Its repetition and the contemplation of its meaning [should be performed].

Bryant Commentary:

Continuing this discussion of oṁ, Patañjali here gives a specific indication as to how to fix the mind on Īśvara. After all, since Īśvara, as a type of puruṣa, is beyond prakṛti, and therefore beyond conceptualization or any type of vṛtti, how is one to fix one’s mind upon him since the prākṛtic mind cannot perceive that which is more subtle than itself? Patañjali provides the means: through the recitation of the syllable in which Īśvara manifests. As early as the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, oṁ, which is considered there to be, “non-different from brahman” is described as “the best ālambana,” support (I.10, 38) for the mind in meditation: “when one knows this support one delights in brahman.” The recitation of oṁ is called japa. Japa is an old Vedic term common in the old Brāhmaṇa texts, where it referred to the soft recitation of Vedic mantras by the priest.

Vyāsa states that by constantly repeating oṁ and contemplating its meaning, artha, namely Īśvara, the mind of the yogī becomes one-pointed—the goal of all yoga practice. Vyāsa quotes a verse from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa: “From svādhyāya [reciting mantras], let yoga be practiced, and from yoga let reciting mantras be performed; by perfection in both, the supreme ātman shines forth” Elaborating on this, Vācaspati Miśra takes this sūtra as specifying how to engage in meditation on Īśvara, that is, the devotion to Īśvara referred to in sūtra I.23. He understands the bhāvana, dwelling upon, of this sūtra as permeating the mind again and again, and Bhoja Rāja considers it the entrance into the mind of an object again and again to the exclusion of all other objects” (bhāvana occurs also in II.2, 33, 34). Repeating oṁ and contemplating its meaning, that it is the sound representation of Īśvara, the object of the yogī’s surrender, when coupled with Patañjali’s usage of praṇidhāna, devotion, in I.23, points to chanting the mantra in a devotional mood. According to the bhakti traditions—recall that Vyāsa considers Īśvara-praṇidhāna a special sort of bhakti—by doing this, thoughts of the Lord become the very substance of the citta, a sort of “Iśvarizing” parallel to the “sāttvicizing” activities of the yogic lifestyle. Just as an image and associations of, say, a cow, arise upon hearing the word “cow,” so thoughts of the Lord arise in the citta upon reciting and hearing his name, japa. Śaṅkara notes that such japa can be mental or softly audible. By such recitation, japa, the citta becomes saturated with saṁskāras connected to God (of course, in meditation proper, the mind remains fixed on one such saṁskāra, specifically, the mantra encapsulating Īśvara). This results in a feeling of bliss. More important, continues Vācaspati Miśra, the Lord then becomes gracious to such a devotee and awards him or her samādhi.

Śaṅkara’s analysis of this sūtra reflects the widely held view in Hindu traditions touched upon previously that in addition to perception of puruṣa, the yogī whose practice is imbued with devotion can also directly perceive God as a distinct but supreme puruṣa. Since oṁ has an inherent relationship with Īśvara, says Śaṅkara, by reciting oṁ the yogī can meet Īśvara face-to-face, that is, the recitation of oṁ with intense concentration not

“only brings Īśvara to mind but also takes one to a supersensory face-to-face encounter with Īśvara: “By perfecting the repetition of oṁ and meditation on the supreme Īśvara, the supreme ātman (paramātman) situated in the highest place (parameṣṭhin) shines forth for the yogī.“190 Vijñānabhikṣu articulates the same view:

His name is the praṇava (oṁ). And praṇidhāna, devotion, consists in contemplating Him, preceded by chanting oṁ and culminating in direct perception of Him. This absorption [saṁyama] with regard to the supreme Īśvara is the primary practice in asamprajñāta–samādhi and [the attainment of] liberation … Absorption on the personal ātman, on the other hand, is secondary.

Here we find the Vaiṣṇava view articulated that the realization and perception of puruṣa is a secondary, less important goal of yoga. The higher goal is the realization and perception of Īśvara, the Supreme form of whom both Śaṅkara and Vijñānabhikṣu consider to be Viṣṇu. Be that as it may, as Coward (1985, 356) recognizes, “According to the Yoga tradition, it was this route to Īśvara that was chosen by the majority of yogīs as their path to release.”

