WHAT IS OMKARA PRANAM MANTRA?HOW TO ATTAIN SUPREME BRAHMAN?INNER YOGA-64

" The Yogis always meditate upon Omkara which has an anusvara ( bindu ) on it ( and is therefore pronounced OM ) . This Omkara is the bestower of all desires and salvation . We bow down to the Supreme Omkara . "

|| OMKARA SMARANA STOTRA ||

1 . The Supreme Brahman is attained by the devoted contemplation , hearing , japa , and sankirtan of OM at all times .

2 . By the mere thought ( smaran , remembrance ) of OM one attains the highest Brahma Jnana ( Knowledge of GOD ) , the state of final Liberation and Immortality .

3 . One who meditates on the Pranava in a continuous stream of thought like that of oil poured from one vessel to another or the continuous sound ( resonance ) of a bell , such a person should be considered as the knower of the Vedas .

4 . By the long repetition of OM the knower of the Supreme Reality , whose refuge is solitude , overcomes the wandering of the mind due to the taint in the intellect

5 . Concentrating on the tip of the nose with hands and feet controlled , the mind withdrawn from all activities , one should meditate on Omkara , the Pranava .

6 . By the meditation on the monosyllable OM , Vishnu attains the status of Vishnu ; Brahma attains Brahmanhood and Shiva becomes Shiva .

COMMENTS ON THE MANDUKYOPANISHAD ||

OM , the Pranava , the Omkara , is the only symbol of Brahman , the Absolute .

The sacred monosyllable OM is the only name of Brahman , the Supreme Soul . Brahman is nameless but in the relative plane a name is necessary for giving instructions to the aspirants . Even the highest Brahman is realized by means of a name only .

" OM is this " ;

" OM is the support " ;

" OM is Brahman " ;

" OM is the Akshara , the Immortal " ;

" OM is the Atman " ;

" OM is pure Chaitanya Consciousness " ;

" The word OM is all "

" One should , with purity of heart , fix one's mind on the Atman through OM which is the Atman "

— these texts of the Upanishads declare that OM and Brahma are one and the same .

The famous Mantra of Sri Guru Nanak begins with :

" Sat Nam Ek Omkar " , ie , " The True Name is the One : OM " .

Brahman willed . There was Brahma-sankalpa : " May I become many " .

There was a spanda , vibration . Then creation began . This original vibration or sound-symbol is OM . This OM is the most universal , all-inclusive sound . All names are not different from OM , because OM is the basis or matrix for all sounds , words and names . Therefore , it is proper to say that all this is indeed OM .

OM is the right symbol of Brahman . Through OM alone you will have to approach Brahman . Just as heat is inseparable from fire , just as fragrance is inseparable from the flower , so also OM is inseparable from Brahman . OM is a means to the knowledge of Brahman . OM is the means by which the Immortal Self , denoted by OM , is realized . OM is very intimately related to Brahman . OM is very near to Brahman . OM is in the vicinity of Brahman . If you know OM , you know Brahman also .

Therefore it is very necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of OM . A clear explanation of OM is very essential . A very lucid and elaborate explanation is given in this Upanishad . The method of approach to Brahman through the sacred monosyllable OM is very clearly enunciated in this remarkable Upanishad which is an abridgment or a short summary of all the one hundred and eight Upanishads .

Just as an object is known through its names , so also Brahman , the Supreme Self , is known through OM alone . If anyone utters the words , " that is a mango tree " , you at once know all about the mango tree , its leaves , flowers , fruits , nature of the fruits , benefits of the fruits , etc , through the name " mango tree " . Just as you know all about mango through the name " mango " , so also you can know all about Brahman through OM alone . Therefore , Brahman is indeed OM . Brahman , the Atman , Chaitanya , Purushottama , Swarupa , Supreme Self , and OM are identical .

The sacred monosyllable OM denotes the all-pervading immortal , indivisible , self-luminous , unchanging Brahman , the Supreme Self of which it is a name .

All that is subject to the threefold time such as past , present and future ( manifold ) is verily OM or Brahman . All that is beyond the triple conceptions of time and yet present in Consciousness through its effects , is also verily OM , is not apart from OM . Brahman is denoted by the word OM . Brahman is above the three periods of time . Therefore , OM also is beyond the three periods of time . That which is beyond three periods of time , is OM alone . OM means literally that by which everything is pervaded . This word OM is woven in Brahman like warp and woof and , therefore , denotes Brahman . That which enters into everything is OM .

Brahman is one with OM . The Atman is one with OM .

OM is of the same nature as the higher Brahman without attributes as well as the lower Brahman with attributes .

This Atman called OM is Para ( higher ) Brahman as well as Apara ( lower ) Brahman .

In this first mantra ( verse of the Upanishad ) , it is said that OM the word is all this . In this mantra it is said " All this is verily Brahman " . This clearly denotes that OM is Brahman .

All this is verily Brahman : All — the manifested and the unmanifested world comprised in the word " All " — is Brahman . All that has been declared to consist of OM in the above mantra is Brahman . In the previous text the whole of the objective manifestation has been said to be of the form of OM or Brahman .

Meditation on OM helps the aspirant in the attainment of self-realization or the final realization of Brahman . Just as the rope is realized when the illusion of snake vanishes , so also Brahman Who is OM is realized when the illusion of duality or avidya ( ignorance ) disappears through the attainment of knowledge of the Self .

.......SHIVOHAM....