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'Ik Onkar' (also 'ੴ', 'ਇਕ/ਏਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ', '', 'Ek Omkar', 'Ik Onkar' 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.
''Ik Onkar'' is from Sanskrit ''ekomkāra'', the sandhi of ''eka'' "one" and ''omkāra'', the name of the Aum syllable, literally meaning "the Single Aum", but translated as meaning "One God".
''Ik Onkar'' in the Gurmukhī script is a combination of three letters: ''Ek'' ''Aum'' and ''Kar'' - which is a line drawn over the Om, signifying the continuity, timelessness and eternal presence of Aum (God).
''Ońkāra'' is itself found in ancient Sanskrit literature. Sanskritic rules of ''sandhi'' or phonetic liaison turn the 'm' of Om into a velar/guttural 'ń' when preceded by the velar/guttural 'ka', so that the nasal consonant and the velar 'ka' can both be spoken at the back of the mouth. Liaison removes the unrefined pronunciation which would result from a labial 'm' followed by a velar 'ka' producing a clumsily pronounced ''Omkāra''. Any conjunct nasal consonant can be represented however, by a 'm' with a dot above or below, but in pronunciation, must match the consonant group to which the proceeding consonant belongs.
Ik 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.''
David C. Lane makes reference to a dissertation by an un-named writer that describes of how Paul Twitchell, founder of Eckankar, derived the name of his new religion from Ek Onkar.

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External links

★ About.com page on Ek Onkar

★ Gateway for India page on Sikhism

★ About.com page on Ik Onkar

★ Information on Ek Onkar (Punjabi)

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