Sri Bharatamata

Ashtottaram 16

 

16) OṀ OṀKĀRA BHŨMYAINAMAH:

OṀ (AUM) -O'Ṁ- KAA- RA - BHOO- MYAI- NA-MA-HA

 

      (OṀ: means 'sound vibration of the universe', 'name of God')

 

 

 

 

 Oṁkāram is Parabrahman, name of the God, sound vibration of the universe, eternal, and represents all the three spheres of time; present past and the future. It is the combination of the alphabets 'A', 'U' and 'M' which represent the three states of our being i.e; awake, sleep and dream states. If you reverse these alphabets, it's 'UMA'-the mother Goddess Parameswari representing the cosmic energy; which is the female personification of 'Iswara.' Modern science, after exhaustive research has come to realize the fact that the universe is nothing but energy. Our ancient ṛishis and seers have realized this profound knowledge through deep meditation and without selfishness passed on this sacred knowledge to us through oral tradition from generation to generation.

 

The Sanskrit root for Om is 'Ava'.  Om is 'avati rakshati iti Om'- means 'that which protects us'. It symbolizes the 'Infinite'. It also represents Hindu Sanātana Dharma. When we worship God with ashtottaram or sahaśranāmams, each mantram starts with Om and ends with namah. To give an example- 'Om Keśavāyanamah' meaning- Oh Keśava! my salutations unto you! There is no worship in Hinduism that does not start with Om.

 

When we worship 'Śhakti'- the energy, which is the female personification of Lord, teaching us that there is no gender difference to God and this was taught by only our Sanātana Dharma.  Manifest and un-manifest form of Lord is realized only by our ancient ṛishis and they passed on that to us by tradition and through Vedas. Hence Omkāram has no gender difference. So, any Hindu can worship God in whatever form he choses to and it is unique only to our land and religion, and you do not see anywhere or in any other religion on the Earth. When we hear from space and under the water, the sound vibration is 'OṀ'.

 

There are volumes written about Omkāram.  There was this legend about OṀ is that once there was a poet walking with several bullock carts full of bundles of writings written on palm leaves to offer to the King of that kingdom and then he was stopped and asked by a passing by merchant what those bundles are? The poet replied that they are hymns about 'OṀ' and the poet claims that they were only a small portion of his whole writings on 'OṀ'. This only illustrates how vast the knowledge about 'OṀ' there is? Thence, there are infinite meanings to OṀ, which represents and is also the name of the Lord!

 

The land which declared that the sound vibration of the universe is 'OṀ'-is called none other than 'Omkāra Bhūmi'.