Om ̐ – Pranava - AUM̐

Om̐ – Pranava – AUM̐

THE SYLLABLE ‘Om̐ ’

Om̐ is a sacred sound and a spiritual symbol in Hinduism, that
signifies the essence of the ultimate reality Brahman,
Consciousness or Ātman. It is a syllable that is chanted either
independently or before (and after) a mantra in Hinduism,
Buddhism, and Jainism. It is also at the very beginning of the
mool-mantra of Sikhism.

Om̐ is the meaningless non-word, perfectly connoting the very

essence of the Ultimate Reality. The indescribable, infinite
formless Parā Brahman, who is beyond all phenomenon, can be
best described only by a word such as Om̐ , which is beyond the
confines of any particular language & specific meaning. It is the
soundless sound of Pure Consciousness. The Zen Buddhists refer
to Om̐ as “the sound of one hand clapping”. Swami Sivananda
describes Om̐ as the inner music of the Soul. Om̐ is the music of
the Silence.

It is placed at the beginning of most Hindu texts, as a sacred

incantation to be intoned at the beginning and end of a reading of
the Vedas, or prior to any prayer or mantra. In fact, the very first
hymn of Rig Veda starts with ॐ:

ॐ अि"मीळे पुरोिहतं य"#य देवमृ&'वजम्। होतारं र"नधातमम्॥१॥

Om̐ , the pranava, is added to every mantra. Without Om̐ , no

sacred chant has it’s power. Just as a living body has no vitality
when the life-giving breath is not flowing through it’s veins, so too a
mantra has no life in it without the addition of Om̐ , the Pranava.

Jaiminiya Brahmana (1.322) of the Sāma Veda says:

..तद् एतत् !य#य वे द $यापीिलतम् अ"रम् । स यद् ओम् इ"य्

आद#े ऽमु म ऐवै त द् आ"द$यं मु ख आध#े । स यथा मधु न ा
लाजान् !यु य ाद् एवम् एवै त े न ा(रे ण सामन् रसं दधाित ।…
meaning:
 This syllable is the unpressed part of the triple Veda.
When he (the priest performing the yajna) begins with Om̐ ,
he places that sun at the beginning. Just as he might mix
grains with honey, in the same way he places sap in the
melody with this very syllable

The syllable Om̐ is also referred to as Onkara (ओ"ार, oṅkāra)

and Pranava (!णव, praṇava). Other terms used are Akṣara
(literally, letter of the alphabet, imperishable, immutable) or
Ekākṣara (one letter of the alphabet) and Omkara (ओंकार, oṃkāra
- literally, beginning, female divine energy in Buddhism).

Swami Sivananda (Divine Life Society) describes Om̐ as the:

Ekākshara of the Gita
Pranava of the Vedas, symbol of Brahman
Satnaam Ek Omkaar of Guru Nanak
The Word of the Bible
The Mystic Word of Power
The Majestic Word
The Source, Support for Everything
Bestower of Immortality
Om̐

The word has three phonemes (a distinct unit of sound): "A-U-M".

“AUM” is a variant spelling of "Om". The word can be spelled either

way, because the letter "o" is regarded as a diphthong by
coalescing of "a" and "u".

The etymological origins of Om̐ are unclear. Some scholars

consider Om̐ to have been variously held as the "cosmic sound" or
"mystical syllable" in ancient India, or simply as "affirmation to
something divine", or as symbolism for abstract spiritual concepts
in the Upanishads.

Om̐ is placed beyond the limits of language. Om̐ is considered to

give a name to the unnamed supreme Akshara; it furnishes an
audible form of Brahman; and it synthesizes the authority of the
entire Vedic corpus in a single, essential syllable. Refracted
through multiple meanings, forms, and interpretations, the syllable
ultimately assumes its role as the pre-eminent mantra of Indian
religions.
What does the syllable ‘Om̐ ’ Denote?
This one syllable is taken to mean many different things. The
Mantra “Om̐ ” is composed of three letters – A, U, M, - of which the
first two vowels coalesce into ‘O’. Over the Om̐ is written the sign
Chandra-bindu or Nāda and Bindu, shown as a crescent with a dot
or point over it. Nāda and Bindu are two of many aspects of the
Mother, or great Power, (Mahāśakti); this Mahāśakti is both the
efficient and the material Cause of the universe, which is Its form
or body. Nāda is the Mantra name for the first going forth of Shakti,
the Power, which gathers itself together in massive strength
(Ghanībhūta) as Bindu to create the universe. The Bindu, in this
process of creation, differentiates into a Trinity of Energies, which
are symbolised by A, U & M. Nāda and Bindu thus represent the
unmanifested “fourth” (Turīya) state, immediately before the
manifestion of the world, (the world in which animate life exists in
the three conditions of dreamless sleep, dream, and waking). The
Svarūpa of this Mahāśakti is not known to our mind or senses (as
this Primordial Power or Ādya Shakti is beyond manifested
personality); therefore, this Mahāśakti is ascribed the human
appellation of a Mother (considering Her role as the Creatrix from
whose womb, this universe is manifested), particularly in the
Shaiva/Shakta philosophy.

It was said above that in the process of creation, Bindu

differentiates into a Trinity of Energies; these are Will (Icchā),
Knowledge (Jñāna) and Action (Kriyā), “Sun,” “Moon,” and “Fire,”
and this self-explicating Power manifests in matter in the threefold
manner described. These three Powers are A, U, M or the Devatās
Brahmā, Vishṇu, Rudra. These are not “Gods.” There is only one
God. They are Devas or “Shining ones,” being aspects and
specific manifestations of the One Divine Power, whose Feet (in
the words of Śāstra) even Brahmā, Vishṇu and Rudra worship.

It is incorrect to suppose that God in His aspect as Brahmā

created the world some millions of years ago and has since done
nothing, or that He in His form as Rudra has as yet had no
opportunity of displaying His power of dissolution. Brahmā is
always creating and recreating the elements of manifested
substance, which Rudra is ever breaking down. Throughout Nature,
there are these twin forces upbuilding and destroying forms,
integrating and disintegrating, anabolism and catabolism, tending
to change and conservation of tissues and so on. The three
aspects A, U, M, of the Primordial Power (Nāda-bindu) are always
operating. Whilst Rudra is, by chemical destruction, breaking down
the combinations of matter and thus working towards the final
dissolution of things, that is the disintegration of forms into either
its more general elements (Mahābhūtas) or into the formless
substance (Prakṛti) the material Cause of all, Brahmā creates it
anew by His ever rejuvenescent molecular activity, thus rescuing
organised vitality from the processes which are ever at work to
consume its forms. Vishṇu again is the power, which stabilises
matter in the midst of these conflicting forces, and thus maintains
all Existences. Things only possess relative stability. Matter itself
is only a relatively stable form of Energy from which, as per
Supreme Will, it appears, and into which, on the attainment of
its terminal state, it again merges. It is Vishṇu who holds it
together in equilibrium. Again leaving individual existences and
looking at the sum total of manifested Energy, Vishṇu, the
Maintainer, throughout Space and Time, is a theological statement
of the general Conservation of Energy.

Though Mahāśakti is not a ‘Person’ (with name & form), as we

understand that term, this Mahāśakti is ever personalizing in the
form of all individual (Vyaśti) beings & things in the world. It is also
a ‘Cosmic Person’ as the aggregate (Samaśti) of all such individual
(Vyaśti) personalities. Whilst infinite, it contains in Itself, the sum of
all human and other experiences. Such manifestations form one
Vital Continuity (meaning that the Samaśti or macrocosm, is
essentially the same as Vyaśti or the microcosm), a principle on
which Indian Monistic philosophy (Advaita) is based.

Nothing has an absolute commencement or end. All is

transformed. Birth and death are mere modes of such
transformation. Each existence is, as it were, a knot tied in an
infinite rope, which knot is made at birth and untied at death.
Something does not come from nothing, and something never
becomes nothing. An absolute beginning or end is
inconceivable. If one thing “apparently” dies, it “actually” is
not an absolute disappearance, but only a transformation
from one form to another. Particular universes come into
being and go. Birth, life and death are modes of the universal
transformation governing all organic life “from a blade of
grass to Brahmā Himself.”

The divine infinitude is ever such (i.e. it is always infinite), but

appears as limited, in It’s function and its effects, and as
apparently discontinuous, because of the limitation of the senses
which perceive its workings. The whole Fact is never present to
consciousness, but only that section is perceived, to which
pragmatic attention is given as of that moment, and which
therefore appears localised and in suocession of time.

The visible earth is therefore but a microscopic point, evolved by

the Mahāśakti pervading all space. Therein nothing truly exists
independently of another, but all are transformations of the one
Power. And as that Power is Itself vital and creative, its products or
rather transformations of Itself are that. As It is the Being with the
potentialities of all life in form, none of its manifestations (including
the inert matter such as rocks, sand etc) are “dead”, though in
common parlance we concede “life” only to that which displays
evolutionary growth. All things are part of the one Mahāśakti
who is Life itself. By this logic, even inert matter (being a part
of the Mahāśakti) may not be construed as ‘dead’, but as
containing potentiality of life.

In this sense “Om̐ ” is the Pratika or representative of the ‘Radical

Vital Potential’ (rudimentary sentiency or consciousness in all
matter, or potential thereof even in inert matter) of the Universe
and of the Trinity of Energies by which It actualises and
materialises Itself as the five forms of “matter” (though ether is not
ponderable matter), namely ethereal (Akāśa), aerial (Vāyu), fiery
(Agni), liquid (Ap) and solid (Pṛthivī).
Through worship of and meditation on this Pratika (ॐ), with
all its implications, man, according to Advaita-Vedānta,
realizes himself as the one vital Shakti who is the Creator of
all.

Jnāna Sankalini Tantra (verse 4) by Swami Paramahamsa

Prajnanananda offers a very good exposition on AUM̐ (Jnāna
Sankalini Tantra is written as a dialogue between Lord Shiva & Mā
Parvati):

ओ"कारात अ"रात सवा$: %वेता िव)ा चतुद$श ।

मं# पूजा तपो $यानम कमा%कम& तथैव च ।।
meaning:
 Omkara (the letter AUM̐ ) is imperishable and encompasses
all the fourteen vidyas (fourteen branches of knowledge),
along with the six spiritual practices of chanting, worship,
penance, meditation, action, and inaction

ॐ is not a word but a symbol, a sound. Ordinary people chant

it, but tantrics and yogis listen to the sacred sound while
immersed in a meditative state.

In the foregoing verse, the term अ"रा (Akshara) entails two

separate concepts; the first refers to imperishable letters of the
Sanskrit alphabet, the second indicates the totality of all sounds. In
the Sanskrit alphabet, “a” – is the first letter, while “ksha” – is the
last letter, and “ra” – is the bija mantra for ‘fire.’ The meaning of

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.

From this divine sound AUM̐ comes all knowledge. In addition

to this, it is also the source of mantra, puja, tapas, dhyana,
karma, and akarma.
Om̐ is Nāma Brahman, the name of God (the Formless, Absolute
Brahman).
Om̐ is Śabda Brahman, the manifestation of the Absolute through
sound.
Om̐ is Nāda Brahman, the cosmic vibration, which is a continuous,
spontaneous, uninterrupted sound, experienced in deep meditation.

Knowledge of the sound is the beginning of revelation, the

door to inner awakening. AUM̐ , as the primordial sound, filled
with a vibrating energy, is the cause of every action. Creation
started with the sound, survives with the sound, will dissolve
in the sound. (for details, refer Notes on Shiva Sutras and
Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism & Śri Vidya)

In every religion, there is the use of a sacred sound syllable, like

AUM̐ , Amen, and Amin. Omkara, otherwise called AUM̐ , is the holy
syllable chanted in the beginning and at the end of the Hindu
scriptures, ritualistic worship, mantras, and prayers.

AN EXPLANATION of AUM̐ by VINOBA BHAVE

Sh. B.K.S. Iyengar, in his book Yoga Deepika (Light on Yoga),
quoted Vinoba Bhave (the famous advocate of human rights,
known for starting the Bhoodān movement, and the spiritual
successor to Mahatma Gandhi) for defining Om̐ :
“The Latin word Omne and the Sanskrit word AUM are both
derived from the same root meaning ‘all’ and both words convey
the concepts of omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence .
Another word for AUM is pranava, which is derived from the root
‘nu’ meaning to praise, to which is added the prefix ‘pra’ denoting
superiority. The word , therefore, means the ‘best praise’ or the
‘best prayer’. The symbol OM is composed of three syllables,
namely the letters A, U, M, and when written has a crescent and a
dot on its top. A few instances of the various interpretations as
given to it, may be mentioned here to convey its meaning:
i) The letter ‘A’ symbolises the conscious or waking state
(Jagrat-avasthā), the letter ‘U’ the dream state (Svapna-
avasthā) and the letter ‘M’ the dreamless sleep state
(Sushupta-avasthā) of the mind and spirit. The entire
symbol, together with the crescent and the dot, stands for
the fourth state (TurIya-avasthā), which combines all these
states and transcends them. This is the state of samādhi.
ii) The letters ‘A’, ‘U’ and ‘M’ symbolise respectively speech
(vāk), the mind (manas) and the breath of life (prāna), while
the entire symbol stands for the living spirit, which is but a
portion of the divine spirit.
iii) The three letters also represent the dimensions of length,
breadth and depth, while the entire symbol represents
Divinity, which is beyond the limitations of shapes and form.
iv) The three letters ‘A’, ‘U’ and ‘M’ symbolise the absence of
desire, fear and anger, while the whole symbol stands for
 the perfect man (a Sthita-prajna), one whose wisdom is
firmly established in the Divine.
v) They also represent three genders, masculine, feminine
and neuter, while the entire symbol represents all creation
together with the Creator.
vi) They stand for the three gunās or qualities of sattva, rajas
and tamas, while the whole symbol represents a GunātIta,
one who has transcended and gone beyond the pull of the
gunās.
vii) The three letters correspond to the three tenses - past,
present and future - while the entire symbol stands for the
Creator, who trancends the limitations of time.
viii) They also stand for the teaching imparted by the mother,
the father and the Guru respectively. The entire symbol
represents Brahma-vidyā, the knowledge of the Self, the
teaching which is imperishable.
ix) The ‘A’, ‘U’ and ‘M’ depict the three stages of yogic
discipline, namely āsana, prānāyāma and pratyāhāra. The
entire symbol reprsent samādhi, the goal for which the three
stages are steps.
x) They represent the triad of Divinity, namely, Brahmā - the
creator, Vishnu - the Maintainer, and Shiva - the Destroyer
of the universe. The whole symbol is said to represent
Brahman from which the universe emanates, has its growth
and fruition and into which it merges in the end. It does not
grow or change. Many change and pass, but Brahman is
the One that ever remains unchanged.
xi) The letters ‘A’, ‘U’ and ‘M’ also stand for the mantra `Tat
Tvam Asi' (That Thou Art), the realisation of man's divinity
within himself. The entire symbol stands for this realisation,
which liberates the human spirit from the confines of his
body, mind and intellect and ego.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF ‘OM̐ ’

The Mandukya Upanishad of Atharva Veda opens by declaring,
"Om̐ !, this syllable is this whole world":

ह"रः ॐ । ॐ इ"येतद'रं इदँ सव" त"योप&या(यानं भूतं भवद्

भिव$य&दित सव#म%कार एव ।
य"ा$यत् ि"कालातीतं तद#य%कार एव ॥ १॥
 meaning:
Hariḥ AUM̐ . AUM̐ , the word, is all this. A clear explanation
of it (is the following). All that is past, present and future is
verily AUM̐ . That which is beyond the triple conception
of time, is also truly AUM̐ .

Thereafter it explains the meaning & significance of AUM̐ , based

on the structure of "four fourths" or "fourfold", derived from
A + U + M + "silence" (or without an element - amātra):
AUM̐ as all states of Time
In verse 1 (above), the Upanishad states that time is threefold: the
past, the present and the future, that these three are " AUM̐ ". The
four fourth of time is that which transcends time, and that too is
"AUM̐ ".
AUM̐ as all states of Ātman
In verse 2 to 7, the Mandukya Upanishad states that everything is
Brahman, but Brahman is Ātman (the Soul, the Self), and that the
Ātman is fourfold, namely Vaishvānara, Taijasa, Prājna & Turiyā
(details in Notes on Mandukya Upanishad).

AUM̐ as all states of Consciousness

In verses 9 to 12, the Mandukya Upanishad enumerates four
states of consciousness: wakeful, dream, deep sleep and the state
of amātra, the fourth – ekātma (being one with Self, the oneness of
Self). These four are A + U + M + "without an element (amātra)"
respectively (details in Notes on Mandukya Upanishad).

The Chandogya Upanishad of Sāma Veda opens with the

recommendation – "let a man meditate on Om̐ ":

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 is accorded the highest place by Chandogya Upanishad

(section 1.1.3):

स एष रसानाँरसतमः परमः परा$य&ऽ(मो यद#$ीथः ॥ १.१.३॥

meaning:
That Udgitha (Om̐ ) is the best of all essences, the supreme,
deserving the highest place, the eighth*
* the eighth = [in the order of earth, water, plants, human
beings, speech, the Ṛg Veda, the Sāma Veda, and udgītha]

Katha Upanishad of Krishna Yajur Veda too extols the glory of

Om̐ in verses 1.2.15 & 1.2.16:
सव# वेदा य"पदमामन()त तपाँ िस सवा$िण च य"द$%त ।
य"द$छ&तो !"चय% चर#$त त"े पदँ सं#हेण !वी$योिम)येतत् ॥ १५॥
एत#$येवा)रं !" एत#$येवा)रं परम् ।
एत#$येवा)रं !ा#वा यो य"द$छित त"य तत् ॥ १६॥
meaning:
The word which all the Vedas proclaim,
That which is expressed in every Tapas (penance, austerity,
meditation), That for which they live the life of
a Brahmacharin,
Understand that word in its essence: Om̐ ! that is the word.
Yes, this syllable is Brahman, This syllable is the highest.
He who knows that syllable, obtains whatever he desires.
Taittiriya Upanishad of Krishna Yajur Veda – Pranavopāsanam
(1.8.1) says:
ओिमित !" । ओिमतीदँसव#म् ।
ओिम$येतदनुक,ितह./म वा अ"यो%ावये)या%ावय*+त ।
ओिमित सामािन गाय$%त । ॐ◌ँशोिमित श"ािण शँस$%त ।
ओिम$य&वयु#ः !ितगरं !ितगृणाित । ओिमित !"ा !सौित ।
ओिम$यि&हो)मनुजानाित ।
ओिमित !ा#णः !व#य%ाह !"ोपा&नवानीित । !"ैवोपा(नोित ॥१॥
meaning:
The sacred sound Om̐ is Brahman. All this is the syllable
Om̐ . It is widely known that Om̐ is uttered to indicate consent.
The priest officiating at the sacrifice encourages his
assistants with the words ‘O Shraavaya’. With the chanting of
Om̐ , they start their singing of the Sāma verses; and with
‘Om̐ som’ they recite the shastras; the officiating priest
(Adhvaryu) answers with the syllable, ‘Om̐ ’. With Om̐ ,
Brahma (the chief priest) expresses his assent. One permits
the offering of an oblation to the fire with Om̐ . May I obtain
the Vedas (Brahman); with this determination, the Brahmin
says ‘Om̐ ’ before he begins to recite the Veda; and he does
obtain the Vedas (Brahman).

The significance of Om̐ is also highlighted in Bhagavad Gita

(verses 7.8 & 9.17 & 10.25):

रसोऽहम'सु कौ#तेय !भा$%म शिशसूय&योः ।

!णवः सव#वेदेषु श"दः खे पौ#षं नृषु ।।७.८।।
meaning:
O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, I am the effulgence of
the moon and the sun; (the letter) Om̐ in all the Vedas, the
sound in space, and virility in men
&

िपताऽहम(य जगतो माता धाता िपतामहः ।

वे#ं पिव$म&कार ऋक# साम यजुरेव च ।।९.१७।।
meaning:
 I am the father of this world, the mother, the dispenser of the
fruits of actions and the grandfather; the (one) thing to be
known, the purifier, the sacred monosyllable (Om̐ ), and
also the Rik-Veda, the Sama-Veda and the Yajur-Veda
&

महष$णां भृगुरहं िगराम&'येकम+रम् ।

य"ानां जपय$ोऽ'(म !थावराणां िहमालयः ।।१०.२५।।
meaning:
Among the great sages I am Bhrgu; of words I am the
single syllable (Om̐ ) [Om̐ is the best because it is the
name as well as the symbol of Brahman]. Among rituals I
am the ritual of Japa [Japa, muttering prayers – repeating
passages from the Vedas, silently repeating names of
deities, etc. Rituals sometimes involve killing of animals. But
Japa is free from such injury, and hence the best] of the
immovables, the Himalaya

Lord Krishna re-affirms the importance of Om̐ to Arjuna, in his

second discourse (post the Mahabhārata war); this is contained in
Anugita (29.8), which in turn, is part of the Aasvamedhikaparva
(chapters 16-51) of the epic Mahabhārata:

तेषां !ोवाच भगवान् !ेय$समनुपृ+,ताम् ।

ओिम$येका)रं !! ते $ु&वा )ा*वन् !दशः ।। ८ ।।
meaning:
The gods, the sages, the snakes, and the demons,
approaching Prajapati, said (to him), “Tell us the highest
good.” To them who were inquiring about the highest good,
the venerable one said, “Om̐ , the Brahman, in a single
syllable.” Hearing that, they ran away in (various) directions

It is also said in Atharvashikha Upanishad of Atharva Veda (part

of mantra 1 of the Upanishad – answer given by Sage Atharvan to
Sages Pippalada, Angiras & Sanatkumara as to which is the
highest meditation):

ओिम$येतद)रमादौ !यु$% !यानं !याियत&यिम(येतद+रं

 परं !"ा$य पादा$च&वारो वेदा%चतु)पा+ददम-रं परं !" ।
meaning:
Om̐ , this syllable is enjoined as the highest to be meditated.
Om̐ , this syllable contains four quarters, four Gods, four
Vedas. This syllable consisting of four quarters is the highest
Brahman.
This verse of Atharvashikha Upanishad goes on to describe how
the four quarters of AUM̐ contain all of the creation; the four Gods
– Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra & Brahman; the four Vedas; The Gayatri;
the three fires etc.; and most importantly, how AUM̐ represents the
highest Brahman.

Śvetāśvatara Upanishad (2.8) of Krishna Yajur Veda, describes

Om̐ as the raft of Brahman for crossing over this world:

ि"#$तं !था$य समं शरीरं

!दीि%&यािण मनसा सि#वे&य ।
!"ोड%पेन !तरेत िव#ान्
!ोतांिस सवा$िण भयानकािन ॥ ८॥
meaning:
Keeping his body in a straight posture, holding the chest,
neck and the head erect, and drawing the senses and the
mind into the heart, the wise should cross over the fearful
currents of the world by means of the raft (or boat) of
Brahman.
[The fearful currents are the currents of Rāga, Dvesha (likes
and dislikes), Vāsanas or subtle desires and Trishna
(craving) which hurl down man into the ocean of births and
deaths. And The raft of Brahman is Om̐ . Silent Japa of Om̐
with meditation on its meaning will help one to cross the
ocean of Samsāra, i.e., to free oneself from the rounds of
births and deaths.]

Om̐ is described as the bow for reaching the target of Brahman, by

Mundaka Upanishad (2.2.3 & 2.3.4) of Atharva Veda:

धनुर् गृही%वौपिनषदं महा$ं शरं !ुपासा िनिशतं स"धयीत ।

आय#य त"ावगतेन चेतसा ल"यं तदेवा&रं सो#य िवि# ॥ ३॥
 &

!णवो धनुः शारो !ा#मा !" त"#यमु'यते ।

अ"म$ेन वे#!यं शरवत् त"मयो भवेत् ॥ ४॥
meaning:
Having taken the great weapon – the bow furnished by the
Upanisads, and fixed on it the arrow rendered sharp
(pointed) by constant meditation; and having drawn it with
the mind fixed on Brahman, O good looking youth! Penetrate
that mark – the imperishable Brahman
&
Pranava (Om̐ ) is the bow, the Atman is the arrow, and
Brahman is said to be its mark (goal). lt is to be hit by a man
who is self-collected (with concentration), and then as the
arrow becomes one with the target, he will become one with
Brahman

Patanjali Yoga Sutra (1.27) says about Om̐ :

त"य वाचकः !णवः ॥ २७॥

meaning:
Om̐ is the denoter of That (God)

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.

Prapanchasāra Tantra, an important Tantric text (said to have

been compiled/endorsed by Adi Shankaracharya), states in verse
19.2:

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.'

Manu Smriti (2.83) says about Om̐ :

एका$रं परं !" !ाणायामः परं तपः ।

सािव%या'तु परं ना#$त मौना%स%यं िविश$यते ।। २.८३ ।।
 meaning:
Om̐ is the Highest Brahman; Prānayām is the greatest
austerity. Gāyatri is the best mantra; truthfulness is better
than silence

The glory & importance of Om̐ are repeated several times in

Puranas, as well as in the sacred texts of Buddhism, Jainism,
Sikhism etc.
In Shiva Mahāpurana – Vidyeshwar Samhita, Chapter 10
(Discourse on Omkāra), Lord Shiva says:

उपा$दशं िनजं मं#म$कारमु)मंगलम् ।

ओंकारो म"मुखा&'े !थमं म"#बोधकः ।। १६ ।।
meaning;
Thus I have taught you about the Omkāra-mantra, first of
all emerged out of my mouth. Originally it indicated me
(i.e. Lord Shiva)

Lord Shiva then goes on to say:

वाचकोऽयमहं वा#यो मं#ोऽयं िह मदा$मक: ।

तदनु%मरणं िनं$य ममानु%मरणं भवेत् ।। १७ ।।
meaning;
This (Omkāra-mantra) is the indicator & I am the indicated,
and this mantra is my soul. To recite it daily is like
reciting my name only

Lord Shiva then goes on to describe, in detail, how the Omkāra-

mantra was given out by Him:

अकार उ"रा%पूव)मुकार: प"#च्माननात् ।

मकारो दि#णमुखाि)ंद:" !ा#$खत'तथा ।। १८ ।।
meaning;
From the face towards the North emerges Akāra (अ), from
the face to the West Ukāra (उ), from the face to the South
Makāra (म) and from the face to the East emerges the Bindu
 &

नादो म"यमुखादेवं प"#घाऽसौ िवजृंिभतः ।

एक#भूत: पुन$त&दोिम+येका0रो भवेत् ।। ११ ।।
meaning;
Nāda (mystical sound) emerges from the mouth in the centre.
The result of this five-fold opening of mouths was then made
into one in the form of the single syllable Om̐ or Omkāra

Lord Shiva then elaborates what Omkāra symbolizes:

नाम$पा&मक( सव# वेदभूतक(ल*यम् ।

!या$मेतेन मं#ेण िशवश$यो'च् बोधक: ।। २० ।।
meaning;
The two sets of created beings – Nāma (name) & Rūpa
(form) are pervaded by this mantra. It indicates Shiva &
Shakti

Lord Brahma & Lord Vishnu say to Lord Shiva:

नम: !णववा%याय नम: !णविलि&ने ।

नम: सृ#$ा&दक)* च नम: प"#मुखायते ।। २९ ।।
meaning;
You are Pranavavachya (named by Om̐ ) and are Pranava-
linga (indicated by Om̐ ). Salutations to you. You are the first
creator of the universe, and have five faces - Salutations to
you

Lord Shiva replied:

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

Buddhism was initially characterized by meditation, and did not

involve chanting of mantras. Practice of mantras started with the
emergence of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Chants and
meditation were used only for spiritual well-being, self-protection,
and purification. One of the most powerful mantras in Buddhism
begins with Om̐ . It is known as the lotus mantra and is chanted as
''Om̐ mani padme hum'':

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.

In Jainism, the Namokār mantra is the most significant mantra –

the first prayer recited by the Jains while meditating. While reciting
this mantra, the devotee bows with respect to the Panch
Parameshti (the Supreme Five):
• Arihant – Those who have destroyed the four
inimical karmas
• Siddha – The liberated souls
• Acharyas – The spiritual leaders or Preceptors
• Upadhayaya – Preceptor of less advanced ascetics
• Sādhu – The monks or sages in the world
The Pranava OM is mentioned in Jainism as “a+a+a+u+m” which
stands for the initials of the Panch Parameshtis, for it is said:

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)

The very first composition in Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism’s Mool

Mantra composed by Guru Nanak, starts with “Ik Onkār”
symbolizing the One Universal God:

Ik-Onkār sat naam kartaa purakh nirbha-o nirvair

akaal moorat ajoonee saibhang gurparsād
meaning:

One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative

Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The
Undying, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace

Kabir Das ji says:

आ"द नाम िनज मूल है, और मं# सब डार ।

कह कबीर िनज नाम िबनु, बूदरी मुआ संसार ।।
meaning:
The primal or elementary Name (sound) is our own essence,
the root of our being. Rest all mantras are like branches of it.
Kabir says – without knowing one’s own real essence, own
True Name, the world is drawn into illusions and dies

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.

Some comments by different Spiritual Masters, about Om̐ :

• Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa
“What will you gain’, some sages ask, ‘by merely hearing this
sound?’ You hear the roar of the ocean from a distance. By
following the roar you can reach the ocean. As long as there is the
roar, there must also be the ocean. By following the trail of Om̐ you
attain Brahman, of which the Word is the symbol. That Brahman
has been described by the Vedas as the ultimate goal.”

• Sri Ramana Maharshi

“The Pranava is Om̐ kara...the advaita-mantra which is the
essence of all mantras…In order to get at this true significance,
one should meditate on the Pranava.…The fruition of this process
is samadhi, which yields release (moksha), which is the state of
unsurpassable bliss.”
• Sri Aurobindo
“OM̐ is the mantra, the expressive sound-symbol of the Brahman
Consciousness in its four domains from the Turiya to the external
or material plane. The function of a mantra is to create vibrations in
the inner consciousness that will prepare it for the realisation of
what the mantra symbolises and is supposed indeed to carry
within itself. The mantra OM̐ should therefore lead towards the
opening of the consciousness to the sight and feeling of the One
Consciousness in all material things, in the inner being and in the
supraphysical worlds, in the causal plane above now
superconscient to us and, finally, the supreme liberated
transcendence above all cosmic existence. The last is usually the
main preoccupation with those who use the mantra.”
• Swami Dayananda Saraswati
“Om̐ is the highest Name of God, and comprises many other
Names of God. It should be borne in mind that Om̐ is the Name of
God exclusively – and of no other object material or spiritual –
while the others are but descriptive titles and not exactly proper
names.”
• Sri Anandamoyi Ma
“(Remembrance of the Pranava) must become so automatic that
you cannot breathe without remembering It.”

• 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).

Though Praṇava is commonly used to mean Om̐ , yet it has three

additional meanings:
1. Prakarṣeṇa navīkaroti – That which renovates thoroughly.
In this case, "pra" in "Praṇava" would be derived from
"prakarṣeṇa" (meaning ‘thoroughly’, ‘in a high degree’), and
"ṇava" from "navīkaroti" (meaning ‘it renovates’).
2. Praṇūyate – That which is praised. Here, the word
"Praṇava" would be derived from "praṇūyate" (meaning ‘it is
praised’) or Passive Voice of the root "praṇu" (meaning ‘to
praise’).
3. Prāṇānavati – That which protects the prāṇa-s or vital
forces. This interpretation states that "Praṇava" would be
derived from the aforesaid acrostic form that means "it
protects (avati) the prāṇa-s or vital forces (prāṇān)".

Pranava, a Sanskrit word, means both controller of life force

(prāna) and life-giver (infuser of prāna). It is said in the
Atharvashikha Upanishad (part of mantra 1):
 ….!ाणा$सवा'$!लीयत इित !लयः ।
!ाणा$सवा'$परमा+मिन !णामयती(येत*मा(!णवः ।.....

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….

Shiva Mahāpurana – Vidyeshwar Samhita, Chapter 17 provides

an interesting interpretation of the Pranava:

!: !प#्◌ो न ना#तीित युषमाक' !णवं िवद$: ।

!कष$ण नयेघ%मा(मो!ं वः !णवं िवद$: ।। ५ ।।
meaning:
The three letters combined in Pranava mean thus: Pra (!पंच)
= of Prakriti or the world devolved out of it (delusion); na
(नावाम्) = no; va (वरम) = to you. Hence, by reciting the
Pranava mantra, you would be free from delusion
&

!वमं%जापकानां च पूजकानां च योिगनाम् ।

सव#कम#&यं क"#वा !द#य%ानं तु नूतनम् ।। ६ ।।
meaning:
It is also called Pranava because it destroys all karmas of
the yogis reciting it and bestows new divine wisdom on them

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 ).

The Vaidik Praṇava ॐ is said to be of two types, as stated in

Shiva Mahāpurana – Vidyeshwar Samhita, Chapter 17:

……..!णवं ि"िवधं !ो#$ सू#म%थूलिवभेदत: ।। ८ ।।

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

In this context, Shiva Mahāpurana – Vidyeshwar Samhita,

Chapter 17 states:

सू#ममेका(रं िव#ा%&थूलं प"्◌ा&रं िवद$: ।

सू#मम%य'प)्◌ाण. सु#य%ाण( तथेतरत् ।। ९ ।।
meaning:
The subtle form has a single letter (i.e. the single syllabled
ॐ or Om̐ ~ in this case, the constituent five syllables are not
differentiated clearly), while the gross form comprises of five
letters (न मः िश वा य); in case of the gross Pranava, all the
constituent five syllables are manifest. It’s subtle form is
invisible, while the Panchakshara form is visible

Shiva Mahāpurana – Vidyeshwar Samhita, Chapter 17 further

lists two types of the subtle Praṇava (ॐ or Om̐ ):
i) Deergha (or Long) Praṇava
ii) Hrasva (or Short) Praṇava
These are described in the following verses from Shiva
Mahāpurana – Vidyeshwar Samhita, Chapter 17:
अकार%च् उकार$च् मकार$च् तत: परम् ।
िब#द%नादयुत त"ी श"द काल कला$%वतम् ।। १३ ।।
दीघ$%णवमेवं िह योिगनामेव !दगतम् ।। १४अ ।।
meaning:
[Deergha (or Long)] Praṇava is the combination of akāra
(“a”), ukāra (“u”), makāra (“m”), and the bindu which
represents Nāda, and words, kāla & kalā. This Deergha (or
Long) Praṇava always resides in the hearts of the Yogis.
[this implies AUM̐ ~ it is said to be Deergha by virtue of the
longer time taken to chant it; for details, refer note below on
Mātra]
&

मकारं तंि$त%वं िह !"व$णव उ"यते ।। १४ब ।।

meaning:
The tri-tattva (!ीत$व - अ, उ, म) makāra is known as the
Hrasva (or Short) Pranava [this implies AUM ~ it is said to be
Deergha by virtue of the longer time taken to chant it; for
details, refer note below on Mātra]
MĀTRA: Mātras refer to time taken to chant vowels (like say
“a”) and can be of 3 types :
• a) Hrasva: takes 1/6 seconds to utter the vowel
occuring at the end of a letter. To understand the time
factor with a simple measure, 1/6 of a second is the
amount of time taken to snap your finger. For eg. chant
any consonant and snap your finger. The time taken to
say that consonant should take 1/6 of a second or the
snap of a finger. For example, Pa is made up of P+a
and say Sa+ is made up of S+a.
• b) Deergha : takes about 2.5 times of Hrasva or (1/6
seconds x 2.5 times). A simple measure is 2.5 times
snapping of your fingers. For example, SAA is made up
of S+AA and the AA should take 2.5 snaps of your
fingers !
• c) Plutam: Plutam takes 3 or more times than that of a
Hraswam or (1/6 x 3+) snaps of your fingers
VĀK (OR WORD): AUM̐ - THE BASIS OF CREATION
The universe is risen from the primeval sound, as explained
hereunder. Praṇava is the primeval Sound from which the entire
universe arises.
From AUM̐ everything and everyone is manifested.

