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Akshara is ‘the beginning and the end’, ‘the alpha and the omega.’
Every sound produced is like ‘fire,’ with the capacity of burning
ignorance, if used in the right way, and creating damage and
chaos, if used in the wrong way. In the above verse of Jnāna
Sankalini Tantra, Lord Shiva explains to Mā Parvati that:
AUM̐ is Akshara.
In this context, Akshara is seen to have multiple interpretations: it
is imperishable, indestructible, undeceiving; it is firm, fixed,
unalterable; it also represents the entire cosmos through Brahma,
Vishnu, Rudra; it also represents Brahman, the Absolute; it also
connotes sound, word, or speech.
ओिम$येतद)रमु,ीथमुपासीत ।
ओिमित !ु#ायित त"योप&या(यानम् ॥ १.१.१॥
meaning:
One should meditate upon the syllable Om̐ , the udgitha,
because people sing, beginning with Om̐ ........
It calls the syllable Om̐ as udgitha (उ"ीथ, song, chant), and asserts
that the significance of the syllable is:
एषां भूतानां पृिथवी रसः पृिथ%या अपो रसः । अपामोषधयो रस
ओषधीनां पु#षो रसः पु#ष%य वा#सो वाच ऋ"स ऋचः साम
रसः सा#न उ"ीथो रसः ॥ १.१.२॥
meaning:
The essence of all beings is earth, the essence of earth is
water, the essence of water are the plants, the essence of
plants is man, the essence of man is speech, the essence of
speech is the Rig Veda, the essence of the Rig Veda is the
Sāma Veda, and the essence of Sāma Veda is the udgitha
(which is Om̐ )
Om̐ thus represents the entire manifested world & the unmanifest,
and also that which lies beyond both the manifest & the unmanifest
– the Brahman, which is the changeless substratum for the
changing objects of the world of experiences.
अशेषद&'रताप,हं िविवधकामक'प)*मं
िवमुि%फलिसि)दं िवमलयोिगसंसेिवतम् ।
meaning:
The Pranava Om̐ is the Kalpataru tree (the wish-fulfilling
tree) of all desires, and the grantor of liberation
It is also said in Maitrāyaniya (or Maitri) Upanishad (6.4 & 6.5) of
Krishna Yajur Veda:
अथा$य&ािप उ"मथ खलु य उ"ीथः स !णवो यः !णवः स उ"ीथ इित
असौ वा आ"द$य उ"ीथ एष !णवा इित । एवं !ाहो%ीथं !णवा%यं
!णेतारं भा#पं िवगतिन&ं िवजरं िवमृ%युं ि"पदं !य#रं पुनः प"धा !ेयं
िनिहतं गुहायािम(येवं !ाहो%व'मूलं ि"पा%&' शाखा आकाश
वा#व$%युदकभू,यादय एकोऽ%व'थनामैत./0ैत1यैत3ेजो यदसा आ"द$यः
ओिम$येतद)र+य चैत$%मादोिम+यनेनैतद/पासीताज4िम+येकोऽ%य
स"बोधियते*येवं !ाह : एतदेवा'रं पु#यमेतदेवा+रं परम् ।
एतदेवा'रं !ा#वा यो य"द$छित त"य तत् ॥ ४॥
&
अथा$य&ा'यु)* !वनव$येषा!य!तनुया+ ओिमित !ीपुंनपुंसक)ित िल#वती
एषाऽथाि'वा)युरा-द/य इित भा#वित एषा अथ !" !"ो
िव#णु&र(यिधपितवती एषाऽथ गाह$प&यो दि#णाि&राहवनीया इित मुखवती
एषाऽथ ऋ"यजुःसामेित िव#ानवती एषा भूभु$वः'व(रित लोकवती एषाऽथ
भूतं भ"यं भिव$य&दित कालवती एषाऽथ !ाणोऽि'ः सूय$ इित !तापवती
एषाऽथा&माप)च+,मा इ"या%यायनवती एषाऽथ बुि$म&नोऽह+ारा इित
चेतनवती एषाऽथ !ाणोऽपानो !यान इित !ाणवती एषेित अत
ओिम$यु'(नैताः !"तुता अिच$ता अिप$ता भव#तीित एवं !ाहैत&ै स"यकाम
परां चापरां च !" यदोिम&येतद)रिमित ॥ ५॥
meaning:
It has been said elsewhere : ‘Now, then, the Udgītha (of the
Sāma Veda) is the Pranava (of the Rig Veda); Pranava is the
Udgītha. And so, verily, the sun is Udgītha, and he
is Pranava or Om̐ .’
‘. . . the Udgītha, which is called AUM̐ , a leader (in the
performance of sacrifices), brilliant, sleepless, ageless,
deathless, three-footed, three-syllabled (A+U+M), also to be
known as fivefold (five Prānas), hidden in the secret place [of
the heart].’
For thus has it been said: ‘The three-footed Brahman has its
root upwards. Its branches are space (ether), wind, fire,
water, earth, and the like. This Brahman has the name of
‘Asvattha’ (Fig-tree).’ Belonging to It is the splendor which is
you Sun, and the splendor too of the syllable AUM̐ .
Therefore one should worship it with AUM̐ continually.
He is the only enlightener of a man.’
For thus has it been said:—
• That syllable (Om ̐ ) indeed is holy (puṇya).
• That syllable (Om ̐ ) indeed is Supreme.
• By knowing that syllable (Om ̐ ), indeed, whatever
one desires, is his!
&
It has been said elsewhere: ‘This, namely a, u, and m
( = Om̐ ), is the sound-form of this (Ātman, Soul).’ This is
his gender-endowed body, in forms such as feminine,
masculine, neuter. This is his light-endowed body, in forms
such as Fire, wind, and sun. This is his Lord-endowed body,
viz. Brahmā, Rudra, and Vishṇu. This is his mouth endowed
body, in forms such as the Gārhapatya sacrificial fire, the
Dakshiṇāgni sacrificial fire, and the Āhavanīya sacrificial fire.
This is his knowledge-endowed body, in forms such as the
Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, and the Sāma-Veda. This is his
world-endowed body in forms such as earth (bhūr),
atmosphere (bhuvas), and sky (svar). This is his time-
endowed body, in forms such as past, present, and future.
This is his heat-endowed body, in forms such as breath, fire,
and sun. This is his growth-endowed body, in forms such as
food, water, and moon. This is his thought-endowed body, in
forms such as Intellect (buddhi), mind (manas), and egoism
(ahaṁkāra). This is his breath-endowed body, in forms such
as the Prāṇa breath, the Apāna breath, and the Vyāna
breath. Therefore by the aforesaid syllable Om̐ , are all these
here enumerated bodies praised and identified (with the
Prānādityātman). For thus it is said:
‘O Satyakama, the syllable Om̐ is the high and the low
Brahman.'
ई"वर उवाच :
व"सकौ सव#त%वं च किथतं दिश$तं च वाम् ।
जपतं !णवं मं#ं !द#यिम!ं मदा$मकम् ।। ३२ ।।
meaning;
O Sons, for the sake of your welfare, I have spoken to you
about all the tattvas and have also shown you the way like a
guide. Therefore, both of you should perform japa of the
divine Pranava mantra, which is said to be my essence/form
Om̐ is used in many other mantras like Om̐ vagishwari hum, Om̐
dhrung svaha, Om̐ vajrapani hum, and Om̐ vajrasattva hum. Om̐ ,
as a part of the bija mantra, is regarded as sacred in Esoteric
Buddhism.
Om̐ represents the living being―body, speech, and mind―for the
Buddhists.
ॐ एका#र पंचपरमेि(नामा+दपम् ।
त"कथिमित चेत अ"रहंता असरीरा आय#रया तह उव#झाया मुिणयां ।
meaning:
"OM", one akshara (the single syllable), is made from the
initials of the five Parameshthis: Arihanta, Ashiri (i.e.
siddha), Acharya, Upadhyaya, Munis (sadhus)
Om̐ is the natural sound. It is said that Om̐ is the sound made by
the waves, heard in the shells when you hold them close to your
ears. Om̐ is the sound that resonates through the Universe. Bees
hum the Om̐ . Some birds repeat the Om̐ -sound. It is the sound of a
flowing river, the whistling of the wind. So on and so forth.
The entire Universe is said to be filled with the Om̐ Sound.
• Swami Sivananda
“Brahman is the highest of all. Om̐ is His name. So Om̐ is to be
adored. Om̐ is everything. Om̐ is the name or symbol of God,
lśvara, Brahman. Om̐ is your real name. Om̐ covers all the
threefold experience of man. Om̐ stands for all phenomenal words.
From Om̐ , this sense-universe has been projected. The world
exists in Om̐ and dissolves in Om̐ . Om̐ is formed by adding the
letters A, U, M. 'A represents the physical plane, 'U' represents the
mental and the astral planes, the world of spirits, all heavens, and
'M' represents all the deep sleep state and all that is unknown and
beyond the reach of the intellect even in your waking. Om̐
therefore represents all. Om̐ is the basis of your life, thought and
intelligence. All words that denote objects are centred in Om̐ .
Hence the whole world has come from Om̐ , rests in Om̐ and
dissolves in Om̐ .”
• Swami Chinmayananda
Om̐ is the symbol of the Infinite, which is finally attained through
the surrender (Namah), of all our false identifications with the
matter envelopments, at the feet of “the true essence or core of the
things” – Narayana (meaning God).
