IX. Theology of Om in the Monads of Monotheistic Creeds.
1. Monads or Unities. एकार्थकः । We have seen that Om expresses all things (Sarvamonkára), by virtue of the word like its kindred Greek and Latin on and ens (B. haon), signifying “a being” by synecdoche (laxaná) of a part for the whole. And this is done of all things whether concrete or discrete and taken either singly or by groups of two or more things together; as it is said—“Ekasadvisastrisas” &c., i. e. Singulatim, dualiter, pluraliter &c. We shall first come to see the monads expressed by Om and leave it to the reader to discover the relation which the significates may bear to the symbol, or rest satisfied with the idea of their being meaningless or arbitrary.
2. Om is speech or voice बाक् । Om, says the Sruti is Sarvávák “all voice and speech”; and we shall come to see below that it is applied alike to denote both human and brute speech, and words belonging to all the different parts of speech.
3. Om is sound and word शब्द । “All things are united with words which express them, and all words are contained in the mystical syllable Om, (ओङ्कार शब्द म ।त्रं). Om, pervades all sounds; he rises above all objects which are expressed by sounds, who repeats this sound Om” (Ch’hándogya II.23.) (Maitrí p. 253).
4. Om is Brahman ॐ शब्द ब्रह्म । “Om is Brahman called sound (sabda). By means of Om rising above all things, a man merges in the Supreme called Para Brahma.” “Om is the emblem of the Most High.” (Ch’hándogya p. 4. Manu II. 83. Bhágavad Gítá). So says the Maitrí Upanishad (VI. 22) शब्द ब्रह्मणि निष्णातः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति । ६ ।२२
5. Om is Fire and its splendour ओमग्निश्च तेजश्च । “Om was splendour and fire at first. By this syllable Om the splendour germinates, it shoots upward, it expands, and becomes the vehicle of divine worship. The splendour germinates in the form of the mystic syllable Om, as a seed germinates; i. e. It is manifested as the primeval form of the Veda, it next shoots upward as the internal sound Om itself.” Maitrí Up. VII. 11. तेजो प्रथममोङ्कारात्मकमासीत् । तत्तेजोऽनेनैबोमित्येब तदुद्बुध्यति । मैत्री उप ७ ।११ । Fire was the first object of adoration of the Rigveda and of the fire worshippers of India and Persia. It is believed to be the arche or beginning of all things according to Heraclitus.
6. Om is light. ॐ ज्योतिः । “Om is light and manifest as light, the sleepless, deathless and sorrowless light.” Again; “Om is light which shines in yonder sun, and in the moon, fire, and lightning” (Maitrí Upanishad VI. 25.). So says the Bhágavad Gítá, “That splendour which abiding in the sun illumines the whole world, which abides in the moon and in fire, that splendour know to be mine” (XV. 12.) Light was the first work of creation and the “first born” of Heaven. God said “Lux fiat et lux fit.”—“Let there be light and there was light.”
दीप्यतोम् ज्योतिः । प्रकाशणाज्ज्योतिः । प्रणबाख्य प्रणेतारमरूपो बिगतनिद्रो बिजरो बिमृत्युर्बिशोको भबतीत्येबं ह्याह । मैत्री उप ६ ।२५ तथा । यदमुस्मिन्नादित्येऽथंसोमोऽग्नौ विद्युति बिभात्यथखल्वेनं दृष्ट्वा मृतत्वं गच्छतीत्याह । ६ ।२५ ।
7. Om is Lightening. बिद्युज्ज्योतिः । “The Veda is called lightening, since the moment when it is uttered (as Om), it enlightens every incorporated being; therefore by the syllable Om let a man adore the infinite splendour of Brahman” (Maitrí Upanishad VII. 11.) यस्मादुच्चरितमात्र एब सर्ब्बं शरीरं बिद्योतयति । तस्मादोमित्यनेनैता उपासीतापरिमितं तेजः । मैत्री उप ७ ।११ ।
8. Om is the Brahman light. ॐ ब्रह्म ज्योति । “The syllable Om is the Brahman light or pure intelligence, veiled behind the fire and breath, and manifested itself at first as the one undivided sound Om.” Thus the Maitrí Upanishad Tíká (VII. 11). यस्मात् प्रणबात्मकमिदं ब्रह्मासीत् तस्मादोमित्यनेनैतत् ब्रह्म तेजो उपासीत् । मैत्री ७ ।११ ।
9. Om is Water. ओमापः । “Om shines in the waters” (Maitrí Upanishad VI. 35). आपो ज्योतिरसोऽमृतं ब्रह्मभूर्भुबःस्वरोम् । मैत्री ६ ।३५ । दीप्यतोमापः । ओङ्कारोऽनुज्ञापनादाप्यायनादापः । इति तट्टीका । Water is said to be the first work of God (आप एबमसजादौ ।) “and the Spirit of God floated on the surface of the waters” hence called नारायणः (Genesis and Manu). Thales found water to be the origin of all things.