Vāk (in Latin, Vox) comes from the root ‘Vach’, which means “to
speak”. Vedas have claimed that Vāk is Brahman, and Brahman is
speech:

For it is said in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (4.1.2) of Shukla

Yajur Veda:

य"े क"#चद&वी)*छ,णवामेित; अ"वी%मे िज#वा शैिलिनः, वा#वै !"ेित;

यथा मातृमा%&पतृमानाचाय+वान् !ूयान्, तथा त"छैिलर(वी+ा-वै !"ेित……..
meaning:
Yajnavalkya says, “Let me hear what any one of your
teachers may have told you.” In reply, Janaka says, “Jitvan,
the son of Śilina, has told me that Vāk (speech or word) is
Brahman.” Yajnavalkya says, “As one who has a mother,
father and teacher should say, so has the son of Śilina said
this – that Vāk (speech or word) is the Brahman”…….

This is re-iterated in Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa (II. 1-4.10) of Shukla

Yajur Veda:

तदा$: । य"चा% न सा#ना न यजूषाि'राधीयतेऽथ क"नािधयत इित !"णो

हैवैष !"णाधीयते वा#वै !" त"ये वाच: स"यमेव !" ता वा एता:
स"यमेव !या$तयो भव#$त तद#य स"येनैवाधीयते - २/१/४/१०
meaning:
Here now they say, 'If the fire is not setup with either a rik-
verse, or a sâman, or a yajus, wherewith then is it set up?'
Verily, that (fire) is of the Brahman: with the Brahman it is set
up. The Brahman is speech: of that speech it is. The
Brahman is the truth, and the truth consists in those same
(three) mystic utterances: hence his (fire) is established by
means of the truth
In the Mahābhārata (Shāntiparva, V. 12, 920), Sarasvatī as Vāk is
called the “Mother of the Vedas”. In Mahabhārata (Vanaparva V.
13,432), the Gāyatrī is called the Mother of the Vedas, for Gāyatrī
Devi is a form of Vāk. Vāk is the Mother of the Vedas and of all
things, which their words denote. The substance of the whole
world is Vāk (Jagat Vāṇmaya), for the world (Jagat) is Śabda-
prabhava.

The account of Prajapati & Vāk as the cause of creation, is

mentioned thus, in Pañcavimśa Brahmana (or Tandya
Brahmana) (20.14.2) of Sāma Veda:
!जापितवा( इदमेक आसी$%य वागेव !वामासी'ाग् ि"तीया स ऐ"तेमामेव
वाचं िवसृजाइयं वा इदम् सव# िवभव$%ये(यतीित स वाचं !यसृजत सेदम् सव#
िवभव$%यैत् सो#वरो्दातनोघथापां धारा संततैवं त"या ऐित
तृतीयम&'छन"!भू्िमरभवदभू#दव वा इदिमित त"भू्मेभू(िम*व क"ित
तृतीयम&'छन*दंत-र/मभवद2तरेव वा इदिमित तदंत$र&'यांत$र&*वम हो
इित तृतीयमू'(मु*दा-यत् तत् घौरभवदघुत)दव वा अदइित त"#वो !दव$वं
।। २ ।।
meaning:
Prajapati (at the beginning) was alone in this (universe); the
Word (Vāk) was his only (possession); the Word (Vāk) was
the second (that existed). He thought: ‘Let me emit this Word
(Vāk); it will pervade this whole (universe)’. He emitted the
Word (Vāk) & it pervaded this whole (universe). It rose
upwards as a continuous stream of water. Speaking (the
syllable) “a”, he cut off a third part of it; this became the earth.
He thought: ‘This has come into existence’ (abhut); hence
the name earth (bhumi). With (the syllable) “ka”, he cut off a
(second) part of it; this became the intermediate region. (He
thought) ‘This is between’, hence it is called the intermediate
region. With (the syllable) “ho”, he threw a (third) part
upwards; that became the heaven. (He thought) ‘This has
shown yonder’ (adyutat); hence the name of heaven (dyaus -
घो).
It is again said in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (1.2.5) of Shukla
Yajur Veda:

…..स तया वाचा तेना%मनेदं सव#मसृजत य"ददं िक#च — ऋचो यजूंिष

सामािन छ"दांिस य"ान् !जाः पशून् ।…..
meaning:
….. Through that speech and that mind he projected all this,
whatever there is — the Vedas Ṛk, Yajus and Sāman, the
metres, the sacrifices, men and animals……

It is clear from the foregoing that Vāk is a shakti or Power of the

Brahman, which is one with Him (the Possessor of Power –
Shaktimān). This Shakti, which was in Him, is there with Him at the
time of creation, and evolves into the form of the Universe, whilst
still remaining what It is – the Supreme Shakti.

It is also said in Krishna Yajurveda, Kathaka Samhita (12.5 &

repeated in 27.1) & repeated in Krishna Yajurveda, Kapisthala
Katha Samhita (42.1) & again repeated in Jaiminiya Brahmana
II, Samaveda, (2.244):
...!जापितवा( इदमासीत्... (Prajāpatir vai ida m ̣āsīt:) meaning: …In
the beginning was only Prajapati (God the Creator);
…त"य वाग् ि"तीयासीत्… (Tasya vāg dvitīyā āsīt) meaning:
…Vāk (the word) was only second to Him (or with Him
was the Word)……
Then it goes on to elaborate how creation proceeded from Vāk:
[…त"य वाग् ि"तीयासीत्…]…तां िमथुनं समभवत्...(Tām mithtma
m ̣samabhavat) meaning: He united with Her (i.e. Vāk or
the word) and; …सा गभ#मध&...(Sā garbha m ̣ ādhatta)
meaning: ...She became pregnant;…सा#मादपा'ामत् सेमा: !जा
असृजत…(Sā asmād apākrāmat sā imāh prajāh asrjat)
meaning:

She went out from Him and projected (or produced)

these creatures; …सा !जापितमेव पुन: !िवशत् (Sā Prajāpatim
eva punah prāviśat) meaning: and again re-entered Him….
The universe is the outcome of the Divine Desire (Kāma) of Iśvara
or Will (Icchā) of Parmaśiva. In the highest sense, Kāma is the first
creative impulse of the One to be many, whereby It begets Itself as
all creatures. On the physical plane, Kāma denotes, among other
things, sexual desire. Earthly desire and self-reproduction are but
limited manifestations of that first impulse. The Divine Will is
continually and presently working, through the individual sexual
desire, for the continued creation of the universe. This Divine
Kāma is eternal and the origin of all things. Vāk is said to be the
daughter of Kāma.

What is the reason or impulse for the Divine desire, to multiply or

to create, to emerge? In the aggregate of Karma which will at one
period or another ripen, there is, at any particular time, some which
are ripe and others which are not so. For the fruition of the former
only, creation takes place. When this seed ripens and the time
therefore approaches for the creation of another universe, the
Brahman manifests in Its Vishvarupa aspect, so that the Jiva may
enjoy or suffer therein the fruits of his Karma and (unless liberation
be attained) accumulate fresh Karma which will involve the
creation of future worlds. When the unripened actions which are
absorbed in Māyā become in course of time ripe, the Vritti of Māyā
or Shakti in the form of desire for creation arises in Paramashiva,
for the bestowal of the fruit of this Karma. This state of Māyā is
variously called by Shruti, Ikshāna, Kāma, Vicikirsha.

The Divine Will to multiply, is described in Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa

(VI. 1-1.8 & 1-1.9), of Shukla Yajur Veda, thus:
सोऽयं पु#ष: !जापितरकामयत भूयांत'यां !जायेयेित सोऽ$ा&य(स
तपोऽत%यत स !ांत%तेपानो !"ैव !थममसृजत !यीमेव िव#ां सैवा%मै
!ित$ाऽभव!"मादा&'()"य सव#$य !ित$ेित त"मादनू(य !ितित$ित
!ित$ा !ोषा य"#$ त"यां !ित$ायां !िति$तोऽत'यत ६/१/१/८
&
सोऽपोऽसृजत । वाच एव लोका%ागेवा)य साऽसृ%यत सेद सव#मा&नोघ*दद
िक च यदा$नो'(मादापो यदवृणो'(मा+ा ६/१/१/९
meaning:
Now Prajāpati desired, 'May I be more (than one), may I
reproduce!' He toiled, he practised austerities. Being worn
 out with toil and austerities, he created first of all Brahman
(Vedas), the three-fold knowledge. It became to him a
foundation: hence they say, 'the Brahman (Vedas) is the
foundation of everything here.' Wherefore, having studied
(the Vedas) one rests on a foundation; for this, to wit, the
Veda, is his foundation. Resting on that foundation, he
(again) practised austerity.
&
He created the waters out of Vāk (speech, that is) the world;
for speech belonged to it: that was created (set free). It
pervaded everything here; and because it pervaded (āp)
whatsoever there was here, therefore (it is called) water
(āpaḥ); and because it covered, therefore also it (is called)
water.

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.

The Logos, through whom the world was created, became

flesh (Avatāra). He, who in the heavenly pre-existence, is
called the Logos (or Om̐ ), and after His incarnation as man,
Jesus Christ (or Ram or Krishna), is the Pūrnāvatāra of God.
But a word of caution here – Parā-vāk or Om̐ or Brahman is not
the same as Logos, because, while the former is both the material
& efficient cause of the universe, Logos is not – implying the
underlying doctrine of unity in Advaita, as opposed to duality in
Christianity; for Logos connotes dualism, while Parā-vāk or Om̐ or
Brahman connotes non-dualism.

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.

THE SPIRITUAL IMPORTANCE of ŚABD or VĀK (the WORD or

SOUND) – ACROSS RELIGIONS
In all religious books we find references to Śabd or the Creative
Sound. Hindu scriptures speak of It as Vāk, Śabd Brahman, Aśabd
Brahman and Nāda etc, that is responsible for the creation of the
world.

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:

अहं रा#$ी स"#मनी वसूनां िचिकतुषी !थमा यि#यानाम् ।

तां मा देवा !यदधु: पु#$ा भू#र%था(ां भूया%वे(यंतीम् ।। ३ ।।
meaning:
(Vāk:) I am the Queen, the gatherer of vasus (treasures),
knower of Brahman, the first (chief) of the object of yagna
(worship). The gods have dispersed me in many places,
having many abodes, causing me to pervade (or overpower)
many
The all-pervasiveness of Vāk is further highlighted in mantra 8 of
this Suktam:

अहमेव वातइव ! वा#यारभमाणा भुवनािन िव#वा ।

परो !दवा पर एना पृिथ%यैतावती मिहना सं बभूव ।। ८ ।।
meaning:
(Vāk:) I only breathe forth, like the wind, while holding
together all living creatures. So great (vast) I have become
possessing greatness that I am beyond heaven and this
earth

This glorification of Vāk is also repeated in Atharva Veda – Kānda

4 (Book 4) (Suktam 30); this is highlighted by some of the self-
laudatory mantras attributed to Vāk in this Suktam:

अहं !"ेिभव'सुिभ*+ा-यहमा1द3यै5त िव#वदैव:े ।

अहं िम#ाव&णोभा िबभ$%यहािमं+ा,ी अहम$%वनोभा ।। १ ।।
meaning:
I go about with the Rudras and the Vasus, with the Ādityas
and All-Gods I wander.
I hold aloft both Varuna and Mitra, I hold aloft Indra and
both the Aśvins.

अहं रा#$ी संगमनी वसूनां िचिकतुषी !थमा य"ीयानाम ।

तां मा देवा !यदधुः पु#$ा भू#र%था(ां भूया%वेशय)त: ।। २ ।।
meaning:
I am the Queen, the gatherer of good things, most
thoughtful, the first that has understood the matters of
sacrifice.
The Gods, making me enter many places, in diverse spots
have set mine habitation.

अहमेव !वयिमदं वदािम जु#ं देवानामुत मानुषाणाम् ।

यं कामये तं#मु&ं क"णोमी तं !"ाणं तमृिषं तं सुमेधाम् ।। ३ ।।
meaning:
 I, verily, myself announce and utter the word that Gods, and
men alike shall welcome.
I make the man I love exceeding mighty, make him a sage, a
Rishi, and a brāhmin.

अहं !"ाय धनुरा तनोिम !"ि$षे शरवे हंतवा उ ।

अहं जनाय समदं क"णो%यहं घावापृिथवी आ िववेश ।। ५ ।।
meaning:
I bend the bow for Rudra that his arrow may strike and slay
the hater of devotion.
I rouse and order battle for the people, and I have penetrated
Earth and Heaven.
अहमेव वात इव ! वा#यारभमाणा भुवनािन िव#वा् ।
परो !दवा पर एना पृिथ%यैतावती मिहमना् सं बभूव ।। ८ ।।
meaning:
I myself blow forth like the wind and tempest, all the while
taking hold of all existence.
Beyond this wide earth and beyond the heavens – such have
I become in my greatness.

In the Upanishadic Age, the primordial “word” came to be known

as Udgitha or Song of the Beyond, meaning at once, of the other
world (spiritual), and beyond the senses, for senses could not
comprehend It, and one had to transcend them to catch Its strains.
(as per Chandogya Upanishad, Chapter 1; Maitreya Upanishad,
Chapter 6 – already quoted earlier). Other names also in use for It
are Pranava and AUM̐ . In Chapter 6 of the Maitreya Upanishad, it
is stated that there are two aspects of Brahman, one Śabd
Brahman and the other Aśabd Brahman, and to reach Aśabd
Brahman, one has to meditate, in the first instance, on the Śabd
Brahman, and by this means one can cross over to the Aśabd
or Gupt Brahman, a state beyond the three Gunas and the three
mental conditions, and called Turiya-Pad or super-sensual plane.

In the Buddhist scriptures, It is referred to as Sonorous Light

or Flaming Sound.

In the Greek language we have the term Logos (mentioned

above), from 'logo', to speak, which stands for the 'Word' or
Second Person of the Trinity. This term Logos also figures in both
Hebrew and Christian philosophy and theology, and in its mystic
sense is used both by the Hellenistic and Neo-platonist
philosophies. St John has used the term Word. It is a Sound
Principle (Śabd) emanating from the Great Silence (Aśabd). In
Chinese translations of the New Testament, λόγος (logos) is
translated with the Chinese word “dao” (道) (e.g. John 1:1 quoted
above), indicating that the translators considered the concept of
Tao to be somewhat equivalent to logos in Greek philosophy (by
implication, equivalent to Śabd).

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.

The Koran refers to this Sound in the words:

‘Kun-feu-Kun’,
meaning:
“God said: ‘Be!’ and it is”
This āyat describes the Islamic concept of creation, upon God’s
uttered commandment.

Moses heard this very Sound on Mount Sinai (Koh-i-Toor), when

in communion with God. The same Word was audible to the Christ,
when absorbed in his Heavenly Father in the wilderness. This
Sound is the source of all revelation to the Masters, to Whom It is
revealed from within, and it is, therefore, that they know and teach
the one and the same Truth.
The knower of the mystery of the Sound knows the mystery of the
whole Universe. Whosoever has followed the strains of this Sound
has forgotten all earthly distinctions and differences; and has
reached the same goal to Truth, in which all the Blessed Ones of
God unite. Space is within the body as well as around it; in other
words the body is in space and space is in the body.
All the Sikh Gurus and other Saints, time and again, taught this
very thing in clear terms.

Guru Nanak spoke thus in Guru Granth Sahib:

bahray karan akal bha-ee hochhee sabad sahj nahee
boojhi-aa. (Rāg Bhairon, mehla 1, verse1126-2)
meaning:
Your ears are deaf, and your intellect is worthless, and still,
you do not intuitively understand the Word of the Shabad.
&
janam padaarath manmukh haari-aa bin gur anDh na soojhi-
aa. (Rāg Bhairon, mehla 1, verse 1126-3)
meaning:
The self-willed manmukh wastes this priceless human life
and loses it. Without the Guru, the blind person cannot see.

Guru Amar Das said in Guru Granth Sahib:

sabad gur daataa jit man raataa har si-o rahi-aa samaa-ee.
(Rāg Sorath, mehla 3, verse 601-5)
meaning:
The Guru is the Giver of the Shabad; my mind is imbued with
it, and I remain absorbed in the Lord.
&
sabad na jaaneh say annay bolay say kit aa-ay sansaaraa.
har ras na paa-i-aa birthaa janam gavaa-i-aa jameh vaaro
vaaraa. (Rāg Sorath, mehla 3, verse 601-6)
meaning:
Those who do not know the Shabad are blind and deaf; why
did they even bother to come into the world? They do not
 obtain the subtle essence of the Lord's elixir; they waste
away their lives, and are reincarnated over and over again.

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.

Guru Amar Das added in Guru Granth Sahib:

gur kai sabad Dhi-aa-ay too sach lagee pi-aar. rahaa-o.
(Rāg Māru, mehla 3, verse 994-1)
meaning:
Meditate on the Word of the Guru's Shabad; focus lovingly
on the Truth.

From the above it is sufficiently clear that all Master-Souls,

whether Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and countless others, were
conversant with the practice of the Word, though they did not
necessarily expound it as a regular science. Most of them talked of
Anāhad Śabd only. But perfect Saints, irrespective of whether they
belonged to one religion or the other, have gone even beyond this
and have spoken of Sār Shabd and Sat Shabd as well, and of
regions beyond Brahmand (Par-Brahmand, i.e., Sach Khand,
Alakh and Agam Deshas).

VAIDIK & TANTRIC CONCEPT of SOUND & WORDS

In order to derive a rational understanding of the concept of Om̐ ,
the primordial sound, and it’s linkage to creation etc, it is important
to first understand the Vaidik & Tantric concept of sound & words.

Śabda is sound, which is more ancient than gods and men,

precedes creation, and is eternal, indivisible, creative, and
imperceptible in its subtle form. Sound is not just what you hear
with your ear. Wherever there is motion/vibration of any kind, that
is sound, according to Tantra, as said by Woodroffe. There is a
great difference between the metaphysical conception of Śabda
(sound) and the scientific concept of sound. Sound of physics is
really the shadow of the real sound. Among the vibrational
manifestations of Paramashiva, sound is the first and the subtlest.
Sonic Tanmātra is the first stage of crudification; here Sonic
Tanmātra means the Sonic consciousness or Śabda Brahman,
and not the sonic vibration.

Sound is classified as follows: Sphota, Nāda, Anāhata, and

Āhata.

Vāk means word, sound or śabda; Vāk, whose root is Vach which
means “to speak”, and corresponds in Latin to the word Vox)

Sphota (!फोट) literally means bursting and is eternal, indivisible,

creative, and imperceptible. Sphota is derived from the
world Sphut (!फ#ट्) meaning to burst or to open like a bud. The
implication is (as the bud opens) as the word is sounded or
articulated, the meaning of the word is revealed. The letter or
letters by themselves carry no meaning until we connect them with
an object or idea. When that object or idea is cognized, Sphota
takes place. Sphota, before it opens, is in an undifferentiated
partless state. It resides in Śabda Brahman, the Brahman of
Sounds. When it differentiates, it falls into two parts: Śabda and
Artha, Sound and Meaning.

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.

Unmanifested Sound = Avyakta Śabda;

Manifested Sound = Vyakta Śabda.

There is movement in all that exists. All movements (and objects)

emit sound, whether you hear it or not. Remember that atoms in
objects, spin and make sound, although we cannot hear that
sound. If you can hear a sound, and name it after the way it
sounds, then that is the Natural Name of that sound or the object
which produced the sound. For example, Cuckoo is named
onomatopoeically so, because it emits that which sounds like
"cuckoo". In Tamil a Crow is named after its sound Ka (கா). Since
it usually makes two consecutive Ka-Kas, it is called KAKA (¸¡¸¡). If
you can hear the sound of the sap moving up the tree from its
roots, you can give it a Natural Name. The Nirguna Brahman is
Unmoving (Nispanda िन#प%द), while the created world is moving;
and anything that moves, makes a sound. Sound is the basic
phenomenon by which man apprehends the world. All else such as
touch and feel, form and color, taste, and smell are all complex
sounds. The skin, the eyes, the tongue and the nose are the
peripheral organs that transmit the 'sound' to the respective cortex.
Human ear and the brain cannot hear all sounds. Elephants in the
wild communicate by sounds that humans cannot hear. Humans
cannot smell what a dog smells. Smell is also a movement or
sound. A dog can smell a narcotic 10 feet away from its source.
Something obviously ‘moves’ from the narcotic to the dog’s nose,
for the dog to apprehend the narcotic. In like manner, the Supreme
Absolute Ear of Brahman or Shakti can hear sounds, in its purest
state, from all objects and that sound is the Natural Name for that
object.

Objects produce two kinds of sounds: Causal Stress Sound

(Primary Essential Sound) and External Stress Sound. For
instance, in a non-vibrating tuning fork, there is a sound
emanating, though not audible to us; that is the Causal Stress
Sound we don't hear, and yet is heard by the Supreme Absolute
Ear of Brahman or Shakti and also an accomplished Yogi – this
sound is produced by the motions of Subatomic Particles. When
the tuning fork is subject to external stress (tapping), it vibrates
and emits sound and that is the stress-induced sound heard by the
Relative Ear. What the Yogi hears, from the non-vibrating tuning
fork, is imperfect sound, because only Brahman or Shakti can hear
the Natural Sound in its perfection with the Supreme Absolute Ear,
even though such sound is not gross or physical. Brahman or
Shakti hears without ears, sees without eyes and walks without
legs. Brahman or Shakti utters the Causal Stress Sound by their
Supreme Tongue to the Sadhaka, who hears it by his imperfect
Relative ear in a distorted way. When a Yogi rises to the level of
Brahman, the Causal Stress Sound rings true to its quality, to such
a Yogi.

Causal stress Sound that is emitted by the object is the Natural

Name of that Object. The Causal Stress Sound or the Primary
Essential Sound fire emits is the Bija Mantra Ram रं . The Yogi
communicates the Causal Stress Sound to his disciples, who hear
the sound in varying degrees of imperfection. Mantra Shastra
states that Bija (बीज) Mantras (Seed Mantras sounding the
Sanskrit letters) represent the Natural Names. The breath
consisting of Inspiration and Expiration emits the sound of Prāna-
Bija Mantra, Hamsa. The out-breath sound is Ham and the in-
breath sound is Sa.

Om̐ is an open continuous sound, uninterrupted by any

consonant which clips it, vanishing, as it were, upward in the
Nādabindu which is placed on the vowel.
(John Woodroffe)

Swami Sivananda calls Om̐ as the ocean into which all rivers of
sounds, names and words flow.

EVOLUTION OF SPEECH IS EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE

AUM̐ is ‘the Divine Word’, the progenitor of Vāk. From the

evolution of Vāk, this universe has evolved.

This process of transformation of a thought or an impulse

arising in one’s consciousness into a cognizable, explicit
speech, is said to resemble the evolution of the Universe from
the un-manifest (Avyakta) to the manifest (Vyakta) material
world.

This process is said to take place in four stages:

(Bhartrhari, the Sanskrit Grammarian starts from Śabda-Tattva or
Śabda-Brahman, while the Kashmir Shaivism Sage Abhinavagupta
starts from Parā-Vāk, both going on to three levels – Paśyanti-Vāk,
Madhyama-Vāk & Vaikhari-Vāk):
First, in the undifferentiated substratum of thought, an intention
appears. This first impulse, the self-radiant consciousness is Parā-
Vāk (the voice beyond). This latent, un-spoken, un-manifest, silent
thought (Parā) unfolds itself in the next three stages as
Paśyanti (thought visualized), Madhyama (intermediate) and
as Vaikhari (explicit speech).

Thereafter, this intention takes a shape. We can visualize the idea

(Paśyanti-Vāk or ‘thought visualized’) though it is yet to acquire a
verbal form. It is the first sprout of an invisible seed; but yet
searching for words to give expression to the intention. This is the
second stage in the manifestation of the idea. The Pashyanti,
which also suggests the visual image of the word, is indivisible and
without inner-sequence; in the sense, that the origin and
destination of speech are one. Here, the ‘internal speech’ or
‘thought’ stands for what is intended to be conveyed. That intention
is instinctive (pratibha) and immediate; and, it does not involve
stages such as analysis, speculation, drawing inferences and so
on. At the level of Pashyanti Vāk, there is no distinction between
word and meaning. And, there is also no temporal sequence.

The Pashyanti Vāk thereafter transforms into an intellectual

process, the level of thought (Buddhi), during which the speaker
looks for and identifies appropriate words, phrases, and their
sequence, which are capable of conveying his intention candidly.
That sequence of thoughts results in definite and clear array of
words. As that cognition arises and takes a form within, he grasps
it. This is the intermediate stage – The Madhyama Vāk, a
sequenced but a pre-vocal thought – described as the voice of
silence; perhaps best understood as internal speaking. Here, there
is no perceptible sound (Nāda). The Madhyama Vāk is in an
inaudible wave or vibratory (spandana) form.

And, the Madhyama, when it is put out explicitly through uttered

words and sentences; and, when it comes out of the speaker’s
mouth in sequenced and verbalized speech-form, it is called
Vaikhari Vāk. For the purpose of putting out the Vaikhari Vāk, the
speaker employs a sentence comprising words uttered in a
sequence. The word itself comprises letters or syllables (varnas)
that follow one after the other in space and time.

Thus, Vaikhari is the articulated speech, which, as sound waves,

reaches the ears of the listener and then on to her/his intellect.
Vaikhari is the physical or gross form of the subtle thought or is the
outward expression of the intention of the speaker. And, when it
emerges as the spoken-word, it is the one that is heard and
apprehended by the listener, in a flash of understanding (Sphota).

Swami Vivekananda considered AUM̐ (Om̐ ) as the perfect symbol

of the eternal Sphota; he described it thus in one of his lectures:
“In the universe, Brahmâ or Hiranyagarbha or the cosmic Mahat
first manifested himself as name, and then as form, i.e. as this
universe. All this expressed sensible universe is the form, behind
which stands the eternal inexpressible Sphota, the manifester
as Logos or Word. This eternal Sphota, the essential eternal
material of all ideas or names is the power through which the Lord
creates the universe, nay, the Lord first becomes conditioned as
the Sphota, and then evolves Himself out as the yet more concrete
sensible universe.

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".

……Again, just as the "One only" Brahman, the Akhanda-

Sachchidânanda, the undivided Existence-Knowledge-Bliss, can
be conceived by imperfect human souls only from particular
standpoints and associated with particular qualities, so this
universe, His body, has also to be thought of along the line of the
thinker's mind.

This direction of the worshipper's mind is guided by its prevailing

elements or Tattvas. The result is that the same God will be seen
in various manifestations as the possessor of various predominant
qualities, and the same universe will appear as full of manifold
forms. Even as in the case of the least differentiated and the most
universal symbol Om, thought and sound-symbol are seen to be
inseparably associated with each other, so also this law of their
inseparable association applies to the many differentiated views of
God and the universe: each of them therefore must have a
particular word-symbol to express it. These word-symbols, evolved
out of the deepest spiritual perception of sages, symbolise and
express, as nearly as possible the particular view of God and the
universe they stand for. And as the Om represents the Akhanda,
the undifferentiated Brahman, the others represent the Khanda or
the differentiated views of the same Being; and they are all helpful
to divine meditation and the acquisition of true knowledge.”
Mādhava Āchārya says in Sarva-Darsana-Samgraha, while
enumerating Panini’s philosophy, that ‘the eternal word is called
sphota . . . .' Sphota is nothing but the bursting of the Kāma-bija.
It is the first sound. This is why it is said, that in the beginning there
was nothing but word, and the word was God.

The Tantric viewpoint

Generally speaking, the Tantra-s of all tendencies deal with the
nature of Vāk and its manifestations. But, the tradition to which
Abhinavagupta belonged – namely the Bhairava Tantra, and in
particular to the Kula and Trika Tantras – differs from the others in
that it bestows greater importance to the nature and to the role
of Vāk. It views Vāk (language) at its highest level as identical with
the Supreme Reality.

According to Abhinavagupta, word is a symbol. The four stages of

Vāk: Parā, Pashyanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari, represent its four
phases of evolution and also of absorption; the ascent or descent
from the undifferentiated to the gross.

Abhinavagupta describes Parā Vāk as a luminous vibration

(sphurattā) of Pure Consciousness in an undifferentiated state
(paramam vyomam). In this school of thought, while Shiva is Pure
Consciousness (Prakaśa), Devi (Shakti) is the awareness of this
pure light (Vimarśa). The two – Prakaśa and Vimarśa – are never
apart. The two together are manifest in the wonder and joy
(chamatkara) of Parā Vāk.

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.

Abhinavagupta says: the group of sounds (Śabda-raśi) is the

Supreme Lord himself; and, Devi as the array of alphabets
(Matrka) is his power (Shakti). When Devi, Parā Vāk is
differentiating, then she is known in three terms as Pašhyantī,
Madhyamā, and Vaikharī”.

It is further explained: Parā Vāk as Śabda-Brahman is the creative

energy (Shakti) that brings forth all existence. It is also the
consciousness (chit, samvid), vital energy (prāna shakti) that
vibrates (spanda) and enlivens.
Parā Vāk is identified with Pranava (AUM̐ ), the primordial
speech-sound, from which all forms of speech emanated.

The urge to communicate or the spontaneous evolution of Parā

into Pashyanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari, epitomizes the Cosmic
act of One becoming many; and, the subtle energy transforming
into the less-subtle/gross matter.

Thus, the speech, each time it emanates, is an enactment, in

miniature, of the unfolding (Vimarśa) of the One into many. And
each time, when that speech is grasped by the listener and each
time it merges into her/his intellect, it re-enacts the process of
absorption (Samhara) of the many into One.

The process of manifestation of speech (beginning from Parā

Vāk or AUM̐ ) is, thus, compared to the evolution of the
Universe.

AUM̐ (ॐ) & ŚABDA BRAHMAN

Sound (as Parā-Vāk ~ or Om̐ ) is the first manifestation of

Paramashiva.
This is why Karya (or Effect) Brahman is known as Śabda-
Brahman. Nirguna Brahman, where Shakti remains dormant, is
called Aśabda (without sound).
Nirguna Shiva (i.e. Paramashiva or Nirguna Brahman) does not
mean Shiva without Gunas, but it means the Gunātita state of
Shiva.

The eternal Śabda-Brahman manifests at creation (Sṛṣti) and

lapses into its quiescent ground in dissolution (Laya).
The Śabda of its first creative movement is the Nāda or
Dhvani Om̐ . From this issue all particular Śabdas, both
Varṇātmaka (letters) and Dhvanyātmaka (sounds).

Vedas are not the product of conventional language, but the

emanation of Reality in the form of Śabda (sound, word) which is
the sole cause of creation and is eternal.
These Vaidik-Varṇas are eternal. In Veda the Karma of these
Varnas is eternal, and therefore the Vaidik words are also, it is
claimed, eternal.
Only such Śabdas as are approximate natural names (either
simple or in combination) are eternal, and the rest are not. The
Veda claims to give the names of class things and class functions,
which are approximately natural. Hence (granting this claim) these
Śabdas are eternal (Nitya). By Veda is here meant Vaidik
language, and by natural name Vaidika-Śabda. Thus assuming
that the word “Gauh” is an approximate natural name, it has
existed in every universe and has there meant the animal cow. In
other words, the natural names of ‘classes’ of
objects/persons/places/things etc are eternal, while the specific
names of particular persons etc are not eternal.

"M" of AUM̐ , the primordial Vāk represents Śabda, which is

the root and essence of everything; it is Pranava, and
Pranava is Vedas; Vedas are Śabda Brahman

Kashmir Shaivism believes that whenever and wherever there is

causal stress or Divine action, there is vibration
(spandan or kampan), and wherever there is vibration or
movement, there sound (Śabda) is inevitable.

Śabda Brahman or Nāda Brahman generaly means

transcendental sound.

In the Kashmir Shaivism literature, the concept of Śabda Brahman

is mentioned in the very first verse of the Śāradā Tilaka Tantram
by Acharya Lakshmandesikendra:

ि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

Purva Mimamsa aims at attaining the heavenly happiness by

realizing Śabda Brahman (cosmic sound) by conducting yajnas
that help control the senses and the mind; for when the mind and
the senses are subdued, the inner subtle sound is realized
as Śabda Brahman.

Exisitng in the realm vested with names & forms, Śabda

Brahman is the same as Saguna Brahman. Śabda Brahman or
Nāda Brahman, therefore, is the same as the Aparā Brahman (or
lower Brahman) mentioned by Mandukya Upanishad.

AUM̐ is the Highest Brahman, the Parā Brahman.

Śabda Brahman is Aparā Brahman (lower Brahman).

In Vedantic literature, Śabda Brahman appears, for the first time, in

Maitri Upanishad (6.22):
अथा$य&ा'यु)म्: !े वा व !"णी अिभ$येये श"द$चाश"द$च अथ
श"देनैवाश"दमािवि+,यते अथ त" ओिमित श"दोऽनेनो(व*मु-.ा0तोऽश"दे
िनधनमेित अथाहैषा गितरेतदमृतम् अत#सायु(य#वम् िनवृ%त'वम् तथा
चेित अथ यथोण%नािभ*त,तुनो.व%मु12ा,तोऽवकाशं लभती%येवं वा व
ख"वासाविभ(याता ओिम$यनेनो)व+मु$-ा/तः !वात%&यं लभते अ"यथा
परे श"दवा&दनः: !वणा%&'योगेना-त/0दयाकाशश4दमाकण0य6-त
स"िवधेयं त"योपमा यथा न"ः िकि#णी कां$यच'कभेक िवःक%&'दका
वृि$िन&वाते वदतीित तं पृथ$ल&णमती+य परेऽश&देऽ(य*+ !"#य%तं
गताः त" तेऽपृथ'धिम+णोऽपृथ.'ववे0या यथा स"प$ा मधु$वं नानारसा
इ"येवं !ाह: !े !"िण वे#दत&ये श"द$% परां च यत् ।
श"द$%िण िन#णातः परं !"ािधग'छित ॥ २२॥
meaning:
And thus it has been said elsewhere: Two Brahmans have
to be meditated on, the Word and the non-Word. By the
Word alone is the non-Word revealed. Here, the Word-
 Brahman is the syllable OM̐ ; ascending upward by it,
one arrives at absorption in the non-Word Brahman
(where all words and all what is meant by them ceases).
This indeed is the way, this is immortality (अमृतम्), this is
union (सायु#य$वम्), and this is bliss (िनवृ%त'वम्). And as the
spider, moving upward by the means of his thread, gains
free space, thus assuredly indeed, he who meditates,
moving upward by the syllable OM̐ , gains independence
(!वात%&यं).

Others expound the Word-Brahman in a different way. By

closing the ears with the thumbs, they listen to the sound of
the ether within the heart. They compare it to seven noises,
like rivers, like a bell, like a brazen vessel, like the wheels of
a carriage, like the croaking of frogs, like rain, and as if a
man speaks in a cavern (sheltered place).
Having passed beyond these variously apprehended sounds,
and having settled in the Supreme, soundless (non-Word),
unmanifested Brahman, they become undistinguished and
undistinguishable (i.e. without individual qualities & without
individual differences), just as various flavours of the different
flowers are lost in the taste of honey. And thus it is said:
'Two Brahmans are to be known, the Word-Brahman and the
Highest Brahman; he who is perfect in the Word-Brahman,
attains the Highest Brahman.'

Purva Mimamsa (school of investigation/reflection on earlier Vaidik

texts) deals with Śabda Brahman ('cosmic sound or word') which is
endowed with names and forms and is projected in Vaidik
revelations (the mantras, hymns, prayers etc.). Vedanta deals
with Parama Brahman ('the Ultimate Reality') which is
transcendent and devoid of names and forms. One has to become
well established in Śabda Brahman before realizing Parama
Brahman.