THE PRANAVA
The Meaning of Pranava
The term "Praṇava" literally means "the mystical or sacred syllable
Om̐ ". It is derived from the root "praṇu" (to roar, bellow, sound,
reverberate, make a humming or droning sound, utter the syllable
Om̐ , praise).
meaning:
….That which causes all the prānas to prostrate themselves
before and get merged in the Paramātman, so as to attain
identity with Him, is for that reason known as the Pranava….
Types of Pranava
Praṇava is a most sacred sound, which is the core of all sacred
words or mantra-s. There are three Praṇava-s:
1. Shaivapraṇava (pertaining to Shaivism or Shaiva tradition)
is हूँ (Hūm̐ ).
[Anunāsika (half-moon/dot) is a nasal sound (like "ng"
approximately) allowing the air to pass out mainly through
the nose, with the mouth slightly open]
2. Shāktapraṇava (pertaining to Shāktism or Shākta tradition)
is ह्रीँ (Hrīm̐ ).
3. Vaidikapranava (pertaining to the Veda-s or Vedic tradition)
is ॐ (Om̐ ).
meaning:
Praṇava is of two types viz., subtle & gross. These are:
i) the single syllabled ॐ (Om̐ ) is known as the subtle
Praṇava
ii) the Panchakshara mantra (पंचा%र मं#) – Namah
Shivaya (नमः िशवाय) is known as the gross Praṇava
Vāk (in Latin, Vox) comes from the root ‘Vach’, which means “to
speak”. Vedas have claimed that Vāk is Brahman, and Brahman is
speech:
This was also mentioned, much later, in the opening verses of the
Gospel of John in the New Testament of Bible (John 1:1,2) as:
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God
and the Word was God”.
The concept of the Divine Word is ancient, and it also cuts across
different beliefs. The Divine word is conceived of, in the Hebrew
Scriptures also, as having creative power. This concept gives rise
to the notion of a Supreme Being & an aspect of Him that creates
– e.g. the Supreme & the Logos (the word of God). The Greek
philosopher Heraclitus believed that Logos was the principle
underlying the universe. This belief was shared by many including
Plato. The Jewish philosopher Philo from Alexandria, Egypt
believed that ‘ideas moulded matter’. Just as an architect projects
in his mind a plan of a town (Polis), and thus produces the real
town according to the ideal plan, so God acted when He created
the world, this Megalopolis (Brahmānda). The idea of Logos (word
of God) being the basis of the universe, was adopted into
Christianity, as mentioned above in the quote from Gospel of John.
Om̐ , the real Ātman is the substratum for all the sounds, languages,
body, mind, Prāna and senses, the Karana-śarira and the five
sheaths, and this universe. Just as the substratum is an
under-stratum or layer, a fundamental element, the substance in
which qualities exist, so also Om̐ is the substratum or the
underlying reality in which all objects appear as waves in the
ocean. The waves are mere appearances. So also the forms are
mere appearances. The forms are unreal. Forms are unreal in the
sense that they are changing and impermanent, though they are
experientially real. ln the example of the ocean and wave, the
ocean alone is real. Even so, Om̐ or Brahman alone is real.
Rig Veda, Mandala 10, Suktam 125 contains the Vāk Suktam
(वाक$ सू#म्); this is also called Devi Suktam by the Shāktas. This
Suktam contains 8 mantras lauding Vāk or speech. For instance, it
is said in the 3rd mantra of this Suktam:
In our own times, from Sant Kabir and Guru Nanak down to Guru
Gobind Singh, the ten Sikh Gurus, and many others preached
of Śabd.
Among his many sayings about the “Word”, a few below show the
importance attached to it by Guru Nanak, as indicated in the
respective references below from Guru Granth Sahib:
Dhanasri (661): The Word is the essence of all meditation and
austerities.
Siri (62): Bliss springs from contemplating the Word.
Ramkali (943): The Word alone can ferry us across the Ocean of
Existence.
Dhanasri (688): 1657. The Lord, the True Creator, is known by
means of the Word.
Guru Ram Das also spoke about the Shabad in Guru Granth
Sahib:
har har naam pot hai mayree jindurhee-ay gur khayvat
sabad taraa-i-aa raam.
(Rāg Bihāgrā, mehla 4, verse 539-2)
meaning:
The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is the ship, O my soul, and
the Guru is the helmsman. Through the Word of the Shabad,
He ferries us across.
Vāk means word, sound or śabda; Vāk, whose root is Vach which
means “to speak”, and corresponds in Latin to the word Vox)
Sound exists as Nāda (नाद) in Śabda Brahman, and the force that
makes it blossom is Bindu (िब#द%), which is also resident in Śabda
Brahman.
Swami Sivananda calls Om̐ as the ocean into which all rivers of
sounds, names and words flow.
This Sphota has one word as its only possible symbol, and this is
the ओं (Om).
…. it is out of this holiest of all holy words, the mother of all names
and forms, the eternal Om, that the whole universe may be
supposed to have been created.
…. The Sphota is the material of all words, yet it is not any definite
word in its fully formed state. That is to say, if all the peculiarities
which distinguish one word from another be removed, then what
remains will be the Sphota; therefore this Sphota is called the
Nâda-Brahma, the Sound-Brahman.
Now, as every word-symbol, intended to express the inexpressible
Sphota, will so particularise it that it will no longer be the Sphota,
that symbol which particularises it the least and at the same time
most approximately expresses its nature, will be the truest symbol
thereof; and this is the Om, and the Om only; because these three
letters अ उ म (A.U.M.), pronounced in combination as Om, may
well be the generalised symbol of all possible sounds. The letter A
is the least differentiated of all sounds, therefore Krishna says in
the Gita अ"राणां अकारोऽ'(म — "I am ‘A’ among the letters".
The Devi, as Parā Vāk, the vital energy (prāna shakti) that vibrates
(spanda) is regarded as the foundation of all languages, thoughts,
feelings, and perceptions; and, is, therefore, the seat of
consciousness (chit, samvid). Consciousness, thus, is inseparable
from the Word, because it is alive.
िन#यानंदवपुिन+रंतरगल#प0ाशदण$: !माद्
!या$ं येन चराचरा$मकिमदं श"दाथ&'पं जगत् ।
श"द$% यद#िचरे सुक$ितन(ैत*यम*तग.तं
त"ोऽ%यादिनशं शशां$%सदनं वाचामधीशं मह: ।। १ ।।
meaning:
Whose body is in the form of eternal bliss; who pervades this
entire world of movable & immovable objects, (which is)
formed into word & meaning by fifty alphabets perennially
emanating; whom people call Śabda Brahman; who is
hidden in the inner Chaitanya (Consciousness) in Sushumna
(Nādi), rises upto the lunar halo in the lotus in the Sahasrara;
who being the source of all varnas (alphabets) and all
mantras, is the Lord of Vāk – may this effulgent Lord protect
us all
Vāk with the meaning “to speak”, implies both voice and the word it
utters; it has the same sense therefore, as Śabda (though literally
meaning ‘sound’, a Śabda is taken to mean a word expressing a
particular meaning, Artha manifested by sound). It may be clarified
that a word is a human interpretation of a sound. There is no word
anywhere in the universe. There are only sounds. When you
speak, you do not throw out words, you make sounds. The person
listening interprets the sounds as words.
In the Infinite Calm of Laya, the first & the most generic type of
kinetic stresses to arise, is due to Sāmānya-spanda.
The term “Śabda” does not mean merely “word”; it is also not
limited to subtle or gross “sound”. “Śabda” is the Causal Stress or
Spanda which inheres in the stressed condition of Chit-śakti and
Māyā-śakti; This Spanda manifests first as the Śabda Tanmātra (a
very subtle form perceptible not to human ears, but to
Hiranyagarbha), thereafter as more or less subtle sound, which is
audible to a Yogic ear (and not an ordinary human ear), and finally
it appears as average human sound when the Spanda is adapted
to the capacity of the human ear through a medium of such density
as the common air.
Nāda and Bindu exist in all Bīja Mantras, which are generally
written with the Bindu above and the Nāda below, for this is the
form of the written Chandrabindu.
The creative force is the union of Shiva and Shakti, and each of
the letters (Varna) produced therefrom and thereby are part and
parcel of that Force, and are, therefore, Shiva and Shakti in those
particular forms. The force resulting from the union or Viparita
Maithuna of Shiva and Shakti, is the birth of Kundalini Goddess in
the nature & form of letters (Akśara).
The Bindu symbolizes the most subtle micro form, of the Supreme
Goddess, as the Universal Mother, womb, yoni, creator, retainer
as also the receiver of the created universe.
Just as Om̐ is the general Sound, the other Bīja-Mantras are the
particular sounds which are the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet.
These are evolved out of the general sound, which underlies all
particular sounds. Both the Oṃkara or Praṇava and the Bīja-
Mantras, as pronounced by the mouth are thus the articulate
equivalents of the inarticulate primal Dhvani. They become
articulate at the last stage called Vaikharī or Spaṣtatara-Spanda of
the four stages, known as Parā (Rest passing into movement),
Paśyantī (general movement), Madhyamā or special movement of
subtle character heard by the subtle ear, and Vaikharī or special
movement which as speech is the fully articulated sound heard by
the gross ear.
The Mantras Om̐ , Ham, Ram are all distorted sounds as heard and
uttered by the imperfect us; the degree of distortion depends on
the nature and sensitivity of the Relative Ear and Tongue. Om̐ is
the sound that has come down from its pristine natural state to its
present form, structure and sound, through many Manasaputras
and a line of Gurus, who tried to reproduce the sound to the best
of their ability.
