The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki, Vol. 1 (of 4)

X. Duads Or Duples of the Bipartite Om in Dualistic Theories.

Duads. Om a couple. ॐ मिथुनं । “Om unites couples together and gratifies the wish of the adorer.” (Ch’hándogya I. 6). Again “couples being incorporated with the letter Om, establish the all-gratifying power and attribute of Om.” (Sankara’s Scholium to Ch’hándogya).

1. The Couple Udgítha & Pranava. उद्गीथप्रणबौ । Om combines the Udgítha of the Sáma with the pranava of the Rig Veda, the first couple; and therefore speech (Vák) and breath (prána) the sources of the Rik and Sáma, the second couple; and lastly the said two Vedas themselves as the third couple. (Ch’hándogya I. 1-8), and consequently the Hotri and Udgátri priests the fourth couple.

2. Brahma and Para Brahma. परापर ब्रह्म । Om is the superior and inferior Brahma conjointly. The superior or Para Brahma is the one eternal and infinite God; and the inferior or Apara Brahmá is the finite God:—the demiurge of Plato, and the Prajápati and Indra of Vedanta theology. The Aitareya reckons the pentad of the five elementary bodies, under the latter category. (V. 3). Kálidása speaks of this as the pancha mahá bhúta samádhi in the first book of his Raghu Vansa.

3. The two pronunciations. स्वर द्वयं । “Om is pronounced as svarati in the Rigveda and Svara in the Yajur Veda.” (Ch’hándogya IV. 4. Manu XI. 265).

4. The Human & Divine Souls. जीबात्मा परमात्मा । “Om is átman or soul. Two souls are said to enter the body; the individual and the undivided or universal soul.” (Ait. III. 1). “Two birds (the supreme and individual souls) dwell upon the same tree of the body.” (Svetásvatara Upanishad).

5. The Soul and Matter. प्रकृतीश्वरौ । “Om is both spirit and matter,” viewed as the same thing in the materialistic light of the Sánkhya, and dualistic view of others. Spinoza defines them both as the “Substantia cogitans, et substantia extensa, una eademque est substantia, quae jam sub hoc, jam sub illo attributo comprehenditur.” (Ethics. 1 Pr. 7 schol).

6. The Male and Female. प्रकृति पुरुषौ । “Om Strípum the divine male and female”; the original androgyne or bisex being combined in the person of the first human being, Brahmá or Adam, and called the Prakriti-purusha or pradhána &c., in the Yoga and Puranic Systems. So says Manu also (I, 32). “The power became half male half female or nature active and passive, and divided itself in twain.” (Ibid).

7. The cause and effect. कार्य कारणं । “Om implies the two states of mundane existence, viz, the cause dynamic and the effect energy. The effect also is two fold, the gross and subtile.” (स्थूल सूक्ष्मञ्च).

8. The Two Elements. स्थूल सूक्ष्मौ । The subtile elements (सूक्ष्मतन्मात्रं) and the gross elements (स्थूलभौतिकं) forming the Sthúla or gross body and the linga Saríra or subtile body,—the two component parts of all living bodies.

9. Knowledge & Ignorance. बिद्या बिद्ये । The two states of the soul, knowledge and ignorance (बिद्या अबिद्या) and the two states of knowledge; namely that which is known (बिज्ञात), and what is unknown (अबिज्ञात), corresponding with two others—the (ब्यक्ताब्यक्त) the manifest and unmanifest.

10. The two states of Life. कर्म्म तथा ज्ञानकाण्डं । Knowledge and action or Jnána and Karman,—theory and practice, are the two inseparable conditions of life; the one leading to the other, which is the result of the former, and according to others its cause, in the celebrated dispute ज्ञान जन्य कर्म्म अथबा कर्म्मजं ज्ञानं between theorists and practitioners.

11. Other Pairs. In this way many other pairs are joined together forming as they were the two halves of the great circle of Om, and whether diametrically or obversely opposed or attached to each other, they form together, the same circle of which each of them is but an imperfect part or half.

