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Om first appears in the Upanishads as a mystic monosyllable and is regarded as the seed or basis of all mantras. According to the Mandukya Upanishad, the past, present and the future are all included in this one sound and all that exists beyond these three forms of time is also implied in it. In fact this entire Upanishad deals with the understanding and symbolism of Om.
According to the Chandogya Upanishad, Prajapati created the first three Vedas, from which arose the three letters of 'aum'. This word is therefore a representation of the Supreme Being. Like the word Om, the Supreme Being is also indivisible.
Om is said to be the first sound to have come from the creator's mouth. Its sound is said to be the foundation of all sounds. It represents the whole phenomenon of sound producing and denotes all the possibilities of all the sounds that can be produced. 'A' is the root sound produced without touching any part of the tongue or palate, 'm' represents the last sound in the series, being pronounced by closed lips. Between these two sounds exist all others. The three constituents of Om also represent the deities of the Trimurti: 'a' represents Vishnu, 'u' Shiva and 'm' Brahma. Hence it also represents creation, preservation and destruction. The Vaishnavas and the Shaivas however describe it according to their own theological notions. The sound form of Om is identified as Vishnu by Vaishnavas and as Shiva by Shaivas.
The Shiva Purana claims that 'aum' arose from the five faces of Shiva. 'A' from the north, 'u' from the west, 'm' from the south, bindu from the east and sound from the middlemouth.
Because of this mystic importance, Om is uttered at the commencement of all prayers and religious ceremonies and at the beginning of all mantras. Om is also the mantra that yogis meditate with. Saying it aloud at the beginning or end of a lesson on Veda ensures that the student retains the knowledge imparted. Its utterance is said to counteract errors in the performance of sacrifices and protects the devotee against misfortune. Meditation on this sacred syllable is said to satisfy every need and leads to liberation.
This syllable was not allowed to be uttered by Shudras and women. The 'twice-born' (see Upanayanam) had to say it softly lest someone hear they considered unworthy. This is no longer the case and today, Om can be uttered by anyone. Om is now freely depicted on calendars, mandalas and even written at the head of letters, wedding invitations, doctoral. theses and any important document. It has even found its way into popular film music and though no longer sacrosanct, is more potent than ever as the best known, most used symbol of Hinduism.
