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Part 1: The Sacred Science of Devanāgarī Hari Om. Nice morning. Swāmījī will come a little bit later. We are not sure when, but he will definitely be here in the evening. So I will fill the time and tell you something about Devanāgarī, about the Sanskrit alphabet. Let’s sing "Om" three times in the beginning. Om Śrī Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān, Kī Jai. Śrī Alakhpurījī, Praṇām Swāmījī. Praṇām to all noble people, Praṇām to Śrī Devpurījī, and Praṇām to Swāmījī. We all know the story from Līlā Amṛt when Mahāprabhujī went to school. Prabhujī first came to school when he was five years old. The Paṇḍit wrote the letter "A" for him, and he found some other literature. And, of course, also from the internet, there are some articles on Tantra Yoga. But the Tantra Yoga described there is not what you usually imagine it to be; it is a holy science. So now, about Devanāgarī. Deva means God or some shining personality. Nagari is a city, so Nagari means belonging to the city, the citizens. We can translate it as "divine citizens," or "the letters of the city of gods," or there is also a possible translation: "the place of light." There are many other possibilities. Everything in the universe has its specific vibration, its sound. These primal sounds consist of the building stones of the universe. Each of them represents a certain energy, and this energy is called Mātṛkā, which means mother. So all the letters together are called Mātṛkās, and it means that their energy is the energy of the Divine Mother, of Divine Śakti. These sounds are also the basis of all mantras. Repeating the alphabets or repeating these mantras is also considered to be japa. It is said that when we repeat the alphabet from the beginning to the end, we achieve success and our wishes will come true. It also purifies the nervous system. Swāmījī says about Devanāgarī that it is the speech of the astral world, that it is a specific code, and it is the vibrations through which we communicate. According to the Tantra literature, all the sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet come from Śiva’s drum, the ḍamaru. Śiva started to sound the ḍamaru during the creation of the universe, so these sounds correspond to the beginning of the universe. The consonant or the vowel is called Akṣara, and it means immortal. So it means that it represents the creative energy of God, which is without end or without beginning. When we pronounce these akṣaras, these sounds, they have the vibrational effect of mantras. When we put it down and write it, then it becomes yantras. According to the holy scriptures, the whole universe is created by these sounds. The creation of the universe comes from these sounds, and then it will come back to the sounds. When the universe is at its end, that is the time of Mahāpralaya; the whole universe dissolves and contracts into one point—that is the Bindu point. All the five elements also dissolve in their material form. You know these five elements are water, fire, and so on. The holy scriptures say that these elements do not exist anymore in the material world, but they continue to exist in these sounds, in the mantras. And when the universe comes to work again, they wake up with it. There are various numbers of these sounds in Devanāgarī. Maharishi Pāṇini, who is the most famous grammarian, says that there are 63 or 64 sounds, and he also mentions the vowels. We have short vowels, long vowels, and they had twice-long vowels. These were used in Vedic Sanskrit and they stayed in certain mantras. Then some scriptures say that there are 50 or 52 letters, which would apply to the number of localities, or 49, which would apply to the number of directions. We have forty-nine directions, because without the direction, the vibration of this sound cannot be represented or presented. There are also forty-nine gods of the wind, and these sounds also apply to the wind. Each sound also has its place on the lotus in the chakras. This Sanskrit alphabet has a very scientific system, from an outer scientific point of view but also from an inner spiritual point of view. All the linguists in the whole world admire the Sanskrit alphabet. I would like to show it to you, if you can see there. Who knows Devanāgarī? Could someone go and show the letters? Someone who knows Devanāgarī? There you can see Mahādeśī Pāṇini. Probably his appearance was different, but just remember him. This is a map of Indo-European languages. The dark green color is for those places where the Indo-European languages are