12. Geometry of Om. Hence we see the mystery of the cypher of Om to be no less wonderful and efficacious in the investigation of theological truths, than the great instrument of Euclid’s compass in the bisection and 13. Logical Use of Om. measurement of geometrical dimensions. And as the circle is latterly found to be made use of in the demonstration of propositions in Logic, how much must we wonder to reflect on the use and application of the sacred instrument of Om by the ancient Rishis of India, to all things of the physical, intellectual and spiritual world (Sarvamonkára eva) as their common measure.

14. Dualism overthrown द्वतोच्छेदः Having thus observed the deficiency of dualities and the imperfection of dualistic theories, by the instrumentality of Om, and the application of its cypher of unity to them, to make up that unity which is essential to the true knowledge of God, whose nature is a perfect unity and without divisibility (Ekamevádwitía), the sages next proceeded to the investigation of trialities and pluralities of tri-une doctrines and so forth, which had been gaining ground even in those early stages of society, by the application of the same test of the unity of Om to them, till at last all these partitions are lost in the cypher of One indivisible whole.

15. The Metrical Sense of Om. Om in the sense of a compass or metrical instrument, is derived from O the cypher, letter or circle, and ma to measure, meaning the circle of measurement.

XI. Triads Or Triples Or Tripartite Om in Trinitarian Systems.

1. Triads or Triples of Om त्रिमूर्त्ति । “But when considered as a triliteral word consisting of a, u, m, (अ, उ, म), Om implies, the three Vedas, the three states of human nature; the three divisions of the Universe; the three deities, agents of the three states of things—the creation, preservation and destruction; or properly speaking; the three principle attributes of the Supreme Being. In this sense it implies in fact the Universe controlled by the Supreme Being.” Rám Mohun Roy.

2. Their External Manifestations. ब्याहृतिः । The idea of the trisection of the circle of Om followed that of its bisection, together with that of the three fold division of Divine nature, much earlier in the minds of the Aryans of India, than the three sectors of the circle were unfolded by Euclid, and the mystery of the tri-une nature of the Divinity was discovered by the divine Plato, or that of the three persons in the God-head was revealed by the Gospel. But not content with this discovery, the ancient sages applied this triplicate division of Om to many other things as the three fold manifestations of the One Deity represented by the triliteral and trilateral figure of Om, and fell to their adoration, until they were recalled to the worship of the invisible unity of Om by the Vedánta doctrines. We shall now see these triples called the Vyáhritís (व्याहृति) or three fold manifestations in their order.

1. The 3 Vedas. त्रयो बिद्या बेदत्रयः । Om represents the three Vedas by its three letters, viz; the Rik, Yajur and Sáman, consisting of the Hymns, Ceremonies and Psalms. The first like the hymns of Hesiod and Orpheus, the second like the Levitican laws, and the third resembling the Psalms of David, all of which are said to be of Divine origin.

2. The 3 States. ॐ गुणत्रयं । These have no apposite terms in English, and are variously rendered to express the states of quietism, action and passion or excess of a feeling, leading to error.

3. The 3 Worlds. ॐ भूर्भुबः स्वर् । The earth, sky and heavens, called the three great evolutions (महा ब्याहृति) of Om. But those were afterwards subdivided into twenty one (3×7) each named as Om (ॐ त्रिसप्तं) as in the beginning of Atharva Sanhitá ॐ त्रिसप्ता ये परियन्ति बिश्वाः—“The Universe composed of thrice seven worlds.”

4. The 3 states of things. श्रवस्थात्रयं । These are the creation, preservation, and destruction of all things (सृष्टि, स्थिति, प्रलय), or as philosophically called their evolution, sustentation and dissolution (उत्पत्ति, स्थिति, ध्वंस), and their agents, Brahmá the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Siva the destroyer of each and all, corresponding with Jupiter, Neptune 5. The 3 Agencies Personified त्रि मूर्त्ति ।and Pluto, and Osiris, Horus and Typhon (ब्रहमाबिष्ण्वीशाः). But this trinity is refuted by the Vedántic doctrine of unity, which repudiates a secondary cause. (सृष्टि स्थिति लयादीनां नान्य कर्त्ता द्वितीयकं). The Maitrí Upanishad makes mention of many more triads which were glorified with the aforesaid hallowed epithet Om (VI. 5.) Viz. the following:—

1. The Trisex Divinity. Om composed of the three genders, masculine, feminine and neuter (स्त्रीपुन्नपुं). But the Vedánta refutes the generic distinctions of the One unknown (नपण्डनपुमान् शक्तिः).

