Shloka 8

Adhyāya 26 — Ekākṣara-Brahman (“Om”) and the Hṛdayastha Guru

Inner Teacher

Devanagari script

तेषां प्रोवाच भगवान्‌ श्रेय: समनुपृच्छताम्‌ । ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रद्य ते श्रुत्वा प्राद्रवन्‌ दिश:

Transliteration

teṣāṃ provāca bhagavān śreyaḥ samanupṛcchatām | om ity ekākṣaraṃ brahma dadau te śrutvā prādravan diśaḥ ||

Translation

Khi những kẻ cầu thiện tối thượng ấy thưa hỏi, Đấng Tôn Quý liền ban lời tuyên cáo: Ngài trao “Phạm âm một chữ” — «Om». Nghe tiếng thiêng của praṇava vang lên, ai nấy vội vã tản đi, mỗi người về một phương, như thể lời dạy đã khép lại cuộc truy cầu và đưa họ đến con đường thích hợp của mình.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them / to them (contextually: among them)
• तेषाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• प्रोवाच: said / spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेयः: the highest good / welfare
• श्रेयः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• समनुपृच्छताम्: let (them) ask properly / let them inquire
• समनुपृच्छताम्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अनु + प्रच्छ्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada, Imperative (Loṭ)

• ओम्: Om
• ओम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ओम्

• इति: thus (quotative)
• इति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• एकाक्षरम्: the single-syllabled (utterance)
• एकाक्षरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective/Noun
• Root: एकाक्षर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रह्म: Brahman / the sacred absolute (here: the pranava as brahman)
• ब्रह्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ते: to him (as given in the received text)
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada (usage)

• प्राद्रवन्: ran forth / fled
• प्राद्रवन्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + द्रु
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दिशः: to the directions
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• भगवान् (the Blessed Lord)
• ओम् (Praṇava)
• ब्रह्म (Brahman)
• दिशः (the directions/quarters)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.