TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD – 29. Rishi Yajnavalkya.

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Saturday, 27 May,  2023. 06:25.

“PANKTI” UPASANAS

Part-1.

Chapter-1.

PRANAVA (“OM”) UPASANA

Post-29.

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Mantram - 1.8.2: Om Stuti – the Glorification & Uses of OM

2 

om iti etat anukriti ha sma vai;   =  Uttering Om is widely known to indicate consent;

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api om shraavaya iti   =  The priest officiating at the sacrifice encourages his 

aashraavayanti;  =  assistants with the words, “Om, recite to the Gods”;

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om iti saamaani gaayanti;   =  With Om, they start the singing of the Sama verses;

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om shom iti shastraani shamsanti;   =  With “Om Shom”, they begin reciting the Shastras;

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om iti adhvaryuh pratigaram pratigrinaati;   =  With “Om”, the Adhwaryu answers or prompts;

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om iti brahma prasauti;   =  With Om, the chief priest Brahma expresses his accent;

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om iti agnihotram anujaanaati;   =  With Om one permits the offering of oblation to the fire

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om iti braahmanah pravakshyan aaha;   =  The Brahmana recites “Om” before studying.

[Interpretation 1: Brahman = Supreme Reality, Paramarthik goal]

10a 

brahma upaapnavaani iti;   =  “May I obtain Brahman”, thus saying,

brahma eva upaapnoti  =   He verily does obtain Brahman!

[Or, Interpretation 2: Brahman = the Vedas, Vyavaharic goal]

10b

brahma upaapnavaani iti;   =  “May I acquire the Vedas”, thus saying, 

brahma eva upaapnoti  =   He verily does master the Vedas!

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Anukriti: “concurrence” or “consent”. Om is used to express consent. This is a 

colloquial or Laukika usage of the word, Om. When somebody says ‘I do’ or ‘I shall go’, 

another approves the act or speech by uttering the word ‘Om’.

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Prerana: “encouragement”. The context here is when a chanter at a Yajna is sleepy 

and misses chanting the Mantras, then the elder priest encourages him by loudly calling out 

“Om Shraavaya”! By this, the errant reciter is brought back into wakefulness. 

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Gaayanti: “they begin singing”. The chanters of the Sama Veda begin their 

chanting with ‘Om’. With that, their singing gets synchronised in tune and meter.

5 

Shastraani: “prose recitations” (other than Sama Veda). Those portions of the 

Vedas that are not set to a tune, are begun with the words ‘Om Shom’.

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Pratigaram: “encouraging words”; the Adhyvaryu is a priest who utters encouragement all the time to chanters who may be feeling a bit tired.

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Prasauti: “approval”; the head priest called Brahma, who is versed in all the Vedas 

and supervises the rites, gives his approval with the word ‘Om’.

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Anujaanaati: “gives consent”; by uttering ‘Om’, the head priest gives his consent 

for the Agnihotra to begin.

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Pravakshyan: “just before beginning his study” of the Vedas, the word ‘Om’ is 

uttered. It is usually accompanied by a formal statement of intent or purpose:

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The statement of purpose could have two translations, depending on the 

meaning taken for ‘Brahman’, as shown below.

10a i) 

“May I thus obtain Brahman!” Thus he obtains the, Paramarthic Reality.

10b ii) 

“May I thus study well the Vedas!” Thus he obtains mastery over the Vedas. 

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This is in the Vyavaharic or relative reality.

In these ways, the use of the syllable gets associated with every aspect of the ritual 

proceedings. Indeed, it must be an awesome feeling to be present at one of these rituals 

and hear ‘Om’ at every step of its progress. The sanctity is kept intact in this manner.

Everything that is done reminds one of the Supreme Reality.

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NEXT

SWADHYAYA PRASHAMSAA

Anuvaka 1.9

Principles of Study & Teaching

To be continued

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