Raja Yoga

From 'The Yoga Sutras’ – commentary by Sri Swami Sivananda
From Chapter I: Samadhi Pada - On Contemplations

I.27. TASYA VAACHAKAH PRANAVAH
'He manifests in the word OM'

Commentary:
OM (AUM), the sacred word of the Hindus, is one of the oldest known words. Over 5000 years ago, and probably much earlier in ancient Sumeria, OM was known and used as a secret word by Sumerian mystics and priests. When the Indo-Aryan tribes wandered east from Sumeria to Northern India, they carried the precious and scared word OM with them. In the oldest known Indian scriptures, OM has always had a place of prominence. Nearly all Mantras and hymns begin and end with OM.

Om is also used alone as a Mantra and is considered to be the most powerful one.

There are countless stories still circulating in India telling that if a person can pronounced the word OM with the right vibration and proper concentration, he can attain all 'siddhis', that is power to perform all kinds of miracles, such as healing people, producing rain, or walking over water.


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