There is no sound or sign more powerful than OHM. It is neither a letter nor a word, hence there is nothing semantic about it. It is not even Sanskrit, nor exclusively Indian. All religions of Indian origin, including Jainism and Buddhism (also Tibetian, Chinese, Korean, Mongolian and Jananese versions) hold it in the highest esteem especially in upasaana, saadhana, askesis or Yoga. It is described in the Upanishads as the "ONE UNDYING SOUND" and is considered as holy as the Brahman. It is the picture and symbol of the transcendental reality.

The underlying reality is that the supreme reality is beyond words; it is to be found in silence, in wordlessness. But it is the seed-sound, the beejakshara from which all other sounds are formed, and in which all the word-meanings can be found. If it is taken as a word (paada), then the word is devoid of any transactional meaning. There is no word beyond it; it is in this sense the ultimate word (paramam-padam), the supreme position. The goal of all meanings. It is the bridge (sethu) that the Upanishads locate between the words and the silence. It is Anaahata (unstruck, inarticulate).