According to the Scriptures, though Brahman is one and eternal, it

is known as Supreme Consciousness (Parā Brahman) and Sonic
Consciousness (Śabda Brahman). The proper knowledge and
understanding of Sonic Consciousness leads to the attainment of
Supreme Consciousness.
AUM̐ (ॐ) & COSMOLOGY

Previously it was described how Vāk / Śabda (symbolized by &

symbolic of Om̐ ) were linked to creation of the universe. The point
of view of Kashmir Shaivism (Trika school) is now described, as
this particular school lays special emphasis on sound, word &
speech (hence important to understand from the standpoint of Om̐ ,
which is itself a syllable).
Trika Shaivism Viewpoint
Tantra uses a lot of symbolism & visualization to link creation & the
spiritual quest with words & sound. It must be remembered that the
ancient tradition of imparting & receiving knowledge, was based on
the medium of sound & words, and not on books & reading/writing.
In pre-Vaidik times, knowledge was transferred orally, resulting in
a natural emphasis on words & sound (Śabda & Dhvani).

In the Trika Shaivism of Kashmir also, creation is linked to

sound. In this too, the descent of Divine Shakti (Energy), into
manifestation, is linked to Om̐ .
To understand this, it is relevant to understand the concept of
creation in Kashmir Shaivism.

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.

Initially, in the transcendental quiescent Brahman (Paramātmā) or

Paramashiva, there was neither Śabda (i.e. word) or Artha (i.e.
objects) nor Pratyaya (i.e. mental comprehension). Therefore,
there was neither name (Nāma) nor form (Rūpa) in the realm of
Brahman. Shiva is one. When joined (or associated) with Shakti, in
latent, subtle form as Chaitanya (Anādirupa), during the great
dissolution (Mahapralaya), He is known as Nirguna Shiva (i.e.
Paramashiva or Nirguna Brahman). Shiva continues to be always
indistinguishably bound with Shakti, as they are integral (the
concept of their being “joined” is only a figurative way of describing
two ends of the one single ‘pole’ – in order to describe the bi-polar
aspects of Shiva (the static Pure Consciousness – Prakaśa) &
Shakti or Parā-Shakti (the dynamic Self-consciousness – Vimarśa).

But even in that state of Nirguna Brahman, there is a potential

stress that exists in seed form, though it is dormant. This initial
Causal stress is called Parā-śabda or Parā-vāk (this is beyond
the normal mind and senses), while the manifested Śabda is
Apara-Śabda or commonly known as simply Śabda (this is subtle
& gross sound).

Parā-vāk is that sound, which is the core of the soundless,

utterly still Consciousness (in which potential stress is still
dormant). This is the Divine “Word”.
Parā-vāk is Om̐ .
Parā-śabda or Parā-vāk is thus not sound, but a dormant state of a
potential agitation in the Cosmic Śakti; this agitation occurs when
the hitherto existing equilibrium (Sāmyāvasthā) of Prakṛti is broken,
upon the ripening of the Saṃskāras (or aggregate of Karmas).

Creation proceeds from Laya to Sṛṣti. Laya (dissolution) is the

state of potential stresses (as Śabda is stress, so potential or
causal stress is Parā-śabda or Parā-vāk). These potential or
causal stresses are lying dormant, before creation, as Śakti-
Chidrūpini or Chinmātrarūpini or Chit. Why this state of equilibrium
of forces, gets disturbed to commence ‘creation’ is a riddle. Is it the
Will of God? Is it His Leela (sport)? One usually accepted reason
is that when the aggregate of Karmas ripen for fruition, a new Sṛṣti
begins, in order to give the appropriate Karma-phala to Jivās.
Nevertheless, the potential or causal stresses pass into Sṛṣti,
which is a system of kinetic stresses.
The Śabda or acoustic aspect, of this tendency of potential
stress to pass into kinetic stress, or the change from Laya to
Sṛṣti, is the Pranava or “Om̐ ”.

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.

Upon ripening of the aggregate of Karmas, Shakti experiences

Spanda, which gives rise to Iccha Shakti. This Iccha or “will to
create” manifests as Ucchunavastha, the “inclination to create”.
Paramashiva, by virtue of His integral Shakti becoming inclined
(Ucchuna) to creation, is at this stage, considered to be Sakalā
Shiva (i.e. associated with Kalā, a form of Shakti, which is now
actively engaged in Sṛṣti Kalpana or ideation of creation).

This step, in the process of manifestation, called Srsti-kalpanā

(Cosmic Ideation) is that in which Jñāna-shakti first merely
formulates, as thought, the outlines of the limited universe which is
about to emerge from consciousness, and which is called the
“thinkable” (Mantavya). When the Unmani Shakti begins with
formulating as mere thought, the “thinkable” (Mantavya), she is
called Samani Shakti. This Samanā Shakti Herself is called
Vyāpinī when She operates as the Power, which withdraws into
Herself all “thinkables”, which are Her creation. She resides in the
Shakti-Tattva. It is again the same Samanā Herself, who is called
Shakti when Her operation is chiefly creative in regard to her own
“thinkables”. She resides in the Shakti-Tattva, and is also called
Āñjani because of Her being associated with the “thinkable”.

So, Sakalā Shiva is Shiva Tattva. Shakti is Shakti Tattva, wherein

are Samani, Vyāpinī, and Āñjani Shaktis. Parā-Shakti is latent or
dormant initially, when it is associated with the inert Shiva Tattva,
both forming Paramashiva.

As John Woodrofe says, “When the Supreme Shiva, beyond whom

there is nought, who is in the nature of unchanged and
unchangeable illumination, moves forth by His will (Svātantrya
shakti), such (willing movement as) Shakti though in fact,
inseparable from Him, is called Unmanā; Her place is the Shiva-
Tattva.” The Shiva Tattva associated with Unmani

Shakti is called Sakalā or Saguna Shiva.

The Sakalā Shiva or Saguna Brahman is said to be responsible
for creation. Saguna Shiva is the Self-sufficient (svatantra,
svayampūrna) energised conscious Being, out of whom creation is
evolved. Shakti is imagined to be issued from Sakalā Shiva (or
Saguna Brahman) i.e. it passes from the potential state to the
kinetic state of actuality. This Shakti (equivalent to Prakriti)
comprises of the three Gunas, namely Sattva, Rajas & Tamas.
This “thinkable” or Mantavya universe moves, through Parā Nāda
(which is Kriyā-shakti-rūpa), towards the “speakable” (Vāchya).
From the union of Shiva and Shakti arises Srsti-kalpanā (creative
ideation). This union and mutual relation is called Parā Nāda. As
the relation is not some substantial thing apart from Shiva or
Shakti, Parā Nāda (Sadākhya Tattva), is really Shiva-Shakti
passing from the state of mere potency, into that of the first
ideating movement, from which at length, when finally perfected,
the whole universe is evolved. In a figurative manner of speaking,
Parā Nāda is the Viparita Maithuna (inverse copulation) between a
Niṣkryā Shiva & Sakṛyā Shakti; this is also mentioned as Mitha-
samavāyah (union with each other) between Shiva & Shakti.

From Parā Nāda comes Parā Bindu or Mahābindu (Īśvara Tattva).

Consciousness identified with Parā Bindu, is characterised by a
predominance of activity (Kriyā-prādhānya-lakśaṇā). In these
forms (Parā Nāda & Parā Bindu) of Shakti or Tattvas, the germ of
action (Kriyā Shakti) sprouts towards its full manifestation.

The changes described above are only different moments in the

transcendentality of Shiva (or Brahman), without any real ‘change’
or ‘vikāra’; these, based on Śāradā Tilaka Tantram, are shown in
the diagram below (it is appropriate not to understand the
sequence shown as a process circumscribed by time):
 EVOLUTION – Stage 1
(DIFFERENT MOMENTS in TRANSCENDENTALITY
– NO REAL CHANGE or VIKĀRA in SHIVA)

The growth of the universe, is a pulsing forth (due to Sāmanya-

spanda), of the Bindu or Ghanībhūta-Śakti or a ‘metaphysical
Point of Stress’, holding potentially within Itself, all into which it
subsequently evolves. From the standpoint of Consciousness, it is
the first stage of “Seeing” (Īkṣaṇa) that is Cosmic Ideation (Sṛṣti-
kalpanā) on the Part of Īśvara.

This Bindu or Ghanībhūta-Shakti stirs forth (prasareti) as the

multiple forces of the universe (for details, see Notes on Shiva
Sutra & Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism). This multiplicity of forces
(or energies) is the world-experience of samsāra, with its duality of
subject and object, and is the cause of bondage for the Jīvātmā.
This is creation (Sṛṣti) or, more appropriately termed, seeming
development (Pariṇāma). In dissolution (or Mahāpralaya), the
Śabda-Brahman, as an ullāsa of Shiva sinks, as it were, into the
eternally existing Calm, just as the rising wave breaks itself and
sinks upon the ocean, or as the spray of a fountain falls again into
the waters which feed it.

It is thus clear that all things were held in an undifferentiated mass,

in the Great Womb (Mahāyoni) of the Mother of all (Aṃbikā); the
Union of Will and Word was the potency of creation. This Potency
became actual as the manifested universe, pervading both mind &
matter, which are nothing but it’s temporal forms. Likewise, at the
time of dissolution, Shakti, as the universe, re-enters Brahman and
remains one with It (Chit) as Chidrūpiṇī.

Different parts of AUM̐ are said to represent different aspects of

Creation through the system of Ābhāsa:
[Ābhāsa is a system in the Pratyabhijna school of philosophy in
Kashmir Shaivism, wherein the universe appears as a “slight
manifestation” or reflection in the mirror of Supreme
Consciousness (Paramashiva), Samvit; however, unlike in a
physical mirror, the reflection is not formed by any external object,
but by the Supreme Consciousness (Paramashiva), Samvit Itself,
by the power of will or the Svātantrya shakti of the Supreme
Consciousness (Paramashiva), Samvit. The difference between
this reflected consciousness in Pratyabhijna vis-à-vis Advaita
Vedanta is that while in the latter, the universe appears as an
illusion imposed on consciousness due to ignorance (avidyā), in
the former, the universe is said to be ‘real’, though it is made up of
Ābhāsa-s, which are nothing but the “slight manifestation” of
Paramashiva (Supreme Consciousness) appearing as reflections
of Paramashiva (as empirical objects) by the free will (Svātantrya
shakti) of Paramashiva]
When Bindu causes diversity (Pṛthagh-bhāva) to manifest, it is
called M-kara (the final letter of AUM̐ ) and moves in Maya-tattva.
When Shakti creates objects (Prameya) as separate existences,
She is called U-kara (the second letter of AUM̐ ) and resides in
Prakriti-tattva.
When the creation of Tattvas has come to an end because
objectivity is completely revealed, Shakti as Mantra-Kalā (Mantra)
is called A-kara (the first letter of AUM̐ )."
This is another way of describing how AUM̐ represents the
manifestation of the objective universe.
In simple language, potency and readiness to create, (Shakti
Tattva), becomes for the first time active as Parā Nāda, and then
more so as Parā Bindu, which is a further development of Kriyā
shakti.

Parā Bindu or Śabda Brahman is the first creative aspect of the

Great God, Paramashiva. Through the instrumentality of Kalā, the
Bindu divides itself into three, viz., Sthula (gross) Sūkshma (subtle)
and Parā (supreme); these differentiations of conscious energy in
three forms, are Bindu, the parent of will or volition, Bija, the
parent of perception or cognition, and Nāda, the parent of action
which springs out of a combination of cognition and volition.

It is said in Śvetāśvatara Upanishad (6.8) of Krishna Yajur

Veda:

न त"य काय$ करणं च िव#ते

न त"सम%चा(यिधक%च !"यते ।
परा$य शि#िव%िवधैव !ूयते
!वाभािवक' !ानबलि'या च ॥ ८॥
meaning:
The Lord has no body or organs. None is His equal and
none is His superior either. He possesses all powers of
knowledge and action which are natural to Him. This has
been confirmed by the scriptures

In volition there is the play of desire, born of ignorance; in it,

therefore, Tamas, that is, the blinding potency (Guna) of Prakriti,
predominates. In cognition there is the light of knowledge; in it,
Sattva, the revealing or enlightening potency of Prakriti,
predominates. And in action, Rajas, the active or exciting potency
of Prakriti, predominates. They represent Rudra, Vishnu and
Brahma, the Destroyer, the Preserver and the Creator, of Hindu
theology, the differentiated triple aspect of Paramashiva or
Mahāmāya, who are one.

This differentiation of Parā Bindu or Śabda-Brahman is shown

below:
 EVOLUTION – Stage 2
DIFFERENTIATION of ŚABDA BRAHMAN

After showing above, the changes in Shakti (Energy) from latent

(as Parā Shakti) to active (as Parā Nāda) to even more Ucchuna
(as Parā Bindu), until, on further differentiation, it begins to acquire
Gunas, we now come to the concomitant transformation of energy
into matter, or the evolution of the physical universe of objects.

From the Parā Bindu or Śabda Brahman, evolves the endless

diversified creation, with which we are acquainted, from the
subtlest conscious energy, Mahat or intelligence, to the grossest
energy constituting the physical world; this is shown below:
 EVOLUTION – Stage 3
ENERGY to MATTER

The scheme of creation, presented in the foregoing 3 figures, is

based on Acharya Lakshmandesikendra’s Śāradā Tilaka Tantram
(verses 7 to 26). Acharya Lakshmandesikendra was a disciple of
Utpalācharyā; he was a Shākta from the school of Kashmir
Shaivism, and his work was considered of great authority amongst
the followers of Shāktism in Bengal. The scheme of creation
presented above (and in Śāradā Tilaka Tantram) is a cross
between the Samkhyan dualism of Purusha & Prakriti on one hand,
and Vedantic monism of Nirguna Brahman & Māyā on the other
hand. This Shaiva explanation sticks to monism (Advaitavād) by
considering Shiva-Shakti as a single integral entity, being
responsible for creation, while allowing the concept of Svātantrya
Shakti (Vimarśa) – Spanda – Ucchuna Shakti etc to explain the
dynamic input for creation.
The process of creation shown in the foregoing three diagrams
(based on Śāradā Tilaka Tantram) are now explained below:

From Śabda Brahman or the Conscious Cosmic Sound, the

conscious cosmic energy stirred up to the point of diversifying
creative potentiality, evolves Mahat or cosmic intelligence, from the
Mahat, Ahamkāra or cosmic feeling as ‘I’, one universal ego out of
which the diversified world of subjects and objects is to evolve, the
Samashti Puruśa comprehending in Himself, the world of subjects
and objects.
For the fulfilment of the “I” – sense, necessitated by the creative
urge, come from the evolution of this Ahamkāra, the universal
deities presiding (sense-Gods) over the universal indriyas (the
senses) for the cognition of the universal sense-objects. All these
objects are considered to be of the same origin (from same
Tanmātras), though differing only in degree of cohesion or
consolidation, thus giving rise to different properties, resulting in
different cognition of distinctive properties by the senses,
interpreting them as different objects. They are all manifestations
of energy, and in their subtle forms are characters (‘essential
characters’, called Tanmātras) rather than objects of different
matter with different characters.
The subtlest of the Tanmātras is Śabda (sound), a mere vibration
or pulsation of energy. From it evolves, in the grosser scale,
Akāsha or space, the seat of all material vibrations. The next of the
Tanmātras, evolving out of Śabda, is Sparsha (touch), the
character which constitutes the root of all perceptions, for all
perceptions are primarily the feelings of touch of the perceiver with
the objects perceived. It is the vitality or life-principle underlying all
perceptions. Out of it evolves, in the still grosser field, Vāyu, or
vital airs, which in the material body, constitutes its life.
From the Sparsha Tanmātra, evolves the Rūpa Tanmātra, the
principle of visibility or luminosity, which gives the visible
appearance (rūpa) to objects, and from it evolves, in more grosser
scale, heat and light (tejas). The next in order is Rasa Tanmātra or
the principle of fluidity, which gives to every object its distinctive
rasa or taste, and from which evolve all liquids and gases. The last
is the Gandha Tanmātra, the principle of solidity, which has the
distinctive characteristic of smell, and out of which, the solid earth
is evolved.
These five Bhūtas (existents) as they are called, are forms of
Shakti or energy, and are called as:
a) The energy in Akāsha (space) is called Shāntītīta, the Very
Quiescent.
b) The energy in Vāyu (vital air) is Shānti, the Quiescent.
c) The energy in Tejas (heat & light) is Vidya, the Enlightener.
d) The energy in Apa (the fluids) is Pratishtha, the Stay.
e) The energy in Ksiti (Earth ) is called Nivritti, the Final.

All these evolve from Nāda, the conscious energy in vibration,

which is personified in Brahmā, the Creator or Kriyā-shakti (action-
energy), which is the resultant of the coalescence of Rudra, the
Iccha-shakti (volition-energy), and Vishnu or the Jnāna-shakti
(cognition-energy).

It may be re-iterated that when Śruti says Śabda underlies,

precedes and enters Jagat, then Śabda is not used in the sense of
sound, but as the causal stress or initial Spanda, which, from the
subjective aspect, is Icchā-shakti.

It is further said in Śāradā Tilaka Tantram (1.27, 1.28 & 1.29):

प"भूता%मक( सव# चराचरिमदं जगत् ।

अचरा ब"धा िभ#ा िग#रवृ'ादीभेदत: ।। २७ ।।
चरा$तु ि"िवधा: !ो!ा !वेदांडजजरायुजा: ।
!वेदजा: ि"िमक%टाघा अंडजा: प"गादय: ।। २८ ।।
जरायुजा मनु$याघा(तेषु नॄणां िनगघते ।
उ"व पुंि%यो(ोगात् शु#शोिणतसंयुतात् ।। २९ ।।
meaning:
Universe of mobile & immovable objects is composed of the
Five Bhūtas. Immovable objects are divided into countless
forms such as mountains, trees etc.
&
Movable objects are of three kinds: Svedajā-s (moisture or
sweat born), Andaja-s (egg born) & Jarāyuja-s or Yonijā-s
(womb born). First one is worms etc, second one is serpents
etc.
&
 Third one is human beings etc. Out of these, human beings
come because of the union of man & a woman (Śukra &
Śonita).

It should be noted that things are divided into moving and

non-moving (चर-अचर or !थावर-जं!म) and not into living
and non-living things. The Hindus have always known plants
to be living, although non-moving, and have always been
averse to classify any objects as absolutely non-living. They
have rather the idea that there is life or sensation in every
thing, however much obscure or crude it may be. Everything
in the universe, they suppose, is made up of a conscious
factor and an unconscious factor, the conscious factor
manifesting itself as the living subject capable of sensation,
and the unconscious factor manifesting itself as the object of
sensation through sight, touch and so forth. This point has
been tersely put by Hindu philosophers as “drishyatvat
jadatvam”, meaning that the fact of being unconscious
comes from the fact of being an object of perception. Thus
such parts of a man, as are capable of being seen, heard,
touched, tasted or smelt, or becoming in any way objects of
perception, make up the unconscious factor in him, and the
parts of him which can perceive the sensations of sight and
so forth, constitute his conscious factor. And it is the blending
of these two, the conscious factor and the unconscious factor,
which constitutes life. The world is evolved out of energised
consciousness, Saguna or Sakalā Shiva, that is,
Consciousness in intimate association with Gunas or Prakriti
(or unconsciousness). Hence no part of it is absolutely
devoid of consciousness, just as no part of it is absolutely
devoid of unconsciousness. And through this intimate
association of the two, there is life or sensibility everywhere,
whether we detect it or not.

Śāradā Tilaka Tantram (1.31) goes on to describe the entry of

Ātmā in the body:

पूव$कमा$नु*पेण मोहपाशेन यि#$त: ।

कि#$दा'मा तदा त"#मन् जीवभावं !पघते ।।
meaning:
 In accordance with the past karmas, some soul enters the
body (created by the mixture of male sperm - Śukra & the
female egg - Śonita), bound by deluding avidya, to enjoy the
karma-phalas as a Jiva

Into the womb enters a Bindu (drop), which is male, female or

neuter, and a combination of ovum and sperm. And then an Ātmā
controlled by the chain of nescience in consonance with previous
karmas, assumes Jivāhood (the state of individualised existence),
into the body thus created. This Ātmā is Consciousness itself, and
eternal, and with whom there is no such thing as being born or
dying.

It is said that the primordial sound Om̐ generates the cosmic

energy, which spreads like circles in the pond, and becomes
the Mahat, the immediate progenitor of the universe. Nāda is
the mother (originator) of five subtle elements, five gross
elements, five motor organs, five sensory organs, four
karanas, three gunas and others.

Creation from Mantra Shastra Perspective

There is yet another perspective from which to view this
differentiation of Parā Bindu in onward creation:
From the Mantra aspect, as the source of Śabda, the Parā Bindu
or Mahābindu, as it differentiates to “create” is called the Śabda
Brahman. This Śabda Brahman is thus the immediate creative
source of the manifold Śabda and Artha. Śabda Brahman or
Sound Brahman is the manifest Brahman of sounds in all
breathing creatures. Śabda finds expression in various creatures
according to the level and sophistication of Sound Consciousness
of Śabda Brahman in each species.

Śabda, which literally means Sound, is in its causal state (Parā-

śabda) known as “Supreme Speech” (Parā-Vāk), which is denoted
by AUM̐ . As mentioned above, from Parā-Vāk comes Śabda-
Brahman or Logos – that aspect of Reality or Consciousness (Chit),
in which It is the immediate cause of creation; that is of the
dichotomy in Consciousness which is “I” (Aham) and “This,” (Idam),
subject and object, mind and matter. This condition of causal
Śabda is the Cosmic Dreamless State (Suṣhupti). This Śabda-
Brahman or Logos awakening from its Causal Sleep “sees”
(Īkṣaṇa) i.e., creatively ideates the universe (Sṛṣti-kalpanā), and is
then known as Pashyanti-Śabda. As Consciousness “sees” or
ideates, forms arise in the Creative Mind, which are themselves
impressions (Saṃskāra) carried over from previous worlds, which
have since ceased to exist by virtue of previous dissolutions
(pralaya). These Saṃskāra or aggregate of Karmas arise again as
the formless Consciousness awakes to enjoy once again,
sensuous life in the world of forms.

The Cosmic Mind is at first itself both cognising subject (Grāhaka)

and cognised object (Grāhya); for it has not yet projected its
thought into the plane of Matter. The mind as subject-cogniser is
Śabda and the mind as the object cognised, that is the mind in the
form of subtle object is Artha. This Śabda called Madhyamā-Śabda
is an “Inner Naming” or “Hidden Speech.”

There is at this stage a differentiation of Consciousness into

subject and object but the latter is now within, and forms part of the
self. This is the state of Cosmic Dreaming (Svapna).

The Cosmic Mind then projects these mental images on to the

material plane and there they become materialised as gross
physical objects (Sthūla Artha) which make impressions, from
without, on the mind of the created consoiousness. This is the
Cosmic Waking stage (Jagrat). At this last stage the thought
movement expresses itself through the vocal organs in contact
with the air as uttered speech (Vaikhari-Śabda) made up of letters,
syllables and sentences. This lettered sound is manifested Śabda
or Name (Nāma) and the physical objects denoted by speech are
the gross Artha or Form (Rūpa).

The mute or Internal sound (Parā-Vāk) of Causal Brahman (or

Nirguna Brahman) is 'vowel letters' and the manifest Sound of
effect Brahman (or Saguna Brahman) is 'consonant letters',
according to Tantra Shastra. Vowels are called bija & consonants
are called yoni. Vowels are called bija because no compound can
be made out of them. Consonants are called yoni because they
are productive letters, and have the potentiality of making
compound and addition (योिगक) letters. The cosmic creation is a
consonantal expression of Saguna Brahman.

Vowels are known as Shiva-form and consonants as Shakti-form.

“a” (अ) is the first letter of the vowels, because it is the acoustic
root of creation. This is why when ‘Brahm’ (!") is with “a” (अ), it
becomes ‘Brahma’ (!"ा), the creator of the universe.

There is another mystic idea relating creation & the creator to

alphabets. When the Vimarśa aspect of Shakti tattva in Nirguna
Brahman, experiences the pratham spanda & is overpowered by
the desire of creation, it is transformed into Saguna Brahman.
Nirguna Brahman is mystically represented by a vertical line ( I ),
while Saguna Brahman is symbolically represented by a horizontal
line (–). When both are combined, they take the form of a cross
( + ). In the ancient Brahmi script, alphabet “ka” (क), which is the
first letter of the consonants, was written as a cross ( ), and
subsequently, for the convenience of writing “ka” without a break, it
took the present form of Devnagari (क).

Śabda Brahman is also referred to as Brahman of Sounds or

Sonoric Brahman.

As shown in the figure above, Parā Bindu is the Śabda Brahman.

Śabda Brahman or Parā Bindu is present both in the individual self
and the Cosmic Self. All the sounds have their origin in Śabda
Brahman or Parā Bindu, both in the individual and in the Cosmos.

Arthur Avalon says in the introduction to Prapanchasāra Tantra,

that the wise know “sound” to be Śabda Brahman and it permeates
all substances and in the animal body, exists as the five elements
(Panchabhūtātmakadeha).

It is said in Śārada Tilaka Tantram (verses 1.108 & 1.109):

सा !सूते क"#डिलनी श"द$%मयी िवभु: ।

शि#$ ततो !विन%त%मा)ाद%त%माि)रोिधका ।। १०८ ।।
ततोऽध%&द()ततो िब#द%&त&मादासीत् परा तत: ।
पशय$%त म"यमा वािच वैखरी श"दज%मभू: ।
इ"छा%ानि(या*माऽसौ तेजो#पा गुणा%&मका ।। १०९ ।।
meaning:
 Śabda-Brahmamayi, that Kundalini, delivers Shakti. From
this comes Dhvani; from Dhvani emanates Nāda & then
Nirodhikā (or Nirodhini).
&
From Nirodhikā comes Ardhendu (half-moon); from
Ardhendu comes Bindu; and from Bindu, Parā. Thereafter,
Paśyanti, Madhyama & Vaikhari sounds. She is in the form
of Iccha (Will), Jnāna (Knowledge) & Kriyā (Action).

On the differentiation of Śabda Brahman (also called Iśvara or

Sakalā Shiva or Saguna Brahman), arises the “unmanifest sound”
(Avyakta-rava), the Hidden Word from which, all manifest speech,
and the objects which it denotes, are derived. This is the state of
Supreme Śabda (Parā śabda), the evolution of which is called
Parā-śabda-sṛṣṭI (or the birth of Supreme Sound).

Śabda Brahman appears as Kundalini Shakti in individual

bodies; it resides in the Mūladhara chakra in the body, and this
Shakti can be aroused by Mantras. Kundalini is thus said to be
Śabda-Brahmamayi-Kundalini (or Kundalini that pervades
Śabda-Brahman).
It is said in the above verse that from Kuṇdalinī issued Shakti, from
Shakti, Dhvani and so on. From the order of evolution it appears
that Dhvani in such Śāstra is a subtle causal principle, and not a
gross manifestation of Śabda, which is its ordinary sense.

When the Śabda-Brahman moves forth with great strength, then

the very first sound, like the vibration produced by a sounding bell
is called Nādanta (or Mahānāda - "Great or final melody"). It
resides in Sadashiva-tattva. When Shakti fills up the whole of the
universe with Nādanta, then She is called Nāda. And this also is
Sadashiva-tattva because of the equality of "I" (Aham, subject) and
"This" (Idam, object). When Nāda, having ceased to operate in its
universal scope, does so limitedly, then it is called Nirodhini
("cessation" or “extinction”). This Shakti rests in Sadashiva-tattva.

So, Nāda is threefold, as Mahanāda or Nādanta and Nirodhini (or

Nirodhika) representing the first moving forth of the Śabda-
Brahman as Nāda, the filling up of the whole universe with
Nādanta, and the specific tendency towards the next state of
unmanifested Śabda respectively. Nāda, in its three forms, is in the
Sadāshiva or Sadākhya Tattva.

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.

When Nāda becomes slightly operative towards the "speakable"

(Vachya), (the former operation being in regard to the thinkable
(Mantavya), it is called Arddhacandra (or Ardhendu), which
develops into Bindu. Both of these are in Iśvara-tattva.

The Parā-Bindu or Mahābindu is threefold as the Kāma-kalā.

The undifferentiated Śabda-Brahman or Brahman as the
immediate cause of the manifested Śabda and Artha is a unity of
consciousness (Chaitanya) which then expresses itself in three-
fold function as the three Shaktis, Iccha, Jñana, Kriya; the three
Gunas, Sattva, Rajas, Tamas; the three Bindus (Karya) which are
Sun, Moon and Fire; the three Devatas, Rudra, Vishnu, Brahma
and so forth. These are the product of the union of Prakaśa and
Vimarśa Shakti. This Triangle of Divine Desire is the Kāma-kalā,
or Creative Will and its first subtle manifestation, the Cause of the
Universe which is personified as the Great Devi Tripurasundari,
the Kameshvara and Kameshvari, the object of worship in the
Agamas.

Kāma-kalā-vilāsa is the vilāsa or manifestation of Kāma-kalā, the

union of Shiva and Shakti, the great "I" (Aham) which develops
through the inherent power of its thought-activity (Vimarśa-Shakti)
into the universe, unknowing as Jiva its true nature and the secret
of its growth through Avidya Shakti. Here then there appears the
duality of subject and object; of mind and matter, of the word
(Śabda) and its meaning (Artha). The one is not the cause of the
other; but each is inseparable from, and concomitant with, the
other. They proceed from the undifferentiated Śabda-Brahman.
The one cosmic movement produces at the same time, the mind
and the object which it cognizes; names (Nāma) and language
(Śabda) on the one hand, and forms (Rūpa) or object (Artha) on
the other.
Shakti is Śabda-Brahman ready to create both Śabda and
Artha on the differentiation of the Parā Bindu into the Kāma-
kalā, which is the root (Mūla) of all Mantras.
Śabda-Brahman is ‘Supreme Speech’ (Parā-Vāk) or ‘Supreme
Śabda’ (Parā-Śabda) i.e. Om̐ . It was mentioned above that the
change from Nirguna Brahman (which was said to be equivalent to
Parā-Vāk) to Śabda-Brahman is not a ‘real’ change due to any
Vikāra (alteration or transformation), but it is only a difference in
transcendentality & inertness/activity of Brahman (Shiva-Shakti).
But while Nirguna Brahman is said to be denoted by the
‘silence’ i.e. the fourth part (Amātra or Turiya) after the
utterance of AUM̐ , the Śabda-Brahman is said to be denoted
by letter “M” of AUM̐ . The reason for this is to represent the
fact that just as Śabda-Brahman carries the seed of
manifestation of the objective universe, in the same way, the
letter “M” of AUM̐ carries the seed of the manifestation of the
next utterance of AUM̐ .

From this fourth state of Śabda (i.e. Parā-Śabda corresponding to

Parā-Vāk), there are three others – Paśyanti, Madhyama and
Vaikhari, which are the Śabda aspect of the stages, whereby the
seed of formless consciousness explicates into the multitudinous
concrete ideas (expressed in language of the mental world), the
counterpart of the objective universe. However, for the last three
states of sound (namely Paśyanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari), a
body is required and, therefore, they only exist in the Jiva. In this
Jiva, the Śabda-Brahman is in the form of Kundalini Shakti in the
Mūladhara Chakra.

In Kundalini (in the Jiva’s body), is Parā-Śabda. This develops into

the "Matrkas" or "Little Mothers", which are the subtle forms of the
gross manifested letters (Varna). The letters make up syllables
(Pada) and syllables make sentences (Vākya), of which elements
the Mantra & language are composed. Evolution of Parā-Śabda in
the body is described below:
i) Parā-Śabda develops in Paśyanti Śabda or Shakti of general
movements (Sāmānya Spanda) located in the tract from the
Mūladhara to the Manipura associated with Manas.
ii) It then, in the tract upwards to the Anāhata, becomes
Madhyama or Hiranyagarbha sound with particularized
movement (Vishesha Spanda) associated with Buddhi-
Tattva.
iii) Vayu proceeding upwards to the throat expresses itself in
spoken speech which is Vaikhari or Virāt Śabda. Now the
Mantra issues from the mouth, and is heard by the ear.
Because the one cosmic movement produces the ideating mind,
and its accompanying Śabda and the objects cognized or Artha,
the creative force of the universe is identified with the Matrkas and
Varnas, and Devi is said to be in the forms of the letters from “A”
(अ) to “Ha” (ह), which are the gross expressions of the forces
called Matrka; which again are not different from, but are the same
forces that evolve into the universe of mind and matter. These
Varnas are, for the same reason, associated with certain vital and
physiological centers, which are produced by the same power that
gives birth to the letters. It is by virtue of these centers and their
controlled area in the body, that all the phenomena of human
psychosis run on, and keep man in bondage.

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).

There are multiple perspectives/contexts from which creation is

described. Some such standpoints have been already described.
The description, of Vāk as a basis of creation, can be
supplemented by examining the influence of Gunas on
Consciousness, as it passes through different stages of evolution.

To sum up: In the process of creation, three stages are to be

noted:
(1) the transcendental quiescent condition of Nishkalā (without
parts), Nirguna (without attributes), Nishpanda (without
movement) eternally changeless Brahman, which is
Aśabdaṃ, Asparśaṃ , Arupaṃ and so forth, as Śruti
negatively describes it. At this stage, there is neither any
Causal stress nor Śabda.
(2) the condition of cosmic stress is Śabda-Brahman or Saguna
Brahman. The stress is a play of Shakti in the Chidākāśa.
The Śabda-Brahman (equated to ‘M’ of AUM̐ ) is, in Itself,
unmanifested or Avyakta Śabda, which is the cause of
manifested or Vyakta Śabda, Artha and Pratyaya. Initially,
the undifferentiated Shiva-Shakti are represented by the
Bindu, which symbolizes the unmanifest potentiality of
Shakti (or Prakṛti). The Śabda-Brahman (or Saguna
 Brahman) rises up from the form of Bindu, when the
Supreme Bindu is differentiated due to the prevalence of
Kriyā Śakti in Prakṛti; it is then that the Bindu becomes
three-fold as Śabda (or Vāk), Artha (objects) & Pratyaya
(apprehension of objects). The Śabda aspect of Brahman is
Veda, and therefore, Śabda-Brahman is Veda.
(3) Śabda-Brahman reproduces itself gradually and partially as
countless finite centres of varied finite experiences of Nāma
and Rūpa. Hence forms, together with sounds, sights and
so forth, vary as do the Śabdas.
(4) Parā Bindu or Śabda Brahman, the undiversified infinite
conscious energy, out of whom evolves the diversified world
of subjects and objects, appears in the individual body as
Kundalini shakti or conscious spiral energy. She is the
conscious creative energy, the Mother of all things that
constitute the individual, the world of Śabda and Artha in
him. Śabda is the vibration, which gradually becomes
language and ultimately issues out of the vocal organs as
articulate sound. An Artha is the conceptual counterpart of a
Śabda, which has first a mental shape or thought-form and
ultimately assumes the form of an object perceptible to any
of the senses or the mind.
(5) It is for the reasons described above, that Creation is said
to be Śabda-prabhava. And all Śabda/sounds emanate
from Parā-Vāk or Om̐ . The sound which represents the
above mentioned primordial functioning of the
Brahmaśakti is the Mahābīja “Om̐ ” or Praṇava.

