Listen, O auspicious one, to the profound meaning of the sacred praṇava, the primordial syllable “Om,” which resounds as the very essence of the three Vedas. This syllable is formed by the letters ‘a,’ ‘u,’ and ‘m’—together, they are called the word of Brahman, the eternal sound that pervades all creation. Within this divine syllable, each letter holds a deep significance. The letter ‘a’ stands for Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord; the letter ‘u’ signifies Śrī, the goddess and consort of Viṣṇu; and the letter ‘m’ denotes their servant, the living being, known as the twenty-fifth principle. Thus, the wise declare that ‘a’ reveals the form of Vāsudeva, while the sages see in ‘u’ the form of the goddess Śrī herself. The letter ‘m’ points to the individual soul, the living being called the twenty-fifth, distinct from the twenty-four principles of matter. The group of letters beginning with ‘ka’ indicate the elements, and those beginning with ‘ca’ signify the senses. The groups ‘ṭa’ and ‘ta’ represent knowledge and the hearts, while ‘pa’ is the mind and ‘pha’ is the ego. The letters ‘ba’ and ‘bha’ indicate prakṛti, the great primordial nature; but the self—the individual soul—is once again the letter ‘m’, the twenty-fifth. This entity, distinct from the body, senses, mind, and vital airs, is conscious, eternal, and remains as the remainder of the Divine. It is not inert, but the abode of knowledge and consciousness, changeless, of a single form, and possessing its own essence. Minute and eternal, pervading all, its nature is consciousness and bliss, the indestructible sense of ‘I’, the ancient knower of the field. This soul cannot be burnt, destroyed, dried, or dissolved; it is imperishable and endures as the eternal remainder of the Supreme. The syllable ‘ma’ thus always describes the living being, the knower of the field, who is forever subordinate—a servant of Hari alone, and never of any other. Thus, the servitude of the soul is established at the heart of the praṇava. Some say the syllable ‘u’ also signifies determination, and in that sense, the essence of Śrī is expressed by the syllable ‘va’. Just as the brilliance of the sun cannot be separated from it, so too Viṣṇu, ocean of auspicious qualities, is denoted by the syllable ‘a’. He is the Lord of Śrī, the universal Self, the supreme seed of the world, the highest Person, the creator and sustainer, ruler and friend of all beings. Śrī, the eternal Lady of the worlds, inseparable from Viṣṇu, is the mother of creation and his beloved consort. She is the very foundation of the universe, indicated by the syllable ‘ru’. The wise describe the servant of both, the knower of the field, by the syllable ‘ma’. The soul, minute and eternal, is consciousness beyond nature, ever-blissful, imperishable, and ancient. It is not subject to destruction or change, but remains as the eternal remainder of the Supreme. The living being, the knower of the field, is always described as subordinate, a servant of Hari, never of any other. Therefore, the meaning of praṇava is that the servant of the Supreme has no independence here. One should remove great ego and pride by the mind, for even actions performed by one’s own means are to be given up. Ego is represented by the syllable ‘ma’, and its negation by ‘na’; thus, liberation from ego is achieved by the mind. Through the mind, all accomplishments are attained; otherwise, destruction follows. Only when a little ego is accompanied by reverence is it permitted. For one possessed by ego, there is no happiness; the self deluded by ego sinks into darkness. Independence is not permitted here; the soul lives dependent on the Supreme Lord. The conscious being has no agency in means—everything, whether moving or unmoving, occurs only by the will of the Lord. Therefore, all actions based on one’s own ability should be abandoned, for nothing is unattainable for the Lord by His power. Entrusting all burdens to that glorious Lord, one should act only for Him, recognizing Hari as the master and oneself as His eternal servant. Even desire should be dedicated to Him. By the mind alone, one should abandon the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ that arises. The notion of ‘I’ in the body is the root of transmigration and bondage; thus, the wise renounce both ego and pride by the mind. Now, O Girijā, hear about the name Nārāyaṇa. The word ‘Nārā’ means the aggregates of selves, and their goal is the Supreme Person. These aggregates are His path; thus, He is called Nārāyaṇa, for all sentient and insentient entities are seen and heard of in the world. He who pervades and abides in all eternally is called Nārāyaṇa. ‘Nārāḥ’ are the assemblies of all beings, and their support and goal is Him. The wise know that all principles arise from ‘nara’, and so they are called ‘nārāṇi’. These aggregates are His path; at the end of the aeon, He absorbs the entire world and sustains it, then creates it again—thus, He is called Nārāyaṇa. The entire moving and unmoving world is referred to as ‘nāra’, and He is its abode and goal. Thus, sages always call Him Nārāyaṇa, from whom the worlds arise like foam on the ocean, and into whom they dissolve again. He abides eternally in the eternal abode, ever-liberated, enjoying supreme bliss. He, the Lord of all worlds, is indeed Nārāyaṇa—the Supreme Brahman, the highest truth. Whatever is seen or heard in this world, within or without, all is pervaded and sustained by Nārāyaṇa. He is the sinless, Supreme Person, dwelling within all beings—the one divine, ever-eternal Hari, Nārāyaṇa, the infallible.