ॐ

The
Concept
of
Nāda
 ॐ

Chapter I
The Concept of Nāda

à Etymology, Etymological meaning of word ‘Nāda’

à The source of Nāda
à Types of Nāda
à Āhata and Anāhata Nāda
à Manifestation of nāda as Om
The à Etymology of word ‘Om’
Concept à Sound production process of Om
of à ‘Om’ - The Mahāmantra
Nāda à Om in different texts
à Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā and Vaikharī Nāda
à Śabdatattva is the cause of this world
à Levels of speech
à Nāda in other texts
à Nāda Yoga
à Śānti Mantras
à The power of the word
à There is Nāda, rhythm in everything
Fig.: flow of thought in this chapter – The concept of Nāda.

Etymology of word ‘Nāda’:

नादाेऽयं नदतेधा+ताेः ॥ ॥२३॥

Nādo’yaṃ nadaterdhātoḥ ॥ ॥23॥

(Word Nāda comes from the Sanskṛt root ‘Nad’)
Word Nāda comes from the Sanskṛt root ‘Nad’ according to Bṛhaddeśī1. The process

how नद् becomes नादः is given below:

णद2 - श3दे —> नद् on account of धा4वादेः णाेनः ।

नद - श3दे - to sound, first conjugation, 56.
√नद —> नद् on account of उपदेशेऽजनुना;सक इत्3 1.3.2
नद् + घञ्4 on account of भावे (घञ्)5 3.3.18
नद् + अ on account of ल-श-DतEFते6 1.3.8 and हलH4यम्7 1.3.3
नाद् + अ on account of अत उपधायाः8 7.2.116
नाद् + अ = नाद because अ joins the द्
नाद + सूँ on account of Lवाैजसमाैट्-छPाQयाम्-Rभस्-ङे -Qयाम्-Qयस्-ङ;स-Qयाम्-
Qयस्-ङसाेसाम्-ङTाेस्-सप्9 4.1.2
नाद + स् on account of उपदेशेऽजनुना;सक इत्10 1.3.2
नाद + र् on account of स-सजुषाे Xः11 8.2.66
नादः on account of खरवसानयाेZव+सज+नीयः12 8.3.15

1. Kṣīrasāgara, D. B. (1998). Śrīmataṅgamunikṛta Bṛhaddeśī, Sanskṛt evaṃ Hindī anuvāda. Jaipur,

Rajasthāna, India: Publication Scheme, Jaipur. Pg. no. 3. Bṛh. - 23.
नादाेऽयं नदतेधा+ताेः स च प]Zवधाे भवेत् ।
सू^_`ैवाितसू^_` bयcाेऽbयc` कृिeमः ॥ ॥२३॥
Nādo’yaṃ nadaterdhātoḥ sa ca pañcavidho bhavet ।
Sūkṣmaścaivātisūkṣaśca vyakto’vyaktaśca kṛtrimaḥ ॥ ॥23॥
(This word ‘Nāda’ comes from the dhātu ‘Nad’
and it is of five types
subtle, very subtle, manifest, unmanifest
and artificial.)
2
Dīkṣita, P. (2009). Prakriyānusārī Pāṇinīyadhātupāṭhaḥ Puṣpādīkṣitaviracitaḥ. New Delhi, India:
Saṃskṛtabhāratī Publications. Pg. 43.
3
Micikā M. B. (2013) Śrīpāṇinimahāmuniviracitaḥ Aṣṭādhyāyīsūtrapāṭhaḥ. Annaikaṭṭī, India:
Ārṣavidyāgurukulam Annaikaṭṭī. Pg. 6.
4
Aiyar, S, Sastri, S (editors). (1940). Śrī Raghunāthabhūpaviracitā Saṅgīta Sudhā (The Saṅgīta Sudhā
of the Raghunātha of Tanjore). Tanjore, India: Madrapurī Saṅgītavidvatsabhā. Pg. 15.
धाताेन+देघ+fञ नादश3दाे bयु4पाgा इ4येव च केRचदाhः । ।।९८।।
Dhātorndeghañi nādaśabdo vyutpādyā ityeva ca kecidāhuḥ । ।।98।।
5
Micikā M. B. (2013) Śrīpāṇinimahāmuniviracitaḥ Aṣṭādhyāyīsūtrapāṭhaḥ. Annaikaṭṭī, India:
Ārṣavidyāgurukulam Annaikaṭṭī. Pg. 26.
6
Ibid. Pg. 6.
7
Ibid. Pg. 6.
8
Ibid. Pg. 80.
9
Ibid. Pg. 33.
10
Ibid. Pg. 6.
11
Ibid. Pg. 89.
12
Ibid. Pg. 90.
Etymological meaning of word ‘Nāda’:

नकारं kाणनामानं दकारमनलं Zवदुः ।

जातः kाणाlmसंयाेगाoेन नादाेRभधीयते13 ॥ ॥ ६ ॥

Nakāraṃ prāṇanāmānaṃ dakāramanalaṃ viduḥ ।

Jātaḥ prāṇāgnisaṃyogāttena nādobhidhīyate ॥ ॥ 6॥
(The sound ‘na’ is considered as Prāṇa
and the sound ‘da’ is understood as fire.
The sound is called as 'Nāda' because it
originates from the combination of Prāṇa and fire.)
The same idea is given in Bṛhaddeśī14 of sage Mataṅga, he also explains that ‘na’ is the Prāṇa and the
‘da’ is the ‘Anala’, the fire.

√ नद् = to sound or to make sound. The root for the word ‘नदq’ is also नद्, which

means that which keeps making sound and keeps flowing. So, root नद् is also taken in

the meaning of ‘that which flows’. Thus Nāda this way is also ‘that which flows’, we
can also say that which enables to flow. Hence, Nāda enables knowledge to flow.
Because knowledge happens when the guru talks to the disciples, here knowledge is
flowing from the guru to the disciple. Here Nāda is in the form of guru’s words.
Svāmī Satyānanda Sarasvatī puts it in simple words as: “Hence the etymological

13
Śāstrī, S. S. (1943). Saṅgītaratnākara of Śārṇgadeva with two commentaries. Madrasa, Tamilnadu,
India: The Adyāra Library. Pg. 64. In the third Prakaraṇa,
‘Nādasthānaśrutisvarajātikuladaivatarṣicchandorasaprakaraṇam’. And
Dāmodara viracitaṃ Saṅgīta Darpaṇaṃ. Tanjore, India: Madrasa Government Oriental Series,
Authority of the Government of Madras. Pg. 7, SR - 1: III: 6, and SD - 1: 37
14
Kṣīrasāgara, D. B. (1998). Śrīmataṅgamunikṛta Bṛhaddeśī, Sanskṛt evaṃ Hindī anuvāda. Jaipur,
Rajasthāna, India: Publication Scheme, Jaipur. Bṛh. - 22. Pg. no. 3.
नकारः kाण इ4याhद+कार`ानलाे मतः ।
नादLय rsपदाथाे+ऽयं समीचीनाे मयाेuदतः ॥ ॥२२॥
Nakāraḥ prāṇa ityāhurdakārścānalo mataḥ ।
Nādasya dvipadārthoऽ yaṃ samīcīno mayoditaḥ ॥ ॥22॥
(The sound ‘na’ is called as Praana and
the sound ‘da’ is accepted as as (representative) of fire.
I have explained these two components of 'nada' in proper way.)
meaning of nāda should be a process or a flow of consciousness. Ordinarily the word
nāda means sound.”15

Sage Śārṇgadeva in Saṅgītaratnākara explains the sound 'na' is considered as Prāṇa

and the sound 'da' is understood as fire. And this same śloka appears in both the texts,
the Saṅgītaratnākara of Śārṇgadeva as well as in the Saṅgīta Darpaṇam of Catura
Dāmodara.

The source of Nāda:

What is the source of Nāda?
Its source is the Brahman16. Taittirīya Upaniṣad explains that Brahman, which is the
Self, is the source of everything:

तL_ाsा एतL_ादा4_न अाकाशः सwxूतः ।

अाकाशाsायुः । वायाेरlmः । अmेरापः । अyः पृRथवी17 ।
tasmādvā etasmādātmana ākāśaḥ sambhūtaḥ ।
ākāśādvāyuḥ । vāyoragniḥ । agnerāpaḥ । adbhyaḥ pṛthivī । ॥1॥
(From that Brahman, which is the Self, emerged space.

From space emerged air. From air emerged fire.

From fire emerged water. From water emerged earth.)

And this way the evolution goes on; from earth herbs are born, from herbs food is
produced, from food man is nourished. Man is essentially a product of food, they are
born from food, live on food and at the end they get merged in food.

Catura Dāmodara in the Saṅgīta Darpaṇam shows the origin18 of nāda according to
the śāstra and calls nāda as the very means for the fulfillment of the four

15
Svāmī Satyānanda Saraswatī, from lectures to students of the first International Yoga Teachers
Training Course at Munger, 1967-68. Taken from
http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2004/fdec04/nada.shtml
16
Tejomayananda, S. (2011). Swara to Ishwara. Mumbai, Maharashtra, India : Chinmaya Prakashan.
Pg. 23.
17
Tait. Up. 2: 1.
18
Dāmodara viracitaṃ Saṅgīta Darpaṇaṃ. Tanjore, India: Madrasa Government Oriental Series,
Authority of the Government of Madras. Pg. no. 6. SD – 1: 28.
अथनादLय चाे4पzoं व^ये शा{Zववेकतः ।
Puruṣārthas. Nāda is the womb and highest knowledge, and is the cause of
everything. The entire universe, living and non-living, is pervaded and transcended by
nāda19.

Types of Nāda:
Nāda is said to be unmanifest and manifest 20 , which is of two types. Catura
Dāmodara describes the Nāda as Āhata Nāda and Anāhata Nāda in the first chapter
named ‘Svarādhyāyaḥ’ of Saṅgīta Darpaṇam21. Every object is formed of, constituted
of nāda and all objects are termed as objects because of nāda alone. Because the
matter they are made up of, the name they have is śabda, and when an object is called
out; all is nāda.

