YOGA SUTRAS
AUM IN THE UPANISHADS
SHLOKA 12 💫❤
AMATRAS CATURTHO VYAVAHARYAH
PRAPANCOPASAMAH SIVO DVAITA
EVAM AUMKARA ATMAIVA, SAMVISATY
ATMANA TMANAM YA EVAM
VEDA YA EVAM VEDA
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THE FOURTH IS THAT WHICH HAS NO ELEMENT, WHICH CANNOT BE SPOKEN OF, INTO WHICH THE WORLD IS RESOLVED, BENIGN, NON-DUAL. THUS, THE SYLLLABLE AUM IS THE VERY SELF. HE WHO KNOWS IT ENTERS THE SELF WITH HIS SELF.
THE KATHA UPANISHAD, AMONG THE PRINCIPLE UPANISHADS, TALKS OF AUM DURING THE INTERESTING DIALOGUE BETWEEN YOUNG NACHIKETAS AND THE LORD OF DEATH, YAMA.
TO NACHIKETA'S QUESTION: TELL ME WHICH THOU SEES BEYOND RIGHT AND WRONG, BEYOND WHAT IS DONE OR NOT DONE, BEYOND PAST AND FUTURE?
YAMA SAYS:
SHLOKA 15, SECTION 2 💫❤
SARVE VEDA YAT PADMA AMANANTI TAPAMSI SARVANI CA
YAD VADANTI, YAD ICCHANTO BRAHMACARYAMCARANTI, TAT TE
PADAMSAMGRAHENA BRAVIMI: AUM ITY ETAT
THAT WORD WHICH ALL THE VEDAS DECLARE, WHICH ALL THE AUSTERITIES PROCLAIM, DESIRING WHICH PEOPLE LIVE THE LIFE OF THE STUDENT OF THE TRUTH, THAT WORD TO THEE, I SHALL TELL IN BRIEF, THAT IS AUM.
SHLOKA 16 💫❤
ETADD HY EVAKSARAM BRAHMA, ETAD HY
EVAKSARAM PARAMETAD HY EVAKSARAM
JNATVA, YO YAD ICCHATI TASYA TAT
THIS SYLLABLE IS VERILY, THE EVERLASTING SPIRIT. THIS SYLLABLE, INDEED, IS THE HIGHEST END, KNOWING THIS SYLLABLE, WHATEVER ANYONE DESIRES, WILL BE HIS.
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THE PRASNA UPANISHAD REFERS TO AUM IN THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN SATYAKAMA AND THE SAGE, PIPPALADA,
SHLOKA 1 💫❤
SATHA HAINAM SAIBYAS SATYA-KAMAH PAPRACCHA,
SA YO HA VAI TAD, BHAGAVAN,
MANUSYESU PRAYANAMTAM AUMKARAM
ABHIDHYAYITA, KATAMAM VA VAS
A TENA LOKAM JAYANTI
VENERABLE SIR, WHAT WORLD DOES HE, WHO AMONG MEN, MEDITATES ON AUM UNTIL THE END OF HIS LIFE, WIN BY THAT?
SHLOKA 2 💫❤
TASMAI SA HAVACA, ETAD VAI, SATYA-KAMA, PARAM
CAPARAM CA BRAHMA YAD AUMARAH, TASMAD
VIDVAN ETENAIVAYATANENAIKATARAM ANVETI
TO HIM, HE SAID, THAT WHICH IS THE SOUND AUM, O SATYAKAMA, IS VERILY THE HIGHER AND LOWER BRAHMAN. THEREFORE, WITH THIS SUPPORT ALONE, DOES THE WISE MAN REACH THE ONE OR THE OTHER.
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MANY MORE REFERENCE TO THE PRANAVA ARE FOUND IN THE EARLY AS WELL AS LATER TEXTS, BUT THE EXAMPLES QUOTED HERE ARE IMPORTANT AS THEY SHOW THAT THE TEACHINGS ON AUM ARE ANCIENT AND ALSO THAT PATANJALI, THE AUTHOR OF THE YOGA SUTRAS IS AWARE OF IT. IN SPITE OF HIS PREDOMINANTLY SANKHYAN LEANINGS, HE IS READY TO GIVE CREDENCE TO UPANISHADIC TRADITION WHEN REQUIRED, EVEN THOUGH HE DOEST NOT OVERLY ACKNOWLEDGE HIS INDEBTEDNESS
HE COMES THROUGH AS A TEACHER WHO IS READY TO EMBRACE NON-SANKHYA TEACHINGS, PROVIDED THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOLE GOAL OF YOGA, WHICH IS KAIVALYA OR LIBERATION.
A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON SUTRA 28 OF THE SAMADHI PADA OF THE YOGA SUTRAS IS NECESSARY NOW.THE SUTRA SAYS: REPETITION OF IT AND REALISATION OF ITS PURPOSE".
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IF WE LOOK AT AUM AS PURE SOUND, CAPABLE OF OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO THE ATTAINMENT OF SAMADHI OR PURE, INNER CONSCIOUSNESS, AS MENTIONED IN SUTRA 29, THE QUESTION ARISES AS TO HOW IT SHOULD BE REPEATED OR CHANTED AND WHETHER THERE ARE CERTAIN TECHNIQUES TO DO THAT.
ALTHOUGH STRICTLY SPEAKING, PRACTICAL METHODS ARE DISCUSSED MORE IN THE SECTION CALLED SADHANA PADA, IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO DISCUSS THE PRACTICE OF PRANAVA SADHANA OR REPETITION OF AUM RIGHT NOW SINCE WE RE ALREADY ON THE SUBJECT.