spoken. So you can see, it's a lot. Now let’s come to the alphabet. This is Devanāgarī. On the first row, you can see vowels: first short, then long. Then we have the double vowels, and then there are consonants. They are divided according to the place where they are pronounced. The first 'Ka' is pronounced deep in the neck, and then it moves more upward. At the end is 'Pa' 'Pha' 'Ba' 'Bha', and these are pronounced with the help of the lips. Then, there are some specific sounds in between vowels and consonants. There are these, perhaps fricatives, as sounds: 'Śa', 'Ṣa', 'Sa', and the last one is 'Ha'. Then another division: the first two are soundless. These are various types of the sonar sounds, pronounced according to the consonants which are before them. When we come into more detail, we can go to another picture. There are the vowels. They are called Svara, which means "those who resonate." These are the open sounds which we can intonate, and they represent consciousness, Śiva. They are the basis for sounds and vibrations. Many bīja mantras are these vowels, just with the sonar sound of "Ṃ." These vowels help our energy to open, to spread, and to come up to the higher levels of consciousness. So now let’s come to the letter A. It is considered to be the basic sound. It represents the divine consciousness, Śiva, the Absolute. The God without any form, the pure being, the pure light—that which is behind space, time, and reason. One of the Āraṇyakas, which are the holy scriptures before the Upaniṣads, speaks about this letter "A": "A is the whole speech." It is represented by various sounds, various S-sounds, and it takes on many forms. One of the books of Kashmir Śaivism says the letter A is the very first of all the letters. It is the pure light, Śiva, the combination of the beginning and the end. It has the form of Brahmā, it is beyond the qualities, and its place is in everything. This A accepts the form of light in the form of I. The letter I is the force of Śakti, which is the active force. And you can see that the letter I is just after the letter A. So, I is the force that makes everything happen in the universe. It represents the will, the wish, and the seed. It represents Icchā Śakti—the willpower—and also motivation, orientation, time, and space. So, A represents the absolute divinity, and we can say about it that it represents Īśvara, the cosmic lord. The next one is the letter U. It represents expansion, development, knowledge, and also preservation. It represents the sound nāda, the primal sound, the first sound. So we can say that A is the absolute, pure divinity; I is the willpower of creation; and U is the force of creation, the first vibration of the sound, nāda. These three vowels are the basic vowels for Sanskrit. They can be long, and the longer vowels have more intense energy. They have the Śakti principle more strongly in them. So when short A represents the Absolute, the long Ā then represents its reflection; that is divine bliss, and it also represents the development of this. The long Ī represents the Divine Mother. Many mantras to the Divine Mother have "Ī," like "Hrīṃ," "Śrīṃ." Those are all mantras to the Divine Mother. The long Ū represents the space for creation, and it gives more power to the short U. In Devanāgarī, we also have Ṛ and Ḷ, which can form syllables. This ṛ is, for example, in the word ṛṣi or the word Kṛṣṇa. These vowels can also be long, but they got lost in history, and nowadays in Sanskrit, they are just in some mantras. The vowel Ṛ is similar to the half-vowel RA, because they do not say just "R" without anything; they put also a vowel to it, like "RA," and I will explain why. Ra is connected to fire, light, and warmth. And Ṛ, without this A, is the seed of the fire, of the light, and of the warmth. It stimulates the fire and prāṇa in the body. It develops the right knowledge and the right attitudes, and it is connected to truth and dharma. The origin of dharma in history was ṛtaṃ. So there you can hear the ṛ sound. This Ṛ connects us to our higher dharma. Then you can see this soft Ḹ. This is very rare in Sanskrit nowadays. I don’t know in what languages it got preserved. In Slovak, the Slovak language, I know it, but not about any other. It presents the divine matter in the form of the earth. It symbolizes the element of earth and its form. It means creativity, joy, happiness, and also devotion. Because in many languages, there is not just this sound, so we also miss this content. We miss the vibration of this specific sound. And the truth is that nowadays we do not have the devotion