Krishna (under the conception of the identity of his soul with that of the Divine), speaks of himself in the Bhágavadgítá that, he was the letter _a_ of the alphabet, and the _Om_ of words (वर्णानामकारोऽहं शब्दानाञ्चोङ्कारः). This is shown in the latest English translation of the work to be a doctrine derived from Christianity and corresponds with the passage “I am Alpha &c.” in the book of Revelations (Ch. I. V. 8). There is a similar passage in the Koran which says “He (God) is the first; _Ho al awl_ corresponding with the Greek” _Ho esten arche_; and this passage and sometimes its initial Ὁ (Gr.) and our ॐ, is used by Moslems at the top and commencement of their books and other writings. Again like _Alpha_ of the holy Scripture we find the use of Alif upon the head of all writings in Urdu, Persian, Arabic and Hebrew in daily practice. Hence it is hard to say who is the borrower, though every one will boast itself to be the lender. (_Vide_ Weber’s paper on the Rám Tap Up. pp. 276, and 360). [Sidenote: 3. An Initiatory Particle मङ्गलार्थ ।] The Kosha adds the sense of auspiciousness and prosperity (मङ्गलेशुभे) to the above, and this as we have already observed forms like the names of gods, the initiatory vocable of meritorious undertakings (आदाबोम शब्दः माङ्गलिकः). “_Om_” says the Ch’hándogya, “is also prosperity” (I, 8.) To this the scholiast Sankara says; “the letter _Om_ is called prosperity, because it is possessed of the property and attribute of prosperity. The prosperous alone can pass the word _Om_” (Chh. up. Ch. 1, p. 8). Its use is not confined to the sacred and antiquated language of Vedic writing and the liturgy, but is to be met with in the classic Sanskrit of ancient bards and modern poets. Thus we have in the Rámáyana of our author (रामायण ५ ।८१ ।११ । प्राज्यस्वर्विजयोङ्कारश्चक्रे). In this sense we discover a curious affinity of the Aryan _Om_ with the Semitic _Áman_ _Amán_ and _Aiman_, as in the Persian phrase _Aiman buád_ corresponding with ॐ or शुभं भूयात् । [Sidenote: 4. Gratulatory, Particle नमस्कारार्थः ।] The word has been rendered in our translation by the salutatory term “Hail”, from a supposed similarity of its meaning with that of _namo_ नमस् which is used by women and Súdras in lieu of the sacred _Om_ in their salutations to gods and superior beings, owing to the denunciation pronounced upon their utterance of the sacred syllable (स्त्रीशूद्रयोः प्रणवं नेच्छन्ति). We find its use in the same sense in Dr. Roer’s Translation of the Aitareya Upanishad, where it is rendered by “salutation to the Supreme Soul” and by “adoration” in Cowell’s version of the Maitrí Upanishad. We are however at a loss of authority to warrant our adoption of _namo_ as a synonym of _Om_. We meet with instances of the use of _Om_ and _namo_ together to mean salutation, as, ॐन्नमः शिबाय and शिबायोँ न्नमः in the Mugdhabodha, where _namo_, expresses obeisance and governs शिबाय in the dative, and not _Om_ which has no governing power.