On Omkaaram.. the Pranavam

ब्रह्मणे त्वा महस ॐ इत्यात्मानं युन्ञ्जीत
( brahmaNe twaa mahasa AUM ityaatmaanaM yun~njiita )


"The self should be made one with the great Paramatma with the syllable OM," is the exhortation from Taittariya Shruti and is lending evidence to the concept that the basic function of OM is to bring about the unification of Jivatma and Paramatma.

There is a rule that any mantra will have its effect only if it is chanted in conjunction with Pranavam.
In the text Braahmanasarvaswam, it is said,

प्रणवाद्याः स्मृता मन्त्राः चतुर्वर्ग्ग फलप्रदाःतस्माच्च निःस्सृतास्सर्वे प्रलीयन्ते च तत्र वै
(ब्राह्मणसर्वस्वात्)
(praNavaadyaaH smR^itaa mantraaH chaturvargga phalapradaaH
tasmaachcha niHssR^itaassarve praliiyante cha tatra vai BraahmaNasarvaswaat)

Meaning "All mantras are meditated upon prefixing Om, and then alone they can give the four results or purushaarthaas, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.
In fact all such mantras originate from Pranavam and submerge in it ultimately,"

ॐ कारश्च शब्दश्च द्वावेतौ ब्रह्मणः पुराकण्डं भित्वाविनिर्यातौ तस्मान्माङ्गळिकवुभौ।
माङ्गळ्यं पावनं धर्म्म्यं सर्वकामप्रसाधनंॐ कारः परमं ब्रह्मः सर्वमन्त्रेषु नायकः।

AUM kaarashcha shabdashcha dwaavetau brahmaNaH puraa
kaNDaM bhitwaaviniryaatau tasmaanmaa~NgaLikavuabhau.
maa~NgaLyaM paavanaM dharmmyaM sarvakaamaprasaadhanaM
AUM kaaraH paramaM brahmaH sarvamantreSu naayakaH.

"The flow and the roar of Omkaram came out of the throat of Brahma virtually shattering it. (The throat)
It is capable of providing us with all Maangalyam.. meaning all the exalted aims and objects of life,
and so the flow and the sound of Omkaram are both called harbingers of Mangalam.
Provider of Mangalam, purifier of the self, the quintessence of virtues or Dharma, and the provider of all just and rightful desires,
Omkaram is called the forerunner or leader of all the manthras. "

यथा पर्ण्णं पलाशस्य शङ्कुनैकेन धार्यतेतथा जगदिदम् सर्वं ॐ कारेणैव धार्यते।
याज्ञवल्क्यात्
yathaa parNNaM palaashasya sha~Nkunaikena dhaaryate
tathaa jagadidam sarvaM AUM kaareNaiva dhaaryate.
yaaj~navalkyaat

Yaajnavalkya praised Omkara like this.
" Just as the three leaves in a palasa stalk is held together by a single source ( palasa leaves occure in groups of three) the three worlds bhu, bhuva and suvaH are also held together only by pranavam.

Gayatri is Supreme

Gayatri is Supreme

ॐकारपूर्विकास्तिस्रः महाव्याहृतयस्तथा त्रिपदा चैव गायत्री विज्ञेया ब्रह्मणो मुखम् Iएतदक्षरमेताम् च जपन् व्याहृतिपूर्विकाम् संध्ययोर्वेद्विद्विप्रा वेदपुण्येन युज्यते II प्रणवे नित्ययुक्तस्य व्याहृतीषु च सप्तसु त्रिपदायाम् च गायत्र्याम् न भयम् विद्यते क्वचित् I परिहाप्यापि वेदाम्स्त्रीन् कर्माणि विविधानि च सावित्रीमात्रमाश्रित्य द्विजो भवति निर्भयः II

One has to realize the supreme truth that Gayatri with 

Omkaram(Om) in the beginning followed by the three Vyaahritis.. bhuur bhuvaH suvaH, and consisting of three paadams is the manifestation of the face of Brahmam itself.

