1.27 – God’s Word Is Om (Pranava)

tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ

Translation

The sound expressing God is Om.

Meaning

Om is not a concept; it is a vibration that points to the absolute. When you chant or meditate on Om, you are not making up a meaning-you are tuning into a frequency that the universe itself carries. Om is the bridge between form and the formless.

Patanjali includes this because Om is a practical tool: contemplating it with sincere devotion can open you to direct experience of what it represents.

Commentary – Bhoja Raja (Raja-Martanda)

Bhoja explains that Om is the finest vibration of speech, containing within itself all other sounds and meanings. To meditate on Om is to approach the source of manifestation.

Practice note

Chant Om slowly three times. Feel how the sound unfolds: A becomes O becomes M. Notice what state it leaves you in. That is the beginning of Om’s teaching.

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