धमा+थ+काममाे|ाणाRमदमेवैकसाधनम् ॥ ॥२८॥
Athanādasya cotpattiṃ vakṣye śāstravivekataḥ ।
Dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇāmidamevaikasādhanam ॥ ॥ 28॥
(now i am telling the origin or creation of nāda according to the śāstra;
this is the one means for the fulfillment of the four Puruṣārthas,
namely dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa.)
19
Kṣīrasāgara, D. B. (1998). Śrīmataṅgamunikṛta Bṛhaddeśī, Sanskṛt evaṃ Hindī anuvāda. Jaipur,
Rajasthāna, India: Publication Scheme, Jaipur. Pg. 2. Bṛh – 3: 11.
}विनयाे+िनः परा ~ेया }विनः सव+Lय कारणम् ।
अा•ाHतं }विनना सव€ जगत् Lथावरज•‚मम् ॥ ॥११॥
Dvaniryoniḥ parā jñeyā dhvaniḥ sarvasya kāraṇam ।
Ākrāntaṃ dhvaninā sarvaṃ jagat sthāvarajaṅgamam ॥ ॥11॥
(Nāda is the womb and highest knowledge, and is the cause of everything
The entire universe, living and non-living, is pervaded and transcended by nada.)
20
Ibid. Pg. 2. Bṛh – 3: 12.
}विनLत rsZवधः kाेcाे bयcाbयcZवभागतः ।
वणाे+पलwxनाद् bयcाे देशीमुखमुपागतः ॥ ॥१२॥
Dhvanistu dvividhaḥ prokto vyaktāvyaktavibhāgataḥ ।
Varṇopalambhanād vyaktodeśīmukhamupāgataḥ ॥ ॥12॥
(Nāda is known in two ways, manifest and unmanifest;
the manifest form is known as / is dependent on varnas
and is understood as coming close to Deśī.)
21
Śāstrī, S. S. (1943). Saṅgītaratnākara of Śārṇgadeva with two commentaries. Madrasa, Tamilnadu,
India: The Adyāra Library. Pg. 22.
Dāmodara viracitaṃ Saṅgīta Darpaṇaṃ. Tanjore, India: Madrasa Government Oriental Series,
Authority of the Government of Madras. Pg. 4.
The same verse is found in both - SR – 1: I: 3, SD- 1: 14.
अाहताेऽनाहत`ेित rsधानादाेिनगgते ।
साेयं kकाशते Zप„डे तL_ा†4प„डाेऽRभधीयते ॥ ॥१४॥
Āhato nāhatśceti dvidhānādonigadyate ।
Soyaṃ prakāśatepiṇḍe tasmātpinḍo’bhidhīyate ॥ ॥ 14 ॥
(Nāda is of two types; Āhata and Anāhata. It is Nāda only
that shines in any Piṇḍa / object, so it is called Piṇḍa also.)
Āhata nāda (struck sound):
Sound is produced when one thing strikes on another; and it is called Āhata Nāda or
Struck Sound. All kinds of sounds are Āhata Sounds, whether music or some other
sounds. In music the striking happens with the help of a bow, mizrāba, plectrum,
striker, blow of wind etc. or the vocal cords produce sound in the sound box when the
wind passes through it that makes sound, Āhata Nāda or the Struck Sound. Āhata
Nāda is manifest sound, perceptible to the sense organ i.e. it can be heard by ears. The
music that we hear begins at the Paśyantī level, takes shape in thought level in form
of Madhyamā, and finally manifests as Vaikharī Nāda, the perceptible sound.
According to Catura Dāmodara, the Nāda, which is being Āhata nāda, entertains as
well as is cause of liberation22. The Āhata Nāda pleasing to the ear, leads also to
eternal bliss.

Anāhata nāda (unstruck sound):

The Sound that exists by itself and in itself without anything striking on another thing
is Anāhata Nāda or the Unstruck Sound. Anāhata Nāda is a hypothetical, Cosmic
Sound, which the Yogīs are able to listen to. The Anāhata Nāda can be said to be the
primordial, original vibration, which supposedly is the beginning of evolution (ref.
Sāṅkhya evolution). Anāhata Nāda is not perceptible to the sense organs. Yogīs may
hear it in their deep meditation and that too only after they are totally absorbed in the
state of samādhi, unaware of the worldly surrounding. Catura Dāmodara says that
one has to follow the path guided by a guru and this path is not for worldly pleasures,
it is to realize the Supreme.

तeानाहतनादं त मुनयLसमुपासते ।

22
Dāmodara viracitaṃ Saṅgīta Darpaṇaṃ. Tanjore, India: Madras Government Oriental Series,
Authority of the Government of Madras. SD – 1: 16. Pg. 4.
स नादL4वाहताेलाेके रˆकाे भवभˆकः ।
‰ु4याuद sारतLतL_ाoदु4पzoिन+Š‹यते ॥ ॥१६॥
Sanādastvāhatoloke rañjako bhavabhañjakaḥ ।
Śrutyādi dvāratastasmāttadutpattirnirūpyate ॥ ॥16॥
(The origin of Āhata nāda is being defined;
it has come through the lineage of Śruti
that nāda being Āhata, is cause for both,
liberation as well as for entertainment in the world.)
 गुŠपuदPमागे+ण मुRcदं नतरˆकम्23 ॥ ॥१५॥

Tatrānāhatanādaṃ tu munayassamupāsate ।
Gurūpadiṣṭamārgeṇa muktidaṃ naturañjakam ॥ ॥ 15 ॥
(The Anāhata Nāda is cognized by the Yogis, Munis
by following the path shown by the Guru; it is only for the
emancipation of the soul and not for the entertainment.)

Haṭha Pradīpikā24 explains Anāhata Nāda as the Nāda, which is heard by Yogīs. This
is the Śakti, which is formless, this very Nāda is Parameśvara. The Anāhata Nāda
and the Āhata Nāda can be compared as:

Anāhata Nāda, the Unstruck Sound Āhata Nāda, the Struck Sound

Sound produced without anything Sound produced when one thing strikes
striking on another on another

Anāhata Nāda is not perceptible to the Āhata Nāda is perceptible to the sense
sense organ. Yogīs may hear it in their organ.
deep meditation.

Non-empirical Is said to be the Is empirical Nāda.

beginning of all other Nāda.
Table 1: Anāhata Nāda, the Struck Sound and the Āhata Nāda, the Unstruck Sound.

Manifestation and Expression of Nāda :

23
Ibid. SD - 1: 15. Pg. 4.
24
HP - 4: 100.
अनाहतLय श3दLय }विनय+ उपलQयते ।
}वनेरHतग+तं ~ेयं ~ेयLयाHतग+तं मनः ।
मनLतe लयं याित तrs•णाेः परमं पदम् ॥ ॥१००॥
anāhatasya śabdasya dhvanirya upalabhyate ।
dhvanerantargataṃ jñeyaṃ jñeyasyāntargataṃ manaḥ ।
manastatra layaṃ yāti tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam ॥ ॥100॥
(The knowable interpenetrates the anāhata sound,

which is heard, and the mind interpenetrates the knowable.

The mind becomes absorbed there, which is the seat of the all pervading, almighty Lord.)
 Om:

Om is the word of power,

Om is the sacred monosyllable,
Om is the highest Mantra,
Om is Soham,
Om is Oṃ Tat Sat.
Om is the source of everything,
Om is the womb of Vedas,
Om is the basis for languages,
In Om merge all Trinities,
From Om proceed all sounds,
In Om exist all objects.
O Sweet Om! Potent Praṇava!
The Life of my life,
The boat to cross this Saṃsāra,
Harbinger of Eternal Bliss,
My Redeemer and Saviour!
Guide me and take me
To Brahman, the hidden sage!25
- Svāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī

Nāda exists in form of Om. Om is the expression of Nāda. Sage Patañjali holds Om
as the very denominator of Īśvara 26 . We can take an example to understand this;
Devadatta’s mother’s name is Soumyā, but when he wants to call her he addresses her
as ‘Ammā’ and not ‘Soumyā’. In the same way Īśvara’s name is Praṇava, and when

25
Śivānanda, S. (2014). Tantra Yoga Nāda Yoga and Kriyā Yoga. Uttarā Khaṇḍa, Himalayas, India:
The divine life society. Pg. 144.
26
PYS 1: 27.
तLय वाचकः kणवः ॥ ॥२७॥
Tasya vācakaḥ Praṇavaḥ ॥ ॥27॥
(Om is the word denoting Him (Īśvara).)
we call out to Him we address Him as ‘Om’. So, this ‘Om’ is that sound by which we
praise27 Him, call out to Him and relate to Him.

Etymology of word Om:

One who sustains everything!
One who protects everything!
One who blesses everything!

Word Om comes from the Sanskṛt dhātu ‘√av (अव्)’, root ‘av’ becomes Om by

grammatical rules 28 , which means protection, sustenance, that which is source of

blessings.

√अव - र|णे29 । Qवाuदगणः -(1st. Conjugation) - 52.

√अव + मिन•न् (in कत+‘र sense) उणाuदपाठः - अवतेः rटलाेप`30 ।।1.131।।
अव + मन् on account of हलH4यम्31 1.3.3 and उपदेशेऽजनुना;सक इत्32 1.3.2
अव becomes अव् on account of उपदेशेऽजनुना;सक इत् 1.3.2
अव् + म् on account of उणाuदपाठः - अवतेः rटलाेप` ।।1.131।।
अ + ऊठ् + म् on account of ”वर-4वर-•{bयZव-मवामुपधाया`33 6.4.20

27
Polakam Śāstrī, Ś. R. (1952). Pātañjalayogasūtrabhāṣyavivaraṇam Śaṅkarabhagavatpādapraṇītam.
Madrāsa, Tamilnāḍu, India: Govt. Oriental Manuscripts Library. Page 7.
kकषे+ण नूयते Lतूयते अनेनेित kणवः ।
यuद वा, kणाैित Lताैती–रRमित kणव अाेंकारः ।
Prakarṣeṇa nūyate stūyate aneneti praṇavaḥ ।
Yadi vā, praṇauti stautīśvarmiti praṇava oṅkāraḥ ।
(Praṇava is that by which we praise, i.e. perform stuti;
this being the case Īśvara is the object of Praṇava i.e. Oṅkāra.)

