Why AUM word in all mantras
In the preceding few articles, we have been discussing on the significance of AUM. If you haven’t read those articles, kindly go through the below links
AUM-The most sacred sound of the universe
AUM- the primordial sound that creates this universe
How chanting AUM or mantra changes your DNA
How to change body forms by chanting AUM or mantra
Aum-The sacred syllable and sound of God
In this article, we will go through the symbolism of AUM. Why AUM is deeply rooted in life of Indians? Why AUM is the mandatory word in all mantras?�Why AUM word is added in all mantras? We will also have a short discourse on effects of chanting AUM.
AUM stands for Hinduism. AUM is the logo of Hinduism. No mantra in Hinduism is complete without the repetition of the word AUM. All mantras begin with the word AUM. So, Aum is chanted before the start of any ritual, custom or religious ceremonies.
Symbolism of AUM
As AUM is the symbol that symbolizes god and is also the mantra to meditate on, it is found in all nooks and comers of the country.
AUM thus symbolizes
-Vibration of God
-Absolute truth
-Humming sound of the universe.
-Liberation
The Katha Upanishad..on AUM..
"The goal, which all Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which humans desire when they live a life of conscience is Aum"
The one syllable is indeed Brahman. This one syllable is the highest. Whosoever knows this one syllable obtains all that he desires. This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahma."
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How AUM is deeply rooted in life of Indians?
If Hinduism is the software company then AUM its logo. AUM symbol is found in the letterhead of companies, examination papers, newspapers etc. AUM symbol is enshrined in all temples, houses, doors, entrances etc. Wearing AUM pendant has became a fashion today though it is wore for spiritual perfection of mind and body.
According to ancient traditions that are still followed by Brahmans, when a new child is born, AUM is chanted, AUM tilak is enshrined on the forehead and AUM symbol is written with honey on the tongue of the child. Thus right from birth till death, AUM remains as the symbol of piety forever in the lifetime of the Hindus.
Where all such Indian rituals came from?
Most of the rituals are derived from Upanishads-which are extension of Vedas. Upanishad is the record that contains the spiritual experiences of all the maharishis who adopted the path of intense pain and continuous struggle to go beyond the transcendental nature of this universe. Unlike western philosophers who just patented all eastern ideas like yoga, ayurveda etc without even understanding its spiritual significance, sages documented them for the betterment of human society.
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NO difference between chanting OM or AUM
In Sanskrit, sound “O” is spelled as a diphthong “AU”. Hence, there is no difference between AUM and OM as both are transliteration of the same Sanskrit word.
Aum is the essence of world’s most sacred mantra
Aum is the mother of all mantras. Mantra is the absolute power disguised as sound.
Aum is placed at the start of all mantra as a sacred invocation at the start of the prayer. Out of all the mantras, Gayatri mantra is the most sacred mantra in Hinduism. From the three letters of the AUM came the three feet’s of goddess gayatri which in turn caused the formation of three cosmic planes. This universal creation is venerated by chanting the gayatri mantra. Goddess Gayatri(Saraswati) is consort of lord Brahma and the mother of all Vedas(World’s most sacred book).
AUM is the essence of gayatri mantra.
Om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
This mantra literally translates to
Om, we meditate on the spiritual effulgence of that Supreme Divine Reality, the source of the three cosmic world planes: - the gross or physical (bhuh), the subtle or psychical (bhuvah) and the potential or causal (suvah). May the Supreme Being stimulate our intellect to a level that makes us realize the Supreme Truth?
Sound waves generated by gayatri mantras resonates the earth atmosphere and hence, reaches the heavenly deities.
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Why all mantras must have AUM?
Like English, Sanskrit alphabets are composed of vowels and consonant. Consonant literally means a sound that cannot be spoken without the inclusion of a vowel. ‘A’ and ‘U’ are the parents of all vowels in Sanskrit. Letter ‘M’ is a consonant that produces powerful vibrations by the movement of mandible, lips and teeth.
