OM

There is no translation for OM. It consists of three letters: A, U, and M. It signifies the three periods of time, the three states of consciousness and all of existence. A is the waking State, U is the dreaming state, and M is the deep sleep state. OM contains nada and bindu. Nada is the prolonged vowel sound and bindu is the humming sound, made with closed lips, with which the Mantra ends. Nada and Bindu are the dispeller of sorrow.

1.  HAUM

In this Mantra, Ha is Siva and au is Sadasiva. The nada and bindu mean that which dispels sorrow. With this Mantra, Lord Siva should be worshipped.

2. DUM

Here Da means Durga, and u means to protect. Nada means Mother of the universe, and bindu signifies action (worship or prayer). This is the Mantra of Durga.

3. KREEM

With this Mantra Kalika should be worshipped. Ka is Kali, ra is Brahman, and ee is Mahamaya. Nada is the Mother of the universe, and bindu is the dispeller of sorrow.

4. HREEM

This is the Mantra of Mahamaya or Bhuvaneshwari. Ha means Siva, ra is prakriti, ee means Mahamaya. Nada is the Mother of the universe, and bindu is the dispeller of sorrow.

5. SHREEM

This is the Mantra of Maha Lakshmi. Sha is Maha Lakshmi. Ra means wealth. Ee is satisfaction or contentment. Nada is the manifested Brahman, and bindu means the dispeller of sorrow.

6. AIM

This is the bija Mantra of Saraswati. Ai stands for Saraswati, and bindu is the dispeller of sorrow.

7. KLEEM

This is the Kamabija. Ka means Kamadeva, the lord of desire; it also means Lord Krishna. La means Indra, the ruler of Heaven, also lord of the senses. Ee means contentment or satisfaction. Nada and bindu mean that which bring happiness and sorrow.

8. HOOM

In this Mantra Ha is Siva, and u is Bhairava. Nada is the Supreme, and bindu means dispeller of sorrow. This is the threefold bija of Varma.

9.  GAM

This is the Ganesha bija. Ga means Ganesha, and bindu is the dispeller of sorrow.

10. GLAUM

This is a Mantra of Ganesha, also. Ga means Ganesha, la means that which pervades, au means luster or brilliance, and bindu is the dispeller of sorrow.

11. KSHRAUM

This is the bija of Narasimha, a very fierce half-man halflion incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Ksha is Narasimha, ra is Brahma, au means with teeth pointing upwards, and bindu means dispeller of sorrow.

The science of Mantra is very complex. There are even Mantras for such specific purposes as curing snake bite and chronic diseases, but these are of a lower order. In the modern world, the power of gross sound vibration is just beginning to be utilized in physical therapy, and its potential is being tapped in other fields. The ancient Indian sages had this sophistication thousands of years ago. They have used sound in its gross and subtle states to penetrate the planes of human consciousness and to reach the divine vibration that is the experience of God. Beginning in OM and dissolving in OM, the Mantra comes full cycle.