[Yogins having understood the relationship between pranava (om) and the thing expressed will ] repeat it and contemplate upon its meaning.
In his commentary, Vyasa remembers what is said in Vishnu Purana:
“After the repetition of Om let him meditate on Isvara. After meditation on Isvara let him repeat Om. Through attainment of perfection in both the repetition of Om and in meditating on Isvara, the Supreme Self shines forth”
The repetition of a mantra is known as japa, and it is meant to perfect the faculty of concentration. This ancient technique is used in many religions: in Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism it’s used a japa mala, a kind of prayer bead, to count the repetitions, usually 108. In Islamism and Sufism, the practice is known as tasbih (dhikr), and involves the repetition of the 99 names of God; to keep track of counting is used the right hand or a misbaha. Catholics use the rosary to repeat a prayer 150 times, and Orthodox Church use a komboskine to repeat a Jesus prayer a number between 300 and 1500 times.
Why the practice of japa is so widely used for meditation? We could find the answer in a study of 2001, published in the British Medical Journal, which found that Ave Maria and yoga mantra repetition had similar effects on people, slowing respiration to around 6/min and thus having a marked effect on synchronization in cardiovascular rhythm; and to slow respiration, improves concentration, and induces calm. That is the first aim of this sutra: through the repetition (japa) of the pranava (om), we get fixed in yoga (meditation), which makes the mind one-pointed. When the mind gets one-pointed, the inner meaning (artha) of the mantra is realized; and then, again we go on repeating the mantra, but this time we remember its inner meaning, realizing a more subtle and pure meaning, and then again we repeat… and this way we will increase gradually the concentration, until it’s firmly established.
From the whole sequence of sutras on isvara (from sutra I.23 to sutra I.28) we finally find out why isvara is a mean for yoga: because from the repetition of his name, (the primal sound of the universe – the gateway – om) and then the contemplation on its meaning, and then the new repetition, etc. we can reach our innermost being, gradually going from outside to inside us, from the gross to the subtle, using the (psychophysical) power of the japa practice to calm our mind and to experience higher planes of consciousness, to experience our true Self.
taj (tat) – that
japas – recitation, repetition (from jap= whisper, mutter)
tad (tat) – that
artha – meaning, aim, purpose
bhāvanam – realization, causing to be; contemplation.
Posts