Om̐ is a Vaidik Bija, but it is the source of all the other Tantrik
Bijas which represent particular Devata aspects of that, which
is presented as a Whole in Om̐ .
Om̐ then stands for the most general aspect of That as the
Source of all. As it is recited, the idea arises in the mind
corresponding with the sound, which has been said to be the
expression on the gross plane of that subtle "sound", which
accompanied the first creative vibration. When rightly uttered,
this great syllable has an awe-inspiring effect.
It is said that the divine nectar that secretes from the Sahasrara,
takes different forms of letters in 6 different chakras or Padmas.
These six chakras are: Mūladhara, Svādhisthāna, Manipura,
Anāhata, Viśudha and Ājñā. They are called Padmas (Lotuses)
because they are in the form of a lotus with a distinct colour and
specific number of petals. The different petals of the respective
chakras represent the different basic human longings and instincts.
Each of the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, from “a” (अ) to
“ksha” (!), are the bija-mantra of 50 human instincts & longings.
Here bija-mantra means the acoustic root of different psychic
manifestations of individual and Cosmic minds. Each and every
letter from “a” (अ) to “ksha” (!) of Matrka Varna is living energy.
They are the acoustic root of the different waves and vibrations of
the Cosmos. These letters are the representative sonoric
manifestations of the universe. When these letters are arranged as
per the Tantric precepts, a living force is generated, which is
capable of having para-psychological outcomes/consequences.
The 50 letters are the fifty basic vibrations, which constitute the
entire universe. They are the bijākshara of Tantric esotericism.
All mantras are words, but all words are not mantras. All words
have originated from Parā-Vāk, but only few of these words are
mantras. It may be clarified/re-iterated here that Mantras are
manifested Śabda.
It is said that all mantras emanate out of Om̐ and resolve back
to Om̐ .
ANĀHATA NĀDA
In Sanskrit, Anāhata means "sound produced without touching two
parts" and at the same time it means "pure" or "clean, stainless".
Anāhata Nāda refers to the Vaidik concept of unstruck sound
(the sound of the celestial realm).
Sound usually is taken to mean a form of vibration through a
medium like air. And such sound is normally produced by striking
or rubbing two objects together, and is thought to dissipate & die
down once the vibrations cease. However, these concepts are not
viewed as axioms by Vaidik Śastras. According to Hindu
metaphysical thought, sound can be produced without
vibration, can travel through vacuum in the absence of a
medium, and does not die down; this has been elaborated upon
in the two foregoing explanations [“Om, the Primordial Sound –
Not Necessarily Vibration” & “Om̐ is Eternal (Vāk – Sound Never
Dies”)].
Nāda means the flow of sound and Yoga means Union. Nāda
Yoga is the process of the union of the individual mind with Cosmic
Consciousness through the flow of sounds. Trying to listen in to
the Anāhata Nāda within, is Nāda Yoga, and is one of the paths
recommended for spiritual awakening.
How does this Nāda Yoga help a seeker? The seeker’s mind, in
the process of being attracted to above-mentioned sounds, loses
awareness of the external world altogether. Through meditation,
seekers endeavour to establish contact with the divine sound,
Anāhata Nāda, that helps in subduing the mind from roving in the
pleasure garden of sensual objects.
According to Nādbindoopanishad, Nāda within has the great power
of uniting the mind with the Supreme, helping it focus & cleansing
it of all worldly objects. Hence the aspirant through practise should
endeavour to hear this Nāda within. It is said thus in Nādabindu
Upanishad (verses 36 - 38) of Atharva Veda:
नाद$हणत()च+म-तर/भुज$मः ॥ ४३ ब ॥
िव#मृ&य िव#वमेका(ः क"#िच& िह धावित । ४४ अ ॥
meaning:
The serpent Chitta through listening to the Nāda is entirely
absorbed in it and becoming unconscious of everything
concentrates itself on the sound
&
मनोम$गजे()*य िवषयो$ानचा(रणः ॥ ४४ ब ॥
िनयामनसमथ(ऽयं िननादो िनिशता&'शः । ४५ अ ॥
meaning:
The sound serves the purpose of a sharp goad to control the
maddened elephant - Chitta which roves in the pleasure-
garden of the sensual objects
&
नादोऽ&तर)सार)ब&धने वागुरायते ॥ ४५ ब ॥
अ"तर%समु)*य रोधे वेलायतेऽिप च । ४६ अ ।।
meaning:
It serves the purpose of a snare for binding the deer - Chitta.
It also serves the purpose of a shore to the ocean waves of
Chitta
How a seeker becomes one with the Anāhata Nāda, to attain his
true state or the Supreme Reality, is described in the following
verses of Nādabindu Upanishad of Atharva Veda (verses 46b –
56):
!"#णवसंल)नादो !योितम'या)मकः ॥ ४६ ब ॥
मन#त% लयं याित ति#$णोः परमं पदम् । ४७ अ ।।
meaning:
The sound proceeding from Pranava which is Brahman
is of the nature of effulgence; the mind becomes
absorbed in it; that is the supreme seat of Vishnu
&
नादको&टसह*ािण िब#द%को(टशतािन च ॥ ५० ब ॥
सव# त" लयं या#$त !"#णवनादक* । ५१ अ ।।
meaning:
Many myriads of Nādas and many more of Bindus (all)
become absorbed in the Brahma-Pranava sound
&
सवा$व%थािविनमु$+ः सव#िच&तािवविज#तः ॥ ५१ ब ॥
मृतवि&'ते योगी स मु#ो ना# संशयः । ५२ अ ।।
meaning:
Being freed from all states and all thoughts whatsoever, the
Yogin remains like one dead. He is a Mukta. There is no
doubt about this
&
!ि#ः !"थरा य"य िवना स"#यम् वायुः !"थरो य"य िवना !य#नम् ।
िच#ं !"थरं य"य िवनावल&बम् स !"तारा&तरनाद)पः ॥ ५६॥
meaning:
When the (spiritual) sight becomes fixed without any
object to be seen, when the Vāyu (Prāna) becomes still
without any effort, and when the Chitta becomes firm
without any support, he becomes of the form of the
internal sound of Brahma-Pranava
The Anāhata Nāda or the eternal sound of Om̐ , forms the basis in
all the six chakras or plexuses located within the Sushumna that
extends from the base of the spine, Muladhara to the crown of the
head, the Brahmrandhra. The Anāhata Nāda emanates from the
Anāhata Chakra, the 4th chakra, located in the centre of the
chest.
The Anāhata
Chakra is our
inner temple in
which the divine
Ātmā, “the flame
of life”, resides.
Self-Realisation,
also known as
God-Realisation,
involves the
recognition of our
own Self, the
Ātmā.
That the One letter Om̐ contains all aspects of the Cosmos, is
shown in the following diagram:
As can be seen from the above figure, Māyā (as the crescent
moon) veils the Self (in the form of bindu above the crescent) from
the Jivā (represented by the three states of consciousness –
Jagrat, Svapna & Sushupti). The Chandra-bindu in the AUM̐
symbol is also beautifully described as Mother Nature (the
crescent-shaped Māyā is also called Prakriti) cradling the baby
Bindu, who grows heavy, massive & strong to become the
universe with many parts.
AUM̐ also denotes many triads, as shown below:
Silence after
A U M
AUM
Functions of
Creation Maintenance Dissolution Shanta
the Lord
Brahma
Trinity Vishnu Mahesh
(Creator)
Form of the Saguna Saguna Saguna Nirguna
Lord Brahman Brahman Brahman Brahman
State Phenomenal Phenomenal Phenomenal Noumenal
Pure
Consciousness
or
Witnessing
Consciousness
Sushupti or
Jagrat Svapna
Consciousness (Deep Self
(Waking) (Dreaming)
Sleep) or
Parmashiva
(SatChitAnanda
+
Svātantrya
Shakti)
Phenomenal
Viśva Taijasa Prajna Turiya
Being
Paramātman or
Vaishvanara
Cosmic Being Hiranygarbha Iśvara Nirguna
or Virāt
Brahman
Directed Chit (Bindu)
Ahamkara Buddhi Manas
Entities Buddhi (Nāda)
Presiding Ayan Hari Aran Sadashiva
Entities (Brahma) (Vishnu) (Shiva) (Shiva’s grace)
A U M
Brahma Vishnu Siva
Virat Hiranyagarbha lsvara
Visva Taijasa Prajna
Father Son Holy Ghost
Sarasvati Lakshmi Durga
Rajas Sattva Tamas
Body Mind Soul
Gross Subtle Causal
Jagrat Svapna Sushupti
Past Present Future
Sat Chit Ananda
Omniscience Omnipotence Omnipresence
Creation Preservation Destruction
Being Becoming Non-being
Sleep Not sleep Negation of the two
Prakriti Jivātma Paramātma
Birth Life Death
The letter “A” is Rig Veda, “U” is Yajur Veda, and “M” is
Sama Veda. All three together (AUM̐ ) make the Atharvana
Veda
AUM̐ is the source of the four Vedas
AUM
A U M
(together)
Gunas of
Sattva Rajas Tamas Prakriti
Prakriti
Vedas Rig Veda Yajur Veda Sam Veda Atharvan
Bhuvar Suvar or
World (Loka) World of
Bhur (Earth) (Middle Svar
represented transmigration
Region) (Heaven)
BRAHMAN
Om̐ stands for the most general aspect of That as the Source of
all. As it is recited, the idea arises in the mind: this is the
expression on the gross plane, of that subtle "sound" which
accompanied the first creative vibration. When rightly uttered, this
great syllable has an awe-inspiring effect.