2. The 3 Elemental forms. The fire, wind and sun, (सूर्य्याग्नि बायु), the three powerful manifestations of the Deity each of which had its votaries in the early fire, wind and sun worshippers of India.

3. The 3 Agencies as above. The creation, preservation and destruction of things in the forms of Brahmá, Vishnu and Siva as said above.

4. The 3 Fires. अग्नित्रयः । Om the three sacrificial fires called the दक्षिणा, गार्हपत्य and आह्वनीयाग्न्यः, which were continually preserved in families.

5. The 3 Vedas. त्रयोबिद्या । Om the triple learning contained in the Rik, Yajur and Sáman, which were identified with God for their being his words.

6. The 3 Intelligences. The three Intellectual faculties consisting of the Mind, Intellect or Reason, and the conscious soul.

7. The 3 Times. त्रिकाल । Present, past and future composing the circle of the eternity of Om (कालत्रयं).

8. The 3 Aliments. अन्न ब्रह्म । Food and water and moon. The water and food are eulogised as Om in Bhrigu Valli as अन्न ब्रह्म, and the moon is reckoned as such for its containing the ambrosial beverage of the gods.

9. The Mental Powers. मनोवृत्तिः । The three intellectual faculties, the mind, intellect and consciousness as the spiritual manifestations of the Invisible Spirit.

10. The three Vital Airs. प्राणादि । Those of respiration, circulation and secretion called प्राणामान समाणाः the respiratory breath or air and others: there are two others which with these three will be found among the pentads (पञ्चप्राणाः).

11. The three feet of God. त्रिपादाः । These are the different hypostases of God or rather of the Divine soul in its three states of universality, individuality and external appearances, each of which is subdivided into three states.

12. The 3 Totals. The Sútrátmá, Taijana and Hiranyágarbha (universal soul) (सूत्रात्मा तैजन हिरण्यगर्भः); The three emanations of infinite Intelligence from the Unity of God.

13. The three Specials. The Visva, Taijasha, and Prajná (Individual Souls) (विश्व तैजस प्रज्ञा). The three emanations of finite souls from Divine Intelligence.

14. The three externals. The Vaiswánara, Visvarúpa and Virát the three manifest and visible forms; (बैश्वानर बिश्वरूप बिराट्). Hence the nature of God is a triplicate threefold unity or the thrice three hypostases of the One Being.

15. The three Forms of Devotion. The three forms of our devotion and Communion with God, that he is praised, worshipped and ascribed with attributes.

16. The Triple man. His body—the bow, his mind—the arrow, and his soul—the aim. (Mándukya II. 4. p. 159).

17. The 3 States of the Soul. Of waking, dreaming and sound sleep of the soul. (जाग्रत् स्वप्न सुसुप्ति).

18. The 3 Humours of the Body. The bile, phlegm and choler or flatulence (वात पित्त कफ) are the preservatives of the body and life.

19. Three Matrás. त्रिमात्रा । The three moræ or vowels, the long, short and prolated. (ह्रस्व दीर्घ प्लूत त्रिमात्रा).

20. Three Accents. त्रिस्वरः । The acute, grave and circumflex. उदात्तानुदात्त स्वरितः.

21. Three Utterances of speech. बाणि । Human speech consisting of letters, words and sentences treated of in Orthography, Etymology and Syntax. (ध्वणिः पश्यन्ति मध्यमा बैस्वरी).

