A sacred sound and a spiritual icon in
Hindu religion. It is also a
mantra in
Hinduism,
Buddhism,
Jainism, and
Sikhism.
Om is part of the iconography found in ancient and medieval era manuscripts, temples, monasteries and spiritual retreats in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The symbol has a spiritual meaning in all Indian
dharmas, but the meaning and connotations of
Om vary between the diverse schools within and across the various traditions.
In Hinduism, Om is one of the most important spiritual symbols (
pratima). It refers to
Atman (soul, self within) and
Brahman (ultimate reality, entirety of the universe, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles, knowledge). The syllable is often found at the beginning and the end of chapters in the
Vedas, the
Upanishads, and other
Hindu texts. It is a sacred spiritual incantation made before and during the recitation of spiritual texts, during
puja and private prayers, in ceremonies of rites of passages (
sanskara) such as weddings, and sometimes during meditative and spiritual activities such as
Yoga.