Coward gives a fascinating correlation of Śaṅkara’s comments here with the various stages of samādhi. He attempts a hermeneutic of the mechanics underpinning this perception of Īśvara through chanting oṁ. Coward’s representation of the stages involved in this process involves the subdivision of the vitarka and vicāra states of samādhi into sa and nir forms (the prefix sa– means with, and nir without). This will be explained fully in I.42–44.

In the savitarka stage of chanting, oṁ is mixed up with the conventional meanings and ideas associated with it. For example, one may have a mental image of Īśvara derived from some picture or a description in a Purāṇic scripture, or one’s ideas on Īśvara will be molded by some sectarian theological notions, or even from pure imagination. In other words, one’s mind will be conditioned by convention in some form or fashion. Therefore, at this stage, even though one is fully absorbed in chanting the mantra without external distraction, which is the prerequisite of any of the levels of samādhi, nonetheless this stage of samādhi is obscured by these habitual ways of conceiving Īśvara. At the nirvitarka stage, these conventional ways of thinking are weakened, and the object of meditation, in this case Īśvara, appears in its own pure nature, unobstructed by mental clutter and imposition. Coward states:

From the reports of yogīs like Patañjali and Vyāsa, in this experience, one comes to know Īśvara as the original speaker of the Vedas to the Rṣis, although, of course, to put this into conventional words, as we have just done, already reduces us back to the level of savitarka. To know it in its nirvitarka192 purity, one must experience it for oneself. (1985, 354),

At the third stage of savicāra, as the mental concentration on the recitation of the mantra deepens, one penetrates into the essence of the sound and begins to perceive Īśvara’s body as consisting of pure sattva. The yogī’s mind is now so completely identified with Īśvara that it is no longer aware of its own separate existence; one is so absorbed in this vision that one has lost all self-awareness. One has merged into Īśvara, although one must always bear in mind that this is not the merging of advaita-vedānta where the soul is held to actually ontologically lose its separate identity. Puruṣa never loses its separate identity in Yoga. The merging here is psychological—one forgets one’s own self in the rapture of the divine vision of Īśvara, but one nonetheless remains a distinct individual. In the final stage, one’s absorption in this vision of Īśvara is purged of all notions of Time and Space: “Īśvara’s relationship with the praṇava and all the Vedas (of which it is the seed) is seen to have existed in all previous cycles [world ages] (beginninglessly), to be manifest in the preset cycle, and to be potential in all future cycles” (ibid., 355). Since the late Vedic period, as Coward points out: “Īśvara-praṇidhāna and svādhyāya (in the form of chanting AUM) has been the core practice of most yogīs” (357)

It is unfortunate that adequate attention has not yet been directed to the Purāṇic traditions, which were being compiled and organized into the Purāṇic corpus in Patañjali’s time, where the “bare bones” directives of the Yoga Sūtras are brought to life. It is in the colorful narratives and stories of the great and manifold manifestations of Īśvara in the form of Viṣṇu, Śiva, and the Goddess, and in the stories of the great devoted paradigmatic yogīs who undertook tapas, Īśvara–praṇidhāna, and svādhyāya in unique and incredible ways, that one finds the inspirational exemplars of Hindu yoga. Notwithstanding that these stories have been dismissed by most Western scholars as too mythological to merit serious philosophical attention, it is from these stories and renditions that the living Yoga traditions of Hinduism have found their inspiration and the spiritual practices of hundreds of millions of Hindus over the centuries have taken shape.

The Purāṇic Dhruva story is one such well-known story. Dhruva was a young boy of five who was offended by his father the king (see II.12, 51 for this part of the narrative). Desiring revenge due to his kṣatriya, warrior, spirit, the boy took to the forest, where he performed japa on the mantra given to him by his guru Nārada—oṁ namo bhagavate Vāsudevāya—with undeviating concentration. (The devotional traditions typically retain the ancient syllable oṁ, given its correlation with Īśvara and with Brahman, but adjoin to it the specific name of Īśvara they revere, in this case Kṛṣṇa.) As a result of his constant focus, and incredible austerities (see II.51), Viṣṇu appeared to the boy despite his tāmasic motive in undertaking this meditation. Connecting this story with the vitarka stage of samādhi described in I.17, Vijñānabhikṣu remarks that (in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa and Vaiṣṇava tradition in general), there are two ways of gaining a vision of God through meditative practice, that is, two types of Divine epiphany. God can appear either in an external physical form and be perceived externally by the physical eyes of the dedicated devotee, as in the Dhruva story, or internally to the meditating devotee. Put more precisely in this latter case, the yogi’s awareness can be transported to another non-prākṛtic plane of consciousness (saguṇa Brahman), even as the devoted yogī still retains his physical body, an experience that Vijñānabhikṣu correlates with vitarka meditation:

The direct perception of vitarka-samādhi is different in character from the perception of the form of four-armed Viṣṇu by Dhruva and others attained by the practice of japa and penance, etc. The Supreme Īśvara, being satisfied with the penance and meditation of such [devotees,] … created a body for Himself and manifested before them and interacted with them by talking to them and so forth. Yogīs, on the other hand, by the power of their yoga practice, directly perceive the four-armed body of the Lord situated in the eternal Divine realm, even though they themselves are somewhere else.

Thus Dhruva here experiences both an internal and an external vision of Viṣṇu. It was (and remains) primarily scholastics or dedicated practitioners who would have seriously studied or engaged intellectually with Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras (which remains true for most yoga practitioners in the West today). For everyday Hindus, the teachings of the classical knowledge systems are translated into and transmitted through popular stories. We include here a translation of the episode from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (IV.8.43–9.2) referred to here by Vijñānabhikṣu, which describes part of Dhruva’s mantra meditation and the resulting manifestation of Īśvara (Viṣṇu) before him, as an example of how the technical and esoteric stages of classical yoga are made accessible and come to life in the popular and colorful narratives that form the core of real-life Hindu religious identity. (In III.3 we provide another description of yoga practice from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa using the same form of Īśvara as the ālambana). We take up the narrative where Dhruva’s guru, the great sage Nārada, instructs the child:

… Seated on a prepared seat (āsana).
One should cast off the impurities of the senses, breath and mind by the three practices of prāṇāyāma, one should contemplate (dhyāna) with a steady mind the [Supreme] Teacher (guru, i.e., Īśvara). He has pleasing face and eyes and is always inclined to bestow his grace. He has beautiful nose and eyebrows, charming cheeks, and is the most attractive of the divine forms.

Youthful, with charming limbs, and reddish eyes and lips, he is the refuge of his devotees, the shelter of humankind and an ocean of compassion.

He is a puruṣa, his color is that of a dark cloud, and he bears on his chest the mark of śrīvatsa. He wears a forest garland, and and his four arms bear the conch, discus, club, and lotus flower.

He wears a helmet and earrings, and is bedecked with bracelets and armlets. His neck is adorned with the kaustubha gem, and his garment is of yellow silk.

He sports a belt with dangling bells, and shining golden anklets. He is the most attractive person in existence, serene, and delightful for the mind and eyes to behold.

He is endowed with two feet shining with a row of gemlike nails. He is to be found within, having taken up his seat in the lotus of the heart of his worshippers.198

He is the supreme boon-giver, and one should meditate (dhyāna) on his smiling countenance and loving glances with a steady and concentrated mind.

The mind of one meditating on the most auspicious form of God, Bhagavān, becomes perfected due to this highest form of mental control, and never refrains from meditating.

Now hear the supreme secret mantra which should be chanted (japa). A person reciting this mantra for seven days and nights attains a vision of the siddhas.199

It is: oṁ namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya.

With this mantra, a wise person should perform the Lord’s worship with devotional offerings, understanding the appropriate articles to use in worship according to place and time.

The Lord manifests in the form of the mantra. One should perform worship in the same manner as he has been worshipped by the ancients, while reciting this intimate mantra …

Dhruva withdrew his mind, which is the support of the senses and their objects, from all other objects. Meditating on the form of God in his heart, he ceased to be aware of anything else …

Then, he observed that form, which was as brilliant as a flash of lightning, [that he had been perceiving internally] in the lotus of his heart on account of his insight honed by dedicated yoga practice, suddenly disappear, and [opening his eyes] he beheld that same form standing externally.

As elsewhere, Vijñānabhikṣu introduces a Vedāntic element to the discussion. As we know, his philosophy is one of bhedābheda, oneness in difference, and he quotes a variety of scriptural passages emphasizing the oneness of the puruṣa with Brahman, or Īśvara—that is, between the soul and God—and a selection of passages focusing on the difference between the two (Vijñānabhikṣu is correlating Brahman with Īśvara here since, in theistic Vedānta, where Brahman is conceived of as a personal being, they are essentially one and the same). In Vijñānabhikṣu’s view, such apparently conflicting statements can be reconciled by holding that puruṣa and Brahman are simultaneously both one and different. As he has attempted to illustrate in previous passages, the oneness of the equation holds good insofar as both are pure consciousness and thus belong to the same class, or category, of existence. However, both Īśvara and puruṣa retain their identities eternally, hence the difference, as Vyāsa will specify in the next verse While this is a Vedāntic concern, it holds for the Yoga tradition (at least with regard to puruṣa and Īśvara).