22. Three Pronunciations स्फूर्तिः । Distinct, indistinct and half distinct. (Anquetil). (स्फुट अस्फुट अर्द्धस्फुट).

23. Do. of Three Vedas. The Swaratí of Rik, the Swara of Yajus, and Swánvatí of Sáma. (स्वरती स्वर स्वानबत्यः).

24. The 3 Letters. Of Om viz. a, u, m, agree with the first, second and third word of every triad, i.e., each to each.

25. The 3 Merits. Of the meditation of the three letters of Om described at length in the Upanishads.

XII. The Tetrads Or Quadruples of Om.

I. Tetrads of Om. We have next to consider the tetrads or quadruple divinities in the quadrants or four fold divisions of the circle of Om consisting of its four letters a, u, or crescent of Om, and the circlet of entire Om styled Chandravindu as given by Professor Monier Williams from the Nirukta of yaska. (Indian Wisdom p. 169).

II. In sciences. 1. The Om of orthographers consisting of the four stages of speech; namely, ध्वनि पश्यन्ती मध्यमा and बैस्वरी ।

2. Of Grammarians; the four parts of speech, nouns, verbs, prepositions and particles.

3. Of Ritualists; The hymns, liturgical precepts, Bráhmanas and ordinary language.

4. Of philologers or Sábdikas; the speech of serpents, beasts, birds and vernaculars.

5. Of Etymologists; The Rik, Yajur and Sáma Vedas and current language.

6. Of Spiritualists; The language of beasts, wild animals, musical instruments and soul.

7. Of Manu (IV. 126). The Pranava and the three Vyahrtis. (ॐ भूर्भ्रुवः स्वर्).

8. Of Manu (IV. 124). The Rik sacred to the gods, the Yajur relating to mankind and the Sáma concerning the manes, and its sound.

9. Of Smártas; The four stages;—of students, householders, mendicants and ascetics.

10. Of Puránas. The four Ages;—Satya, Tretá, Dwápara and Kali. The four castes &c.

III. In Divinity A for ápta or Vyápta—pervading all worlds, represents the divine hypostasis of Viswa.

1. The 4 Conditions of Brahma. U—for Utkarshat, i. e., more elevated than A; as the Taijas than Visva. (तैजस).

M—for mána or measure, as the prajná like a prastha measures the above two. (प्रज्ञा).

Om—i. e., the entire and without parts, is the fourth and perfect condition of Brahma. (ब्रह्म).

2. The 4 states of the Soul. Á for the waking (Jágrat) state, when the soul is subject to gross senses.

U—for the swapna or dreaming state, when the soul is withdrawn from visible objects.

M—the susupta or sound sleeping state, in which the soul is unconscious of itself.

Om—the absolute and perfect state of the soul viewing all in itself.

3. The 4 Manifestations of God. A—is external manifestation of the Universal soul in objects.

U—Internal manifestation perceived in the operations of the soul in dream.

M—unmanifested existence; or the self consciousness of the soul.

Om—Unmanifest state of the soul, unmodified and inactive state.

4. The 4 Titles of the soul. A—Viswa or Vaiswánara who abides manifest in the waking state.

U—Taijasa; abiding in dreams and knowing all without objects.

M—Prajná, the perfect wise abiding in deep sleep.

Om—Absolute Brahma called Turíya which is perfect and all knowing.

XIII. The Pentads &c., of Om.

The Pentads of Om. The quintuples of om are composed of five letters or divisions of the symbolical circle, standing for so many different things each of which forms a part of the whole, and is called an Om. The five parts are, A, U, M, O and the náda—the nasal half circle above.

1. The Five Vital Airs. पञ्च प्राणाः । Respiration, flatulence, circulation, pulsation and assimilation, commonly known by the names of Prána, Apána, Vyána, Udána and Samána.