A word about the understanding of “creation” & various

descriptions of the same: Our mind by its constitution is
however led to think of creation as a gradual process. The
Samkhya starts with the oscillation of the Gunas
(Gunakshobha) upon which the Vikritis immediately appear.
Samkhya goes on to explain the creation of the world of objects
& beings, the Parinama, in terms of successive emanations (e.g.
Mahat to Ahamkara to Manas, Tanmatras & so on). Shakta
Tantra describes a Sadrishaparinama in the body of Iśvara,
which is the cause. The evolution, in this case, is not a real
Parinama (or a real change), but a transformation of like to like
(e.g. Śabda-Brahman, which is one form of Shakti, to Nāda to
Bindu, which are other forms of Shakti only & so on); in these,
there is no actual change in the nature of the entity dealt with,
as all are only different forms of the same unchanging Unity,
 though with different names. This Sadrishaparinama is
concerned with the evolution of what is named Parā Sound
(Parā-śabda-sṛṣti). This is Cosmic Sound (or AUM̐ ); the
causal vibration in the substance of Mulaprakriti which
gives birth to the Tattvas which are its Vikritis. ~ (Shakti &
Shakta: Essays & Addresses by Arthur Avalon).

AUM̐ (ॐ) & YANTRA SADHANA

As mentioned above, the transcendent Parā-vāk (which is Pure

Consciousness), being the cause of Cosmic Ideation (Sṛṣti-
kalpanā), manifests, by Īkśaṇa (seeing), as three phases of its
power (Shakti):
i) as Icchā-shakti (power of intent or will) – represented by
Pashyanti Vāk,
ii) as Jnāna-shakti (power of knowledge) – represented by
Madhyama Vāk (also called Hiraṇyagarbha Śabda, which
is the Mātṛkā state of Śabda)
iii) as Kriyā shakti (power of action) – represented by
Vaikharī Vāk.
In Tantra, the three - Pashyanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari – are
construed as the three sides of the triangle at the centre of which
is the dot-point (Bindu) representing the undifferentiated
notion of Parā-Vāk. The triangle with the Bindu at its centre
suggests the idea of Iśvara, the divinity conceived as non-dual
Shiva-Shakti. Worship of Shiva-Shakti, whether in the Nirguna or
Saguna form, can be conducted through Yantra Sadhana and/or
Mantra Sadhana. The principle underlying the structure of Sri
Chakra or Sri Yantra is briefly explained first (for details, see Shiva
Sutra & Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism):
Yantra Sadhana – Sri Chakra (or Sri Yantra)
Yantra is a geometrical depiction of divinity in the form of a
drawing, engraving, or painting on copper, silver, gold, birch, bone,
crystal, hide, paper or Saligrama. Mantra is the soul of the
Yantra; worship of Yantra pleases the Goddess.

Sri Yantra is a ‘Cosmogram’ – a graphic representation of the

processes of evolution (Sriśti) of the Universe emanating from its
core; and, re-absorption (Samhara) of the created existence back
into itself.
And, at the very core or the centre of the Sri Chakra is
the Bindu (or the Parā-Vāk, symbolised by Om̐ ), the
dimensionless point about to expand immensely.

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.

It is this Bindu (or the Parā-Vāk, symbolised by Om̐ ) that is, in

reality, the Sri Chakra; and, everything else is an expansion
and manifestation of its aspects.

If the Bindu represents the Parā-Vāk (symbolised by Om̐ ), its

immediate expanded form, the triangle formed by three points,
represents the Paśyanti, the second stage of the sound (Nāda).
The enclosure next to this, the eight sided figure (ashta-kona
chakra) is the Madhyama or the third stage in the development of
sound. The rest of the Chakra represents the physical or the
phenomenal stage, the Vaikhari, which is the manifest and
articulate form of sound. The Vaikhari form is represented by the
fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, called Matrka-s or the source
of all transactions and existence. (for details on Matrka, see Notes
on Shiva Sutra & Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism). So, the Sri
Yantra represents Brahman (in the form of Mother Goddess Maha
Tripurasundari) as the Bindu – Om̐ , expanded into forms of Shakti
as manifestation of the phenomenal world; sadhana of this Yantra
can lead one to worldly attainments, and also to the realization of
Brahman.
Of the Parā Bindu, it is said that It is the Lord (Īśvara), who is
worshipped, in secret, by all Devas, and is pointed to, in
different phases, as the Chandra-bindu, or Nāda, Bindu,
Shakti and Shanta of the Om̐ and other Blja Mantras.

AUM̐ (ॐ) – THE MAHA-BIJA

Two concepts were mentioned earlier:

i) Śabda is not limited to subtle or gross “sound”; it manifests
as Śabda Tanmātra (which is the subtle form not audible to
ordinary human ear) or as Apara Śabda (known simply as
Śabda, which is the gross form audible to the human ear)
ii) If you can hear a sound, and name it after the way it sounds,
then that is the Natural Name of that sound or the object
which produced the sound.

The first vibration, which took plaoe at the ‘commencement’

of creation, that is, on the disturbance of equilibrium
(Vaiṣamyāvasthā) was a general movement (Sāmānya-
Spanda) in the whole mass of Prakṛti. This was the Praṇava-
Dhvani of Om̐ Sound. It may be remembered that the original
‘Praṇava-Dhvani of Om̐ ’ is necessarily not the same as the sound
of Om̐ , as we hear it today, for the current reproduction of Om̐
sound is not the same as the Natural Name of that sound, but only
an approximate representation heard by the gross ear & uttered by
the gross equipment of human body & it’s parts; it is not even the
same as the subtle sound of that first movement, which is
continually taking place, heard by the Yogins in samādhi.

Generalised first movement (Sāmānya-Spanda) accompanied by

generalised sound (of Om̐ ), symbolic of the equilibrium of Prakṛti
(or Shakti) & Gunas, soon give way to special movements (Viśesa-
Spanda), in turn giving rise to special sounds. For example, If a
vessel of water is shaken, there is first a general movement of the
whole water in the vessel. Next, there are particular movements in
every part of the water, now this way, now that way. Similarly, the
evenly balanced Guṇas or factors of Prakṛti equally vibrate
throughout their whole mass, and as the movement continues, the
equilibrium is disturbed and the Guṇas act and re-act on one
another. Diverse vibratory conditions being set up, diverse sounds
are given forth.
The first equally distributed motion throughout the mass is
Om̐ , which is the great seed-mantra (Maha-bīja), for it is the
source of all others and of all compounded sounds.

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 Praṇava-Mantra is thus the Sound Equivalent of Brahman

and the Bīja-Mantras are the various forms with attribute
(Saguṇa-rūpa) of the Devas and Devīs.

A Bija Mantra or seed mantra is, strictly speaking, a Mantra of a

single letter, terminated in letter ‘M’ (or sound “mmm”) in the form
of nasal breathing (anunasika) called Chandra-Bindu (◌ँ), which is
Nāda & Bindu. The ‘M’, which ends the Bīja, is sounded nasally,
high up in the bridge of the nose, and never reaches the lips.
Though strictly the Bīja is of one letter as the seed from which the
Mantra springs, popularly other short unetymological vocables
suoh as Hrīm, Śrīm, Krīm, Hūm, Aiṃ, Phat are also called Bījas. In
these there are two or more letters, such as in the first H, R, I and
Chandra-Bindu. Thus a Mantra may, or may not, convey, on its
face, its meaning. Each Devatā has His or Her Bīja. Thus the
Devatās of Krīm, Hrīm ̣ and Raṃ are Kālī, Māyā and Agni
respectively. The primary Mantra used in the worship of any
Devatā or Devī is known as the Root Mantra (Mūlamantra). All
letters are forms of Shakti as Sound-powers. The Mantra of a
Devatā is the Devatā.

It follows from the above that Om̐ is the Bija Mantra of

Brahman.
Om̐ is the most prominent example of a "meaningless" Mantra,
that is, one which does not bear its meaning on its face, and of
what is called a seed or Bija Mantra, because it is the very
quintessence of Mantra, and the seed (Bija) of the fruit which is
Siddhi (spiritual achievement).

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 .

From Om̐ are evolved the Bijas (seeds) of the Bhutas:

हं - Haṃ - Ether or Space or Akāsha
यं - Yaṃ - Air or Vayu
रं - Raṃ - Fire or Agni
वं - Vaṃ - Water or Varuna
लं - Laṃ - Earth or Prithvi
Other Bijas also evolve from Om̐ :
!" - Hriṃ - Māyā or Pranava of the differentiating Shakti
etc.

Ordinary mortals do not directly hear the above Śabdas/sounds. It

is, however, said that yogis who have accomplished
Shatchakrabheda or piercing of the six centres by Kuṇdalini shakti,
may, directly apprehend the Bījas Om̐ , Haṃ, Yaṃ and the rest, as
the passage of shakti gradually vitalises the six centres. A Yogī, by
mounting to a higher or the highest plane of existence, can have
direct experience (Sākṣātkṛta) of any or all kinds of Śabdas.

The Sound underlying the equilibrium of forces & Gunas in

the ‘beginning’ is Om̐ , and it is therefore known as the great
seed Mantra (Maha-bija), for it is the source of all others & of
all compounded sounds. Om̐ is the generalised sound that
underlies all particular sounds.

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.

AUM̐ (ॐ) & MANTRA SADHANA

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.

“Man” of “Mantra” comes from the first syllable of Manana or

thinking and “tra” from Trāṇa or protection from the
bondage of the Saṃsāra or phenomenal world. By the
combination of “man” and “tra” that is called Mantra, by the
meditation on which, the Jiva gains freedom from the trifarious
bondage – physical, mental and spiritual. The incantation of
Mantra creates an acoustic vibration in the psychic body of the
Sadhaka, which awakens the Kundalini Shakti. Kundalini is both
Light (Jyotirmayi in it’s subtle form) and Mantra (Mantramayi
in it’s gross form); so, Mantra is used in the process of
rousing Her.

Man is a cosmic being, but due to the bondage of Māyā or mala,

he has identified himself with a lower manifestation. The bondage
of Māyā is in the form of different propensities of mind. Both the
baser and the benign propensities are the causes of bondage; one
is a chain of iron and the other of gold, but both are chains, which
keep man in bondage. In order to be free from this bondage, one
has to conquer one's desires. Mantra Sadhana helps sublimate
our desires, and thus frees man from enthralment with the
mundane. Meditation of different letters and their deities
brings about this sublimation.

Mantra is the sound-body of a god or goddess; Yantra depicts the

sound-body in a diagram.

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.

Śabda stands for word manifested by sound ('verbal') and such a

word has innate power to convey a particular sense or meaning
(Artha). Śabda includes both articulate sound (Varṇātmaka) as
well as inarticulate sound (Dhvanyātmaka).

Mantras are those particular sounds, which are used in worship

and practice (Sādhana), which consist of certain letters arranged in
a definite sequence of sounds. The relations of Varṇa, Nāda,
Bindu, vowel and consonant in a Mantra constitute a particular
Devatā. Certain Vibhūti or aspects of the Devatā are inherent in
certain Varṇas. The Mantra of a Devatā is that combination of
letters, which reveals the Devatā to the consciousness of the
Sādhaka, who has evoked it by Sādhana-shakti. The form of a
particular Devatā therefore appears out of the particular Mantra, of
which that Devatā is the Adhiṣṭhātri-Devatā. Thus to the Sādhaka,
a Mantra is the very mass of radiant Tejas or energy, the Devatā in
the sound-body of the Mantra. But until awakened properly, the
Mantra & it’s inherent shakti sleeps. When the shakti resident
in and as the Mantra, is by dint of Sādhana awakened, then She
opens the gate of monistic truth, revealing the true nature and
essence of the universe.

The Mantra itself is Devatā, that is, the Supreme Consciousness

(Chit-shakti) manifesting in that form. The Mantra is awakened
from its sleep (Mantra-chaitanya) through the Sādhana shakti of
the mantrin. The consciousness of the Sādhaka becomes en
rapport and in union with the Consciousness in the form of the
Mantra; and the Devatā who is the Artha of the Mantra appears to
the Sadhaka, whose mind has been cleansed and illumined by
devotion.

The substance of all Mantras is Chit, manifested as letters,

syllables, words & their sentences. Consciousness in all beings
is Śabda Brahman. Mantra is also Śabda Brahman. And the
Ishta Devata, in whose worship, the mantra is being recited, is the
light of Consciousness. The mantra jāp is aimed at uniting the
individual consciousness (of the seeker) with the light of
consciousness (of the Ishta Devata). The “M” of AUM̐ is the
Śabda Brahman, the root sound, of which creation is a series
of permutations. At the ultimate level of Śabda Brahman, words
become wordless, forms become formless and all multiplicity
unified in Consciousness residing in that transcendent glory,
extends beyond mind and speech.

It is said that all mantras emanate out of Om̐ and resolve back
to Om̐ .

STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, VĀK & AUM̐

Mandukya Upanishad, in verses 9 to 12, enumerates 4 states
of consciousness, equating them to the 4 elements (3 matrā-s
+ 1 amatrā) of AUM̐ .

Speech is regarded as the verbal expression of a thought that

arises in a person’s consciousness. If there is no consciousness,
there would be no speech. Speech (Vāk) is indeed an outward
form of consciousness (Chetana). Vāk is the word principle that
gives expression to the latent or unmanifest thoughts and feelings.
This means: thinking is, in fact, a sort of internal speaking. Such
inaudible speech is regarded as the seed or the potent form of
explicit speech that is heard by others. It has also been said that
all knowledge is interpreted in terms of words; and, it is quite not
possible to have any sort of cognition, that is free from words.

Sri Aurobindo says that the 4 states of consciousness correspond

to 4 types of speech & the 4 parts of AUM̐ :
Vāk which is essentially internal, is gradually externalized for the
purpose of communication. Therefore Sri Aurobindo considers
these four steps (Parā, Pasyanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari) to be
the four states of consciousness, wherein their vibrations are
represented in their dynamic aspect by the vibrant word, the
expressive sound.

The correspondence is as follows:

• Turiya corresponds to Parā-vāk (or Supreme Causal) – The
highest grade Parā-vāk is the nascent static sound which
exists prior to manifestation. It is the motionless causal
Śabda, the sound without vibration, the radiant sound
without any medium. Then it acquires the sense of
movement, which is non-particularised general motion known
as sāmanya spanda. This is the state of ‘vibrationless’
primordial sound, the amātra or the fourth part, ‘silence’, of
AUM̐ .
• Suśupti corresponds to Paśyanti (or Causal) – The second
stage i.e. Pasyanti sound is the visualizing or the visionary
sound. It is as yet a mental sound. This is the state of the
third part, ‘M’, of AUM̐ . This is the state equivalent to Laya or
dissolving of the AUM̐ , which is being uttered, while
containing the seed or potentiality of sound, the next śabda,
the next utterance of AUM̐ .
• Svapna corresponds to Madhyama (or the Subtle) – In the
journey towards manifestation, it reaches the third stage of
Madhyama sound, where it is associated with buddhi as
cognition and intelligence. The Indian Metaphysicians call it
the Hiranyagarbha sound extending from Pasyanti to the
heart. Madhyama sound is the inner naming by the cognitive
quality of the mental movement. This is the state of the
second part, ‘U’, of AUM̐ . This is the state in which AUM̐
(being uttered) is sustained.
• Jagrata corresponds to Vaikhari (or the Gross) – In other
words Paśyanti sound is the sound which sees, it is the
visionary sound until it focuses its intelligence, when it
becomes the cognizing sound of Madhyama. This cognizing
 sound cannot remain long without selecting. Then it bursts
forth in selective sound, the uttered or spoken word or
sound, the Vaikhari. This is the state of the first part, ‘A’, of
AUM̐ . This is the state in which AUM̐ bursts forth as audible
speech, signifying the beginning of creation, the conversion
from potential to kinetic.

Parā sound (corresponding to ‘Silence’) is the root, Pasyanti

(corresponding to ‘M’) is its path of vision, the line of its growth;
Madhyama is its efflorescence; and Vaikhari is the manifest fruit.
To put it in another terminology, first the potential, second the
causal, third the subtle and fourth the gross. So the point here is
the knowledge of Vaikhari in its totality demands knowledge of its
three previous stages and its evolution through them, because
language is not the whole, but only a very small part of the Śabda
as conceived in Indian Metaphysics.

In spirituality, Jivāhood is recognised as a limitation on one’s

consciousness. Among many types of limitations, Kashmir
Shaivism elaborates Kalā as the limitation on action & doership.
Om̐ controls and regulates all the twelve Kalās, i.e. Akāra, Ukāra,
Makāra, Bindu, Ardhachandra, Rodhini, Nāda, Nadānta, Shakti,
Vyāpini, Samanā and Unmanā. It illumines everything from the
crudest matter to Shiva. John Woodroffe says in The Garland of
Letters:
“There is first a fivefold division of the “five rays” of Om̐ ,
namely, A, U, M, Nāda Bindu, Shānta. The Prapañcasāra-
Tantra says that Jāgrat is Bīja, Svapna is Bindu, Sushupti is
Nāda, Turīya is Shakti and the Laya beyond is Shānta”.

Om̐ IS ETERNAL (VĀK – SOUND NEVER DIES)

Though we generally believe that sound dissipates itself, yet
modern science cannot answer where does it dissipate to?
Physics cannot say where sound goes, once we stop hearing it.
On the other hand the, Indian metaphysics asserts that a sound is
never lost. Sound is eternal (श"दो िन#य); so it is deathless. The
seers refer to Veda as the Word-Eternal (िन#य वाक$). Aitareya
Brahmana declares: The Vāk does not perish (न वै वाक$ !ीयते).
There is no real rest in this universe. Everything here vibrates.
Even the resting atom has, within it, the vibrating electrons. Sound
lasts therefore, so long as the universe lasts. Sound is the eternal
condition and companion of the universe.
Om̐ is eternal.

Sound is ultimately absorbed in the element of akāśa or vyoman.

The akāśa is the home of all sounds.

Om̐ , THE PRIMORDIAL SOUND – NOT NECESSARILY

VIBRATION
Sri Aurobindo says:
"All śabda (Vāk – sound, speech) as it manifests out of the akāśa
(ether) by the force of matariśvan, the great active and creative
energy, and is put in its place in the flux of formed things (apas –
the waters of being), carries with it certain definite significances
(artha).
[Mātariśvan ("growing in the mother", from the locative of
"mother", mātari, and a root śvi "to grow, swell") in the Rigveda, is
a name of Agni (the sacrificial fire, the "mother" in which it grows
being the fire-stick), or of a divine being closely associated with
Agni, a messenger of Vivasvat, bringing the hidden fire to the
Bhrigus. Sayana identifies him with Vayu, the wind, in RV 1.93.6.
In the Atharva Veda and later, the word also has the meaning of
"air, wind, breeze"]
These are determined by the elements through which it has
passed. Śabda appears in the akāśa, travels through vāyu (air),
the second element in which sparsa (touch) is the vibration; by the
vibrations of sparśa, it creates in tejas (fire), the third element,
certain forms, and so arrives into being with these three
characteristics, first, certain contractual vibrations, secondly, a
particular kind of tejas or force, thirdly, a particular form. These
determine the bhāva or general sensation it creates in the mind,
and from that sensation develop its various precise meanings
according to the form which it is used to create.”
Sri Aurobindo explains this: "First we have intensity of vibration
creating regular rhythm which is the basis or constituent of all
creative formation; secondly, contact or intermiscence of the
movements of conscious being, which constitute the rhythm;
thirdly, definition of the grouping of movements which are in
contact, their shape; fourthly, the constant welling up of the
essential force to support in its continuity the movement that has
been thus defined; fifthly, the actual enforcement and compression
of the force in its own movement which maintains the form that has
been assumed. In Matter these five constituent operations are
said by the Sankhyas to represent themselves as five
elemental conditions of substance, the etheric, atmospheric,
igneous, liquid and solid", which are of course not the ether,
air, fire, water and earth as described in Indian Philosophy,
but rather subtle conditions of being. By passing through
these elements, every sound gains a certain vibration, a
certain force and a certain form. These three characteristics
together constitute the "indefinable quality or property in the sound
to raise certain vibrations in the life-soul of the human creature".
These are sensational vibrations, which develop with the
development of man's mind into intellectual meanings.

So it is clear from the above discussion that sound is not the

creation of any vibration; instead, it gains vibration by
passing through the above-said elements. This sound which
has its permanent abode in akāśa, is silent by its nature. Hatha-
yoga-Pradīpikā says:

िन:श"दं त"परं !" परमा%मेित गीयते

meaning:
The soundless is called Paramatma

So the development of Parā to Vaikhari through Paśyanti and

Madhyama is said to be the different stages of vibration. The
Nihśabda (soundless) Parā-Vāk (Supreme Word) assumes a
general undifferentiated movement (Samanya-spanda), then a
differentiated movement (Viśeśa-spanda), issuing in clearly
articulate speech (Spastatara-spanda).

The ‘Silent Sound’ – Nihśabda (soundless) Parā-Vāk (Supreme

Word) is the unstruck (not produced by striking or vibrating) &
unstoppable Anāhata-Nāda.

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”)].

The Supreme Lord or the Pure Consciosuness is said to have

Prakaśa (the static aspect) & Vimarśa (the dynamic aspect); the
latter is expressed in the form of Spanda, the divine creative
pulsation (for detailed explanation of these concepts, see Notes on
Shiva Sutras & Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism). The primordial
sound which emerges from this Spanda or ‘motionless
vibration’, is Om̐ . It is said that Om̐ is the primordial sound
that was present at the creation of the Universe. Everything
physical in this Universe is a manifestation of these
vibrational waves, the Spanda; the Spanda is, in turn, an
expression of Vimarśa or Shiva’s Shakti.
The cosmic sound of this vibrating universe is Om̐ .

Anāhata Nāda is the name given, in yogic philosophy, to this

cosmic sound or the so-called “white noise” that is present
everywhere, without being actively ‘made’ in a way that can be
perceived.

Sometimes, this sound, Anāhata Nāda, is also known as the

“unmade sound.” This concept is sometimes linked to the famous
Zen question, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” The idea
is that Anāhata Nāda is this sound, because it is omnipresent and
is all-pervasive, even when nothing is happening to create this
sound.

Some say that Anāhata Nāda, or the sound of silence, is

perfection. According to yogic teachings, this sound is necessary
for all other sounds to exist, because it is the canvas upon which
other sounds are manifest.

In yoga, it is taught that the sound of Anāhata Nāda can be

represented as Om̐ , the sacred syllable and revered bija
mantra. This is the sound from which the whole universe
emanated, and represents the fundamental oneness of all
creation.

In it’s transcendental aspect, it is difficult to establish contact with

the Supreme Brahman. However, the nearest approach is ‘sound’.
It is for this reason that ‘sound’ is also referred to as Aparā-
Brahman. Supercharged with transcendental soul-force, sound is,
in all creation, the one powerful principle that widely influences &
effectively brings under control all other manifestations. (for a
detailed exposition of the role of ‘sound’ in spirituality, also see
Notes on Shiva Sutras & Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism).

An analysis of one’s individual existence, the physical body, the

mind, the senses, the astral body etc., takes one to ‘sound’ before
one reaches the Eternal Self.

Existence in the entire cosmos vibrates with an energy that is

audible to a mystic as a humming vibration. The closest
experience of this sound in ordinary experience would be the
humming sound of an electric transformer. This humming is
produced by the atoms of the universe vibrating at different
frequencies, unstruck & unstoppable. These are Anāhata
sounds. Ability of a yogi to hear the Anāhata sounds, is a sign of
purification of the Nādis or astral currents, due to Pranayama. It is
said that the sounds can also be heard after the uttering of the
Ajapa Gayatri Mantra, "Hamsah Soham," a lakh of times.
The Anāhata sounds are heard through the right ear with or
without closing the ears. The sounds are distinct when heard
through closed ears. The ears can be closed by introducing the
two thumbs into the ears through the process of Shanmukhi Yoni
Mudra or Vaishnavi Mudra. Sit in Padma or Siddha Asana, close
the ears with right and left thumbs, and hear the sounds very
attentively. Occasionally, you can hear the sounds through the left
ear also; but practise to hear from the right ear only. Why do you
hear through the right ear only or hear distinctly through the right
ear? Because of the solar Nādi (Pingala) which is on the right side
of the nose. The Anāhata sound is also called Omkara Dhvani.
It is due to the vibration of Prāna in the heart.

The Anāhata Nāda that is heard, is of 10 types:

i) the first is Chini (like the sound of the word Chini);
ii) the second is Chini-Chini;
iii) the third is the sound of bell;
iv) the fourth is that of conch;
v) the fifth is that of Tantri (lute);
vi) the sixth is that of Tala (cymbals);
vii) the seventh is that of flute;
viii) the eighth is that of Bheri (drum);
ix) the ninth is that of Mridanga (double drum), and
x) the tenth is that of clouds, viz., thunder.

It is also said in the book, The Mysticism of Sound by Hazrat

Inayat Khan:
This Sound develops through ten different aspects because of Its
manifestation through the different tubes of the body (Nadis); it
sounds like thunder, the roaring of the sea, the jingling of bells,
running water, the buzzing of bees, the twittering of sparrows, the
Vina, the whistle, or the sound of Shankha (Conch) until it finally
becomes Hu the most sacred of all sounds. This Sound Hu is the
beginning and end of all sounds, be they from man, bird, beast, or
thing.
(In Sufism, “Hu” is a name for God – e.g. ‘Allah Hu’ means ‘God,
Just He’ or ‘God Himself’)

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:

महित !ूयमाणे तु महाभेया'(दक+वनौ ।

त" सू#मं सू#मतरं नादमेव परामृशेत् ॥ ३६॥
meaning:
When he comes to that stage when the sound of the great
kettle-drum is being heard, he should try to distinguish only
sounds more and more subtle
&

घनमु%सृ(य वा सू#मे सू#ममु&सृ(य वा घने ।

रममाणमिप ि"#ं मनो ना#यत्र चालयेत् ॥ ३७॥
meaning:
He may change his concentration from the gross sound to
the subtle, or from the subtle to the gross, but he should not
allow his mind to be diverted from them towards others
&

य" क"#ािप वा नादे लगित !थमं मनः ।

त" त" !"थरीभू(वा तेन साध$ िवलीयते ॥ ३८॥
meaning:
The mind having at first concentrated itself on any one
sound, fixes firmly to that and is absorbed in it

What is the outcome of this Nāda Yoga? This is described in the

following verses of Nādabindu Upanishad (verses 39 – 46a) of
Atharva Veda:

िव#मृ&य सकलं बा#ं नादे द"#धा&बुव*मनः ।

एक#भूयाथ सहसा िचदाकाशे िवलीयते ॥ ३९॥
meaning:
It (the mind) becoming insensible to the external
impressions, becomes one with the sound, as milk with
water, and then becomes rapidly absorbed in Chidākāśa (the
Akāśa where Chit prevails)
&

उदासीन'ततो भू#वा सदा$यासेन संयमी ।

उ"मनीकारक) स"ो नादमेवावधारयेत् ॥ ४०॥
meaning:
Being indifferent towards all objects, the Yogin having
controlled his passions, should by continual practice
concentrate his attention upon the sound which destroys the
mind
&

सव#िच&तां समु$सृ&य सव#चे&ािवविज#तः ।

नादमेवानुसंद*या,ादे िच#ं िवलीयते ॥ ४१॥
meaning:
Having abandoned all thoughts and being freed from all
actions, he should always concentrate his attention on the
sound and (then) his Chitta becomes absorbed in it
&

मकर$दं िपब$भृ'ो ग"धा%ापे(ते तथा ।

नादास%& सदा िच#ं िवषयं न िह का#ित ॥ ४२॥
ब"ः सुनादग'धेन स"ः सं#य%चापलः । ४३ अ ॥
meaning:
Just as the bee drinking the honey (alone) does not care for
the odour, so the Chitta which is always absorbed in sound,
does not long for sensual objects, as it is bound by the sweet
smell of Nāda and has abandoned its flitting nature
&

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

It is said that hearing the Anāhata Nāda in the form of ‘thunder’

(Meghnāda) for some days, in deep meditation, enables the
seeker to enter the abode of Chiti, Pure Consciousness; here, the
seeker experiences tranquility of the supra-causal state of
consciousness. The seeker then begins to understand that there
are two dimensions to Chiti: one is the Supremely Pure
transcendent aspect (which transcends the world) & the other is
the immanent aspect, which by free will, spans differentiation,
attribution & projection of the universe on the substratum of the
Supreme Reality.

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
&

तावदाकाशस()पो याव$छ&दः !वतते ॥ ४७ ब ॥

िनःश%दं त"परं !" परमा%मा समीय%ते । ४८ अ ।।
meaning:
The sound exists till there is the Akāśic conception
(Akāśa-Sankalpa). Beyond this, is the (Aśabda)
soundless Parā-Brahman which is Paramātman
&

नादो याव$मन'ताव)ादा$तेऽिप मनो$मनी ॥ ४८ ब ॥

meaning:
The mind exists so long as there is sound, but with its
(sound's) cessation, there is the state called Unmani of
Manas (viz., the state of being above the mind)
&

सश#द%चा(रे !ीणे िनःश%दं परमं पदम् । ४९ अ ।।

meaning:
This sound is absorbed in the Akshara (indestructible)
and the soundless state is the Supreme seat
&

सदा नादानुस&धाना(सं*ीणा वासना भवेत् ॥ ४९ ब ॥

िनर$ने िवलीयेते मनोवायू न संशयः । ५० अ ।।
meaning:
The mind which along with Prāna (Vāyu) has (its) Kārmic
affinities destroyed by the constant concentration upon
Nāda, is absorbed in the unstained One. There is no doubt
about it
&

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
&

श"द$%द$िभनादं च न !ुणोित कदाचन ॥ ५२ ब ॥

meaning:
After that, he does not at any time hear the sounds of conch
or Dundubhi (large kettle drum)
&

का#व%&ायते देह उ"म"याव'थया !ुवम् ।

न जानाित स शीतो%णं न द"ःखं न सुखं तथा ॥ ५३॥
meaning:
The body in the state of Unmani is certainly like a log and
does not feel heat or cold, joy or sorrow
&

न मानं नावमानं च सं#य%#वा तु समािधना ।

अव#था&यम)वेित न िच#ं योिगनः सदा ॥ ५४॥
 meaning:
The Yogin's Chitta, having given up fame or disgrace, is in
Samādhi above the three states
&

जा#ि%&ािविनमु+,ः !व#पाव!थतािमयात् ॥ ५५॥

meaning:
Being freed from the waking and the sleeping states, he
attains to his true state
&

!ि#ः !"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.

Since the lower three chakras – Muladhara, Swadhishthana and

Manipura are dominated by the tattvas (i.e. earth, water and fire
respectively, Nāda is not clearly heard in these centres. Anāhata
chakra, which corresponds to the cardiac plexus in the physical
body, is the centre of Vayu Tattva. Anāhata Sound, called the
sound of the Śabda Brahman, emanates from this centre, and can
be heard being in Vayu Tattva.
A representative image of the Anāhata Chakra is shown below:

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.

In the symbolic picture of Anāhata Chakra, there is a Lotus with

twelve petals. These represent the Divine qualities of the heart,
such as bliss, peace, harmony, love, understanding, empathy,
clarity, purity, unity, compassion, kindness and forgiveness.
However, the Heart Centre is also the centre of emotions and
feelings.

In its symbolic image are two star-shaped, superimposed triangles.

The tip of one triangle points upward, while the tip of the other
points down. When the energy of the Anāhata Chakra flows up
towards spiritual consciousness (as represented by the triangle
pointing upwards), our feelings are expressed as Bhakti, pure,
Divine love and devotion. However, if our consciousness sinks
down (as represented by the triangle pointing downwards) to the
spheres of worldly passion, our emotions become confused and
unbalanced. It is then that desire, jealousy, sadness and despair
overwhelm us.

Another explanation of the upward pointing triangle is said to be an

indication that fundamentally, every creature is trying to rise in
some way. A little worm may want to climb up a tree. A bird may
want to soar up in the sky. A human being may want to become
rich, famous and powerful, or get enlightened. All these are efforts
to rise. This is the nature of the creation – every creature is trying
to rise to its fullest potential. Some may do it consciously, while
most will do it unconsciously, but everyone is trying to rise.

The Divinities of this Chakra are Shiva and Shakti, representative

of ‘Consciousness’ (The Supreme Being or Purusha) and ‘Nature’
(Prakriti). Both should unite in harmony in this Chakra.

The Sound of the Abstract is always going on within, around and

about man. The empirical Man does not hear It because his
consciousness is entirely centred in his material existence. When
the Abstract Sound becomes audible, all other sounds become
indistinct to the mystic.

This Sound of the Abstract is called Anāhata in Hindu & Sikh

scriptures, meaning unsrtuck & unstoppable sound. The Sufis
name It Sarmad, which suggests the idea of intoxication. The word
intoxication is here used to signify upliftment, the freedom of the
soul from its earthly bondage. Those who are able to hear the
Saute Sarmad and meditate on It are relieved from all worries,
anxieties, fears and diseases; and the soul is freed from captivity
in the senses and in the physical body.

Anāhata Nāda (also called Anāhad Nāda) occupies an important

place in the Sufi writings, as a means & indicator of God realization.

The Sufis, an Order of Muslim mystics, often use ‘sound’,

particularly ‘music’, to convey their philosophy of love for God as
their beloved; they call It Gayan & Vadan. ‘Music’ is used in a
double sense to denote not only the rhythmic form, but also that
harmony of the divine Thought, of which such teachings are notes,
faintly heard by the soul amid the tumult of earth’s many voices; as
it is said in Gayan, “when the soul is attuned to God, every action
becomes music”. Hazrat Inayat, a Sufi, speaks (in his book, The
Dance of the Soul – Gayan, Vadan, Nirtan)) of manifestation as
the music of the Creator; it is out of this music that the universe
was produced, and to that music every heart is attracted; when the
heart is open, the soul is awakened, this music becomes audible.
This suggests that the world is a symphony of celestial voices, the
“unstruck sound” that is the origin of all music. Vadan is mentioned
by Hazrat Inayat to denote the “divine symphony”, performing of
which is the purpose of this creation, and every soul takes part in
this divine symphony.
Sufis believe:
If the Anaam (Nameless) had not wished to manifest Himself
and become Naam, there would have been no 'Sound' and
no Universe.
Hazrat Inayat Khan, the modern Sufi mystic, tells us that this
creation, the divine symphony or the Music of God, is the outcome
or manifestation of His Power. He calls It Saute Sarmad or the
intoxicating vintage from the Garden of Allah (God), and has given
an elaborate description of It, as appears from the following
account:
All space is filled with Saute Sarmad or the 'Abstract Sound.'
The vibrations of this Sound are too fine to be either audible
or visible to the material ears or eyes, since it is even difficult
for the eyes to see the form and colour of the ethereal
vibrations on the external plane. It was the Saute Sarmad,
the Sound of the abstract, which Mohammed heard in the
cave, Ghar-e-Hira, when he became lost in his ideal.
We have innumerable references to this Sound, also in the
teachings of many other Sufi fakirs:
Rise above thy mental horizon, oh brave soul, and listen to the call
of Music coming from above.
Maulana Rumi
The whole world is reverberating with Sound, to listen to It thou
must unseal thine inner ears, then shalt thou hear an Unending
Music, and that shall lead thee beyond the confines of death.
Shah Niaz
An unceasing Sound is floating down from the heaven, I wonder
how ye are engaged in pursuits of no avail.
Hafiz
Drive away all scepticism from thy mind, and listen to the strains of
heavenly music, and receive within thee the messages of God, for
these come only by holy communion with the self.
Maulana Rumi
The soul of the listener becomes All-Pervading Consciousness;
and his spirit becomes the battery which keeps the whole Universe
in motion.

In Hath Yog Pradeepika & Yog-Sandhya (Page 112), Nāda-

anusandhana is enjoined for a yogin, to listen within him to the
musical strains of the Chid-akash, and thereby still the mind and
attain the Turiya state and merge in the Avyakt.

