Prashna Upanishad – V – Meditation on OM – 6   «   »

Prashna Upanishad – V – Meditation on OM – 6   «   »

तिस्रो मात्रा मृत्युमत्यः प्रयुक्ता
अन्योन्यसक्ताः अनविप्रयुक्ताः ।
क्रियासु बाह्याभ्यन्तरमध्यमासु
सम्यक् प्रयुक्तासु न कम्पते ज्ञः ॥ ५.६॥
tisro mātrā mṛtyumatyaḥ prayuktā
anyonyasaktāḥ anaviprayuktāḥ .
kriyāsu bāhyābhyantaramadhyamāsu
samyak prayuktāsu na kampate jñaḥ .. 5.6..
Translation by Swami Sivananda
6 The three letters of AUM, if employed separately, are mortal; but when joined together in meditation on the total Reality and used properly on the activities of the external, internal and intermediate states, the knower trembles not. 

Translation by Max Mueller
6. The three Mâtrâs (A + U + M), if employed separate, and only joined one to another, are mortal; but in acts, external, internal, or intermediate, if well performed, the sage trembles not.

deity_Prashna

Sri Shankara’s Commentary (Bhashya) translated by S. Sitarama Sastri

The mâtras of the syllable ‘Om’ three in number, i.e., a, u, and m are subject to death; that is, are not beyond the pale of death; but when used in meditating on the âtman in combination, the syllable ‘Om,’ with the three mâtras, being used at the time of contemplation by the worshipper, in respect of every one of the three aspects of Brahman. Contemplated, i.e., the Vaisvânara or Visva representing the waking condition, the Hiranyagarbha or Taijasa representing the dreaming condition and the Isvara or Prâgna representing the sleeping condition, the person meditating who knows this division of the mâtras of ‘Om’ does not shake. One who knows this, cannot possibly be shaken; because, the Purushas representing the waking, dreaming and sleeping states, with their respective places, are seen as one, with the letter ‘Om’ of three mâtras; such a knower having become the Âtman of all and one with ‘Om’ from whence could he move and where?

Links
Various resources on the Prashnopanishad
Upanishad Series – Kena Upanishad Commentary by Swami Chinmayananda

Prashna Upanishad – 6 – Prashna-5-6-tisro mātrā – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning and Commentary by Adi Shankaracharya (Sankara Bhashya) – Prashna-5-6