Om (oṃ): The Syllable, Its Three Sounds, and Why It Is Also Written Aum
ॐoṃ / auṃ
Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 27 September 2026
Om is the syllable Indian tradition treats as the sound-form of reality — analysed as three sounds closing into silence, and written as the familiar ॐ.
In short
- Om is traditionally analysed as a, u and m, closing into the silence that follows the hum.
- The Mandukya Upanishad, twelve verses long, is devoted entirely to this syllable and maps its parts onto waking, dreaming, deep sleep and a fourth state.
- Patanjali (Yoga Sutras 1.27–1.28) calls it the word denoting ishvara and recommends repeating it while contemplating its meaning.
- 'Om' and 'Aum' are the same syllable; the second spelling simply writes out its three components.
- It is used in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain practice, and is not the property of one deity or school.
Derivation
Om is written in Sanskrit with one symbol, ॐ, and analysed in the commentarial tradition as three sounds — a, u and m — running together and closing into silence. It is also called pranava, from a root suggesting a sound that is uttered or resounds, and omkara, "the making of om".
What the texts actually say
The Mandukya Upanishad is twelve verses long and concerns nothing but this syllable. It maps the three sounds onto waking, dreaming and deep sleep, and treats the silence after the hum as turiya, the fourth — the text's name for what it takes to be the true self. The Chandogya Upanishad opens with meditation on the udgitha, the chanted syllable, and the Katha and Prashna Upanishads both discuss it. Patanjali gives it two sutras: 1.27, that om is the word for ishvara, and 1.28, that its repetition together with contemplation of its meaning is the practice.
Om or Aum?
Both spellings are correct and denote the same syllable. Aum spells out the components, which is useful for a student learning to sound each stage; om writes the sound as heard. Nothing doctrinal turns on the choice.
Where you meet it
Om opens and closes most chants, and it begins longer mantras — Om Namah Shivaya, Om Mani Padme Hum, the Gayatri. In a modern class it is often chanted once or three times to gather attention before practice. Buddhist and Jain traditions use it too, which is one reason it cannot be read as the sign of a single deity.
Common misunderstandings
Om is not a word of worship of any particular god, and it is not exclusive to Hinduism. Nor is it treated in the texts as a sound that works by itself: Patanjali's instruction pairs repetition with contemplation of the meaning, and the commentaries are consistent about that pairing.
Modern usage
Studio use — one or three chants at the start or close of class — is faithful in spirit though the setting is recent. Claims that the syllable's frequency matches some measured natural resonance circulate widely online and have no basis in physics; the honest account is the traditional one, which is interesting enough.
Where this is practised here
Questions people ask
+ Is it om or aum?
+ Is it disrespectful for a non-Hindu to chant om?
+ How many times should om be chanted?
References
- Mandukya Upanishad, with Gaudapada's Karika.
- Chandogya Upanishad 1.1 (on the udgitha).
- Patanjali, Yoga Sutras 1.27–1.28.
Educational content, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting new practices if you have a health condition or are pregnant.