2. The Five Caverns. पञ्च कोषाः । Pancha koshas or sheaths of the soul, folding one over the other “like the coats of an onion”. 1. The sheath of the intellect. 2. The sheath of the mind. 3. The sheath of breathing. 4. The subtle and corporeal bodies. 5. The sheath of Supreme bliss, not admitted by all. (बिज्ञानमय, मनोमय, प्राणमय, अन्नमय, आनन्दमय कोषाः ।)

3. The Five Internal organs, senses and their objects. पञ्च ज्ञानेन्द्रियाणि । The ear, eye, skin, nose and tongue, of hearing, sight, feeling, smell and taste. Their five objects—sound, colour, touch, savour and smell. (श्रोत्रत्वक् चक्षु जिह्व घ्राणानि तथा शब्द स्पर्षरूप रसगन्धानि ।)

4. The Five external Do. पञ्च कर्म्मेन्द्रियानि । The voice, hands, feet, the organs of generation and secretion are organs of action. बाक्पाणि पाद पायूपस्थानि बहिरिन्द्रियाणि । पूर्ब्बोक्तानि अन्तर बा बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि ।

5. The Five Elements. पञ्च भूतानि । Earth, air, fire, water and ether. क्षित्यप् तेजो मरुद्व्योम पञ्च महाभूतानि ।

6. The Five classes of Ignorance. 1. Obscurity (तमस्), 2. Illusion(मोह), 3. Extreme illusion(महामोहः), 4. Gloom (तमिस्र), 5. Utter gloom (अन्ध तमसः).

1. The six letters of Hexads or sextuples. The sextuples of Om are composed of a, u, o, m, the Vindu, cypher, and the náda; and according to another account, the Ardha mátrá of Om is the fourth and the Vindu and náda the fifth and sixth aksharas. (Weber’s Ráma Tapaníya p. p. 292, & 312. Cowell’s Maitrí Up. p. 271).

2. The 6 Organs. The five organs of sense; viz the nose, tongue, the eye, ear, skin and the mind. (Gotama Sutra I. 1, 12). But according to others the mind is not reckoned an organ.

3. Other Sextuples The six seasons (षडृतवः), the six flavours (षड्रसाः), the six musical modes (षड्रागः), the six Vedángas; but I never met a passage of their being preceded by Om.

1. The Heptads or Septuples. The Septuples are formed by a, u, o, m, Vindu, náda and Sánta or ultimate silence, and these are used to symbolise the pantheistic form of the god Viráj, in the following description of him given by Sankara.

2. The 7 Parts of Viráj Body. “His head—the heavens; his eye—the sun; his breath—the wind; his center—the ether; his urine—the water; his feet—the earth; his mouth the fire.” Anquetil gives the five senses, the mind and intellect as his seven members. (Weber’s Indian Studien. Vol. II. p. 107).

3. The Other Heptads. According to other accounts there is a sevenfold septuples included in the figure Om comprising the Universe. The first trisaptaka or triplex septuple comprises the seven spheres of heaven, the seven pátálas or infernal regions, and the seven Bhuvanas of earth. The second trisapta consists of the sapta dwípas or seven continents of the earth, the seven oceans, and the seven planets; and lastly the sapta swara or the seven notes emitted by the planetary motions.

The Octads or octuples. The octuples consist of the aforesaid seven parts and the sákti or word namo added to them at the end, and are used as symbols of Viráj for the five vital airs, or the five organs of action and those of intellect i. e. the mind, intellect and self consciousness or chítta.

The Nonads. These are nine cavities of the body नबद्वारगृह the abode of Brahma.

The Decads. These are the ten internal and external organs (पञ्चकर्म्मेन्द्रिय and पञ्चबुद्धीन्द्रिय) of the body—the seats of Brahma.

XIV. Philosophy of the Numerical Groups Contained Under the Mystic Syllable Om.

1. Inquiry into the numerical groups. After the lengthy account we have given of the various classes of words contained under the different numbers and divisions and subdivisions of the mysterious letter Om, it must be asked by the inquisitive reader, what do these clusters of concrete and abstract terms which are numerically jumbled together under the unintelligible character Om serve to mean, and of what use are they to the contemplative Yogi in his meditation on the attributes of his Maker by that symbol?

2 (a). Enlargement of the understanding. In answer to this query we are bound to repeat the definition of yoga, that it is the process of joining the ideas in the mind, and practicing the limited powers of the understanding to rise by degrees from their grasping the ideas of unities or single objects at a time, to the comprehension of dualities and pluralities for the enlargement of the intellect, till at last the mind is fraught with a clear and distinct idea of every thing in the universe comprised under the several groups or generalizations of particulars.

