Pranava

A stable object in this universe is a manifestation of pranava. Pranava is the transcendental principle that keeps an object fresh and ready for higher pursuits. It keeps the universe fresh and lively. The three fundamental processes we associate with objects in this universe are the process of their coming into being, the process of their sustenance, and the process by which they get used up. The right proportion of these processes contributes to freshness. Any unbalance between these processes manifests as a disease that inhibit the flights to higher planes.

Symbolically pranava is represented by the sound ‘Aum’. In Sanskrit this sound is the conjunction of the three vowels… a, u and am. These three vowels represent the presiding deities of creation, sustenance and consummation. The balance between the processes of creation, sustenance and consummation determines the stability of an object. Pranava is the central principle of an orderly universe.

‘om iti brahmah om iti idam sarvam om ityedanukruteehasma’

Brahma is known as pranava. All that is here is a manifestation of pranava. Pranava accompanies all actions performed as a part of a sacrifice.

‘va apyo shravayetya shravayanti
om iti samani gayanti om shomiti shastrani shamsanti
om iti adhvaryuh pratigaram pratigrunati
om iti brahma prasouti’

What is being pronounced and what is being heard during yajnas is the pranava.. Pranava accompanies the theme that integrates all rituals. Pranava accompanies the expostulation of the subtle formulae in all sciences. Pranava accompanies the instructions imparted by the master conducting a sacrifice. Pranava accompanies the process of creation initiated by a creative artist.

‘om iti agnihotram anujanati
om iti brahmanah pravakshyan aha brahmo prapnuvanti
brahmaivopapnoti’

Pranava accompanies the permission given for the satisfaction of the legitimate fires of passion. Pranava accompanies the utterances of one who pursues Brahman. When one regulates all his utterances as expressions of pranava he becomes one with Brahman.

Pranava is the essential principle of the universe. It is to be invoked in all actions that are performed as parts of projects aimed at universal welfare. It is to be invoked while instructions are being passed on during the execution of such projects. It is to be invoked in all efforts for the harmonious linking of procedures. It is to be invoked when the masters of ceremonies pronounce their instructions. It is to be invoked while permitting oneself the consummation of the legitimate fires of passion.

All physical systems when left without any control tends to stray from the true course. It is as true for a mind pursuing the realization of oneness with the universe as it is for a motor car. The mind tends to accumulate all sorts of junk that contributes to anxieties, fears and doubts. It gets hijacked by all sorts of pratyayas and loses its freshness and openness. A Vedic scholar performing the rituals of a yaga is as much vulnerable to this problem as a communist who pretends that he has established a scientific basis for his obsession with pratyayas.

To steer through this jungle of pratyayas without getting lost the fundamental principle that resides in all stable objects is to be constantly remembered. Just as the driver of a car keeps meditating on the course charted, even without his consciously being aware of it, a man pursuing spiritual progress, by perfect alignment with the universe, should keep meditating on pranava. The invocation of pranava keeps one on course in his pursuit of Brahman and makes his identification with Brahman possible.

For the worldly people temples are the equipment to facilitate the upasana of pranava. The belief of a devotee is the fuel that powers this equipment. To that extent the effectiveness of temples is highly conditional. The greatest threat to belief is the cynicism of a non-believer. The walls of a place of worship are built to keep out the non-believer and the purifying ceremonies are meant to remove the contamination caused by the presence of non-believers. A Hindu who can feel the echoes of pranava in a Christian church perhaps does not need a temple for worship. Similarly a Christian who can experience the communion with the Holy Ghost in a temple does not need a church for worship.