Divine Name

"He who meditates on name as Brahman moves at will as far as name reaches — he who meditates on name as Brahman." "Venerable sir, is there anything greater than name?" "There is indeed something greater than name." "Then tell me of it, venerable sir."

One should meditate on the syllable Om as the udgitha, for one begins the udgitha singing with Om. Of this, the explanation follows.

One should meditate on the syllable Om as the udgitha, for one begins the udgitha singing with Om. Of this, the explanation follows.

The person who accurately knows the names of the unmanifest, the qualities, and their pure operations, is well-versed in the truth about all distinctions, freed from the body, liberated from all qualities, and enjoys absolute happiness.

O Satyakama, this Om is both the higher and the lower Brahman. Therefore the knower, using this very support, reaches one or the other.

Then Saibya Satyakama asked: Revered one, if a person meditates on the syllable Om until the end of life, which world does he win by it? He answered him.

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.

"Name indeed is the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, the Atharvana as the fourth, the Itihasa-Purana as the fifth, the Veda of the Vedas, the rites for the ancestors, mathematics, the science of portents, the science of treasures, the art of dialogue, the science of conduct, the knowledge of the gods, the knowledge of the sacred word, the science of spirits, the science of rulership, the science of the stars, and the science of serpents and celestial beings — all this is only name. Meditate on name."

He brooded over those syllables, and from them, thus brooded over, flowed forth Omkara. Just as all leaves are held together by a stalk, so all speech is held together by Om. Om indeed is all this; Om indeed is all this.

Now concerning the self: one should meditate on this chief vital breath as the udgitha, for it moves along sounding 'Om'.

He who, knowing this thus, utters this syllable in praise enters into this very syllable, the sound that is immortal and fearless; and having entered it, he becomes immortal, even as the gods are immortal.

Om is Brahman. Om is all of this. The agreement 'So be it' is indeed its echo — this is how they invoke it. The Samans are sung with Om. The sacrificial hymns are chanted with Om. The Adhvaryu priest responds with Om. The Brahman priest gives assent with Om. The Agnihotra is sanctioned with Om. When a Brahmin prepares to teach, he says: 'May I reach Brahman' — and he does indeed reach Brahman.

Now, the udgitha is the pranava and the pranava is the udgitha. Yonder sun is the udgitha; it is the pranava, for it moves along sounding 'Om'.

When one finishes a Rik, one sounds out 'Om'; so too with a Saman, so too with a Yajus. This sound is that syllable, the immortal, the fearless. Having entered into it, the gods became immortal and fearless.

This is the syllable of assent, for whenever one assents to anything one says 'Om'. Assent is fulfilment. He who, knowing this thus, meditates on this syllable as the udgitha becomes indeed one who makes desires prosper.

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

There death saw them in the Rik, in the Saman, and in the Yajus, just as one might see a fish in water. Knowing this, they rose up out of the Rik, the Saman, and the Yajus, and entered into the svara (the syllable Om).

By this syllable the threefold knowledge proceeds: with Om one gives the call, with Om one recites, with Om one sings the udgitha — all in honour of this syllable, by its greatness and its essence.

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."

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.