KATHA UPANISHAD - 45. Swami Advayananda.

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Friday, 22 Dec 2023 06:35.

Chapter 1. Section - 2: (25 Mantras): THE CHOICE:

Mantram - 16: The Scope Covered by “Om”

Post - 45.

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Chinmaya Tarangini Matsyanarayana:

What's NEW @ Chinmaya Tarangini?

"Geeta Ratham" standing tall at Chinmaya Tarangini all set for 2017.

The Geeta Ratham is a tribute to our revered Geeta Acharyas - Bhagavan Shri Krishna, Sri Veda Vyasa, Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Chinmayananda with five horses pulling it.

Begin 2017 with an auspicious note by taking darshan of the Geeta Ratham - a reminder to live the Geeta way of life with the GPS of Guru Parampara and Shastra.

— with Swami Chinmayananda and 4 others at Chinmaya Tarangini Matsyanarayana

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Mantram - 16: The Scope Covered by “Om”

1 Etat hi eva aksharam brahma  =  This word alone is verily the Saguna Brahman;

2 etat hi eva aksharam param;  =  This word alone is verily the Nirguna Brahman;

3 etat hi eva aksharam jnaatvaa  =  This word alone is verily that which is to be known

4 yah yat icchhati tasya tat.  =  in order to obtain whichever (of the two) one desires,.

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The scope of OM worship in its general form is given in this verse. “The higher world” 

means different things to different people according to the goal they desire. It ranges from 

the Saguna to the Nirguna, i.e. from the Brahman with form and attributes to that which is 

Formless and Attributeless. 

1. 

In this Pada, Om is taken to mean the “inferior” or Saguna Brahman. This stands for 

Hiranyagarbha, who is at the helm of all the conditionings associated with Brahman. 

Hiranyagarbha is the ‘Spout’ or ‘Womb’ of Creation. All manifestation, gross and subtle,

begin from Hiranyagarbha.

2. 

In this Pada, Om is taken to mean the “superior” or Nirguna Brahman. This 

represents the unconditioned Brahman, where there is no duality whatsoever.

This is the Goal which is strived for by the sages who are free of all attachments to 

this world of duality.

3. 

Om is meditated upon in two different ways in either of the above two aspects. In 

both cases, Om leads the worshipper or meditator to the goal he is striving for. The symbol 

Om thus stands for both wings of higher worlds, namely, that desired by Preyas-minded 

worshippers, as well as that desired by Sreyas-minded aspirants.

4. 

According to the goal one has in mind, so is the fruit of the worship – one goes to 

the plane of one’s desire. Our intention determines what we attain. It is our intention which 

manifests as the fruit. The symbol Om is the means which takes us to that fruit.

This could mean any of many planes of existence in which one may enjoy the fruits 

of one’s merits. These have been explained earlier in Chapter 1. However, for the aspirant 

who has no desire for any of these pleasures in heaven, the same Upasana, done with the 

intention of desiring liberation from the wheel of Samsara, obtains the highest fruit of 

oneness with the Supreme Self or Brahman. 

Another division of Om worship is based on whether the worshipper uses the sound 

symbol OM, or the form of the letter “OM”. The first is called “Shabda Vachyam” and the 

second is “Shabda Pratikam”. Both of these are equally effective in application. One is based 

on name, and the other on form. Either of them can be used in Om meditation, for either 

attaining Saguna Brahman or attaining Nirguna Brahman.

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Next

1.2.17: A Eulogy of “Om”

To be continued

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