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Part 1: The Divine Alphabet: An Introduction to Devanāgarī Hari Om, good morning. Swāmījī will come a little 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 us sing Oṁ three times in the beginning. Praṇām to all noble people, praṇām to Śrī Devpurījī, and praṇām to Swāmījī. We all know the story from Līlā Amṛt, when Mahāprabhujī first came to school. He came to school when he was five years old, and the Pandit wrote the letter "A" for him. I have found some other literature, and of course also from the internet, there are some articles on Tantra Yoga. But this Tantra Yoga is not what you usually imagine; it is a holy science. So now, about Devanāgarī: Deva means God or a shining personality. Nagar is a city, so Nāgarī means belonging to the city, the citizens. We can translate it as "divine citizens," or "the letters of the city of the gods." Another possible translation is "the place of light." There are many other possibilities. Everything in the universe has its specific vibration, its sound, and these primal sounds are the building blocks of the universe. Each represents a certain energy. This energy is called mātṛkā, which means mother. All the letters together are called mātṛkās, meaning their energy is the energy of the divine mother, of divine Śakti. These sounds are also the basis of all mantras. Repeating the alphabet 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 attain success and our wishes 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 Tantra literature, all the sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet come from Śiva’s drum. Śiva started to sound the drum during the creation of the universe, so these sounds correspond to the beginning of the universe. A consonant or a vowel is called akṣara, which means immortal. It represents the creative energy of God, which is without end or beginning. When we pronounce these akṣaras, these sounds, that is the mantra. They have the vibrational effect of mantras. And when we write them down, then they are 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 return 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: water, fire, and so on. The holy scriptures say that these elements do not exist anymore in the material world, but they exist within these sounds, in the mātṛkās. And when the universe begins to work again, they awaken with it. There are various numbers given for these sounds in Devanāgarī. Maharṣi Pāṇini, the most famous grammarian, says there are 63 or 64 sounds. He also mentions vowels that are twice as long. We have short vowels, long vowels, and there were twice-long vowels used in Vedic Sanskrit, which remain in certain mantras. Other scriptures say there are 50 or 52 letters, which would apply to the number of directions, or 49. We have 49 directions because, without direction, the vibration of a sound cannot be represented. There are also forty-nine gods of the wind, and these sounds also apply to the wind or to the air, because without it we could not hear them. Each sound also has its place on the lotus in the chakras. This Sanskrit alphabet has a very scientific system, both from an outer scientific point of view and from an inner spiritual point of view. Linguists all over the world admire the Sanskrit alphabet. I would like to show it to you. Could someone go and show the letters? Someone who knows Devanāgarī? There you can see Mahādevjī Pāṇini. Probably his appearance was different, but just remember him. This is a map of Indo-European languages. The dark green color shows where Indo-European languages are spoken, so you can see it is 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 diphthongs. Then there are consonants, divided according to the place where they are pronounced. The first "ka" is pronounced down in the throat, and then it comes more upward. The end is pa, pha, ba, bha, pronounced with the lips. Then there are some specific sounds between vowels and consonants, then perhaps fricatives, and the last one is ha. Another division: the first two in a group are unvoiced (ka, kha), and the third and fourth are voiced (ga, gha). Again, the second one in each group also has an "H" sound in it. All the rows end with a nasal sound. These are various types of nasal sounds, pronounced according to the consonants which precede them. When we go into more detail, we can look at another picture. There are the vowels. They are called svara, which means "those who resonate." These are the open sounds which we can intone. They represent consciousness, Śiva. They are the basis for sounds and vibrations. Many bīja mantras are these vowels just with the nasal sound of "Ṃ." These sounds help our energy to open, to spread, and to rise to higher levels of consciousness. So now, let’s come to the letter "A." It is considered the basic sound. It represents the divine consciousness, God without any form, the pure being, the pure light that is behind space, time, and reason. One of the Āraṇyakas, the holy scriptures before the Upaniṣads, speaks about this letter "A." "A" is the whole speech; it is represented by various sounds, various śabdas, and it takes on many forms. One of the books of Kashmir Śaivism says: The letter "A" is the first of all letters. It is the pure light, Śiva, a 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 "E." The letter "E" is the force of Śakti, which is the active force of the universe. You can see that the letter "E" comes just after "A." So, "E" 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. Also motivation, orientation, time, and space. So, "A" represents the absolute divinity, and "E," we can say, 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 first sound. So we can say that "A" is absolute, pure divinity; "E" 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 in them. So, while short "a" represents the absolute, long "ā" represents its reflection, which is divine bliss and also the development of this. Long "e" (ai) represents the divine mother. Many mantras to the divine mother have "e": Hrīṃ, Krīṃ, Strīṃ. Long "u" (ū) represents the space for creation, but without it being already in the process, and it gives more power to the short "u." In Devanāgarī, we also have ṛ and ḷ, which can form syllables. I did not know how to write it down, so there is this line, but that is not the common way. This ṛ is, for example, in the word ṛṣi or Kṛṣṇa. These vowels can be long also, but they were lost in history, and nowadays Sanskrit retains them only in some mantras. The vowel ṛ is similar to the semi-vowel ra. Because they do not say just "r" without anything; they also put a vowel to it, like "ra." 