The ancient Greeks also spoke of this sound. In the writings of

Socrates, we read that he heard within him a peculiar Sound
which pulled him irresistibly to higher spiritual realms. Pythagoras
also talked of this sound. Plato spoke of It as the Music of the
Spheres.

Madam Blavastky, the founder of the Theosophical Society, has

described It as the Voice of God. In the Masonic Order, we hear
of It as the Lost Word – as an attempt to listen to the inner Master
rather than to the Master of the (Masonic) Lodge. Those who find
“the Lost Word,” the masons believe, have heard the voice of their
Inner Master, the God within, and can truly be called Master
Masons in both essence and form.

In the Muslim scriptures, It is variously described as Kalam-i-

Ilahi (The Voice of God), Nida-i-Asmani (the Sound from Heaven),
Ism-i-Azam (the Great Name), Saut-i-Sarmadi (the Intoxicating
Sound), Saut-i-Nasira (the Sound Melodious), Kalma-i-Majid (the
Great Commandment) and Kalam-i-Haq (the Voice of Truth) which
can be heard inside, and It was taught as Sultan-ul-Azkar or the
King of prayers.

Kabir Das ji says:

कबीर सबद सरीर म", िबिन गुण बाजै तांती ।

बाह$र भीत$र भ"र र"ा, ताथ$ छ"टी भरांित ।।
meaning:
Kabir says –The Śabd (or Anahad Nāda) sounds inside the
body, resonating like a tānti (musical instrument) without
strings. This Śabd (or Anahad Nāda) fills up the inside & the
outside, and thus all illusions are eliminated
&
 सु# मंडल म" घर िकया, बाजे शबद रसाल ।
रोम-रोम दीपक भया, !कटे दीनदयाल ।।
meaning:
I made my abode in the void palace, and there the sweet
melody (Anahad Nād) is resonating all the time. Each and
every bit of my body has become enlightened, as the
Merciful Lord has appeared within me
&

कबीर क"वल !कािसया, ऊगा िनम$ल सूर ।

िनिस अँिधयारी िम#ट गई, बाजे अनहद तूर ।।
meaning:
Kabir says: The lotus (of Sahasrara, or in the spiritual heart)
is enlightened; the respendent sun of wisdom has risen. The
dark night of delusion is over; the Turahi (a musical
instrument) of Anahad is now sounding

That recognition of the Anāhad Nāda brings Bliss, is spoken of by

Guru Nanak Dev in Guru Granth Sahib (Rāg Bihāgrā, Mehla 4,
Ghar 1):
jan naanak man anad bha-i-aa hai mayree jindurhee-ay
anhat sabad vajaa-ay raam (538-4)
meaning:
Servant Nanak's mind is filled with bliss, O my soul, the
unstruck sound-current (Anāhad Nāda) of the Shabad
vibrates within

It should be clearly understood that Anāhata Nāda is not the final

destination on our spiritual journey.
For it is said in Hath Yog Pradeepika (4.100 to 4.102):

अनाहत&य श"द$य धविनय& उपल$यते |

धवनेर&तग)तं जञेयं जञेय%या'तग*तं मनः |
मन#त% लयं याित ति#$%ोः परमं पदम || १०० ||
meaning:
 The knowable interpenetrates the anâhata sound which is
heard, and the mind interpenetrates the knowable. The mind
becomes absorbed there, which is the seat of the all-
pervading, almighty Lord
&

तावदाकाश-स"#पो याव$छ&दः परवत%ते |

िनःश%दं तत-परं बर# परमातेित गीयते || १०१ ||
meaning:
So long as the sounds continue, there is the idea of âkâśa.
When they disappear, then it is called Parā Brahman,
Paramâtmana
&

य"#क%िछ(ाद-!पेण श"यते शि#रेव सा |

य"त$वा'तो िनराकारः स एव परमे%वरः || १०२ ||
meaning:
Whatever is heard in the form of Nâda, is the śakti (power).
That which is formless, the final state at the end of the
Tattvas, is verily the Parameśwara

The same idea is expressed in verses 46b to 48a of Nādabindu

Upanishad quoted earlier.

With continued practice, a focused mind and controlled breath, the

individual can, according to Nāda Yoga, "listen in on" their own
Anāhata, their own "inner sound", which can take up to 10 different
forms. Such a process of inner awareness and sensitivity leads to
increased self-awareness and finally to spiritual awakening.

The following short poem, by an anonymous author, about

Anāhata & Om̐ makes interesting reading:
Still, through all the eons that I have lived,
to see you once again, the hollow that remains within my
chest,
forsaken in the sublime resonance of the unstuck sound,
that final sound of the intonation of OM,
that sacred syllable, that you draw from the depths of my
 effulgent being,
that lingers upon my unkissed lips,
the silence that hums at the end of mmm,
where sages hear the unstuck chord, vibration of primal
being,
sound not made of two things striking together, but arising
from the One.
Anahata Chakra, unfulfilled union of Shiva and Shakti,
of Purusha and Prakriti,
a bell struck by love, a hollow filled with sonorous resonance,
but there is no answering call.

WRITTEN FORM & SYMBOL OF Om̐

In writing & typography, ॐ is a ligature (two graphemes or letters

joined together as a single glyph), combining ओ & ◌ँ (the diacritical
mark – chandrabindu, indicating that the previous vowel is
nasalized).

It is sometimes also written as ओ३म् (ō̄m [õːːm]), notably by Arya

Samaj, where ३ (i.e., the digit "3") is pluta ("three times as
long"), indicating a length of three morae (that is, the time it takes
to say three syllables) — an overlong, nasalised close-mid back
rounded vowel.

Om̐ , in various scripts, is shown below:

Devnagari, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, Arya Samaj

Sourashtri, Marathi Oriya

Tamil Tirhuta or Maithili Kannada

 Telugu Malayalam Grantha

Siddham Jain symbol Chinese

Tibetan or Bali (Indonesia) Java (Indonesia)

Buddhism

Om̐ - THE ALL ENCOMPASSING GOAL

It is said in Dhyanabindu Upanishad (verse 9 – first line) of
Krishna Yajur Veda that:

ओिम$येका)रं !" !येयं सव#मुमुि'िभः ॥ ९.a ॥

meaning:
The One Akshara – letter Om̐ should be contemplated as
Brahman by all who aspire for emancipation

This advice is based on the premise that the AUM̐ symbol is

visualised to contain in itself, the entire cosmos, in multiple aspects.
It is further said in Dhyanabindu Upanishad (verses 9-line 2 &
verses 10 to 12) of Krishna Yajur Veda:

पृिथ%यि'(च ऋ"वेदो भू#र%येव िपतामहः ॥ ९.b ॥

अकारे तु लयं !ा#े !थमे !णवांशक( ।

अ"त$र&ं यजुवा&युभु&वो िव#णुज'नाद'नः ॥ १०॥

उकारे तु लयं !ा#े ि"तीये !णवांशक( ।

!ौः सूय$ः सामवेद'च !व#र%येव महे$वरः ॥ ११॥
 मकारे तु लयं !ा#े तृतीये !णवांशक( ।
अकारः पीतवण&ः !या!जोगुण उदी$रतः ॥ १२॥

उकारः सा#$वकः शु#ो मकारः क"#णतामसः ।

अ"ा$ं च चतु$पादं ि"#थानं प"दैवतम् ॥ १३॥
meaning:
Prithvi, Agni, Rigveda, Bhuh and Brahma – all these (are
absorbed) when Akara (A), the first part of Pranava Om̐
becomes absorbed.
Antariksha, Yajurveda, Vayu, Bhuvah and Vishnu
(Janardana) – all these (are absorbed) when Ukara (U), the
second part of Pranava becomes absorbed.
Dyuh, Sun, Sāmaveda, Suvah and Maheshvara – all these
(are absorbed) when Makara (M) the third part of Pranava
becomes absorbed.
Akara is of yellow colour and is said to be of Rajoguna;
Ukara is of white colour and of Sattvaguna;
Makara is of dark colour and of Tamoguna.
He who does not know Omkara, as having eight parts, four
feet, three seats and five presiding deities, is not a
Brahmana.

In this manner, AUM̐ is described as having 8 parts (अ!ं), 4 feet

(पादं), 3 seats (!थानं) & 5 presiding deities (देवता), encompassing
the entire cosmos.
The 8 parts or limbs (अ!ं) are:
A, U, M, Nāda, Bindu, Kalā, Kalātita (that which is beyond Kalā) &
Beyond (that which is beyind all these). So Akāra, Ukāra, Makāra,
Ardhamatra, Nāda, Bindu, Kalā and Śakti are the eight limbs of
Om̐ , Pranava.
The 4 seats (पादं) are:
Viśwa, Taijasa, Prajna & Turiya (from microcosmic viewpoint)
Virāt, Hiranyagarbha, Iśvara & Turiya (from macrocosmic
viewpoint)
The 3 seats (!थानं) are:
Jāgrat, Svapna & Sushupti
Gross body, Subtle body & Causal body
Sattva, Rajas & Tamo gunas & so on (more triads are described
later)
The 5 Devatas (देवता) are:
Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Iśvara & Sadāshiv

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)

Some explanatory details of the above table:

• Noumenal = beyond human senses or perception.
! Supreme Noumenal Level = Absolute, Brahman, Turiya, and
Silence after AUM have a horizontal relationship; all are
Imperishable; Brahman is all thought, all Bliss, no dream, no
sleep, no name, no form, and all light.
" Phenomenal = perceptible by senses (of the empirical world)
 ! The Phenomenal Level = Iśvara, Hiranyagarbha, and Virāt in
the descending order equate with or correspond to Prajna,
Taijasa, and Viśva, and in turn to deep sleep, dream sleep,
and wakefulness.
" Iśvara = Personal God. According to Madhava, Brahman in
association with Māyā becomes Iśvara, who is the cause of the
world. Brahman and avidyā provide matter or substance and
the Brahman and Māyā provide the change and diversity in this
phenomenal world.
" The Noumenon is perception of an object at an intellectual, non-
sensory, and intuitional level divorced from concepts of time
and space: Brahman is noumenal, while Iśvara is phenomenal;
Brahman is absolute and Iśvara is an adjunct status, but the
status is no less potent. Vishnu as Iśvara is a special entity
(Purusa-viśeśa), whose nature is pristine.
" The Highest Phenomenal Level One: God, Iśvara, Prajna, and
AUM̐ belong to the category of the Unmanifest becoming the
manifest universe of beings and matter (which are derivatives of
the imperishable and immeasurable Brahman). There is no
reduction and no diminution: According to Brahma Sutra, Iśvara
is Brahman with creative energy; His Māyā-shakti is the
mediating cause of this phenomenal world. Iśvara is both
transcendent (Chit Sakti) and immanent (Tatastham): He is
transcendent in relation to Brahman and immanent in relation to
the created world; this immanence is not a descent from
transcendence for the sake of upāsana or worship; they are the
two sides of the same coin, obverse is Brahman and the
reverse is Iśvara. Brahman is Māyā-free and Iśvara is Māyin.
Brahman and transcendence have to be without attributes and
so are Māyā-free: Brahman transcends three gunas – is
Trigunātita (three gunas transcended).
" Prajna = knowledge by intuition and self-realization. Prajna is
transcendental wisdom. It is the highest and purest form of
wisdom, intelligence and understanding. Prajnya or Pragya is
the state of wisdom which is higher than the knowledge
obtained by reasoning and inference.
" Brahman ‘becomes’ Iśvara or personal god with pure wisdom or
Prajna. (Brahman does not diminish or cease to be, by
‘becoming’ Iśvara, the latter being an adjunct status.) Iśvara is
the Principle behind the Mūla-Prakriti or the unmanifest, the
inner guide of all souls.
" The Higher Phenomenal Level Two: Iśvara is the immediate
cause of Hiranyagarbha, which is the embryo of the world; this
 Embryo stage (an internalized stage) is comparable to the
dream state, ideas, possibilities etc. Brahma ji is the creator of
this dream world of possibilities.
" The Higher Phenomenal Level Three: Virāt or manifestation of
the phenomenal world. When this embryo (Hiranyagarbha) is
projected into space and time, we get Virāt or manifestations.
" Ramanuja says that Iśvara is the inner controller of Chit and
Achit – Beings and universe, sentient and insentient. When the
embryo evolves, the manifest world is like the waking state.
When retrograde involution takes place, the Chit, the Achit,
Hiranyagarbha, and Iśvara go (trace their steps backwards) into
Brahman. AUM̐ straddles all levels and is imperishable: “A”
is for the waking state, “U” is for the dream state and “M” is for
the Deep Sleep; the silence that follows AUM̐ is the Turiya
State; AUM̐ is worshipped as Iśvara and Brahman.
" Devotion is of several kinds, thus bringing different results. The
object of devotion or worship can range from nature, to lesser
Gods, to personal God, to Saguna Brahman to Nirguna
Brahman: The Self is the same in all these entities. The fruits of
this worship or devotion are according to the actions and the
object of worship: they can range from acquisition of earthly
goods, to success in certain endeavors, graduated liberation,
samādhi, jivanmukti, or mokśa; the results are also dependent
on the mental make-up and the aptitude of the devotee.
Everyone is not capable of becoming a Jnāna Yogi, but may
have to be satisfied with karma yoga, bakhti yoga, Prapatti or
Sarnāgati. The Self is the same in the snake worshipper and
the Jnāna Yogi; the Self at both ends of the spectrum and in
between is conditioned by the state of the mind; but all have the
potential for eventual mokśa.

As Om̐ is both Saguna and Nirguna, Sākāra and Nirākāra, all

triplets, as mentioned above & including, though not limited to, the
following, are represented by Om̐ :

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

In addition, Jnāna Sankalini Tantra (verses 98 &101 to 105)

ascribe more denotations to the letters of AUM̐ :

अकार: स"#वको !ेयो उकारो राजस: !मरत: ।

मकार%तामस: !ो#ा: ि"िभ: !क#ित&'यते ।। ९८ ।।
meaning:

In AUM̐ , the letter “A” represents sattva, “U” represents rajas

and “M” represents tamas, which are the three qualities of
Nature (Prakriti)
AUM̐ is the three modes of Prakriti

अकार%चेवा ऋ"वेद उकार यजुरउ&यते ।

मकार: सामवेद'तु ि"षुयु#ा !यथव%णं ।। १०१ ।।
meaning:

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

ओंकार&तु !"तो !ेय: ि"नाद इित संि$त: ।

अकार%तवथ भूल$क उकारो भुवरउ&यते ।। १०२ ।।
संयजनम अकार%तु !वरलोक!तु िवधीयते ।
अ"रै ि"िभरेतैसच
् भवेदा&मा !यव$%थत: ।। १०३ ।।
meaning:
 Omkara is full to the brim with these three sounds: “A”
represents the bhur loka (the earth) and “U” the bhuvar loka
(the subtle world). The consonant “M” represents the svar
loka. The soul is manifested in these three letters.
AUM̐ pervades the three worlds of transmigration.
Om̐ also represents the state of abidance in the Self.

अकार: पृ#वी !ेया पीता वण#न संयुता ।

अंत$र&ं उकार%तु िव#ुतवण' इहो!यते ।। १०४ ।।
&
मकार: !व#रित !ेया शु# वण#न संयुत: ।
!ुवं एका$रं !" ओिम$येवं !यव$%थतं ।। १०५ ।।
meaning:
Know that the letter “A” is the earth, which is yellow in colour,
(and) the letter “U” is the antariksha (the inner sky) which has
the colour of lightning.
Know that the letter “M” is svar loka (which is) white in colour.
Brahman is decidedly AUM̐ , in which everything is present.
AUM̐ is the three worlds.
AUM̐ is Brahman, in which everything is present.

The above can be summarized thus:

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

Pāñcarātra was a religious movement that later merged with the

ancient Bhagavata tradition and contributed to the development
of Vaishnavism. It is said in Lakshmi Tantra, a Pāñcarātra text
that the four parts of AUM̐ (including Nāda & Bindu counted as the
fourth) are equated to the four Vyuhas or manifestations of Lord
Vishnu in:
 ओिम$येतत् समु$प&ं !थमं !"तारकम् ।
िब#द%ना भूषयेत् प"च्◌ा'ादेन तदन$तरम् ।। ६ ।।
&

!यायेत् संततनादेन तैलधारािमवातताम् ।

ऐत#$ै&णवं !पं !य#रं !" शा#वतम् ।। ७ ।।
meaning:
Having thus constructed Om̐ , the adept should first decorate
that Brahma – Tāraka with Bindu, thereupon with Nāda.
Then as accompaniment to this Tāraka, he should meditate
on this eternal Brahman made up of these three letters in the
Vaishnava form (the mind flowing towards it incessantly) like
the (continuous) flow of oil
&

अिन$%&'वकारोऽ. !"ु$न प!"म !वर: ।

स"#$षणो मकार%तु वासुदेव'तु िब#द%क: ।। ८ ।।
meaning:
Here (in this Tāraka), “a” represents Aniruddha, the fifth
vowel “u” represents Pradyumna, m (represents)
Samkarśana and bindu represents Vāsudeva
&

चतुणा&मिवभाग,तु नाद$त& सुरे%वर ।

नाद$य या परा का#ा साह$ता परमे%वरी ।। ९ ।।
meaning:
O Sureśvara, the indivisibility (i.e. integral nature) of these
four (letters) is the Nāda. The highest perfection of Nāda is
the I-hood (of God), who is the highest Goddess

PRONUNCIATION & CHANTING of AUM̐

Taittiriya Samhita (3.2.9.5 & 6) of Krishna Yajur Veda refers to
three recitational practices associated with Om̐ , namely udgitha,
pranava and pratigara:
 ….!बा$%वा ऋ"#वजामु)ीथा उ"ीथ एवो$ातृणां ।। ५ ।।
….ऋच: !णव उ"थश ◌ँिसनां !ितगरो-उधवयू&णां…..।। ६ ।।
meaning:
…On the same level are the udgithas of all the priests: the
udgitha itself belongs to the Udgātrs, the pranava of the
verse belongs to the reciters-of-hymns, and the pratigara to
the Adhvaryus…

Jaiminiya Brahmana (3.322) of the Sāma Veda mentions:

स !ितगरस् स उ"ीथस् तद् आ"ावणम् । त"माद् ओम् इित

!णो$य् ओम् इित !"यागृ ण ा"य् ओम् इ"य् उ"ाय%य् ओम् इ"य्
आ"ावयित ।
meaning:
That same syllable is the pratigara, the udgitha, the
āśrāvana. Therefore he hums the pranava as ' Om̐ ', he
responds with the pratigara 'Om̐ ’, he sings the udgitha with
'Om̐ ', he calls for śrausat with 'Om̐ '
Om̐ consists of A, U, M, and according to the rules of Sanskrit
grammar, ‘A’ and ‘U’ when joined together become ‘O’, and thus
‘A’, ‘U’, ‘M’, produces the sound Om̐ . The sound of Om̐ is the most
natural sound that can be uttered; even a mute can produce this
sound.

Philip Rawson, a well known specialist on Eaastern Art & Dean,

School of Art & Design, Goldsmith’s College, London, wrote, “The
point at which consciousness touches the ultimate through sound
comes at the end of the long-drawn, skull-penetrating vocalization
of this seed-mantra of the cosmos (Om̐ ), the sharpest vibration of
the nasal hum with which Om̐ concludes, written in the Sanskrit
alphabet as a dot. Here merges the points of sound and light,
indescribably fine and small, but also comprehending the whole
world of manifested things in cosmic history.”

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.

There is quite a division among people as to how Om̐ is to be

pronounced. Many people try to accentuate the “au” sound in aum,
trying to make it sound like “ow-m” or “awe-m”. However, “AUM̐ ” is
pronounced “Om̐ ” as in “home”. The “au” sound is an extremely
subtle intonation that naturally arises initially, when AUM̐ is intoned,
and can be heard when the pitch is increased. One does not have
to accentuate the “au” sound in AUM̐ to hear it. Just intone AUM̐
as “Om̐ ” and you will hear it naturally. Just intone the mantra
slowly.

Some other people advocate accentuating & prolonging the “mm”

sound. It is said in Atharvashikha Upanishad (as part of verse 1):

….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◌ँ◌ँ◌ँ

The Upanishad goes on to elaborate (as part of verse 1):

....चतुथ%ः शा#त आ"मा%&त(णव(योगेण सम#तमोिमित !यु$

आ"म$योितः
सक#दावत(ते सक#द%&ा(रतमा,ः स एष ऊ"व$म&मयती*यो,ारः ।....
meaning:
....The fourth is the calm-self (śāntātman) which, in the
employment of the extra long pronunciation, must come
suddenly as an illumination of the Self, and not in a similar
way (i.e. not materially as a continuous buzzing of “m”). It is
this latter (Om̐ sound) which, as soon as it is uttered, (sends
upwards) all the vital breaths suddenly; and just because it
sends them upwards (ūrdhvam utkrāmayati), it is called the
Om̐ -sound (Omkara)....
Swami Vivekananda adds: ‘Again, all articulate sounds are
produced in the space within the mouth beginning with the root of
the tongue and ending in the lips — the throat sound is A, and M is
the last lip sound, and the U exactly represents the rolling forward
of the impulse which begins at the root of the tongue till it ends in
the lips. If properly pronounced, this Om will represent the whole
phenomenon of sound-production, and no other word can do this;
and this, therefore, is the fittest symbol of the Sphota, which is the
real meaning of the Om.
[Sanskrit sphoṭa is etymologically derived from the root sphuṭ 'to
burst'. It is used, in its technical linguistic sense, by Patañjali, in
reference to the "bursting forth" of meaning or idea on the mind, as
language is uttered. Patañjali's sphoṭa is the invariant quality of
speech. The acoustic element (dhvani) can be long or short, loud
or soft, but the sphoṭa remains unaffected by individual speaker’s
differences. Bhartṛhari developed this doctrine in a metaphysical
setting, where he viewed sphoṭa as the language capability of
man, revealing his consciousness. Indeed, Bhartṛhari seemed to
be saying that thought is not possible without language.
The sphoṭa then is the carrier of this thought, as a primordial
vibration].
And as the symbol can never be separated from the thing signified,
the Om and the Sphota are one. And as the Sphota, being the
finer side of the manifested universe, is nearer to God and is
indeed that first manifestation of divine wisdom, this Om is truly
symbolic of God.

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.

Mechanics of sound production in AUM̐ chanting, and it’s important

significances, are described below:
"A" (pronounced "Ah" as in "father") resonates in the center of the
mouth. It represents normal waking consciousness, in which
subject and object exist as separate entities. This is the level of
mechanics, science, logical reason, the lower three chakras.
Matter exists on a gross level, is stable and slow to change.
Then the sound "U" (pronounced as in "who") transfers the sense
of vibration to the back of the mouth, and shifts the allegory to the
level of dream consciousness. Here, object and subject become
intertwined in awareness. Both are contained within us. Matter
becomes subtle, more fluid, rapidly changing. This is the realm of
dreams, divinities, imagination, the inner world.
"M" is the third element, humming with lips gently closed. This
sound resonates forward in the mouth and buzzes throughout the
head. This sound represents the realm of deep, dreamless sleep.
There is neither observing subject nor observed object. All are one,
and nothing. Only pure consciousness exists, unseen, pristine,
latent, covered with darkness. This is the cosmic night, the interval
between cycles of creation, the womb of the divine Mother.

The important thing about AUM̐ is not so much about how it is

to be recited; the most important is listening to AUM̐ in deep
meditation. AUM̐ is the sum-total & unified form of all cosmic
vibrations & sounds.

It is said in Nādabindu Upanishad of Atharva Veda (verse 31):

िस#ासने !"थतो योगी मु#ां स"धाय वै#णवीम् ।

शृणुया!ि#णे कण# नादम%तग(तं सदा ॥ ३१॥
meaning:
The yogin ought to sit in Siddha Asana (a yogic posture),
and adopting Vaishnavi Mudra, should hear the internal
'Sound' coming from within, through the right ear

Sri Sathya Sai advocated chanting of Om 21 times, to purify the

following;
• 5 Om̐ -s for the organs of perception (Jnānendriyas), namely
eye (sight), ear (hearing), nose (smell), tongue (taste) & skin
(touch)
• 5 Om̐ -s for the organs of action (Karmendriyas), namely
vocal chords, hands, feet, elimination organs (represented
by anus) & generative organs
• 5 Om̐ -s for the 5 vital airs (Prānas), namely prāna
(breathing), apāna (moves downward through the rectum),
vyāna (diffused throughout the whole body), samana
(digestion) & udāna (rises from throat to head)
• 5 Om̐ -s for the 5 sheaths encasing the body (panch-kośas),
namely food sheath, vital air sheath, mental-emotional
sheath, intellect sheath & bliss sheath
 • 1 Om̐ for the person himself/herself & his/her Self-realization

My Take on pronouncing AUM̐ : Two possible versions may be

practised:
1) Simply put, AUM̐ is sounded as from the navel with a deep
rolling and continuous Sound ending at the upper part of the
nostrils, where the Chandra-bindu is sounded.
2) Pronounce AUM̐ in either the long format (aaauuummm) or
the short format (as in ‘home’), by assigning equal morae
(time for uttering a syllable) to all the three letters A, U & M
i.e. do not elongate any part of AUM̐ more than the others.
3) It is said that AUM̐ cannot be pronounced. The sound AUM̐ ,
as we pronounce it, is not even a close approximation of the
Primordial sound. AUM̐ is only ‘heard’ in meditation, and
there is no way it can be pronounced. Going by this, it is
advisable to prolong the “mmmm” sound (as also upheld in
Nādobindopanishad, described earlier), since prolonged
sound of “mmmm” seems closest to such vibratory humming
sound.
4) In mental Japa, AUM̐ should be repeated as “om” (as in
home), with equal time allotted to “o” & “m” – the time
allotted should be 1 mātrā each (mātrā is the time gap
needed to pronounce a short vowel like “a”).
5) The most important thing, however, is not exactly how AUM̐
is pronounced, but rather the faith (shraddha) & devotion,
with which it is chanted. Om̐ chanting & japa MUST be
done with bhāva (details described later under
Meditation Techniques).

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).

According to Swami Sivananda (Divine Life Society), “meditation

on Om̐ wilh Bhāva and meaning leads to realization of Brahma-
jnāna. This is the Vedanlic sādhana; aspirants who tread the path
of Vedanta, always mentally repeat Om̐ .”
That a man can realize his True Self, his Ātman, by meditating on
Om̐ , is put forth, in simple & straightforward terms, in the
Śvetāśvatara Upanishad (1.14) of Krishna Yajur Veda:

!वदेहमरिणं क"#वा !णवं चो#रारिणम् ।

!यानिनम'थना)यासादेवं प"येि"गूढवत् ॥ १४॥
meaning:
By making the body the lower piece of wood and Om the
upper piece and through the practice of the friction of
meditation, one perceives the luminous Self, hidden like
the fire in the wood

Om̐ , Vyahrti-s & Gayatri Mantra

All possible experiences in life, have been terraced by the Rsis,
into fourteen worlds; seven higher lokas and seven lower worlds.
There are three worlds in which a limited ego-centre comes to play
its game of reincarnation and repeated deaths: these are (1) Bhur-
loka, the physical earth; (2) Bhuvar-loka, the world next to the
physical and closely connected with it, but constituted of finer
matter; and (3) Suvar-loka, the heavenly world. Beyond these are
the four other 'worlds' wherein the ego comes to move about and
enjoy in its higher evolutionary life, and they are called the Mahar-
loka, Jana- loka, Tapa-loka, and Satya-loka.

In the Hindu literature we also find conceptions of other 'worlds'

such as Indra-loka, Chandra-loka, Surya-loka, Pitra-loka, etc.,
which are special 'realms of experiences' located within the above
regions.

Below these seven 'worlds' there is yet another set of seven

'worlds' called the talas. They are named as Pa-talam, Maha-talam,
Rasa-talam, Tala- talam, Su-talam, Vi-talam, and A-talam.

The Pranava Om̐ in the first line of Gayatri is followed by three

utterances Bhu, Bhuvah and Suvah, which are termed as
Vyahrtis. The term Vyahrti (or Vyahara) literally means well
articulated speech or a considered statement. They are also taken
as syllables of mystical significance. Vyahriti is also understood as
that which sheds light on our knowledge of the universe.
In the Gayatri Mantra, when these Vyahrtis are chanted, the
meditator can visualise the 'three worlds' as arising from,
existing in, and disappearing into AUM̐ . He can subjectively
identify them with the waking, dream, and deep-sleep conditions of
consciousness, transcending which extends the realms of the
Infinite. All of them are represented in the symbol Om̐ . In this
sense, the Vyahrtis in the Gayatri represent in one sweep the
entire 'world' of the subjective and the objective experiences of
man.

Gayatri Mantra, enlivened by Om̐ , means the following:

ॐ भूभु$वः !वः त"सिवतुव'रे*यं भग# देव$य धीमिह

िधयो यो नः !चोदयात् ॥
meaning:
Om̐ (the thought is directed to the three-fold Energy of the
One as represented by the three letters of which AUM̐ is
composed – namely, ‘A’ or Brahma (Shakti which creates),
‘U’ or Vishnu (the Shakti which maintains), and ‘M’ or Rudra
(the Shakt which "destroys," that is, withdraws the world)
OR
Earth (Bhu), Middle region (Bhuvar) & Heaven (Suvar),
together comprising the transmigrating world of Samsāra, of
which God (in the form of Om̐ & also the Sun) is the Creator.

Let us contemplate upon the Adorable Spirit of the Divine

Creator, who is in the form of the Sun (Aditya-Devata). May
He direct our minds towards attainment of the four-fold aims
(Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha) of all sentient beings. Om̐ .

As regards the Pranava at the commencement of Gayatri, the two

are intimately related. The traditional view is that the Pranava,
Vyahrti-s and the Gayatri form an integral unit. It is said: even if
Vyahrti-s are omitted, for some reason, the Pranava should always
precede the Gayatri. The Gayatri-japa should ideally include both
the Pranava (Om̐ ) and the Vyahrti-s (bhu, bhuvah and suvah).
Pranava is indeed the Bija of Gayatri-mantra.
7 Vyahrti-s & Om̐
There are several myths associated with the origin of the Vyahrti-s.
There are also variations in the explanations provided in some
Upanishads and their associated texts. For instance:

Chandogya Upanishad (verse 2.23.2) of Sāma Veda states:

!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:

ता#य%यतप'े%योऽिभत-े%य ॐकारः स"#ा%व'(था श"#ना सवा$िण

पणा$िन संतृ%णा(येवम-कारेण सवा$ वा#संतृ(ण*कार एवेदँ सव#म%कार
एवेदँ सव#म् ॥ २.२३.३॥
meaning:
He brooded on them; and from them, thus brooded upon,
issued the syllable Om̐ . As all leaves are attached to the
stalk, so is all speech attached to the syllable Om̐ . The
syllable Om̐ is all this – yea, the syllable Om̐ is all this
The description in Taittiriya Brahmana (2.2.4.2 & 2.2.4.3) of
Krishna Yajur Veda, is somewhat different:

….स भू#रित !याहरत् ।

स भूिममसृजत ।….
 meaning:
(Prajapati at the end of his meditation) uttered Bhu; and the
earth come into existence
&

….स भुव इित !याहरत् ।

सोऽ$त&र(मसृजत ।….
meaning:
(He) then uttered Bhuvah; and this brought forth the mid-
region
&

….स सुव!रित !याहरत् ।

स !दवमसृजत ।…
meaning:
(And finally, Prajapati) exclaimed Suvah; and, the upper
realm got formed
&

….एता वै !या!तय इमे लोका: ।….

meaning:
Thus the three Vyahrtis (utterances) correspond to these
realms

Maitrayani Upanishad (6.6) of Yajur Veda, expands on this &

relates the Vyahrtis to Purusha, the Cosmic Being:

अथा$या&तं वा इदमासीत् स स"यं

!जापित'तप'त()वाऽनु$याहर)*भु,वः/व0रित । एषैवा&य !जापतेः
!थिव%ा तनुया& लोकवतीित !व#र%य!याः िशरो नािभभु&वो भूः पादा
आ"द$य&च(ुः च"ुरायता िह पु#ष%य महती मा#ा च"ुषा !यं
मा#ा$चरित स"यं वै च"ुः अि#$यव'(थतो िह पु#षः सवा$थ&षु चरित
एत#मा&'भु*वः#व-र/युपासीतानेन िह !जापितिव()वा*मा
 िव#वच%ु'रवोपािसतो भवतीित एवं !ाहैषा वै
!जापतेिव)*वभृ-नुरेत1यािमदं सव#म%तिह#तम)*मन् च सव#$%म'ेषा
अ"तिह&तेित त"मादेषोपासीता ॥ ६॥
meaning:
Now (in the beginning), verily, this (world) was unuttered.
When He, the Real, the Lord of Creation, had performed
austerity, he uttered bhūh (earth), bhuvah (atmosphere), and
svah (sky). This, indeed, is Prajāpati’s very gross form, this
‘world-form.’ Its head is the sky (svah), the navel is the
atmosphere (bhuvah), the feet are the earth (bhūh). The eye
is the sun (āditya), for a person’s great material world
depends upon the eye, for with the eye he measures (or
surveys) all material things. Verily, the eye is the Real, for
stationed in the eye, a person moves about among all
objects. Therefore one should reverence bhūh (earth),
bhuvah (atmosphere), and svah (sky), for thereby Prajāpati,
the Soul of all, the eye of all, becomes reverenced, as it were.
For thus has it been said: ‘Verily, this is the all-supporting
form of Prajāpati, for in it, all this is hidden, and it is hidden in
this whole (world)’. Therefore this is what one should worship

In all these explanations of Vyahrti-s, though reference is made to

Lokas, yet it must be understood that the references are not to the
material places/lokas, but more significantly to the principles
associated with these Lokas. For example:
i) The first Vyahrti Bhu (indicating earth) is explained as that
from which objects spring up or take birth or take shape or
that in which all beings reside.
ii) Similarly, the second Vyahrti Bhuvah (indicating mid-region
or antariksha or atmosphere) signifies that principle which
maintains all objects and beings. It is said: Bhuvah
symbolizes the mid-region (antariksha) which provides space
for existence and maintenance of the first Vyahrti Bhu, the
earth. It also illumines the world of earth. The later
text Parasara Smrti mentions that the Vyahrti Bhuvah
signifies that which produces, maintains all things till their
destruction; and that which again produces them.
iii) And, the third Vyahrti Suvah (indicating heaven), the upper
realm is that which provides light, warmth, coolness and life
to the two other lower regions: Bhuvah (mid-region) and
 Bhu (earth). Suvah signifies that which is truly adorable or
sought after in all earnestness; and it is pure knowledge. It
also symbolizes the ideal state of bliss, Ananda – the
greatest blessing.

Taittiriya Upanishad of Yajur Veda – Shikshā Valli, 5th Anuvāka

talks about a 4th Vyahrti named Maha, known to Sage
Mahachamsya:

भूभु$वः सुव$रित वा एता$%त&ो !या$तयः । तासामुह'मै तां चतुथ%म् ।

माहाचम%यः !वेदयते । मह इित । त"#$ । स आ"मा ।
अ"ा$य$या देवताः ॥ १॥
meaning:
Bhuh, Bhuvah, Suvah are the three short, sacred
interjections or utterances of mystical significance (Vyahrtis).
In addition to these, there is, the fourth one, Mahah, made
known by the seer, Mahachamasya. That is Brahman. That
is the body; other Gods are it’s limbs

In addition, there are other Vyahrtis representing other Lokas

– Janah, Tapah and Satyam, bringing the total to seven
Vyahrti-s. Janah, Tapah and Satyam, in the ascending order, are
placed above Suvah.

