The Manusmriti, the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Upanishads describe the nature, the constitution, the structure and the glory of Om. With Om, Brahma created this cosmos, and from Om constituted of the three isolated letters A, U, M, the Vyahritis came forth: Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svah. From these three Vyahritis, the three Padas of the Gayatri-Mantra emanated. From the three Padas of the Gayatri-Mantra, the meaning of the three sections of the Purusha-Sukta emerged, and from the meaning of the Purusha-Sukta, the meaning of the entire Vedas emanated, and from this vast meaning of the Vedas, Brahma created this cosmos, say the scriptures. So important is Om, not a chant uttered by Brahma, but a vibration that rose from the Supreme Being in the initial stage of creation - a comprehensive vibration. And when we chant Om, we also try to create within ourselves a sympathetic vibration, a vibration which has a sympathy with the cosmic vibration, so that, for the time being, we are in tune with the cosmos. We flow with the current of the cosmos when we recite Om, and produce a harmonious vibration in our bodily and psychological system. Instead of tearing ourselves away from the world outside, we flow into the current of the world. Instead of thinking independently as Jivas, we start thinking universally as Isvara. Instead of thinking in relation to objects segregated from one another, we think in terms of nothing at all. There is thought thinking itself, as it were. Can you imagine thought thinking itself? This is Isvara's Thought. When a thought thinks of an object, it is Jiva's thought. When the, thought thinks only itself, it is Isvara's Thought, Isvara's Will and when we recite Om properly, with an understanding of its real connotation, we think nothing in particular. We think all things in general; this is Isvara thinking. We do not think at that time; it is Isvara who thinks through these individual minds of ours. We, as persons, cease to be for the time being. We exist as the thing-in-itself, Isvara, who exists by His own stature, mind and status. He does not exist as a Jiva in terms of other objects. We always exist in relation to something else. Isvara exists with relation to nobody else, and we, as seekers of the status of Isvara, or Brahman, wishing to exist by a universal nature, try, by this means of the recitation of Om, to flow into Isvara's Being like rivers trying to flow into the bosom of the ocean. We are like streams wanting to rush into the sea, and just as by the force of the inclination of the waters, the rivers enter the ocean, we, by the inclination of the vibration of Om, enter the Universal Form of Isvara.

When you recite Om properly, you enter into a meditative mood. You are not merely reciting a sound or a word or a phrase, you are creating a vibration. To point out once again; you are creating a vibration. What sort of vibration? Not a vibration which agitates you, irritates you, or creates a desire in your mind for a particular object, but a vibration which melts all other particular vibrations, puts an end to all desire, extinguishes all cravings and creates a desire for the Universal. As fire burns straw, this desire for the Universal burns up all other desires. A recitation of Om, even three times, correctly done, is enough to burn up all sins, to put a cessation to all desire and make you calm, quiet and satisfied within yourself. The test of a correct recitation or chant of Om is that you become calm in your mind and feel satisfied with what you are and what you have. When you come out of your meditative mood with a desire persisting, it would only point out that your contemplation has not been perfect. The desire for things was lurking within while you were in a mood of contemplation; even the chant of Om was not properly done. The chant of Om should go together with the thought of the Universal. It is a Japa and a Dhyana combined. While other Japas may lead you to a mood of Dhyana or meditation, while other Mantras may lead to Dhyana, the Japa of Om suddenly becomes Dhyana when it is properly done. Here, Japa and Dhyana combine, and Nama and Rupa are brought together. Here, you do not have a distinction between the designator and the designated, because the Nama (name) which is Om, being Universal, merges into the Rupa (form) which is also Universal. There cannot be two Universals; there can only be one Universal. So the designator and the designated, in the case of Om, become one. Japa and Dhyana mean the same thing in the case of the chanting of Om. It is a sudden entering into a realm which the individual mind cannot understand. A rapture of ecstasy may take possession of you if you chant Om, thus. Omityetadaksharamidam sarvam - Om is, verily, everything.

Om is imperishable. All name in this world is perishable, for it goes with the corresponding form. But this Universal Form is imperishable, this Universal Name also is imperishable, comprehends everything. Omityetadaksharam: Om is Akshara, and Akshara is imperishable. Tasyopavyakhyanam, bhutam, bhavat, bhavishyaditi sarvam Omkara eva; Yaccanyat trikalatitam tadapyomkara eva... All that was in the past, all that is now in the present, all that will be in the future, all this is Om, because Om has no past, present and future; the Universal has no .time. What a grand description of Om is given in the Mandukya Upanishad! Whatever is in time, as past, present and future, is Om. Not merely this; that which is above time, also, is Om. Om has a twofold nature, the temporal and the eternal: it is Sabda and Sabdatita. It is constituted of A, U, M, representing all creation; but it has also a fourth nature which transcends these distinctions of A, U, M. It is called Amatra and Chaturtha-Bhava: The soundless form of Om is Amatra, the immeasurable, and it is not audible to the ears. This Amatra, or the immeasurable, eternal nature of Om is not a sound or even a mere vibration, but it is just existence, pure and simple, known as Satchidananda-Svarupa - Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.