10. Om is Flavour &c. रसोबैतत् । “Om is Rasa, moisture, flavour, taste, relish and love (Maitrí Up. VI. 35). The goodness of God is flavour, a man having attained flavour, becomes possessed of joy” (Taittiríya Up II. 7.) ॐ रसोबैतत् । रसः कर्म्म परिपाक निवृत्तत्वात् आदित्यस्य रसतं? सर्ब्ब कर्म्म फलाश्रय इत्यर्थः । By flavour rasa they mean love also and love is believed to be the formative power according to Empedocles.
11. Om is Ambrosia. ओममृतं मधु । “Om is ambrosia the food of gods. (Gr. He ambrosia est setos theon). It is also honey and all sweet.” So the Sruti; अमृतं देबानामोदन हेतुत्वात् ।मैत्री उप ६ ।३५ । असौबामधु । छान्दोग्यं तैत्तिरीयञ्च । १ ।७ ।
12. Om Udgítha. ओमुद्गीथः । “Om, this letter the Udgítha, should be adored, Om is chaunted.” (Ch’hándogya I. 1).
“The Udgítha of Sáma Veda, corresponds with the pranava of the Rig Veda.” (Cowel’s Mait VI. 3).
“The Udgítha is the principle part of the Sáma verse, and sung by Udgátri priests.”
“It is chaunted (Udgíyate), and is therefore called Udgítha and is a Karmángávayava or part of the liturgy.”
“What is Udgítha, that is Om; what is Om, that is Udgítha.” (Maitrí. Ch’chándogya).
13. Om is breath. ॐ स्वासः । “Om called the Udgítha is breath,” (Ch’hándogya Upanishad p. 12).
14. Om is sun. आदित्य । “The sun is Om, Om is Udgítha, the sun is Udgítha, he is Om.” (Maitrí IV. 4).
“The splendour of Brahman is yonder sun, and it too is the splendour of Om.” (Ibid). यद्ब्र्हम ज्योतिः यज्ज्योतिः सआदित्यः । यत् सबितृतदादित्यः । मैत्री उप ।
15. Om the soul. ओमात्मेति । “The soul is looked upon as Om.” (Ch’hándogya Upanishad. p. 12). “For this all represented by Om is Brahma. This soul is Brahma.” (Mándukya V. 2). ॐकार एब आत्म स्वरूपमेब । तस्यैतस्य परापर ब्रह्मरूपस्याक्षरस्योपब्याख्यानं ।
16. Om the Supreme spirit. ॐ परमात्मा । “Om is the most appropriate name for the Supreme Spirit paramátman.” (Ch’hándogya I. 1). “The Universal soul is the totality of individual souls.” (समष्टि ब्यष्टि).
17. Om is Mind. ओं मनस् । “Om is mind manas, the self consciousness or ahankára of the Sánkhya.” (Ibid p. 3).
18. Om is Body. ॐ कायः । “Om is corporeal.” (Ch’hándogya p. 3).
19. Om is Adorable ओमुपास्यं । “The letter Om is eulogised for its adorableness, and is an inducement to its worship.” (Ch’hándogya I. 9. p. 8).
20. Om a Vehicle ॐ रथः । “Om is the vehicle of the worship and knowledge of the superior and inferior Brahma.” (Maitrí Up. 260).
21. Om is a Raft. ॐमुड़ुपः । “Om is a raft of Brahman to cross over the torrents of the world.” (Swetáswatara II. 8. p. 53).
22. Om an arrow. ॐ शरः । “The body is the bow, Om is the arrow, with which one pierces the mark Brahma through darkness.” धनुच्छरीरमोमित्येतच्छरः । शिखास्य मनस्तमो लक्षणं भित्वात्मानमागच्छतीति ।
23. Om a Bridge. ॐ सेतुः । And so Om is used to represent many other single objects. (Maitrí Up. p. 271).
It is represented as a bridge in the Atharva Veda (VI. 10 and VIII. 4).