28 Ātmaprajñānanda, S. (2014). Om the sound symbol. New Delhi, India: Munshiram Manoharlala
Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Pg. 4.
29
Giri, P. G. (2011). Paṇinīyaḥ Dhātupāṭhḥ. Vārāṇasī, Uttara Pradeśa, India: Caukhambā Saṃskṛta
series office, Vārāṇasī. Pg. 16. Qवाuदगणः - 600
अव - र|णगितका†Hतkीिततृ—यवगमkवेश‰वणLवाwयथ+याचनZ•ये˜छादq—यवा—याRल•‚नrहंसादानभागवृEFषु।
30
Chintamani, T. R. (1992). Uṇādisūtrāṇi Śvetavanavāsiviracitavṛttiyutāni, Prathmo bhāgaḥ. New
Delhi, India: Navrang.
Pg. 29, उणाuदपाठः - अवतेः rटलाेप` ।।1.131।। k4ययLयायं rटलाेपः । अनुना;सके परे “”वर4वर”
इ4यूठ् । गुणः । अाेम् ।।
31
Pg. 6. Micikā M. B. (2013) Śrīpāṇinimahāmuniviracitaḥ Aṣṭādhyāyīsūtrapāṭhaḥ. Annaikaṭṭī, India:
Ārṣavidyāgurukulam Annaikaṭṭī.
32
Ibid. Pg. 6.
अ + उ + म् on account of हलH4यम् 1.3.3
on account of संkसारण
अाे + म् on account of अा™ुणः 6.1.87
अाे + म् = अाेम् on account of संrहतायाम् । 6.1.72.
अाेम् = ॐ because of tradition.

Sound production process of Om:

We can also see the entire process of sound production, which becomes the ‘OM’.

‘अ’ - A: when we just open our mouth and make a sound, it is the sound ‘अ’ - ‘A’.

‘म्’ - M: when we close our mouth and make a sound, it is the sound ‘म्’ - ‘M’.

‘उ’ - U: after having uttered ‘अ’ - ‘A’ when we continue the sound and try to utter

‘म्’ - ‘M’ the journey from ‘अ’ - ‘A’ to ‘म्’ - ‘M’ is ‘उ’ - ‘U’.

So, we see that from the beginning of sound production ‘अ’ - ‘A’ to the journey of

sound ‘उ’ - ‘U’ to the end of all sound production ‘म्’ - ‘M’ is ‘अ-उ-म्’ - ‘A-U-M’.

And we have seen according to the rules of Sanskṛt grammar’s guṇa sandhi ‘अ’ - ‘A’

and ‘उ’ - ‘U’ join34 to become ‘अाे’ - ‘O’.

‘अ’ - A +‘उ’ - U = ‘अाे’ - O.

So ‘AUM’ is written both as ‘AUM’ as well as ‘OM’. In the Vedas Om was written as

‘अाे३म्’. This way the whole range of the sound production can be represented by Om.

That is how Om is said to include all syllables of all languages of all the people of all
the places. Om is all inclusive of all the letters or alphabets any language can have.
Svāmī Vivekānanda says, “There must be a generalization among all these words,
some substratum, some common ground of all these symbols, and that which is the
common symbol will be the best, and will really represent them all. In making a

33
Ibid. Pg. 72.
34
In Sanskṛt, two vowels cannot be together in a word, they join according to the rules of Sanskṛta
grammar.
sound we use the larynx and the palate as a sounding board. Is there any material
sound of which all other sounds must be manifestations, one, which is the most
natural sound? Om is such a sound, the basis of all sounds. The first letter, A, is the
root sound, the key, pronounced without touching any part of the tongue or palate; M
represents the last sound in the series, being produced by the closed lips, and the U
rolls from the very root to the end of the sounding board of the mouth. Thus, Om
35
represents the whole phenomena of sound-producing. ” Svāmī Vivekānanda
summarizes this as36 “Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Gītā – ‘I am ‘A’ among the letters’. All
articulate sounds are produced in the space within the mouth beginning with the root
of the tongue and ending in the lips - the throat sound is A, and M is the last lip sound,
and the U exactly represents the rolling forward of the impulse which begins at the
root of the tongue till it ends in the lips. If properly pronounced, this Om will
represent the whole phenomenon of sound-production, and no other word can do
this.”

‘OM’ - The Mahāmantra:

Om is a loaded sound. Śāstras load Om symbol for us to use for understanding the
Supreme Reality. ‘Om’ is said to be a Mahāmantra, as it encompasses all syllables
and sounds in it. In this way Om encompasses all Vedas, all Mantras, all Ślokas, all
kinds of prayers, all forms of sounds, syllables, alphabets, words, languages in it.
Because all above are in Om in bīja form that is why chanting Om is equal to chanting
of above. And that is how all Vedas, Mantras are said to be an elaboration evolved
from the Om. Mantras are of two types:
1. Mantra which doubles-up as prayer, and
2. Mantra, which is pure sound, the Bīja-mantra.

E.g. Gāyatrī-mantra is a prayer, which is chanted as mantra praying to illumine one’s

intellect. Whereas a Bīja-mantra is only sound, without any meaning, and the effect is
created purely because of the sound vibrations created by chanting these Bīja-

35
Vivekānanda, S. (2012). The complete works of Swami Vivekananda Vol. 1. Kolkata, India: Advaita
Aśrama. Pg. 217.
36
Vivekānanda, S. (2012). The complete works of Swami Vivekananda Vol. 3. Kolkata, India: Advaita
Aśrama. Pg. 48.
mantras. Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, Ham etc. are the Bīja-mantras of the cakras.
Sūryanamaskāra has a series of twelve mantras, in which there are Bīja-mantras –
Oṃ Hrāṃ Mitrāya Namaḥ !
Oṃ Hrīṃ Ravaye Namaḥ !
Oṃ Hrūṃ Sūryāya Namaḥ !
Oṃ Hraiṃ Bhānave Namaḥ !
Oṃ Hrauṃ Khagāya Namaḥ !
Oṃ Hraḥ Pūṣṇe Namaḥ !

Here the words Hrāṃ, Hrīṃ, Hrūṃ, Hraiṃ, Hrauṃ, Hraḥ are the Bīja-mantras. Of all
the Bīja-mantra, the mantra Om is the highest Bīja-mantra, it is called as
Mahāmantra. Upaniṣads talk about the meditation on Om. Om is considered eternal,
akṣara as mentioned in the Śruti Prasthāna, and Smṛti Prasthāna. And in Yoga Sūtras
Om denominates the Īśvara.

Om, the mystic syllable placed at the beginning of most sacred writings. Om is
explained in the Upaniṣads as standing for the whole world and its part, including
past, present and future; the three worlds and the powers of creations, preservation
and destruction 37 . The sound symbols in different languages for ‘yes’, ‘verily’,

‘indeed’ coincide with the sound of ‘Om’, some of these sounds are ‘अाम् - ām’ in

Sanskṛta, ‘हाँ - hāṁ’ in Hindī, ‘हाे - ho’ in marāṭhī, ‘aho’ in Panjābī etc.

Mantra is a ‘Mystic formula’, a sound syllable, word or phrase endowed with special
power, usually drawn from scripture. Mantras are chanted loudly during worships to
invoke the gods and establish a force field. Certain mantras are repeated softly or
mentally for Japa, the subtle tones quieting the mind harmonizing the inner bodies
and stimulating latent spiritual qualities38.

Om in different texts:

37
Subramuniyamswami, S. S. (1991). Dancing with Śiva, Śivena saha nartanaṃ
Sanātanadharmapraśnottaram. Himalayan Academy, India, USA. Pg. 690.
38
Ibid. Pg. 758.
Om in Upaniṣads:
The Taittirīya Upaniṣad 39 gives supreme importance to the syllable Om. Praṇava
Upaniṣad brings about the importance of Om by calling Om as the one and only
imperishable Brahman40. Those knowers of the Brahman call the Om the one and
only, imperishable Brahman. Praṇava Upaniṣad shows the importance of the
Nādaśravaṇa. It says that when the Mumukṣu has progressed on the path of yoga he
listens to the sounds, which are the svarūpa of Om41.

42
This Nādaśravaṇa is very much comparable to the Nādaśravaṇa and
Nādānusandhāna given in the Haṭha Pradīpikā. In almost the same way Māṇḍūkya
Upaniṣad 43 points out that whatever there is, all is Om only. Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad
elaborately explains the svarūpa of Om, the three mātrās as Viśva, Taijasa and
Prājña. ‘A’ denotes the cosmic gross universe, the waking state and the one identified
with the waking state. ‘U’ represents the subtle body in its cosmic and individual
aspects, the dream state, and the dreamer. Avidyā is the cause of both, it is the causal
39
Tait. Up. - Śīkṣāvallī: 8: 1.
अाेRमित š› । अाेRमतीदꣳसव+म् ।
अाेRम4येतदनुकृितह+L_ वा अ‹याे ‰ावये4या‰ावय†Hत ।
अाेRमित सामािन गाय†Hत ।
Omiti Brahma । Omitīdaꣳsarvam ।
Omityetadanukṛtirhasma vā apyo śrāvayetyāśrāvayanti ।
Omiti sāmāni gāyanti।
(Om is Brahman! Om is all this!
Om is well known as a word of imitation, concurrence!
Sāmagāyaka commence their Sāmagāyana with the Om.)
40
Praṇ. Up. – 2.
अाेRम4येका|रं š› यदुcं š›वाuदRभः ।२।
Omityekākṣaraṃ Brahma yaduktaṃ brahmavādibhiḥ ।2।
(Those knowers of the Brahman call the Om
the one and only, imperishable Brahman.)
41
Praṇ. Up. – 12.
कांLयघ„टािननादः Lयाgदा Rल‹यित शाHतये ।
अाे••ारLत तथा याे”यः ‰ुतये सव+Rम˜छित ॥ ॥ १२॥
Kaṃsyaghaṇṭāninādaḥ syādyadā lipyati śāntaye ।
Oṅkārastu tathā yojyaḥ śruyate sarvamicchati॥ ॥ 12 ॥
(When the Mumukṣu comes close to the calmness of Mokṣa
that time he hears the Nāda that of the bell of kāṃsā,
this is the swarūpa of Om. All sādhakas yearn to hear it.)
42
Nādaśravaṇa comparable to the Nādānusandhāna of Haṭha Pradīpikā.
43
Māṇḍū. Up. – 1.
ॐ इ4येतद|रं इदꣳ सव€ सव+माे••ार एव ॥१॥
ॐ ityetadakṣaramidaꣳ sarvaṃ sarvamoṅkāra eva ॥ ॥ 1 ॥
(Whatever there is this whole thing is Om!)
body. Along with the state of deep sleep and the sleeper, it is equated with ‘M’. ‘A’
merges with ‘U’, ‘U’ with ‘M’, ‘M’ with Om, which is the Self. Thus all is
annihilated, and realize the Self.