The student of Vedas who chants Gayatri with Pranavam and the the Vyahritis during the Sandhyas.(.dawn and dusk), attains the benefits he could gain by chanting the entire Vedas.

For a persons who is engaged in the daily worship of Pranava (OM), the seven Vyahritis( bhu, bhuva, suva, maha, jana, tapa, satyam) and the Gayatri mantras itself, no fear can ever arise in life..

Even when one(a twi ce-born) is prevented from learning and chanting the three Vedas (Rg, Yajus, Sama), and who could not perform the various rites prescribed by Sastras, and he is chanting Savitri or Gayatri alone with steadfast devotion, all his fears would be removed.

The vocal rendering of Pranavam

The vocal  rendering of Pranavam

Pranavam as a whole is famed to have the 

Rishi as Brahma, 

 mother  Gayatri as chhandas, 

and the Supreme lord and the presiding deity.

   The three letters  A  U  and Ma have  Agni, Vaayu and Surya as rishis, 
Gayatri, Thristup and Brihatee as chandaas, and  the triumvirate Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as presiding deities.

एवमार्षादिकं स्मृत्वा तत ॐकारमभ्यसेत्

सार्द्धत्रिमात्रमुच्चार्य दीर्घखण्डानिनादवत्

evamārṣādikaṁ smṛtvā tata omkāramabhyaset

sārddhatrimātramuccārya dīrghakhaṇḍāninādavat

Thus invoking the Rishis Chandas and Devata, one should chant omkaram..
 If omkaram is pronounced independently it should be for three and half maathras ( a measure of time which may be nearly three and half seconds), that too the rendering should be continuous as if it is coming from the bell of gun metal (khanda used in pujas) with proper reverberation.

त्रिमात्रस्तु प्रयोक्तव्यः सर्वारम्भेषु कर्मसु

तिस्त्रस्सार्द्धस्तु कर्थव्यः मात्रसूत्रार्त्थचिन्तकैः

याज्ञवल्क्यः

trimātrastu prayoktavyaḥ sarvārambheṣu karmasu

tistrassārddhastu karthavyaḥ mātrasūtrārtthacintakaiḥ

yājñavalkyaḥtrimātrastu prayoktavyaḥ sarvārambheṣu karmasu

tistrassarddhastu karthavyaḥ mātrrsūtrārtthacintakaiḥ

yājñvalkya

Sage yaajnvalkya has prescribed that when Omkaram is pronounced as the starting point of a religious rite, the length should be of three maathra or three seconds.  When learned people are contmplating on Omkaram  with maathra  suutra and meaning.

देवताध्यानकाले तु प्ळुतं कुर्यात् न संशयः

तैलधारावदच्छिन्नं दीर्घखण्डानिनादवत्

अप्ळुतं प्रणवस्यान्तम् यस्तम् वेद स वेदवित्

आद्यम् तत्राक्षरं ब्रह्म त्रयी यत्र प्रतिष्ठिता

स गुह्योऽन्न्यस्त्रिवृद्वेदो यो वेदैनं स वेदवित्।

devatādhyānakāle tu pḻutaṁ kuryāt na saṁśayaḥ

tailadhārāvadacchinnaṁ dīrghakhaṇḍāninādavat

apḻutaṁ praṇavasyāntam yastam veda sa vedavit

ādyam tatrākṣaraṁ brahma trayī yatra pratiṣṭhitā

sa guhyo'nnyastrivṛdvedo yo vedainaṁ sa veadavit|

When we are chanting Pranavam in contemplation of deities, undoubtedly it should be chanted in the Plutha mode… 
By plutham it is meant that the flow of sound should be unbroken like the even flow of thailam (gingely oil)  when poured down. 
  However there is a qualification.  
A is the letter of the supreme Brahmam and it should be uttered with secrecy.. 
So the sum and substance of the rule is that the beginning  A part should be rendered with lowered tone, raising to a crescendo when the U and M part comes and then it should taper down slowly to silence in the  later part of M…  
There are limitations of explaining this in words.  
We have to watch the learned preceptors to get the full idea of the audio curve of raise and fall while pronouncing the Pranavam. 