Normally, each line in Hindi ends with a nasal consonant. AUM is formed by combining a vowel (‘O’ or ‘AU’) and a nasal consonant (M).
Vowels are naturally produced from the body during the activities that gives tremendous happiness, joy or strain to the body. For EX: We laugh as HAAAAAA; we sing as AAAAAAA, enjoys sexual activity as AAAAAHHH and so on. Similarly we suffer pain as EEEEHHH, OOOOHHH, AAAIIIII, MMAAAA etc. When one feels disturbed or hurted, he/she relaxes after few minutes of weeping. How do you weep??? ‘UMMMMM’, ‘UNNNN’. Nasal consonant are naturally produced from the body during pain, sadness and uneasiness. When we feel pain, we shout OUCHHH, we weep HMMMMM etc.
Hence, every sound that begins with a vowel and ends with a consonant gives some kind of mental peace to the mind. This is why no mantra is complete without a vowel or a nasal consonant. Sounds producing a vowel sound are very natural for the body. Chanting of vowels produces a chemical interleukin-2 that relaxes the body by removing the strain from the body. Chanting AUM stimulates delta activity in the brain to produce EEG waves that tranquilizes the mind. Since AUM facilitates peaceful and calm mind, AUM is repeated multiple times in all Hindu mantras.
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How AUM is incorporated in all mantras?
If any word in the mantra is short of vowel or consonant, an additional vowel or consonant is added to the word. For ex.: Shiva is venerated as Shivaya to reap the benefits of chanting the additional vowel. This is why many western sacred words like Hoong (Buddhism), Amin (Islam) and Amen (Christainity) that has the combination of vowel and nasal consonant are known as healing words.
AUM in different religions
No mantra is complete without the nasal consonant. Radha and sita are not wroshipped alone as they don’t have the nasal consonant whereas Rama and Krishna are worshipped alone as they end with a nasal consonant. Shiva is worshipped by adding the prefix ‘Aum Namoh’ as the word ‘Shiva’ does not have a nasal consonant. Also shiva is chanted as Shivaye to incur the effect of additional vowel. Nasal consonant vibrates the plexus, bones, ganglions, endocrine and thyroid glands. Other Chakra sounds namely Ham, Yam, Ram, Vam and Lam all ends in nasal consonants. All consonant of these chakra sounds have different subtle effects on the body. Ex: ‘L’ removes fear, ‘V’ eliminates attachments, ‘R’ frees you of doubt, ‘Y’ instills love, ‘H’ imbbies truthfulness and ‘O’ makes you non-judgmental.
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AUM namah shivaya by shreya goshal-India no.1 playback singer
AUM parbat and sri yantra
AUM parbat is the best place to chant AUM mantra but modern humans don’t have the power and adaptive mind to do meditation in such a cool climate. Still, millions of Devotees throng to see the AUM parbat near Nabhi Dhang on the borders of Nepal and India during the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra. Sri Yantra is the image that one sees in his mind when he continously chants chanting AUM. Sri Yantra is a sacred symmetrical geometrical pattern that is used in ceremonies for the invocation of gods. Dr. Masaru Emoto in his experiment revealed on how the music, cords or thoughts influences the frozen water
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DVORAK A NEW WORLD WATER CRYSTALS.
Find AUM in above image
AUM is added in mantra to ward off evil thoughts and attachments
Gaining control over the mind by liberating ourselves from all selfish thoughts is the goal of meditation and yoga but having mastery of the mind is a very slow and difficult process. Chanting AUM is just the baby step that can detach the negative flow of thoughts. Chanting AUM is the first step of the spiritual journey towards self-realization where the drop of water (soul) merges with the ocean (Almighty). Chanting AUM is the password to open the door of spiritual wisdom. Chanting AUM will take you to the state of happiness where the mind illuminates like a shining sun.
