AUM.. IT BELONGS TO THE
ATHARVA VEDA
THE PROLIFIC SHANKARA HAS COMMENTED ON BOTH THE UPANISHAD AND THE KARIKA OF GAUDAPADA. INTERESTINGLY, EVEN SHANKARA WAS LABELLED A PRACHANNA BOUDHIKA (BUDDHIST IN DISGUISE) BY ONE SECTION OF THE ORTHODOXY OF THE ANCIENT CITY OF VARANASI.
IT CONSISTS 12 SHLOKAS...
SHLOKA 1 👇
AUM ITY ETAD AKSARAM IDAM SARVAM,
TASYOPAVYAKHYANAM BHUTAM BHAVAD
BHAVISYAD ITI SARVAM AUMKARA EVA YAC
CANYAT TRIKALATITAM TAD APY AUMKARA EVA
THE AUM WHICH IS THE SYLLABLE OF BRAHMAN, THE ULTIMATE REALITY, STANDS FOR THE MANIFESTED WORLD, THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE, AND ALSO THE UNMANIFESTED ABSOLUTE.
SHLOKA 2 👇
SARVAN HY ETAD BRAHMA, AYAM ATMA
BRAHMA SO'YAM ATMA CHATUS-PAT
ALL THIS IS, VERILY BRAHMAN. MY INNER SELF IS BRAHMAN. THIS SELF APPEARS TO HAVE FOUR QUARTERS.
ONE NEEDS TO ONLY REPLACE THE WORD BRAHMAN WITH PURUSHA TO SEE THAT WHEN PATANJALI TALKS OF THE PURUSHA BEING THE TRUE ESSENCE OF THE SELF, FREE FROM ALL CONDITIONINGS AN DISTRACTIONS OF THE CHITTA THAT OBSCURE IT, THE DIFFERENCE IS ONLY IN TERMINOLOGY.
SHLOKA 3👇
JAGARITA STHANO BAHIS-PRAJNAH SAPTANGA
EKONAVIMSATI-MUKHA STHULA-BHUG
VAISVANARAH PRATHAMAH PADAH
THE FIRST QUARTER IS VAISHVANARA, WHOSE SPHERE IS THE WALKING STATE, WHO COGNISES EXTERNAL OBJECTS, WHO HAS SEVEN LIMBS AND NINETEEN MOUTHS AND ENJOYS THE GROSS, MATERIAL OBJECTS.
THE NINETEEN MOUTHS ARE THE FIVE SENSE ORGANS (SIGHT, HEARING, TOUCH, TASTE AND SMELL) , THE FIVE ORGANS OF ACTION (SPEECH, THE USE OF LIMPS, MOVEMENT, GENERATION, EXCRETION) THE FIVE VITAL BREATHS - PRANAS, MANAS (THE MIND, ) BUDDHI (THE INTELLECT), AHAMKARA (THE SENSE OF RECONISING ONESELF) AND CHITTA, THE ENTIRE SPHERE OF THOUGHT THAT ENCOMPASSESS EVERYTHING.
THE WALKING STATE, THEREFORE, REPRESENTED BY A (AUM, IS THE NORMAL CONDITION EXPERIENCED BY ALL HUMANS.
SHLOKA 4👇
SVAPNA-STHANO'NTAH-PRAJNAH SAPTANGA
EKONAVIMSATI-MUKHAH
PRAVIVIKTA-BHUK TAIJASO DVITIYAH PADAH
THE SECOND QUARTER IS TAIJASA, REPRESENTED, BY U (AUM), WHOSE SPHERE OF ACITIVITY IS THE DREAM STATE, WHICH COGNISES INTERNAL OBJECTS AND ENJOYS THE SUBTLE OBJECTS.
THIS IS ALSO COMMON TO ALL LIVING BEINGS, THE DREAM STATE WHERE ONE EXPERIENCES WITH CLOSED EYES, A WORD OF IMAGINATION THAT ORIGINATES FROM THE SUB-CONSCIOUS AND YET IS SO REAL THAT WHILE DREAMING, NO ONE BELIEVES IT IS A DREAM. IT IS ONLY WHEN ONE WAKES UP THAT ONE SAYS, O! WHAT A DREAM. SOME SAGES DECLARE THAT IN THE WAKING STATE, WHEN ONE IS NOT IN DEEP SLEEP, LIFE APPEARS TO BE A LIVING-DRAWN DREAM. A PERSON WHOSE MIND IS STILL LIMITED WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS. BUT WHEN THE MIND EXPANDS, ALL DISTRACTIONS AND CONDITIONS ARE REMOVED ARE REMOVED AND ONE EXPERIENCES. ABSOLUTE CONSICOUSNESS AT THE CORE OF ONE'S BEING, IT MAY BE SEEN AS SUCH.
THE SAGE WAKES UP TO REALITY AND SAYS, "O! WHAT A DREAM' DELIGHTFUL OR TERRIBLE AS THE CASE MAY BE.