He who understands the proper pronunciation and rendering of Pranavam is famed as the master of all Vedas.

There are more points to discuss about pranvam which  I hope to record in due course.

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More on Pranvam... the Para and Apara states

More on Pranvam... the Para and Apara states

परापर विभागेन प्रणवस्तु द्विधा मतः॥

Paraapara vibhaaghen pranavastu dwidhaa mataH..

Privanavam or AUM is considered in two ways as  Paraa, and Aparaa  as per suuthasamhita.

परं परतरं ब्रह्म प्रज्ञानन्दादिलक्षणं

प्रकर्षेण् नवं यस्मात् परं ब्रह्म स्वभावतः॥

Since the inner visualization of Pranavam endows us with prjnaana the enhanced knowleds, ectasy, etc, it is called partara Pranava.. And on each chanting we find a new rejuvenation and revelation on occasion after occasion.. it is essentially new on every moment of user or chanting so pranavam is also called Param.

सत्यम् ज्ञानमन्तम् ब्रह्म।  ॐ तत् ब्रह्म। ॐ आनदो ब्रह्म।   Satyam jnaanam anantham brahma, om tat brahma, om aanando brahma,  the Upanishads go one praising the Supreme Lord like this.. the pranavam is the embodiment of truth, incarnation of knowledge, manifestation of ecstasy,  and has only single quality of sublimity.  The brahmam cannot be conceived any other way,. It is truth because it originated once and it will be eternal and shine forth as such without any variation. Whatever other than is the creation of truth is all illusion.. and only the creation of truth AUM is the eternal truth.  That which has origin, growth and end are all mithya or illusory, and AUM which is not in that category is the everlasting truth.  The AUM can be conceived only by absolute knowledge.. and the state of absoulute knowledge is where  the jnaataa.. the knower,  jneyam.. that which is to be known  and jnaanam, the knowledge of that all become one and inseparable.. ( cf.. lalithasahasranaamam... jnana jnatru jeya ruupaa)  .. such state of sublime knowledge is called jnaanaaika rasam and AUM ultimately leads us to that sublime state.  In this case once the core is understood, then there cannot be any more thing to be known and there can be no one who would like to know anything more.  The reason for any sort of sorrow disappears in this state and and the divine ecstasy that manifests is unmixed with any sorrow or worldly feelings. This is also the manifestation of Paramaatma.  This state is called aanadaiikarasam... a state where there is only ananda.. and AUM provides this.  Satya jnaana and anada, are the three stages of perception, three vehilcles of perceiption, three results of perception of pure Omkaram.   Thus defined and untouched by Maayaa and the related tatwwas of Mahat etc, remais the Para Shiva swaroopam and that is Pranavam.  This is the para pranavam.

Without afftected by the vagaries of space-time the word AUM  oozes out ecstacy in its vocal form  and it is called Apara Pranavam.

अपरः प्रणवः साक्षात् शब्दरूपः सुनिर्म्मलः

प्रकर्षेन नवत्वस्य हेतुत्वाल् प्रणवः स्मृतः

परम प्रणवप्राप्ति हेतुत्वात् प्रणवोऽथवा॥

aparaH praNavaH saakSaat shabdaruupaH sunirmmalaH

prakarSena navatwasya hetutwaal praNavaH smR^itaH

parama praNavapraapti hetutwaat praNavo.athavaa..

The aparapranava is the manifestation of AUM in the vocal form.. It is in the form of sound and is blemishless.. Every chanting of AUM is the source of a new experience spiritually. And this Aparapranava is the step that leads to the parapranava where the supereme Brahmatattwam manifests before us.  In this manner also the Sabdhapranava is called Apara.