….स एष !ो#ार&चतुर*र&चतु+पाद&चतुःिशर&चतुथ2मा4ः
!थूलमेत()!वदीघ./0त इित ॥ ॐ ॐ ॐ इित ि"#$%वा.....
meaning:
....That is the Om̐ sound with it’s four quarters & it’s four fires
(fires as) heads. The fourth quarter is half mora (or half
letter); it is pronounced materially in three ways, short, long
or extra long.....
Om̐ , Om◌ँ◌,ँ Om◌ँ◌ँ◌ँ
Om̐ thus represents the entire manifested world & the unmanifest,
and also that which lies beyond both the manifest & the unmanifest
– the Brahman, which is the changeless substratum for the
changing objects of the world of experiences.
MEDITATING on AUM̐
Om̐
For the purpose of meditation, Omkara is itself regarded a mantra.
Its Rishi is Prajapathi; its chhandas is Gayatri; and its Devata is
Paramātma. The purpose of meditation (viniyoga) is liberation
(vimukti – phala – siddhidam).
!जापितल(कान+यतप-े+योऽिभत2े+य3यी िव#ा
स"#ा%व'ाम)यतप'-या अिभत%ाया एता$य&रािण
स"#ा%&व(त भूभु$वः !व#रित ॥ २.२३.२ ॥
meaning:
Prajāpati (i.e., Virāt) thought about the worlds (he would
have). Out of his thinking, the three Vedas took shape. He
then began to think about the Vedas. As a result of this
thinking, the Vedas gave birth to the three Vyāhṛtis: bhūḥ,
bhuvaḥ, and svaḥ
As Prajapati contemplated further, the syllable Om̐ (Omkara) was
perceived in these (Vyahtri-s). He then realized that Om̐
permeates every form of speech, just as the network of veins is
spread over the entire leaf. Prajapati exclaimed ‘Verily all this is
Om̐ ! Verily all this is Om̐ ! This is described in Chandogya
Upanishad (verse 2.23.3) of Sāma Veda:
&
ओ"कारमिभ#यायीत ।। २४ ।।
meaning:
One should practise meditation on Om̐ only
&
Consciousness
Letter Represents Is also called
associated with
A Virat !थूल !प#
Karya Brahman
or अकार or (the gross (काय$ !"न)
or “aa” Vaishvanara universe)
=
U सू#म !प# Aparā Brahman
or उकार Hiranyagarbha (the subtle (अपरा !"न)
or “u” universe)
कारणम् !"न
M अ"#रयामी कारण !प#:
or मकार or (being in seed or Avyakta
(also called Māyā
ई"वर or Prakriti) form, this could be taken
or “ma”
to mean something in
between Nirguna &
Saguna Brahman or as
Nirguna Brahman)
And that means the ओ"कार (Om̐ ) is able to represent both अपरम्
!" (Aparam Brahman) and परा !"न (Parā or Param Brahman).
!"प$किण(काम+ये !"थरदीपिनभाक-ितम् ।
अ"#$मा'मचलं !यायेदो'ारमी+वरम् ॥ १९॥
meaning:
One should contemplate upon Omkara as Iśvara resembling
an unshaken light, as of the size of a thumb and as
motionless in the middle of the pericarp of the lotus of the
heart
What are the different vibrations that one can expect to hear?
Different cerebra-spinal centers or chakras emit different
vibrations, as shown in the diagram below:
Osho's technique
Make it a point for at least twenty minutes in the morning and
twenty minutes in the night (at least 2 hours before going to sleep)
to sit silently, half open the eyes and just look down. Breathing
should be slow, body unmoving.
Just feel that it is vibrating all over the body from the feet to the
head, from the head to the feet. Each Om̐ falls into your
consciousness like a rock thrown into a pool and ripples arise and
spread to the very end. The ripples go on expanding and touch the
whole body.
Doing this there will be moments – and they will be the most
beautiful moments – when you will not be repeating and everything
has stopped. Suddenly you will become aware that you are not
chanting and everything has stopped. Enjoy it. If thoughts start
coming, again start chanting.
You can find your own pace. After two or three days you will find
what suits you. To a few people very fast – Om̐ Om̐ Om̐ – almost
overlapping, suits them. To others very slowly is more suitable, so
it depends on you. But whatsoever feels good, continue.
&
Start in the morning with intense physical activity (such as running,
dancing, jumping, skipping etc) for 5 to 10 minutes, and after that,
sit down erect & motionless, with eyes half closed, preferably in an
empty room (or at least an empty corner of a room). Keep looking
at the tip of your nose; keep your eyes open only to that extent.
You are not to concentrate.
Observe the tip of your nose with a feeling of peace within. Then
begin to say ' Om̐ ' loudly. You are using the body, you start from
the body, because that is where you are right now. Repeat ' Om̐ '
loudly, so that the sound strikes the walls and rebounds and falls
back on you. This is why an empty room is essential, for that
resonance is only possible in an empty room, and the greater the
resonance the better it is.
Sit and repeat ' Om̐ ' as loudly as possible, with all your strength.
Remember, you have to use the body. Your whole body should be
bathed in the vibrations of ' Om̐ '. You should feel that you have
expended all your life-energy in that 'Om̐ '. Hold nothing back; treat
it as a matter of life and death.
Also, repeat the 'Om̐ ' quickly, so that each repetition overlaps the
previous one. Leave no interval between this, no space. Exert all
you strength, until you are bathed in perspiration. In a few days
you will find that the whole room is filled with 'Om̐ '.
Repeat 'Om̐ ' loudly for ten minutes, using the medium of the body
to its maximum. Then close your eyes. The tongue should touch
the roof of the mouth, which should be completely closed. Now you
have to use the tongue and lips no more.
The next step is to repeat 'Om̐ ' inside, in your mind. Remember,
you are not to use the body any more; therefore now the eyes
have to be closed. The body must now be very still. Until now the
room was outside, surrounding you on all four sides; now the body
surrounds you on all four sides; now the body is the room. Let the
mantra reverberate within the body for the next ten minutes. You
are not to use the lips or tongue or throat at all. The mind should
repeat 'Om̐ ... Om̐ ... Om̐ ...' but you must keep it the same rapid
rate, the same speed. As you filled the room with Omkar, so you fill
the body, leaving it trembling with vibrations from head to
toe. Allow no gap between two Om̐ -s, so that the mind has no
chance to intrude. The mind cannot think two thoughts at the same
time. If your repetition is so fast and intense that there is no gap
between two repetitions, no thoughts will come in between.
The 'Om̐ ' vibrations should hit the walls of the body from
within and fall on the mind, just as in the beginning they hit
the walls of the room and were then reflected back to the
body, which purified the body, just as the internal vibrations
cleanse the mind. As the vibrations deepen you will find that
the mind is beginning to fade. You begin to experience a deep
silence that you never before tasted.
Keep this up for then minutes; then drop your head until the chin
touches the chest.
So in the third step you drop your chin on to your chest, as if the
neck is cut off, lifeless. Now, no more repetitions -- not even in the
mind. Now just listen, as if the 'Omkar' is reverberating within and
you are only the listener, not the doer. You can only step
completely out of the mind when you abandon all sense of
doership. Become only the witness. Put all your effort into this. Let
you head hang down all the way to your chest, and try to listen to
the 'Om̐ ' resonate within. Do this also for 10 minutes.
Now you are standing apart from the body. The first step severed
your connection with the body; the second step severed your
connection with the mind; now the third step is the witnessing
attitude, the feeling that 'I am the witness'. And this is Godhood!
To realize his Self, a beginner gets great help from the chanting of
the syllable OM while meditating on its meaning. With this kind of
meditation, one frees oneself from the clutches of death and
attains immortality. No action can bind one, as there is no agency
or ‘enjoyership’ in one's actions. One always identifies oneself with
the all-pervading Self by removing ‘I-ness’ and ‘mineness’.
When you are able to experience the straight line in the upper part
of your forehead, be sure you are in Nirodhikā stage. Whether the
subsequent higher experiences beyond Nirodhikā are open to you
or not, that will be decided by Nirodhikā herself, which is Nāda in
that form. And Nāda is, obviously, Shakti. Your only choice here is
to wait in queue. Finally, when you deserve to keep ascending,
Nirodhikā will assume her essential form as the original Nāda (the
next stage).
The seventh stage (Nāda) is really the eighth one (Nādānta), but
now spreading through Sushumnā. In this stage, you will
experience Nāda as an expanding sound traveling through
Sushumnā, from the summit of the head down to the base of your
spinal column. Nāda is then the expansion of Nādānta (the
following stage). This Nāda seems to fill up the entire universe with
that sound like the humming of bees or the rippling produced by
the rapids of a river. Nāda resides in Sadāśiva (tattva 3) and lasts
1/16 mātrā.
In the eighth stage known as Nādānta --lit. the end part (anta) of
Nāda (divine inarticulate sound) is similar to the sound produced
by a bell. The inner bell sounds in the Brahmarandhra, and that is
Nādānta. This sound of the bell marks the first audible aspect of
the Absolute Sound or Śabda-Brahman, which is not truly a sound
in its essential form. Śabda-Brahman is essentially
Consciousness, but it becomes an audible sound from Nādānta
downward. Beyond this stage, Nāda ceases completely. Nādānta
also resides in Sadāśiva (tattva 3) and it lasts just 1/32 mātrā.