Vijñānabhikṣu adds that the oneness of puruṣa with Brahman results from the absorption of the consciousness of the former into the latter; in other words, it is a psychological, not an ontological or a metaphysical, oneness. Put differently, the pure puruṣa forgets its own separate existence by being absorbed in thoughts of Īśvara, but this does not mean such a puruṣa actually loses its distinct individuality as certain nondualist schools hold (hence the difference indicated in bhedābheda philosophy). Vijñānabhikṣu quotes the well-known verse

“from the Mahābhārata (XII.306.76) stating that those who are wise worship the twenty-sixth category of existence, Īśvara, not puruṣa, the twenty-fifth. Thus, Īśvara, like puruṣa, is an eternally separate category of reality, and, although the two are alike in nature insofar as both are conscious beings, they are nonetheless eternally separate and distinct individuals. Through repetition of oṁ, and meditation on Īśvara, one can realize the latter as paramātman, the Supreme Soul.

Additionally, in Vijñānabhikṣu’s view, one cannot chant oṁ and meditate on Īśvara at the same time. Therefore, he suggests that oṁ be repeated as a prelude and postlude to devotional meditation. Hariharānanda, on the other hand, holds that the oṁ mantra be recited while thoughts of Īśvara are simultaneously cultivated, because if oṁ is chanted correctly, its designation, Īśvara, automatically comes to mind anyway. In his perspective (which is representative of most bhakti theologies), eventually both the mantra and its referent, Īśvara, come naturally to mind, at which time the devotee is established in Īśvara-praṇidhāna, submission to God.

 Repeat It And Contemplate Upon Its Meaning..

Through repetition its meaning becomes clear.

By constantly repeating that sacred sound with great respect and love and reflecting upon its meaning, one attains spiritual wealth.

Its constant repetition and meditation on its meaning.

Taimini Commentary:

How can the power of a Mantra like the Pranava be developed? For, it has to be remembered that this power is potential, not active. It is the power of a seed which needs to be developed gradually by providing certain essential conditions, not the power of an electric motor which is available on merely pressing a button. This is a fact frequently lost sight of by many people. They think that by merely repeating a Mantra a few times they can obtain the desired result. They cannot. A Mantra can no more give in this way the result for which it is devised than a seed of a mango tree can satisfy a man who is hungry. The seed must be sown, watered and the tender plant tended for years before it can bear fruit and satisfy the hungry. In the same way the potential power which resides in a Mantra must be developed slowly by the application of the right methods before it can become available for the spiritual advancement of the Sadhaka. The process generally takes years of the most strenuous and onepointed discipline and practice and even then the Sadhaka may not be quite successful if he has not provided the right conditions. The higher the object of the Mantra the more difficult and prolonged the process of unfolding the power which is latent in it.

The two principal means of developing the power which is latent in Pranava which are equally applicable to other similar Mantras are given in the Sutra we are considering. The first means is Japa. This is a well-known technique of Mantra-Yoga in which the Mantra is repeated again and again (first audibly, then silently and lastly mentally) in a prescribed manner until the desired results begin to appear. The repetition of the Mantra is necessary and sometimes the Sadhakas are required to repeat it such an enormous number of times that it becomes a test of their patience and endurance. But though generally this number is great the number by itself is not the most important factor. The other conditions—mental and emotional—are equally important. Japa begins in a mechanical repetition but it should pass by stages into a form of meditation and unfoldment of the deeper layers of consciousness.