How chanting AUM mantras makes you a better man?
Different sounds have different effects on human psyche. If a soft sound of wind rustling through leaves soothes our nerves, the musical note of running stream enchants our heart, thunders may cause awe and fear. Similarly, The sacred utterances or chanting of Sanskrit Mantras provide us with the power to attain our goals and lift ourselves from the ordinary to the higher level of consciousness. Chanting mantras brings many positive effects on mind and body. Chanting daily makes you a content and confident person. You will be more positive, progressive, open, soft, and calm and would deal with people more passionately. Mantras give us the power to cure diseases; ward off evils; gain wealth; acquire supernatural powers; worship a deity for exalted communion and for attaining blissful state and attain liberation.
HOW chanting AUM connects us to god?
Chanting of AUM mantras has been passed down through generations of Indian Brahmins. Even the Christian, Jews, Sikhs, Jains and devotees of all religions can be seen singing and chanting prayers to converse with god in their churches/mosque/temple/ synagogue/Gurudwara etc.
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AUM song in Sikhism with English translation
Aum is the only sacred word that connects the mediator directly with the divine.
Chanting mantras creates a divine link with the deity which serves as the path to shower prosperity, fame, success, wealth and power to the devotee. Some positive energy exists around the idol which is experienced by the devotees continuously. When we chant, sound vibrations that are produced by our concentrated mind react with this positive energy and create a divine current. This current instills some of the positive energy within our body thus bringing internal peace to the mind. This effect is very similar to the magnetic effect instilled in an iron rod that was rubbed by the magnet for few minutes. We are just a small fraction of the sum total created by god. It is said that chanting produces certain lighting figures of deities in the mind which become brighter and brighter as we advances in the various stages of self-realization.
Chanting mantras with musical instruments
Sometimes, the mantras are chanted with yantras(instrument) which may include musical instruments like flute, sitar, bells etc. This is done to produce extremely powerful sound vibrations that can cure illness by the constant flow of positive divine energy. As Conch resonate the AUM sound, it is placed on all temples and blew in all religious ceremonies be it marriage, sacrifice, house warming etc.
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Chanting AUM Mantras cures diseases
Benefits of chanting AUM and yoga is well backed by medical science. Since the beginning of this universe, AUM has been used as the first aid to cure diseases. If you are a believer of science and thinks that there is no way AUM sound can do anything to the soul and body, then think once again? Infrasound and ultrasound are used in the cure of many diseases. Ultrasound frequencies above 20 KHZ are used to cure kidney stones and tumors. It is chanted as the daily dose for peaceful mind and body by spiritual aspirants. “Brahmvarchas Shodh Sansthan” is the leading research center on spiritual science that has carried out several experiments to study the healing of diseases by chanting mantras.
AUM should be chanted in multiples of 3 to get rid of all pain and sorrows that can be broadly classified into three types.
Adhaymika - Physical and mental pain arising from inner qualities like arrogance, ignorance, passion, hatred, diseases etc
Adhidaivkea - pain or fear originating from living organisms of the outside world, as from animals, enemies etc.
Adhidaivika - Fear of natural events like intense heat, intense cold, excessive rains and distraction of the senses.
Music, singing and chanting is good for the soul
Listening music, singing, dancing and chanting are some of the mediums through which the one yearns for the satisfaction of the soul. Westerners heard the AUM sound for the first time in 1968 in Moody Blues Album named "In Search of the Lost Chord". People who don’t believe in the divine effect of chanting mantras should listen to this song.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQWh2AH43H4>
Conclusion:
Chanting AUM in meditation has received worldwide recognition. More and more yogic followers have now started chanting AUM to remove their tensions and cure alimentary diseases. Aum is added in all mantras so that it would be chanted by all before the start and after the end of any ritual, custom or religious ceremonies for materialistic comforts and spiritual perfection. AUM is thus the sacred word of all mantras.
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