Om Symbol - 'ॐ'

This page about the 'Om Symbol' is quite different from other web-pages on this religious (mainly Hindu) symbol. The text given here has very little mythology! The symbol is discussed here shortly as a symbol/character, as a sound and as a word. In this text, the DevaNagari (Indic) words are written using xNagari scheme.

'Om' is the first or main sound as per _vedik (of _ved) belief! Many mantr_s/slok_s (verse/hymn) of _ved_s and UpaniShad_s start with this sound/word.

Using DevaNagari alphabet, this word can be written as 'ओम' or 'ओम्'. It is general practice in DevaNagari to drop the last 'halant' (i.e. '्'). So almost every one write 'ओम'.

Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati (maharShi dayaanand sarasvatee; महर्षि दयानन्द सरस्वती) proposed the precise spelling as 'ओ३म्' ('O3m'). The digit '३' (3 of DevaNagari) is used in the Hindi Grammar (vyaakaraNN; व्याकरण) as ploot (प्लूत). The syllable that is prior to a ploot is pronounced for a longer time/period (about double). So 'ओ३म' is to be pronounced as OOOm/Oऽऽm).

As per the 'vyaakaraNN' the vowel 'o' is sometimes substituted for two vowels 'A' and 'U', so people also spell 'AUm' (AUM) instead of 'Om'!

There is a specific symbol 'ॐ' (a kind of shortcut) to represent this sound in DevaNagari and other Indian scripts. The symbol is called 'ONkaar' (ओंकार) or 'Om-kaar' (ओमकार). 'ॐ' is the main sacred symbol of Hinduism. In Hindi 'dharm' means religion. So it is mainly a religious symbol (dhaarmik chihn; धार्मिक चिह्न).

Generally the spelling 'ओम' is used in literature (generally as noun), while the sign/symbol 'ॐ' is used for religious purposes.

Click the following picture of the 'Om symbol' to download a bigger picture of the 'Om symbol'.

Gayatri Mantra (_gaayatree mantr) like many other vedik slok_s starts with 'Om'. That's why we can safely assume that 'ओम' means 'हे परमेश्वर' ('My Lord' or 'Oh, our God').

Gayatri Maha-Mantra

(_gaayatree mahaa-mantr; गायत्री महामंत्र)
ॐ Om भूर्भुवः॒ bhoorbhuva(h) स्वः॒ sva(h) ।
तत्स॑वितुर्वरे॑ण्यम् tatsaviturvareNNyam भ॒र्गो॑ bhargo
दे॒वस्य॑ devasya धीमहि dheemahi ।
धियो॒ dhiyo(h) यो yo नः॑ na(h) प्रचो॒दया॑त् prachodayaat ॥