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Why do we chant Om?

"Om" or "Aum" is one of the most auspicious and the most chanted mantra or sound in Hinduism. It leaves an impression of peace and purity on the mind and body of the person who chants it. Most of the mantras and vedic prayers starts with "Om" or "Aum". It is worshipped, contemplated upon and is used as an auspicious sign. It is the universal name for God in Hinduism.

Om is considered to be the ''primordial sound''. Even before the creation of the materialistic world, there was a natural humming energy which resembled the sound of Om. This same vibration exists all around us and even inside us. The inner sound is given the name "antar-naada" (the inner sound), which can be heard when we listen to our pure inner self.

The three letters in "AUM" symbolizes the three states (waking, dream and deep sleep), the three deities (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), the three Vedas (Rig, Yajur and Sama) the three worlds (Bhuh, Bhuvah, Suvah) etc. Om is also called pranava which means ''the symbol or sound by which the Lord is praised''. The entire essence of the Vedas is enshrined in the word Om. It is said that the Lord started creating the world after chanting Om and Atha. Hence, Om or Aum is considered very auspicious at the beginning of any task that we undertake.

Recitation of Om continuously, fills one with peace, calmness and serenity. Om is nothing but a representation of the Lord; it brings us closer to ourselves and the truth in us. The entire creation is a manifestation of this mystic sound and it represents the prana (the vital energy) and the air we breathe. Meditating on these thoughts can bring us all closer, creating a world of togetherness and peace.

We can say that Om symbolizes everything - the means and the goal of life, the world and the truth behind it, the material and the one beyond explanations, all forms and the formless.

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