ओमित्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वम् — Benefits & How to Chant
ओमित्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वम्
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting ओमित्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वम्
Reveals the sacred syllable Aum as the symbol and sound-form of Brahman, encompassing all that exists.
Establishes Aum as embracing past, present, future and even what is beyond time.
Forms the foundation for meditation on Aum (Omkara/Pranava) as taught in the Mandukya Upanishad.
Unites all of creation into one imperishable Word, calming the mind into oneness.
Opens the Upanishad's teaching on the four states
waking, dream, deep sleep, and Turiya.
Recited at the beginning of meditation and Vedic chanting to attune the mind to Brahman.
How to Chant ओमित्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वम्
Instructions
Recite the verse to set the mind, then chant the single syllable 'Aum' slowly and repeatedly, drawing out the three sounds A-U-M and resting in the silence that follows each chant. Contemplate, as the verse teaches, that all that was, is, and will be — and all that is beyond time — is this one imperishable Aum. Let the chanting dissolve distinctions into the one Word, the symbol of Brahman, and abide in the stillness it opens.
Spiritual Significance
Tradition holds that the Mandukya Upanishad, with its twelve verses and the karikas of Gaudapada, contains the essence of all Vedanta, and that meditation on Aum as taught here carries the knower through the three states of consciousness to the silent Fourth (Turiya) — the pure, non-dual Self that is Brahman itself.
Origin & History
Source: Mandukya Upanishad, Verse 1
Author: Traditional (Upanishadic)
The Mandukya Upanishad, though the briefest of the principal Upanishads, is held in the highest esteem; the Muktika Upanishad declares that the Mandukya alone is sufficient for the liberation of an earnest seeker. It opens with this verse proclaiming Aum to be the whole of reality across all time, then unfolds the meaning of the syllable through the four quarters of the Self — the waking (Vaishvanara), dreaming (Taijasa), deep-sleep (Prajna) and the transcendent fourth (Turiya). The first verse thus sets the stage for one of Vedanta's most profound meditations on Aum and consciousness.