Reading section 14

[Sidenote: 7. Immutable & Imperishable ॐ अक्षरः ।]

It is immutable, undecayable, imperishable, indestructible and immortal (अक्षरं). Thus in the Mándukya; ओमित्येतदक्षरमिदं बिकार रहितमित्यादि । The circle of O is considered the most perfect of all geometrical figures, as it was held by the Pythagoreans to be the best symbol to represent the perfections of the Supreme Being. It is the sign of divine immutability from the fact of every other figure changing its shape by its constant rotation round the centre and becoming a spheroid which is no more susceptible of change. Such is the changeable nature of all things until they become one with the Divinity.

[Sidenote: Om Knowable. ज्ञेयं ।]

_Om_ the symbol of God is said to be the knowable, because every part of its circumference is equidistant from the central observer. So is God said to be knowable (ज्ञेय) in Yoga philosophy for his knowableness to every one by means of meditation. Hence the Yoga system is called gnosticism contrary to the unknowableness of agnosticism.

[Sidenote: 8. Eternity नित्यं ।]

_Om_ is called eternal (नित्यं), because its circular form is the representation of eternity, having neither its beginning nor end (अनाद्यनन्तं): so it is the symbol of infinity, the circle being described by an infinite line. Thus Gaudapáda; अपूर्व्वोऽनन्तरोऽनन्तः नपरः प्रणबाब्यय । इति माण्डुक्य कारिकायां । १६ ।

[Sidenote: 9. The First and Last.]

Again Om is said to be the first and last of all things, because, says Táránátha, every thing proceeds from its centre as its source, and returns to that centre as its reservoir. तस्मान्निःसृताः सर्व्वेप्रलीयन्त तत्रबै । वाचस्पत्याभिधानं; or that every thing like the line of the circle meets at the same point from where it is drawn and stretched. Moreover Om as has been already said, is used both as the initial and final word of Mantras and prayers, so it is understood to be the beginning and end of all motions and utterances. In these senses it answers the _Alpha_ and _Omega_ of the Revelation, and the _initium_ and _finem_—_Hoal awl Hoal ákher_ of the Koran.

[Sidenote: 10. The First, Last and Midst. आद्यन्त मध्यं ।]

But _Om_ is declared again to be the first, last and midst of things, from its being uttered in the beginning, middle and end of prayers and recitals of sacred hymns according to the ordinance which says that, _Om_ is to be repeated thrice at every recital in the beginning, middle and end:—प्रशस्तं ब्राह्मणे नित्यं प्रणवत्रय संयुतं । मध्येच प्रणवं गुप्तंचाकारानुमं प्रिये । इति गायत्री तन्त्रं । This rule is said to bear reference to the triple state of the progression of mortal beings,—their evolution, sustentation and dissolution. यतोबाइमानि भूतानि जायन्ते येन जातानि । जीबन्ति यत् प्रयन्त्यभिसम्बिशन्ति तद्ब्र्ह्मेति ॥ The triple utterance of _Om_ has given rise to the triplicate invocation of Hari, आदाबन्तेच मध्येच हरिः सर्ब्बत्र गीयते, and with what Milton has expressed in his glorious hymn in the Paradise Lost.

“Him first, Him last, Him midst, and without end.”

The reverend Gaudapáda enjoins the same ordinance in his versified commentary or Káriká to the Mándukya Upanishad, where he says (verse 27):—सर्ब्बस्य प्रणबो ह्यादिर्मध्यमान्तस्तथैबच । एवं हि प्रणवं ज्ञात्वा ब्यश्नुते तदनन्तरं ।

VIII. APPLICATION OF _Om_ IN THE VEDAS AND VEDANTA.

[Sidenote: 1. Pranava = Adorable.]

“O venerable, let me enter thee (viz. the word Om)—the sheath of Brahmá, swáhá. O venerable do thou enter me, swáhá. O venerable, I shall be purified by thee.” (Taittiríya Up. IV. 3).

[Sidenote: 2. The Burden of song.]

“Om, the hymns of the Sáma Sing, _Om_, Som, the hymns proclaim.”

[Sidenote: 3. Commanding and assenting.]

“By Om, the Adhwarju gives his reply:—By Om the Brahmá commands;—By Om he gives his orders for the burnt offering” (Ibid VIII. Anuvák).

[Sidenote: 4. Beginning.]

“_Om_, says the Bráhman, when he commences to read the Veda.” (Ibid).

[Sidenote: 5. Om is Multinymous.]

“Om is Brahman, it is immortal, it is light, it is truthful, and a portion of holy light.”

“It is the sun, the truthful, the Yajur, devotion, fire, wind and air.”