These 7 Vyahrti-s are also enumerated in Prapanchasāra Tantra,

an important Tantrik text said to be compiled/endorsed by Adi
Shankarachary; it is stated in Prapanchasāra Tantra (30.6):

!कािशतादौ !णव!प%&ता िनगघते !याि%तस()क+ पुन: ।

सभूभु$वः !"#च् महोजन&तपः सम#$वतं स"यिमित !मेण च ।। ६ ।।
meaning:
The 7 Vyahrti-s are enumerated as (the 7 upper worlds)
namely Bhuh, Bhuvah, Suvah, Mahah, Janah, Tapah &
Satyam

In the following verses 30.7 to 30.10 of Prapanchasāra Tantra,

Mahāvishnu teaches what these 7 Vyahrtis denote:

भू:पदाघा !याि%तयो भू:शबद$त&द वत#ते ।

 त"पदं स"दित !ो#$ स"मा%&वात् तु भूरत: ।। ७ ।।
meaning:

Bhuh (Vyahrti) is mere existence alone (स"मा%)

&

भूत$वात् कारण%वा' भुव:श"द$य स"् ित: ।

सव#$य सवीरणात् !वा$मतया च !व#रती#रतम् ।। ८ ।।
meaning:

Bhuvah (Vyahrti) is elements (भूत) and Cause (कारण);

Suvah (Vyahrti) is the guide & the Ātmā of all that is
&

मह#वा& मह#$वा' मह:श"द: समी$रत: ।

तदेव सव#जनता त"#ना&द् [!ु] !याि%ितज(न ।। ९ ।।
meaning:
Mahah (Vyahrti) implies greatness & light;
Tat (Brahman) is Janah (Vyahrti) because it is all
&

तपो !ानतया चैव तथा तापतया !मृतम् ।

स"यं पर#वादा#म#वादनंत+ानत: !मृतम् ।। १० ।।
meaning:

Tapah (Vyahrti) denotes !ानतया (all knowledge) & तापतया

(distress & suffering faced in human life, due to ignorance);
Satyam (Vyahrti) implies supremacy & Ātmatva or the natural
state of Ātmā (i.e. Ātmā in itself, and eternal wisdom or
Anantajnāna)

Though each of the seven Vyahrti-s represents a distinct Loka or a

level of consciousness, their utterance is always preceded by the
Pranava Om̐ , the symbol of the Supreme Reality.
Next two verses of Prapanchasāra Tantra (30.11 & 30.12) show
how different parts of Pranava are identified with these Vyahrti-s
(or ‘worlds of experience’):

!णव$य !याि%तीनामत: स"बंध उ"यते ।

अकारो भू#कार'तु भुवो माण$: !वरी%रत: ।। ११ ।।
meaning:
The letters of Pranava are identified with Vyahrti-s;
‘A’ is Bhuh, ‘U’ is Bhuvah, ‘M’ is Suvah
&

िबंद%म'(ह*तथा नादो जन: शि#$तप: !मृतम् ।

शा#तं स"यिमित !ो#$ यत् !यात् परतरं पदम् ।। १२ ।।
meaning:
Bindu is Mahah, Nāda is Janah, Shakti is Tapah,
and Shānta is Satyam, the highest of these states

All the Vyahrti-s emanate from the Pranava Om̐ . The

contemplation on Vyahrti-s is intended to secure (viniyoga)
moksha, liberation. The mantra from Taittiriya Aranyaka
(10.35.1) of Krishna Yajur Veda, pays tribute to the all-
comprehensive nature of Om̐ :

…..ओमापो !योित रसोऽमृतं !" भूभु$व&सुवरोम् ।

meaning:
Om̐ , the water, the light, the very essence in which we
exist, the Absolute, the physical world, the astral realm,
the mental realm, all are indeed Om̐

Fixing Om̐ in the Heart – the Pāśupata way

Paśupata is a very old school of Shaivism. One of it’s main texts,
Pāśupata-Sūtra with Kauṇḍinya's Pañcārthabhāṣya states in
Sutras 5.24 & 5.25:

ओ"कारमिभ#यायीत ।। २४ ।।
meaning:
 One should practise meditation on Om̐ only
&

!"द क"व$त धारणाम् ।। २५ ।।

One should hold Om̐ in the Self (heart)

In his Paper “The Use of Mantra in Yogic Meditation: The

Testimony of the Paśupata”, Gerhard Oberhammer writes about
the commentary of Maharshi Kaundinya on the above Sutras,
implying as follows:
“The Omkära, is determined (by the Sütra) to be the object of
contemplation (dhyeyatvena), but this is not true of (other mantras)
such as the Gäyatri". He continues, "One should meditate while
the mind is in contact with the Omkära (omkärasannikrstacittena).
….Only the Omkära is to be contemplated and no other (mantra)."
&
"What is the place of contemplation (dhyänadesah)? In what place
is the 'fixing' to be done? What is to be done by the one who
contemplates?"

Maharshi Kaundinya answers, “the seeker should do the fixing in

his heart. Thus, Kaundinya takes verse 5.24 as determining
the object of the higher contemplation to be Om̐ , and verse 5.25 as
indicating the way of turning attention to the Omkära (cf.
abhidhyäyita), namely by fixing in one's heart.

In essence, Maharshi Kaundinya says: Here the Omkära is that

which has to be fixed; not the ātmā, but the reality of the ātmā in
the ātmā is that which has to be fixed; (that is to say) when
somebody has been turned away from objects by means of
Omkära and is simply in a state of pure (objectless mental) activity
(vrttivikäramätrena), then this turning away is the pratyähära. After
having turned away (from the objects), he should perform the fixing
in the heart; and that which he should fix is the recollection of the
Omkära (Omkäränucintanam). It is only then that the focusing of
attention [on the Omkära (adhyayanam) becomes a (state) which
endures for a long time.

Oberhammer quotes another Paśupata text, Ratnatīkā, to arrive at

the conclusion, “The Omkära is Maheśvara Himself in so far as
he is present as the Om̐ mantra in the act of contemplation
(however one might conceive of this presence) and, thus, out
of his grace, effects the end of suffering; i. e., bestows
emancipation”. On this basis, Oberhammer distinguishes the Om̐
mantra from other mantras, by clarifying that while other mantras
linguistically mediate the reality of God only in an indirect way,
Omkära, in contrast, is a linguistically undifferentiated sound
that thus can effect Shiva's salvific presence immediately; i. e.,
without a prior propositional mediation. This is because the syllable
Om̐ is the "being-an-object for contemplation" of God himself
without requiring any mediation by sentence meaning. Such a
presence of God, which is no longer conveyed by means of
sentence meaning, can only be retained in the heart; that is, in
the ātmā by means of a radical "recollection of the Omkära”,
which becomes concrete in surrender (bhaktih, ätmäpradänam)
and worship (püja).

The Paśupata belief thus considers the fixing (dharana) of

Omkära (i.e. “recollection of the Omkära” or
Omkäränucintanam) in the ātmā as the higher contemplation
(dhyānam) to achieve emancipation.

Pranavopasana & Omkāra-Vichāra

Om̐ is a mono syllable prefixed to every Mantra. Without Om̐ , no
sacred-chant has its power. A Mantra has no life in it without the
addition of the Pranava Om̐ .

Repetition of ‘Omkara‘ is of different kinds. Generally it is uttered

as part of some mantras like “Om̐ Namashivaya” and similar other
Vaidik mantras as well as many hymns beginning with Omkara. So
also sacrifices, acts of penance etc. begin with chanting ‘Om̐ ’. But
sometimes ‘Om̐ ’ is uttered and meditated upon independently. This
is called “Pranavopasana” and whether all people can adopt this
upasana has been controversial.

ओ"कार उपासना or Pranavopasana means the repetition of Pranava

(Om̐ ) by itself (not as part of, or in conjunction with other mantras
and rites) and the meditation upon its significance - the Supreme
Brahman. According to traditional religious teachers, this is
reserved for Sannyasins only. The reason given is that only those,
who have enough purity of mind and power of concentration, can
perform this Upasana in the proper way. The gist of the argument
is that house-holders and people like them, lacking in mental purity
 and concentration on the Absolute, are not qualified to perform
Pranavopasana.

ओ"कार िवचार or Omkāra-Vichāra is presented in Mandukya

Upanishad as a means of सा#यो मुि$ i.e. liberation here and now, in
this ज"म itself. ओ!कार उपासना is presented in Prashnopanishad, as a
means of !म मुि$ i.e ओ!कार उपासना or Pranavopasana will not give
liberation in the current life; instead, one can go to !" लोक, and
from there, one will get !ान followed by !म मुि$ - a two-step
liberation. So, ओ!कार can be used for both सा#यो मुि$ and also for
!म मुि$. In Mandukya, the topic is ओ"कार िवचार & सा#यो मुि$,
whereas 5th chapter of the Prashnopanishad, is for ओ"कार
उपासना & !म मुि$.

ओ"कार िवचार in Mandukya Upanishad, is contemplation on AUM̐

divided into 4 portions i.e. अकार + उकार + मकार + silence, the तु#रयम्.

The ओ"कार उपासना in Prashnopanishad is focused on the first 3

viz. अकार, उकार and मकार.

Let us consider the ओ!कार (AUM̐ ) उपासना of Prashnopanishad.

While meditating on AUM̐ , we should remember/recall/visualise
that the three letters represent or are associated with the following:

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)

The silence – तु#रयम् (Turiyam) following मकार (M) represents the

Nirguna Brahman or परा !"न (Parā or Param Brahman).

So, मकार (or कारणम् !"न) + तु#रयम् (Turiyam) can be said to

represent परा !"न (Para or Param Brahman), while अकार (A) &
उकार (U) represent Karya Brahman or अपरा !"न (Aparā Brahman).

And that means the ओ"कार (Om̐ ) is able to represent both अपरम्
!" (Aparam Brahman) and परा !"न (Parā or Param Brahman).

Since ओ"कार (Om̐ or AUM̐ ) represent अपरा !"न (Aparā

Brahman) as well as परा !"न (Parā or Param Brahman), a
seeker can use ओ"कार for the उपासना of either अपरा !"न (Aparā
Brahman) or परा !"न (Parā or Param Brahman).

Meditating on अकार (i.e. ‘A’ or Vaishvanara) or on उकार (i.e. ‘U’ or

Hiranyagarbha) or on मकार (i.e. ‘M’ – when taken as Saguna
Brahman) – all of which is उपासना of अिन$यम् देवता (Vaishvanara &
Hiranyagarbha are both termed अिन$यम् देवता, as both of them
come during Srishti and are resolved in !लयं) – constituting अपरा
!"न (Aparā Brahman) – such उपासना can yield only अिन$यम् फलम्,
and not moksha.

An example of meditation on अकार (i.e. ‘A’ or Vaishvanara) is the

Vaishvanara-Agnihotra-Vidya, of which Prāna-agnihotra is one
technique (these are described in the Appendix at the end of these
Notes). Also, Hiranygarbha can be worshipped by reciting the
Hiranygarbha Sukta or by performing various rituals (such as
Garbhādhāna, Punsavana, Simanta ceremonies or the 16
Yātkarma ceremonies) as prescribed in Vedas.
The अिन#यम् फलम् from the worship of अकार (i.e. ‘A’ or Vaishvanara),
उकार (i.e. ‘U’ or Hiranyagarbha) & मकार (i.e. ‘M’ – when taken as
Saguna Brahman) yields rebirth as a human being, sojourn in the
Chandra-loka and sojourn in Satya-loka (resulting in Krama-mukti)
respectively.

Worship of िन#यम् कारणम् !"न (परा !"न or Parā or Param Brahman)

yields superior result of moksha. The seeker who can remember to
worship Om̐ at the time of his death, attains moksha, as mentioned
by Lord Krishna in Bhagwad Gita (8.13):

ओिम$येका)रं !" !याहर&मामनु*मरन् |

य: !याित !यज$देहं स याित परमां गितम् || 8.13||
meaning:
Uttering the one-syltabted Om̐ - the Brahman – and
remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains
to the Supreme Goal

So the seeker should practise परा !"न (Parā or Param Brahman)

उपासना throughout his life, to make it a natural habit, because
whatever is natural, will come to mind at the time of death.

DIFFERENT METHODS OF OM MEDITATION

Swami Sivananda’s Technique (Om̐ in Vedantic Meditation)

As soon as you sit for meditation, chant Om̐ loudly 3 or 6 or 12
times. This will drive away all worldly thoughts from the mind and
remove Vikshepa (tossing of the mind). Then take to mental
repetition of Om̐ .
Japa of Om̐ is constant repetition of Om̐ , either verbally or
mentally or in a humming manner. Chanting of Om̐ is loud
repetition and taking the breath and vibrations from the Muladhara
Chakra to Sahasrara Chakra. Smarana of Om̐ is remembrance of
Om̐ or Brahman. Chintana of Om̐ is thinking of Om̐ . Manana is
reflection on Om̐ . Vichara of Om̐ is enquiry into the nature of
Brahman. Meditation on Om̐ is Nididhyasana on the invisible,
immortal Self with Advaita Bhāva or feeling: "l am the all-
pervading Brahman, the pure Consciousness." This feeling
should go deep into the very core of your heart. Every cell, every
pore of your body, every atom, every molecule, every nerve, every
fibre, every drop of blood, every artery, every vein should
powerfully vibrate or pulsate, with this sacred, soul-elevating,
sublime feeling. When you chant Om̐ or meditate on Om̐ or sing
Om̐ , feel that you are one with the Supreme Self. Transcend
the world of names and forms and identify yourself with the
all-pervading Pure Consciousness.
Om̐ with Pranayama
You can associate Om̐ with the breath during the practice of
Pranayama. Mentally repeat 'O' during inhalation and 'M' during
exhalation. This will increase the efficacy of Pranayama. This is
Sagarbha pranayama. You can keep Om̐ for constant Ajapa-japa
also. Watch the breath and repeat 'O' during inspiration and 'M'
during expiration. You can do this practice while walking also. Put
sufficient force into the thoughts of Om̐ . Feel that Om̐ is coming
from your Soul. This will raise your consciousness to a very high
plane. You will become one with the Soul, the Ātman. Meditate
that the single letter, the supreme light, the Pranava, Om̐ is the
origin or source of these three letters 'A,' 'U' and 'M.' Inhale the air
through the left nostril for the space of 16 Mātras, meditate on
the letter 'A during that time, retain the air for the space of 64
Mātras, meditate on the letter 'U’ during the time, exhale for
the space of 32 Mātras and meditate on the letter 'M' during
that time. A Mātra is the unit for measurement of duration of
breath in Pranayama (Yoga), said to be typically between 1 to 2
seconds. Practise this again and again in the above order. Begin
with 2 or 3 times and gradually increase the number to 20 or 30
times according to your capacity and strength. To begin with, keep
the ratio 1:4:2. Gradually increase the ratio to 16:64:32. The
practitioner will get great peace of mind and inner strength.
Kundalini will be awakened. He will soon enter into Nirvikalpa
Samadhi.

Similar detailed instructions about meditation on Om̐ with

Pranayama, are contained in Dhyanabindu Upanishad (verses
19 to 24) of Krishna Yajur Veda:

!"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

इडया वायुमापुय' पूरिय&वोदर*+थतम् ।

ओ"ारं देहम%य'थं !याये%वालवलीवृतम् ॥ २०॥
meaning:
Taking in vāyu through the left nostril and filling the stomach
with it, one should contemplate upon Omkara as being in the
middle of the body and as surrounded by circling flames

!"ा पूरक इ"यु%ो िव#णुः क"#भक उ"यते ।

रेचो !" इित !ो#ः !ाणायाम&य देवताः ॥ २१॥
meaning:
Brahma is said to be inspiration; Vishnu is said to be
cessation (of breath), and Rudra is said to be expiration.
These are the devatas of pranayama

आ"मानमरिणं क"#वा !णवं चो#रारिणम् ।

!यानिनम'थना)यासादेव प"येि&गूढवत् ॥ २२॥
meaning:
Having made Ātma as the (lower) arani (sacrificial wood) and
pranava as the upper arani, one should try to see God, with
concentration, repeatedly (just like the practice of churning),
which is dhyana

ओ"ार%विननादेन वायोः संहरणा'(तकम् ।

याव$लं समाद%या'स(य!नादलयाविध ॥ २३॥

गमागम$थं गमना%दशू)य- मो#ारमेक( रिवको&टदीि*म् ।

प"य$%त ये सव#जना'तर*थं हंसा%मक( ते िवरजा भव#$त ॥ २४॥
meaning:
 One should practise restraint of breath as much as it lies in
his power along with (the uttering of) Omkara sound, until it
ceases completely.
Those who look upon OM as of the form of Hamsa staying in
all, shining like crores of suns, being alone, staying in
gamāgama (ever going and coming) and being devoid of
motion at last, such persons are freed from sin
Trataka on Om̐
Neophytes in the path of Jnāna Yoga should do Trataka (gazing)
on Om̐ with open eyes in the beginning for about three months.
Steady gazing without winking, makes tears flow profusely. Then
they should visualise Om̐ with closed eyes. Visualisation of Om̐ is
the calling up of a clear mental image of Om̐ by closing the eyes.
They should repeat Om̐ mentally with feeling and meaning and
make the ears hear the sound also so that they may not run
outside to hear other sounds. Associate the ideas of infinity,
eternity, immortality, etc., when you think of Om̐ .
Meditation on Om̐
Meditation on Om̐ with feeling and meaning leads to realisation of
Self. This is the Vedantic sādhana. This is Jnāna Yoga.
Meditation is the keeping up of the continuous flow of one idea of
Brahman in the mind, like the flow of oil from one vessel to another
vessel (Taila dhara-vat).
Sit on Padma, Siddha or Sukhasana. Close your eyes, relax the
muscles and nerves completely. Concentrate the gaze on Trikuti,
the space between the two eyebrows. Silence the objective or
conscious mind. Repeat Om̐ mentally with Brahma-bhāvana. You
can meditate on the following series of ideas (mentioned as
examples):
Brahma Satyam - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(Absolute is the only Reality)
Aham Brahmasmi - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(I am all-pervading pure Consciousness)
(l am the living Truth)
(I am the living Reality)
Akhanda Ekarasa Chinrnatroham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(l am the one unbroken pure Consciousness)
Chinmayoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(l am mass of knowledge)
Sat-chit-ananda Svarupoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
Asangoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(l am unattached)
Bhumananda Svarupoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(l am lnfinity Bliss)
Kevaloham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(l am alone)
Hamsa Soham - Soham Hamsa - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
Nirmaloham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(I am purity)
Paripurnoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(l am all-full)
Kuthasthoham, Aham Sakshi - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(l am Changeless, I am witness)
Aham Chaitanya, Aham Ātma - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
Vimaloham, Amaloham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
Advaitoham, Asangoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
Chinmatroham, Chaitanyoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
Sivoham, Sivahkevaloham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
Paripurnoham, Paramatmoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
Nitya Tripta Svarupoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
Nishkaloham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(l am partless)
Nirgunoham - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(l am attributeless)
Sariratraya Vilakshana - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(I am distinct from the three bodies)
Pancha-kosa Vyatirikta - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(I am distinct from five Kosas)
Avasthatraya Sakshi - Om̐ Om̐ Om̐
(I am witness of three states)
Finally, you should allow the mind to settle on one idea only. Give
up this idea also, in due course. Shut out all worldly ideas. Now
Brahmakara Vritti will be raised. This will destroy the original
Avidya, Mula Ajnāna that covers the Brahman. You will shine in
pristine Brahmic glory. You will realise your identity or oneness
with the Supreme Self.
When you chant or sing Om̐ , melt the mind in the lmmortal Self
and feel that you are the Light of lights, the Lord of lords, Emperor
of emperors, King of kings, the Soul of souls, the Self of all selves,
the Eye of all eyes, the Ear of all ears, the Prāna of all Prānas, the
Director or Governor of this world, the Immortal Brahman of the
Upanishads of whom the Sāma chanters sing with the Vedas and
the Angas in the pada and krama methods, of whom the Rishis
and sages have sung in manifold ways in many various chants and
in decisive, Brahma-sutra words, full of reasonings. Deny the body.
Deny the world. Assert 'Aham Brahma Asmi.' Be established in the
one idea ‘Ahamātma - l am the Self’, ‘Aham Chaitanya - l am
Consciousness’.
Laya Chintana of Om̐
Laya Chintana of Om̐ leads to Advaita Nishtha or Nirvikalpa
Samadhi:
(a) Viśva (the waking state or gross form of Jiva) gets Laya
(dissolution) in Virat (the gross form of lśvara); Virat (the gross
form of lśvara) in 'A.'
(b) Taijasa (the dreaming state or subtle form of Jiva) gets Laya in
Hiranyagarbha (the subtle form of lśvara); Hiranyagarbha (the
subtle form of lśvara) in 'U.'
(c) Prajna (the deep sleep state or causal form of Jiva) gets Laya
in lśvara (the causal form of lśvara); lśvara (the causal form of
lśvara) in 'M.'
(d) Turiya is common to both Jiva and lśvara. Amātra gets Laya in
Brahman (Kutastha-Brahma-aikyam), oneness of Jiva and
Brahman.
This is Laya Chintana of AUM. This is very useful for meditation on
Om̐ .

Paramhansa Yogananda's technique

The author of the bestselling ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ advised
how to do primordial sound meditation in a yogic way:
• close yourself to outside distractions by covering your eyes and
ears
• place your thumbs over the ear openings, little fingers over the
lowered eyelids and the remaining fingers on the forehead
• turn eyeballs upward and inward, converging your gaze at the
central point in the forehead, slightly above and in-between the
eyebrows
• mentally chant Om ̐ , Om̐ ... without making any sound or moving
the tongue
• look out for any sound you may hear
• focus all your attention on listening to any vibrations emanating
within
• become one with them
It is important that you keep your ears and eyes covered at all
times while doing this meditation.

In time, you will start to discern the physical vibrations first,

followed by the astral vibrations, and then finally the sound of Om̐
resonating like a mighty ocean.

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:

For example, the coccygeal (mūladhara chakra) at the base of the

spine emits a humming sound. The sacral centre or
the swadhishthana chakra has a flute-like sound. Lumber centre
(manipura chakra) sounds like a harp and the dorsal centre
(anāhata chakra) has a bell-like sound. Cervical (vishuddha
chakra) sounds like rushing water and the medulla oblongata
(ajna chakra) is the symphony of all sounds together.
Do this meditation for 10 minutes in the morning and for 20
minutes before sleeping. Regular practice will instill a deep
calmness and great intuitive ability.

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.

Start chanting Om̐ inside. There is no need to bring it out: it will be

more penetrating with lips closed; even the tongue should not
move. Chant aum fast – Om̐ Om̐ Om̐ Om̐ ; fast and loud but inside
you.

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.

Bowing the head is merely a symbol. Hang your head down as if it

is severed from the body; this is only so that you may bow down.
No sooner does the head bow down, then it becomes easier to
see; no sooner dies the neck bend, then thinking becomes difficult.

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!

Steven Sturgess' technique

Steven mentioned a very simple way of practicing Om̐ meditation
in his ‘The Yoga Book: A Practical Guide to Self –realization’:
• chant Om̐ aloud for ten minutes,
• chant Om̐ in a whisper for the next ten minutes, and then
• mentally chant Om̐ for another ten minutes
Finally, be still and meditate on the spiritual eye (the point between
the eyebrows). Surrender yourself to the vibrations of Om̐ and feel
your awareness expand.

Swami Vishnudevananda’s technique (Om̐ in Vedantic

Meditation)
Swami Vishnudevananda (disciple of Swami Sivananda) writes in
his book ‘The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga’ (chapter
Conquest of Death – Vedantic Meditation to Conquer Death and
Develop Intuition), this description entails repetition of Swami
Sivananda’s technique, but is detailed here to clarify some aspects
that may not be clear in the previous explanation of Swami
Sivananda’s technique:
In Vedantic meditation the most important thing is to realize that
one's real self is the sun of suns, the light of lights. In the state of
meditation one can rise above the body and above the mind and
dehypnotize onself into the light of lights, into the sun of suns.
Meditation should be started after a few rounds of breathing
exercise and a few minutes of chanting of the name of the
Supreme Almighty who resides in the heart of hearts as the Self or
ātman, and when the mind obtains some exaltation or is elevated
to a certain height, it becomes very easy to make it soar much
higher and even to great heights. One must make the mind rise
into the higher regions by humming the syllable OM (AUM). The
meaning of the syllable OM is different to different persons.
Everyone in his own stage of spiritual development has to give it
the meaning that suits him best. Some people meditate on OM as
the sun of suns shining within their hearts, while others meditate
upon the ajna chakra (space between the eyebrows) while
chanting OM. One can choose and meditate on either of these
places (the heart or the space between the eyebrows).
While chanting OM one should meditate on the meaning attached
to it, as follows:
I am the light of lights; I am the sun; I am the real, real sun; the
apparent sun is my symbol only. [In dreams we see objects not by
the light of a lamp, nor by the light of the moon, sun, or stars, and
yet we see them. If without light we cannot see, then with what
light do we see light?] It is the light of my real Self; it is the light of
my ātman, and it is my light that makes everything visible in my
dreams. I am a monarch of monarchs. It is I who appear as all the
beautiful flowers in different gardens. In me the whole world lives,
moves, and has its being . Everywhere it is my will that is being
done. I am manifested everywhere, I feed every being, from the
smallest microbes to man. I existed before the world began. Evil
thoughts and worldly desires are things concerning the false body
and the false mind, and are things of darkness. In my presence
they have no right to make their appearance. I am not bound by
any actions; I command elements. I am all pervading, like supreme
ether. Like light and invisible rays, I permeate and pervade every
atom and every object. I am the lowest; I am the highest; I am the
spectator, I am the showman, I am the performer. I am the most
famous people, and most disreputable, ignominious; I am the most
fallen. Oh, how beautiful I am! I shine in the lightning; I roar in the
thunder; I ffutter in leaves; I hiss in the winds; I roll in the surging
seas. The friend I am; the foe I am. To me, no friends, no foes.
Whatever be the state of this body, it concerns me not; all bodies
are mine. I am the whole universe; everything is in me; I am
limitless, eternal, all-pervading. I am in each and all. I am in you;
you are in me. Nay, there can be no you and I, no difference.
Soham, Soham, Soham. I am that, I am that, I am that. OM OM
OM.

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’.

Before beginning this kind of meditation, students are advised to

remove the three impurities of the mind: mala or selfishness;
vikshepa or tossing of the mind; and āvarana, or the veiling power,
if they wish to achieve quick results. These three impurities of the
mind may be described as follows:
i) Mala, or selfishness, is the grossest impurity. It is to be
found in all men, in varying degrees and intensities,
according to the degree of spiritual development of their
souls; and it can be removed only through selfless
service. Therefore every student, low or evolved, should
spend some time in serving others without thought of reward
before proceeding to deeper meditation.
ii) The second impurity is known as vikshepa shakti, or
tossing of the mind. Mind becomes unsteady because of
this impurity, and concentration becomes difficult. The Yogic
method of stopping this tossing is through Yogic
breathing, devotion, and chanting.
iii) The last is the subtlest of all impurities, known as āvarana
shakti, or the veiling power of the mind. This āvarana
shakti clouds the Pure Consciousness or Self, and produces
body consciousness. This is the most difficult impurity (the
idea of body consciousness) to get rid of. Vedantic
meditation and the inquiry, ‘Who am I?’ removes this
veiling power. Only then can the Self shine of Itself.
The ‘Pañcīkarana’ & Laya Upasana Technique
One such meditative practice, briefly outlined in the Pañcīkarana
attributed to Shankara, involves first a comprehension of the
correspondence between the three parts of Om̐ (AUM̐ ) and the
three bodies – gross, subtle, and causal – of the Self, with their
individual and cosmic counterparts, as well as their correlative
states of consciousness. In a cosmogonic context, the three
bodies are seen as progressively evolving, one from the next: the
gross from the subtle, the subtle from the causal, and finally –
though not explicitly stated in the Pañcīkarana – the causal
from the Pure Consciousness of Brahman/Ätman.

The second phase of this meditation, known as Laya Upāsanā

(resorptive meditation), consists in reversing, within oneself, the
cosmogonic process. This is accomplished by dissolving or
reabsorbing, in due order, the three bodies, states, and so forth,
back into their source, until the meditator finally merges into the
Supreme, non-dual Self. This resorption is actualized in the
contemplative practice by regressively dissolving the letters of Om̐
(“a”, “u”, and “m”) back into their origin: (“a” into “u”, “u” into “m”,
and “m” into Om̐ , and finally Om̐ into the Supreme (the Ātman or
Brahman). This is described in detail in Prapanchasāra Tantra:

त"#मंि'धाय िच#ं िवलयं गमये%&नेशसं+याते ।

पुनरावृि)िवहीनं िनवा%णपदं !जेत् सम#यासात् ।। १९.४२ ।।
meaning:
Different parts of AUM̐ are dissolved in Shānta – ‘A’ of
AUM̐ is dissolved in ‘U’, and ‘U’ in ‘M’, and ‘M’ in Bindu, and
Bindu in Nāda, and Nāda in Shakti and Shakti in Shānta

In such fashion the meditator is able to realize fully the identity of

the individual soul with Ātman/Brahman.

Another technique (suggested by a Westerner)

• Resonate the word (long o……m….) in the deepest range of
your vocal register, with a single breath. Elongate the “o” with
an open mouth, and then vibrate the “m” through closed lips.
• Keep the repetition of the sound even in the duration in between
the soundings.
• After doing this exercise for 10 minutes or so, you may wish to
transform the OM to AUM (ah…ewe…m…), and note the effect
after 10 more minutes.
It also is helpful to visualize the symbol for OM while doing this,
either with eyes closed or by looking at the symbol during a wide-
eyed meditation. See the symbol as a “seed” with each OM-AUM
– it grows inside you…until you become the OM-AUM.

The Kashmir Shaivism technique

AUM̐ is undoubtedly, the sound-form of God. If, while you
pronounce this sound, you develop a profound understanding of
what AUM̐ really means, the whole universe along with "you" will
come back to the original AUM̐ , which is indeed Brahman (of Adi
Shankaracharya’s Advaita Vedanta) or Paramaśiva (of Kashmir
Shaivisn non-dualism). The flow of Śakti or Power usually goes
down to the gross manifestation (material objects and the like), but
through a continuous and intense repetition of AUM̐ , that process
is reverted. You are then led to higher tattva-s (3 to 5, namely
Sadāśiva to Sadvidyā – tattvas of the unmanifested universe),
passing through mental and causal levels, until you arrive in the
original Supreme Consciousness (Paramaśiva). (For detailed
exposition on Tattva-s in Creation, see Notes on Shiva Sutra &
Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism). This Supreme Consciousness is
the real "You" in "you". Thus, you use AUM̐ as a sort of stairway to
attain your true Self. This stairway consists of twelve steps (or
stages), out of which only the first three need your own effort in the
form of a serious, deep and continuous repetition of AUM̐ , while
the remaining nine stages occur by themselves, in a spontaneous
and natural way.
The First Three Stages
Whether the ‘M’ sound is elongated or all the three, A, U & M are
pronounced with equal measure (matra), it is important to do the
following:
Stage First ) Chant AUM̐ , by feeling ‘A’ in the navel, ‘U’ in the
heart and ‘M’ (in fact, M̐ or Anunāsika) in the mouth
successively.
Stage Second ) This chanting should be accompanied by a
visualization of the following three stages:
1 ) The first stage is technically called Akāra or the stage of
the letter (kāra) ‘A’. The stage of Akāra marks the lowest
level in the entire process of universal Manifestation by
 Śakti or Divine Power. At this stage, all tattva-s or
categories of Manifestation have been "manifested" by
Śakti and thus the universe is completely visible and
revealed. Therefore, when you pronounce ‘A’, you start
your journey "back" to Shiva. The normal stream of
Shakti is downward, but you want to go upward and
consequently use the sounds of AUM̐ as a sort of
stairway (as mentioned above).
2 ) The second stage is technically called Ukāra or the stage
of the letter (kāra) ‘U’. The stage of Ukāra marks the level
from which Śakti begins "actually" manifesting different
"material" objects as apparent, separate, independent
entities. That is why, the stage of Ukāra resides in Prakṛti
(tattva 13). As you know, the tattva known as Prakṛti is
the source from which all tattva-s from Buddhi (intellect or
determinative faculty) down to Pṛthivī (earth element or
solidity) are born. Prakṛti can be said to be the "material"
cause of this universe indeed. When you pronounce ‘U’,
be sure you have advanced from the lowest level of
Creation (symbolized by ‘A’) up to the thirteenth level or
Prakṛti (symbolized by ‘U’).
3 ) The third stage is technically called Makāra or the stage
of the letter (kāra) ‘M’. This is also called Anunāsikakāra
or stage of the letter (kāra) Anunāsika. The stage of
Makāra marks the level from which Shakti produces
"diversity" in That (Shiva) which is devoid of all
differences. That is why, the Makāra stage moves in
Māyā (tattva 6). At this level, the material objects are not
still manifested, but their causes, which rest in Māyā. This
Māyā is the matrix giving rise to all causes that will end
up bringing about the whole aggregate of objects and
subjects in lower tattva-s or categories. When you
pronounce ‘M’ (in fact, M̐ or Anunāsika), be sure you
have gotten to Māyā-tattva, the sixth level in the entire
process of Manifestation by Shakti. From here upward,
the process occurs in a natural spontaneous way. Your
only effort, "as it were", is to become conscious of which
stage you are experiencing, as your perception gets
subtler and subtler.
Stage Third ) The chanting should not be a mechanical one,
but full of awareness of the source from which the Mantra is
arising, and there must be a continuous focus on the Lord
being addressed by the mantra.
These first three steps or stages of AUM̐ are still at a gross level
on account of their being heard by the ordinary ears. However,
though the gross aspect of the sound ends in the mouth, its subtle
aspect does not end there, but it becomes subtler and subtler as it
ascends to the crown of the head and even beyond.
Stages Fourth to Sixth
Since the gross utterance ended in the previous third stage
(Makāra), the following three stages occur by themselves as a
upward movement of Prāṇa or vital energy contained in AUM̐ .
These three stages are as follows:
Stage Fourth ) Bindu (●) - Appearing as a dot (bindu) of
light in the space between the eyebrows.
Stage Fifth ) Ardhachandra ( ) - Appearing as a half-moon
(ardhachandra) in the forehead.
Stage Sixth ) Nirodhikā or Nirodhinī (−) - Appearing as a
straight line in the upper part of the forehead.

The fourth stage is called Bindu because you perceive a dot of

light right in the middle of the eyebrows. The stages 4 to 12 are
subtle and ever present, every time you repeat AUM̐ . However,
according to how conscious you are of them, you perceive one,
two, three... nine, or none! The first three stages, on account of
their existing in a gross level of utterance, can be perceived by
everyone though. Thus, some people repeating Praṇava have only
experienced Bindu but not Ardhacandra, and so on. Proportionally
to your level of consciousness, you will experience lower or higher
stages, though the whole set of 12 stages is always completely
developed since they have to do with tattva-s which are fully
displayed. In other words, you do not create the stages of
consciousness by chanting Praṇava, but you only realize them.
The entire group of 36 tattva-s, as stated by the Trika system, is
fully developed, and their display is not dependent on the limited
individual, but on Shakti. Shakti is operative at all times, and
nobody can stop Her activity. By "nobody" is meant conditioned
individuals. The only task to be accomplished by a paśu or limited
soul is to become conscious that all is Shakti, even himself. When
that paśu realizes the truth that nothing exists apart from Shakti,
he also perceives that he never existed as a paśu, that is, he was
not ever separate from Shakti. In fact, he will realize that his
existence as paśu (individual names & forms) is just an "invent".
These individual names & forms are inventions made by Shakti
Herself in Her creative universal display. This paśu is nothing
but a conglomerate of mind and body. The bondage of the
paśu is only due to his tadatmya (identification) with this
conglomerate of mind and body. The different thoughts, feelings
and the like, which emerge in the mind, turn a particular paśu into
a unique individual. This is backed up by the unique characteristics
of his physical body. Thus, because this conglomerate is
apparently unique and different from other conglomerates, the
notion of "someone" existing as a separate individual sinks in. Of
course, this is merely the display of the Supreme Power of Shakti,
since the poor paśu cannot exist without the support of this Shakti.