to Mother Earth, and we also don’t have as much joy and happiness as we could have. Then there are derived vowels. That is E. It is formed by the union of A and I. It consists of the qualities of A and I, and it represents unity, ektā. It's about harmony, balance, and devotion. Then there is O. It comes with the connection of A and U, and that is what we know from this divine syllable Oṃ, because Oṃ is, in fact, A-U-M. And O is the universe in form and formless, the Cosmic Being and Ātmā. All chanting purifies the mind and emotions. Then we have these double vowels. A and I go into Ai, and that represents intelligence and creativity. It is also the seed mantra for speech. The mantra AIṂ is the bīja mantra for constant energy, and this mantra also helps when we study something. A and U form AU, and together it forms the bīja mantra AUṂ, which is the principle of Śiva, of eternal consciousness. In Devanāgarī, we have the explanation of the whole universe. In the beginning, there is this "A" letter. That is the consciousness which is everywhere present, and this is in a latent state. It stays so according to the universal laws and rhythms. Then the longing wakes up in it, that is this "I." It is the longing to multiply, like Swāmījī says very often: "I am the one, but now I will multiply." And then the stage of activity begins. From the consciousness, from A, the form of the universe starts to develop in I. I also represents the bindu point into which the whole universe contracts at the end of the universe. Then we have this letter E, which is the śakti ready to construct, to create, and it represents the concentration of all the creative forces right before the creation. With the help of the Oṃ vibration, which is the A and U sound, the universe expands, and all the universal lokas start to exist. This "ṛ" sound gives the order and the light, and this soft "ḷ" sound gives the form. After the vowels, the consonants start, and they just develop the creation further. So I would like to sum it up: the short vowels represent Śiva; they are the solar principle. The long vowels represent Śakti, and they are lunar. The long and short vowels have the same essential meaning, but the long ones are with the more intense energy and they are more used in mantras. They resonate, and you can intonate with them. Also, it is said that these sixteen vowels correspond to the sixteen stages of the moon. The "A" vowel represents the first moon, the moon just starting to show. So when we sing or chant the vowels, we harmonize our consciousness with the stages of the moon, and through this, we harmonize the whole mind and body. The fifteenth stage of the moon is the so-called Anusvāra. It is also called Chandra Bindu—that is the point on the top of the Om letter. This Chandra Bindu stands for the full moon, and it brings the feeling of fullness or completeness. You can find it at the end of mantras; it represents the sonar sound of Ṃ, which is at the end. It represents that Bindu point where the universe contracts at the end. It is connected with the moon and with the mind, and it also reflects to Iḍā Nāḍī. It helps to meditate and to be independent. When we connect it with another vowel, when we create a mantra, then it helps to expound our consciousness. Then there is this specific sign: two points, one above the other. That is called Visarga. It is mostly at the end of words, for example, in the word Namaḥ. In Sanskrit, you can find it very often. This visarga means the expiration, and it represents the energy which can relax. It is connected to the sun and Piṅgalā Nāḍī. It gives us light, and it is connected to our inner being. So that is the vowels. Then there are consonants—that is another picture. It could be more perfect, but it is how it is. The Sanskrit name for consonants is Vyañjana. That means "that which gives color," meaning it colors the vibration of the vowels. Part 2: The Divine Alphabet: Unveiling the Spiritual Dimensions of Sanskrit Letters Vowels embody the quality of Śiva — pure consciousness — while consonants embody the quality of Śakti — the creative energy that gives nature, form, and material substance. Consonants are closed sounds; they channel the vibration of vowels in a specific direction, enabling sound to represent something concrete. Just as Śiva and Śakti are inseparable, consonants need vowels to be pronounced. In the Czech language, we even have words without vowels where letters like L and R can form a syllable, but the principle remains: consciousness and energy must always be together. Through their union, creation