OM: The Meaning Behind the Universe’s Sacred Sound

What is Om and why do we chant it in yoga class? Om actually has many meanings and associations. It’s primary purpose is to move beyond the mental and physical practices of yoga and into a heart-centered space where the essence of the devotional practice of yoga is invoked.

When a yoga or meditation teacher invites their students to chant Om they are asking them to acknowledge all states of being. All beings. All forms. And All existence. It is the primordial, elemental sound of the manifest universe.

Om is made of three sounds, A, U, M, that when put together make the sound Om. Each of these three sounds symbolizes a creative cycle within nature (creation, sustenance, and dissolution) surrounded by the fourth quality, supreme silence.

Cycles of Nature

Creation

In ancient Vedic cosmology Srsti is the word used to describe creation, meaning to bring together or add. It is the stepping down in vibration from the subtle into the gross. Spirit into Matter. From the silence the sound of creation arises and to the silence the sound returns.

Out of the dark, amorphous sea of chaotic creative Shakti organized forms of divine light and sound arose. The Hindu Goddess that represents creativity and creation is Saraswati. The God if creation is Brahma.

Preservation/Sustenance

Sthiti is the sanskrit word for sustenance, the sustaining or supporting of life and health and spiritual nourishment. It is the energy that holds the form together and gives the appearance of solidity. It is the pulse of creative light continuing to evolve in manifestation to progressively more refined and sophisticated forms.

It is the equivalent of the Goddess Lakshmi who rules wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty and fertility. Lakshmi is also known as Shri the describes when something is ripe, possessing divine beauty, abundant divine light, and the splendor inherent in life. The God Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the universe, who restore balance.

Dissolution

Samhara is the sanskrit word for when the gross is dissolved back into the subtle. The outer is dissolved back into the inner. Difference into unity. Matter into Spirit. At the height of the manifested cycle the refined form begins to dissolve and eventually returns back to the dark chaotic sea of energy from which it came. It is then unmanifested, raw potential once again.

The Hindu Goddess Kali is considered to be the master of death, time and change. She emerged from Lord Shiva. Shiva is known as “The Destroyer” within the Hindu Trinity of Gods, along with Brahma and Vishnu.

States of Consciousness

The first mention of Om was in the Upanishads, which is a sacred Hindu text. In this text, it says that Om is indestructible and is all states of time and consciousness.

In the symbol, the waking state is represented by the lower left curve. The waking state is general consciousness, looking outwards and involved with the use of the five senses in experiencing the world.

The lower right curve is the dream state, when consciousness is turned inwards and a different world is experienced through dreams.

The state of deep sleep is represented with the upper left curve. This unconscious state is where the mind is shut down and is no longer dreaming and desiring of anything.

The crescent shape above the curves denotes Maya, or Illusion, which is the obstacle that blocks the way of reaching the highest state of bliss.

The dot at the top of the symbol, called the Turiya, represents the absolute state, when consciousness faces neither inwards or outwards, but is quiet and blissful in the ultimate spiritual state of being. It is the state where all states of consciousness meet. This fourth state is believed to be the state in which someone could truly connect with the Divine.

This article first appeared at www.yogatoday.com