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66 Notes on Gauda pada-Karika प्रा% can be identified with म्, because विश्व and तेजप्त merge into प्राज्ञ in the सुषुप्ति state, and अ and उ erge into म् ( like वर्णs in the स्फोट शब्द) after being uttered. मिर्मितिर्मानं मीयते इव हि विश्वतैजसो प्राज्ञेन प्रलयोत्पत्योः प्रवेशनिर्गमाभ्यां प्रस्थेनेव यवाः । तथोंकारसमाप्तौ पुनः प्रयोगे च प्रविश्य निर्गच्छत इवाकारोकारौ मकारे। ( Sankara). The फल of this एकात्वोपासना is मिनोति हवा इदं सर्वं जगद्याथात्म्यं जानातीत्यर्थः । अपीतिश्व जगत्कारणात्मा भवतीत्यर्थः । ( Sankara on Mandukya ll). (22) तुल्यं सामान्यम्, the common ground between each of the three pairs. महामुनिः ब्रह्मवित् ( Sankara). (23) The उपासक of विश्व (as identified with अकार ) secures his goal viz. विश्व; that of तैजस (as identified with उकार ) तेजस: that of प्राज्ञ (as identified with मकार) the प्राज्ञ, in accordance with the doctrine, यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः (Gita XVII. 3). But the worshipper of Mātrāless portion of ओङ्कार has not to go anywhere to secure his goal. He realises himself as Brahman. The ङपासक of विश्व, तेजस and प्राज्ञ secures only the lower फल, and as such is inferior to the उपासक of the अमात्र. But Karika 22 calls him a महामुनि, while in Karika. 29, one who knows the ओङ्कार as अमात्र etc. is called only a मुनि. This is strange. Kārikā 22 appears to be a suspicious one. (24) Karikas 24-29 glorify the उपासना and the उपासक of ओङ्कार as a whole, and especially its अमात्र aspect. One who knows ओङ्कार as अमात्र, अनन्तमात्र, द्वैतस्योपशमः etc. is the real Muni. ओङ्कार is also known as प्रणव. To know it as a whole, one must know its parts or Mātrās equated with the आत्मपादs. There is no necessity of meditating upon anything else. (25) प्रणव or ओङ्कार is ब्रह्मन् which is described in the Upanisads as absolutely free from fear, प्रणव is ओम, lit. which is praised (प्रणूयते इति) or uttered first. A Vedic passage is expected to begin and end with A. Read the following from Manusmrti, ब्राह्मणाः प्रणव कुर्यादादावन्ते च सर्वदा । स्रवत्यनोङ्कृतं पूर्वं पुरस्ताच्च विनश्यति ।। ... अकारं चाप्युकारं च मकारं च प्रजापतिः । वेदत्रयास्निरदुहद् भूर्भुवः स्वरितीति च । एतदक्षरमेतां च जपन्व्याहृतिपूर्षिकाम् । संध्योर्वेदविद् विप्रो वेदपुण्येन युज्यते ।। II.74,76,78. The Aitareyabrahmana says तेभ्योऽभितप्तेभ्यस्त्रयो वर्णा अजायन्ताकार उकारो मकार इति ताननेकधा समभरत्तदेतदो३मिति । तस्मादो
