ਓਅੰਕਾਰ

ਓਅੰਕਾਰ (oaṅkāra) m

1. (Sikhism) God (Universal Creator)
   • Guru Granth Sahib, Kabir, translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa, ang 340:

     ਓਅੰਕਾਰ ਆਦਿ ਮੈ ਜਾਨਾ

     oaṅkār ād mae jānā

     I know only the One, the Universal Creator, the Primal Being.

Attested declensions in Guru Granth Sahib:

• Singular, nominative case: ਓਅੰਕਾਰੁ (oaṅkāru)
• Singular, instrumental case: ਓਅੰਕਾਰਿ (oaṅkāri) (also attested as the nominative case of perfective aspect verbs)
• Singular, vocative case: ਓਅੰਕਾਰ (oaṅkāra)

• ੴ

Compound of ਓ (o), the initial letter of the Gurmukhi script (used to write the Guru Granth Sahib), and ਅੰਕਾਰ (aṅkār, “form”), ultimately from Sanskrit आकार (ākāra, “appearance, manner”). Figuratively speaking, "the original primal form" ie. Waheguru. Thus, a translation or calque of this word into Sanskrit would yield *औकार (*aukāra), ie. ओ (o) + आकार (ākāra), not the words ओङ्कार (oṅkāra) or ओंकार (oṃkāra) (which translate to "Om-maker") as is commonly believed. Note the lack of nasal consonant or nasalization in the former construction.

The classical surface analysis of ਓਅੰ (oã, “Om; but also expansion, satisfaction, protection”) +‎ ਕਾਰ (kār, “deed, doing, action”), as expounded in the Mahan Kosh and archaic exegeses, should be read with caution as it assumes a connection with the symbol ॐ (oṃ) which may not necessarily be there. Additionally, explaining ਓਅੰ (oã) as deriving from "Om" is untenable, as no such regular sound change is known, despite tenuous phonological similarities.

• IPA^(key): /oːə̃ŋ.käːɾᵊ/

• Audio (India):

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ਓਅੰਕਾਰ • (oaṅkār) m (Shahmukhi spelling اونکار or اوانکار)

1. (Sikhism) God (Universal Creator)

   Synonyms: ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ (wāhegurū), ਰੱਬ (rabba)

• “ਓਅੰਕਾਰ”, in Punjabipedia [ਪੰਜਾਬੀਪੀਡੀਆ] (in Punjabi), Patiala: Punjabi University, 2026