Shloka 8
तेषां प्रोवाच भगवान् श्रेय: समनुपृच्छताम् । ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रद्य ते श्रुत्वा प्राद्रवन् दिश:,कल्याणकी बात पूछनेवाले उन महानुभावोंका प्रश्न सुनकर भगवान् प्रजापति ब्रह्माजीने एकाक्षर ब्रह्म--32कारका उच्चारण किया। उनका प्रणवनाद सुनकर सब लोग अपनी-अपनी दिशा (अपने-अपने स्थान)-की ओर भाग चले
teṣāṃ provāca bhagavān śreyaḥ samanupṛcchatām | om ity ekākṣaraṃ brahma dadau te śrutvā prādravan diśaḥ ||
When those seekers inquired about the highest good, the Blessed Lord declared it to them: he bestowed the one-syllabled Brahman—‘Om’. Hearing that sacred sound of the praṇava, they hastened away, each to his own direction, as if the teaching itself had concluded their quest and sent them onward to their proper paths.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The highest welfare (śreyaḥ) is indicated through the praṇava ‘Oṃ’, presented as the one-syllabled Brahman—an Upaniṣadic pointer to the Absolute and a concise object of contemplation.
A group of inquirers asks about what is truly beneficial; the divine speaker answers by imparting ‘Oṃ’. Upon hearing it, the listeners disperse to their respective directions, suggesting the instruction is complete and each proceeds on his own path of practice.