blastfromthepast
26th March 2006, 12:16 PM
ੴ
Ek Onkar (also ੴ, ਇਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ, Ik Ōaṅkār, Ek Omkar, Ik Omkar and other variants) means one God and is a central tenet of Sikh religious philosophy. It is also a symbol of the unity of God in Sikhism, and is commonly found on Gurdwaras. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, used the Hindu Vedantic idea of Om: the most sacred syllable in Hinduism. Ek Onkar is a combination of three letters: Ek - one, Om - the sacred letter for God, and the kar - which is a line drawn over the Om, signifying the continuity, timelessness and eternal presence of Om (God)[1].
Ek means "one" (Sanskrit eka).
Onkar came from Sanskrit Omkāra, which means "he or it which makes Om".
Ek Onkar is the first phrase in the Mool Mantra:
One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The Undying, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace. True In The Primal Beginning. True Throughout The Ages. True Here And Now. O Nanak, Forever And Ever True.
An alternative interpretation:
Ik - means One
Oan - The Creator
Kaa - The Sustainer
Aar - The Destroyer
Ek Onkar (also ੴ, ਇਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ, Ik Ōaṅkār, Ek Omkar, Ik Omkar and other variants) means one God and is a central tenet of Sikh religious philosophy. It is also a symbol of the unity of God in Sikhism, and is commonly found on Gurdwaras. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, used the Hindu Vedantic idea of Om: the most sacred syllable in Hinduism. Ek Onkar is a combination of three letters: Ek - one, Om - the sacred letter for God, and the kar - which is a line drawn over the Om, signifying the continuity, timelessness and eternal presence of Om (God)[1].
Ek means "one" (Sanskrit eka).
Onkar came from Sanskrit Omkāra, which means "he or it which makes Om".
Ek Onkar is the first phrase in the Mool Mantra:
One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The Undying, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace. True In The Primal Beginning. True Throughout The Ages. True Here And Now. O Nanak, Forever And Ever True.
An alternative interpretation:
Ik - means One
Oan - The Creator
Kaa - The Sustainer
Aar - The Destroyer