13. Chāndogya Upaniṣad and Udgītopāsana on ‘OM’ (Aum)

Meditate on Hari designated as Udgīta conveyed by ‘Aum’, denoting His Very supreme exalted position, being fit to be sung (in praise), occupying all the multitude of positions (i.e. present everywhere)

Aum denotes several of Hari’s attributes: Protector, regulator, omniscient, supreme, the very import of Vedas, the very abode of bliss etc. (as derived from the root ‘ava’ from which Aum is derived)

From the adverbial form of Aum, the Supreme Lord Hari is reckoned as the source of the universe, in whom it is woven like a warp, as one who had entered the universe as its regulator, omniscient, proclaimed by the Vedas as the highest and supreme entity, an embodiment of bliss, power and splendor.

Lord Hari is required to be meditated upon as Aum representing Him as present everywhere and imperishable. Here Lord Hari himself is required to be meditated upon and not any other substitute.

Lord Hari is called Aum because the Udgāta, the priest who chants the hymns of Sāma Veda first pronounces ‘Aum’ at the beginning of his chanting (addressing Lord as ‘Aum’) and hence Hari is called ‘Aum’, which denotes the exalted nature of Hari as the greatest and highest Deity.^[1]

The syllable “OM”, the acme of the Cosmogony:

Prajāpati thought upon the worlds. From them, when they had been meditated upon, issued forth the threefold knowledge. He Contemplated upon this. From it, when it had been Concentrated upon, issued forth these syllables: bhūr, bhuvaḥ, svar.^[2]

He midicated upon them. From them, when they had been Contemplated upon, issued forth the syllable ‘Om’. As all leaves are held together by a spike, so all speech is held together by ‘Om’. Verily, ‘Om’ is the world-all. Verily, ‘Om’ is this world–all.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Chāndogya Upaniṣad p.110.

[2]:

Ibid p.132.—The Taittrīya-Upaniṣad (I-3) says that the vyahrtis (bhūr,bhuvah,svar) are respectively thhe vital airs of Prāṇa, apāna and vyāha. Maha is Om that includes and sustains all these.