Digging into the 'kaar' of Ek Onkaar

Chitra - painting

Chitra-kaar - painter (one who paints)

Om - "Beginning to end"

Om-kaar - one who does beginning to end

My initial thought is that if it were to be the second meaning of "kaar" (one who does) then there would be add "kartaapurakh" to the mul mantra. So its probably not that.   

My second thought is that the two meanings might actually be the same.  For someone who really does art, truly is immersed in the art - no difference remains between the art and the artist. There is no difference between the true dancer and their dance.  They become one.  Aha! One!  Similarly there is no difference between the doer of Om and Om.  They are one.  We hear that in Gurbani -

Tohi Mohi, Mohi Tohi Antar Kaisa?

Kanak Katak Jal Tarang Jaisa

If there is a difference then it is like gold and the bangle, waves and the ocean.  The waves are smaller than the ocean, bangles are only made of gold - not the the other way around.  The bigger entity is the complete one.  Complete. Poora.  Purakh. 

The other way to look at this is that the artist makes art from something within him. The dancer dances based on something within the dancer.  The dance is within the dancer and the dancer does dance.  The Om is within Omkaar and Omkaar does Om. 

"kaar" can also mean "possessed."  So Dhundhkaar would be possessed by fog, Andhkaar would be possessed by darkness, and Ahankaar would be possessed by ego. So this is an interesting thought. 

Another interesting perspective.  Omkaar could be thought of as the opposite of Ahamkaar. Ahamkaar is me-ness. And Omkaar is you-ness with "O" meaning "you" or "that-ness" where "O" means "that".  

Here is what it is not. It is not "Aakaar" which some people suggest. That one doesn't make any sense to me. Niraakaar - without shape. Opposite of Niraakaar is not Omkaar. It would have to be Omaakaar.  The shape of sound.  The opposite of Niraakaar is Saakaar. Or "Sa" plus "aakaar" - with shape.  Sapna saakaar means making a dream come true.  Giving the dream a shape.  

Maybe I created a new meaning of the word One. Oneness. But maybe I should have created oneful.  Full of oneness.  

Tat tvam asi - you are that. But you are also you. So the better way to understand oneness is being oneful.  

Kaar in urdu means work.  Or one who does. Kaar-o-baar - work (where "baar" really has no meaning just the way gharbaar means ghar). Kaarkhaanaa - place where work is done (khaanaa being place, toshakhaana = place of treasure). Kaarnaamah - heroic deed. Sarkaar - literally "head" "work" - the head of working - or government. 

Research from March 2017.  Published March 2021.