2 (b). Their Pantheistic view. And also as we have more than once mentioned in the preceding articles, that God is aham bahushyám—one in many, to on to pan of the Greeks, or the unity divided into and containing an Infinity of parts; so His symbol the holy Om is one circle and emblem of infinity, which for the sake of our conception and convenience is viewed in its Finite parts of monads &c., and their ever increasing multiples by all other numbers. But the monad like the prime number one whether multiplied or divided by any number in arithmetic, remains still the same simple one. Thus (1 × 2 = 2 × 1); (and 1/2 = 1 ÷ 2, or 1/2 = 1 × 1/2). This is the root of the pantheistic doctrine of the Vedánta. सर्ब्बं खल्विदं ब्रह्म This One is all: and the whole being taken from the whole the remainder is whole. पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेबाबशिष्यते ।

3. The Numerical Philosophy. It was the oldest Sánkhya or numerical school of philosophy in India, like the ancient Ionian school of Greece, that first made a classification of all objects in nature under certain co-ordinate groups for our contemplation of them under those classes; which its later development of the yoga system has converted to the objects of our meditation as same with or pervaded by the Deity; or in other words, has recommended the meditation of nature’s God in nature itself as in Natural Theology. It was the Tantra worship of later ages that divided the symbol of unity and infinity of the divine om into a decad of parts, as it is the custom of mathematicians to divide the great circle of infinity into 360 degrees, though it might be divided into an infinity of parts.

4. The Sánkhya and Pythagorean. The Sánkhya system of evolution which is closely allied to that of the Darwinian, views the monad as the elementary protozoa, which combined with other monads make up the duads, triads &c. we have mentioned before, and all which are resolvable to the primary monad. Om is always ‘one’ thing; nothing can destroy that numerical existence, combine the thing in every possible variety of ways, and it still remains ‘one.’ It cannot be less than one, it cannot be more. As (2 = 1 + 1 = II & 3 = 1 + 1 + 1 = III). Resolve it into its minutest particles, and each particle is one. As (½, ⅓, ¼ &c.). One is the only absolute number; all others are but relations to it. The Infinite therefore must be one, and if you take infinity and the infinitesimals from the infinite, there remains also the same infinity; according to the Vedánta paradox पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदुच्यते । and all modes of existence are but finite aspects of the Infinite.

5. Different aspects of the soul. The soul being a self moved monad, is one, whether it connects itself with two or with three; in other words the essence remains the same whatever its manifestations may be. The one soul may have two aspects, Intelligence and Passion, as in brutes; or it may have three aspects, as in man &c. For more of this see Lewes’ History of Philosophy (Vol. I p. 33 and p. 34).

6. Query concerning Nature Worship. There rises another question of some importance in this place as, what has the Yogi or worshipper of God to do with the objects presented to him in the different groups under the partitions of Om, when his business is solely to meditate on the nature and attributes of the Deity?

7. Spiritual Worship. To this it may be answered that, the Hindu Yogi or meditative sage is enjoined to meditate on the Supreme Spirit in Spirit, “átmá átmanyeva chintayet”. (आत्मा आत्मन्येबचिन्तयेत्). He does not adore any visible object, but contemplates his creator with all his attributes as displayed in creation, which he sums up abstractedly in his own spirit and mind. There can be no contemplation of the inscrutable and incomprehensible nature of God apart from the light we derive from the abstract meditation of all sensible and intellectual natures. “Observe every thing in thyself and so shalt thou behold the Supreme.” सर्ब्बमात्मगतं पश्यतेनात्मानं परिपश्यसि ।

8. Self knowledge. What? The old rule of self knowledge आत्मतत्त्व or know thyself आत्मानं जानीहि, which was believed to constitute highest wisdom, and which has given rise to different interpretations in various schools of philosophy, does not mean the knowledge of one’s state and nature to be sufficient for him; but that of his soul which makes him truly great. The wise Socrates looked inwards, and there discovered the moral and psychological truths the world has derived from him. His pupil the divine Plato looked within him, and there found the eternal ideas of which sense awakened reminiscence.

