Om (Aum)

Word by Word

A

the waking state (jagrat) — creation and the world of form

U

the dream state (svapna) — the subtle realm of mind and energy

M

deep sleep (sushupti) — the unmanifest source into which all dissolves

(silence)

turiya, the "fourth" — the pure awareness in which the three states arise

Full Translation

Om (also written Aum) is held in the Vedic tradition to be the primal sound from which all creation unfolds. The Mandukya Upanishad devotes itself entirely to this one syllable, teaching that its three sounds — A, U, and M — encompass the waking, dreaming, and deep-sleep states of consciousness, while the silence that follows points to turiya, the "fourth" state: pure awareness itself. To chant Om is to sound the whole of existence in a single breath.

Pronunciation Tips

ohm — sounded slowly as ah-oo-mm, letting the closing hum fade into silence