The Significance of OM in Vedanta Class 3 of 10 with Swami Muktatmanandaji

What does “I am Atma Brahma” really mean? How is Om / AUM the sound symbol for the entire universe, all states of experience, and Brahman itself?

In this in-depth Advaita Vedanta class, Swamiji begins with the Dakshinamurti mantra and Om śāntiḥ chanting, then unfolds the Mahāvākya “I am Atma Brahma” – the self-evident “I” is none other than Brahman, the limitless whole. From there, he shows how everything we experience is “objectified” by consciousness, and therefore cannot be what we truly are.

Using classical Vedantic analogies – pot & clay, wave & water, cloth & thread, canvas & painting – Swamiji reveals how the entire jagat (universe) is woven in consciousness, just as countless names and forms are non-separate from their underlying substance.

In the second half of the talk, he introduces Om (AUM / Oṃkāra / Praṇava) as a powerful sound symbol and upāya (means) to understand this non-dual truth. He explains:

The linguistic meaning of Om as “protector” from saṃsāra
The phonetic meaning of A-U-M as the essence of all sounds and names
The vision of Mandukya Upanishad:
A = waking state
U = dream state
M = deep sleep
Silence after Om = Brahman beyond names and forms

You’ll also hear detailed guidance on how to chant Om properly (three mātrās, not breaking it into “A-U-M”), why Om is included in all mantras, and a candid caution about continuous Om-japa and how it can naturally increase dispassion (vairāgya) and shift one’s relationship to family life and worldly pursuits.

In this talk you’ll learn:
What “I am Atma Brahma” really means in day-to-day experience
Why body, senses, mind, memory, emotions are all objects of knowledge
How consciousness is never objectified yet makes everything else evident
Why deep sleep happiness hints at your inherent fullness (pūrṇatvam)
How love, compassion and joy are dynamic expressions of inner wholeness
The difference between conditional freedom (“I must escape the world”) and real freedom (being with everything yet free from everything)
How all names and forms are “woven” into Brahman, like cloth in thread
The three meanings of Om – linguistic, phonetic and Vedantic (Mandukya)
Why Om is the universal name of Īśvara, encompassing all languages
How to use Om as a mantra and as a contemplative aid to assimilate non-duality

Use this class as a meditative study session: listen slowly, pause often, and revisit sections on Om, Mandukya Upanishad and “I am Atma Brahma” for deeper assimilation. You can also chant along with the Dakshinamurti mantra and Om at the beginning and end as a simple daily practice.

If this teaching resonates with you, please like, comment, share, and subscribe so more seekers can discover traditional Advaita Vedanta and the liberating vision of non-dual consciousness. 🕉️

00:00:00 – Opening & settling in
00:02:47 – Dakshinamurti mantra & Om śāntiḥ chanting
00:06:51 – “I Am Atma Brahma”: the self-evident, immediate “I”
00:08:04 – Not body, mind or emotions: everything objectified by consciousness
00:11:05 – Deep sleep happiness & Vidyaranya: love follows joy
00:15:02 – Clay, pot & water, wave: incidental vs intrinsic attributes
00:17:06 – Real freedom: with everything yet free from everything
00:19:15 – “I shine because I shine”: the self-evidence of awareness
00:24:03 – Existence as your nature: immortality & being beyond time
00:26:22 – All names and forms woven in Brahman (cloth, thread & canvas)
00:32:04 – Introducing Omkāra as a direct means to know Brahman
00:35:29 – Om’s linguistic meaning: the protector from saṃsāra
00:40:24 – Om’s phonetic meaning: A-U-M as essence of all sounds & names
00:45:01 – Sanskrit phonetics & why sacred sound is so precise
00:49:26 – Om as the universal name of Īśvara across all languages
00:53:01 – Om as everything: sound, silence, saguna & nirguna Brahman
00:56:24 – How to chant Om correctly (three mātrās, avoid “A-U-M” split)
00:59:02 – Silence between Oms as Brahman beyond names and forms
01:00:31 – Om as upāya to assimilate “I Am Atma Brahma”
01:04:38 – Om as mantra & prāṇava: difference from other mantras
01:08:02 – Caution: Om-japa, dispassion & family life – who should chant?
01:11:13 – Closing guidance & Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

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