A U M Beyond

Vyaṣṭi aspect Viśva Taijasa Prājña Ātmā

Samaṣṭi aspect Vaiśvānara Hiraṇyagarbha Īśvara Brahman

Avasthā Jāgrata Svapna Suṣupti Turīyā

Bhoga Sthūla Sūkṣma Kāraṇa None/Self

Table: The svarūpa of Om.

In Chāndogya Upaniṣad the syllable Om is called as Udgītha, speech as Ṛk and Prāṇa

as Sāman44. Maitrāyaṇī Upaniṣad comes very close to the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, the
fourth mantra45 of Pañcamaḥ Prapāṭhakaḥ says “The Udgītha is the Praṇava; and
the Praṇava is the Udgītha.” The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad46 gives an analogy of the bow
and an arrow and says that the Brahman is the target.

The Ātmabodha Upaniṣad47 calls Om as the innermost Brahmapuruṣa. Yajñopavīta

44
Chā. Up. – 1: I: 5.
वागेवक्+ kाणः सामाेRम4येतद|रमु™qथः । ॥१: १: ५॥
Vāgevarkprāṇaḥ sāmomityetadakṣaramudgīthaḥ । ॥1: I: 5॥
Speech alone is Ṛk. Prāṇa is Sāman. The syllable Om is Udgītha.
45
Mait. Up. – 5: 4.
य उ™qथः स kणवाे यः kणवः स उ™qथः । ॥४॥
ya udgīthaḥ sa praṇavo yaḥ praṇavaḥ sa Udgīthaḥ । ॥4॥
(That which is udgītha is praṇava, and that which is praṇava is udgītha.)
46
Muṇḍ. Up. –2: II: 4.
kणवाे धनुः शराे žा4_ा š› तŸ^यमु˜यते ।
अkमoेन वेFbयं शरवoH_याे भवेत् ॥ ॥२: II: ४॥
Praṇavo dhanuḥ śaro hyātmā Brhama tallakṣyamucyate ।
Apramattena veddhavyaṃ śaravattanmayo bhavet ॥ ॥ 2: 4 ॥
(Om is the bow; the soul is the arrow; and
Brahman is called its target. It is to be hit by an unerring man.
One should become one with It just like an arrow.)
47
Ātma. Up. – 1.
ॐ k4यगानHदं š›पुXषं kणवLवŠपं । ॥१॥
ॐ Pratyagānandaṃ Brahmapuruṣaṃ Praṇavaswarūpam । ॥ 1॥
for a Sanyāsī is a constant reminder of his spiritual path. Yājñavalkya Upaniṣad48
equates the Om with the Yajñopavīta for a Sanyāsī. Dhyānabindu Upaniṣad 49
mentions those who wish mokṣa meditate upon Om. The Praṇava is the one, which
does not deteriorate 50 ever according to the Amṛtanāda Upaniṣad. However,
Nādabindu Upaniṣad explains Om as the ‘Haṃsa’51. Akṣi Upaniṣad52 also says that
this entire universe is ‘Om’ in the form of Viśva, Prājña and Taijasa. Kālāgnirudra
Upaniṣad explains the Om as, the Tripuṇḍra on the forehead, the three lines
representing the three letters. Besides the above-mentioned Upaniṣads, there are
others mentioning the Om, e.g. Śvetāśvatara, Śukarahasya, Nārāyaṇa,
Nṛsiṃhapūrvatāpini, and Yogacūḍāmaṇi etc.

Om in Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā:

In the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa says that he is the Praṇava among all the
Vedas, and the Śabda in the Ākāśa 53 . In the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā the Om is

(The innermost Brahman is Om, the three lettered one.)

48
Yājña. Up. – 4.
स हाेवाच या~व ¡ इदं kणवमेवाLय तg~ाेपवीतं य अा4_ा । ॥ ४॥
Sa hovāca Yājñavalkya idaṃ Praṇavamevāsya tadyajṅopavītaṃ ya ātmā । ॥4॥
(Yājñavalkya said that the Oṅkāra itself is a Yajñopavīta for a Sanyāsī.)
49
Dhyāna. Up. – 9.
अाेRम4येका|रं š› }येयं सव+मुमु|Rभः । ॥९॥
Omityekakṣaram Brahma dhyeyaṃ sarvamumukṣubhiḥ । ॥ 9॥
(All the Mumukṣus always keep meditating upon the one letter ‘Om’.)
50
Amṛt. Up. – 25.
यद|रं न |रते कदाRचत् ॥ २५॥
yadakṣaraṃ na kṣarate kadācit ॥ 25॥
(That which does not decay ever.)
51
Nād. Up.: 1.
ॐ अकाराे द;|णः प| उकारLतूoरः L_ृतः ।
मकारं पु˜छRम4याhरध+माeा त मLतकम् ॥ ॥१॥
Om akāro dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣa ukārastūttaraḥ smṛtaḥ ।
Makāraṃ pucchamityāhurardhamātrā tu mastakam ॥ ॥1॥
(The syllable ‘A’ is considered to be the Haṃsa bird Om’s right wing,
‘U’, its left; ‘M’, its tail; and the Ardha-Mātrā (half-meter) is said to be its head.)
52
Akṣi Up. – 42.
अाेंकारमाeम†खलं Zव–kा~ाuदल|णम् । ॥ ४२ ॥
Oṅkāramātramakhilaṃ viśvaprājñādilakṣaṇam । ॥ 42 ॥
(This whole world is Oṅkāra only,
of the nature of viśva prājñā etc)
53
BG – 7: 8.
kणवः सव+वेदेषु श3दः खे पाैXषं नृषु ॥ ७: ८ ॥
Praṇavaḥ sarvavedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṃ nṛṣu ॥ 7: 8 ॥
(I am the Praṇava, Om in all the Vedas,
mentioned54 numerous times. Brahman is explained as:

ॐ त4सuदित55 । ॥२३॥
Oṃ tatsaditi । ॥ 23 ॥

Śabda (Om) is the first manifestation of God56. Sound is vibration. Vibration is the
source of all creation. Vibration being the subtlest form of His creation, it is the
nearest we can get to Him in the physical world. So it is taken as His symbol. The
manifesting word of God is Om. Om is the essence of all Vedas and hence reciting
Om amounts to reciting all the Vedas. We find mention of Om in Upaniṣads in
abundance. Om is said to be the goal57 of all efforts, studies, knowledge of Vedas, all
austerities for which all Mumukṣus keep trying. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad
Gītā, “I am the one-syllabled Om in the speech58.”

and śabda, sound in Ākāśa, ether,

and verility in men.)
54
BG – 10: 25.
lगरामLwयेकम|रम् ॥ १०: २५ ॥
Girāmasmyekamakṣaram ॥ 10: 25 ॥
(I am the one syllabled ‘Om’ among the words.)
55
BG – 17: 23.
56
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
– Bible.
57
Kaṭh – 1: II: 15.
सवे+ वेदा य4पदमामन†Hत
तपाꣳ;स सवा+Eण च यsद†Hत ।
यuद˜छHताे š›चय€ चर†Hत
तoे पदꣳ सं¢हेण šवीwयाेRम4येतत् ॥ ॥१५॥
Sarve vedā yatpadamāmananti
Tapāꣳsi sarvāṇi ca yadvadanti ।
Yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti
Tatte padaꣳ saṃgraheṇa bravīmyomityetat ॥ 15॥
(The goal which all the Vedas expound,

which all austerities declare, and desiring

which aspirants resort to Brahmacarya,

that goal, I tell thee briefly; It is this Om.)

58
BG – 8: 13.
अाेRम4येका|रं š› bयाहरH_ामनुL_रन् ॥ ८: १३ ॥
Omityekākṣaraṃ Brahma vyāharanmāmanusmaran ॥ 8: 13 ॥
(Uttering the one-sullabled ‘Om’ – the symbol of Brahman
and remembering me…)
Om in Pātañjala Yoga Sūtras:

तLय वाचकः kणवः59 ॥ २७॥

Tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ ॥ 27॥
(Its (Īśvara’s) indicator is Praṇava.)
The importance given to Om in Pātañjala Yoga Sūtra can be seen clearly. While
talking about Īśvara Sage Patañjali says that the indicator, the verbal expression of
Īśvara is the Praṇava. And sage Patañjali says that the Japa60 of Praṇava should be
done with keeping its importance and bhāvanā in mind. When the Japa of Praṇava is
done in this way the mind is turned inward and the sādhaka is lead on the path of
Yoga61 and all obstacles are removed.

Manifestations and Expressions of Nāda:

The Nāda exists in four forms, which are the four manifestations of Nāda. They are
explained in Indian philosophy as Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā and Vaikharī. The
Śabda begin from Parā, the bīja and manifests as Paśyantī and Madhyamā finally it
becomes perceptible as Vaikharī. Knowledge is in form of all, and it exists in all in the
form of Caitanya, this is the Parā Nāda . When a conceptualization related to any subject
takes form in mind it is called Paśyantī. And when we choose śabda, term, phrases or
sentences in mind in order to express what is to be expressed it is Madhyamā. And when
uttered and heard it is Vaikharī.

