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Om

In Hinduism and different religions chiefly of India, a sacred syllable that's thought-about to be the greatest of all of the mantras, or sacred formulas. The syllable Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m (in Sanskrit, the vowels a and u coalesce to grow to be o), which represent a number of necessary triads: the three worlds of earth, atmosphere, and heaven; the three major Hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; and the three sacred Vedic scriptures, Rg, Yajur, and Sama. Thus Om mystically embodies the essence of the entire universe. It's uttered at the start and end of Hindu prayers, chants, and meditation and is freely used in Buddhist and Jaina ritual also. From the sixth century, the written image designating the sound is used to mark the beginning of a text in a manuscript or an inscription.

The syllable is discussed in various the Upanishads, that are the texts of philosophical speculation, and it forms the whole subject matter of 1, the Mandukya. It is used in the apply of Yoga and is related to methods of auditory meditation. Within the Puranas the syllable is put to sectarian use; thus the Saiva mark the lingam, or sign of Siva, with the image for Om, whereas the Vaishnavism establish the three sounds as referring to a trinity composed of Vishnu, his wife Shri, and the worshiper.