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 warmth. It stimulates the fire and prāṇa in the body. It develops right knowledge and right attitudes, and it is connected to truth and dharma. The origin of dharma in history was Ṛtaṃ; there you can hear the ṛ sound. So this ṛ connects us to our higher dharma. Then you can see this soft ḷ. This is very rare in modern Sanskrit. I do not know in what languages it is preserved. In the Slovak language I know it, but not about any other. It presents the divine mother 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, this sound is missing, so we also miss this content. We miss the vibration of this specific sound. The truth is that nowadays, we do not have devotion to Mother Earth, and we also do not have as much joy and happiness as we could have. Then there are derived vowels. That is "e" (ए), which is formed by the union of "a" and "i" (अ and इ). It consists of the qualities of "a" and "i." Ekta. It is about harmony, balance, dedication, and devotion. Then there is "o" (ओ); it should be on the first line. It is formed by the connection of "a" and "u" (अ and उ). We know this from the divine syllable Oṁ, because AUM is, in fact, A-U-M, and it is all: the universe in form and formless, the cosmic being and ātmā, and it purifies the mind and emotions. Then we have the diphthongs. "a" and "i" go into "ai" (ऐ). That represents intelligence and creativity. It is also the seed mantra for speech. The mantra AIM is the bīja mantra for Sarasvatī's energy, and this mantra also helps when we study something. "a" and "u" form "au" (औ). Together they form the bīja mantra Oṁ, which is the principle of Śiva, of eternal consciousness. In Devanāgarī, we have the explanation of the whole universe. In the beginning, there is the letter "A," the consciousness which is everywhere present in a latent state. It stays so according to universal laws and rhythms, and then the longing wakes up in it. That is this "E" (इच्छा, icchā), the longing to multiply, as Swāmījī says very often: "I am the one, but now I will multiply." And then the stage of activity begins. So from the consciousness, from "A," the form of the universe starts to develop in "E." It also represents the Bindu point into which the whole universe finally contracts. At the end of the universe, we have this letter "E" (ई). That is the Śakti which is ready to construct, to create, and it represents the concentration of all the creative forces right before creation. With the help of all vibration, which is the "A" and "U" sound, the universe expands, and all the universal loci start to exist. This "R" sound gives the order and the light, and this soft "L" sound gives the form. And 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. Long vowels represent Śakti; they are lunar. They have the same meaning, but the long ones have more intense energy and are more used in mantras. They resonate, and you can intone with them. Also, it is said that these 16 vowels correspond to the 16 stages of the moon. "A" represents the new moon, that first phase. The "ā" vowel represents the first moon, the moon 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 also the whole mind and body. The 15th stage of the moon is the so-called Anusvāra, and it is also called Candrabindu. That is the dot on the top of the Oṁ letter. This Candrabindu stands for the full moon, and it brings the feeling of fullness or completeness. You can find it at the end of mantras. That is the nasal sound of "Ṃ," which is at the end, and it represents this Bindu point where the universe contracts in the end. It is connected with the moon and with the mind, and it also relates to Iḍā Nāḍī. It helps to meditate and to be independent. When we connect it with another vowel to create a mantra, then it helps to expand our consciousness. Then there is this specific sign, two points one above the other, called visarga (ः). That is mostly at the end of words, for example, in the word "namaha" there is this, and in Sanskrit you can find it very often. This visarga means expiration, and that is 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 Vyāñjana, which means "it gives color." It means that it colors the vibration of the vowels. They are closed sounds, and they direct the vibration of the vowels to a specific direction. As the vowels have the quality of Śiva, the consonants have the quality of Śakti. They represent nature, form, and the material. Thank you. Part 2: The Sacred Alphabet: Vowels, Consonants, and the Mantra Puruṣa Vowels enable the quality of a sound to represent or move in a certain direction. Consonants require vowels to be pronounced. In the structure of language, one represents consciousness and the other represents energy (Śakti). These two must always be together, and creation happens by putting them together. After the consonants, there are the half-consonants, known as Antastha (those which stand in the middle). They stand between consonants and vowels, meaning they are between consciousness and form. They represent the five elements. When connected to the sonant sound of M, they become the bīja mantras of the