Accordingly, some systems state that this paśu is like a puppet

under the guidance of the Supreme Puppeteer, who controls the
movement of the threads. Trika affirms that there is neither a
puppet nor any Puppeteer, but only the Divine Power or Shakti
becoming the individuals by contracting Herself. Anyway, all
individuals are totally dependent upon that Divine Power, and
there is no doubt about that. Finally, death arrives and dissolves
the conglomerate formed from mind and body, which was always
just Shakti. Even though the conglomerate is removed at death,
Shakti is not removed at all. Life is only the perpetuation of the
psycho-physical conglomerate, while death is just the dissolution
of that conglomerate. However, whether or not the conglomerate
experiences perpetuation or dissolution, Shakti remains behind like
the eternal Force. The conglomerates, though real while they last,
are ephemeral in the long run. Only Shakti is everlasting and the
final Reality or Vastu behind all conglomerates. This Shakti is
your essence, and if you do not realize Her you will just live
as a mere conglomerate. Granted, there are many types of
conglomerates, some better, others worse. Most people are
completely dedicated to improve their lives as limited
conglomerates. For example, some of them want to be a "famous"
conglomerate, or one with plenty of money and power, etc. But the
wise, realizing how ephemeral all that is, look to attain Shakti, that
is, to realize the Cosmic Force who manifests, sustains and
dissolves all these fleeting conglomerates of mind and body in Her
own Self.

A simple way to realize the Cosmic Force behind all

conglomerates is to pay attention to the gaps existing
between the thoughts. Remember that the thoughts belong to
the conglomerate, but that, which exists between the
thoughts, does not belong to the conglomerate. That is Shakti
or Divine Power, which is not thinkable but the thinker himself.
She behaves like a thread connecting many thoughts, which are
strung together in Her like beads in a necklace. Do not pay
attention to the beads (thoughts), but to the thread (Shakti). You
are inherently Shakti, who is not different from Shiva. That is why,
when your mind stops and you do not think any thoughts, you keep
existing even then. The cessation of mind is not tantamount to
your own cessation. Why are you then so identified with your mind,
when you are the independent Self, residing behind the mind?
Ponder over this mystery. The technique of meditating on the
gaps between the thoughts is known as Unmeṣa and it is a
direct way to realize your essential nature as Shakti. Practice it
and become that which you already are.

Well, the word Bindu literally means "dot". Bindu is a dot of

massive agglutination (clumping together) of all objective
phenomena. In other words, the entire objective universe is
condensed in the form of a dot. When you are able to see this
Bindu during the meditation, a process of gradual realization or
illumination in respect of all objective phenomena will be
developed. You will become gradually conscious of the whole
range of objective phenomena, as Bindu, as a mass in which the
whole universe consisting of objects is compacted. The stage of
Bindu exists in the fifth tattva or Sadvidyā (the abode of Kriyā-śakti
or the Supreme Power of Action) and it lasts 1/2 mātrā; (details
can be seen in the Tattvic Chart in Notes on Shiva Sutra &
Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism).

Omnipotence or Sarvakartṛva is the absolute capacity for

manifesting all kind of forms, as desired. This is an inherent
feature of Kriyā-śakti. And since Bindu contains all forms that exist
in this universe, if you are fortunate enough to experience that dot
of light, you must realize that what you are beholding, in the space
between your eyebrows, is Omnipotence itself.

The fifth stage or Ardhachandra (half-moon) is the first stage in

which Nāda or divine sound appears. Nāda is not uttered by
anyone, but it occurs by itself. It should be kept in mind that the
stages 5 through 8 are all composed of Nāda. Each of these
stages is merely a phase in the development of Nāda.

When you enter this stage, you will see a half-moon or

Ardhachandra in your forehead. This half-moon is just the original
Bindu or dot (the previous stage) but eclipsed; this is shown below:

As you can see, Ardhachandra (half-moon) is the

consequence of Bindu being eclipsed or darkened. As Bindu is a
dot representing the entire range of objective phenomena (in the
form of Ghanibhūta shakti), its eclipse or darkening indicates the
cessation of the predominance of the objects, and the rise of the
Supreme Subject. However, the objects have not disappeared
completely, as a thin half-moon (indicating the objective universe)
still persists.

Therefore, when you experience Ardhachandra appearing in your

vision during meditation, in the area of the forehead, be sure you
are entering the stage of Nāda or divine sound, which is mainly
related to the subjective aspect of Creation, that is, You. Bindu is
related to the objective aspect, (as explained in detail in Notes on
Shiva Sutra & Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism). It might be said that
Nāda-Bindu is the same thing as Subject-Object respectively.
In Bindu, there is predominance of Shakti, who is responsible for
the manifestation of the objective universe. On the other hand, in
Nāda, there is predominance of Shiva, who is the eternal Subject.

Ardhachandra resides in Īśvara (tattva 4), the abode of Jñāna-

shakti (the Supreme Power of Knowledge). Omniscience or
Sarvajñatva is the main feature of Jñāna-shakti. In Īśvara-tattva,
Nāda or divine sound still has a "slight" trace of objectivity, which is
indeed the half-moon in the eclipsed Bindu above. The
significance of this, in the opposite direction i.e. from Īśvara down
to the lower tattva-s, is the following: In the normal direction of
Shakti, that is, from the higher tattva-s to the lower tattva-s, Shakti
begins to tend towards the manifestation of objects, little by little;
Shakti goes through the stages of eclipsed Bindu (Ardhachandra
or half-moon) and full Bindu, in that order. But through meditation,
we try to go upwards, with the help of the stairway of Praṇava; in
short, when we practice the repetition of Praṇava, we are going in
the opposite direction to the normal flow of Shakti. This is the
reason behind all the difficulties on the spiritual path to God
realization.

The Ardhacandra stage lasts 1/4 mātrā.

The sixth stage is Nirodhikā or Nirodhinī. The word Nirodhikā or
Nirodhinī literally means "that which obstructs" (from the root
"nirudh", to obstruct, hold back, etc.). This stage is known by that
name for two reasons:
i) It does not allow undeserving yogī-s to keep ascending
toward higher levels
ii) It prevents deserving yogī-s from falling again into the hole of
ignorance
In Nirodhikā or Nirodhinī, Shakti assumes the form of a straight line.
Objectivity is now vanished, and only the subjective aspect of the
universal Manifestation still remains. However, it might be said that
Nirodhikā is not working in a universal way. No, she is operating in
a particular or limited way indeed in that of selecting the souls that
deserve to keep ascending to higher tattva-s. Nirodhikā resides in
Sadāśiva (tattva 3), the abode of Icchā-shakti (the Supreme Power
of Will). Will is always linked to "desire and decision". In this
particular case, Icchā-shakti in the form of Nirodhinī selects the
yogī-s who deserve to keep ascending, and discards those yogī-s
who, at least momentarily, do not deserve to ascend to higher
realities. This act, of separating the deserving souls from the
undeserving ones, is a solid proof that Icchā-shakti is fully
operative in this stage.

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 Nirodhikā or Nirodhinī stage lasts 1/8 mātrā.

Stages Seventh to Ninth
As you keep going upward, the subtlety of the realities you come
across, makes it difficult to describe them. The following
descriptions of these stages may sound strange and hard-to-
understand, for this reason. The stages 7 to 9 are as follows:
Stage Seventh ) Nāda - Experienced as an inarticulate
sound, not produced by percussion (Anāhata), which
 expands from the crown of the head through Sushumnā.
Sushumnā is the central subtle channel (Nādi) which
penetrates the main Chakra-s in the subtle body. Sushumnā
runs from the base of the spinal column up to the crown of
the head. Nobody is sounding Nāda, but Shakti is producing
it by Herself. Nobody can stop it either. The sound is very
much like the humming of bees or the sound produced by
the rapids of a river.
Stage Eighth ) Nādānta - Experienced in Brahmarandhra.
Brahmarandhra is situated on a level with the distance
covered by twelve fingers from the space between the
eyebrows. Thus, it is "slightly" above the summit of the head.
The sound you experience there is similar to that which is
produced by a bell.
Stage Ninth ) Shakti or Āñjanī - Experienced in the skin as a
surge of divine Ānanda or Bliss.

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.

These experiences are obviously related to your various

interactions with objects and subjects. Thus, all objects and
subjects are also included in those experiences. Since you can
remember the past experiences, the past "must" be here
somehow. And, since you speak of the future as a "real" thing to
come, the future "must" be here somehow too.

Though we speak of the ‘past’ as having passed away, yet, the

fact that we speak about the past experiences, means that those
expereinces must exist now, somehow. These are called
“memories”. So through these “memories”, the ‘past’ continues to
exist, even though we think that it has passed away.

On the other hand, we speak of the future in a similar way: "Oh, I

will have to die some day in the future. How sad! I am so scared
indeed!". There are two strange things here that we generally take
for granted. Firstly, as we affirm that we will die some day in the
future, the future must be "real" and "existent".

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.

It is sometimes said that on the verge of death, some people can

see all the events of their lifetime, flash by rather vividly. The
reason for the emergence of that omniscience regarding his life,
perhaps, is the detachment in respect of body that the person
experiences on his death bed. That individual stops experiencing "I
am the body", and omniscience is unleashed.

So, time is a ‘creation’ of our own mind. Once we give up

identification with the conglomerate of our body-mind, it also
results in a major change in the limiting manner in which time
conditions the life of an ordinary Jivātman.

The word Shakti literally means "Power" and "Āñjanī" is

"Collyrium". In this stage, Shakti appears as the Manifesting Power
(Shakti) and opens the eyes of His Lord Shiva (You). Hence She is
called Āñjanī. Others say that She is prone to manifest the objects
arising from the Cosmic Mind, and that is why she is known as
Āñjanī. As a matter of fact, it is Samanā herself (the eleventh
stage) who becomes Shakti (the present ninth stage). Therefore,
the Shakti stage resides in Shakti-tattva (tattva 2) and it is felt in
skin. The Shakti stage lasts 1/64 mātrā.

Stages Tenth to Twelfth

The tenth stage is called Vyāpikā or Vyāpinī. Both words literally
mean "pervading". This name has been properly assigned to this
stage because when you get to it, you go beyond the limits of your
own body and become all-pervading like the space. The scope of
Shakti stage (the former stage) was just the body, but now, that
limitation is transcended. Vyāpikā or Vyāpinī is really Samanā (the
eleventh stage) but acting as the power or shakti withdrawing all
objects residing here as thoughts into herself, which are her own
manifestation. As you get to the state of all-pervasiveness, the
objects that emerged from the Cosmic Mind or Samanā return to
their essential source or Samanā Herself.

Some yogis describe the experience in this stage as the

experience of that Eternal Present, which one began to feel in the
Shakti stage; now this Eternal Present appears to be
encompassing all possible experiences in this universe, not only
those corresponding to one’s individual existence. In short, you
experience "all that exists at the same time". You can see
everyone being born, living and dying simultaneously, and thus
you conclude that both birth and death are merely steps in a bigger
process. All those people who have passed away and all those
people who are to be born, appear before you in this Eternal
Present. Then, you realize that nobody ever has died or been born
in this universe; all births & deaths were nothing but the Self
appearing in different ways. In this way, birth & death, though
really occuring, are understood to be fleeting experiences
happening in the Supreme Consciousness – that Supreme
Consciousness or the Self exists for ever. The Self cannot be born
or die as He is the Highest Reality... and You are the Self, the only
inhabitant in this world!

Vyāpikā or Vyāpinī also resides in Shakti-tattva (tattva 2) and lasts

1/128 mātrā. She is felt or experienced at the root of the shikhā
(the tuft on the head). This tuft is situated exactly where the usual
tuft of hair is worn by some devotees and yogī-s. The tuft is
composed of three zones: the root (in which the Vyāpikā stage is
felt), the shikhā or tuft itself (in which the Samanā stage – the
eleventh one – is experienced) and the last part or tip (in which the
Unmanā stage – the twelfth one – is perceived).

The eleventh stage is then known as Samanā. This term literally

means "endowed with mind". At this point, all temporal and spatial
conditioning has been thoroughly transcended. There are no
objects being thought of either, as they already were dissolved in
Vyāpinī or Vyāpikā. Only an activity of thinking without any object
of thought is left here. You may wonder, "how is it possible?". Well,
it is not possible to grasp the core of this by means of the ordinary
mind. It is just a matter of experience.

Samanā Herself is only Unmanā (the last stage) appearing as a

mere cosmic thought, without any type of object being manifested
in Her. Yes, Samanā is the Cosmic Mind. When you get to it, you
become established in all powers which, paradoxically, were
always in your possession, that is, omniscience, omnipotence, etc.
However, if you do not pay attention to those powers, and only
look to attain Unmanā or the Supreme Reality... you attain That.

The Samanā stage also resides in Shakti-tattva (tattva 2) and lasts

1/256 mātrā. It is experienced in the shikhā or tuft on the head.

Finally, the twelfth stage is called Unmanā (lit. "with no mind").

Unmanā is Shiva Himself (tattva 1), who is completely devoid of
thought-flow (or mind), even Cosmic Mind. This stage is attained
when you renounce the powers of omniscience, omnipotence and
so on, and direct your attention to the Highest Reality underlying
all. In Unmanā, you only find Consciousness... no time, no
mind, no space, nothing... just Consciousness existing in its
pristine form.

Unmanā is synonymous with Final Emancipation and cessation of

all universal manifestation. Nonetheless, in Shiva Himself there is
a slight movement of will that is ultimately responsible for the
manifestation of Shakti-tattva (tattva 2). So, the universe never
ceases forever on account of that creative seed in Shiva.

It may be mentioned here that Enlightened and non-enlightened

are only mere mental concepts, since all is only the Self.
Enlightenment exists in one's own mind alone. Absence of
Enlightenment also exists in one's own mind alone. Shiva is the
 only Being existing here. Shiva is Pure Conciousness. From Pure
Consciousness emerge all these beings and things, and to Pure
Consciousness will they return. Therefore, only Pure
Consciousness is the Highest Reality. The rest is only ephemeral
as a dream. Abandon the dream and merge your limited self into
the Supreme Self.

The Unmanā stage is said to last 1/512 mātrā, it is "amātrā"

(beyond mātrā or measurement).

The stage-wise experiences & outcomes of this Pranava

meditation are summarised below:

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.

MEDITATION ON SOHAM (THE MODIFIED PRANAVA SOHAM)

& HAMSA
"Soham" means "He I am" or "I am He", "I am Brahman." "Sah"
means "He." "Aham" means "I." This is the greatest of all Mantras.
This is the Mantra of Paramahamsa Sannyasins. This Mantra
Soham appears in the Isavasya Upanishad (verse 16):

पूष$ेकष' यम सूय$ !ाजाप%य !यूह र"मीन् समूह तेजः ।

य"े !पं क"याणतमं त"े प"यािम योऽसावसौ पु#षः सोऽहम&'म ॥ १६॥
meaning:
O! Pusan (Sun, nourisher), only seer (sole traveller of the
Heavens), controller of all (Yama), O! Surya, son of Prajapati,
disperse (or contract) thy rays and gather up (or withdraw)
thy burning light. Through thy grace, I behold thy glorious
form. He, the Purusha, who dwells there within thee, He am I

Swami Sivananda says:

Soham is only Om̐ . Delete the consonants S and H. You get Om̐ .
Soham is modified Pranava or Om̐ . He outlines the following
method for this meditation:
Meditation on Soham
Watch the breath. When you inhale, the sound 'so' is produced;
when you exhale the sound 'ham' is produced. You are naturally
uttering 'Soham, ''l am He” or “He am l”, along with every
breath. The breath reminds you that you are in essence identical
with the Supreme Self. In 'Soham’, ‘s’ and 'h' are consonants. lf
you delete the consonants 's' and 'h', you get 'oam' or Om.
Consonants have no independence of their own; they cannot be
pronounced without the vowels – they depend on vowels for their
existence. 's' and 'h' represent the names and forms, or this
universe which has only a phenomenal or relative or empirical or
dependent existence. Om̐ is the only solid reality. Om̐ is the soul
of your breath.

Some like 'Soham' better than 'Om̐ ’ because they find it

convenient and easy to associate it or mix it with the breath.
Further there is no effort in doing Japa of this Mantra Soham. If
you simply concentrate on the breath, if you simply watch the
breath, that is quite sufficient.
Swami Sivananda adds:
Meditation on 'Soham' is same as meditation on Om̐ .

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.

It is said in the Hamsa Upanishad of Shukla Yajur Veda:

हंसहंसेित सदा !याय$सव'षु देहेषु !या$य वत#ते ॥

यथा !ि#ः का#ेषु ितलेषु तैलिमव तं िव#द!वा मृ#युम#येित ।
meaning;

With the sound Hamsa Hamsa (out-breathing and in-

breathing) it (the breath) stays continually in all bodies,
permeating them completely, as the fire in the wood or oil in
the sesame seeds. He who knows it, does not fall into the
hands of Death

Paul Deussen in his commentary on Hamsa Upanishad says, “… it

can be shown that the Hamsa (the individual soul) becomes the
Paramahamsa (the highest soul) through the meditation of the
sound Om̐ , and particularly of its reverberation.” This is an
Abheda-Bodha-Vakya which signifies the identity of Jiva or the
individual soul and Brahman, the Supreme Self.

Hamsa Upanishad of Shukla Yajur Veda enjoins us to meditate

on the essence of Hamsa thus:
एवं क"#वा !दये अ"दले हंसा%मानं !यायेत् । अ"ीषोमौ प"ावो&ारः
िशरो िब#द%&तु ने#ं मुखं !"ो !"ाणी चरणौ बा# काल$चाि'$चोभे
पा#व% भवतः ।
 meaning:
When this is done, one should meditate on the essence of
the Hamsa in the eight-petal (lotus-flower which is) in the
heart. [One thinks of him in the form of a bird, as Hamsa
a goose, symbolic of the Ātman] Agni and Soma are his
wings, the Om̐ -sound his head, the anusvara-point his eye
(or also) his mouth; Rudra and Rudranl his hands and feet,
Kāla and Agni his both sides (right and left)
So Hamsa or the goose/swan is often identified with the Ātman,
Ultimate Reality or Brahman in Hinduism. The flight of the Hamsa
symbolizes moksha, the release from the cycle of samsāra.
Hamsa not only symbolizes the Ātman, but also represents AUM̐ .
For it is said in Nāda Bindu Upanishad (verse 1) of Atharva
Veda:

ॐ अकारो दि#णः प" उकार%तू(रः !मृतः ।

मकारं पु#छिम'या*रध-मा.ा तु म"तकम् ॥ १॥
meaning:
The syllable ‘A’ is considered to be its (the bird Om̐ ’s) right
wing, ‘U’ its left wing, and ‘M’ its tail; and the Ardha-Matra
(half-metre) is said to be its head
This is another, though a different way of linking Om̐ or AUM̐ to
Soham – Ātman (symbolized by the Hamsa bird or swan), also
shown below:
 Nādabindu Upanishad of Atharva Veda (verses 5 & 6)
exhort a Yogi to contemplate upon Hamsa / Om̐ :

सह#ाण&मतीवा+ म"# एष !दिश%तः ।

एवमेतां समा$ढो हंसयोगिवच*णः ॥ ५॥
न िभ#ते कम#चारैः पापको%टशतैरिप ।
आ"ेयी !थमा मा#ा वाय$येषा तथापरा ॥ ६॥
meaning:
….An adept in Yoga who bestrides the Hamsa (bird) thus
(viz., contemplates on Om̐ ) is not affected by Karmic
influences or by tens of Crores of sins….

Similar instruction is also conveyed in Hamsa Upanishad of

Shukla Yajur Veda:

गुदमव&'याधारा,ायुमु-था/य0वािध2ां ि"ः !"दि%णीक)*य मिणपूरक( च

ग"वा अनाहतमित()य िवशु%ौ !ाणाि%&'या)ामनु'याय-./र-1ं
!यायन् ि"मा"ोऽहिम(येवं सव#दा !यायन् । अथो
नादमाधारा'()र*+पय.*तं शु#$फ&टकस*ाशं स वै !"
परमा%मे%यु)यते ॥ १॥
meaning:
Closing the anal opening, one should send the wind upward
from the abdomen-circle (adhara), going around the sexual-
circle (svadhtithanam) thrice, keeping it on the right, ascend
to the navel-circle (manipurakam), should go beyond the
heart-circle (anahatam), should maintain the breath in the
neck-circle (visuddhi), should think over the circle-between-
the-brows (ajha), should meditate over the Brahman-opening,
and all the while also the expression ”I am that one (Om̐
sound) which consists of the three moras”, and further,
from the abdomen-circle upto the Brahman-opening, should
think over the reverberation, which is like a pure rock-crystal,
for it is that which is called Brahman, the highest Ātman.

Some repeat a compound Mantra "Hamsah Soham-Soham

Hamsah". Before you practise Soham Dhyana or meditation on
"Soham" you must practise the Neti-Neti (not this, not this)
doctrine. You must negate or deny the body and the other Koshas
by repeating "Naham Idam Sariram" – "Aham Etat Na", meaning "I
am not this body, mind or Prāna. I am He, I am He – Soham,
Soham!"

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.

Swami Sivananda advises the following method for Soham-

Hamsa-meditation:
The Jiva or the individual soul is said to be automatically repeating
this Mantra 21,600 times within 24 hours. Even during sleep the
Soham-repetition goes on by itself. Watch the breath very carefully
and you will know this. When you inhale the breath, the sound 'So'
is produced. When you exhale, 'Ham' is produced. This is termed
Ajapa-Mantra because this is done without moving the lips along
with the breath. Repeat 'So' mentally when you inhale, 'Ham'
mentally when you exhale. Practise this for two hours in the
morning and evening; meditate in a closed room on Soham with
bhava and meaning. If you can repeat for 10 hours, it is all the
more good. You must practise meditation for full 24 hours when
you advance on the path.

The repetition of the compound Mantra "Hamsah Soham-Soham

Hamsah", creates a deeper impression. Such repetition of
'Hamsah Sham-Soham Hamsah', intensifies the force of the
Mantra. The aspirant gets more internal strength from the Ātman
or the Soul-force. His conviction grows stronger. This sort of
repetition corresponds to the repetition of the Mahavakya, "Aham
Brahma Asmi-Brahmaivahamasmi – I am Brahman-Brahman am
I".

"Anal Haq" of the Sufi-Fakirs corresponds to Soham of the

Paramahamsa-Sannyasins. Guru Nanak also highly extoled this
Mantra.

The duration of life is counted really by so many 'Soham' breaths

in the light of Yoga. It is not really made up of so many years. By
the practice of Pranayama, one can save the Soham-breaths and
thus can prolong one’s life.

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.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION on Om̐

Swami Sivananda says that “there is a mysterious inscrutable
force (Achintyaśakti) in Om̐ . This force tears the veils, destroys
desires, cravings and egoism and takes the aspirant to Brahman. lt
raises the Brahmakara Vritti from the sattvic mind, annihilates the
Mula-ajnāna and helps the meditator to rest in his own
Sat-chit-ananda Svarupa.

A medical Doctor by education & training, who later on took to

Sannyasa, Swami Sivananda quoted his own experiences in his
book written in the year 1940:
“From my experiences, personal and true, I boldly assert that it
(Om̐ vibrations) has brought solace, peace, full rest and cure to
people suffering from appendicular colic in the Guy's and
Bartholomew's Hospital of London. lt has given immense relief to
the ladies in the Maternity Hospital in the famous Rotunda, Dublin.
These vibrations have again brought solace and comfort to the
lepers in the hospitals of Dehra Dun, Chengelpet and Madras. lt
has soothed the nerves of the convalescents of the world. lt has
comforted thousands of virgin widows all over Bengal and Madras.
lt has brought solace to those depressed, sad persons, filled with
gloom and despair. lt has given strength to many unselfish workers
in the world. lt has infused a new spiritual life and vigour and
vitality in the very hearts of enthusiastic youths, the future hope of
lndia, a glory and blessing to the world at large. It has a great deal
changed the vicious Samskaras that are imbedded in the
subconscious mind, and the Karana-śarira, the seed body of one
and all. These are all true facts. Believe me sincerely, my amiable
comrades! Have strong faith in my statement.”
Om̐ - THE ‘HARE KRISHNA’ (VAISHNAVA) VIEWPOINT
Though Om̐ is mostly considered as a symbol of Brahman for
worship by the followers of Advaita & Tantra, yet it is also
considered equally important in dualistic worship. Reproduced
below is the viewpoint, about Om̐ , as written in an article in the
‘Back to Godhead’ magazine of ISKCON (followers of Gaudiya
Vaishnava belief, in the lineage of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) – one
may or may not be inclined to subscribe to the views contained in
this article, but it is being reproduced only to bring out a different
viewpoint:
“Though the sacred sound OM is often associated with
impersonalists, only the devotees understand its full import.
Throughout the vedas there is much mention of the syllable OM .
This spiritual vibration, which is sometimes called omkara or
pranava, comprises three Sanskrit sounds - a, u, and ma (the a in
ma is silent). When these three sounds are combined, the result is
the single-syllabled vibration OM. And though every Vedantist will
accept OM to be a representation of God, exactly how OM is
viewed differs according to various schools of thought. These
schools can be classified into two main categories, the Māyavādi,
or impersonalist, and the Vaiśnava, or devotee. The impersonalist,
as the name suggests, is happy to treat OM as an impersonal,
formless, representation of the Absolute Truth. Therefore, the
Māyavādi, will very openly chant OM, being careful to avoid names
such as Krsna and Rama, which according to them, are limited. A
Māyavādi, might explain his theory of pranava OM like this: `Since
this whole universe has been created by Him (God), whatever
there is in the universe is Him alone. As such, He has no name.
But if He has to have a name, then all names are His, for He alone
is appearing in all forms. The first sound in most languages is a;
the last sound to leave as our mouth closes is m; u is the center of
the two. Together, they represent all the basic sounds from which
words are produced. And threfore, these three sounds, making up
the syllable OM, represent the entire universe of names and
forms.’ Using such reasoning, the impersonalist concludes that the
holy name Krsna is ultimately no different from any other word one
can dream up. OM, says the impersonalist, contains all sounds,
and so it is the universal sound, whereas ‘Krsna’ and ‘Rama’ are
limited. All Vaiśnavas know, however, that such speculation on the
Lord's holy name is one of the ten worst offenses one can commit
at His lotus feet (tathartha vadah). Lord Caitanya, therefore, has
repeatedly warned us to steer clear of such offenders, or pasandis.
What does omkara mean to the Vaiśnavas?

The Gosvamis of Vrndavana have analyzed OM (a-u-m) as

follows: The letter a refers to Krsna, the master of all planets and
all living entities. The letter u indicates Srimati Radharani, the
pleasure potency of Krsna, and m indicates the living entities. Thus
omkara represents Krsna; His name, fame, pastimes, potencies,
and devotees; and everything else pertaining to Him. To the
devotees of the Lord, there is no differnece between chanting His
holy name and reciting omkara, for Krsna has stated in Bhagavad-
gita (7-8, 9-17, 10-25) that omkara is He Himself in the form of
sound. Just as omkara is non-different from the Lord's holy name,
it is also inseparable from the Lord's beautiful tow-armed form as
Syamasundara. Pranava OM is therefore used in the Vedas and
Upanisads to address the Supreme Person - Vāsudeva, or Krsna.
Thus, omkara serves no other purpose than to remind the devotee
of Krsna. Srila Prabhupada confirms this fact in a purport to
Srimad-Bhagavatam (9-14-48) wherein he states that just as Hare
Krsna addresses the Lord together with His energy, so too does
omkara. It is therefore clearly evident that OM refers to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Yet, surprisingly enough,
the Māyavādis are not altogether wrong in thinking that omkara
possesses no form. Where's the catch?

Omkara, like Krsna, can be realized or viewed from three angles,

as Brahman, Pramatma, and Bhagavan. The speculative
Māyavādi knows omkara to be nothing beyond Brahman, or
spiritual, and at the same time without shape or form. The mystic
yogi sees whatever the Māyavādi sees but also realized that
omkara is situated within the heart of everyone as Paramatma, or
the supersoul. And the Vaiśnava knows all that the other two
transcendentalists know, but he also realized that it is the personal
aspect of omkara, Bhagavan, that makes the other two aspects
possible. Srila Prabhupada likened these three features of the
Lord to the sunlight, the sun globe, and the sun-god residing within
the sun. If I were studying the sun, would my knowledge be
complete if I could research no further than the sunlight or the sun
globe? Some material scientist might answer yes, but a more
intelligent person would want to know, ‘Where does the sunlight
come from?’ or ‘What gives the sun its power to shine?’ Just as
one automatically knows about the sunlight and sun globe the
moment he learns that the sun-god, Vivasvan, is the source of
both, so one realizes omkara completely when one understands
that OM ultimately possesses form. Srila Prabhupada highlights
this important fact in a purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam (8-3-2). The
understanding of the impersonalist philosopher, though not
altogether incorrect, is therefore incomplete. The devotee or
Vaiśnava, however, knows omkara in truth.

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.

The pure devotee, whose mind is fixed twenty-four hours a day on

the form of the Lord, rises above all rules and requirements for
chanting OM. Such a devotee, having transcended the three
modes of material nature, goes beyond even the qualifications of a
brahmana. Thus the devotee's chanting of OM is pure, whereas a
Māyavādi, who cannot relate omkara to Krsna, chants OM
becoming submerged, to a certain extent, in ignorance. Those who
actually follow every prerequiseite and recite OM as directed by
Krsna are generally those mystic yogis who, as previously
discussed, are more inclined to inner meditation on Krsna as
Paramatma than to pure devotional service. Although all
Vaiśnavas are more than qualified to freely chant OM, the Gaudiya
Vaiśnavas, devotees of Lord Caitanya, seldom do so. As
mentioned earlier, one must be a qualified brahmana to chant OM
properly. Most people in this Age of Kali are no better than sudras
(kalau sudra-sambhavah). Therefore, the Vaiśnavas, who care
only for the welfare of others, do not very much promote the
chanting of omkara. Instead, they particularly promote the
chanting of Hare Krsna. As explained by Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, niyamitah smarane na kalah: the requirements for
chanting Hare Krsna are absolutely none. Therefore, the only
practical means of spiritual advancement for all of us fallen souls
of Kali-yuga turns out, once again, to be the chanting of the maha-
mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”

WHO SHOULD CHANT or MEDITATE on Om̐

Some believe that only Sannyasins should meditate on the Om̐
mantra. It was mentioned earlier that Pranava is of two types viz.,
subtle & gross, and that subtle Pranava is also of two types viz.,
Hrasva (Short) & Deergha (Long). The results are said to be
different for chanting Hrasva Pranava & Deergha Pranava; this
differentiation is stated in Shiva Mahāpurana – Vidyeshwar
Samhita, Chapter 17 as:

!"वमेव !वृ$ानां िनवृ%ानां तु दीघ$कम् ।

!या$%यादौ च मं#ादौ कामं श"दकलायुतम् ।। १७ ।।
वेदादौ च !यो$यं !या$ंदने सं#ययोरिप ।
नवकौ%टजपा*+,वा संशु%ः पु#षो भवेत् ।। १८ ।।
meaning;
Such of the people who are involved in worldly affairs,
should meditate on Hrasva Pranava, and those who are
desirous of retiring from the world, should meditate on
Deergha Pranava. In the beginning of the Vyahrtis or the
Vaidik mantras, one can use Hrasva or Deergha Pranava
according to one’s liking. This Pranava should be used both
times (in the morning as well as in the evening) in
combination with the Vaidik hymns. By reciting this mantra
nine crore of times, a person gets purified.

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.”

THE BLISSFUL PRANAVA – POINTER to NIRGUNA BRAHMAN

Sārada Tilaka Tantram describes the Pranava as supremely
blissful, Chaitanya-svarūpa pointer to Nirguna Brahman; it does
not describe the Nirguna Brahman, but definitely points to it. This
is described in the following verses:

परानंदमयं िन#य%ै्त)यैकगुणा#मकम् ।
आ"माभेद()थतं योगी !णवं भावये&सदा ।। ५४ ।।
meaning:

A yogi shall meditate upon ॐ which is supreme bliss,

eternal, form of consciousness, established in oneness with
Ātmān

आ"नायवाचामितद,रमाघं वेघं !वसंवेघगुणेन स"त: ।

आ"मानमान&दरसैकिस&धुं पशय$%त तारा$मकमा$मिन)ा: ।। ५५ ।।
meaning:
It is beyond the words of sacred texts (like Vedas); from it
emanate all the Shāstrās, and it is self-illumined. A yogi who
is engaged continuously, for a long time, in meditation,
witnesses the Pranav, the ocean of bliss

स"यं हेतुिवविज(तं !ुितिगरामाघं जगतकारणं

!या$%थावर ज"#मं िन#पम चैत$यमंतग)तम् ।
आ"मानं रिवविहनचं(वपुषं तारा$मक' स"ततं
िन#यानंदगुणालयं सुक$ितन: पशय$%त !"#ि%या: ।। ५६ ।।
meaning:
 It is Truth; it is causeless, being eternal; it is the source of the
Shrutis, the cause of the universe, pervading all moving &
non-moving entities. Being beyond comparison, it is second
to none. It is the innermost formless Chaitanya
(Consciousness). It is self-luminous like the Sun, Moon &
Fire; it is eternal like the stars. It is the very form of eternal
happiness. It is the abode of all qualitites. Only those yogis
who are pure & have controlled their senses, can perceive
this (AUM̐ )

तार$य स"िवभवै: प"रचीयमानं

मानैरग'यमिनशं !ुितमौिलमृ)यम् ।
संिव%सम'तगमन+वरम-युतं तत्
तेज: परं भजत सां$सुधा'बुरािशम् ।। ५७ ।।
meaning:
It is indicated by the seven parts of the Pranava (namely, A-
kār, U-kār, M-kār, Bindu, Nāda, Shakti & Śanta). It is beyond
the need for any type of proof. Upanishads lead up to It. It is
samvit (knowledge in the form of light), pervading all,
imperishable & unchanging. Yogis should worship the
transcendent brilliance, the dense nectarine ocean of bliss

The following verse from Sārada Tilaka Tantram indicates

meditation on the Pranava, as one with the body of the Lord; this is
said to be the highest form of image worship:

िब#दोना(दसमुदभव: समु$दते नादे जग#काण'मं

तारं त"वमुख़ा(बुजं प"रवृतं वणा$%मक(भू$तजै: ।
आ"नायाि'(चतु,यं (मु#ख)ं पुर$रपोरानंदमूलं वपु:
पायाद् वो मुक$ट&द(खंडिवगलिछ1यामृतौघ89तम् ।। ६१ ।।
meaning:
Nāda comes out from Bindu. When Nāda arises, the cause
of the universe, the Lord surges forth. The Lord, whose body
is the Pranava (ॐ), tattvas are the mouth, who is surrounded
by the Varna-māla (alphabet) born of the five Mahābhūtas,
whose four limbs are the Vedas, whose body is bathed in the
 nectar-stream coming from the moon – may that Lord, that
Omkār protect you all

ĀTMAN = OM̐ = BRAHMAN

Mandukya Upanishad (belonging to Atharva Veda), the shortest
& one of the most profound Upanishads, expounds about the
syllable Om̐ , presents the theory of four states of consciousness,
asserts the existence and nature of Ātman/Turiya (Soul, Self).

