The Self is not a vague imperceptible Spirit of Existence in all fields of divine activities — sans-emotion, sans-relationship, sans-qualities. In order to show that there is an ardour of love that permeates the very essence of the Self everywhere, the finite relationships of the world are mentioned to indicate the mass of love that the Self is. “I AM THE FATHER, THE MOTHER, THE SUSTAINER, THE GRANDSIRE, THE PURIFIER OF THE WORLDS.”

The verse insists, “I AM THE ONE THING TO BE KNOWN” — and this is the repeated assertion in all the scriptures. The Self is “That, having known which, everything else becomes known.” To know the Self is to destroy the consciousness of imperfection, the existence finite, the sorrows poignant. To live in the ego, as a mere embodied self, is to live self-exiled from all the Divine potentialities that one is heir to. To re-discover this infinite Beatitude is the only satisfying end and goal of life, where alone an awakened intellect can discover a haven of peace and an enduring existence in perfect tranquillity.

The Self, the Substratum of the entire universe, is symbolised by the Vedic mantra called Omkara. Life is conceived of as ‘the flow during our waking, dreaming, and deep-sleep states.’ The Substratum for these three states and their experiences must be something other than these three, inasmuch as the rider is always different from the ridden, the container is different from the contents. The Substratum is different from the superimposition upon it.

This fourth-state, supporting and embracing the three ordinary states of consciousness in every one of us, is termed as Turiya by the Upanishad Seers. The one symbol representing all these four states is called Omkara, and naturally, therefore, the Ultimate indicated by OM, is the Self, conceived of, for the purpose of worship, as Krishna in Shrimad Bhagavata.

The Self is the Essence indicated by OM, and this Absolute Reality is the One theme, tacitly expressed, or indirectly implied, in all the Vedas, and therefore, it is said “I AM ALSO THE RIK, SAMA AND YAJUH.”FURTHER:

Asya, of this; jagatah, world; aham, I; am pita, the father; mata, the mother; dhata, ordainer, dispenser of the results of their actions to the creatures; (and the) pirtamahah, grand-father. I am the vedayam, knowable-that which has to be known; the pavitram, sanctifier; [Virtuous actions.] and the onkarah, syllable Om; eva ca, as also Rk, Sama and Yajus. [Brahman, which has to be known, is realizable through Om, regarding which fact the three Vedas are the authority. The ca (as also) is suggestive of the Atharva-veda.] Moreover,