The Word That is God

“One should make the atman one with the Unborn by means of Om.
“There is no difference between atman, Om, and the universe.
“Om is the atman himself. One who knows this has his jivatman merged in the Paramatman.
“On the great throne of one’s own heart one should install the atman by means of Om.
“With the Pranava consisting of bliss and immortality one should worship Brahma, Vishnu,
and Shiva.
“This atman, the highest Brahman, the Om sound, Who shines as Turiya at the top of the
Om sound, one should worship and encompass Him in the word Om and meditate upon Him.
“This atman, the highest Brahman, the Om sound, Who shines as Turiya at the top of the
Om sound, one should meditate upon through the Pranava and make himself one with Brahman.
“Therefore, one who follows the way of life of the gods, he passes away in the Om sound,
the highest Brahman. He sees in his self the Highest Self, the highest Brahman.
“Woven lengthwise and crosswise [in the fabric of the cosmos] is the Om. Om is indeed
speech [Vak]; and speech is this whole world. Therefore both the atman and Om are one in
the highest God.
“Though not seeing Him [Brahman], you should see Him through the word Om. This is
the truth, is the atman, is Brahman, for Brahman is the atman. Indeed this is not to be
doubted: Om is the Reality. That is what the wise see.”
Narayana Upanishad
“He [Narayana: Vishnu] merged into one with the inner bliss, Brahman, the Purusha, the
holy Syllable consisting of a, u, and m; and It became the sound Om. The yogi who has seen
[experienced] this is free from birth and samsara.
“‘So pious was Devaki’s son, so pious was Madhusudana,’ as it is said, [because he
perceived] Him Who dwells in all beings, one, Narayana, the cause, the causeless, the highest
Brahman in the Omkara.” (Narayana Upanishad 5)
Here again Vishnu (Narayana) is declared to be the mantric syllable Om. Furthermore,
this verse indicates that Krishna (the son of Devaki, also called Madhusudana), Who is considered
an incarnation of Narayana (Vishnu), meditated upon God by means of Om.
Parabrahman Upanishad
“The Pranava is the atman. …To the ascetics seeking liberation, the basis of the sacred
thread is Pranava alone. …The Pranava is the sacred thread.”
In Vedic religion, the sacred thread (yajnopavita) must be worn for the performance of the
fire sacrifice (yajna). This verse thus means that Om both qualifies the yogi for the “sacrifice”
of self-realization as well as being that sacrifice itself. That is, Om is both the means and the
end. Moreover, the sacred thread is formed of three strands that represent the three letters
of Om (a, u, and m).
Also, monastics do not wear the sacred thread. Om becomes both their sacred thread and
their sacrifice for which it is worn.
Paramahansa Parivrajaka Upanishad
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