What is Om and what does it mean?

Most of us know it as a Hindu symbol, used in scriptures, temples, said before prayers, or is used before any “Archana” for a God in a Pooja. So to understand the deeper, spiritual significance of Om, Mandukya Upanishad in brevity, teaches about Om.

Swami Swaroopananda, over a period of eight morning talks in the early winter season, (May – Jun) in Melbourne, explained to about 50 students of Vedanata, the deeper meaning of OM from the Mandukya Upanishad and the Karika on it. The Upanishad tells us what the goal is, how to identify that goal and what are the means to achieve it. Though Swamiji explained the first portion of Mandukya, which has verses from Karika also, this article is only on the Upanishad.

Mandukya is only made up of 12 mantras. It starts with a bang.

“Om is all this. All this is Brahman. This Atman is Brahman”

Swamiji explained how the name and the person who has the name (Naama, and Naami) are inseparable and the moment we think of a name, our mind immediately runs to identify the person behind that name, like when we say Krishna, we think of Lord Krishna and various forms. Similarly the name Om takes our mind to think of Brahman which is the substance of all this. Hence, past, present and future experiences and that lies beyond, meaning that which is the support for these experiences, is all Om.

To enhance our interest on understanding significance of “Om” Swamiji explained lucidly that this Atma which is Brahman (so signified by Om) is of four parts, (for the purpose of explaining) though really there can be no parts in Brahman as it is One without a second. The next 4 verses explain the three parts, which are represented by the waking state, dream state and deep sleep state. As this Upanishad says “Om is all this” and “This Atman is Brahman” it says:

• Consciousness (Atman) in the waking state, called Vaiswanara, conscious of the external world of objects enjoying the gross objects.
• In the dream state, everything happens inside the mind, and the same Consciousness is called Taijasa, and is conscious of the inner world of objects.
• The third stage or part is when there is no external activity in the form of Vaiswanara or internal activity in the form of Taijasa, is deep sleep which is called Prajnya. In this state there is no experience at all and it is a homogeneous mass of Consciousness. So, all activities end in deep sleep in Prajnya and start from deep sleep. In the macrocosm, the three states are explained as Virat, Taijasa and Ishwara. The individual’s activity comes from the state of Prajnya and the entire universe originates from the Ishwara.
• Now the beautiful mantra is pointing out to what is the fourth stage.

“Nantha prajnyam na bahishprajnyam nobhayatah prajnyam na prajnyanaghanam na prajnyam naaprajnyam.
Adrshtam avayavaharyam agrahyam alakshanm achintyam avyapadesyam ekatma pratyayasaram prapanchopasamam santam sivam advaitam chaturtham manyante sa atma sa vijneyah”

Swamiji instructed that, being the core of the Upanishad, we must memorise this mantra. By negation and affirmation, this Upanishad mantra points out the fourth state called Turiya, and states this is Atma and this is to be realized.

It negates all the three states that it previously explained, as it is neither conscious of the inner world (not Taijasa) not conscious of the external world (not Vaiswanara), nor one that is conscious of both, nor that which is a mass of consciousness. Nor that which is simple consciousness nor is it unconscious. It is not perceived by any sense-organs, unrelated to any, incomprehensible, cannot be inferred, and because of these It is unthinkable and indescribable.

Swami Swaroopananda made us focus on that indescribable Atman as the very essence of the constant thought “I” in all of us and negate the world of phenomenon, as It is peaceful, all bliss and It alone is (Advaitam). This is the Atma the fourth state and this is to be known.

After having explained the connection of Om to Atma and Brahman, Swamiji went on further with the next four verses that shows us how to realize Brahman by meditating on Om.

Just as the four states were pointed out about, there are four matras of Om – A U M the three matras and the fourth amatra – are pointed for Meditation.

Absolute, Brahman, can only be known through Knowledge. Brahman explained as Turiya state present in all three states can only be known and not produced. For this we need purity of mind and single-pointedness, to realize Atman. Gross objects can be removed easily from our mind, but subtler objects and questions go away only through contemplation. Knowledge is necessary for contemplation.

Subtler than form is sound. Name cannot be separated from its form. Om upasana is the subtlest of all Upasanas. Om is the sound symbol, pointer of Brahman. Superimposing Waker, Dreamer and Deep Sleeper on A, U and M respectively and emphasizing on these in chanting OM, one attains fulfillment of all his desires (A), superior knowledge and understands his mind (U), realize there is no distinction (duality), as everything is one in this stage, Prajnya (Iswara) the cause of the universe (M).

Amatra is the silence or the gap between two Om chanted successively, and in meditating on this you discover the Atman, where the universe dissolves.

At the end of eight days of immersion into the Mandukya Upanishad that explained in detail by Swamiji as to what is Om, how it helps to transport us from the realm of just repeating the word Om to understanding the full import and its connection with Atman and Brahma (two different terms but one and the same), and how to meditate on Om to realize That Infinite pointed out in this Upanishad.

We are very grateful to Swamiji for this insight and combining it with the study of Gurudev’s commentary helped tremendously in understanding this complex vedic text.