om, in Hinduism and other religions chiefly of India, a sacred syllable that is considered to be the greatest of all the mantras, or sacred formulas. The syllable om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m (in Sanskrit, the vowels a and u coalesce to become o), which represent several important triads: the three worlds of earth, atmosphere, and heaven; thought, speech, and action; the three qualities (gunas) of matter (goodness, passion, and darkness); and the three sacred Vedic scriptures (Rigveda, Yajurveda, and Samaveda). Thus, om mystically embodies the essence of the entire universe. It is uttered at the beginning and end of Hindu prayers, chants, and meditation and is also freely used in Buddhist and Jain ritual. From the 6th century, the written symbol designating the sound has been used to mark the beginning of a text in a manuscript or an inscription.
The syllable is discussed in a number of the Upanishads (speculative philosophical texts), and it forms the entire subject matter of one, the Mandukya Upanishad. It is used in the practice of Yoga and is related to techniques of auditory meditation. In the Puranas the syllable is put to sectarian use; thus, the Shaivites mark the lingam, or sign of Shiva, with the symbol for om, whereas the Vaishnavites identify the three sounds as referring to a trinity composed of Vishnu, his wife Shri (Lakshmi), and the worshipper.