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

Omkaaram or Pranavam... something more

Omkaaram or Pranavam... something more

अकारेणोच्यते विष्णुः सर्वलोकैक नायकः उकारेणोच्यते लक्ष्मीः मकारो जीववाचकः॥

Akaarenocyate VishnuH sarvalokaika naayakaH 

Ukaarenochyate lakshmiiH makaaro jeevacaachakaH

A further meaning to Omkaram.. The syllable  "A"  represents Vishnu the master of the universe.  The syallable "U" represents Lakshmi  and the syallable "M" represents the sound of life.. Hence AUM is nothing but the communion of the Purusha (Sahasrashiirshaa purushaH..) Vishnu and the Prakriti (see lakshmi ashtottaram.. prakriteem vikruteem vidyaam...) represents the Matha Lakshmi  and we know the syllable M represents the life, the motherhood...every language in the world calls the mother with a syllable "M". 

We can understand now how the blessed Krishna, Vishnu incarnate sang Pranavam in His flute and the Matha Lakshmi, the  prakriti in the shape of Radhika, Gopis and cows all got attracted to the Purusha.. and the communion between them is nothing but the process of life..The frivolous activity of Krishna and the damsels of Brinadaban, Krishan and the cows and their calve in that blessed grazing ground, attains sublime meaning here.

It is the union of jeevatma and paramaatma.. both representing the same in advaita philosophy an having subtle difference inter-se  in Vishitaadwaita and dwaita philosophies assuming its fullness in AUM

It will not be out of context to state  here  that as discussed earlier A represents the supreme soul and therefore it is also connoting Shiva the parabrahmam, and U is  nothing bus Uma... "umaa shailendra tanaya gauree gandharvasevitaa.". and M remains the live connection... so as in the concluding name in  Lalitha Sahasranaamam  "Shivashaktaikya roopinee..." is the Omkaram represented by the Uma-Shamkara Combination.  Shankaraacharaya  in fact underlines this unity when he states, "ShivaH Shakthya yuktho yadhi bhavati prabhavitum...."  Shiva is nothing without Shakthi and Narayana becomes powerful only in company of Lakshmi...

This great principle that the male and the female combine through the jeeva syllable "M"  is the greatest message of AUM kaaram.

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

thoughts on Omkara and Gayatri upasana contd...

thoughts on Omkara and Gayatri upasana contd...

The greateness of Omkaram is highlighted again by the following saying.
जपेन दहते पापं  प्राणायामैस्तथा मलं ध्यानेन जन्मनिर्यातं  धारणाभिश्च मुच्यते॥
japena dahate paapam praanaayamaistathaa malam dhyaanena janmaniryaatam dhaarnaabhischa muchyate... 

"The Omkara burns off our sins when we chant it,  physical and mental impurity is removed through praanaayama with omkaram, the sins accumulated through births are burnt of through meditation on omkarama and  by going through the eight steps of ashtangayoga with pranavam, one reaches emancipation from worldy existence for ever.. "
ॐ इत्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन् मामनुस्मरन् यः प्रयाति त्यजन् देहं स याति परमां गतिं॥  ...गीतायां
OM ityekaaksharam brahma vyaaharana maamanusmaran yaH prayaati tyajan deham sa yaati paramaam gatim..  in Gita
"Uttening the one supreme work OM which is brhama itself and concentrating his mind on Me, if a person leaves his body in the end, he reaches the supreme state of immortality....."  Declared the Blessed Lord  Krishna in Bagavat gita.

The importance of Upasana of Gayatri is underlined in the following discussion.

