AUM: Resul Pookutty Dedicates His Oscar

Thirty-six year old Resul Pookutty has created history by becoming the first Indian to bag the Oscar for best sound mixing for the critically acclaimed film Slumdog Millionaire.

"I come from a country and a civilization that given the universal word. That word is preceded by silence, followed by more silence. That word is 'Om.' So I dedicate this award to my country. Thank you".

Om (AUM) is the universal name of the Lord. It is made up of the 3 letters . A (phonetically as in "around"), U (phonetically as in "put") and M (phonetically as in "mum").

The sound emerging from the vocal chords starts from the base of the throat as "A". With the coming together of the lips, "U" is formed and when the lips are closed, all sounds end in "M". The AUM chant has the resounding sound of a bell (aaooommm).

The three letters symbolize the three states (waking, dream and deep sleep), the three deities Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), the three Vedas (Rig, Yajur and Sama),the three worlds (Bhur, Bhuvah, Suvah) etc. The Lord is all these and beyond.

The formless, attributeless Lord (Brahman) is represented by the silence between two AUM Chants. AUM is also called pranava that means, "that (symbol or sound) by which the Lord is praised". The entire essence of the Vedas is enshrined in the word AUM. It is said that the Lord started creating the world after chanting AUM. Hence its sound is considered to create an auspicious beginning for any task that we undertake.

AUM Parbat in Himachal Pradesh

In Puranic Hinduism, Aum is the mystic name the letter A represents creation, when all existence issued forth from Brahma's golden nucleus; the letter U refers to Vishnu the God of the middle who preserves this world by balancing Brahma on a lotus above himself, and the letter M symbolizes the final part of the cycle of existence, when Vishnu falls asleep and Shiva has to breathe in so that all existing things have to disintegrate and are reduced to their essence to him. More broadly, Aum is said to be the primordial sound that was present at the creation of the universe. It is said to be the original sound that contains all other sounds, all words, all languages and all mantras.