Verse 25
Maharsheenaam bhriguraham
Giraamasm yekamaksharam;
Yajnaanaam japayajno’smi
Sthaavaraanaam himaalayah.
Among the great sages I am Bhrigu;
Among words I am the monosyllable Om;
Among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of silent repetition;
Among immovable things the Himalayas I am.
While all fruits and flowers grow from the
same land, only the best amongst them are selected for an exhibition.
Similarly, everything that is manifest and unmanifest in the universe is the glory of God, but the prominent amongst them are singled out for mention as his opulence.
Amongst the sages in the celestial planes of
existence, Bhrigu is special. He possesses wisdom,
glory, and devotion.
Lord Vishnu holds the mark of his foot on his chest as a consequence of a divine pastime described in the Puranas in which Bhrigu tested the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiv. Shree Krishna’s glory is revealed best through him.
AMONG WORDS, I AM THE ONE-SYLLABLED "OM"
If ordinary word-symbol indicate only the
finite, the Rishis thought that they must conceive a word-symbol to indicate
the Eternal. Thus, they discovered the one syllabled word 'OM,' which is the
greatest mantra in all the Vedas and traditionally, up-to recent times, this
has been, in the spiritual world, the one sound idol used as a prop (Alambanam)
for all early meditators.
Of sound vibrations, Lord Krishna's vibhuti
or divine, transcendental opulence manifests as the sacred monosyllable OM
which is uttered before every Vedic ritual can begin. The words ekam aksaram
directly refers to OM.
In one of the sadan talks (Talk in a Sai Center
in Oman), the author shared an incident when John Hislop asked Swami,"Swami, If we have to worship You without Your form, how do we do worship?”.
Swami answered, “Worship me as AUM”
Let us go through some more words of Bhagwan
on OM/ AUM.
“Om is the symbol of the unchanging eternal
universal supreme God .... Om is the sound of the movement of the stars in the
firmament; it is the sound that manifested when the dawn of Creative Will
stirred the Niraakaara (the Attributeless) into activity. SSS6, Chap. 42
If you have the ear, you can hear 'Om'
announcing the Lord's Presence in every sound. All the five elements produce
this sound, 'Om.' The bell in the temple is intended to convey the Om as the
symbol of the Omnipresent God. When the bell sounds Om, the Godhead within you
will awaken and you will be aware of His Presence. That is the meaning of the
bell which is rung in front of the inner shrine in the temple. SSS1, Chap. 9”
Yajña is
the act of dedicating ourselves to the Supreme. The simplest of all yajñas is the chanting of the holy names of God.
This is called japa yajña, or the sacrifice of the devotional repetition of
the divine names of God. In the present age of Kali,
the chanting of the names of God is even more emphasized.
Kalijuga kevala nāma ādhārā,
Sumiri sumiri nara utarahiṅ pārā
(Ramayan)[v28]
“In the age of Kali, the chanting and remembrance of the names of God
is the most powerful means of crossing the ocean of material existence.”
The Himalayas are a mountain range lying at the north of India. Since ages, they have
inspired spiritual awe and wonder in billions of devotees.
Their atmosphere, environment, and solitude are conducive to the performance of austerities for spiritual progress. Thus, many great sages reside in the Himalayas in their subtle bodies, practicing penance for their own advancement and for the benefit of humankind.
And so, of the multitude of mountain ranges in this world, the Himalayas best display his opulence.
Love.
