The Word That is God

thoughts emanating from the subconscious, are themselves the forces of karma. So to wipe
out our karma we must wipe out the samskaras through meditation on Om.
All viable spiritual paths (practices) lead to Om. So it is only wisdom to become involved
with It from the very beginning.
Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad
“He shall receive instructions on the Pranava. …[At the end of his life] he shall discard his
body remembering [reciting] the emancipating holy mantra, Om.
“He should ever be intent upon the realization, through meditation, of the Brahma Pranava
[the Pranava that is Brahman].” (Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad, Upadesha VII)
To realize Om through continuous japa and meditation is to realize Brahman Itself.
“It is necessary for all to mediate upon the Self [Atman]. Thus the aspirant after liberation
should ever be uttering the Pranava which enables one to cross samsara, and be living as a
jivanmukta.” (Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad, Upadesha VII)
“Narada asked Parameshthi [the Exalted One: Brahma] to enlighten him about the samsara
taraka–that Pranava which lifts one out of samsara. Assenting to this, Brahma began thus:
‘Omkara that is Brahman is the vyashti [individual] and the samashti [cosmic]. What is the
individual? What is the cosmic? The Brahma Pranava is of three kinds: Samhara [destructive]
Pranava, Shrishti [creative] Pranava, and Ubhayatmaka [belonging to both] Pranava, as being
of two forms, internal and external.’” (Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad, Upadesha VIII)
It is Om that delivers us from the sea of rebirth and confers liberation upon us. Although
one, and of a single, unified consciousness, yet, being Brahman, It is also many; and some of
Its aspects are being presented here.
Om is samhara–that which cuts off and dissolves–in relation to all impurity and ignorance.
At the same time it is the power of creation, of manifestation, in relation to all that is true and
divine in nature. It is therefore ubhayatmaka–simultaneously destructive and creative. This
also is the nature of Brahman, the producer of both manifestation and dissolution. Pranava
cuts off and dissolves that which is unreal and brings about the rise and establishment of That
Which is Real. And It does so on the level of the microcosm, the vyashti, and on the level of
the macrocosm, the samashti. All states of existence are embraced by It, both the part and the
Whole. It is the life of the individual spirit and of the Supreme Spirit equally. And it is That
which unites the two into One.
“It is also eight: Antah Pranava, Vyavaharika Pranava, Bahya Pranava, Arsha Pranava,
Ubhayatmaka or Virat Pranava, Samahara Pranava, Brahma Pranava, and Ardhamatra Pranava.”
(Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad, Upadesha VIII)
It is the Antah Pranava, the internal or indwelling Pranava, for it is the nature of
consciousness–our own nature. It is the inmost, the most subtle, productive of all internal
states and movements. Yet It is also the Vyavaharika Pranava, the power that manifests in all
cosmic activity, producing all phenomenon. Thus It is also the Bahya Pranava, the external
Pranava. It is the primal, holy mantra revealed to the Vedic Rishis, the Arsha Pranava. It is the
all-containing (Ubhayatmaka) or cosmic (Virat) Pranava. But it also dissolves the cosmos as
38