यद्यपि परमेश्वरः सर्वत्र अभिन्नरूपतया  वर्त्तमानः  तथापि  गायत्र्युपासकस्य विशिष्टफफलप्रदः नान्यथा।  अयं दृष्टान्तः याज्ञवल्क्यने कथितः
गवां सर्पिः शरीरस्तं  न करोत्यङ्गपोषणं गायत्रीं जपतो नित्यं पुष्णात्यङ्गं सदाशिवः।
एवं सहि शरीरस्थः सर्पिवत् परमेश्वरः  विना चोपासनादेव न करोति हितं नृणां॥।
Even though Lord Shiva is present as Vishvamoorthy manifesting himself everywhere,  He identified in particular  the worshipper of Gayatri and bestows on him all the grace.  Yajnavalkya has given the following  example:-
"The butter or ghee present in the milk is inherent in the body of the cow.. But in that state the nutrient does nothing special to  nourish the body of the cow. But when the cow is milched, and the ghee is extracted and partaken, it nourishes human body  (or even the body of the cow itself).  Similarly Lord Sadaashiva even though present every where does not do anything particular for the benefit of the people unless they perform devout Upasana through Gayatri. For Gayatri Upasakaas  Bhagavaan Shambu is the greatest nourisher."

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thoughts on Omkaram.. continued

ब्रह्मणे त्वा महस ॐ इत्यात्मानं युन्ञ्जीत 
( brahmaNe twaa mahasa AUM ityaatmaanaM yun~njiita )

The self should be made one with the great Paramatma with the syllable OM,  is the exhortation from Taittariya Shruti  and is lending evidence to the concept that the basic function of OM is to bring about the unification of Jivatma and Paramatma. 

There is a rule that any mantra will have its effect only if it is chanted in conjunction with Pranavam.  I
n the text Braahmanasarvaswam, it is said,

प्रणवाद्याः स्मृता मन्त्राः चतुर्वर्ग्ग फलप्रदाःतस्माच्च निःस्सृतास्सर्वे प्रलीयन्ते च तत्र वै

(ब्राह्मणसर्वस्वात्)  
(praNavaadyaaH smR^itaa mantraaH chaturvargga phalapradaaH

tasmaachcha niHssR^itaassarve praliiyante cha tatra vai  BraahmaNasarvaswaat)

Meaning "All mantras are meditated upon prefixing Om, and then alone they can give the four results or purushaarthaas, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.  
In fact all such mantras originate from Pranavam and submerge in it ultimately,"

ॐ कारश्च शब्दश्च द्वावेतौ ब्रह्मणः पुराकण्डं  भित्वाविनिर्यातौ तस्मान्माङ्गळिकवुभौ।

माङ्गळ्यं पावनं धर्म्म्यं सर्वकामप्रसाधनंॐ कारः परमं ब्रह्मः सर्वमन्त्रेषु नायकः।

AUM kaarashcha shabdashcha dwaavetau brahmaNaH puraa

kaNDaM bhitwaaviniryaatau tasmaanmaa~NgaLikavuabhau.

maa~NgaLyaM paavanaM dharmmyaM sarvakaamaprasaadhanaM

AUM kaaraH paramaM brahmaH sarvamantreSu naayakaH.

"The flow and the roar of Omkaram came out of the throat of Brahma virtually shattering it.  
It is capable of providing us with all maangalyam.. meaning all the exalted aims of life,    
and so the flow and the sound of Omkaram are both called harbingers of mangalam.    
Provider of Mangalam, purifier of the self, the quintessence of virtues or Dharma, and the provider of all just and rightful desires, 
Omkaram is called the forerunner or leader of all the manthras. "

 यथा पर्ण्णं पलाशस्य शङ्कुनैकेन धार्यतेतथा जगदिदम् सर्वं  ॐ कारेणैव धार्यते।

याज्ञवल्क्यात्

yathaa parNNaM palaashasya sha~Nkunaikena dhaaryate

tathaa jagadidam sarvaM  AUM kaareNaiva dhaaryate.

yaaj~navalkyaat

Yaajnavalkya praised Omkara like this.  " Just as the three leaves in  a palasa stalk is held together by a single source ( palasa leaves occure in groups of three)  the three worlds bhu, bhuva and suvaH are also held together only by pranavam.

