The OM Mala: Meanings of the Mystic Sound

The OM Mala is a book (and a mala) which explains just one word—OM. OM is one of the shortest Sanskrit words, and yet is considered the most powerful word and a mystic mantra in Hinduism. The OM Mala gives eighty-four names of OM as per classical, epic, and medieval Sanskrit texts and explains their various meanings in 109 sections or beads, corresponding to 109 beads in a mala (108 chanting beads and one ‘sumeru bead’). Each bead of this book presents simple meaning of one name (or more than one related names) of OM and offers an explanation along with listing the relevant traditions, explaining the etymology, and quotations. The book includes rare names of OM like ‘shrutipada’ and ‘rasa’ as well as its common names like ‘om’, ‘udgitha’, and ‘pranava’. Both popular meanings of OM (like the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) and its rare meanings (like inhalation, holding the breath, and exhalation) are included.