Shankaracharya on Om

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Om is used to serve as a means to the meditation on Brahman. As other scriptures

say, "This is the best help (to the realization of Brahman) and the highest."

1 "One should concentrate on the Self, uttering Om."2 "One should meditate upon

the Supreme Being only through the Syllable Om."

3 "Meditate upon the Self with the help of the Syllable Om."

4 And so on. Although the words "Brahman,Atman," etc. are names of Brahman,

yet on the authority of the scriptures we know that Om is Its most intimate

appellation. Therefore it is the best means for the realization of Brahman. It

is so in two ways–as a symbol and as a Name. As a symbol: Just as the image

of Vishnu or any other god is regarded as identical with that god [for purposes

of worship], so is Om to be treated as Brahman. Why? Because Brahman is pleased

with one who uses Om as an aid; for the scripture says, "This is the best help

and the highest. Knowing this help one is glorified in the world of Brahman."

The Supreme Self, being beyond the reach of the eye and other organs, cannot be

perceived without some help, therefore the aspirant superimposes it with faith,

devotion, and great rapture on the Syllable Om, as people superimpose Vishnu on

images of stone etc. with carvings of His features. Whether the unconditioned

Brahman or the conditioned Brahman, the Syllable Om becomes a means of

realizing It. For another scripture has it, "The Syllable Om is the higher and

lower Brahman."

5 "It [Om] is the Veda, (for) through it one knows what is to be known."6 There

Om is the "Veda" or Name of Brahman. Through that Name the aspirant knows or

realizes what is to be known: Brahman, Which is the object signified or

designated by the Name. Therefore "the Brahmanas know" that It is the Veda:

They mean that as a Name it is intended as a means to the realization of

Brahman. Om is enjoined as a symbol of Brahman, for it is coordinated with the

word "Brahman" in the sentence, "Om is Brahman." Now it is being praised as the

Veda, for the entire Vedas are but Om: They all issue out of it and consist of

it; this Om is differentiated into the division of Rik, Yajus, and Saman [Vedic

meters], etc., for another scripture says, "As by a stick all leaves are

pierced, so all speech is pierced by Om."

7 Here is another reason why Om is the Veda–"through it," this Om, "one knows

whatever is to be known;" hence this Om is the Veda. The other Vedas owe their

Vedahood to this. Therefore Om, being so important, should be used as a means

to self-realization. If it is used as a means to realization, the entire Vedas

are practically used. One should meditate on the syllable Om, which is the

Udgitha.8 This syllable, Om, as the Name of the Supreme Reality, is nearest to

Him; when It is used He surely becomes gracious just as a man becomes so when

his favorite name is used.…It is a symbol [indicator] of the Supreme Self

(Paramatma). Thus it is known in all the Upanishads that Om, as a name and as a

symbol, holds the highest position of being an aid to the meditation of the

Supreme Self. And Its highest position is also well known from Its being used

very frequently at the beginning and end of repetition of holy names, rites,

[scriptural] study, etc. Therefore this syllable Om is to be meditated on in

its verbal form. That is, one should continuously concentrate one's mind on Om

Which forms a part of rites and is a symbol of the Supreme Reality. The

syllable Om is the inmost essence of all essences. It is supreme because of Its

being the symbol of the Supreme Self. It is competent to be worshipped as the

Supreme Self. It is competent to take the place of the Supreme Self since It is

to be worshipped like the Supreme Self. From the Mandala Brahmana

It is well known that Om has the quality of fulfilling all desires. He who

meditates on Om becomes possessed of Its quality. He who meditates on Om

possesses the quality of fulfilling the desires of others. The meaning is that

to him comes the result as stated before, in accordance with the Vedic text:

"He assumes those very forms in [by means of] which he meditates on Him." From

the Commentary on the Chandogya Upanishad

Om is also possessed of the quality of prosperity. Being a meditator on Om as

possessed of the quality of prosperity, one becomes endowed with that quality.

Now then, since Om is to be meditated on, It is being praised. For through Om

the knowledge of the three Vedas is gained. The Vedic rites are meant for the

worship of the very Om because It is a symbol of the Supreme Self. The worship

of That [Om] is surely the worship of the supreme Self. Om is possessed of the

qualities of being the quintessence, the fulfiller, and prosperity. Because Om

is the symbol of the Supreme Self it is the cause of immortality. The soul,

when it departs from the body, goes upward by meditating on the Self with the

help of Om as he did while living. From the Commentary on the Katha Upanishad

Meditating on Om one is worshipped in the world of Brahman. The idea is this:

Getting identified with Brahman, he becomes worshippable like Brahman. From the

Commentary on the Mundaka Upanishad

Just as the bow is the cause of the arrow's hitting the target, so Om is the bow

that brings about the soul's entry into the Immutable. For the soul when

purified by the repetition of Om gets fixed in Brahman with the help of Om

without any hindrance, just as an arrow shot from a bow gets transfixed in the

target. From the Commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad

Om is essentially the same as the Self.…And the Supreme Brahman, too, is but

Om.…Om is the same as the supreme as well as the inferior Brahman…by virtue

of its being a means for the attainment of Brahman. From the Commentary on the

Mandukya Karika

When the syllable Om is known, one should not think of anything whatsoever,

serving any seen or unseen purpose; for he has got all his desires fulfilled.

One should concentrate the mind on Om, Which is essentially the supreme

Reality, for Om is Brahman beyond fear, because for one who is ever fixed in

It, there can be no fear anywhere, in accordance with the Vedic text, "The

enlightened man is not afraid of anything."