happens. After the consonants come the half‑consonants, called antaḥstha — those that stand in the middle. They lie between vowel and consonant, between pure awareness and form. These are the yara lava: ya, ra, la, va, and also ha. They represent the five elements, and when connected to the sonant sound M, they become the bīja mantras of the chakras and of the elements themselves. The first is yaṃ, connected to air. It develops movement, motivation, and energy, and it is the bīja mantra of Anāhata Cakra. In Āyurveda it relates to the doṣa vāta. This letter also contains the energy of “i,” which is reflected in Sanskrit grammar: when one word ends with “i” or “ī” and the next begins with a consonant, the “i” changes into “y.” Then comes raṃ, connected to fire, warmth, and transformation; it is the bīja mantra of Maṇipūra Cakra and corresponds to Pitta Doṣa. Laṃ is connected to the water element, representing flowing and adaptability; it goes with Kapha Doṣa and is the bīja mantra of Svādhiṣṭhāna Cakra. A similar link exists between “v” and “u”—when a word ends in “u” and the next starts with a consonant, “u” becomes “v.” Then we have Lām, connected to the element of earth. Its energy stabilizes, gives form and materiality, and it is also the sound of Ānanda (bliss). It is also the bīja mantra of Anāhata Cakra, and its doṣa is kapha. Sometimes ha and haṃ appear as bīja mantras connected to space; they represent prāṇa and the sun. In the word “haṭha,” as in Haṭha Yoga, “ha” is the sun and “ṭha” is the moon. Ha belongs to the Sa sounds too, and it is the bīja mantra of Viśuddhi Cakra. The Sa sounds form another group: śa, ṣa, and sa. Today śa and ṣa are pronounced alike, but historically they differed. These sounds are intimately linked to prāṇa and the breath. The sound sa is the natural sound of inhalation — it means to inhale, to energize, to take in power. Ha, by contrast, is the natural sound of expiration — to give, to let go. Generally, the Sa sounds create warmth and share qualities of both consonants and vowels. They are connected to the guṇas and to prāṇa. - Śa means harmonization, tranquility, peace. It is the bīja mantra of peace (śānti); the word “śānti” itself begins with śa. It is linked to the moon, to water, and to Śaṅkara — Śiva in his aspect as the giver of peace. In prāṇa it corresponds to samāna, the harmonizing energy, and it is connected to Tamas Guṇa in the sense of quietness and stillness. - The second ṣa represents stimulation and motivation. It is connected to Vyāṇa and to inhalation as the expanding energy, and it expresses Rajas Guṇa. - Sa means unity and harmonization. It carries lunar energy, is connected to Prāṇa, and embodies Sattva Guṇa. When we add ha to these Sa sounds, a link with Udāna — the ascending energy — and with the first stage of expiration appears. Sometimes another vowel is added to form kṣa, which represents stabilization, forgiveness, and mental strength. Its bīja mantra is connected with apāna and the later stage of expiration. Looking at the entire alphabet, it begins with A and ends with Ha. Together, with the sonant sound M, they form the word “Aham” — “I.” Ahaṃ thus contains the whole vibration of creation. Each letter represents a part of that creation, and all together they are Aham. Just as A represents Śiva and H represents Śakti, the word Aham reminds us that in this world Śiva and Śakti are never separated. The Upaniṣads also speak of the Sanskrit alphabet. According to the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, the vowels are the body of Indra — the highest divinity in the Vedas. The Sa sounds are the body of Prajāpati, the creator. The consonants are the body of death — the material form that is not eternal. The same Upaniṣad teaches that all vowels should be pronounced with sound, force, and power. The Āraṇyakas, the ancient sacred texts, say that vowels are like day, consonants like night. Vowels are consciousness; the Sa sound is breathing; consonants are the body. Elsewhere, vowels are compared to the sky or heaven, the Sa sounds to the atmosphere, and consonants to the earth. Thus the alphabet contains all three lokas. Now, to the consonants themselves. The first line, the K‑varga, is built on the energy of the sound A. In general, this line puts things into action and represents the origin, the reason behind phenomena. Ka is connected to the material, to the individual soul, and to the form of existence; it signifies origin and is related to the heart — for example, in the word kāma (wish). The bīja mantra kuṃ also represents earth and wish. Kha is connected to