In the Akṣamālikā Upaniṣad, Guha (Kārtikeya) refers to Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā

and Vaikharī Propitiating the Akṣamālā, talking to Prajāpati –

नमLते पराŠपे ।

नमLते प£यHतीŠपे ।

59
PYS – 1: 27.
60
PYS – 1: 28.
त¤पLतदथ+भावनम् ॥ २८॥
Tajjapastadarthabhāvanam ॥ ॥ 28 ॥
(Its (Īśvara’s) Japa should be done
with reflection of its meaning.)
61
PYS – 1: 29.
ततः k4य¥ेतना¦धगमाेऽ‹यHतरायाभाव`॥ २९॥
tataḥ pratyakcetanādhigamo’pyantarāyābhāvaśca ॥ 29॥
(by that (the japa of Om), the awareness
is turned inward and obstacles are removed.)
 नमLते म}यमाŠपे ।

नमLते वैखर§Šपे62 ।

Namaste Parārūpe ।
Namaste Paśyantīrūpe ।
Namaste Madhyamārūpe ।
Namaste Vaikharīrūpe ।
(Salutations to you of the form of Parā !
Salutations to you of the form of Paśyantī !
Salutations to you of the form of Madhyamā !
Salutations to you of the form of Vaikharī !)

Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā and Vaikharī Nāda:

That which resides in the form of consciousness is the Parā, when it is in the form of
inspiration it is Paśyantī, when it takes the form of thoughts in mind it is the
Madhyamā and when it gets expressed in articulated perceptible sound it is the
Vaikharī. Parā is the seed form of all sounds. Paśyantī is that form seen only by the
seers. Madhyamā, the intermediate, that which exists between the Vaikharī and the
Paśyantī which exists as determined by the intellect and follows the subtle breath of
respiration. And Vaikharī is the expressed sound, medium of communication.

We find mention of the Nāda as Parā Nāda, Paśyantī Nāda, Madhyamā Nāda and
Vaikharī Nāda in the scriptures. e.g. Atharva Vedīya Gaṇapati Upaniṣad 63 . The
scriptures explain the Nāda, the Śabda begins as Parā and manifests from Paśyantī to
Madhyamā, finally it becomes perceptible as Vaikharī.

When the nāda is touched by both the Prāṇa and Agni it becomes manifest. We know
that the svarūpa of vāk64 is Agni. The journey of nāda begins from Paśyantī as the

62
Akṣa. Up. – 15.
63
Gaṇapati Atharvaśirṣa – 5.
4वं च4वा‘र वा¨पदािन ।
“Tvaṃ catvāri vākpadāni”
(You are the very syllables of the four varieties of speech.)
64
Chā. Up. - 6. V. 4.
तेजाेमयी वाक् ।
intuition of object, it is a vast ocean of whole stuff of knowledge including that which
needs to be known, expressed, has possibility of whole expanse of past, present and
future knowledge in this regard. Nāda here is in vṛtti form, which is manifest in subtle
form yet unmanifest in gross form. This subtle vṛtti with the touch of Prāṇa begins to
manifest, starts to take form of thoughts in the intellect, though there is no syntactic
order yet, but there is an order in which the knowledge exists in Madhyamā form.
And when the nāda is touched by both the Prāṇa and Agni it becomes manifest in the
Vaikharī rūpa, which is in a śabda form, the object of śrotrendriya. In this way
speech, nāda, is caused by madhyamā and Vaikharī simultaneously. The madhyamā
nāda conveys import while the Vaikharī manifests śabda. The Vaikharī nāda is sound
waves, dhvani, which can be perceived by the ear by everyone, like the sound of a
drum; it conveys some meaning.

The Paśyantī is the instinct, intuition, which springs up, and is visualized within one’s
self. Here the intention has begun but has not taken any shape. It is still unmanifest.
The Madhyamā is the next stage to Paśyantī, where the visualization has started to
take shape of thought and speech form, here thoughts begin to manifest as words,
phrases, sentences and are capable of conveying the intention. Though the
manifestation has started but only to the self, and not for the outside world.
Manifestation to outside world is Vaikharī. This is the transformation of thoughts in
form of Madhyamā to spoken manifestation in form of speech. The first two are
internal process (ābhyantara prayatna) and the last one is external (bāhya prayatna).
In the Sri Lalitā Sahasra Nāma Stotram65 the Devī is propitiated by calling her as
Parārūpā, Paśyantīrūpā, Madhyamārūpā and Vaikharīrūpā.

Tejomayī vāk ।
(Vāk is of nature of fire.)
65
Sri Lalitā Sahasra Nāma Stotram – 81.
परा k4यि¥तीŠपा प£यHती परदेवता ।
म}यमा वैखर§Šपा भc-मानस-हं;सका ॥ ॥८१॥
Parā pratyakcitrūpā Paśyanti Paradevtā,
Madhyamā Vaikharīrūpā bhakta mānasa haṁsikā ॥ ॥81॥
(Parā – She, who is the meaning of every thing.
Pratyak citi rūpā – She, who makes us look for wisdom inside.
Paśyanti – She, who sees everything within herself.
Paradevatā – She, who gives power to all gods.
Madhyamā – She, who is in the middle of everything.
Vaikharī rūpa – She, who is of the form with words.
Bhakta mānasa haṁsikā – She, who is like a swan in the lake called mind.)
Vaikharī Nāda:
Vaikharī, or audible sound, which is the grossest form of sound, that we hear around
us. It is produced by the striking together of two objects. This includes speech, as it is
the vibration of the vocal cords as the air passes through that creates sound. The Vṛtti
(of Vākyapadīyam) quotes:

परै ः संवेgं यLयाः ‰ाेeZवषय4वेन kितिनयतं ‰ुितŠपं सा वैखर§ ।

;©Pा bयcवण+समुªारणा k;सFसाधुभावा «PसंLकारा च ।

तथा याऽ|े या दुHदुभाै या वेणाै (या) वीणायाRम4यप‘रमाणभेदा ।

Paraiḥ saṃvedyaṃ yasyāḥ śrotraviṣayatvena pratiniyataṃ śrutirupaṃ sā Vaikharī.

Śliṣṭā vyaktavarṇasamuccāraṇā prasiddhasādhubhāvā bhraṣṭasaṃskārā ca.
Tathā yā’kṣe yā dundubhau yā veṇau yā vīṇāyāmityaparimāṇabhedā.
(Vaikharī is known, acknowledged by others, for, it is uttered
so that the others get to listen(within the range of hearing).
Determined as the subject of śrotrendriya, in the form of śabda,
intact, clear utterance of symbol of sounds, well known by the people,
not incorrect grammatically. And also which is generated
in Vāṇī, Veṇu and Vīṇā or Dundubhī drum; this way

there are many which produce sounds.66)

Here 3 Characteristics of Vaikharī are explained as:

1. परै ः संवेgं, Paraiḥ saṃvedyam - acknowledged by others,

2. ‰ाेeZवषय4वेन kितिनयतं, Śrotraviṣayatvena pratiniyatam - Determined as the
subject of śrotrendriya and,
3. ‰ुितŠपं, Śrutirupam - in the form of śabda that which is heard (by
śrotrendriya).

Madhyamā Nāda:
Madhyamā or in-between sounds, in between gross sound of Vaikharī and more
subtle level of sound, the Paśyantī. Vṛtti (of Vākpadīyam) quotes:

66
Iyer, K. A. S. (1965). The Vākyapadīya of Bhartṛhari with the Vṛtti. Poona, Maharashtra, India:
Deccan College, Postgraduate and Research Institute, Poona. Pg. 125.
 म}यमा 4वHतः संिनवे¬शनी प‘रगृहीत•मेव बुEFमाeाेपादाना ।

सा त सू^_kाणवृ®यनुगता •मसंहारभावेऽZप bयc•मप‘र¢हैव केषा¯]त् ।

Madhyamā tvantaḥ saṃniveśinī parigṛhītakrameva buddhimātropādānā.

Sā tu sūkṣmaprāṇavṛttyanugatā kramasaṃhārabhāve’pi
vyaktakramaparigrahaivakeṣāñcit.
(Madhyamā dwells in intellect in order. Its upādāna is
buddhimātra, its material cause is intellect alone.
It (Madhyamā) follows according to the function of the prāṇavṛtti
and when it takes form in intellect there is no syntactic order of
words in which order it is expressed; but some say
that it takes form in intellect in which order it is expressed.)

Paśyantī Nāda:
Paśyantī or mental sound. This Nāda cannot be heard; it has specific colors and exists
in the deeper layers of the mind beyond the range of audible Nāda. It can be heard as
music in a dream, or a sound or melody that lingers. Vṛtti (of Vākpadīyam) quotes:

kितसं°त•मा स4य‹यभेदे समाZवP•मशRcः प£यHती ।

सा चलाचला kितल3धसमाधाना चावृता ZवशFा च,

सR±ZवP~ेयाकारा kितल²नाकारा िनराकारा च,

प‘रEछ±ाथ€k4यवभासा संसृPाथ+k4यवभासा

kशाHतसवा+थ+k4यवभासा चे4यप‘रमाणभेदा ।

Pratisaṃhṛtakramā satyapyabhede samāviṣṭakramaśaktiḥ Pasyantī.

Sā calācalā pratilabdhasamādhānā cāvṛtā viśuddhā ca,
Sanniviṣṭajñeyākārā pratilīnākārā nirākārā ca,
Parichinnārthaṃpratyavabhāsā saṃsṛṣṭārthapratyavabhāsā
praśāntasarvārthapratyavabhāsā cetyaparimāṇabhedā.
(Paśyantī is where there is no order in what you want to express and
what you are thinking to express though there is an inbuilt order.
Paśyantī is movable and immovable, clarity, concealed, virgin,
 untouched by effort and prāṇa Śakti etc., in which the rūpa
of known object to be expressed is there, is manifest but
in subtle form, and formless (not expressed in gross form).
Means of expression for what you want to express,
expresses vyakta (direct) meaning or knowledge,
associated knowledge and all other possible
meanings and knowledge, this is the expanse
and extension, coverage of Paśyantī.)

