They offer various shades of meaning to Om, such as it being "the universe beyond the sun", or that which is "mysterious and inexhaustible", or "the infinite language, the infinite knowledge", or "essence of breath, life, everything that exists", or that "with which one is liberated". The Brahmana layer of Vedic texts equate Om with bhur-bhuvah-svah, the latter symbolising "the whole Veda". The Aitareya Brahmana of Rig Veda, in section 5.32, for example suggests that the three phonetic components of Om ( a + u + m) correspond to the three stages of cosmic creation, and when it is read or said, it celebrates the creative powers of the universe. The symbolic foundations of Om are repeatedly discussed in the oldest layers of the early Upanishads. In the Aranyaka and the Brahmana layers of Vedic texts, the syllable is so widespread and linked to knowledge, that it stands for the "whole of Veda". It has variously been associated with concepts of "cosmic sound" or "mystical syllable" or "affirmation to something divine", or as symbolism for abstract spiritual concepts in the Upanishads. The syllable Om is first mentioned in the Upanishads, the mystical texts associated with the Vedanta philosophy. Max Müller and other scholars state that these philosophical texts recommend Om as a "tool for meditation", explain various meanings that the syllable may be in the mind of one meditating, ranging from "artificial and senseless" to "highest concepts such as the cause of the Universe, essence of life, Brahman, Atman, and Self-knowledge". Regardless of its original meaning, the syllable Om evolves to mean many abstract ideas even in the earliest Upanishads. However, contemporary Indologist Asko Parpola proposes a borrowing from Dravidian " *ām" meaning "'it is so', 'let it be so', 'yes'", a contraction of " *ākum", cognate with modern Tamil " ām" ( ஆம்) meaning "yes". In 1889, Maurice Blumfield proposed an origin from a Proto-Indo-European introductory particle " *au" with a function similar to the Sanskrit particle "atha" ( अथ). The etymological origins of ōm/ āum have long been discussed and disputed, with even the Upanishads having proposed multiple Sanskrit etymologies for āum, including: from " ām" ( आम् "yes"), from " ávam" ( आवम् "that, thus, yes"), and from the Sanskrit roots " āv-" ( अव् "to urge") or " āp-" ( आप् "to attain"). Ekākṣara literally, "one letter of the alphabet", referring to its representation as a single ligature.Akṣara ( अक्षर) literally, "imperishable, immutable", and also "letter of the alphabet" or "syllable".Udgītha ( उद्गीथ) meaning "song, chant", a word found in Samaveda and bhasya (commentaries) based on it, which is also used as a name of the syllable.Ik Oṅkār ( ਇੱਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ) literally, "one Om-maker", and an epithet of God in Sikhism.Oṅkāra ( ओङ्कार) or oṃkāra ( ओंकार) literally, " Om-maker", denoting the first source of the sound Om and connoting the act of creation.Praṇava ( प्रणव) literally, "fore-sound", referring to Om as the primeval sound.The syllable Om is referred to by many names, including: 7.2.2 Niō guardian kings and komainu lion-dogs.The syllable Om is also referred to as Onkara/Omkara and Pranav/Pranava among many other names. It is a sacred spiritual incantation made before and during the recitation of spiritual texts, during puja and private prayers, in ceremonies of rites of passage ( sanskara) such as weddings, and during meditative and spiritual activities such as Pranava yoga. The syllable is often found at the beginning and the end of chapters in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Hindu texts. It refers to Atman (Self within) and Brahman (ultimate reality, entirety of the universe, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles, knowledge). In Hinduism, wherein it signifies the essence of the Ultimate Reality ( parabrahman) which is consciousness ( paramatman), Om is one of the most important spiritual symbols. As a syllable, it is often chanted either independently or before a spiritual recitation and during meditation in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is part of the iconography found in ancient and medieval era manuscripts, temples, monasteries, and spiritual retreats in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The meaning and connotations of Om vary between the diverse schools within and across the various traditions. info) Sanskrit: ॐ, ओम्, romanized: Ōṃ) is the sound of a sacred spiritual symbol in Indic religions.Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |