The meaning of 'OM' (AUM)...

This was the question that my mother asked me one day...'Do you know what OM stands for or what does it symbolize'? Partly, her intent was to question my knowledge about my religion, and partly to make me interested in my religion by her small and non intrusive efforts. She did give me a version of the meaning which i wanted to debate and so began my quest for the answer. In a way my mother did succeed in some of her objectives.
Anyway...so what does this symbol that is such an integral part of Hinduism stand for?
First up..OM is not a word..it is merely a sound or an intonation. The sacred texts also interpret this sound as a mantra in itself. The sound of OM can touch your soul or atma it is said. The sound itself is made from the three Sanskrit letters aa, au and ma. Another interesting aspect is the interpretation that OM represents the Brahmana. Brahmana is considered the source of everything...hence OM represented that one source of all past, present and that will be in the future. A good read online for all this and more is available online at http://www.omsakthi.org/.

So in case you are considering to put this Sacred symbol as a body art or as a tatoo, you would do well to know its meaning and appreciate its infinite power.