That which is past, present and future is the temporal comprehension of the gamut of Om, and that which transcends time is the eternal nature of Om. To give the analogy of the river and the ocean: the river is the temporal form, the ocean is the permanent form. There is a name and a form for the river, but there is no such name and form of the river in the ocean, as all rivers become one in the ocean. In the temporal form, Om may be said to designate all that is existent in creation; in its eternal form it cannot be said to constitute any kind of particular form, but it is formless, durationless and spaceless. Om, therefore, is name and form; form and the formless; vibration and Consciousness; creation and Satchidananda. All this is Om.

How to chant Om? This doubt may arise in your mind. We have tried to understand something about the magnificence of Om, but how are we to recite Om? Are we to think anything when we recite Om? The usual procedure prescribed is that the recitation of Om should neither be too short nor too long. There is a short, middling and elongated pronunciation, no doubt, but for all practical purposes of meditation, I would suggest that you may take to the middling duration of the recitation of Om. There is what is called a Matra or a measure, and you may regard one Matra as the time taken by the fist of the hand to go round your knee, in leisure, neither too fast nor too slow, and to snap the fingers. Take your hand once round your knee. This is the time taken for the measure called one Matra. Bring the hand round your knee once and make a snap of your fingers. How much time have you taken? This is one Matra. Bring it twice, these are two Matras; bring it thrice, these are three Matras. Now, when it is once, it is a short Matra. When it is twice, it is a middling Matra. When it is thrice, it is the elongated Matra. You may choose whichever Matra is convenient to you. There is no compulsion as to the measure. Whichever is convenient, practicable and agreeable to your temperament and capacity may be chosen by you as the required Matra for the recitation of Om.

What have you to think when you recite Om? You are the ocean, and all the rivers of objects enter you. Remember the Sloka of the Gita: Apuryamanam acalapratishtham. . . etc. You are the ocean into which all the rivers of objects rush. There are, then, no rivers, no objects, you are the ocean. Imagine your feeling at that time, a feeling that I cannot describe. Each one of you should feel it for himself or herself. Chant Om, and entertain this feeling in your mind for even five minutes continuously, and record your experience in your diary, and tell me whether it has made any difference to you or not. Definitely, it will make a difference, and if God blesses you with the time and patience necessary to do this practice for even half an hour daily, you should regard yourself as a thrice-blessed seeker. The world enters you; and where is the world, then, to agitate you! Samsara is a network of agitations, and all these are like currents of rivers rushing into your universal being. You have swallowed them up in the bosom of universality; and the roar of the river ceases when it enters the calmness of the ocean. The vexations of the world cease when they enter the solemn existence of your universality.

This is Isvaratva, for the time being. This is the gateway for the Sakshatkara (realisation) of Isvara, and if, for even half an hour daily, you are in a position to continue this chant and meditation; - who knows, the bubble may burst one day! The bubble of Jivatva may open up into the ocean of Isvaratva. Be prepared for this glorious achievement. And who can describe your majesty at that time! You will start shedding tears even by thinking of this condition. Tears will flow from your eyes; the body will tremble, because it will not be prepared for this experience. There will be Angamejayatva, as Patanjali describes - a tremor of the body. The river is beholding the ocean: 'O, how big! How am I to go there? I have been a small channel up to this time. Now I am entering into something which does not seem to have a limit at all from any side.' Terror may take possession of you; hair may stand on end, and you may experience a thrill, as if an electric shock is being administered to you. These are the experiences you may have, commonly speaking. I do not mean that the same experience will come to every person, but generally speaking, with some difference in detail, this experience will come to everyone. And if, by God's Grace, the Prarabdha is to come to an end, well, you may realise Him today. And if you enter into this Bhava or mood of Dhyana with a hopeful chant of Om, even hunger may be appeased, thirst can be quenched, and a weird strength will enter your body. You may have a feeling that you can even lift a mountain. You may not be able to do it actually, but you will have an inspiration and a sensation. Such strength may enter into your being, and if Sakshatkara comes, if there is real realisation, you may even do this feat. How did Lord Sri Krishna lift a mountain! We cannot do it because we are Jivas, but Isvara can do it. And it is not the Jiva that acquires the Siddhi or the power of working such exploits. The Jiva is no more there. It is not you as a Siddha or a Yogin that do these marvels. It is Isvara who does this through these instruments of His. Just as when you lift a small stone with your hand, it is not the hand that lifts it, it is you that lift it, so also, when a Yogin does a marvel, it is Isvara who does it, which, to the other Jivas, may appear as a marvel, because they cannot do it. For an ant, the man lifting a stone would be a marvel. We are all giants to the ant; and, likewise, to us, Jivas, the Siddha-Purushas are wonder-workers. But it is a divine power that glories in all the Siddhas. Just as the equalised bodily power works through a particular hand and raises a weight, for example, the harmonised Universal Power which is Isvara's Sakti works a miracle through a Siddha-Purusha or a Jivanmukta, which anyone of us can be, may be, any day. If we become instruments in the hands of Isvara, that would be our blessedness; and when we become real instruments in the hands of the Universal Power, we become God-realised souls. We become divinities walking on this earth. We become Tirthas, or holy waters, ourselves, and this is Moksha from Samsara, liberation from bondage, which is attained by a simple method, according to the Mandukya Upanishad - a correct recitation of Om or Pranava, with contemplation on its Universal Form which is Isvara, or Brahman.