Forum

PRANAVA TIME

The treasure house of precious Indian ancient literature/knowledge has virtually, over the period, vanished/disappeared. Some due to vandalism of invading tribes, others due to secrecy of the possessors or such other causes. And for that reason, a genuine enquirer is perplexed while attempting to interpret the available ancient texts as to the real or intended meanings of words/expressions. One of such texts is the “Pranava Vada” by Gargayana. The surfacing of this book has an interesting story behind it.

The presenter, Bhagwan Das, claims that a person called Pandit Dhanaraj, despite being blind, was able to recite from memory, millions of verses from the, now extant, Sanskrit Texts. Bhagwan Das made an effort to write down some of those and at least one book “Pranava Vada” got completed. The complete story as well as Pranava Vada can be read at:http://www.makara.us/05ref/01books/pranavavada/pv_toc.htm The original dictations taken are believed to be preserved at the International Headquarters of The Theosophical Society, Adyar, Chennai.

Pranava Vada is defined as the science of the sacred word; “OM or AUM”. The word has a special prominence in the spiritual scenario; more so to Hinduism with wide ranging claims as a sound at the time of creation (Big Bang Perhaps) to and/or the secret formula for all creation to having mystical powers to achieve almost anything. Yet few possess either the authentic knowledge or the faculty to explain exactly what those powers are and how the word is relevant. Most only repeat what they have heard or read.

In the contrary, Pranava Vada proposes the concept & expounding the word and then goes on to explain all the phenomena, including creation. The principle being that A represents I or self or I am this, U represents Not Self or what is not I, and M represents the relation of negation that exists between them. “The AUM thus, is equivalent to the Idea or Consciousness I-This-Not-Am.” This difference between I (Self) and U (Not-Self) represented by M, causes a succession of movements, just as potential difference between anode and cathode causes electricity to flow. To quote the text,” The “This” by opposition to the un-limitedness of the “I” is limited. Owing to the impossibility in the limited “This”, of the contemporeity of the union (Of the I and the This) contained in the “I (am) This” and the separation involved in the “ (I am) This Not”, results the (succession of the) movement (motion or cyclic moving) of Assumption and Renunciation, Creation and Destruction, Hypothesis and Refutation (Manifestation and Absorption, Evolution and Involution, Life and Death etc.etc.). This succession itself is TIME. The possibility of the Existence of many (in and at one) TIME is SPACE.

This is perhaps the only explanation describing the process of Creation originating from the principle of AUM. Helena Blavatsky comes close in “The Secret Doctrine” when she mentions “Absolute Abstract Space” and “Absolute Abstract Motion”, but does not give reason for their manifestation out of the unmanifested.

PRANAVA, then is not only the science of the sacred word but also the science of sacred TIME.