Glossary · Practice
Om
ॐ
What does Om mean?
Om is the most sacred mantra in the Vedic tradition, said to contain all sound and all meaning. Its three letters — A, U, M — are interpreted as the states of waking, dream, and deep sleep, with the silence after as the transcendent fourth.
Chapter 17 of the Gita explains that Om, Tat, Sat are the three designations of Brahman, and that acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity begin with Om. Verse 8.13 makes it the final mantra of a departing yogi.