Om Symbol Meaning: What Om (Aum) Means and How to Chant It

What does the Om symbol mean?

Om symbol

Om (ॐ, also Aum) is the most sacred sound and symbol of Hinduism. Hindu scripture describes it as the primordial sound of creation, and it represents the creation, preservation and dissolution of the universe. Even within Hinduism Om is understood in many ways, but every tradition treats it as holy: it is chanted at the start of prayers and study, written on doorways and altars, and whispered at birth and death.

What does each part of the Om symbol mean?

The written Om is made of three curves, a crescent and a dot, and each part stands for a state of reality:

Part of the symbol	State	Sanskrit
Large lower curve	The waking state, when the mind knows the world through the senses	Jagrat
Middle curve	The dream state	Swapna
Upper curve	Deep, dreamless sleep	Sushupti
Dot	Enlightenment, the fourth state beyond the other three	Turiya
Crescent	Maya, the illusion that separates the three states from the dot	Maya

The meaning follows from the shape: by chanting Om, one can go beyond the three curves of ordinary consciousness and reach the dot of enlightenment.

Why is Om spelled Aum?

When it is chanted, the sound blends into "Om", but it is more accurately spelled Aum: three sounds and a silence. The three letters A, U and M stand for many sacred trinities:

A	U	M
Waking	Dreaming	Deep sleep
Creation (Brahma)	Preservation (Vishnu)	Dissolution (Shiva)
Past	Present	Future

The silence after the M stands for the fourth state, turiya, beyond all three.

How to chant Om

Sit comfortably with a straight back and take a deep breath.
Begin with "A" (ah), felt low in the belly near the diaphragm.
Let it round into "U" (oo), rising through the chest and throat.
Close the lips into "M" (mmm), humming in the head.
Rest in the silence before the next breath.

Chant 3, 11 or 108 times. Yogis often end meditation with Om, much as "Amen" and "Amin" close prayers in other faiths. For a full guide and how Diya's users practice it, see Chanting Om.

Om in Hindu mantras

Om begins almost every Hindu mantra: Om Namah Shivaya, Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha and the Gayatri Mantra all open with it. Placed first, Om turns the words that follow into a prayer.

Diya, the app, lets you chant Om and other mantras along with a guide, with a daily diya to light. Diya is available for iPhone. See the Diya app.

Questions people ask

What is the name of the Om symbol?

It is simply called Om or Aum, and in Sanskrit also pranava and omkara. The written sign is ॐ in Devanagari.

What does Om mean on jewelry?

Worn as jewelry, Om is a reminder of the divine and of one's true self. For Hindus it is a sacred symbol, so it is treated with respect: kept clean and not worn below the waist or on the feet.

Is it okay to wear the Om symbol?

Yes, many Hindus wear Om as a pendant or ring, and non-Hindus may too, as long as it is worn with respect for its meaning rather than as decoration only.

What is the Om emoji?

The Om emoji is 🕉, named "om" in Unicode. The Devanagari character is ॐ.

Is Om the same as Aum?

Yes. When chanted the sound blends into "Om", but it is more accurately spelled Aum: three sounds, A, U and M, followed by silence.