9 Om is both the higher and the lesser Brahman. When the letters disappear,10 Om

becomes verily the supreme Self that is Brahman.…The idea implied is that It

is coextensive with all that is inside or outside; It is birthless; and It is a

mass of Consciousness, homogeneous like a lump of salt. Om is the origination,

continuance, and dissolution of all–of the whole phenomenal universe.…In

this way indeed, having known Om that is the Self, one attains identity with

the Self at that very moment. One should know Om as God existing in the heart

of all living beings. Having meditated on the all-pervasive Om, that is the

Self beyond the worldly state, the intelligent man does not grieve, for no

cause of grief can be possible then, in accordance with such Vedic tests as,

"The knower of the Self transcends sorrow." Om being beyond measures is Turiya,

It has infinite dimension and Its extent cannot be determined. It is auspicious

and holy because of the negation of all duality. He who knows Om is a sage

because of his meditating on the Supreme Reality, and not any other man, though

he may be learned in the scriptures. From the Commentary on the Prashna

Upanishad

As the supreme Brahman cannot be directly indicated by words, etc., and is

devoid of all distinctions created by attributes–and as It is on that account

beyond the senses–therefore the mind cannot explore It. But to those who

meditate on Om, Which is comparable to the images of Vishnu and others, and on

which is fixed the idea of Brahman with devotion, that Brahman becomes

favorable and reveals Itself. This is understood on the authority of

scriptures. Similar is the case with the Lesser Brahman. Hence it is said in a

secondary sense that that Brahman Which is both Lesser and Higher is but Om.

Therefore one who knows this attains either of the two [brahmans] through this

Om alone; only through this, that is a means for the attainment of the Self,

consisting in meditation on Om; for Om is the nearest symbol of Brahman. The

One is reached with the aid of Om, Which is a vehicle of advance. From the

Commentary on the Svetasvatara Upanishad

By means of the boat of Om that is Brahman one crosses over [samsara, the ocean

of birth and death]. The idea is that by controlling the senses through Om the

enlightened person should cross over the currents of the river of

transmigration with the help of that Om." From the Commentary on the Taittiriya

Upanishad

One should contemplate in one's mind, that is, meditate, that Om, as a word, is

Brahman. For "Om is all this." All that consists of sound is Om, since

everything is permeated by Om in accordance with another Vedic text: "As by the

fibers the leaves are pervaded, so by Om is pervaded all speech."

11 And since all that is nameable is dependent on the names, it is said that all

this is Om. Om is to be meditated on. Wishing to attain the supreme Self one

utters [does japa of] Om; and he does indeed attain Brahman through that Om.

The meaning of the passage is that, since the activities that are undertaken

with the utterance of Om become fruitful, Om should be meditated on as Brahman.

>From the Commentary on the Yoga Sutras

How should one perform devotion to the Lord, and what is the means of that

devotion? To explain the form in which the devotee contemplates on Him, the

sutra says: "His designator [vachaka] is the Pranava [Om]." Of the Lord Who has

been described, the designating Word is the Pranava. The word Pranava is

explained in the following way etymologically: pra stands for prakarshena:

"perfectly;" nu (from nava) means nuyate: "He is praised." Thus Pranava, the

word Om, praises (pranauti) the Lord. That is, the Lord is devoutly worshipped

(pranidhiyate) through It by His devotees. They bow down (pranam) to Him

through It. Through It they worship (pranidha) the Lord mentally; here the

extra dha stands for the final [syllable] va of Pranava. It is the Lord Who is

expressed by the word Om; the sound of the Word accords with Its meaning. From

the termination ava is understood avati: "He favors." He brings out His

devotees from samsara, He leads those in samsara to nirvana, He brings to a

devotee unsurpassed joy, He grants him samadhi to lead him to the highest

truth. But all these meanings are associated with the most intense love of the

Lord. When the Lord is continuously worshipped in the mind by means of this

syllable, Om, He gives His grace. There are many sacred texts indicating that

Om is Brahman. The relationship between Brahman and Om is that of a lamp and

its light.…This is the relationship between the Lord Who is expressed and the

Pranava which expresses Him. Through Om the Lord is met face to face. It is

proper to employ Om as a means for practicing worship of God. When the yogi has

understood the identity of Om and Brahman he attracts the grace of the supreme

Lord through Its japa and bhavanam. Bhavanam is setting the heart on the Lord

Who is designated by Om and brought into the mind by It. Yogis who are engaged

in both japa and bhavanam attain one-pointedness of mind. After japa, which

causes his mind to bow before the Lord, let him engage in bhavanam. When his

mind becomes unwavering from bhavanam on the Lord, let him do japa of Om, for

japa leads to bhavanam. When japa and bhavanam of Om come to perfection then

the Supreme Lord (Parameshwara), the Supreme Self (Paramatman) Who stands in

the highest place shines forth for the yogi. Om is the Name of the Supreme

Lord. From the Hymn to Dakshinamurti

Salutations to Dakshinamurti,12 Who is pure and calm, the embodiment of pure

knowledge and Who is attainable through the syllable Om.

1) Katha Upanishad 1:2:17 [Go back] 2) Mahanarayan Upanishad 24:1 [Go back] 3)

Prashna Upanishad 5:5 [Go back] 4) Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.6 [Go back] 5) Prashna

Upanishad 5:2 [Go back] 6) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.1.1 [Go back] 7) Chandogya

Upanishad 2.23.4 [Go back] 8) Udgitha: Om, when it is sung aloud in Vedic

recitation. [Go back] 9) Taittiriya Upanishad 2.9 [Go back] 10) That is, when

the sound becomes subtle, whisperlike, and even silent, though present. [Go

back] 11) Chandogya Upanishad 2.23.3 [Go back] 12) God as the guru of the human

race. [Go back]-- Humanity is one's only ReligionBreath is one's only Prayer

Consciousness is one's only GodIshaan