Pronounced 'AUM'.
The ancient syllable 'OM' is the shortest of the Mantras and in Indian tradition it is a word suggestive of God.
The scriptures tell us that 'OM' is the planets primordial vibration from which the entire universe has arisen. All other sounds are contained within it.
It is believed that 'OM' is the mother of all languages.
Repetition of 'OM' enables us to maintain mental and emotional calmness, overcome obstacles and understanding.
An analysis of 'OM' as it is written in Sanskrit shows that it is made up of A,U,M and a symbol representing resonance. So 'OM' has four aspects.
The first is the A, a sound that comes from the belly, is formed in the open throat, and is voiced with the mouth open. As with many alphabets, A is the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet.
The second aspect is the U, a sound that is formed in the middle of the mouth. The mouth is not as wide open as it is for sounding the A.
With the third sound, M the mouth closes. The sound rises to the nasal passages, from where the resonance, the fourth aspect of 'OM', issues forth.
The Upanishads say that A represents the waking state. U the dream state and M the state of deep dreamless sleep. The fourth state, sounded in the resonance following M, is samadhi. (Acknowledgement : T.K.V Desikachar - The heart of Yoga)
Saying 'OM' is actually a form of meditation
Om & Ganesh
OM the primordial sound and the relationship with Ganesh.
Creation has no beginning or end, it is eternal. In pre-history there was a lasting silence in the Universe which in Hindu tradition was known as the night of Brahma and stretched to 4320 million human years. Everywhere the long, long night, pitch darkness, a great stillness, no sound, no movement, only peace, peace, peace.
Suddenly there was a small rustling, an expectant feeling of what was to come. The long and silent night was about to come to an end. Emanating through this night arose a beautiful and powerful sound. The New Age, called the Shwetavaraha Kalpa was heralded by this awe inspiring sound. Indeed, the Supreme Spirit appeared in the form of OM to recreate a new world.
These vibrations of OM were followed by a beautiful soft light, the first dawn announcing a new Sun.
OM is a symbol of God. The Ganapatya cult, (which was later absorbed into Hinduism), believes that OM or the Pranava Mantra is embodied in the form of Ganesha who appeared against the light of that first dawn blowing a conch shell
through which the sound OM emanated. Dancing in great abandon, swirling, whirling, and his movements beyond Man’s understanding. Thus, he invoked the worlds creation.
OM SHRI GANESHAYA NAMA
OM is the mystic symbol of Brahman, the Absolute, the Universal Soul, or the Manifest Spirit. Fundamental to Hindu traditions is the belief in One God. This One God is not different to the One God in Judeo Christian traditions or indeed for that matter the One God present in any of the other mainstream traditions. The One God,
is within and without, transcendent, outside material existence transcending time and space without shape or form.
GANESH, the son of Shiva and Parvati, the remover of obstacles.
1.The elephant head is symbolic of wisdom, auspiciousness, strength and intellectual prowess. All of the qualities of the elephant are contained in the form of Ganesha. The elephant is the largest and strongest of animals in the forest yet he is gentle and amazingly a vegetarian so that he does not kill to eat. He is very affectionate and loyal and is greatly swayed by love and kindness.
2. Ganesha’s large ears sift the bad from the good and only the essential truths are conveyed to worshippers. They also represent that ultimate spiritual thought and ideas
can only be learnt when listened to at the feet of a Guru.
3.The trunk of Ganesha actually represents the symbol OM as well as that most important quality for spiritual progress, discrimination. For the elephant, the biggest and most minute tasks are navigated by the trunk. Push down a tree or pick up a tiny blade of grass.
4. The broken tusk goes against all ideas of orderliness, symmetry and balance and is
an unusual facet. In the classic epic, the Mahabharata, it signifies the great sacrifice
which divine beings make for helping mankind.
5.The huge body is symbolic of the Cosmos or the Universe and all of the deities, mankind, all living things and all manifestations of nature encompassed within it.
6. The huge belly also signifies that Ganesha swallows the sorrows of the Universe and protects the world.
7.The awkward and corpulent body is symbolic of God’s lesson to us that beauty of the outward form has no connection with inner beauty and spiritual perfection.
8. The mouse which is Ganesha’s diminutive vehicle is a nuisance to farmers and is shown at the feet of his master constantly nibbling away symbolising the petty desires
of humanity which nibble away at our personalities and inner selves.
9. All deities are symbolically given several arms and hands. Only the natural arms have hands found in ‘action’ poses – such as ‘protective’ or ‘boon giving’ mudras.
The other hands symbolise different attributes and various roles. He is usually shown
with one hand in a ‘protective’ mudra and the second holding a modaka sweet, symbolic of the sweetness of the ‘realised’ inner self.
The different and varied items portrayed in all of his hands represent different aspects and attributes across a wide spectrum of roles taken by him.
Ganesha is today the most popular and loved deities of the Hindu pantheon and widely recognised and honoured by people of all traditions.