Therefore oṁkāra should be considered the supreme sound. However, Śaṅkarācārya has falsely preached that tat tvam asi are the supreme vibrations. Oṁkāra is the reservoir of all the energies of the Supreme Lord. Śaṅkara is wrong in maintaining that the words tat tvam asi are the supreme vibrations of the Vedas, for tat tvam asi are secondary words only. tat tvam asi suggests only a partial representation. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord has in many places given importance to oṁkāra, (Bg. 8.13, 9.17, 17.24). Similarly, oṁkāra is given importance in the Atharva Veda and the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad. In his Bhagavat-sandarbha, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says: "Oṁkāra is the most confidential sound representation of the Supreme Lord." The sound representation or name of the Supreme Lord is as good as the Supreme Lord Himself. By vibrating the sound of oṁkāra, or of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, one can be delivered from the contamination of this material world. Because such vibrations of transcendental sound can deliver a conditioned soul, they are known as tāra, or deliverers.
BG 09.17 pitaham asya jagato... cited
Expressions researched:
"I am also the Rg, the Sama and the Yajur Vedas"
|"I am the father of this universe"
|"I am the object of knowledge"
|"mata dhata pitamahah"
|"pitaham asya jagato"
|"rk sama yajur eva ca"
|"the mother, the support and the grandsire"
|"the purifier and the syllable om"
|"vedyam pavitram omkara"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 7 - 12
I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oṁ. I am also the Ṛg, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas.
The entire cosmic manifestations, moving and nonmoving, are manifested by different activities of Kṛṣṇa's energy. In the material existence we create different relationships with different living entities who are nothing but Kṛṣṇa's marginal energy; under the creation of prakṛti some of them appear as our father, mother, grandfather, creator, etc., but actually they are parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa. As such, these living entities who appear to be our father, mother, etc., are nothing but Kṛṣṇa. In this verse the word dhātā means "creator." Not only are our father and mother parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa, but the creator, grandmother and grandfather, etc., are also Kṛṣṇa. Actually any living entity, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, is Kṛṣṇa. All the Vedas, therefore, aim only toward Kṛṣṇa. Whatever we want to know through the Vedas is but a progressive step toward understanding Kṛṣṇa. That subject matter which helps us purify our constitutional position is especially Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the living entity who is inquisitive to understand all Vedic principles is also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa and as such is also Kṛṣṇa. In all the Vedic mantras the word oṁ, called praṇava, is a transcendental sound vibration and is also Kṛṣṇa. And because in all the hymns of the four Vedas-Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg and Atharva-the praṇava, or oṁkāra, is very prominent, it is understood to be Kṛṣṇa.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
The transcendental vibration of oṁkāra is further explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, Chapter Nine, verse seventeen:
- pitāham asya jagato mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ
- vedyaṁ pavitram oṁkāra ṛk sāma yajur eva ca
"I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oṁ. I am also the Ṛg, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas."
Similarly, the transcendental sound oṁ is further explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, Chapter Seventeen, verse twenty-three:
- oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśo brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ
- brāhmaṇās tena vedāś ca yajñāś ca vihitāḥ purā
"From the beginning of creation, the three syllables oṁ tat sat have been used to indicate the Supreme Absolute Truth (Brahman). They were uttered by brāhmaṇas while chanting Vedic hymns and during sacrifices for the satisfaction of the Supreme."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
The Lord has innumerable incarnations, and oṁkāra is one of them. As Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā: "Amongst vibrations, I am the syllable om." (BG 9.17) This means that oṁkāra is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Impersonalists, however, give more importance to oṁkāra than to the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. The fact is, however, that any representational incarnation of the Supreme Lord is nondifferent from Him. Such an incarnation or representation is as good spiritually as the Supreme Lord. Oṁkāra is therefore the ultimate representation of all the Vedas.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Just like in this room, this illumination is the energy of this light. Therefore we are seeing each, one another. Similarly, as the fire is placed in one place, but it distributes its heat and light, similarly, although the Lord is in His supreme abode, His energy is acting. The same example: just like the sun planet is far, far away, but its energy, sunshine, is all-over distributed, over the manifestation, material manifestation. So He's everything.
- pitāham asya jagato
- mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ
- vedyaṁ pavitram oṁkāra
- ṛk sāma yajur eva ca
Now He says, pitāham asya jagataḥ: "I am the father of this material world." How He becomes father? What is the definition of father? The father is who gives the seed. He is father. And again He says, mātā: "I am mother also." What is the definition of mother? Mother receives the seed from the father, and the child is born. Similarly, this material energy is the mother, this...
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. "Everything is I. Everything is I." Because it is His energy, therefore He is. Śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ. The energy and the energetic, they are identical.
Dr. Patel:
- pitāham asya jagato
- mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ
- vedyaṁ pavitram oṁkāra
- ṛk sāma yajur eva ca
- (BG 9.17)
Prabhupāda: Yes. "Everything, these Vedas, that I am." Vedaiś cāham, aham eva vedyaḥ. So these... There are rascals. They claim that "We are Vedic student. We don't believe in Kṛṣṇa. We don't believe in Bhagavad-gītā." You know this rascal society?
| Page Title: | BG 09.17 pitaham asya jagato... cited |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, JayaNitaiGaura |
| Created: | 28 of Feb, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=0, CC=1, OB=2, Lec=1, Con=1, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 6 |