Sanskrit

(Check the transliteration page for more clarity on my question.)

When I first was reading the Yoga Sutras, I understood that OM is pranava or something like that. I didn’t pay that much attention to diacritics and embarassed as I am to say now, I thought it had to do with prAna, the life force in us all and in all things.

Actually, OM has everything to do with praNa: “old” or “ancient” (and certainly nothing to do with prANA which is destruction of life.) See how the transliterations matter?

Physicists tell us that the Big Bang had a sound and that it still is around today.  Could this be praNava, the ancient one?

Here are the Yoga Sutras that talk about OM, starting at Chapter One, Sutra 24 and going to 29.

kleza-karma-vipAkAzayair aparAmRSTaH puruSa-vizeSa IzvaraH

Izvara is a distinction of deep self, untouched by accumulations of the fruits of action coming from deep obstructions.

tatra niraitiZayam sarvaGatva bIjam

There (in Izvara) the seed of omniscience is unsurpassed.

sa pUrveSAm api guruH kAlenAnavacchedAt

That (IZvara), being unlimited by time, is also the teacher of ancients.

tasya vAckaH praNavaH

The speech of that (Izvara) is praNava (OM).

After that is a talk on the blocks and then how to prevent them. Brilliant stuff.

Renay