9. Knowledge of the Soul. The Hindu Yogi too looks inward and views within the circle of his cranium symbolized as Om, his soul seated as a ray and figure of the Divinity, and encompassed by the abstract ideas of all things whose impressions he has received by sense and mind. He then learns to distinguish by his discriminative power called the átmánátma viveka, (आत्मानात्मविवेक) the soul of the Universe from all the representations which it presents to his mind.

10. Of one in Many. The Platonic system had also a sort of classification in which the search for One in Many and Many in One, together with the detection of the One in the Many was the constant aim, consult for further information on this head in Lewes’ History of Philosophy. (Vol. 1. p. 237 and p. 405).

XV. The Unitarian Formula ॐ तत् सत् One That Is.

1. Om the one. From all our investigation into the origin, rise, and extent of meaning of the word Om in its orthography, etymology and theology, it is evident that the Indo-Aryan mind was early infused with the idea of an absolute Om corresponding with the Greek On and ôn, and En and also Aeon of the Gnostics, Latin Ens, Unum and Entity, Romance On and un, and one in English, whose unity was the source of all diversity in the plurality of creation, agreeably to the text aham bahu Syám = Ego multus sim of the Sruti.

2. The Universal soul, = Vìswátman. It was at first known as one and then as the self or soul by the silent and innate intuition of the intellect, as it is declared in the Mandukya Upanishad II. 2, 5. तमेबैकंजानथआत्मानमन्यावाचो, बिमुञ्चथअमृतस्यैब सेतुः । मण्डूकं २ । २१५ ।

Max Müller says (A. S. Lit. p. 23 and p. 322): “The Átman was next conceived as the Spirit = air, átmá and anime.” “That one breathed breathless by itself: other than it nothing since has been.” Thus says the Sruti (Müller p. 560). “This one Átman (atmos) fills, animates and pervades the whole”; as the poet sings “spreads unspent” throughout the infinity of worlds:

“Which are but parts of one undivided whole whose body nature is, and God the soul.” (Pope).

एकमेवाद्वितीयं ब्रह्म । रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपं विभाति ॥

3. Called as Tat = that The inherent one of all ones “to on ontwn,” the unit of unities, the Ens of entities, the soul of the world “Viswátman” was yet without a name, nor did they know how to call him, than by the designation of tat = “that,” which they say is expressive of the idea of Brahma तदिति ब्रह्मणोऽभिधानमुदाहृतं । Because says Váchaspati, the nature of the one Om, was unknown even to the learned बिदुषां परोक्षत्वाच्च तच्छब्दो ब्रह्मणो नाम; and therefore it was specified by the demonstrative pronoun that “tat,” which sometimes preceded the एक as तदेकं &c. (Greek to on). The necessity of pronouncing Om with tat sat in the beginning of every Vedic rite, is strictly enjoined in Bhágavad-Gítá. ॐ तत्सदिति निर्द्देशो ब्रह्मनस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः । ब्राह्मणश्चैब बेदाश्च यज्ञाश्चबिहिताः पुरा । बैदिके कर्म्मणि तेषां प्रथमतो निर्द्देशः । इति तां बाचस्पतिः ।

4. The Impersonal and Personal God. The word “tat” in the neuter gender, was used for the one self, which as an element or material cause, had evolved all things out of its immaterial essence, and expressed an impersonal God, which the creed of the early philosophers had established in the Vedas. It was at a much later period that the belief of a personal God, is said to have been introduced by the sage Sándilya in the Ch’hándogya and Swetásvatara Upanishads, where the self आत्मा is used in the masculine gender, and the masculine pronoun Sa and tam (Greek “ho and ton,” Lat “is”), was substituted for tat (Greek to Lat id) in the subjective mantra सोऽहं हंस; but in the objective mantra it is neuter as तत्त्वमसि ।

