Divine Name

'One who meditates on name as Brahman can move about at will as far as name reaches — such is the reward of one who meditates on name as Brahman.' 'Sir, is there anything greater than name?' 'There is indeed something greater than name.' 'Then please tell it to me, sir.'

स यो नाम ब्रह्मेत्युपास्ते यावन्नाम्नो गतं तत्रास्य यथाकामचारो भवति यो नाम ब्रह्मेत्युपास्तेऽस्ति भगवो नाम्नो भूय इति नाम्नो वाव भूयोऽस्तीति तन्मे भगवान्ब्रवीत्विति

One should meditate on the syllable Om as the Udgitha, for one begins the Udgitha chant with Om. Here is the explanation of it.

ओमित्येतदक्षरमुद्गीथमुपासीतोमिति ह्युद्गायति तस्योपव्याख्यानम्

One should meditate on the syllable Om as the Udgitha, for one begins the Udgitha chant with Om. Here is the explanation of it.

ओमित्येतदक्षरमुद्गीथमुपासीत । ओमिति ह्युद्गायति तस्योपव्याख्यानम्

This very syllable Om, O Satyakāma, is both the higher and the lower Brahman. Therefore the wise one, by this very support, attains the one or the other.

एतद्वै सत्यकाम परं चापरं च ब्रह्म यदोङ्कारः ।तस्माद्विद्वानेतेनैवायतनेनैकतरमन्वेति ॥ ५२॥

Then Śaibya Satyakāma asked him: "Sir, the one among men who meditates on the syllable Om until the end of his life — which world, indeed, does he win by it?" To him he said:

अथ हैनं शैब्यः सत्यकामः पप्रच्छ । स यो ह वैतद्भगवन्मनुष्येषु प्रायणान्तमोङ्कारमभिध्यायीत । कतमं वावस तेन लोकं जयतीति । तस्मै स होवाच ॥ ५१॥

To meditate upon the form of one's own Guru is to meditate upon the infinite Shiva himself. To chant the name of one's own Guru is truly to chant the name of the boundless Shiva.

स्वदेशिकस्यैव शरीरचिन्तनं भवेदनन्तस्य शिवस्य चिन्तनम् । स्वदेशिकस्यैव च नामकीर्तनं भवेदनन्तस्य शिवस्य कीर्तनम्

'The Rigveda is only a name, and so are the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, the Atharvaveda as the fourth, the epics and ancient tales as the fifth — the Veda of the Vedas — the rites for the ancestors, mathematics, the science of omens, the science of treasures, the dialogues, the science of the one Self, the science of the gods, the science of sacred knowledge, the science of the elements, the science of statecraft, the science of the stars, and the science of serpents and celestial beings. All these are merely names. Meditate on the name.'

नाम वा ऋग्वेदो यजुर्वेदः सामवेद आथर्वणश्चतुर्थ इतिहासपुराणः पञ्चमो वेदानां वेदः पित्र्यो राशिर्दैवो निधिर्वाकोवाक्यमेकायनं देवविद्या ब्रह्मविद्या भूतविद्या क्षत्रविद्या नक्षत्रविद्या सर्पदेवजनविद्या नामैवैतन्नामोपास्स्वेति

He brooded over them. From them, thus brooded over, issued the syllable Om. Just as all the leaves are held together by a stalk, so all speech is held together by Om. Om is all this — yes, Om is all this.

तान्यभ्यतपत्तेभ्योऽभितप्तेभ्य ॐकारः सम्प्रास्रवत्तद्यथा शङ्कुना सर्वाणि पर्णानि संतृण्णान्येवमोंकारेण सर्वा वाक्संतृण्णोंकार एवेदꣳ सर्वमोंकार एवेदꣳ सर्वम्

Now with reference to the self. One should meditate on this breath in the mouth, the chief breath, as the Udgitha, for it moves along sounding 'Om.'

अथाध्यात्मं य एवायं मुख्यः प्राणस्तमुद्गीथमुपासीतोमिति ह्येष स्वरन्नेति

One who knows this and utters aloud this syllable enters into this very syllable, the sound, immortal and fearless. Having entered it, as the gods became immortal, so too he becomes immortal.

