Om and Aum Symbol: The Primal Sound of Creation

by Deborah Morrison, Arvind Singh

Om or Aum is the primary mantra (pranava mantra) in Hinduism and the most sacred symbol in Hinduism. It represents the sound of the universe and the three deities in the Hindu trinity, the trimurti (”three images”), of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The vibration of the three aspects of A-U-M represent the fullness of creation.

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The Trimurti- the three deities of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Existence in the entire cosmos vibrates with an energy that is audible to a mystic as a humming vibration. The closest experience of this sound in ordinary experience would be the humming sound of an electric transformer. Yet this humming is produced by the atoms of the universe vibrating at different frequencies.

In Sanskrit this sound is called Anahada Nada (also called Anahad Shabd in Sikh scriptures). Literally this means “sound produced without striking.” It is an unstruck sound, which unlike ordinary audible sounds is not produced by two things striking one another.

The hand strikes the guitar strings to produce sound, the wind brushes against leaves producing a rustling sound, the saxophonist’s lips press against the reed to produce a musical sound, or the most obvious the drum stick strikes the drum. The unstruck sound occurs without a striking force, as vibrational atoms of the universe produce this sound through their pulsating “dance,” which is the sound of the primal energy of the universe.

AUM represents this sound in its fullness from creation to eventual destruction.

Letter “A”

The “A” represents beginning, start and emanation of the universe and life. A is an open sound formed with open lips and it resonates in the front of the mouth. It represents creation and Brahma is the Hindu god of creation.

Four Faces of Brahma
Brahma seated on a Lotus with Four Heads.

The fourth head faces backwards.

Brahma sitting on a lotus indicates that he is always rooted in the Ultimate Reality, that despite manifestation, the Transcendent remains hidden beneath surface awareness. The four heads of Brahma represent the manifestation of Consciousness as mind (manas), intellect (buddhi), ego (ahamkar) and conditioned-consciousness (chit). Thought functions within them but Consciousness is a transcendent Witness to everything.

Letter “U”

“U” is produced from the back of the mouth with closed lips. It represents the sustenance of the universe and it is the middle between creation and destruction. Vishnu is its principal deity, often worshipped as ten different incarnations, including Krishna.

Vishnu
Vishnu incarnates in a form (avatar) in each cycle of time to rescue the universe.

He represents the maintenance of balance in the universe

through support of physical and spiritual laws.

Letter “M”

“M” is produced with closed lips and it resonates forward in the mouth and buzzes throughout the head. It represents the ending, destruction, and death of life and the universe. Shiva is the Hindu deity that represents this stage.

Shiva

“A” represents Waking Consciousness (jagrat), conditioned by time and space. The conscious mind predominates this state, where the mind is under sway of thought impressions and desires.

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