The ninth stage is known as Shakti or Āñjanī and marks the stage
from which the sense of identification with this physical body is
completely discarded. From abandoning the false notion of "I am
the body", your knowledge becomes unlimited, as the only thing
which restrained it was that attachment to the body. For an
omniscient mind, all is occurring in "a kind of eternal present", but
when the attachment to the body is developed, the perception gets
heavily limited. When your perception assumes this limitation, you
feel that there is "time" appearing in a triple way: Past, Present and
Future. Then, you call all that you can perceive at a particular
moment "present", and you call all that you "think" you have not
perceived yet "future". In turn, "past" would be for you all that you
have apparently experienced before according to your limited
viewpoint.
So, in what way are the ‘past’ & the ‘future’ here? How do we
have “memories” of the past, and “inklings” or
“expectations” of the ‘future’, while, actually we are in the
‘present’. This is due to our Self, the Ātman. The Self or
Ātman is omniscient, the ‘knower’ of the past, present & the
future, unconditioned by time, space & causation. But this
omniscience of the Self is severely contracted by our
identification (tadatmya) with the conglomerate of body-mind,
which limits our perception to the senses, eliminating or
drastically reducing “intuition”, or in other words, our
omniscience.
[Swami Sivananda defines Intuition as an active inner awareness
of the immortal blissful Self within; as the Divya Chakshu (or
Prajna Chakshu or Jnana Chakshu) through which the Yogi or the
sage experiences the supreme vision of the all-pervading Ātman or
Brahman. He goes on to add, “Instinct is present in animals and
birds, intellect in human beings, intuition in adepts or Yogis or
illumined sages. Pure reason or Visuddha Buddhi takes the
aspirant to the door of intuition. Intuition does not contradict
reason. It transcends reason.” Intuition is not a vague guess
based on instinctive feeling. Instead intuition is the Absolute
knowledge unconditioned by time, space & causation, that is
the channel/medium to realize the Ultimate Reality; it
manifests as omniscience by enabling the seeker to ‘know’
about the past, present & future, both here & elsewhere, about
anything & everything].
When you finally abandon your identification with your own body,
that is, when you get to the stage of Shakti or Āñjanī in your
practice of chanting Praṇava, your knowledge becomes fully
expanded. You recover omniscience once again, which,
paradoxically, you had never lost... just contracted or limited.
When that omniscience appears, it illumines all. In other words,
you are able to perceive all your life (past, present and future)
"now" simultaneously, in a sort of "ETERNAL PRESENT", as it
were. As a matter of fact, the term "Eternal Present" is just a
manner of speech, to describe something that is beyond time.
Consequently, you experience your own birth together with your
death... and the intervening lifetime... in unison. It is, however, not
possible to think of it with a conditioned mind.
DURAT
ION POINT OF
N EXPERIENCE ACTING OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
STAGES in EXPERIE TATTVA
º AS A MILESTONE AND FEATURES
mātrā( NCE
s)*
The lowest The sound A is felt in the The journey back to Śiva
1 AKĀRA 1 In the navel
ones navel starts from here.
Realization of Prakṛti or
the undifferentiated
Prakṛti The sound U is felt in the
2 UKĀRA 1 In the heart source from which this
-13- heart
"material" universe has
arisen.
Gross
Realization of Māyā as
utterance
the matrix giving rise to
all causes that will end
The sound M (really M̐ or
In the Māyā up bringing about the
3 MAKĀRA 1 Anunāsika) is felt in the
mouth -6- whole aggregate of
mouth
objects and subjects in
lower tattva-s or
categories.
Realization of the entire
universe as compacted in
the form of a dot of light
In the space The vision of a dot of light
Generic Sadvidyā (Bindu) symbolic of your
4 BINDÚ 1/2 between the in the middle of the
light -5- present condition as the
eyebrows eyebrows
knower of that universe.
Omnipotence dawns
here.
You get to a state in
Forms
The vision of a half-moon which the objects stop
assumed
ARDHACA In the Īśvara in the forehead, which being predominant and
5 by Nāda 1/4
NDRA forehead -4- results from the eclipse of arises the predominance
or divine
Bindu of the Supreme Subject.
inarticulat
Omniscience dawns here.
e
NIRODHI In the upper Sadāśiva The vision of a straight line Objectivity is vanished
6 sound 1/8
KĀ part -3- in the upper part of the and only remains the
or of the forehead subjective aspect of the
NIRODHI forehead universal Manifestation.
NĪ If you deserve to keep
advancing, you will be
able to do it, but if you
do not deserve it, you
will not be able to go
beyond this stage... until
you deserve it really.
Nobody decides that but
the Supreme
Consciousness.
You feel that sound fills
A sound similar to the
up the entire universe.
Sadāśiva humming of bees or to the
7 NĀDÁ 1/16 In Suṣumnā Nāda is in fact a form
-3- rippling produced by the
assumed by the Nādānta
rapids of a river, is heard
stage itself.
Perception of the first
form taken by the
In The sound of a bell (a
Sadāśiva Absolute Sound
8 NĀDĀNTA 1/32 Brahmarand cowbell indeed) is heard in
-3- (Śabdabrahma) in his
hra Brahmarandhra
movement toward the
universal Manifestation.
Cessation of the
identification with the
Waves after waves of
physical body and the
sublime bliss are felt in the
subsequent expansion of
skin, along with a
ŚAKTI knowledge. Omniscience
Śakti perception of all
9 or 1/64 In the skin that had merely dawned
-2- experiences (past, present
ĀÑJANĪ in the fifth stage of
and future) in one's own
Ardhacandra, is now
life as occurring right now
developed in the sphere
in a kind of Eternal Present
of one's own individual
Forms life.
assumed
Perception of all that All objects residing here
by Samanā
existed, exists and will as thoughts are
VYĀPIKĀ Herself At the root
Śakti exist as existing right now withdrawn into the
10 or 1/128 of the
-2- in a sort of Eternal Present, Supreme Śakti or Power.
VYĀPINĪ śikhā
simulta- Omniscience is fully
neously developed.
All temporal and spatial
conditioning has been
Experience of an activity of
Śakti removed. Omnipotence,
11 SAMANĀ 1/256 In the śikhā thinking without any object
-2- Omniscience and similar
of thought
powers are at one's
disposal.
1/512
(but
The In the last Experience of the Highest
it is Śiva
12 UNMANĀ Highest part Consciousness... what else FINAL EMANCIPATION
really -2-
Reality of the śikhā might one say about it?
amātr
ā)
Thus, the practice of chanting AUM̐ has been described together
with a detailed study of all 12 stages emerging as a consequence.
Your only effort consists of the gross utterance of AUM̐ , that is, the
first three stages. The remaining nine stages occur by themselves.
They just have to be realized, as they arise. However, these
stages are not something new, really. Only their perception by the
seeker will be something new. Those stages are eternally there
only for the seeker to become conscious of them.
The mantra is also inverted from “so 'ham” (the sandhi of saḥ +
aham) to “ham + sa”. The combination of so 'haṃ haṃsaḥ has
also been interpreted as "I myself am the Swan", where the swan
symbolizes the Ātman.
Repeat this Mantra mentally. You should feel with all your heart
and soul that you are the All-pervading, Omnipotent, All-blissful
Soul or Brahman. This is important. Then only the full benefits of
meditation or Japa of this Mantra will be realised. Mere mechanical
repetition will not help much. It has its own benefits. But maximum
benefits can only be realised in doing the Japa with feeling.
Feeling is Self-realisation.
Eliminate 'Ha' and substitute 'I.' Soham will become 'So I am.' If
you concentrate on the breath you will notice that the breath is
gradually becoming very, very slow when concentration becomes
deep. Gradually the repetition of Soham will drop when there is
deep concentration. The mind will become very calm. You will
enjoy. Ultimately you will become one with the Supreme Self.
Soham is the breath of life. Om̐ is the Soul of this breath.
Though Hare Krsna and OM are equally potent sound forms of the
Lord, there is one difference. If at the time of death one chants
Hare Krsna, even though unintentionally, one attains the spiritual
Vaikuntha planets without a doubt. This is a universal truth that
has been accepted by all great authorities. If, however, one
similiarly chants OM, not thinking of Krsna, one attains to the
impersonal brahmajyoti sky of the spiritual world, but does not
associate with Krsna . This fact is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (8-
11). One may ask why, if omkara is ultimately personal, one
shouldn't reciprocate with Krsna personally on leaving one's body
withe OM on one's tongue. The answer is that it is possible to
chant OM and go to Krsna but the process involves much more
than simply externally uttering OM. According to the Gita (8-13),
those who chant OM and at the same time remember Krsna while
leaving the body do indeed go to the Vaikuntha planets:
ओिम$येका)रं !" !याहरन् मां अनु$मरन् ।
यः !याित !यजन् देहं स याित परमां गितम् ॥
meaning:
‘After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the
sacred syllable OM, the supreme combination of letters, if
one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits
his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planetes.’
In a purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam (7-15-31) Srila Prabhupada
informs us that to fix the turbulent, restless mind upon Krsna at the
moment of death while thus uttering OM, there are certain rules
one must follow. These rules are listed in Bhagavad-gita (6-11, 8-
12). For example, one must sit in a certain precise posture, cease
all the activities of the senses, fix the mind on the heart, and fix the
life air at the top of the head. In addition to all this, Prabhupada
points out that only brahmanas, or those in the mode of goodness,
can properly recite OM. When one chants OM after having fulfilled
all these prerequisites, only then can he reap the same result as
he would have received from inadvertently chanting Hare Krsna.
