Having thus observed the deficiency of dualities and the imperfection of dualistic theories, by the instrumentality of _Om_, and the application of its cypher of unity to them, to make up that unity which is essential to the true knowledge of God, whose nature is a perfect unity and without divisibility (Ekamevádwitía), the sages next proceeded to the investigation of trialities and pluralities of tri-une doctrines and so forth, which had been gaining ground even in those early stages of society, by the application of the same test of the unity of _Om_ to them, till at last all these partitions are lost in the cypher of One indivisible whole. [Sidenote: 15. The Metrical Sense of _Om_.] _Om_ in the sense of a compass or metrical instrument, is derived from O the cypher, letter or circle, and _ma_ to measure, meaning the circle of measurement. XI. TRIADS OR TRIPLES OR TRIPARTITE OM IN TRINITARIAN SYSTEMS. [Sidenote: 1. Triads or Triples of _Om_ त्रिमूर्त्ति ।] “But when considered as a triliteral word consisting of a, u, _m_, (अ, उ, म), _Om_ implies, the three Vedas, the three states of human nature; the three divisions of the Universe; the three deities, agents of the three states of things—the creation, preservation and destruction; or properly speaking; the three principle attributes of the Supreme Being. In this sense it implies in fact the Universe controlled by the Supreme Being.” Rám Mohun Roy. [Sidenote: 2. Their External Manifestations. ब्याहृतिः ।] The idea of the trisection of the circle of _Om_ followed that of its bisection, together with that of the three fold division of Divine nature, much earlier in the minds of the Aryans of India, than the three sectors of the circle were unfolded by Euclid, and the mystery of the tri-une nature of the Divinity was discovered by the divine Plato, or that of the three persons in the God-head was revealed by the Gospel. But not content with this discovery, the ancient sages applied this triplicate division of _Om_ to many other things as the three fold manifestations of the _One_ Deity represented by the triliteral and trilateral figure of _Om_, and fell to their adoration, until they were recalled to the worship of the invisible unity of _Om_ by the Vedánta doctrines. We shall now see these triples called the Vyáhritís (व्याहृति) or three fold manifestations in their order. [Sidenote: 1. The 3 Vedas. त्रयो बिद्या बेदत्रयः ।] Om represents the three Vedas by its three letters, _viz_; the Rik, Yajur and Sáman, consisting of the Hymns, Ceremonies and Psalms. The first like the hymns of Hesiod and Orpheus, the second like the Levitican laws, and the third resembling the Psalms of David, all of which are said to be of Divine origin. [Sidenote: 2. The 3 States. ॐ गुणत्रयं ।] These have no apposite terms in English, and are variously rendered to express the states of quietism, action and passion or excess of a feeling, leading to error.