10. ‘OM’ –In the Praśnopaniṣad

There is a reference to Satyakāma asking his preceptor Pippalāda:

“Who is to be meditated upon till one exits from the mortal body and which realm does he attain to by such a meditation”,

The preceptor replied:

‘The entity designated ‘Aum’ denotes Parabrahman and Apara Brahma (i.e.Lord Viṣṇu primarily and Caturmukha Brahmā secondarily as an image of Parabrahman-Viṣṇu).

One who meditates on Aum reaches either of the two.

If one mediates upon only one of the three Mātras of “AUM” after getting enlightened about that one Mātra (without knowing the other two Mātras), he comes back swiftly to the earth, after his death, as if beckoned by the Lord.

The presiding deities of Ṛg hymns lead him to the world of man. There in that human birth, through austerity, continence and faith, he experiences greatness. If then one gets attuned to the Lord in his mind through two Mātras, he is led to the world of Moon in the intermediate region by the deities presiding over Yajur Veda hymns, where he enjoys the riches and returns again to the mortal world.

He who meditates on the Supreme Person with the three-syllabled Aum (having correctly understood the true significance of all the three Mātras) envisions that Supreme person and attains to the resplendent Sun. After reaching the Sun, he is freed from Prārabdha Karma, even as a snake is freed from its slough. He is led to the world of (Caturmukha) Brahma i.e Satya Loka by the presiding deities of the hymns of Sāma Veda. There in that Brahma loka, blessed by the instructions of Brahma-the highest among the Jīvas, he perceives the Lord Vāsudeva, the supreme sovereign, who is stationed in all the bodies (of living beings)^[1]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Praṇava Upaniṣad 5-2 -5-5.