space, especially in a limited sphere, as in the words sukham (the space of goodness) and duḥkham (the space of sorrow). Ga represents movement and achievement; many Sanskrit words for movement contain ga. The bīja mantra gaṃ or guṃ is the bīja mantra of Gaṇeśa and of the guru; it brings knowledge, authority, and motivation. Gha is a more forceful energy. The line ends with ṅa, a very rare sound whose function is to vibrate the energy of the other sounds in the same line. According to some teachings, this line represents the Mahābhūtas earth and water. The second line starts with Ca, created with the energy of the letter E. Its quality is very soft and earthy. Ca is connected to vibration, movement, speed, and emotions; it is also the bīja mantra for the moon, Candra. Cha gives rhythm and prāṇa to movement, and is connected to the Vedic rhythms, the Chandas. Ja is connected to birth and creation — as in janma (birth) and jīva (the individual soul). The mantra jhuṃ brings more energy and vitalizes. Jha intensifies that energy and can indicate a surge, like jhāṛa (waterfall). The line ends with ña, again a rare sound that adds vibration to its line, as in the word Patañjali. Some sources say this line represents the tanmātras — the subtle elements of hearing, taste, sight, and so on. Then comes the Ṭa and Ṭha line, which represents the basic structure of the powers of the manifest universe. The Ṭa line correlates with the five Karmendriyas (organs of action), and the Ta line with the five Jñānendriyas (organs of perception). The sound ta appears in words denoting linear movement, like tantanoti (to stretch) and tantra (to pull in the same direction). Da and Ta refer to up‑and‑down movement, as in dahati (to burn) or to cut through. These sounds also relate to giving — we know the word dātā (giver). Guruji often sings of Mahāprabhujī as dātā, the giver. Da is also connected to self‑control: dama means to control, and Dhaṃ is the bīja mantra for self‑control and sense‑restraint. The line ends with Na, which is linked to bowing — for instance, “Namaste” comes from bowing. When a line carries the bindu, it gains more energy and stability. Thus dha appears in dharma, the law or order of the universe, providing support and connecting to natural laws. The syllables ta and dha correspond to drum beats and are used for measuring rhythms in classical Indian music. The syllable Ṭha is also connected to the moon and Śakti, as mentioned — in Haṭha Yoga, Ha is the sun and Ṭha is the moon. The last line is the Pa line, created with the energy of the sound Ū. It expands the energy of “u” outward. Pa is connected to protection — as in pitā (father), the one who protects and feeds. Pha intensifies that energy. Ba is linked to expansion of energy in circles, and Bha with creation and manifestation — it appears in words like Bhuvaḥ (the atmosphere). Singing “Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā…” we encounter Ma, the last consonant of the alphabet. Ma represents the dissolution of the universe and helps us return to the origin. This knowledge of the Sanskrit alphabet is used not only for spiritual development, but also for healing. Mantras are employed in Āyurveda because the origin of everything — whether with form or formless — is sound, vibration. The human body is therefore also a body of sound, and we can use vibration to shape and support it. By assigning certain letters of the alphabet to specific parts of the body, we construct what is called Mantra Puruṣa — the personality of sounds. In Mantra Puruṣa, the sixteen vowels form the head. They represent consciousness, mind, and spirit, and thus have no material substance in the body. The twenty‑five consonants create the legs, arms, and torso; they represent Śakti, the energy that gives form and name, and they enable us to live in the material world. The half‑consonants (yara lava) correspond to the tissues — blood, etc. — and to the elements. “śikṣā kī ahaṁ se spṛśa sādeśaṁ as prāṇu”. The Sa sounds and ha correspond to prāṇa and breathing, while Kṣa corresponds to the mind. These are just a few glimpses into the vast science of the Devanāgarī, the Sanskrit alphabet. There is immense wisdom stored here, and one can find virtually everything within it. Every letter affects the whole personality on all levels of health — mind, psyche, physical wellbeing, and spiritual life. Much of this knowledge, including detailed presentations on each letter’s effect on human health, can be found on the internet. But perhaps it is now too much consonant theory; let us sing a bhajan and then continue.