Vedic Conception of Sound in Four Features

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"Vedic Conception of Sound in Four Features"

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by J.N.Das

 

[ Originally published in "Tattva Prakasha" Volume 1, Issue 7;

available online at http://www.indiadivine.com ]

 

 

In the Vedantic traditions sound is considered one of the most important

principles of existence, as it is both the source of matter and the key to

become free from it. One who can thoroughly understand the four stages of

sound as explained in the Vedic texts can utilize this science to become

free from the bondage of matter.

 

When trying to understand the four levels of sound, we must first understand

what is "sound" as defined in the scriptures. In the Srimad Bhagavatam

(3.26.33) we find an interesting definition for sound (shabda) as follows:

 

arthashrayatvam shabdasya

drashtur lingatvam eva ca

tan-matratvam ca nabhaso

lakshanam kavayo viduh

 

"Persons who are learned and who have true knowledge define sound as that

which conveys the idea of an object, indicates the presence of a speaker and

constitutes the subtle form of ether."

 

This may not be an absolute definition of sound, as there are various levels

of sound to define, but it provides us with a solid foundation to begin our

study of this topic. This definition, as given in Srimad Bhagavatam, is very

interesting in that it differs completely from western and modern views of

defining sound.

 

First, those who are learned and who have true knowledge define sound as

that which conveys the idea of an object. Sound is not just the vibration

created by the meeting of two objects. Sound is that which conveys the idea

of an object. The exact word used in this connection is "artha-ashraya" or

"the shelter of the meaning". In the Vedic conception the aksharas (letters)

are bijas, or seeds of existence. The audible sound is categorized into 50

alphabets of Sanskrit starting from "a" and ending with "ksha". Hence the

alphabet is called "akshara", which literally means "infallible" or

"supreme". Akshara is also a synomyn for pranava (Om), the sum of all

syllables and source of all vedic hymns. The Bhagavad Gita confirms this as

follows:

 

karma brahmodbhavam viddhi

brahmakshara-samudbhavam

tasmat sarva-gatam brahma

nityam yajne pratisthitam

 

"Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are

directly manifested from akshara, the sacred syllable Om. Consequently the

all-pervading Transcendence (pranava or the syllable 'Om') is eternally

situated in acts of sacrifice."

 

Karma, or duty, is manifested from the Vedas. This manifestation is not

exactly direct, for one is spiritual and the other is material. This is

indicated by the word udbhavam. On the other hand, the manifestation of the

vedas from the pranava (Om) is direct, and thus the word used to describe it

is sam-udbhavam, and not just udbhavam.

 

In the Tantras the aksharas are traced back to their material source level

which is a particular deity of Shakti. Each of her stages of manifestation

are phases in the evolution of the universe. Thus the aksharas are potent

sound, constitutionally connected to objects as sound (shabda) and its

meaning (artha).

 

This is interesting in that it draws a distinction between sound and noise.

Noise, as distinct from sound, is not the artha-ashraya, or the shelter of

meaning.

 

Sri Baladeva Vidyabhushana in his commentary to Vedanta Sutra 1.3.28 says

that the creation of all living entities proceeds from the remembrance of

their form and characteristics by Lord Brahma reciting the corresponding

words. From this we can begin to understand to potency of sound and its

meaning.

 

The second aspect of Srimad Bhagavatam's definition of sound that is unique

from modern thought is that sound is defined as "that which indicates the

presence of a speaker". Thus sound must be a product of consciousness. In

this senses, sound is sometimes referred to as vak, or speech, throughout

the Vedic texts.

 

In the tantra system the purva mimamsaka’s theory of the eternality of

shabda (sound) and artha (meaning) is accepted. They go a little further to

assert that shabda and artha are the embodiment of Shiva and Shakti as the

universe itself. They name their original source as shabdartha-brahman

instead of a mere shabda-brahman. For, that is the source of both the

objects and their descriptions. Words and their meanings - what they denote

in the objective world - are the variety of manifestations of shakti.

 

As sound is of the nature of the varnas (syllables) composing it, the tantra

affirmes that the creative force of the universe resides in all the letters

of the alphabet. The different letters symbolize the different functions of

that creative force, and their totality is designated as matrika or the

"mother in essence".

 

Thus Tantra sees the mantras as not just a mere combination of whimsical

sounds but as the subtle form of the presiding deity; and the real purpose

of one’s meditation through the mantra is to communicate with the deity of

that particular mantra.

 

Just as a sankalpa - a pure thought - has to pass through several stages

before it actually manifests as concrete creative force, the sound of a

particular mantra also has to pass through several stages before it is fully

experienced by the listener in perfection. These stages are termed as para,

pashyanti, madhyama and vaikhari.

 

Each level of sound corresponds to a level of existence, and one's

experience of sound depends upon the refinement of one's consciousness.