                                                          More to follow.....

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Discussion of Omkaram...The Inseparability of Jeevatma and Paramatma and their absolute oneness is denoted by Pranavam

Discussion of Omkaram...The Inseparability of Jeevatma and Paramatma and their absolute oneness is denoted by Pranavam

The word  अवरक्षणे   avaraskahane is from अकारं  akaaram  meaning protection in an exhaustive way which is the function of the triumvirate  Brahma, Vishna and Shiva,  or Iswara as a whole. 

 Only people who indulge in vilification of Vishnu or Shiva against one another would try to explain अकारं Akaram representing either of the the gods exclusively in contempt of the other.  
Such interpretation is irrelevanant and sinful.  
Here we have to realize that अ  is to be construed as an integral part of omkaram  (अ  उ  म  A U Ma ).  
The dictum तस्य वाचकः प्रणवः  tasya vaachakaH pranavaH  reinforces this idea.   
The pronouncement, Om tat sat  given byP arabrahmam was understood in three ways by great men

ॐ तत्सदिति निर्द्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः  ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च  यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा    OM  tatsaditi nirddeso brahmanaH trividho smrutah, braahmanaasten vedaashcha yajnaashcha vihitaah pura… Omkaram  signifies (1)  Brahmanas themselves,
 (2)the Vedas 
and (3) the Yajnaas.

The following Vakyam too underlines the supremacy of Omkaram. 
ॐ इत्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म   ॐ इति ब्रह्मा प्रसौति
(Om ityeakaaksharam Brahma, Om  iti Brham prasauti ) 
"Om is the single word denoting the supreme,  the Brahma created the world  with the word OM "

Again
अकारो वै सर्वा वाक् (akaro vai sarvaa vaak)  the root of all words is Akaara,  is the shrutivaakya.  
The word is the source or Kaaranam  and Karanatwam   requires power, knowledge and compassion for protection.. and all these are possessed only by the Paramaatman.

Hence that Paramaatman is the word  A.  
U karam represents the cognitive faculty.  
U means the world "also"  

 In the vedic sentence  
तदेवाग्निस्तद्वायुस्तद्सूर्यस्तदुचन्द्रमा 
(tadevaagnistadvaayustadsuuryastadu chandrama)   
"that is Agni, that is Vayu, that is Sun and that is also the  Moon"   here tadu chandrama connotes, it is also moon.   U is used there to signify 'also'(tad U chandramaa).  
When we start counting from "Ka" in Devanagarai alphabet, the Twetyfifth letter is Ma.
प्रऋतिमहदहङ्काराश्च मात्त्रस्च् भूतान्यम्पि हृदपि दशाक्षी पुरुषः पञ्चविंशः

Prakriti, Mahat,Ahankaram five Matras, fivebhutas,  Hridayam and the five Karmendriyas and five jnaanedrityas and the Purusha constitute the number twentyfive and that number is represented by Ma. 
 In fact the Parmatma the Purusha, who stands along with the  the 24 tattwas as above is  denoted by Makaaram.  

So  M---the Jeevaatma  and  A The parmatma are U, meaning that they  are the same is the essessence of pranavam. 

In mathematical parlance  AUM  parmatma Union Jeevatma is the tattwa.. this is the Advaita tattwaa of Pranavam.