Nrsimha-Uttara-Tāpanīya Upanishad (a ‘minor Upanishad’, also

a part of Atharva Veda) stresses on the philosophical unfoldment
of the Highest Truth. In this Upanishad, Bhagvān Nrsimha, an
avatār of the Saguna Lord, is equated with & considered as
Nirguna Brahman. This Upanishad, though essentially based on
Mandukya Upanishad, also reveals some remarkable views about
Om̐ . The fundamental view is one of a four-fold identity as shown
in the equation:
Ātman = Om̐ = Brahman = Nrsimha
In this equation, Ātman as the psychic principle is equated, by
means of the Om̐ -sound with Brahman as the cosmic principle,
and all the three, in turn, are seen symbolically in Nrsimha. To this
view is added, as a continuous fundamental doctrine, that the
Ātman (identical with Om̐ , Brahman & Nrsimha) persists in full
purity only in His Supreme, 16th aspect as a completely passive
subject of perception (avikalpa), while with His 15 subordinate
forms, He projects into the world, and conditions It’s Reality,
though this whole ‘reality’ of the world and his 15 subordinate
forms are nothing when looked at from the highest point of view.
The inner unity of the Ātman in all beings is thereby brought to
view by the artistically executed interweaving of all forms with each
other.

The 1st Khanda of this Upanishad begins when the Gods

approached Prajāpati (the Creator) to request:

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.

And Prajāpati began by quoting the mantras 1 & 2 from Mandukya

Upanishad (see Notes on Mandukya Upanishad), thereby setting
forth a unity in which Brahman and Ātman fuse together.
(Ātman is that Reality, which though undivided, indivisible and
eternal, has come to manifest itself within the locus of the body.
That undivided Reality is Brahman, the All-pervading, Absolute
and Unborn)

The Nrsimha-Uttara-Tāpanīya Upanishad goes on to elaborate:

तमेतमा%मानमोिमित !"णैक&क'(य !" चा#मानमोिम#येक+क,#य

तदेकमजरममृतमभयमोिम-यनुभूय त"#मि&दं सव# ि"शरीरमारो)य
त"मयं िह तदेवेित संहरेदोिमित तं वा एतं ि"शरीरमा(मानं ि"शरीरं परं
!"ानुस'द)या+,थूल+वात्- !थूलभु'(वा+ सू#म%वा%सू#मभु*%वा-
!ै#यादान(दभोगा!
meaning:

While this Ātman is made one with Brahman by means of the

word Om̐ , and the Brahman is made one with the Ātman by
means of the word Om̐ , one should experience, that One,
ageless, immortal, fearless (Brahman), in the word Om̐ .
Knowing in this manner only, can one destroy one’s
identification with the three bodies (namely gross, subtle &
causal – also symbolizing the phenomenal world), and know
the Ātman. By meditating on Parā Brahman, one knows that
the three bodies experience & enjoy the gross and the subtle,
but it is the Unity, the Ātman that enjoys Bliss.

Then the Upanishad goes on to describe the four parts (or

quarters) of Ātman, namely Vaiśvānara, Taijasa, Prājna & Turiyā
by quoting the mantras 3 to 5 from Mandukya Upanishad (see
Notes on Mandukya Upanishad).

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).

This is explained below:

The Ātman is ‘ota’ (ओता - “interwoven into” the world); It is

the immutable Brahman that pervades everything & all
beings. Just as Kālagni-Sūrya (sun who is like a fire causing
death at the time of pralaya) swallows all, the Ātman exists
as known & unknown in all beings.
Conceptually, this is the same as in Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad (3.8.11):

त"ा एतद$शरं गा#य%&'ं !"#, अ"ुतं !ो#ृ, अमतं म"तृ, अिव$ातं

िव#ातृ; ना#यदतोऽ)*त !"#, ना#यदतोऽ)*त !ोतृ, ना#यदतोऽ)*त
म"तृ, ना#यदतोऽ)*त िव#ातृ; एत#$म&ु ख"व$शरे गा#या%काश ओत#च
!ोत$चेित ॥ ११ ॥
meaning:
This Immutable, O Gārgī, is never seen but is the Witness; It
is never heard, but is the Hearer; It is never thought, but is
the Thinker; It is never known, but is the Knower. There is no
other witness but This, no other hearer but This, no other
thinker but This, no other knower but This. By this
Immutable, O Gārgī, is the (unmanifested) ether pervaded
[all-pervasiveness (ओता) here indicates how the world & it’s
objects are pervaded by the immutable Ātman/Brahman].

And the Ātman is the ‘Anujnātr’ (अनु#ा% - Affirmer) of this

world because he gives it his own Self and (thereby) makes
this world visible – that is, makes it his own Self (which is
luminous) – as the sun is to the darkness. (this is just like the
concept of “the Self in all & all in the Self”)
Conceptually, this अनु#ा% or ‘Affirmer’ is the same as the
term ‘Anumantā’ or ‘Consenter’/’Permitter’ of this world of
objects & matter, used in Bhagvad Gita (13.23):

उप#$ाऽनुम%ता च भता$ भो#ा महे$वरः।

परमा%मेित चा#यु&ो देहेऽ%&म(पु+षः परः ।।13.23।।
meaning:
The Supreme Soul in this body is also called the Witness (or
Spectator), the Permitter, the Sustainer (or Supporter), the
Enjoyer (or Experiencer), the great Lord and the Supreme
Transcendental Self
And the Ātman is not only the “Permitter” (or Affirmer), but
also the ‘Permission” or the ‘Affirmation’ itself i.e. the Ātman
is ‘anujnā’ (अनु#ा - affirmation) unrelated to or unconditioned
by any personality because, by His very nature, He is pure
thought, comparable to the fire, which remains detached
after it has consumed the fuel.

It can therefore be said that the Ātman, which is Om̐ , is

within everything, which has a name & form, and is the
knowledge & the knower; and yet, this Ātman or Om̐ is
detached & formless.
And the Ātman is ‘avikalpa’ (not particularized i.e. there are
no differences within It or that it denotes ‘indifference’). As all
differences are completely effaced, so only the pure,
objectless subject of perception remains; It is thus not
accessible to words and thoughts.
 The Om̐ -sound has also consciousness for its form, and
it is four-substanced; and this Om̐ -sound is four-
substanced by virtue of being Inwoven (ओता), the
Affirmer (अनु#ा%), the Affirmation (अनु#ा) and the
Indifference (अिवक$प), and so is not different from the
Ātman.
The Nrsimha-Uttara-Tāpanīya Upanishad then goes on to
describe how the 4 states of consciousness (Jagrat, Svapna,
Sushupti & Turiya), corresponding as they do to the 4 letters of
AUM̐ (counting the amātra/silence/Turiya as the 4th) & are spread
inside everything in the form of Sthoola (gross), Sookshma
(subtle), Bija (seed) and Sakshi (witness). In all these states, as
they pass from ‘gross’ (denoted by Jagrat or letter ‘A’ of AUM̐ ) to
‘subtle’ (denoted by Svapna or letter ‘U’ of AUM̐ ) to ‘seed’ (denoted
by Sushupti or letter ‘M’ of AUM̐ ), it is the Ātman that remains the
‘witness’ (denoted by Turiya or ‘amātra/silence’ of AUM̐ ). In as
much as the 3 states of consciousness (or the 3 letters ‘A’, ‘U’ &
‘M’ of AUM̐ ) are based on the substratum of the Ātman (or
silence/Turiya), each of these also contain the four-substances,
namely ओता, अनु#ा%, अनु#ा and अिवक$प. This describes the
manner in which all these concepts are inter-linked & interwoven
with each other. This clarifies why Ātman or Turiya is said to be
four-substanced. This is described in the Upanishad as:

एष सव#$वर एष सव#$ एषोऽ%तया)मेष योिनः सव#$य !भवा%ययौ िह

भूतानं !यम$येत'सुषु+ं !व#नं मायामा$ं िचदेकरसो !यमा%माथ
तुरीय&चतुरा)मा तुरीयाविसत*वादेक$क%योतानु,ा-नु,ािवक0पै-
!यम$य%ािपसुषु,ं !व#नं मायामा$ं िचदेकरसो !यमा%माथायमादेशो
meaning:
This (Turiya) is the Lord of all, This is omniscient, This is the
inner guide, This is the cradle of the universe, verily This is
creation and disappearance of creatures. All these three are
in reality only deep sleep, dream and sheer delusion; for the
Turiya has only one essence that is consciousness. But as
far as the Turiya is concerned, It is also four-substanced, as
each of the other three (Jagrat, Svapna & Sushupti) also
reside in Turiya (Fourth), by virtue of the Inwoven (ओता),
 Affirmer (अनु#ा%), Affirmation (अनु#ा) and Indifference
(अिवक$प) [these properties being inherent in all of them]

This establishes the correspondence of parts of AUM̐ with the

different states of consciousness, and that of AUM̐ as a whole,
with Turiya (or Ātman)

AUM̐ & MOKSHA (Liberation) – TURIYA / AMĀTRA

Dhyanabindu Upanishad (verse 2) of Krishna Yajur Veda
states:

बीजा%रं परं िब#द%ं नादो त"योप!र !"थतम् ।

सश#दं चा#रे !ीणे िनःश%दं परमं पदम् ॥ २॥
meaning:
Above the Bijākshara (seed-letter – Om̐ ) is the bindu. Nāda
(the spiritual resonating sound) is above it. When that Nāda
merges in the akshara, the resulting silence (devoid of
shabda) is the Supreme State

The 12th mantra of Mandukya Upanishad succinctly states the

realm of Self-realization or Liberation:

अमा$%चतुथ*ऽ,यवहाय0ः !प#ोपशमः िशवोऽ&ैत एवम$कार आ"मैव

संिवश&या&मनाऽऽ&मानं य एवं वेद ॥ १२॥
meaning:
That which has no parts (soundless),
incomprehensible (with the aid of the senses), the
cessation of all phenomena, all bliss and non-dual
AUM̐ , is the fourth and verily the same as the Ātman.
He who knows this, merges his self in the Self

Om̐ represents the Self, which is the supreme non-dual

Reality.

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).

The ‘silence’ mentioned here is the ‘mental silence’. This is the

fourth component of Oṅkāra, which is the same as the fourth
quarter (not quarter in the conventional sense of the word) of ātmā,
Turīyaṃ. The silence that we experience is the Turīyaṃ, which is
beyond all transactions.

Silence cannot be handled by the organs of action or knowledge.

Silence cannot be handled by physical, mental or verbal means.
The moment you describe silence, the silence goes! It is silence in
which, the world of all forms of sounds have resolved. Turīyaṃ is
the substratum wherein all the objects (pada, form) have resolved.
Silence is the substratum wherein all sounds (padārtha, name)
have resolved.

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.

When you experience silence externally, it is the absence of sound,

and when thoughts and disturbances are absent in the mind, you
experience internal silence, blankness. When you experience
internal silence and there is internal blankness, is there only
blankness? Other than that blankness, there is something else,
because of which you are aware of the blankness. If the silence is
experienced and known by me, it means that there is a ‘knowing
consciousness principle’ that pervades the silence. That
‘consciousness principle’ I cannot see, hear or objectify, because
that ‘consciousness principle’ is ‘I am’, that pervades and illumines
the silence.

In Om̐ , the sounds A, U & M are called mātrā-s or morā-s or forms;

there is also in AUM̐ , the common principle called the amātrā-Om̐ ,
that which signifies the thing-in-itself pervading the 3 states of
waking, dreaming & deep-sleep.

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.

As we can remember all our experiences in all the 3 states, there

must necessarily be a single common factor, which was a witness
of all the happenings in all the 3 states. There must be some entity
within us who is present in the waking world, who moves &
illumines the dream, and who is a distant observer in the deep-
sleep world, and yet who is not conditioned by any of these 3
realms. This entity conceived as the 4th state (turiya) is the real,
the changeless, the intelligent principle, the Self.

The meaning of “Silence” is the ‘consciousness principle’ that

reveals the silence. That consciousness is amātrā. Silence is
equal to consciousness principle that reveals the absence of
sound. It is not absent in itself, but it reveals the absence. In
Pañcadaśī, Vidyaranya gives a beautiful example of Nāṭaka dīpam.
Nāṭaka dīpam reveals the play on the stage and also the empty
stage after the play is over. A non-dancing lamp continues to be on
the stage illumining the absence of all the actors and dancers after
the play is over. The mind is the stage, and thoughts are the
dancers. When the thoughts are gone, you say that the mind is
blank. But the blankness is revealed by the ‘consciousness
principle’. That consciousness is not subject to arrival and
departure, but it is absolute silence. It illumines the relative sound
and the relative silence. That is Turīyaṃ.
Ramana Maharshi said about Turiya: When ego is extinguished,
the sage is freed from waking, dreaming and deep sleep. All that
remains is Turiya, a noble state, first, last and all-
transcendent. Ramana says that the first three states are
grounded in the self, but the Turiya is Being-Awareness and non-
dual. When in Turiya, you know that the first three states are
false. Know thou that Turiya is Waking Sleep. Know thou
that Turiya is Grand Sleep, that knows no waking. Know thou that
Turiya is Eternal Wakefulness (to the Spirit) untouched by slippery
sleep.

There is another way of assigning a name to this “fourth state”. As

mentioned previously, our identification with the conglomerate of
body-mind, ends conjuring up the samsāra of finitude & change. It
was also said that “a simple way to realize the Cosmic Force
behind all conglomerates is to pay attention to the gaps existing
between the thoughts. Remember that the thoughts belong to the
conglomerate, but that, which exists between the thoughts, does
not belong to the conglomerate”. The chanting of AUM̐ begins with
the diphthong (lit. double sound or double tone) “o” (spelt as “au” &
pronounced as “ow”) & ends at “mm”. The three letters A, U & M
are taken to represent the three states of waking, dream & deep-
sleep, as mentioned earlier. The silence, which follows M, or the
intervening silence between two chants of AUM̐ , is called Amātrā
(lit. letterless, being symbolized by the absence of any letter after
M). Amātrā & Turiya are the same, referring to the ‘gap’ (without
letter or sound) – “the silence” or “the fourth”, after A, U & M.

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.

When you go beyond the three quarters, the three states of A, U,

and M, then you reach Chaturtha, the fourth one, Turiya. This state
is Pure Consciousness, beyond Iśvara. The gross universe is then
gone. The dream universe is gone. All universes, all diversities, all
dualities, are gone. You are in the state of Shuddha Chaitanya –
Turiya, and there is only your Self, Ātman. You are liberated and
there is no birth for you. When you attain Turiya, then so far as you
are concerned, this phenomenal world is only an illusion. It comes
to an end for all practical purposes. There is no more world for you.
You see only Brahman and nothing else. Everything & everybody
is Brahman, and you yourself are the eternal, immortal Brahman,
separate from this perishable body & the Prapancha (the
phenomenal world constituted of the five elements). There is only
Shiva, only joy, only good, only auspiciousness.

Languages are different but silence is one. In silence and Turīyaṃ,

division and plurality are not present. They are both Advaitam.
There is only unity. You see yourself everywhere, in every being –
one and the same self everywhere. You realize that this AUM̐ is
nothing but the Self, the Atman – एवम$कार आ"मैव (evam omkara
atmaiva – as stated in the above-mentioned 12th mantra of
Mandukya Upanishad). He who knows this Truth attains real
knowledge, transcendental knowledge. He knows that he alone
exists – the entire universe getting merged in him. That is the final
state. You don’t see anything outside. Everything is within.

That is why it is said that while an ordinary seeker chants Om̐ , a

true yogin listens to the unstruck, unstoppable, continuous chant of
Om̐ from within & without.

It is said in Mandukya Karika (1.29) by Gaudapadacharya:

अमा$ो'न"तमा&'च !ैत$योपशमः िशवः ।

ओंकारो िव#दतो येन स मुिनन%तरो जनः ॥ २९ ॥
meaning:
One who has known AUM̐ which is soundless and of infinite
sounds and which is ever-peaceful on account of negation of
duality is the (real) sage and none other

The syllable Om̐ symbolizes both the spheres:

a) the phenomenal visible sphere of the ‘jagat’ wherein the
manifestations of time & space appear & perish, and
b) the transcendent, timeless sphere of the imperishable being,
which is beyond, yet one with it.

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.

Whoever understands that he is the Turīyaṃ all the time, he

‘merges’ into Turīyaṃ ātmā as one with the Turīyaṃ ātmā. Such a
seeker merges entirely (संिवशत् or Samavisat – as stated in the
above-mentioned 12th mantra of Mandukya Upanishad). You
merge entirely into your Self. You withdraw into yourself, because
to you this world has no separate existence. Atmana Atmanam
(आ!मनाऽऽ!मानं – as stated in the above-mentioned 12th mantra of
Mandukya Upanishad) – the self into the Self. The individual self
merges into the Cosmic Self. The jivātman and the Paramātman
become one. This is total merger. It is like water merging into
water and not like salt merging into water. This is Moksha.

Kabir Das ji sums up the importance of Ādi Nām, the primal name
of the Lord (Om̐ ):

आ"द नाम पारस अहै, मन है मैला लोह ।

परसत ही क(चन भया, छ/टा ब2धन मोह ।।
meaning:
The primal or elementary Name or sound (i.e. Om̐ ) is like the
philosopher’s stone and our mind is like dirty iron. When it
touches the primal Name (sound), it is transformed into pure
gold, and the bondage and attachments fall apart
SANNYASA & THE SAMSĀRA-TĀRAKA MANTRA (Om̐ )
Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad , one of the Sannyasa
Upanishads of Atharva Veda, brings out the teachings of Sage
Nārada, the pride of Parivrajaka-s (wandering religious
mendicants). It provides a glimpse of the importance attached to
Om̐ for Sannyasi-s:

....ग"छे%पूव)वि++!सं$यासी चे#$रोः सकाशा%&णव- महावा%योपदेशं

!ा#य यथासुखं िवहर%म'ः क"#च%ा'यो !यित%र' इित
फलप$ोदकाहारः पव#तवनदेवालयेषु संचरे&सं'य)याथ !दगंबरः
सकलसंचारकः सव#दान'द(वानुभवैकपूण#0दयः कमा$ितद(रलाभः
!ाणायामपरायणः फलरस%व'प)मूलोदक#म%&ाथ) िग#रक&दरेषु
िवसृजे'ेहं !मरं!तारकम् । ४.३८ ।
meaning:
….If, as stated before, he is an enlightened Sannyasi, he
should receive instructions from his Guru on the Pranava
(Om̐ ) and the great scriptural texts (such as 'Tat Tvam Asi'),
journeying (as a mendicant monk), (convinced) that no one
exists other than his Self, and subsisting on fruits, (edible)
leaves and water and thus move about on hills, forests and
temples. Then unclad, giving up journeying (all over the
earth), his heart solely filled with the experience of Ātmic
bliss always, profited by the complete severance of (worldly)
activities, sustaining life by means of fruits, juicy barks,
leaves, bulbous roots and water only for attaining liberation,
he should discard his body in some mountain cave,
remembering the emancipating mantra (Om̐ ).

The Upanishad highlights how Lord Brahma (the Creator) teaches

Sage Nārada about Om̐ being the samsāra-tāraka mantra i.e.
the mantra to save us from this samsāra of repeated cycles of birth
& death. Not only is Om̐ described as the saviour mantra, but
is also unambiguously equated with Brahman, the substratum
of all:

अथ हैनं भगव$तं परमेि&नं नारदः प"#छ संसारतारक' !स#ो !ूहीित ।

तथेित परमे%ी व"#मुच'मे ओिमित !"ेित !यि$समि$!कारेण । का !यि$ः
का समि$ः संहार&णवः सृि$%णव- !चा$तब'िह!चोभया-मक-वाि-1िवधो
 !"#णवः । अ"तः%णवो !यावहा&रक)णवः । बा#$णव आष#$णवः ।
उभया%मको िवरा%&णवः । संहार&णवो !"#णव अध#मा&ा'णवः ।
ओिमित%& । ओिम$येका#र- म"तः%णवं िवि# । सचा$धा िभ#ते ।
अकारोकारमकाराध(मा)ानादिब.द/कलाशि23चेित । .......
........ !"#णवः सवा$धारः परं$योितरेष सव#$वरो िवभुः ।
सव#देवमयः सव#$प&ाधारगिभ#तः ॥ ८.१॥
meaning:
Then Sage Nārada asked Parameshthi (Brahma ji, the
Creator): ‘Be pleased to expound the samsāra-tāraka mantra
(that tāraka or Pranava, which lifts one out of the samsāra)’.
Agreeing to his request, Brahma ji began expounding it. The
Om̐ (that is) Brahman is the vyashti (microcosm) and is the
same as the whole samashti (macrocosm). Which is the
vyashti? Which is the samashti? The Brahm-Pranava is of 3
kinds – Samhāra Pranava, Srishti Pranava & Ubhayatmaka
Pranava (belonging to both Samhāra & Srishti Pranava), as
being of 2 forms: the internal Pranava (Antah Pranava) & the
external Pranava (Bahya Pranava). (It is also eight :) Antah
Pranava, Vyavaharika Pranava, Bahya Pranava, Ārsha
Pranava (Pranava of the sages), Ubhayatmaka or Virāt
Pranava (combined internal & external Pranava), Samhāra
Pranava, Brahm-Pranava, and Ardhamātra Pranava. Om̐ is
Brahman. Know that the Om̐ consisting of one syllable is the
Antah-Pranava. It is divided into eight (matras) – the vowel
‘a’, the vowel ‘u’, the consonant ‘m’, the half-syllable (ardha-
matra), the Nāda, the Bindu, the kalā and shakti……
…… This (Brahm-Pranava) is the substratum of all, the
support of the whole universe, the supreme effulgence
and the lord of all – thus (the sages with true vision) look
upon it. It consists of all Gods and the substratum of the
entire universe (the Lord) is in it.

The Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad continues:

सवा$%रमयः कालः सवा$गममयः िशवः ।

सव#$ु&यु(मो मृ#यः सकलोपिनष)मयः ॥ ८.२॥
भूतं भ"यं भिव$य&ि'(कालो-दतम1ययम् ।
तद#यो&ारमेवायं िवि# मो#$दायकम् ॥ ८.३॥
 तमेवा&मानिम&येत*+,श.देन विण$तम् ।
तदेकममृतमजरमनुभूय तथोिमित ॥ ८.४॥
सशरीरं समारो&य त"मय%वं तथोिमित ।
ि"शरीरं तमा$मानं परं$% िविन$%चनु ॥ ८.५॥
meaning:
Though Brahm-Pranava is one only, it is the substratum
of all, the support of the whole universe, of the form of
all aksharas (letters), time, Vedas, and Shiva
(auspiciousness). This Omkara should be sought after, that
is mentioned in the Vedas of the nature of the (essence of
the) Upanishads. Know that this Omkara is the Ātman
that is indestructible during the three periods of time,
past, present, and future, able to confer salvation, and
eulogized by Brahm-sound (Vedas). Having experienced
this one Om̐ as immortal and ageless, and having brought
about the Brahm-nature in this body, become convinced that
your Ātman, associated with the three bodies, is Para-
Brahman.

Om̐ - THE EPILOGUE

The omnipresence & omnipotence of Om̐ lies in the fact that it’s
meaning is not confined to anything in particular, but instead, this
mono-syllable means many things, in fact everything upto the
Ultimate Reality. Om̐ is the creator & the common denominator of
everything in this Cosmos & beyond. It is thus truly the most secret
& sacred of all words/sounds/symbols of existence, the primordial
‘sound’ that precedes creation.

As a syllable that is not a specific word, Om̐ is beyond the

limitations of names, words & definitions. As a syllable, which
means nothing, Om̐ stands for That who is everything. Om̐
denotes God who is unseen, formless & omnipresent. Om̐
connotes That who is indefinable. Om̐ is not constrained by
images or form, for it has no idol; Om̐ is the perfect symbol of the
formless. Om̐ is truly beyond the names & forms (nāma-rūpa) of
this universe of multiplicity, this samsāra, and therefore, Om̐ is the
gateway to moksha.
Om̐ is ingrained in the idol-worshippers as the Pranava, the word,
which is the starting point of all the hymns in praise of their God.
Om̐ is equally the focus of concentration for those who wish to
worship the Nirguna Brahman. Om̐ does not detract from monism,
while being equally in use in dualistic worship.

Om̐ is beyond Adhyāsa or superimposition. Idols are a form of

worship through adhyāsa. So Om̐ is the closest direct
representation of God, for us mortals.

The biggest roadblock to progress on the spiritual path, is the

seeker’s own mind, if it is uncontrolled. The mind is nothing but the
incessant flow of thoughts, both good & bad. These thoughts keep
coming, often uninvited, and mostly without our permission. Just
as we try to focus on God, the mind starts running distracted in
multiple directions. It is this lack of ability to bring our minds to a
single-pointed focus, which becomes the root cause of our below-
par performance in personal & professional life, as well in our
quest for God-realization. An average human being uses only 10
to 12% of his mind, and if that too is dissipated in unimportant &
inane matters, then how can one expect to be successful in any
quest, empirical or spiritual. Just imagine how much more can the
humans be capable of, just by bringing to bear the power of mind
through greater concentration & heightened awareness. It is for
this reason, for the need to avoid dissipation of mental energies,
that all spiritual sādhana, from dualistic worship to contemplative
samādhi, are aimed at purifying the mind (to eliminate the negative
tendencies & thoughts) and bringing it to a single-pointed focus at
a higher ideal, such as God. It is for this reason that all scriptures,
in one way or another, talk about such mind-control, going to the
extent of exhorting the seeker to ‘annihilate’ the mind. The
‘annihilation’ is not a sort of losing or destruction of the mind, but
only stopping the involuntary thought-flow, and directing it to be
single-pointed in the direction of God, Reality, Truth. It is added
that for the final leap to God-realization, the mind should be totally
free of all thoughts. The practical method, of progressing on this
path, is to gradually eliminate thoughts about the objective world &
it’s attachments. Such samsāric thoughts have to be progressively
replaced by sattvic thoughts of God & goodness. The Vishayakara
Vrittis have to be gradually replaced by Brahmakara Vritti (for
details, see write-up on SatChitAnanda-Sacchidānanda). Om̐ is
the best option to fill the mind with – it does not mean any specific
worldly object/being, and yet, is unequivocally symbolic of Divinity.
Continuous mental remembrance of Om̐ is the closest you can get
to the desired ‘thoughtless’ state i.e. without thoughts about the
world, its objects & beings, it’s attractions & attachments, likes &
dislikes.

Om̐ repetition in the form of loud chanting or silent mental Japa, is

meant to focus & quieten the mind, so that it can be tuned to listen
to the otherwise inaudible Anāhata Nāda, in the form of Om̐ , from
within.

Irrespective of whether we chant Om̐ in the short or the long

format, the MOST IMPORTANT is that all chanting & japa of Om̐
MUST be done with bhāva (i.e. with faith & feeling). The bhāva
should be such that we visualise the Supreme Reality as formless;
the way to reach that visualization can be through imagining
progressive Laya (absorption) of gross into subtle & still subtler
forms, until no forms remain. After inhaling & taking the air to the
stomach, we should focus our mind as we utter the three letters A,
U & M. As we utter A, we should visualise our gross body
dissolving into our inner realm; if any extraneous objective images
appear at this juncture, then, if possible, one may imagine those
images to be dissolving away. Thereafter, as we utter U, we
should imagine our inner realm (mind, thoughts & intellect) also
dissolving into nothingness. Finally, as we utter M, we should
imagine our remnant thoughts & even the process of meditating,
as merging into the cosmic or collective thoughts of all beings; for
doing this, we do not need to think or know the content of those
collective thoughts, for we would be constrained by our limited
‘consciousness’; more important is to repeatedly imagine this
process, and over a period of practice/time, develop a growing
conviction of going through such a merger of thoughts. As we do
not know the content of, This would tantamount to visualising the
merger of our thoughts (of which we know the specific content)
with the ‘collective’ or cosmic thoughts (of which we do not know
the specific content or we do not know what exactly those thoughts
are) or nothingness. We will be imagining the merger of our
specific & known thoughts with a mass of unknown & non-specific
thoughts, thus leading to a state of ‘no-specific-thoughts’. Going
forward, with practice, the ‘no-specific-thoughts’ tend to evolve into
‘no-thoughts’ & finally ‘thoughtlessness’ or ‘no-mind’ or ‘unmani’
state or ‘nirvikalpa’ state (i.e. a state of awareness, simple &
natural, without any thoughts). This is not the only method of
achieving this – any other method, as may work for an individual,
would be equally useful, as the important objective is the end-
result.

Om̐ is an excellent Bija mantra to bring the mind to a single point

focus on God. Om̐ is the crux of Vedic learning, and a perfect
bridge between the microcosmic self & the macrocosmic Reality.
Om̐ throbs in the heart of every man. Continued concentration &
meditation on Om̐ , is capable of leading the seeker to spiritual
fulfillment.

That Om̐ is the way to God, is aptly summed up by Kabir Das ji:

श"द श"द ब% अ'तरा, सार श"द िच# दे ।

जा श$दे सािहब िमले, सोई श$द गिह ले ।।
meaning:
There are different types of words or sounds. Pay attention
to the Sār Shabd (essence of the sounds i.e. Om̐ or the
Lord’s Name). Catch hold of the sound which will take you to
the Lord, don’t pay attention to other sounds

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.

Aum, the word, is all this – ॐ इ"येतद'रं इदँ सव#

श"दे धरती श"दे आकाश, श"दे श"द भया !काश,

सगली सृि$ श"द क" पाछे, नानक श"द घटे घट आछे

Om̐ -Tat-Sat ओम् तत् सत्

Om Tat Sat: this threefold expression has been declared to be the

indication of Brahman. By means of that, the Brahmanas, the
Vedas and the sacrifices were ordained in the past.
 APPENDIX

VAISHVANARA-AGNIHOTRA-VIDYA ~ PRĀNA-AGNIHOTRA

Whoever can conceive in his mind the true Vaishvanara as that

which extends from the earth to the heavens, from the heavens to
the earth, from the topmost level of manifestation down to the
lowest level, missing no link whatsoever, visualises the Whole. If
you can see through your mind this extensiveness of manifestation
from the highest to the lowest, at once, without missing any part,
which means to say, if you can be comprehensive in a universal
way in your envisagement of the form of Reality, and if it can be
the Ātman, the Self at the same time, then what is it that you lack?
This is the Vaishvanara-Ātman, the All-Self. Whoever can
meditate in this manner, becomes the Self of every being all at
once. One becomes the Self of all the worlds; he becomes the Self
of anything that can be anywhere, and he becomes the possessor
of the glory of anything that exists anywhere, in any realm, in any
form, under any circumstance.

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."

Now, having described the cosmic aspect of the Vaishvanara-

Ātman as the Supreme Object of meditation, the Chandogya
Upanishad introduces us to an immediate consequence that
follows from such meditation. The meditator cannot stand outside
this Great Object of meditation. Because of the
comprehensiveness of the Object, the Universality of the
Vaishvanara-Ātman, the meditator has already undergone a
transmutation of personality, entered into the bosom of Reality.
And whatever one does, then, becomes an action of the
Vaishvanara-Ātman. This is a very serious consequence that
follows from an intense meditation in this manner. Whatever I think
becomes the Thought of the Vaishvanara-Ātman. Whatever I
speak becomes an expression of the Vaishvanara-Ātman, and
whatever I do becomes Its action. And, then, my actions become a
Cosmic Yajna, just as the gods thought of creation as a Universal
Yajna, as is described in the Purusha-Sukta. One cannot make a
distinction between God's thought and a human being's thought,
when one meditates in this way. What God thinks and man thinks
will then be identical. Thus, the daily activity proceeding from the
personality of an individual, in the case of a meditator in the
manner mentioned, would be a Cosmic Yajna. This is
called Prana-agnihotra, the sacred oblation at the Universal Altar
of the Fire of the Absolute.

The fact of the organic connection of the individual with the

Vaishvanara implies that there are cosmical aspects operating
even in the individual, just as everything that is in the ocean, is
also in the wave, notwithstanding the difference between the crest
called the wave and the body which is the ocean. The essential
harmony between the individual and the Universal becomes patent
when a spiritual investigation is conducted into the essence of the
structure of both the individual and the cosmic. So, the meditation
by the individual on the cosmic, or the Vaishvanara, means the
establishment of an inner coordination and the effectuation of the
qualitative non-difference between the meditating principle and the
object that is meditated upon. If every function, that is going on in
the individual, is ultimately inseparable from the nature and
operation of the Universal, meditation is just the awareness of this
fact. There is nothing more to be done in meditation than to
raise the consciousness to the fact of this inseparability
between cosmic functions and individual functions. Such
simple acts as eating, drinking, breathing and working become
universally significant. They are not private deeds or individual
affairs as they are taken to be. The Upanishad, here, takes us
above the ordinary concept of human action and the nature of the
individual, and abolishes the absurd notion that we entertain
usually, namely, that there are such things as individuals,
ultimately. The meditation that is prescribed here is of various
kinds. One of the specific methods mentioned is that there should
be an invocation of universal significance, even during the
performance of individual actions.
The specific action that is taken up for discussion here is, what is
called in the language of the sacred lore, Prāna-agnihotra, or the
sacrificial offering to the Universal Fire. The food that we take
every day is a holy oblation to the All-pervading Vital Fire.
This meditation is Prāna-agnihotra. Agnihotra is the
consecrated offering into the sacred Fire. Ritualistically or
exoterically conceived, this means the daily performance of
the yajna, or sacrifice, by a householder. The Upanishad makes
out that this agnihotra is perpetually taking place in our own
bodies, of which we have to be conscious in our meditation. The
external sacrifice ceases to be external any more. Viewing
everything from the point of view of the All-inclusive Vaishvanara,
the externality of an action ceases forever. There is no such
thing as external action, because everything that we regard as
external is internal to the Vaishvanara.

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

ॐ !मरणात् क"त$ना'ािप !वणा% जपादिप ।

!" त"#ा%यते िन#यमोिम#येत#परायणम् ।। १ ।।
meaning:
That Supreme Brahman is attained by the devoted contemplation,
hearing, Japa and Sankirtan of Om at all times

ॐ इित !मरणेनैव !"#ानम् परावरम् ।

तदेकमो'िस*+दं च तदेवामृतम(नुते ।। २ ।।
meaning:
By the mere thought of Om one attains the highest Brahma Jnāna,
the state of final Liberation and lmmortality

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

नासा$े बुि$मारो)य ह"तपादौ च संयमेत् ।

मन: सव#$ संगृ% ॐकारं त" िचंतयेत् ।। ५ ।।
meaning:
Concentrating on the tip of the nose with hands and feet controlled,
the mind withdrawn from all activities, one should meditate on
Omkara, the Pranava

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

िनगु%णोऽहं िन#कलोऽहं िनम$मोऽहं िन#चल: ।

िन#यशु'ो िन#यबु'ो िनिव#कारो िनि#$य: ।। १ ।।
meaning:
I am without qualities, without parts,
Without mineness, immovable,
Eternally pure, all knowing,
Changeless and without action.

िनम$लोऽहं क"वलोऽहं एकमेव अि#तीय: ।

भासुरोऽहं भा#करोऽहं िन#यतृ'ो िच#मय: ।। २ ।।
meaning:
I am without impurity, alone
One without a second
Self-luminous, illuminator of everything
With eternal satisfaction and of full knowledge.

पूण$कामो पूण$%पो पूण$कालो पूण$%दक( ।

आ"दम%य - अंतहीनो जननमरण - विज$त: ।। ३ ।।
meaning:
I am extreme satisfaction, infinity,
Eternity, all-pervading,
Beginningless, endless and
Free from birth and death.

सव#कता# सव#भो&ा सव#सा%ी !वयम!%यहम् ।

सव#$यापी !यातीतो ना#$त िक#चन का#यहो ।। ४ ।।
meaning:
I am the doer in all, enjoyer in all,
The witness in all, pervader in all,
There is nothing except my own Self.
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