 

It takes a realized consciousness to experience the full range of sound, the

full range of existence. The seers who can comprehend the four stages of

sound are known as Manishis.

 

The higher three forms of shabda are described in the Rig Veda as hidden in

"guha", or within the self, whereas the forth is the external manifested

speech, known as laukika bhasha.

 

These four levels of sound correspond to four states of consciousness. Para

represents the transcendental consciousness. Pashyanti represents the

intellectual consciousness. Madhyama represents the mental consciousness.

And Vaikhari represents the physical consciousness. These states of

consciousness correspond with the four states known technically as jagrat,

svapna, sushupti, and turiya - or the wakeful state, the dreaming state, the

dreamless state, and the transcendental state.

 

Shabda-brahman in its absolute nature is called para. In manifestation the

subtle is always the source of the gross, and thus from para-vak manifests

the other three forms of sound.

 

Though the manifestation of sound takes place from para-vak down to

vaikhari-vak (or fine to gross), in explaining these stages we will begin

from the external vaikhari-vak, as that is the sound we all have most

experience of.

 

Vaikhari-vak is the grossest level of speech, and it is heard through the

external senses. When sound comes out through the mouth as spoken syllables

it is called as vaikhari.

 

Madhyama-vak is the intermediate unexpressed state of sound, whose seat is

in the heart. The word Madhyama means "in between" or "the middle". The

middle sound is that sound which exists between the states of sushupti and

jagrat. Madhyama-vak refers to mental speech, as opposed to external audible

speech. It is on this level that we normally experience thought. Some hold

that wakeful thought is still on the level of vaikhari.

 

In the manifestation process, after sound has attained the form of

pashyanti-vak, it goes further up to the heart and becomes coupled with the

assertive intelligence, being charged with the syllables a, ka, cha, tha,

ta, etc. At this point it manifests itself in the form of vibratory nada

rupa madhyama-vak. Only those who are endowed with discriminative

intelligence can feel this.

 

On the levels of madhyama and vaikhari, there is a distinction between the

sound and the object. The object is perceived as something different from

the sound, and sound is connected to an object mostly by convention.

 

Pashyanti-vak is the second level of sound, and is less subtle than

para-vak. Pashyanti in Sanskrit means "that which can be seen or

visualised".

 

In the pashyanti stage sound possesses qualities such as color and form.

Yogis who have inner vision can perceive these qualities in sound. On this

stage the differences between language do not exist, as this sound is

intuitive and situated beyond rigidly defined concepts. On the stage of

pashyanti-vak, speech is intuitively connected to the object. There is near

oneness between the word and the experience described.

 

Pashyanti-vak is the finest impulse of speech. The seat of pashyanti is in

the navel or the Manipura Chakra. When sound goes up to the naval with the

bodily air in vibratory form without any particular syllable (varna), yet

connected with the mind, it is known as pashyanti-vak.

 

Para-vak is the transcendent sound. Para means highest or farthest, and in

this connection it indicates that sound which is beyond the perception of

the senses.

 

Para-vak is also known as "rava-shabda" - an unvibratory condition of sound

beyond the reach of mind and intelligence (avyakta), only to be realized by

great souls, parama-jnanis.

 

On the stage of para-vak there is no distinction between the object and the

sound. The sound contains within it all the qualities of the object.

 

In terms of the universal cosmology, vaikhari, madhyama and pashyanti

correspond respectively to bhuh, bhuvah, and svah. The para-shabda

ultimately corresponds to the Lord's tri-pada-vibhuti.

 

Within the pashyanti-vak exists the nature's iccha-shakti, or the power of

will. Within the madhyama-vak exists the nature's jnana-shakti, or the power

of knowledge. And within the vaikhari-vak exists the nature's kriya-shakti,

or power of action.

 

The pranava, or the syllable "om", is the complete representation of the

four stages of sound and their existential counterparts. The existential

realities are the physical (sthula) which is connected to the

vaikhari-shabda, the subtle (sukshma) which is connected to the

madhyama-shabda, the causal (karana) which is connected with the

pashyanti-shabda, and the transcendental (para) which is related to the

para-shabda. These four existential realities further correspond to the four

states of consciousness.

 

The sthula sarira, or physical body, operates in the state of jagrat

(wakeful state). It is in this realm of consciousness, and through this

body, that the vaikhari-vak is manifested.

 

The sukshma-sarira, subtle or psychic body, operates in the state of svapna.

It is in this realm of consciousness, and through this body, that the

madhyama-vak is manifested.

 

The karana-sarira, or causal body, operates in the state of sushupti, or

deep sleep. It is in this realm of consciousness, and through this body,

that the pashyanti-vak is manifested.

 

The para-vak is manifested through the fourth state of consciousness, known

as turiya.

