Literally the 'Pranava' means 'that by which God is effectively praised'. It also means 'that which is ever new'. The word 'Om' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'ava' hich has nineteen different senses. From these it isi possible to construe that Om represents that Power which (1) is omniscient; (2) rules over the entire universe; (3) protects one from the evils of life; (4) fulfills the cherished desires of its devotees; and, (5) destroys ignorance and give enlightenment.

Pranava has been extolled highly in the Vedas, the Upanisads and the Gita as also in other scriptures. The Gopathabrahmana of the Atharvaveda relates a story according to which god Indra successfully overcame the demons with the help of Om. The story can be interpreted to mean that man can conquer his beastly nature by having recourse to the repetition of Om. The Yajurveda exhorts us to try to realise Brahman through repeating and remenbering Om. The kathopanisad declares that Om is Parabrahman itself. The Mundakopanisad advises the spiritual aspirant to meditate on the unity of the atman (the Self) with Brahman (God) using Om for japa. Sri Krishna avers in the Gita that he is Om among words and that all religious rites are started with the repetition of Om. Not only that, if anyone succeeds in reciting the word Om at the time of his death, simultaneously thinking of God, he will attain the highest Truth. The Yogasutras of Patanjali declare that Pranava is the symbol of God and that one can get samadhi on Him by its repetition, and meditation of Him.

Actually Om comprises three independent letters a, u and m, each of which has its own meaning and significance. The letter 'a' represents 'beginning' (adimatv); 'u' represents 'progress (utkarsa); 'm' represents 'limit or dissolution' (miti). Hence the word Om represents that power responsible for creation, development and dissolution of this universe, i.e., God Himself.

Swami Vivekananda has given a very simple but interesting and instructive explanation of the three letters comprising Om thereby bringing out the uniqueness of this great symbol: 'The first letter A is the root-sound, the key, pronounced without touching any part of the tongue or the palate; M represents the last sound in the series, being produced by closed lips; and the U rolls from the very root to the end of the sounding-board of the mouth. Thus Om represents the whole phenomennon of sound-producing As such it nust be the natural symbol, the mastrix of all the various sounds. It denotes the whole range, and possibility of all the words that can be made.'

The full significance of this statement becomes unfolded only when we understand the Hindu theory of creation as mentioned in the Vedas and other scriptures. This theory can be summed up as follows : (1) Creation is not a linear process, beginning and ending at particular points of time, but it is a cyclic process going on eternally; (2) God creates this universe out of Himself by Himself. To put it in a technical language, He is both the material cause and the efficient cause; (3) bvefore beginning any particular cycle of creation, He utters the Vedic words denoting the various classes of beings and objects; conceives of the corresponding forms (remembering them from the previous cycles of creation ) and creates them.

Contrary to the general understanding, this means that forms (rupa) are preceded by names (nama). names are composed of letters which are sounds. All sounds are included in Om. Hence, the entire creation which proceeds from Vedic words or sounds, proceeds from the basic matrix of all sounds, viz., Om. Since God is the origin of this univese Om and God are identical. Or, at least, Om is the best symbol of God.

God is one. Sages call Hium by various names. Though these various names differ from one another, all of them have sprung from the same basic source of all sounds, viz., Om. Hence Om represents all means of God or, it is the best name of God.