5. Of the Bráhma Somája The Bráhma Samáj has preserved both the formula of the Impersonal God (ॐ तत् सत्) as their motto, as well as addressed their prayers to the personal God by use of the masculine pronoun sa and tam instead of tat. Thus in the opening hymn of Ram Mohun Roy’s Prayer Book तमेकं शरण्यं तमेकं बरेण्यं तमेकं जगत् कारणं विश्वरूपं । तमेकं जगत् कर्त्तृपातृ प्रहर्तृ तमेकं विश्वरूपं निर्बिकल्पं भजामि । So in Devendra Natha Thákur’s hymn तमेकं स्मरामो तमेकंभजामो । This is in accordance to the creed of all civilized nations to apply the masculine pronoun to the Deity. The Koran has “ho=he” in its formulas of “Ho’lahad” “Ho’lghani” &c., and so also the ho of the Bible. Tat like On is sometimes used alone and by itself for God, at the opening of books and chapters, and upon the tops of pages with the Sat following it as तत् सत्.

6. Ditto in the Feminine Gender. But those who have heard the preachings of Keshub Chandra Sen, may well remember his exclamations as तुमि पिता तुमि माता, तुमि पुरुष तुमि प्रकृति, in imitation of the Roman idolatrous philosopher’s acclamation to God, “tu pater, tu mater, tu mas, tu femme” &c., in Cudworth’s Intellectual System. There is no masculine or feminine representative of the pronoun tat or any other pronoun in the vernaculars, where they are all of the common gender, hence तिनि, उनि, ओ, से &c., used for tat by the Heathen Hindus, are applied alike to their gods and goddesses, while the Sanskrit sah = ho in Greek, Arabic and Hebrew designates the masculine Deity only. Mahommed says in the Koran, “ye are ashamed of your female children, but not of assigning female attributes to the Deity.”

7. Ditto in the Neuter Gender. The following passages will serve to show the early creed of the impersonal God, from the application of the neuter pronoun tat to him in the Mándukya Upanishad. (11. 2)

Meaning:—“The sun, moon and stars what are they? But a glimpse of light caught from That (Tat).” &c.

XVI. Ontology of the Self Existent Sat = Being.

Philology of Sat. 1. The last word of the formular motto of Vedánta is sat, which derived from the root asa, Lat. esse—to be, makes the present participle Sat and means a being, like the Latin ens and Greek On, the participial noun of eimi meaning a being. Thus the knowledge of sat which is Satyam = reality, is the doctrine of On—the real being, which as said before is to on onton—the being of beings and prime cause of all existences, and forms the main subject of Ontology. This primary and fundamental truth of the existence of a first cause, led the Rishi a priori to deduce all other existences from it by the text अहं वहुस्यां Ego in multis et pluribus—the one in many: or in other words, when the Bráhman believes in but one real being in the Universe, he believes also that this being constitutes the Universe. (M.W. Indian Wisdom p. 36).

2. Etymology of Sat. 2. The noun Sat in its verbal form is equivalent to asti, corresponding with Lat. est, Gr. esti, Persic ast and hast, Bengali-áchhe, Uria achchhe &c. Eng. is, Ger. Ist and the like. And tat sat together makes the Greek to estin, Lat. Id est French Il est &c.; Arabic alast, Persic ost, and Hindi Ohihae. The Om Tat Sat is either an identic proposition, meaning the “Being that is” or a definitive one, expressing Om that (is) existent.

3. The Ontology of Sat or Being. 3. The Ch’hándogya Upanishad says; “In the beginning there was the mere state of sat—being (to on)—the one only without a second.” Some however say that, “in the beginning there was a state of asat—not being; (Lat. non est, Gr. to mi on), the one without a second. Hence out of a state of non-being would proceed a state of being. But how can this be? How can sat = being, proceed out of asat not being?” It is logically absurd by the well known maxim Ex nihilo nihil fit of Lucretius. “Hence in the beginning there was a mere state of being (the om). One only without a second. (om eka mevá dvitíyam ओमेकमेवाद्वितीयं). He willed and became many” (Chánd. VI. 2. M. W. Ind. Wisdom p. 41).

4. A Priori Argument of Vedánta. 4. The Original text runs thus.