Points to be noted here are:

1. The Vṛtti of Vākpadīyam defines Paśyantī as:

‘kितसं°त•मा स4य‹यभेदे समाZवP•मशRcः प£यHती ।’

Paśyantī is where there is no order in what you want to express and what you are
thinking to express though there is an inbuilt order.

2. It gives the characteristics of Paśyantī as:

‘सा चलाचला kितल3धसमाधाना चावृता ZवशFा च,

सR±ZवP~ेयाकारा kितल²नाकारा िनराकारा च’

Paśyantī is movable and immovable, clarity, concealed, virgin, untouched by effort

and prāṇa Śakti etc., in which the rūpa of known object to be expressed is there, is
manifest but in subtle form, and formless (not expressed in gross form).

3. The function of the Paśyantī is explained as:

‘प‘रEछ±ाथ€k4यवभासा संसृPाथ+k4यवभासा

kशाHतसवा+थ+k4यवभासा चे4यप‘रमाणभेदा ।’

Means of expression for what you want to express, expresses vyakta (direct) meaning
or knowledge, associated knowledge and all other possible meanings and knowledge,
this is the expanse and extension, coverage of Paśyantī.

To explain Paśyantī Bhartṛhari also gives the example of the yolk of the peahen’s
egg, that all the colors of the feather are present in the the egg in potential form. It
will manifest after the hatching of the egg, when the small baby of the peahen would
grow-up to become full-grown peacock. Paśyantī is the hidden impulse and a desire
to express, the vision to lead forward.

Parā Nāda:
Parā Nāda, or transcendental sound. This is the starting point of Nāda. Parā is
comparable to the Māyā of Advaita Vedānta, which is not perceptible to indriyas, but
is kāryānumeyā (that which is inferred by effects). In the same way Parā nāda can
also not be perceptible, but is inferred because of its effects. So, the inference is like
this:
Vaikharī, the perceptible sound is heard, it must have come from somewhere; that
from which Vaikharī comes is Madhyamā. Madhyamā is there, which means it must
have come from somewhere, that from which Madhyamā comes is the Paśyantī in the
form of waves. And because there is Paśyantī, it must have come from somewhere,
that from which Madhyamā comes is Parā, the deep impression in the form of
vāsanās present in the sūkṣma śarīra.

Parā Nāda is described as a sound of such great vibrational frequency that it has gone
beyond vibration and is of infinite wavelength. The Upaniṣads call it Om and say its
nature is jyoti, light. Ultimately, it is silence. It is Anāhata Nāda or unstruck sound.
We can summarize the 4 Nāda as shown in table:

Vaikharī Nāda Madhyamā Nāda Paśyantī Nāda Parā Nāda

Audible, Almost inaudible, in Imperceptible Beyond all sounds,

grossest form of between gross and mental waves imperceptible
sound subtle sound transcendental sound,

Speech In thought form Exists in intuition, Transcendental sound

inspiration form in
consciousness

Usable in Usable in Works as Transcendental sound

 empirical world individual sense inspiration

Table 2: Summary of Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā and Vaikharī.

Śabdatattva is the cause of this world:

Bhartṛhari brings out the origin of the world as Śabda alone ‘श3द एव जग4कारणम्”67:

1. This whole world appears due to the śabda only. If the material cause of world
was not śabda then it would not have appeared.
2. Knowledge depends upon words. The impression of the knowable objects on
intellect is knowledge. This way, no knowledge can be expressed or understood
without śabda, words.
3. All objects have their nāma-rūpa, name and form. Without a name and form it is
not possible to posit the existence of any object.
4. Objects are differentiated due to the different words. For example, ghaṭa-paṭa, a
pot is different from cloth.
5. Sat, Asat and Sadasat all three are expressed by words only. For example,
Brahman, śaśaśriṅga, ghaṭa-paṭa etc.

The term Śabda means both sound and word. Animals can only produce sounds like
roaring, bellowing and bleating etc. Man has the word. Most, or a lot of human
communication is based on words. Words are required for the teaching.

श3दे•वेवा¬‰ता शRcZव+–LयाLय िनबHधनी ।

य±ेeः kितभा4_ायं भेदŠपः kतीयते68 ।। ।।११८।।

Śabdeṣvevāśritā śaktirviśvasyāsya Nibandhanī ।

Yannetraḥ pratibhātmāyaṃ bhedarūpaḥ pratīyate ।। ।।118।।
(The sole power which adheres only to the sounds - the sounds which have acquired
the diversified forms due to the differences of the place of articulation etc. - is the sole

67
Jha, Pt. V. (2002). Bhartṛhariviracitaḥ Vākyapadīya-Brahmakāṇḍam. Delhi, India: Mandakini
Sanskrit Vidvat Parishad. Pg. 441.
68
Jha, Pt. V. (2002). Bhartṛhariviracitaḥ Vākyapadīya-Brahmakāṇḍam. Delhi, India: Mandakini
Sanskrit Vidvat Parishad. Pg. 219.
cause of this entire world - is the cause of the diversified nature of the entire objects
of the world, which are perceived by the sense organs. perceivable only by it, the
sound, as the world can be conceived only by the power of sound; this world, which is
only an assumption and not the reality, is perceived as possessing a lot of
differentiations. the unreal nature of the world and the unique reality of the sound are
propounded in this stanza. it is also noticed that even the unreal world is perceived by
the power of the sound.)69

The first Canto of the Vākyapadīyam is called the Brahmakāṇḍa, in which the concept
of Śabdabrahman is explained. Bhartṛhari calls the Śabdatattva70 the root cause of
the whole world. The Supreme Śabda principle or the Śabdabrahman is the source,
the sustenance and the end of all manifestations71. The Vedas reflect this Brahman.
They are also a means of knowing it. The true significance of the Vedas is contained
in the syllable ‘Om’. All of the manifestations have their origin72 in the ‘Om’.

Not having origin (ādi) and perishing (nidhanam); this is the attribute of
śabdatattavam, the sound principle. Ādi means origin or that which causes the origin
and nidhanam means perishing or that which causes it. The six stages of worldly
objects are jāyate, originates; asti, exists; vardhate, grows; vipariṇamate, changes;

69
Pillai, K. R. (1971). Vākyapadīya, Critical text of Cantos I and II. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarasidas.
Pg. 66.
70
Jha, Pt. V. (2002). Bhartṛhariviracitaḥ Vākyapadīya-Brahmakāṇḍam. Delhi, India: Mandakini
Sanskrit Vidvat Parishad. VP I: 1, Pg. 1.
अनाuदिनधनं š› श3दत®वं यद|रम् ।
Zववत+तेऽथ+भावेन kZ•या जगताे यतः ॥1॥
Anādinidhanaṃ Brahma śabdatattvaṃ yadakṣaram ।
Vivartate’rthabhāvena prakriyā jagato yataḥ ॥1॥
(The Śabdatattva is the root cause of everything,
the world and its understanding.
the world in its infinite variety is only myriad
manifestations of the one undifferentiated principle.)
71
Pillai, K. R. (1971). Vākyapadīya, Critical text of Cantos I and II. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarasidas.
Pg. xxiii.
72
Ibid. Pg. 66. VP – 1: 20.
श3दLय प‘रणामाेऽयRम4या³ायZवदाे Zवदुः।
छHदाेQय एव kथममेतrs– bयवत+ते ॥
Śabdasya pariṇāmo’yamityāmnāyavido viduḥ ।
chandobhya eva prathamametadviśva vyavartate ॥ ॥20॥
(In which the symbols of speech, pointers to the one-letter scripture Om
shine forth like reflections in association with that Om,
which is antecedent to all manifested speech.)
apakṣīyate, disintegrates; and naśyati, perishes. By refuting the first and the last of
these, it is stated that the sound principle is eternal without origin or destruction at any
time. Brahman, the Supreme Being, is explained in the Upaniṣads as that which is
‘bṛhat’ -largest or that which expands or manifests as the world. This all-pervading
sole truth of the world, not having origin or end, causes the origin, existence and
destruction of the world. Among the four forms of sound are Parā, Paśyantī,
Madhyamā, and Vaikharī, the Parā is the sound principle, Paśyantī, looking on, that
being manifested into for a particular cause; Madhyamā, intermediate, that intended
for the expression of that cause, and Vaikharī, the articulated sound form. Sound,
which actually not having any change or destruction, assumes the forms of objects,
quality, etc. In Advaita philosophy, the term vivarta is explained as the assumption of
securing a new form, actually not having any change from the original. While the
truth of this original is known, this assumption into different forms is understood as
untrue. Thus, there is no difference between a word and its meaning. The word itself
is its meaning. It assumes the form of all worldly things according to the word’s
meaning. And from which occurs the manifestation of the world in the form of origin,
existence and destruction.

Sāṅkhya philosophy talks about Śabda as the first manifestation of the universe. This
is the Śabda Brahman.

Sage Patañjali refers to śabda as śabdatattva in Mahābhāṣya (महान् देवः श3दः ।

Mahān devaḥ śabdaḥ ।), where three levels of śabda can be discerned.

Śrīmad Bhāgavataṃ Mahāpurāna defines Śabda as:

अथा+‰य4वं श3दLय ´Pु Rल+ •‚4वमेव च ।

तH_ाe4वं च नभसाे ल|णं कवयाे Zवदुः ॥ ॥३३॥73

Arthāśrayatvaṃ śabdasya draṣṭurliṅgatvameva ca ।
Tanmātratvaṃ ca nabhaso lakṣaṇaṃ kavayo viduḥ ॥ ॥ 33 ॥
(Truly knowledgeable and learned define Śabda as
that which illumines the idea of an object,

73
Vedavyāsa. (2008). Śrīmad Bhāgavataṃ Mahāpurāṇa, sacitra, Hindī vyākhyāsahita, vol. I.
Gorakhapur, Uttara Pradeṣa, India: Gītā press. Pg. 288. SBM – 3: 26: 33.
 indicates the presence of Dṛṣṭu and is
the subtle form, Tanmātrā of the Ākāśa Mahābhūta74.)