स य एतदेवं विद्वानक्षरं प्रणौत्येतदेवाक्षरꣳ स्वरममृतमभयं प्रविशति तत्प्रविश्य यदमृता देवास्तदमृतो भवति

Om is Brahman. Om is all this. Om—this is (a word of) assent; for when they say 'Recite!' they utter 'Om.' With Om they sing the Saman chants. With 'Om, Shom' they recite the Shastras. With Om the Adhvaryu utters the response. With Om the Brahman priest gives assent. With Om one sanctions the fire-offering. With Om the Brahmin, about to recite, says: 'May I attain Brahman'—and he does attain Brahman.

ओमिति ब्रह्म । ओमितीदꣳसर्वम् । ओमित्येतदनुकृतिर्हस्म वा अप्योश्रावयेत्याश्रावयन्ति । ओमिति सामानि गायन्ति । ॐꣳशोमिति शस्त्राणि शꣳसन्ति । ओमित्यध्वर्युः प्रतिगरं प्रतिगृणाति । ओमिति ब्रह्मा प्रसौति । ओमित्यग्निहोत्रमनुजानाति । ओमिति ब्राह्मणः प्रवक्ष्यन्नाह ब्रह्मोपाप्नवानीति । ब्रह्मैवोपाप्नोति ॥ १॥

Now the Udgitha is the Pranava (Om), and the Pranava is the Udgitha. That sun yonder is the Udgitha; it is the Pranava, for it moves along sounding 'Om.'

अथ खलु य उद्गीथः स प्रणवो यः प्रणवः स उद्गीथ इत्यसौ वा आदित्य उद्गीथ एष प्रणव ओमिति ह्येष स्वरन्नेति

Indeed, when one masters a Rig verse, one utters aloud 'Om'; likewise with a Saman, likewise with a Yajus. This sound is that very syllable, the immortal, the fearless. Having entered it, the gods became immortal and fearless.

यदा वा ऋचमाप्नोत्योमित्येवातिस्वरत्येवꣳसामैवं यजुरेष उ स्वरो यदेतदक्षरमेतदमृतमभयं तत्प्रविश्य देवा अमृता अभया अभवन्

This is the syllable of assent, for whenever one assents to anything, one says 'Om.' And assent is nothing but fulfillment. One who knows this and meditates on the syllable Om as the Udgitha becomes a fulfiller of desires.

तद्वा एतदनुज्ञाक्षरं यद्धि किंचानुजानात्योमित्येव तदाहैषो एव समृद्धिर्यदनुज्ञा समर्धयिता ह वै कामानां भवति य एतदेवं विद्वानक्षरमुद्गीथमुपास्ते

This pair is joined together in the syllable Om. Whenever a pair come together, they fulfill each other's desire.

तदेतन्मिथुनमोमित्येतस्मिन्नक्षरे सꣳसृज्यते यदा वै मिथुनौ समागच्छत आपयतो वै तावन्योन्यस्य कामम्

There death saw them, as one sees a fish in water, in the Rig, the Saman, and the Yajus. Realizing this, they rose up out of the Rig, the Saman, and the Yajus and entered into the sound (Om) itself.

तानु तत्र मृत्युर्यथा मत्स्यमुदके परिपश्येदेवं पर्यपश्यदृचि साम्नि यजुषि । ते नु विदित्वोर्ध्वा ऋचः साम्नो यजुषः स्वरमेव प्राविशन्

By it the threefold knowledge proceeds: with 'Om' one gives the call to recite, with 'Om' one recites, with 'Om' one sings aloud — in honor of this very syllable, by its greatness and its essence.

तेनेयं त्रयीविद्या वर्तते ओमित्याश्रावयत्योमिति शꣳसत्योमित्युद्गायत्येतस्यैवाक्षरस्यापचित्यै महिम्ना रसेन

Suṣeṇa came and bowed his head at Rāma's lotus-feet. He mentioned the name of the herb as well as of the mountain where it could be had, and said, "Proceed, O son of the wind-god, to bring it."

राम पदारबिंद सिर नायौ आइ सुषेन, कहा नाम गिरि औषधी जाहु पवनसुत लेन

May the name of the Lord shine brightly in the heart of His devotee. The all-merciful Lord of Raghus replied to the sage, 'So be it.' Thereupon Nārada felt much delighted at heart and bowed at the Lord's feet.

बिपुल सुमन सुर बरषहिं गावहिं प्रभु गुन गाथ, निज पद दीन्ह असुर कहु दीनबंधु रघुनाथ