The efficacy of Japa is based upon the fact that every Jivatma is a microcosm thus having within himself the potentialities of developing all states of consciousness and all powers which are present in the active form in the macrocosm. All the forces which can help this Divine spark within each human heart to become a roaring fire are to be applied. And the unfoldment of consciousness takes place as a result of the combined action of all these forces rather than the mere repetition of the Mantra. Still, the Mantra must be there to integrate and polarize these forces as the tiny seed must be there to utilize the soil, water, air and sunshine in the development of the tree. It is not possible to deal here with the modus operandi of Japa and the manner in which it arouses the potentialities of the microcosmic Jivatma. It may be merely pointed out that its potency depends upon its capacity to arouse subtle vibrations within the vehicles which it affects. A Mantra is a sound combination and thus represents a physical vibration which is perceptible to the physical ear. But this physical vibration is its outermost expression and hidden behind the physical vibration and connected with it are subtler vibrations much in the same way as the dense physical body of man is his outermost expression and is connected with his subtler vehicles. These different aspects of Vak or ‘speech’ are called Vaikhari, Madhyama, Pasyanti and Para. Vaikhari is the audible sound which can lead through the intermediate stages to the subtlest form of Para Vak. It is really through the agency of these subtler forms of ‘sound’ that the unfoldment of consciousness takes place and the hidden potentialities become active powers. This release of powers takes a definite course according to the specific nature of the Mantra just as a seed grows into a tree, but into a particular kind of tree according to the nature of the seed.

The other means of utilizing the power which is latent in Pranava is Bhavana. This word literally means ‘dwelling upon in mind’. Let us try to understand its significance in the present context. The object of the dual practice prescribed in this Sutra is to contact the Divine Consciousness of Isvara. The Japa has the effect of attuning the vehicles. But something more is necessary in order to bring down the Divine influence and establish contact with the Divine Consciousness. If an electric current is to flow into a mechanism we need not only conductance or capacity to transmit the current but also voltage, pressure to make the current flow. In the same way in order to make it possible for the individual consciousness to draw nearer to the Divine Consciousness we need not only attunement of the vehicles but a drawing force, an attraction which corresponds to voltage in the flow of the electric current. This force which draws together the two—the Jivatma and the Paramatma—may take different forms. In BhaktiYoga, for example, it takes the form of intense devotion or love. In Mantra-Yoga it 69 takes the form of Bhavana or intense meditation on the significance of the Mantra and the object which is sought to be gained. This Bhavana is not merely an intellectual process like the one we employ in finding the solution of a mathematical problem. It is a joint action of all our faculties in the pursuit of a common goal. So that not only the spirit of intellectual enquiry is there but also the deep yearning of the lover who wants to find the Beloved and the will of the Hatha-Yogi who wants to break through all the barriers which separate him from the object of his search. This kind of Bhavana polarizes all our powers and faculties and produces the necessary concentration of purpose. Thus gradually the distractions which take the mind of the aspirant away from the object of his search are removed and he is able to turn his attention inwards.

The mantra AUM is to be repeated constantly, with feeling, realizing its full significance.

Iyengar Commentary:

Constant, reverential repetition of the pranava AUM, with contemplation on its meaning and the feeling it evokes, helps the seer to reach the highest state in yoga.
Words, meaning and feeling are interwoven. As words are eternal, so are meaning and feeling. Meaning and feeling change according to one’s intellectual calibre and understanding. This sutra conveys the devotional aspects of the seed mantra AUM.
Japa is repetition of the mantra, with reverence and realization of its meaning. Practice of japa unites the perceiver, the instruments of perception, and the perceived: God. The mantra AUM is considered to be sabda Brahman (Word of God, or Universal Sound) to be known with the

To repeat it with reflection upon its meaning is an aid.

Satchidananda Commentary:

Here we come to the practice of japa. It’s a very powerful technique and, at the same time, it’s the easiest, simplest and the best. Almost every religion advocates the repetition of God’s name because all the prophets, sages and saints experienced and understood its greatness, glory and power.

That’s why in the Hindu system, a mystic word, or mantra, is given to the student to repeat. The meaning of mantra is “that which keeps the mind steady and produces the proper effect.” Its repetition is called japa. So Japa Yoga is communion with God through the repetition of holy name. In the Catholic religion you see the japa of Hail Mary practiced with the aid of the rosary. And in the Greek Orthodox Church I was surprised to see that japa is their constant practice also. They repeat, “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, ” continuously. And in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, japa is a predominant practice.

We say it is the easiest because you need not go to a particular place nor have a particular time for it. It is not somewhere outside you, but always within. Wherever you are, your mantra is with you. To worship a form you have to have a picture or image and a place to keep it. But in mantra practice it is always in your heart, the most sacred place, because it is your beloved. And that’s why your mantra is to be kept sacred and secret. You don’t even reveal it to others, lest you lose the reverence for it.