Since both the Lord's holy name and omkara are transcendental
sound vibrations, what then is the purpose of omkara? Krsna,
being all-knowing, could clearly understand that there will always
be a class of people called avyaktasakta cetasam, or those
attached to His impersonal aspect. Since such impersonalists have
no solid name or form to fix their minds upon, Krsna has provided
them with pranava OM. Since OM has no direct meaning or refers
to no particualr form, the Māyavādis assume, without complete
knowledge, that the Absolute Truth is beyond all names and forms.
To make the Māyavādis thinking this way is Krsna's intention, for
not everyone is capable of acknowledging the Lord's
transcendental name and form. Thus, their minds being absorbed
in impersonal OM, the Māyavādis ultimately merge with the
unmanifest brahmajyoti effulgence of the Lord, a type of liberation
called sayujya-mukti. Though sayujya-mukti ensures freedom
from material misery, the Vaiśnavas consider it no better than hell,
for in such a state there is no reciprocation with the lotus feet of
the Lord. Consequently, the pure devotees are very careful to see
omkara in the light of His beautiful form.
It is further said:
एवम$ो&रशतको+टज.ेन वै पुनः ।
!णवेन !बु$%तु शु#योगमवा*नुयात् ।। २३ ।।
meaning;
A devotee who thus completes one hundered and eight
crores of Japas of Pranava (Om), is thus fully enlightened,
and shall master Shuddhayoga.
There are differing views about who is fit for chanting Om̐ or
meditating on Om̐ . A balanced answer was provided by Swami
Tapovan (Guru of Swami Chinmayananda) in a letter written by
him, from Uttarkasi, on 14th October, 1955; the original in Malayam
is translated below:
“Repetition of `Omkara' is of differnt kinds. Sometimes it is uttered
as part of some mantras, sometimes independently. ‘Om
Namasivaya’ and similar Vedic mantras, as well as many hymns
begin with Omkara. So do sacrifices, acts of penance, etc. Thus
‘all’ people pronounce it as part of mantras and sacred rites. Here
there is no prohibition. Whether all people can pursue
‘Pranavopasana’ has been contraversed. ‘Pranavopasana’ means
the repetition of Pranava (OM) by itself (not as part of, or in
conjunction wlth mantras and rites) and the meditation upon its
significance - the Supreme Brahma. According to Sri Sankara and
certain other religious teachers this is reserved for Sanyasins only.
The reason given is only those who have enough purity of mind
and power of conoentration can perform this Upasana in the
proper way. The gist of the argument is house holders and people
like them lacking mental purity and concentration should not
perform Pranavopasana. In other contexts there is no taboo
because there is no need for such purity and concentration as are
essential for the contemplation of Nirguna Brahma (Brahma
without attributes). The independent pronunciation of Pranava
alone is thus objected to. Whoever cares for controls imposed by
whomsoever in these days? There is one more difficulty. In the
previous paragraph ‘all’ has been put in inverted commas, why? It
may be explained here. ‘All’ in the context means those who, like
the Brahmins, have the right to study the Vedas. The Orthodox
chapter of the Hindus still holds that shudras and women who
have no upanayana have no right to pronounce Pranava. The
Moderns, however, take a contrary view demolishing the
conservative one. In these circumstances is there anything
improper in holding that all people including householders can
conduct Pranavopasana? How can all these be expatiated upon
here? Pay not much attention to such controversies. If you are
already engaged in Pranavopasana, either according to
somebody's advice or by your own choice, why doubt its propriety?
Do it with firm resolve. If you listen to each and every advisor, the
result will be doubt and confusions leading to the slackening of
your performance. It is your mind that the Inner Being tests; it
is your sincere love that pleases Him. Whether you repeat the
holiest of Vedic Mantras OM or the meaningless ‘mara’ ‘mara’
the result will be alI the same, provided you have full faith in
what you do. What pleases God is sincere devotion. If you
have real love in your mind all these rules, injunctions and
prohibitions, will lose their relevance. With the mantra you
love best, worship Him and develop your devotion – this is
the advice of the broad minded Mahatmas, most learned and
most experienced.”
परानंदमयं िन#य%ै्त)यैकगुणा#मकम् ।
आ"माभेद()थतं योगी !णवं भावये&सदा ।। ५४ ।।
meaning:
ॐ देवा ह वै !जापितम(ुव+णोरणीयां-सिमममा%मानमो(ारं नो
!याच%वेित
meaning:
Om̐ !
Once the gods said to Prajāpati: Proclaim to us the Om̐ -
sound, which, being that Ātman, is minuter than the minute
atom. “Let it be so”, said He.
The Upanishad further describes how Turiya is like ‘an abyss that
swallows even Iśvara’ (implying that Nirguna Brahman is beyond
Sagun Iśvara), and how Ātman or Turiya is four-substanced:
तुरीय ई"वर%ासः स !वराट् !वयमी&वरः !व#काश'चतुरा,मो-
तानु%ा&नु%ािवक*पैरोतो !यमा%मा !थैवेदं var यथेदं सव#म%तकाले
कालाि%ः सूय$ उ"ैरनु'ातो !यमा$मा !"य सव#$य !वा$मानं
ददातीदं सव# !वा$मानमेव करोित यथा तमः सिवतन् !ैकरसो
!यमा%मा िच#$प एव यथा दा#ं द"#वाि'रिवक*पो !यमा%मा
वा#नोऽगोचर*वाि,-.प0चतू3प ॐकार एव चतू$पो !यमो%ार
ओतानु&ा'नु&ा- िवक$पैरो)ार+पैरा!मैव नाम$पा&मक( हीदं सव#
तुरीय&वाि*+,प&वा*ोत&वादनु1ातृ&वाद-
नु#ान%वादिवक*प,प%वा-ािवक*प,पं हीदं सव# नैव त" काचन
िभदा%&यथ var िमदा%&यथ
meaning:
Further the Turiya who, as self-ruler, self-Isvara, self-lumini-
ous, devours even the Iśvara (the personal God), is four-
substanced as ‘ota’ (ओता), ‘anujnatr’ (अनु#ा%), ‘anujnā’
(अनु#ा) and ‘avikalpa’ (अिवक$प).
The Self is known in 4 states, namely the waking state, the dream
state, the deep-sleep state & the 4th state called “turiya”. The 3
states are represented in the 3 sounds of Om̐ (i.e. A, U & M), while
the 4th state is represented in the silence that follows & surrounds
the syllable. This 4th state called ‘Turiya’ is the background that
underlies and transcends the three states of consciousness (i.e.
waking, dream & deep-sleep).
When we talk about the equation of silence and Turīyaṃ, the word
silence has a special connotation. It is not the conventional silence.
The conventional silence, absence of sound, should not be taken
as Turīyaṃ. This should not be equated to Turīyaṃ for two
reasons:
1) The first reason is that the conventional silence is taken to
mean a mere absence of sound or noise and thus it is a
negative entity. Absence is not a positive entity. If this
negative description is applied to Turīyaṃ, one will end up
with the Buddhist śūnyavāda teaching that the ultimate truth
is emptiness.
2) The second reason is that the conventional silence is
experienced only when the sound has disappeared. In the
arrival of sound, conventional silence goes away and vice-
versa. So, conventional silence is a relative entity subject to
arrival and departure. Comparison with conventional silence
will make Turīyaṃ a relative entity. Thus amātrā, Silence
should not be taken as the relative silence.
The partless AUM̐ is the soundless aspect – the silence that must
necessarily be there between two successive AUM̐ s. It is
incomprehensible, because, in that silence, none of our sense-
instruments can function in as much as the sense-organs cannot
register any impression from silence. The mind cannot
comprehend it, and Avyavaharya (in the above-mentioned 12th
Mantra of Mandukya Upanishad) indicates the incomprehensibility,
of the amātrā (mātrā-less) AUM̐ , by the mind.
The first state of waking is when we relate to the gross body. The
second state of dream is when we relate to the dreaming mind in
the subtle body. And the third state of deep-sleep pertains to the
causal body. Advaita Vedanta relates the fourth state (called
Turiya) to the Ātman, the Pure Consciousness, which is the
substratum of the other three states. Turiya is the state of perfect
bliss when the individual recognizes his identity with the Supreme.
Thus ‘A’, the ‘waking state’, ‘U’, the ‘dream state’ & ‘M’, the ‘deep-
sleep state’ & the silence “turiya” – all the 4 together comprise the
totality of this manifestation of Ātman-Brahman as a syllable. Just
as the sound ‘M’ manifests itself, grows, becomes transformed in
it’s vocal quality, and finally subsides into the silence that follows,
so too the 3 states (waking, dream & deeps-leep) or ‘components
of being’, ultimately merge into the homogenous silence of the 4th
(turiya). The silence is regarded as forming a part of the sound, in
a latent, meaningful state of repose.
The ‘A’ & ‘U’ are as essential to the sound as ‘M’, or as the silence
(turiya) against which the sound appears. It would be incorrect to
say that AUM̐ did not exist while silence reigned, for the sound was
still potentially present even in the silence. In fact, the actual
manifestation of the syllable is fleeting & evanescent, whereas the
silence abides. And even during the local pronunciation of AUM̐ ,
silence is present elsewhere. As an analogy, the transcendental
Self is ever-present during creation, manifestation & dissolution of
the universe.
