This is a mantra dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.
The Hindu triumvirate consists of 3 gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep, and destruction of the universe.
Lord Vishnu is the second god in the Hindu triumvirate.
The other 2 gods are Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva (also known as the Destroyer).
Lord Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the entire universe.
His role is to return to Earth in troubled times and restore the balance of evil and good.
Lord Vishnu was incarnated 9 times in total and it is acknowledged that He will reincarnate for the last time, close to the end of the world.
He is usually depicted with a blue skin and 4 arms, each holding different items: the conch, which signifies the “om” sacred sound of creation; the chakra, which represents the mind; the lotus flower, which signifies existence and liberation (moksha); the mace, that signifies strength (both physical and mental).
Lord Shiva’s role is to destroy the creation in order to recreate it.
In Hindu tradition, it is considered that His powers of destruction and recreation of the universe are used even now to destroy the imperfections and illusions of this world, paving the way for a beneficial spiritual change.
He is known to have untamed passion, which leads Him to extremes in behavior.
Shiva is either an ascetic, abstaining from all worldly pleasures and desires or He is a hedonist.
He is commonly portrayed with four things – a cobra wrapped as a necklace, a third eye, a three-pronged trident, and a vibhuti.
The 3rd eye signifies His wisdom, knowledge, and insight and is the main reason why Lord Shiva has a large amount of untamed passion.
The Sanskrit word ”hari” represents the one who forgives all sins; it is a primary god in Hinduism who is an aspect of Lord Vishnu.
The terms “Vishnu” and “Hari” are almost used interchangeably.
Om is a matrix of all seed sounds when in its diversified form gives rise to all words used in language.
In ancient Sanskrit, the sound “O” is a diphthong spelled “AU.”
A diphthong is the blending of two vowel sounds where both are normally heard and make a gliding sound.
Therefore, the difference between ”aum” and ”om” is simply one of transliteration.
Om also represents both the manifest (saguna) and the unmanifest (nirguna) aspects of the Divine.
That is why, this seed mantra is called pranava, which means that it pervades life and runs through our prana (life energy).
Shiva is the Supreme being who creates, protects, and transforms the entire universe.
Mantra chanting benefits:
The sacred pronouncements of the mantra give us the spiritual power to achieve our desires and goals and to elevate our consciousness from the ordinary and on toward the higher levels of consciousness.
Furthermore, practicing the mantra daily allows us to attain a blissful state of freedom and spiritual liberation. Being enlightened or awakened is not simply a mental state; it is a physiological state as well.
