity. Even the simple understanding that Om is nothing but pure representation of ishvara helps us to bring closer to our true nature and in fact our own pure self. Like said previously Om is a primordial sound and the entire creation is a simple representation of this mystic sound. It denotes the cosmic prana or the vital energy and the pure air that we breathe. In fact it can also bring us closer to other human beings and try and lift the veil of separateness.
Like how Johann Wolkganag von Goethe once said that architecture is like frozen music. Mantras hold within them the latent forms of the universe and by practicing mantra we can drive our awareness deeper into the bones muscles, tissue of the body and thus gain a greater sensitivity and understanding and amplify the energies that are latent within us. However there are a variety of mantras that are used to worship. The first is always called the moola manthirum which forms the foundation and supports all the others. In fact this mantra has enormous power and it can help eradicate of one’s karma and give you what you rightfully deserve. It helps to solve aliments and genuine problems, prevents fatal accidents and most importantly helps to reach the highest spiritual pedestal called the mukthi.
Divine Om Chanting