--

Greatness of Gayatri as per Dharmasaastras

Greatness of Gayatri as per Dharmasaastras 

प्रणवे नित्ययुक्तस्य व्याहृतीषु च सप्तसु

त्रिपादायां च गायत्र्यां न भयं विद्यते क्वचित्।
परिहाप्यापि वेदांस्त्रीन् कर्माणि विविधानि च
सावित्रीमात्रमाश्रित्य द्विजो भवति निर्भयः॥
पूर्वां सन्ध्यां जपंस्तिष्ठन् नैशमेनो व्यपोहति
पश्चिमां तु समासीनो मलं हन्ति दिवाकृतं।
ऋषयो दीर्घसन्ध्यत्वात् दीर्घमायुरवाप्नुयुः
प्रज्ञां यशस्च कीर्तिम् च ब्रह्मवर्चसमेव च॥
praṇave nityayuktasya vyāhṛtīṣu ca saptasu
tripādāyāṁ ca gāyatryāṁ na bhayaṁ vidyate kvacit|
parihāpyāpi vedāṁstrīn karmāṇi vividhāni ca
sāvitrīmātramāśritya dvijo bhavati nirbhayaḥ||
pūrvāṁ sandhyāṁ japaṁstiṣṭhan naiśameno vyapohati
paścimāṁ tu samāsīno malaṁ hanti divākṛtaṁ|
ṛṣayo dīrghasandhyatvāt dīrghamāyuravāpnuyuḥ
prajñāṁ yaśasca kīrtim ca brahmavarcasameva ca||

 From Dharmasaastraas.

One who is always in meditation of OM the pranavam, the seven vyahritis namely bhuuH , bhuvaH, suvaH, mahaH, janaH tapaH satyam  and the three paadams of gayatri  tatsavitur.......(1)  bhargo.......(2) and dhiyo...(3),  for whom there can be no fear from anything anywhere.

Even if a person (twice-born) is not able to or has not equipped himself with the knowledge of trayee... the three vedas rk, yajus, and sama, or the other rituals and practices which are usually ordained to him and still he holds on to the upasana of Gayatri alone  he will be bereft of sins and fears..

A dwija should chant Gayatri in the post brahma sandhya muhurta in the morning in a standing pose and all his sins committed during the previous night vanishes from him.  He should chant Gayatri  in a sitting posture in the sandhya period of the evening and all the sins committed by him during the day departs from him.

It has to be noted that the Maadhyahnikopasanam is practically an expiation for  the consumption of prohibited and leftover food and perfoming actions unbecoming of a dwija and if the morning and evening sandhya and Gayatrijapam are peformed with necessary caution , skipping of Madhyahnikam may not be seriously harmful.. Of course this is only a contemporary view and nod purist will approve with this view.  Personally I do not agree with the view than Maahyahnikam can be skipped. 

The statement that chanting gayatri alone can protect even in spite of non-practice of other rituals or study of vedas again, is a view which is to support people who are in dire distress or incapability for anything.. it is like liquid food and oxygen mask and life supporting system, meant for the sinking patient.  But when one is healthy, affluent and is capable of performance, he should practice all Karmas and engage in study of Vedas  with all earnestness.

some thoughts on pranavam and gayatri

ॐ तत् सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधा: स्मृताः
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञIश्च विहिता: पुरा॥
 Om tatsadut nirdesho brahmanaH trividhaH smaritaaH

Brahmanaastena vedaashcah yajnaashcha vihitaaH puraa

By Om tat sat, the primordial god qualified  three things.. 
("Om let if be good, great, sublime etc.," is the meaning of
Om tat sat...
it is also "Om, it is the only being" ) 

Om Tatsat is 
(1)  the Brahmin, 
(2) the Vedas and 
(3)  the Vedic yajnaas.

