Oṁ of the Vedānta: Personal Absolute Reality and Soteriological Support: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

Oṁ’s status as sacred sound par excellence is now a global phenomenon due to the influence of South Asian originated traditions and their derivatives. The volume created by this level of breadth creates challenges for classification, further compounded by the historical inability for sacred sounds “to be described, classified or defined by common consensus” (Beck 204). In short, understanding oṁ is a massive project. We will attempt to play a small role in this much broader undertaking through a textual analysis of oṁ in the Vedānta,
“the most influential school of theology in India” (Flood 238), engaging the personalization of this phoneme with a special focus on Gauḍīya ontology.