By repeating it constantly, a part of the mind gets linked to that. It is like going down into a tunnel with a life-rope tied around the waist and one end of the rope fixed to a peg outside the tunnel. Whenever there is any danger, you can just shake the rope and get pulled out. In the same way, a part of your mind is tied to God through your mantra while the other part is engaged in worldly pursuits. You dive deep to get all the pearls you want to gather: name, fame, money, position, friends, anything you want. You need not stay away from anything as long as you do not lose hold of the rope. Sensible climbers see to that first, and even pull it a few times to see whether it is strong enough. Only after making sure do they begin to climb. But, alas, many people do not bother about any rope. It is a golden cord between you and God or the cosmic force.

Do not bother about the meaning in the beginning. Let the repetition become a constant habit. When it becomes a firm habit, then you can think, “What am I repeating?” Then you will be able to think of the meaning without forgetting the repetition itself because it has become a habit already. Most things happen by habit in our lives. Twelve o’clock means lunch; six o’clock, dinner. Just by the clock, things have become habits. Because we repeat something so often, it becomes second nature to us. In the same way, God’s name can also be mechanically or habitually created in the beginning until finally it absorbs you and you become that. If you repeat, “war, war, war, ” one day you will be at war. Think, “monkey, monkey, monkey, ” and probably within a week or two you will be jumping here and there. Yes, “As you think, so you become.” Knowingly or unknowingly, you imbibe the qualities of the thing named.

That is why the right name has to be selected. Any word could help you keep the mind focused, but some names might lead you into difficulty later on. A holy name which will elevate your mind should be taken as a mantra. For a special benefit, a special mantra is called for, but the basis of them all is OM, just as cotton is the basis for cloth, which is then cut in different designs according to its purpose—a pillowcase, a bedsheet, a tablecloth or a napkin. OM is the basic seed. For different purposes you use different mantras which are all part and parcel of the original cosmic sound vibration OM.

You can use the same sound power to bring harm or good. The people who do voodoo and black magic are also using mantric power. So you can make or break, bless or curse, with your words. In fact, at no other time has the power of the word been more exhibited than in this century. Politicians get elected by the power of their words. The power of words can be clearly seen in the present-day advertisements. Even a worthless product can be made to seem the best by clever words. So the power of the word can be misused also. That is why even before you handle these words, you should have purity of mind. So in japa, y

The repetition of this (Om) and meditating on its meaning (is the way).

SV Commentary:

Why should there be repetition? We have not forgotten that theory of Samskaras, that the sum-total of impressions lives in the mind. Impressions live in the mind, the sum-total of impressions, and they become more and more latent, but remain there, and as soon as they get the right stimulus they come out. Molecular vibration will never cease. When this universe is destroyed all the massive vibrations disappear, the sun, moon, stars, and earth, will melt down, but the vibrations must remain in the atoms. Each atom will perform the same function as the big worlds do. So the vibrations of this Chitta will subside, but will go on like molecular vibrations, and when they get the impulse will come out again. We can now understand what is meant by repetition. It is the greatest stimulus that can be given to the spiritual Samskaras. “One moment of company with the Holy makes a ship to cross this ocean of life.” Such is the power of association. So this repetition of Om, and thinking of its meaning, is keeping good company in your own mind. Study, and then meditate and meditate, when you have studied. The light will come to you, the Self will become manifest.

But one must think of this Om, and of its meaning too. Avoid evil company, because the scars of old wounds are in you, and this evil company is just the heat that is necessary ot call them out. In the same way we are told that good company will call out the good impressions that are in us, but which have become latent. There is nothing holier in this world than to keep good company, because the good impressions will have this same tendency to come to the surface.

The Vedic teachers hold that the relation of word and meaning is eternal, inasmuch as one co-exists with the other. The Yogi who has come to know well the relation between word and meaning must constantly repeat it, and habituate the mind to the manifestation therein of its meaning. The constant repetition -is to be of the Pranava (A U M) and the habitual mental manifestation is to be of what it signifies, wara. The mind of the Yogi who constantly repeats the Pranava and habituates* the mind to the constant manifestation of the idea it carries, becomes one-pointed. And so it has been said : —

‘ Let the Yoga be practised through study, and let study be effected through Yoga. By Yoga and study together the Highest Seif s]lilles ,

~ Rāma Prasāda translation.