 

The sacred syllable "om" is composed of three matras, namely "a", "u", and

"m". These three matras correspond respectively to bhuh, bhuvah and svah;

jagrat, svapna and sushupti; sukshma, sthula and karana; and vaikhari,

madhyama and pashyanti. Besides these three matras, the pranava ("a-u-m") is

also composed of a forth constituent, namely the a-matra or anahata-dhvani -

the non-syllable or unstruck sound. For our practical understanding, this

a-matra corresponds to the humming sound after one recites the "om"

syllable. The a-matra represents the transendence, the turiya, the para-vak.

 

Thus the syllable om contains all elements of existence. It is the reservoir

of all energies of the Supreme Lord, and for this reason Lord Krishna states

in the Gita:

 

om ity ekaksharam brahma

 

"The single syllable Om is the supreme combination of letters."

 

Elsewhere the Lord states:

 

yad aksharam veda-vido vadanti

 

"Those knowers of the Vedas recite Om (akshara)."

 

Why do they do this? Because the syllable om is the Supreme Lord and the

potency of all Vedic mantras:

 

pranava sarva vedeshu

 

"Within all the Vedas, I am the symbol Om."

 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu established the pranava as the maha-vakya of the

vedas, for within it exist all Vedic hymns (and shabda). The world itself is

a manifestation of this syllable. It is the sound representation of the

Abslute Truth.

 

The vak is not a manifestation of the material nature, for the Vedanta sutra

2.4.4 states as follows:

 

tat-purvakatvad vacah

 

This indicates that the vak existed before the pradhana. Pradhana is the

root of the material manifestation - the three qualities non-differentiated

in absolute equilibrium. Yet prior to this is the vak. Thus the vak is

non-material.

 

For this reason we find in the Vedanta Sutras the following statement:

 

anavriti shabdat

 

"Liberation by sound."

 

Since sound is the non-material source of the material manifestation, it is

the key by which we can become free from bondage. It is the thread-like link

between the material and spiritual realms.

 

In describing the four phases of sound, sometimes the descriptions of one

will overlap another, or sometimes an aspect of one will seem to be

attributed to another. For example sometimes pashyanti is described as

"mental sound", whereas madhyama will be described as "intellectual sound".

This will require a deeper explanation of the intricacies of these stages of

sound and their relationships. Such an explanation is not possible here at

this time.

 

To study these concepts in greater depth one may refer to the Nada-bindu

Upanishad, Bhartrihari's Vakyapadadiya, Prashna Upanishad, Mundaka

Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad, Maitri Upanishad and Katha Upanishad, as well

as the concepts of shabda, vak, matrikas, hiranyagarbha, four states of

consciousness, etc., as found in the tantras and throughout the upanishads.

One should remember that in Vedic study one will not generally find a book

on a particular topic (such as "vaikhari", etc.) One must study from

numerous sources and assimilate a number of apparently diverse concepts.

These concepts must then be harmonized internally. This constitutes the

meditation and sacrifice of svadhyaya yajna.

 

For those who have assimilated these topics, they will find all this

information contained in detail within nine technical verses of Srimad

Bhagavatam beginning from 11.2.35 and ending at 11.2.43. For example, if

one sees verses 38 through 40 one will find a complete explanation of sound

in four levels and the process of manifestation. One must be trained to see

the inner meaning of words, for these topics are discussed in esoteric and

confidential manners:

 

paroksha-vada rishayah

paroksham mama ca priyam

 

"The Vedic seers speak about these topics indirectly in esoteric terms, and

I am pleased by such confidential descriptions."

 

When we see such words as pranah, manasa, sparsha-rupinah and chandah-mayah

as occuring in verses 38 and 39, we should immediately understand the

indirect and esoteric nature of the discussion, and thereby conclude the

direct meaning being inferred by these words. We must learn the

transcendental code of the Vedas. In reality everything is explained in the

Srimad Bhagavatam in full, but because we generally lack the proper vision

to understand the indirect and esoteric discussions, we therefore need to

study and refer to other more direct scriptures. Thus the commentaries of

the Acharyas will help us to understand these topics.

 

The science of sound, shabda-vijnana, as explained in the above mentioned

verses of Srimad Bhagavatam, is also summarily explained in the Pancharatrik

text known as Lakshmi-tantra as follows:

 

mulam adharam arabhya dvistkantam upeyusi

udita aneka sahasra surya vahnindu sannibha

cakravat punar adharat santa pasyatha madhyama

vaikhari sthanam asadhya tatrasta sthanavartini

varnanam jananim bhutva bhogya prasnoumi gouriva

 

"Seated in the area starting from the muladhara to the position of

dvistkanta with effulgence equal to the rising of millions of suns, fires

and moons. Like a wheel from the adhara becoming the sounds known as santa,

pashyai, madhyama. Reaching the posititon of vaikhari, there situated in

eight places, viz., the throat etc. Being the mother of all sounds I bestow

enjoyments like a cow."