Levels of speech according to Bhartṛhari:

वैखया+म}यमाया` प£यH4या`ैतदµत
ु म् ।

अनेकतीथ+भेदाया{¶या वाच परं पदम्75 ॥

Vaikharyāmadhyamāyāśca paśyantyāścaitadadbhutam ।

anekatīrthabhedāyāstrayyā vāca param padam ॥

(It is the highest source of Speech, threefold

as Vaikharī, Madhyamā and Paśyantī and
having various stages, through which it is realized.)
In Bhartṛhari’s Vākyapadīyam and its vṛtti commentary, this term ‘Parā’ is not used
to denote a fourth level of speech. Bhartṛhari says that speech is threefold; and he
treats the third level of Paśyantī as ultimate. It’s later on in the tradition that the name
‘Parā’ appears, referring to a fourth level. Parā is the source of all of the three, on par
with Brahman76.

Level of speech Medium Source Operational area

Parā Transcendental Self / Self

word consciousness

Paśyantī Intuitive word Heart Causal body

Madhyamā Thought Mind Subtle body

Vaikharī Spoken word Tongue Gross body

74
Vedavyāsa. (2008). Śrīmad Bhāgavataṃ Mahāpurāṇa (with Sanskṛt text and English translation),
Vol. I. Gorakhapur, Uttara Pradeṣa, India: Gītā press. Pg. 255.
75
Jha, Pt. V. (2002). Bhartṛhariviracitaḥ Vākyapadīya-Brahmakāṇḍam. Delhi, India: Mandakini
Sanskrit Vidvat Parishad. VP I: 142, Pg. 266.
76
Narayanan, S. (2012). Vākyapadīya Sphoṭa, jāti and Dravya. New Delhi, India: D. K. Printworld
Pvt. Ltd. Pg. 23.
 Table: four levels of speech and their essential characteristics77.

It is explained here that the study of grammar is not concerned with the heard sound
only, but it deals with the other subtle forms of the sounds Madhyamā and Paśyantī.
For the realization of the three forms of the sound, namely Vaikharī, Madhyamā and
Paśyantī, for these three fold words possessing differences due to the different places
of their existence. The three places of existence of the words are the breath of
respiration, the intellect and the mind. Even though the words have actually no such
differences, they assume the difference due to the difference of their place of
occurrence. The realization of the sound principle has its manifested forms as tangible
or gross, subtle and causal. The word that is spoken is threefold. It consists of
Vaikharī, Madhyamā and Paśyantī. And has various stages, through which it is
realized.

The Vedas form the sound-manifestation of Īśvara. That sound has four divisions,
Parā which is the Bīja, the source is not manifested, Paśyantī becomes manifested in
the mind, Madhyamā becomes manifested in the Indriyas, and Vaikharī manifests in
articulate expression.

Articulation is the last and grossest expression of divine sound-energy. The highest
manifestation of sound-energy, the primal voice, the divine voice is Parā. The Parā
voice becomes the root-ideas or germ-thoughts. It is the first manifestation of voice.
In Parā the sound remains in an undifferentiated form. Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā
and Vaikharī are the various gradations of sound. Madhyamā is the intermediate
unexpressed state of sound.

Talking about Nāda in Vākyapadīyam, Bhartṛhari says that this universe is the
transformation of speech:

श3दLय प‘रणामाेऽयRम4या³ायZवदाे Zवदुः ।

छHदाेQय एव kथममेतrs– bयवत+त78 ।। ।।१२०।।

Śabdasya pariṇāmo’yamityāmnāyavido viduḥ

77
Acharya, K., Iturbe, M., Namajoshi, L. (2013). Meditation Oriental and Occidental. Mumbai,
Maharashtra, India: Somaiya Publications Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai. Pg. 63.
78
VP – 1 : 120.
 Chandobhya eva prathamametadviśva vyavartata 120
(Those who are well-versed in the Vedas know that this
Universe is the transformation of speech. It was out
of the Vedas that this universe was first evolved.)

तL_ाgः श3दसंLकार सा ;सEF परमा4_नः ।

तLय kवृzoत®व~Lत·›ामृतRम•यते79 ।। ।।१३२।।

Tasmādyaḥ śabdasa.ṃskāra sā siddhi paramātmanaḥ

Tasya pravṛttitattvajñastadbrahmāmṛtamiṣyate 132
(Therefore, purification of the word / speech is
the attainment of the Supreme Self. One who
knows the essence of its functioning
attains the immortal Brahman.)

Nāda Yoga:

इदानीं सwkव^याRम नादल|णमुoमम् ।

न नादेन Zवना गीतं न नादेन Zवना Lवराः ।। ।।१६।।
न नादेन Zवना नृoं तL_ा±ादा4_कं जगत् ।
नादŠपः L_ृताे š›ा नादŠपाे जनाद+नः ।। ।।१७।।
नादŠपा परा शRcना+दŠपाे महे–रः80 । १८

Idānīṃ sampravakṣyāmi nādalakṣaṇamuttamaṃ

Na nādena vinā gītaṃ na nādena vinā svarāḥ ।। ।।16।।
Na nādena vinā nṛttaṃ tasmānnādātmakaṃ jagat
Nādarūpaḥ smṛto Brahmā nādarūpo janārdanaḥ ।। ।।17।।
Nādarūpā parā śaktirnādarūpo Maheśvaraḥ ।। ।।18a ।।
(Now I shall explain to you
the supreme qualities, definition of Nāda.
Without Nāda, there cannot be a song;
Without Nāda, There cannot be notes;

79
VP – 1 : 132.
80
Kṣīrasāgara, D. B. (1998). Śrīmataṅgamunikṛta Bṛhaddeśī, Sanskṛta evaṃ Hindī anuvāda. Jaipur,
Rajasthāna, India: Publication Scheme, Jaipur. Pg. 3. Bṛh. Up. – 16, 17, 18.
 Without Nāda, there cannot be dance;
Therefore, the world is in the form of Nāda.
Brahmā is said to be in the form of Nāda;
Janārdana (Viṣṇu) is said to be in the form of Nāda;
The supreme power (Śakti) is said to be in the form of Nāda;
Maheśvara (Śiva) is said to be in the form of Nāda.)

Sages say, out of many methods of reaching the no-mind state the Nāda -laya is the
best. Sage Svātmārāma says that out of the one crore and twenty-five lakh types of
Layas the Laya in Nāda is the highest81. Ādi Śaṅkarācārya says that Lord Śiva has
spoken of many forms of layas out of them the Nādānusandhāna is supreme most82.
Śivasaṃhitā holds Laya in Nāda as the supreme Laya83. The praises of Nāda and
Nādānusandhāna is given in the Vedas, Śruti Prasthāna, Smṛti Prasthāna, Sūtra
Prasthāna and in the Yoga texts in abundance.

When saints and sages meet, along with their conversations, they also partake in
singing the glories of the Supreme Self. On one such occasion when Svāmī Śivānanda
went to meet Ramaṇa Mahaṛṣi, he had the Darśana of Ramaṇa Mahaṛṣi on
Mahaṛṣi’s birthday. He sang bhajans and danced in ecstasy with Mahaṛṣi’s bhaktas.
Singing Lord’s name is like an initial practice of Nāda Yoga. A Yogī then moves
ahead in his Sādhanā of Nāda.

Nāda as a perceptible sound plays an important role in a Yogī’s life. Sage

Svātmārāma in the Haṭha Pradīpikā brings out the significance of sound very
beautifully. He gives many examples to point out the implication of sound. He says

81
HP - 4: 66.
82
Yoga Tārā. – 2.
सदा¬शवाेcािन सपादल|लयावधानािन वस†Hत लाेके ।
नादानुसHधानसमा¦धमेकं मHयामहे माHयतमं लयानाम् ॥ ॥ २ ॥
sadāśivoktāni sapādalakṣalayāvadhānāni vasanti loke ।
nādānudandhānasamādhimekam manyāmahe mānyatamaṃ layānām ॥ ॥ 2॥
(In this world there exist a lakh and a quarter types of Laya Sādhanās,
all told by Sadāśiva. We consider the Nādānusandhāna Samādhi
as the best one among the various types of Layas.)
83
SS - 5: 47.
that when the snake charmer plays his music the snake is charmed84 ; in the same
manner the mind can be transfixed by nāda. The Nādabindu Upaniṣad85. gives an
example of snake being bound by the sweet smell of Nāda and abandons its flitting
nature. The serpent’s Citta through listening to the nāda is entirely absorbed in it and
becoming unconscious of everything concentrates itself on the sound.

Nāda as an imperceptible sound (anāhata Nāda) plays a more important role in a

Yogī’s life. Our senses are not capable to sense the anāhata Nāda. Nādānusandhāna
is an exploration into this anāhata Nāda. Sound manifests at four levels Parā
(unmanifest beginning point), Paśyanti, Madhyamā and Vaikharī. Vaikharī is the
audible sound equal to Āhata sound, the thought that manifests before the speech is
Madhyamā. Subtler than that is the intuition for the thought to speak. It is at the
Paśyanti level that a Mozart sees the symphony. Still subtler deeper is Parā, which is
the transcendental sound, which is the matrix through which all sounds take place,
through which creation takes place. This is the sound, which is one with Śiva. Parā
become the Paśyanti, Paśyanti becomes Madhyamā and Madhyamā becomes the
Vaikharī.

Śānti Mantras:

84
HP: 4: 97.
नाद-‰वणतः ;|kमHतर•‚-भुज•‚मम् ।
ZवL_ृतय सव+मेका¢ः कुeRच±rह धावित ॥ ९७॥
Nāda-śravaṇataḥ kṣipramantaraṅga-bhujaṅgamam ।
Vismṛtaya sarvamekāgraḥ kutracinnahi dhāvati ॥ 97॥
(The mind is like a serpent, forgetting all its unsteadiness

by hearing the nāda, it does not run away anywhere.)