 Twentyfour sages  presiding  over  the 24 letters of Gayatri

they are:-
विश्वामित्रो भरद्वाजो गौतमः कुत्स एव च
 भृगुः शन्ण्डिल्यकश्चैव लोहितो गर्ग्ग एव च
शातातपः सनत्कुमारः तथ सत्यतपाः स्मृतः
भार्गवः पराशरश्च पुण्डरीकः  क्रतुस्तदा
दक्षश्च कश्यपश्चैव जमदग्निश्च वत्सकः
विमलश्चाङ्गिरश्चैव अत्रिः कण्वस्तथैव च्
कुम्भ्योनिश्चतुर्विम्शत् ऋषयः परिकीर्तिताः॥॥

स्मृतिरत्नाद्

vishwamitra, bharadwaaja, gauthama, kutsa, bhrigu, shandilyaka, lohita, garga, shatatapa, tanatkumara, satyatapaa, bhargava, parasare, pundarika, kratu, daksha, kashyapa, jamadagni, vatsaka, vimala, angiraa, atri, kanva, kumbhayoni (agastya,)

the authority is from smritiratna..

Discussion on Pranava-- omkaram

अकारश्चाप्युकारञ्च मकारञ्च प्रजापतिः

वेदत्र्यान्निरदुहद् भूर्भुवस्वरितीति च

तदित्र्यचोस्यास्सवित्र्याः परमेष्ठी प्रजपतिः

त्रिभ्य एवेतु वेदेभ्यः पादम् पादम्रूदहत् 

akāraścāpyukārañca makārañca prajapatiḥ 

vedatryānniraduhad bhūrbhuvasvaritīti ca 

taditryacosyāssavitryāḥ parameṣṭhī prajapatiḥ 

tribhya evetu vedebhyaḥ pādam pādamrūdahat 

from the three Vedas RK, yajus and Saama, Brahma the prajapati extracted the three letters A, U and Ma. He also extracted the three words BhuuH BhuvaH and SuvaH also from the three Vedas.

And the Savitri Gayatri Manthram.. tatasavithurvarenyam bhargo devasyas dheemahi dhiyo yo nah prachodatyaat is also extracted by the Brahma the paramesti. 

Hence the three things are worshipped togtether, ..the pranavam (OM), the thrivyahriti… bhurbhuva swaH and the savitri(gayatri) .manthra 

The supreme Brahman is not amenable to evaluation or description.

The pranavam which has come as the primordial sound from Brahma also has the same quality. Hence, an attempt to find meaning from the Omkara would take us nowhere.

However we can think in terms of speculating the meaning of the three words A, U and M constituting the pranavam.. even though such exmplanation is very incomplete. 

यो वेदादौ स्वरः प्रोक्तः वेदान्ते च प्रतिष्ठितः 

तस्य प्रक्रितिलीनस्य यः परः स महेश्वरः 

yo vedādau svaraḥ proktaḥ vedānte ca pratiṣṭhitaḥ 

tasya prakritilīnasya yaḥ paraḥ sa maheśvaraḥ

which is the word appearing at the beginning of the Veda, 

the word which is well established in vedantha, ( or found in the end of the Vedas) 

and 

in whose basic nature the presences of Maheshwara the Shiva is manifesting, that word is A  

(cf.. agnimeele purohitam.. start of rgvedam) 

There for the A in pranavam represent Lords Shiva. 

There is another view. 

अमुं कङ्काळ वपुषम् जटिलं जलजासनं 

नमामि नौमि ध्यायामि समं सोमं सभारतिं 

amuṁ kaṅkāla vapuṣam jaṭilaṁ jalajāsanaṁ 

namāmi naumi dhyāyāmi samaṁ somaṁ sabhā 

कालवपुषं समं नमामि 

जटिलं सोमं नौमि 

अमुं कं जलजासनं सभारतिं 

we worship with equal reverence 

kam (brahma who sits on a lotus and the husband of vagadevata)

kaalavapushum.. ( the Vishnu of the hue of dark clouds and the husband of maa lakshmi) 

and

jatila ( the matted haired one Shiva and the consort of uma.. the Parvathi)

with the words for namaskaram are

namaami A,

naumi… U 

and dhaayaami… Mi, 

here the A is given to Vishnu, U is given to Shiva and M is given to Brahma. 

Hence Omkaram is the combination of the three supreme Gods Brahama Vishnu and Shiva. Further discussion on Pranavam will follow.