Omkara also known
as Pranava is our priceless treasure.
It is the important mantra for meditation
for anyone aspiring to enter into
spiritual life and striving for
enlightenment. It is impossible
to measure the significance and
efficacy of Pranava. Also known
as Sabdabrahmam , Pranava is the
first sound to emerge at the time
of creation of the world. The three
parts of the Gayatri mantra (which
is a part of sandhyopasana) are
the essence of the three vedas Rig,
Yajus, and Sama.The vyahrutis namely
bhu:,bhuva:, suva: represent the
the three parts of Gayatri and the
Pranava , 'Om' encapsulates the
essence of the vyahrutis. In short,
the Pranava is the summation of
the three vedas. That is why Omkara
is spoken as the head of the vedas.
Aadi Sankaracharya in his Prasnottara
Ratna Malika raises the question
' which is the source of all the
vedas and their dissolving centre'
and himself provides the answer
that 'it is the sound Om'. The great
hymn Vishnusahasranama extols the
all pervading Mahavishnu as Pranava
(praanadah pranavah panah). Lord
Krishna says as follows in the Gita
on the greatness of Pranava: "whosoever
restraining his senses from external
objects, fixing the mind in the
heart, establishing the prana in
the head, leaves his mortal body
chanting 'Om' by the power of yoga
and remembering Me, the One Absolute
Truth, gets an exalted state."
sarvadvaaraani samyamya mano
hridi nirudhya cha
moordhnyaadhaayaatmanah praanamaasthito
yogadhaaranaam
omityekaaksharam brahma vyaaharanmaamanusmaran
yah prayaati tyajan deham sa yaati
paramaam gatim.
( Gita 8-12,13 )
The one word
to reach the goal:
In Katopanishad Lord Yama tells
Nachiketa " That which all
the vedas adore, the one which all
the austerities and penance seek,
desiring which people observe celibacy
that one word in brief is Omkara".
sarve vedaa
yatpada-maamananti tapaamsi sarvaani
cha yadvadanti
yadichchhanto brahmacharyam charanti
tatte padam
sangrahena braveemyomityetat
(Katopanishad 2.15
)
Lord Yama also teaches Nachiketa
the process of realising Brahman
by meditation with the help of Pranava
The non-duality of the
universe, jivatma and Brahman:
According to Mandukya Upanishad,
Omkara represents not only the past,
present and future but all that
beyond these three. Just as an idol
when worshipped with absolute faith
and devotion enables attainment
of the particular deity, the same
way if Omkara when meditated upon
with the true knowledge of the Brahman
enables one to attain liberation.
Mandukya upanishad is also known
by the name Omkaropanishad since
it deals at length on the glory
and greatness of Omkara. The first
letter of Omkara that is 'a' represents
our waking state known as Vaishvanara.
The second letter 'u' represents
our dream state known as Taijasa
and the third letter 'm' our deep
sleep called Prajna.The fourth part
of Pranava represents absence of
actions, incomprehensible, beyond
the ken of the senses, auspicious
and without a second. This can be
comprehended only by atmajnana .
This upanishad teaches through Omkara
the important lesson that the universe
and the individual soul are Brahman
itself. By meditation on 'Om' with
full concentration, it is possible
to realise the spiritual truths
as practical experience says the
Tiruppukazh of saint Arunagirinathar.
Meditation on Pranava
and its rendering:
"Omkara is the Almighty and
it is pervading the entire universe
(omiti brahma 0miteedam sarvam)"
says Taittiriya Upanishad on meditation
on Pranava. Here we find the ways
of using the Pranava in our daily
life as well as its working. By
chanting the mantra 'yaschandasam'
which explains the greatness of
Omkara , intelligence, memory power,
strength of the senses, bodily strength
as well as wealth will get enhanced.
It is prayed that the Pranava which
specially arose among the nectarine
and imperishable vedas and also
their most important part (in fact
is everything) may provide the highest
knowledge.The rendering of Pranava
contains the three parts namely
a, u and m and also includes the
most important fourth part called
'Turiya'. Just as the sound of the
temple bell starts from silence,
rises to a high pitch and drowns
gradually again into silence, the
same way while pronouncing the Omkara,
one should start in a low tone gradually
increasing the sound and ending
with a low tone; the pronunciation
should be without break just as
the oil dropped gradually from a
vessel. (tailadhaaraamivaachchhinnam
deerghaghantaa ninaadavat- Dhyanabindu
Upanishad-18). One should meditate
on Omkara made up of 3 syllables
as a supreme light (akaaraadi trayaanaam
sarvakaaranamekaaksharam param jyotih
pranavam bhavateeti dhyaayet - Shandilya
Upanishad 1.6). The Omkara which
is of Divine nature should be meditated
upon in the middle of the lotus
of our heart as an unmoving lamp
of the size of our thumb (hritpadma
karnikaa madhye sthiradeepanibhaakritim
angushthamaatramachalam dhyaayedonkarameeshvaram-
- Dhyanabindu Upanishad -19).
The two states of the
Lord:
The Prasna Upanishad relates an
incident in which a disciple by
name Satyakama asks his teacher,
sage Pippalada "Which world
one who meditates on Omkara throughout
his life attains ?". The teacher
replies that " Omkara is of
two Divine states, the unmanifested
and the manifested. One who meditates
on this attains one of these. If
meditated as three independent syllables,
one attains impermanent worlds ;
in case if all the three are meditated
together mukti or liberation is
attained"
According to the Mundaka Upanishad
Omkara is to be considered as a
bow, the arrow is the individual
soul sharpened with discipline and
upasana, the chord is the mind immersed
in the thoughts of the Lord and
the target should be the indestructible
Brahman or Paramatma.
The first chapter in the Chandogya
Upanishad starts with Udgita Vidya.
Omkara is also known as udgita.
It is advised that Omkara should
be meditated upon and the activities
done with the prescribed yoga procedure
and with philosophic knowledge and
dedication, understanding the full
significance of Omkara will alone
bear fruit.