“It is the moon, strength, immortality, and the means of attaining Brahma” (Maitrí Upanishad VI. 35.) ॐ ब्रह्म अमृतं ज्योतिस्तेज सोहंश मात्रं । आदित्य मध्ये उदुत्वा मयूखे भबतः । ॐकारानुज्ञापणात् ॥ एतत् सवित् सत्यधर्म्म एतद्यजुरेतत्तयः एतदग्निरेतद्वायुरेतदापः । एतच्चन्द्रमा एतच्छुक्रमेतदमृतमेतद्ब्रह्म बिषयं ॥

[Sidenote: 6. It is all significant.]

But apart from all the particular objects to which this word is severally applied, _Om_ is found from its general sense of “a being” at large, to be significant of “all things,” as its archetype Brahman is made to stand for universal existence both collectively as well as singly (_in toto et per singulatim_), as it is said in the Mándukya Upanishad, ओमित्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्ब्बं तस्योपव्याख्यानं भूतं भविष्यदिति सर्ब्बमोङ्कार एव, यच्चान्यत् त्रिकालातीतं तदप्योङ्कार एव ॥

[Sidenote: 7. Om includes all things.]

“Om” says the Sruti, “is immortal.” Its explanation is “this all”; what was, what is, and what will be, all is verily the word “Om”; and every thing else which is beyond the three-fold time is also verily the word “Om.” For this all (represented by “Om”) is Brahma, and Brahma is “all.” (Mándukya Upanishad Bháshya verse 1 and 2). ओमिति ब्रह्मएबेदमोङ्कारः सर्ब्बमित्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः । अभिधानस्यचोङ्कारव्यतिरेकादोङ्कार एबेदं सर्ब्बं ।

[Sidenote: 8. Scholium on the above.]

According to Sankara’s explanation the rendering would be as follows:—“Om” this sound (or immortal) is this “All,” and its explanation is “what was, what is, and will be, all is verily the word “Om”.” (Sankara’s Bháshya of the above). Ánandagiri’s explanation is to the same purport; thus says he:—

सर्ब्बास्पदत्वादोङ्कारस्य ब्रह्मणश्च तथात्वादेक लक्षणत्वादन्यत्वासिद्धेरोङ्कार प्रतिपत्ति ब्रह्म प्रतिपत्तिरेबेति ॥

IX. THEOLOGY OF OM IN THE MONADS OF MONOTHEISTIC CREEDS.

[Sidenote: 1. Monads or Unities. एकार्थकः ।]

We have seen that _Om_ expresses all things (Sarvamonkára), by virtue of the word like its kindred Greek and Latin _on_ and _ens_ (B. _haon_), signifying “a being” by synecdoche (_laxaná_) of a part for the whole. And this is done of all things whether concrete or discrete and taken either singly or by groups of two or more things together; as it is said—“_Ekasadvisastrisas_” &c., _i. e._ _Singulatim_, _dualiter_, _pluraliter_ &c. We shall first come to see the monads expressed by _Om_ and leave it to the reader to discover the relation which the significates may bear to the symbol, or rest satisfied with the idea of their being meaningless or arbitrary.

[Sidenote: 2. Om is speech or voice बाक् ।]

Om, says the Sruti is Sarvávák “all voice and speech”; and we shall come to see below that it is applied alike to denote both human and brute speech, and words belonging to all the different parts of speech.

[Sidenote: 3. Om is sound and word शब्द ।]

“All things are united with words which express them, and all words are contained in the mystical syllable _Om_, (ओङ्कार शब्द म ।त्रं). _Om_, pervades all sounds; he rises above all objects which are expressed by sounds, who repeats this sound _Om_” (Ch’hándogya II.23.) (Maitrí p. 253).

[Sidenote: 4. Om is Brahman ॐ शब्द ब्रह्म ।]

“_Om_ is Brahman called sound (_sabda_). By means of _Om_ rising above all things, a man merges in the Supreme called Para Brahma.” “Om is the emblem of the Most High.” (Ch’hándogya p. 4. Manu II. 83. Bhágavad Gítá). So says the Maitrí Upanishad (VI. 22) शब्द ब्रह्मणि निष्णातः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति । ६ ।२२

[Sidenote: 5. Om is Fire and its splendour ओमग्निश्च तेजश्च ।]

“Om was splendour and fire at first. By this syllable _Om_ the splendour germinates, it shoots upward, it expands, and becomes the vehicle of divine worship. The splendour germinates in the form of the mystic syllable _Om_, as a seed germinates; _i. e._ It is manifested as the primeval form of the Veda, it next shoots upward as the internal sound _Om_ itself.” Maitrí Up. VII. 11. तेजो प्रथममोङ्कारात्मकमासीत् । तत्तेजोऽनेनैबोमित्येब तदुद्बुध्यति । मैत्री उप ७ ।११ । Fire was the first object of adoration of the Rigveda and of the fire worshippers of India and Persia. It is believed to be the _arche_ or beginning of all things according to Heraclitus.

