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Man is an intelligent being. The faculty of research and a zeal to discover the unknown is unique only to mankind. Bhagavata says this faculty of intelligence has made man God's choicest being. It says that God, though always blissfull, rejoiced on the creation of Man (ब्रह्मावबोधधिषणं मुदमाप देवः). For he is the only creation who has the faculty to investigate his roots.
This investigation revealed to Man, the mystic Vedas, which threw light on the root. The Vedas declared the Supreme Brahman to be the efficient cause of everything. He is conveyed by each and every word of the Vedas.
The syllable अ is the root of all words. According to the shruti passage "अ इति ब्रह्म", it conveys the supreme Brahman. For the first time, Sri Madhwacharya has brought out the importance of this syllable in detail. It is said in Aitareyopanishad Bhasya by Sri Madhwacharya -
अकारः प्रथमं नाम विष्णोः सर्वगुणान् ब्रुवन्
The sylabble अ is the first name of Vishnu. It conveys infinite auspicious attributes of Vishnu. It also conveys that Visnu is 'not' i.e he is different from the sentient and the insentient beings and that Vishnu is devoid of all blemishes. In Anuvyakshana he says - अ इति ब्रह्म कथितं तद्व्याख्यानात्मना तथा । शब्दानामपि सर्वेषां नामवित्कृतकृत्यता ।। यद्वाच ॐ इति यच्च नेति यच्चास्याः क्रूरं यच्चोल्बणिष्णु तद्वियूय कवयोन्वविन्दन्नामायत्ता समतृप्यञ्छृतेधि (ए.उ 2-3-8) All other forms of words are a Vikara or an expansion of the syllable अ " अकारः सर्वा वाक्" says the shruti.
Here the word Vikara does not mean identity of अ with all other syllables or words. Neither are the words a derivative form of the syllable अ like the pot is a derivative of mud. Vedas, which are eternal, do not undergo any change in their form. Thus the Vikaritva here is to be understood as Vyakhyana-Vyakhyeyarupatva.
व्याख्याव्याख्येयरूपत्वं विकारत्वमिहोदितम् । विकारत्वं च नान्यत् स्यान्नित्या वेदा यतोखिलाः ।।
Therefore, all other words are mere expansions which convey only a portion of the meanings conveyed by the syllable अ.
तदर्थानेकदेशेन शब्दाः सर्वेपि चोचिरे
The Aitareyopanishat says that the Vyakkhyana (expansion) of the syllable अ is five fold) | Sl.No | Name | Sub Division | | 1. | मितम् | ऋक् | गाथा | निकुब्याः | | 2. | अमितम् | यजुः | निगदः | वृथावाक् | | 3 | स्वरः | सामः | गानम् | | | 4 | सत्यम् | ॐ | | | | 5 | अनृतम् | न | | |
The syllable ॐ referred to as सत्यम् is the immdediate expansion of the syllable अ (अकारस्य विकारोयमोङ्कार इति कथ्यते). This syllable ॐ is the fruit and flower of the syllable अ. Just as the fruit and flower are the expansions of a tree, in the same way syllable ॐ is the expansion of syllable अ.
सैषा स्पर्षोष्माभिः व्यज्यमाना बह्वी नानारूपा भवति ।
The syllable अ, expanding from the Sparsha and Ushma Varnas becomes five-fold and takes the form of Veda, Pancharatra etc.
The Abhimani of the syllable "अ"
Prana and Bharati are the Abhimani-s of this syllable "अ". Prana is the controller when the the syllable "अ" is uttered in low voice. Bharati is the controller when the syllable "अ" is uttered loudly. Prana is called Ashariram. Bharati is Shariram - the controller of all sthula and shukshma shariras.
Benefits of knowing syllable ॐ as an expansion of syllable अ
In the phala shruti, Aitareya Upanishad says - "One who knows that syllable ॐ as an expansion of syllable अ would be showered with riches and he attains high fame". |
