Verses 8.12-13

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verses 8.12-13:

सर्व-द्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च ।
मूर्ध्न्य् आधायात्मनः प्राणम् आस्थितो योग-धारणाम् ॥ १२ ॥
ओम् इत्य् एकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन् माम् अनुस्मरन् ।
यः प्रयाति त्यजन् देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ १३ ॥

sarva-dvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca |
mūrdhny ādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām || 12 ||
om ity ekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharan mām anusmaran |
yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim || 13 ||

sarva-dvārāṇi–all the gates of the body; saṃyamya–blocking; manaḥ–the mind; hṛdi–within the heart; nirudhya–confining; ca–and; mūrdhni–at the top of the head; ādhāya–fixing; ātmanaḥ–of the soul; prāṇam–the life-air; āsthitaḥ–the situation; yoga-dhāraṇām–for the trance of self-realization; om–the sacred syllable oṃ;iti–thus; eka-akṣaram–the one (i.e. complete and all-inclusive) syllable; brahma–the Supreme Absolute Truth; vyāharan–uttering; mām anusmaran–remembering Me according to the guidance of guru;yaḥ–who; prayāti–departs for death; tyajan–giving up; deham–the body; sa yāti–he attains; paramām–the supreme; gatim–destination.

Closing all the outlets of the senses from their sense objects, confining the mind within the heart, fixing the life-energy between the eyebrows, being deeply absorbed in samādhi upon the Supersoul through the practice of constant yoga, and repeating the syllable oṃ–which is a sound manifestation of the Supreme Person–the yogī attains the supreme destination, giving up his body while meditating on Me.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

While explaining this type of yoga, Śrī Bhagavān is speaking the above two verses beginning with sarva-dvārāṇi. “A person attains the supreme destination of achieving residence in My own abode (sālokya-mukti) by restraining all his senses, such as the eyes, from their external sense objects; confining the mind to the heart, not desiring any sense object; fixing the life-air between the eyebrows; taking shelter of My form by meditating on Me from My feet to the top of My head; chanting oṃkāra (oṃ), which is identical with brahma; and giving up his body while continuously meditating on the meaning of oṃ, which is Me.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Oṃ is the sound manifestation of brahma. It is also said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.1.17) “abhyasen manasā śuddhaṃ trivṛd-brahmākṣaraṃ param–one should practise mentally repeating the pure form of the sound manifestation of brahma (praṇava), made of three letters: ‘a’, ‘u’ and ‘m’.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

praṇava ye mahā-vākya-īśvarera-mūrti
praṇava haite sarva-veda, jagate-utpatti

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 6.174)

And also:

praṇava se mahā-vākya vedera nidāna
īśvara-svarūpa praṇava sarva-viśva-dhāma

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 7.128)

Praṇava (oṃkāra) is the essence of all the Vedas and it is the mahā-vākya, the greatest syllable (sound vibration). All other mantras have limitations. Praṇava is identical with the personal form of the Supreme Lord. All the Vedas as well as this universe are generated from that sound vibration (praṇava). This sound vibration in the form of praṇava is the essence of the Vedas. It is the svarūpa of Bhagavān and the basis of the whole universe.