[Sidenote: 6. Om is light. ॐ ज्योतिः ।]

“Om is light and manifest as light, the sleepless, deathless and sorrowless light.” Again; “_Om_ is light which shines in yonder sun, and in the moon, fire, and lightning” (Maitrí Upanishad VI. 25.). So says the Bhágavad Gítá, “That splendour which abiding in the sun illumines the whole world, which abides in the moon and in fire, that splendour know to be mine” (XV. 12.) Light was the first work of creation and the “first born” of Heaven. God said “_Lux fiat et lux fit_.”—“Let there be light and there was light.”

दीप्यतोम् ज्योतिः । प्रकाशणाज्ज्योतिः । प्रणबाख्य प्रणेतारमरूपो बिगतनिद्रो बिजरो बिमृत्युर्बिशोको भबतीत्येबं ह्याह । मैत्री उप ६ ।२५ तथा । यदमुस्मिन्नादित्येऽथंसोमोऽग्नौ विद्युति बिभात्यथखल्वेनं दृष्ट्वा मृतत्वं गच्छतीत्याह । ६ ।२५ ।

[Sidenote: 7. _Om_ is Lightening. बिद्युज्ज्योतिः ।]

“The Veda is called lightening, since the moment when it is uttered (as Om), it enlightens every incorporated being; therefore by the syllable _Om_ let a man adore the infinite splendour of Brahman” (Maitrí Upanishad VII. 11.) यस्मादुच्चरितमात्र एब सर्ब्बं शरीरं बिद्योतयति । तस्मादोमित्यनेनैता उपासीतापरिमितं तेजः । मैत्री उप ७ ।११ ।

[Sidenote: 8. Om is the Brahman light. ॐ ब्रह्म ज्योति ।]

“The syllable _Om_ is the Brahman light or pure intelligence, veiled behind the fire and breath, and manifested itself at first as the one undivided sound _Om_.” Thus the Maitrí Upanishad Tíká (VII. 11). यस्मात् प्रणबात्मकमिदं ब्रह्मासीत् तस्मादोमित्यनेनैतत् ब्रह्म तेजो उपासीत् । मैत्री ७ ।११ ।

[Sidenote: 9. _Om_ is Water. ओमापः ।]

“Om shines in the waters” (Maitrí Upanishad VI. 35). आपो ज्योतिरसोऽमृतं ब्रह्मभूर्भुबःस्वरोम् । मैत्री ६ ।३५ । दीप्यतोमापः । ओङ्कारोऽनुज्ञापनादाप्यायनादापः । इति तट्टीका । Water is said to be the first work of God (आप एबमसजादौ ।) “and the Spirit of God floated on the surface of the waters” hence called नारायणः (Genesis and Manu). Thales found water to be the origin of all things.

[Sidenote: 10. _Om_ is Flavour &c. रसोबैतत् ।]

“Om is _Rasa_, moisture, flavour, taste, relish and love (Maitrí Up. VI. 35). The goodness of God is flavour, a man having attained flavour, becomes possessed of joy” (Taittiríya Up II. 7.)ॐ रसोबैतत् । रसः कर्म्म परिपाक निवृत्तत्वात् आदित्यस्य रसतं? सर्ब्ब कर्म्म फलाश्रय इत्यर्थः । By flavour _rasa_ they mean love also and love is believed to be the formative power according to Empedocles.

[Sidenote: 11. Om is Ambrosia. ओममृतं मधु ।]

“_Om_ is ambrosia the food of gods. (Gr. _He ambrosia est setos theon_). It is also honey and all sweet.” So the Sruti; अमृतं देबानामोदन हेतुत्वात् । मैत्री उप ६ ।३५ । असौबामधु । छान्दोग्यं तैत्तिरीयञ्च । १ ।७ ।

[Sidenote: 12. Om Udgítha. ओमुद्गीथः ।]

“_Om_, this letter the Udgítha, should be adored, Om is chaunted.” (Ch’hándogya I. 1).

“The Udgítha of Sáma Veda, corresponds with the _pranava_ of the Rig Veda.” (Cowel’s Mait VI. 3).

“The Udgítha is the principle part of the Sáma verse, and sung by Udgátri priests.”