85
Nād. Up. – 43.
बFः सनादगHधेन सgः सH4यcचापलः ।
नाद¢हणत¯`oमHतर•‚भुज•‚मः॥ ४३॥
baddhaḥ sunādagandhena sadyaḥ santyaktacāpalaḥ ।
nādagrahaṇataścittamantaraṅgabhujaṅgamaḥ ॥ 43॥
(As it is bound by the sweet smell of Nāda and has abandoned its flitting nature.

The serpent’s Citta through listening to the nāda is entirely absorbed in it

and becoming unconscious of everything concentrates itself on the sound.)
Before commencing any kind of studies or spiritual activities Śānti Mantras are
chanted. Śānti Mantras are aimed at bringing all the participants to the same level of
consciousness by tuning all into the same kind of feeling. Śānti Mantras are
immensely helpful for a Sādhaka in his Sādhanā.

The Śāntimantra belonging to Atharvaveda:

ॐ भ´ं कणे+Rभः ¸णुयाम देवा भ´ं प£येमा|Rभय+जeाः ।

¹Lथरै र•‚ैLतPुवांसLतनूRभbय+शेम देवrहतं यदायुः ।

Lव†Lत न इH´ाे वृF‰वाः Lव†Lत नः पूषा Zव–वेदाः ।

Lव†Lत नLता^याे+ऽ‘रPनेRमः Lव†Lत नाे बृहLपितद+धात ।

ॐ शा†Hतः शा†Hतः शा†Hतः ।

Oṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devā bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ ।

sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāṃsastanūbhirvyaśema devahitaṃ yadāyuḥ ।
svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ ।
svasti nastārkṣyo'riṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatirdadhātu ।
Oṃ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ ।
Om!
O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious;
May we see with our eyes what is auspicious!
O ye worthy of worship!
 May we enjoy the term of life allotted by the Devas,

 Praising them with our body and limbs steady!
May the glorious Indra bless us!
May the all-knowing Sun bless us!
May Garuda, the thunderbolt for evil, bless us!
May Bṛhaspati grant us well-being!
Om!
Peace! Peace! Peace!

The above mentioned Śānti Mantras is chanted at the beginning of every Upaniṣad
belonging to Atharvaveda. Here is what it means:

Oh cosmic deities! Īśvara and his forces, Agni, Vāyu, Indra etc. and the cosmic
powers behind them. Vāyu is wind, the power, which makes the Vāyu move; that is
visualized as Vāyu -devatā. The power that enables the Pṛthvī to function as earth. We
have a body and behind it is a power to function. e.g. there is bulb, a fan and there is a
power, the electricity to make it function. The cosmic powers, which make everything
work are called ‘Devāḥ’, deities. So, we are addressing our prayer towards whole
cosmos. And what is the prayer?

O cosmic deities! May what we hear and see, be auspicious!

What it means is let us not have tendency to hear and see, inauspicious, which will
disturb the mind. I need some peace to study.
Sthirairaṅgaiḥ - with firm and capable bodies…. How many bodies do I have?
We have three bodies:
1. Physical body (sthūla),
2. Mental body (sūkṣma), and
3. Causal body (kāraṇa), empowering all the bodies.
So, with all the bodies firm and capable, suitable for this knowledge, may I be
devoted to you. Vyaśema – let it be spent, devahitaṃ yadāyuḥ - doing good things
unto higher goal. Let the knowledge, which I have, reflect upon my life. Let
auspicious things impinge upon my mind. Let there be inner wealth of śama, dama,
uparati, titikṣā etc. the quietude, sense control, mind control etc. Sun energizes
everything, we ask for energy and vigor from sun. from Garuḍa we ask for auspicious
ness, may you kill whatever is painful for me. ‘I know this is good for me but my
mind doesn’t listen’, this is the biggest pain. May this pain be killed! May Bṛhaspati,
the guru of the Devatās bless me! Meaning bless me with knowledge! So, this way
the teacher and the students chant the Śāntimantra together. There are three Śāntis
(Oṃ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ ॥) at the end of the prayers. They denote the prayer to pacify
the three kinds of miseries; the Ādhyātmika Duḥkha, the Ādhibhautika Duḥkha, and
the Ādhidaivika Duḥkha.

Let there be Peace in me! Let there be Peace in my environment!

Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me!
The Śāntimantra belonging to the Yajurveda is:

ॐ वा•ºे मन;स kित¦»ता मनाे मे वाRच

kित¦»तमाZवरावीम+ ए¦ध ॥ वेदLय म अाणीLथः

‰ुतं मे मा kहासीरनेनाधीतेनाराeाHसHदधाwयृतं वuद•याRम स4यं वuद•याRम ॥

तH_ामवत तscारमवत अवत मामवत

वcारमवत वcारम् ॥

ॐ शा†Hतः शा†Hतः शा†Hतः ॥

Oṃ ।
Vāṅme manasi pratiṣṭhitā mano me vāci
Pratiṣṭhitamāvirāvīrma edhi ॥ vedasya ma āṇīsthaḥ
Śrutaṃ me mā prahāsīranenādhītenārātrā-
Nsandadhāmyṛtaṃ vadiṣyāmi satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi ॥
Tanmāmavatu tadvaktāramavatu avatu māmavatu
Vaktāramavatu vaktāram ॥
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
Om ।
May my speech be based on (i.e. accord with) the mind;
May my mind be based on speech.
 O Self-effulgent One,
reveal Thyself to me.
 May you both (speech and mind) be the
carriers of the Veda to me. May not all that I have heard depart from me !
I shall join together (i.e. obliterate the difference of) day And night through this
study.
 I shall utter what is verbally true;
 I shall utter what is mentally true !
May that (Brahman) protect me;
 May That protect the speaker (i.e. the teacher),
may That protect me; May that protect the speaker – may That protect the speaker !
Om!
Peace! Peace! Peace!

The Śāntimantra belonging to the Samaveda is:

ॐ
 अा‹यायHत ममा•‚ािन

वा¨kाण`|ः ‰ाेतमथाेबलRम†H´याEण च सवा+Eण

सव€ š›ाेपिनषदं माहं š› िनराकुया€ मा मा š›

िनराकराेदिनराकरणमL4विनराकरणं मेLत

तदा4_िन िनरते य उपिनष4स

धमा+Lते मlय सHत ते मlय सHत ॥

शा†Hतः शा†Hतः शा†Hतः ॥

Om ।
Āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni
vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ śrotamatho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi
Sarvaṃ brahmopaniṣadaṃ māhaṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma
Nirākarodanirākaraṇamastvanirākaraṇaṃ mestu
tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu
Dharmāste mayi santu te mayi santu ॥

Om ।
śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

Om ।
Let my limbs and speech, Prāṇa, eyes, ears, vitality
And all the senses grow in strength!
All existence is the Brahman of the Upaniṣads!
May I never deny Brahman, nor Brahman deny me!
Let there be no denial at all. Let there be no denial at least from me!
May the virtues that are proclaimed in the Upaniṣads be in me!
Who am devoted to the Ātman; may they reside in me!
Om!
Peace! Peace! Peace!

The Śāntimantra belonging to the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda is:

ॐ
 सहनाववत ।

सह नाै भुनcु । सह वीय€ करवावहै ।

तेज†LवनावधीतमLत । मा Zवrsषावहै ॥

ॐ शा†Hतः शा†Hतः शा†Hतः ॥

Om ।
Sahanāvavatu ।
Saha Nau Bhunaktu । Saha Vīryaṃ Karavāvahai ।
Tejasvināvadhītamastu । Mā Vidviṣāvahai ॥
Oṃ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ ॥
Om ।
May He protect us both together!
May He nourish us both together!
May we work conjointly with great energy!
May our study be vigorous and effective!
May we not mutually dispute or may we not hate any!
Om!
Peace! Peace! Peace!

The Śāntimantra belonging to the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda is:

ॐ पूण+मदः पूण+Rमदं पूणा+4पूण+मुद˜यते

पूण+Lय पूण+मादाय पूण+मेवाव¬श•यते ॥

ॐ शा†Hतः शा†Hतः शा†Hतः ॥

Oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇātpūrṇamudacyate

pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate ॥
Oṃ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ!
Om!
(That (Brahman) is all-embracing infinite,
this universe (also) is infinite!
The infinite proceeds from the infinite!
 (Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe)
It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone!
Om!
Peace! Peace! Peace!

The power of the word:

Svāmī Vivekānanda beautifully explains the power of the words86 (in his own words):
“One man calls another a fool, and at this the other stands up and clenches his fist and
lands a blow on his nose. Look at the power of the word! There is a woman weeping
and miserable; another woman comes along and speaks to her a few gentle words, the
doubled up frame of the weeping woman becomes straightened at once, her sorrow is
gone and she already begins to smile. Think of the power of words! They are a great
force in higher philosophy as well as in common life.”

There is Nāda , rhythm in everything:

Svāmī Śivānanda says kīrtana is the easiest, surest and quickest way to God-
realization. He further says that our body also follows a harmonious rhythm; systolic
diastolic, inhalation-exhalation, all our body parts work on the rhythm of vibrations.
So does this universe; earth resolves around the sun, making a year on earth, and
rotates around its axis making day and night. Seasons come in rhythm, so does high
and low tides in the sea. When good vibrations are around there is harmony and
everything operates systematically; be it galaxy, universe, earth or our bodies87. But
when the vibrations go haywire the harmony is lost and there are earthquakes,
tsunamis, floods, storms etc. on earth; diseases, sickness in human beings.

86
Vivekānanda, S. (2012). The complete works of Swami Vivekananda Vol. 1. Kolkata, India: Advaita
Aśrama. Pg. 74.
87
यथा Zप„डे तथा š›ा„डे (Yathā piṇḍe tathā brahmāṇḍe).