Kabir Das ji sums up the importance of Ādi Nām, the primal name
of the Lord (Om̐ ):
That Om̐ is the way to God, is aptly summed up by Kabir Das ji:
Om̐ is indeed both the means & the end of the spiritual quest. Om̐
is verily God, embracing both it’s Saguna & Nirguna forms,
encompassing this world & the beyond.
VAISHVANARA-AGNIHOTRA-VIDYA ~ PRĀNA-AGNIHOTRA
This is a herculean feat, because the mind cannot think like this. If
you slip from the grasp of your mind when you think like this, you
will find that the mind falls back upon its old groove of thinking in
terms of particulars and externalisation of objects. Who can
contemplate the object as non-externalised? Not any human
being. But this is what you are supposed to do. All these parts
which are mentioned as various limbs of the Cosmic Body, you
have to bring them together and conceive the Whole, at once, in
your consciousness. Do not say, 'This is the sun, this is space, this
is water,' and all that. Do not think like this. Let all these be thought
together, immediately, in their comprehensiveness, without
missing any one whatsoever, by feeling oneness with Earth,
Water, Sun, Air, Space, Heaven, and everything."
Hence, even the outward sacrifice, the speech that we utter and
the work that we do, etc., outwardly, in the world, cease to be a
personal or social affair. They become a spiritual worship, a divine
contemplation. The three fires which the householders exoterically
worship in their houses are called garhapatya, anvaharyapachana
and ahavaniya. These three sacrifices are internally constituted in
the individual, in the act of this meditation. The Upanishad tells us
that we have to perform a contemplative sacrifice construing the
external ritual as an activity that is going on within ourselves.
These fires are within the body of the Virat, the Vaishvanara
Himself. And, inasmuch as we are inseparable from Vaishvanara,
these fires are inside our own Self. So, when we offer food into the
mouth, it is not an animal act that we are performing for the
satisfaction of the bodily organism, but an ultimate impulse that is
arising from the Universal Reality. Hunger is not merely a function
of the stomach. It is not the alimentary canal functioning in the
body merely. It is something wider than what we are, indicating
that we are related to something vaster than what we seem to be
from our points of view. In religious language, in scriptural
parlance, Vaishvanara is the word used to describe the Ultimate
Reality, and also for the fire that digests food. The internal fire that
is responsible for the conversion of food into chyle etc., that which
is responsible for the absorption of the elements of diet into our
system, this inward heat is Vaishvanara. It is not the physical body
alone that is working in digestion, because the physical body is
visible even in a corpse, but there is no such heat there. What has
happened to the heat? That heat is not the heat of the physical
fire; it is not the heat of any conglomeration of chemical elements
in the body. The Upanishad identifies this heat, which is the living
force in us, with the Ultimate Reality, called here Vaishvanara, or
the Universal Fire, which consumes everything. The five prānas
are the external agents of the performance of any action. They are
the ambassadors, as it were, of the Ultimate Being. The food that
we eat is digested by the action of the prānas. We have five
prānas, and so, when taking food, religious people utter
mantras saying, "This is to the prana,this is to the apana," etc. This
is not merely a ritual unconsciously performed as a routine, but a
religious worship. It is a meditation, and we are supposed to be
conscious of what we are doing when we consume food. The
process of Prāna-agnihotra mentioned here is the act of
introducing a universal significance into what are apparently
individual functions.
The three fires are inside the Universal Being, Vaishvanara. And,
again, to repeat, this threefold fire is in us as inseparable from the
Vaishvanara. So, when we take a morsel of food what are we to
contemplate?
THE FIVE PRĀNAS
Prāna
The five prānas are like the five tongues of a flaming fire. It is one
single force that is working as five different vital energies. So, each
tongue of the fire, each flame, is satisfied by the offering of a
particular oblation, as it is done in the external sacrifice. Prānaya
svaha, is the invocation, which means to say, "May the prāna be
satisfied." This is to be inwardly recited while eating the first
morsel. Here, it is not merely an utterance that is emphasised, but
an inward feeling in the real meditation. As every river is
connected to the ocean, every prāna is connected to the Cosmic
Force. Thus, through the prāna, we touch the cosmic border and
invoke the Universal Being. In this meditation there is an attempt at
universal satisfaction, and not merely some individual's pleasure,
in the acts of eating, drinking, etc. When the prāna is satisfied, the
Upanishad says, due to an inward connection, the eyes are
satisfied. We feel happy. When we eat food and have a square
meal, we feel a satisfaction opening up from the eyes. When
the prāna is satisfied, the eyes are satisfied. When the eyes are
satisfied, the Sun is satisfied, because he is the deity of the eyes.
When the Sun is satisfied, the whole atmosphere is satisfied,
because he is the presiding deity of the entire atmosphere. If the
atmosphere is satisfied, whatever is the support of both the
atmosphere and the Sun, is also satisfied, i.e., heaven itself is
satisfied, even with the little act of taking food that we perform in a
meditative fashion. Then what happens? Then, immediately, there
is a reaction produced from the sources which we touch by this act
of meditation. The reaction comes in the form of a vibration of
happiness, the glow, as it were, from the different quarters of
heaven. And, if the quarters of heaven are happy, the winds are
happy, the Sun is happy, the whole atmosphere is happy, we are
happy, with wealth, lustre, glory, plenty and power, because
Vaishvanara is satisfied.
Vyāna
So is the case with every other morsel that we eat. The second
morsel that we take in should be for the satisfaction of vyāna, the
other aspect of energy: Vyānaya svaha, "May vyāna, the all-
pervading force within me be satisfied," vyāna which is responsible
for the movement of the blood-stream in the canals, etc. Thus,
should one meditate with the next morsel of food. There are
internal connections mentioned here, again, mystically. The ears
are satisfied when the vyāna is satisfied. If the ears are satisfied,
everything that is around us in the form of the directions from
which sounds come and impinge upon the ears is also satisfied,
right up to the moon. Then, as a result, the whole atmosphere and
all the directions are satisfied, and then all the causes thereof are
also satisfied at once. When the causes are satisfied, the
meditator is filled with plenty, prosperity, power and glory, because
Vaishvanara is satisfied.
Apāna
Then the third morsel should be taken for the satisfaction of
the apāna: Apānaya svaha. When the apāna is satisfied, speech
is satisfied. When speech is satisfied, fire is satisfied, which is the
superintending principle over speech. When fire is satisfied, that
which is the source of fire, from which fire arises, the very earth is
satisfied. If the earth is satisfied, we are also automatically
satisfied. The meditator is filled with plenty and glory, because
Vaishvanara is satisfied.
Samana
The fourth offering, or the morsel, that we take, should be for the
satisfaction of samana: Samanaya svaha. When the samana is
satisfied, the mind is satisfied. The samana is the central operating
force, and that immediately acts upon the mind. When the mind is
satisfied, everything that is connected with the mind, the rain-god
and the heavens, are satisfied. When the rain-god is satisfied, the
lightnings are also satisfied, higher than the realm of the fall of
rain. When the lightnings are satisfied, all things that are the
support of all these phenomena are satisfied. Then the meditator is
also satisfied and filled with power, plenty and glory, because
Vaishvanara is satisfied.
Udāna
Then, the fifth offering is for the satisfaction of udāna: Udānaya
svaha. When udāna is satisfied, the tactile sense is satisfied.
Thereby, its deity, Air, is satisfied. When Air is satisfied, its abode,
Sky (Space) is satisfied. When this satisfaction is effected,
everything in Air and Space also is satisfied. Then the meditator,
with plenty of everything, is satisfied, because Vaishvanara is
satisfied. Then nothing remains unsatisfied, because everything is
comprehended here.
Thus, the Upanishad point of view is that a rightly conducted
human activity, such as the one in the form of the intake of food,
with a meditation on the universal implication of one's existence,
will touch the corners of creation. And, the satisfaction of the
individual, the performer of meditation of this kind, the performer of
the Vaishvanara-Agnihotra-Vidya, shall be for the blessedness
of all mankind, nay, the whole creation. That is why there is the
tradition that the satisfaction that we bring to a person endowed
with such knowledge is inclusive of the other lower satisfactions.
This is the tradition behind the feeding of learned people, spiritual
adepts, etc.; because they are not regarded as human beings in
the ordinary sense. They are not consuming food merely for the
satisfaction of their bodies. There is a satisfaction implied of other
aspects, also, with which they are internally connected due to their
knowledge, due to their life, due to their meditation. The man of
meditation in this way thinks all things at one stroke of the effort of
consciousness. Hence, everything is satisfied by his actions. Thus,
there is this technique of Prāna-agnihotra prescribed in this
Upanishad in the case of a person who is a meditator on the
Vaishvanara. The Prāna-agnihotra is a religious performance of
the one who practices the Vaishvanara-Vidya, one who meditates
on the Cosmic Being.
There are people who perform sacrifices without this knowledge of
the Vaishvanara. There are people who take food without knowing
this spiritual implication of agnihotra. They are pouring oblations on
ashes who perform the agnihotra sacrifice without the knowledge
of its universal import. Where knowledge is absent, action cannot
produce any beneficial result. So, there is no use merely
performing havanas, yajnas, etc. without this vital knowledge. They
will not produce the expected result. And so is the case with any
kind of selfish action originating from one's own personality for the
satisfaction of oneself alone. This will lead to bondage, because
ignorance of one's inward connection with higher sources is a
danger to oneself, and they will react upon the individual for this
ignorance. This reaction is called karma, the reaction of action.
What binds us in the form of apurvu, or karma, is the reaction
produced by the universal, of which we are ignorant and which we
ignore in our daily activities, as if it does not exist at all.
