A Sanskrit word of special sanctity in the Hindu religion, generally interchangable with AUM. It is pronounced at the beginning and end of every lesson in the Vedas (ancient scriptures) and is also the introductory word of the Puranas (religious works embodying legends and mythology). The Katha-Upanishad states: "Whoever knows this syllable obtains whatever he wishes."
There are various accounts of its origin; one that it is the term of assent used by the gods and possibly an old contracted form of the Sanskrit word evam meaning "thus." The Manu-Sangita (Laws of Manu), a religious work of social laws, states the word was formed by Brahma himself, who extracted the letters a-u-m from the Vedas.
Om is also the name given by the Hindus to the spiritual sun, as opposed to Surya, the natural sun.
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Oṃ or Auṃ. The most sacred syllable in Hinduism, which first appears in the Upaniṣads. It is often regarded as the bija (seed) of all mantras, containing, as it does, all origination and dissolution. It is known as praṇava (‘reverberation’), and it is the supreme akṣara (syllable). See also ŚABDA.
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OM British vehicle registration for Birmingham • airline flight code for MIAT-Monglian Airlines • old man • optical microscopy • Optimus Maximus (Latin: greatest and best; title given by Romans to Jupiter) • Order of Merit • ordnance map • organic matter • international civil aircraft marking for Slovakia
The Oxford Dictionary of AbbreviationsFRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH
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FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH "OM
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om in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism, a mystic syllable, considered the most sacred mantra. It appears at the beginning and end of most Sanskrit recitations, prayers, and texts. The word comes from Sanskrit, and is sometimes regarded as three sounds, a-u-m, symbolic of the three major Hindu deities.
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Om (Aum) Sacred mystical symbol representing a sound considered to have divine power by some Hindus, Buddhists, and other religious groups. The sound is chanted at the beginning and end of prayers, and is used as a mantra in meditation.
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om- (omo-) combining form denoting the shoulder.
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