The syllable ov = on is a word for Brahma (God), and the other cypher represents nature (the world). There is no Brahma, but ov = ॐ or ओम् । The dualism of Sankhya yoga is too well known to require an explanation. [Sidenote: 3. Om a Triad.] At a later period and posterior to the dualistic doctrines of the aforesaid Tantra and Pátanjala yoga systems, the _Om_ branched out into a Triad by the union of the nasal letter _m_ or _n_ with the उ or w, and forming the conjoined character ॐ and wn in Sanskrit and Greek. Henceforward _Onkára_ is regarded as a triliteral word composed of _a_+_u_+_m_ to represent a triplicate deity. Thus says Monier Williams:— “_Om_ is supposed to be composed of three letters _A_, _U_, _M_, which form a most sacred monosyllable (एकाक्षर), significant of the Supreme Being as developing himself in the Triad of gods, Brahmá, Vishnu and Siva” (Indian Wisdom p. 103 note I). So we have in Manu II. 83 and 84:— अकारञ्चाप्युकारञ्च मकारञ्च प्रजापतिः । बेवदत्रयाग्निरुदहत भूर्भुबः स्वरितीति ॥ अकारो विष्णुरुद्दिष्टः उकारस्तु महेश्वरः । मकारउच्यते ब्रह्मा प्रणबेन त्रयोमतः ॥ So also the Bhagavad Gitá. VIII. 13. Here the two halves of the circle उ comprise Vishnu and Siva as joined in the bipartite body of _Hari Hara alias_ Hara Hari, adored by the dualists called द्वैतवादिनः, or more fully as हरिहराद्वैतवादिनः and Brahmá the god of Manu, is placed in the circlet above the great circle of his created world. We need but hint to our readers in this place, to observe how the original word _Om_ or Ov and One developed itself into the existing faith of trinity. The Tántrica Sivites however place their god Siva in the upper semicirclet formed by म = m the initial of Maheswara (महेश्वर), and say:— ॐकारपूर्ब्बमुद्धृत्य ब्रह्मबिष्णुशिबात्मकं । अधोबिन्दु ब्रह्मबिष्णुरुर्द्धबिन्दु शिबात्मकं ॥ This is more reasonable to believe from both the letter _m’s_ and its god Siva’s amalgamation with the early Aryan duality to form the present faith of triality at a much later period. [Sidenote: 4. Om the Tetrad.] We next see a further progress of _Om_ in its development from the triliteral to a quadriliteral form, by its assumption of a crescent or half circlet (कुण्डली) according to the Tantra, or a half _Mátrá_ (अर्द्ध मात्रा) of the Vedánta. The Tantra says तदूर्द्ध कुण्डलीकारा शक्तिः । The Maitrí Upanishad mentions only of the three _Mátrás_ of _Om_ (Ch. vi Sec. 3).