But if one performs any sacrifice, such as the agnihotra mentioned,
with this knowledge, then, whatever one does is a universal action.
It is for the good of everyone. And everyone's action becomes that
person's action, just as the movement of any wave anywhere in
the ocean is the ocean itself working. It is not somebody else
working somewhere, hundreds of miles away. Anyone's action
becomes my action; anyone's experience is my experience; and
anyone's benefit is my benefit, if I am commensurate in inward
being with the being of other people. This is the ultimate
consequence of meditation on the Vaishvanara. That person, who
thus meditates, ceases to be an individual for all practical
purposes. Though he may appear to be an individual for a mere
onlooker, inwardly he is not a person. And it is so because his
feelings, his thoughts, his volitions, his consciousness—all these
are tuned up to Reality of a transcendental nature, which are
merely personal forms from the point of view for an outward look,
but a universal inwardness from his own point of view. Therefore,
his actions are the actions of everyone. They are universal
performances. Whatever he does is offered to all the worlds, all
persons, all beings, simultaneously.
All our sins are burnt and get reduced to ashes in a second, even
as a tiny dry twig, or a piece of cotton, gets burnt when it is thrown
into a flaming fire, if this meditation is practised. All the sins of the
past, of lives and lives, get burnt, even as mountains of straw can
be burnt by the striking of a single matchstick. Though it is a
mountain, it is after all dry straw. It cannot stand the fire of the
powers generated in this manner, because no action is an
individual action now. How can there be sin when there is neither
virtue nor the other side of it? No merit or demerit accrues from the
action of such a person, no consequences follow, no result is
evoked by these actions. The result of an action is the reaction set
up by the action. And reactions are set up on account of non-
conformity with the operation of supernatural laws. But, in this
case, here, such non-conformity does not arise. One is always in
conformity with the existence of every force in the world. No
reactions are set up by any of his performance; and, so, there is no
merit or demerit in his case, no sin exists for him, no virtue also
exists in the case of this person who is a constant meditator on the
Vaishvanara, a performer of Prāna-agnihotra, in this manner. He
may throw a little piece of bread to a dog, and it shall be offered to
the Universal Reality at once, when he has this consciousness of
the Vaishvanara in him. He may throw a little remnant of his food
to an outcaste, and it shall be offered into the Universal Reality
forthwith. He may offer anything, even to the lowest of beings, it
shall be consumed immediately by the Universal Reality, because
of his identification with the All-Pervading Self, and, consequently,
with that being, that person, that dog, that animal, that creature,
whatever it is. Whatever he does anywhere is known to the
Vaishvanara. Whatever he offers anywhere is offered to the
Vaishvanara. He may offer anything to anyone, it will reach the
Vaishvanara, because of his Self-identification with That Great
Being. In this connection there is this saying, declares the
Upanishad: "As hungry children sit round their mother, craving for
food, so do all beings eagerly await the performance of the Prāna-
agnihotra by this sage, who is universally conscious and exists as
All-Being." Everyone loves such a person; every insect, every cat
and dog will show regard to such a one. The whole universe will
love him, who is tuned up in this manner, in perpetual meditation
with the Vaishvanara. And everyone will be happy if he eats food,
because his food is the food of all. His satisfaction is the
satisfaction of all. And as is the mother to children, so is this
person a sustainer of everybody in the world. His very existence is
a blessing, his very being is an action, even as it is the case with
God Himself.
Thus does this highly mystical discourse make out that the highest
meditation is communion with the Vaishvanara. And if this is to be
practiced by anyone, there would be nothing impossible for that
person. And if this meditation can be practised effectively, there is
nothing else for one to do in this world, because here is the final
thing that one would be expected to do in life. This is the
last dharma, or duty, on our part; this is the highest service one
can perform. It is, thus, that this vidya transcends every other law,
rule, or duty in this world. This is the Vaishvanara-Vidya
propounded in the Chhandogya Upanishad.
CONCLUSION
This is the secret of the knowledge of the Universal Being,
designated as Vaishvanara. Its simple form of understanding is a
transference of human attributes to the Divine Existence, and vice
versa. In this meditation, one contemplates the Cosmos as one's
body. Just as, for example, when one contemplates one's
individual body, one simultaneously becomes conscious of the
right eye, the left eye, the right hand, the left hand, the right leg,
the left leg, the head, the heart, the stomach, and all the limbs of
the body at one and the same time, and one does not regard the
different limbs of the body as distinguished from one another in
any manner, all limbs being only apparently different, but really
connected to a single personality. So, in this meditation, the
consciousness is to be transferred to the Universal Being.
Instead of one contemplating oneself as the individual body,
one contemplates oneself as the Universal Body. Instead of the
right eye, there is the sun. Instead of the left eye, there is the
moon. Instead of the feet there is the earth. Instead of the head,
there is the heaven, and so on. The limbs of the Cosmic Person
are identified with the cosmic elements, and vice versa, so that
there is nothing in the Cosmos which does not form an organic
part of the body of the Virat, or Vaishvanara. When you see the
vast world before you, you behold a part of your own body. When
you look at the sun, you behold your own eye. When you look
above into the heavens, you are seeing your own head. When you
see all people moving about, you behold the various parts of your
own personality. The vast wind is your breath. All your actions are
cosmic movements. Anything that moves, does so on account of
your movement. Your breath is the Cosmic Vital Force. Your
intelligence is the Cosmic Intelligence. Your existence is Cosmic
Existence. Your happiness is Cosmic Bliss.
Creation does not consist merely of the few parts that are
mentioned in the Upanishad, as limbs of the Vaishvanara, by way
of illustration. There are many other things which may come to our
minds when we contemplate. We can start our meditation with any
set of forms that may occur to our minds. We may be sitting in our
rooms, and the first things that attract our attention may be the
objects spread out in the rooms. When we identify these objects
with our body, we will find that there are also objects outside these
rooms. And, likewise, we can slowly expand our consciousness to
the whole earth, and, then, beyond the earth, to the solar and
stellar regions, so that we reach as far as our minds can reach.
Whatever our mind can think, becomes an object for the mind; and
that object, again, should become a part of the meditator's body,
cosmically. And, the moment the object that is conceived by
the mind is identified with the Cosmic Body, the object ceases
to agitate the mind any more, because that object is not any
more outside; it becomes a part of the body of the meditator.
When an object becomes a part of our own body, it no more
annoys us because it is not an object at all. It is a subject. The
object has become the Cosmic Subject, in the Vaishvanara
meditation.
The vidya has its origin, actually, in the Rig-Veda, in a
famous sukta, or hymn, called the Purusha-Sukta. The Purusha-
Sukta of the Rig-Veda commences by saying that all the heads, all
the eyes, and all the feet that we see in this world are the heads,
eyes, and feet of the Virat-Purusha, or the Cosmic Being. With one
head, the Virat nods in silence; with another face He smiles; with a
third one He frowns; in one form, He sits; in another form, He
moves; in one form, He is near; in another form, He is distant. So,
all the forms, whatever they be, and all the movements and
actions, processes and relations, become parts of the Cosmic
Body, with which the Consciousness should be identified
simultaneously. When you think, you think all things at the same
time, in all the ten directions, nay, in every way.
The Chhandogya Upanishad concludes this vidya by saying that
one who meditates in this manner on the Universal Personality of
Oneself as the Vaishvanara, becomes the Source of sustenance
for all beings. Just as children sit round their mother, hungry, and
asking for food, all beings in creation shall sit round
this Person, craving for his blessings; and just as food consumed
by this body sustains all the limbs of the body at once,
this meditator, if he consumes food, shall immediately
communicate his blessings to the whole Cosmos, for his Being is,
verily, All-Being.
We may recall to our memory the famous story of Sri Krishna
taking a particle of food from the hands of Draupadi, in the
Kamyaka forest, when she called to Him for help, and with this little
grain that He partook of, the whole universe was filled, and all
people were satisfied, because Krishna stood there tuned up with
the Universal Virat. So is also the case with any person who is in a
position to meditate on the Virat, and assumes the position of
the Virat. The whole Universe shall become friendly with
this Person; all existence shall ask for sustenance and blessing
from this Universal Being. This meditator is no more a human
being; he is, veritably, God Himself. The meditator on Vaishvanara
is in communion with the universe, with the very Self of all beings,
attuned to the Supreme Being.
(The Chhandogya Upanishad by Swami Krishnananda -
https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/chhand/ch_1f.html)
Omkara Smarana Stotra
by Swami Sivananda
तैलधारिमवा*+छ-ं दीघ$घंटािननादवत् ।
उपा$यं !णव$या'ं य"तं वेद स वेदिवत् ।। ३ ।।
meaning:
He who meditates on the Pranava in a continuous stream of
thought like that of oil poured from one vessel to another or the
continuous sound of a bell, such a man should be considered as
the knower of Vedas
बु#त"वेन धी दोषशू&येनैकांतवािसना ।
दीघ$ !णवमु&ाय) मनोरा&यं िवजीयते ।। ४ ।।
meaning:
By the long repetition of Om, the knower of the Supreme Reality
whose refuge is solitude, overcomes the wandering of the mind
due to the taint in the intellect
ॐ इ"येका'र)यानात् िव#णुि&#णु'वमा*वान् ।
!"ा !"#वमाप": िशवतामभवत् िशव: ।। ६ ।।
meaning:
By the meditation on the monosyllable Om, Vishnu attains the
status of Vishnu; Brahma attains Brahmahood and Siva becomes
Siva
Nirguna Song