chakras and also the bīja mantras of the five elements. The first is Yam, connected to the element of air. It develops movement, motivation, and energy. It is the bīja mantra of the Anāhata Cakra and is connected to the Vāta Doṣa in Āyurveda. J contains the energy of the I vowel, a connection reflected in Sanskrit grammar where an I between words can change into a J. Ram is connected to fire, warmth, and change. It is the bīja mantra of the Maṇipūra Cakra and is connected to the Pitta Doṣa. Lam is connected to the water element, representing flowing and adaptability. It is connected to the Kapha Doṣa and is the bīja mantra of the Svādhiṣṭhāna Cakra. There is a similar connection between V and U in grammar. Vam is connected to the element of earth. Its energy is stabilizing; it gives form and materiality. It is also the sound of Ānanda (bliss) and is another bīja mantra for the Anāhata Cakra, connected to Kapha. Sometimes Ha and Ham are included as bīja mantras, connected to space. Ha also represents Prāṇa and the sun. In the word Haṭha (Haṭha Yoga), Ha is the sun and Tha is the moon. Ha also belongs to the Ṣa sounds and is the bīja mantra of the Viśuddhi Cakra. Then we have the Ṣa sounds: Śaḥ, another Śaḥ (historically pronounced differently), and Saḥ. They are connected to Prāṇa and breathing. Saḥ is the natural sound of inhalation, meaning to inhale, energize, or take in power. In contrast, the Ha sound means to give or to expire, and H is the natural sound of exhalation. In general, the Ṣa sounds create warmth. Their Sanskrit name is Uṣma, and they are connected to breathing. They possess qualities of both consonants and vowels and are connected to the Guṇas and Prāṇa. The first, Śam, means harmonization, tranquility, and peace. It is a bīja mantra of peace (as in Śānti), connected to the moon, water, and Śiva as Śaṅkara, the giver of peace. Regarding Prāṇa, it is connected to Samāna as a harmonizing energy and to the Tamas Guṇa in its aspect of quietness. The second, Śam, represents stimulation and motivation. It is connected to Vyāna and inhalation as expanding energy, representing the Rajas Guṇa. Sam represents unity and harmonization. It has lunar energy, is connected to Prāṇa, and represents the Sattva Guṇa. When we add Ha to these Ṣa sounds, there is a connection with Udāna as the energy that rises and with the first stage of expiration. Sometimes another vowel is added to form Kṣa, which represents stabilization, forgiveness, and mental strength. The bīja mantra Kṣam is connected to Apāna and the later stage of expiration. Looking at the entire alphabet—starting with A and ending with H—it resembles the word Aham ("I"): the A sound, the H sound, and the sonant M. Aham consists of everything that was created, the whole vibration of the alphabet. Each letter represents a part of creation, and all together, this is Aham. As A represents Śiva and H represents Śakti, Aham reminds us that Śiva and Śakti in this world are always together, never disconnected. The Upaniṣads speak about the Sanskrit alphabet. According to the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, the vowels are the body of Indra (who represents the highest divinity), the Ṣa sounds are the body of Prajāpati (the creator), and the consonants are the body of death (the material form that is not eternal). The Chāndogya Upaniṣad also states it is necessary to pronounce all vowels with sound, force, and power—openly and properly. Consonants should be pronounced slowly and distinctly, not run together. One Āraṇyaka says vowels are like day and consonants are like night. Vowels are consciousness, the Ṣa sounds are breathing, and consonants are the body. Elsewhere, vowels are like the sky, Ṣa sounds the atmosphere, and consonants the earth. Thus, the alphabet consists of all three worlds (Lokas). The science of Devanāgarī, the Sanskrit alphabet, is vast. There is immense wisdom and knowledge within it; you can find anything and everything. Each letter has an effect on the whole personality and all levels of health—on the mind, psyche, physical health, and spiritual sphere. This information is available for those interested. The Consonants The first line begins with Ka. All lines are named after their first letter, so this is the Kavarga. It is constructed with the energy of the A vowel. This line of letters puts things into action and represents the beginning behind things. The Ka syllable is connected to the material, the individual, and the form of existence. It represents origin and reason and is connected to the heart (e.g., in the word Kāma, wish). The bīja mantra Kam or Kum represents the earth and also wish. Kha is connected to space in a limited sphere (e.g., Sukham, the space of goodness; Dukham, the space of sorrow). Ga represents movement and achieving. It is the root of many Sanskrit words concerning movement. The bīja mantra Gam or Gum is the mantra of the Guru and of Śrī Gaṇeśa. It brings knowledge, authority, and motivation. Gha is a more forceful energy. The line ends with Ṇa, a rare sound whose function is to vibrate the energy of the other sounds in its line. According to some sources, this line represents the Mahābhūtas (gross elements). The second line begins with Ca and is created with the energy of the I vowel. The quality of these letters is very soft and earthy. Cha is connected to vibration, movement, speed, and emotions. It is also a bīja mantra for the moon (Candra). Chha gives rhythm and Prāṇa to movement and is connected to Chandas (Vedic rhythms). Ja is connected to birth and creation (e.g., Janma, birth; Jīva, individual soul). The mantra Jum vitalizes and brings more energy. Jha puts more energy into the meaning (e.g., Jharā, waterfall). The line ends with Ña, another rare sound that brings more vibration to the sounds in its line (e.g., in Patañjali). According to some materials, this line represents the Tānmātras (the subtle elements: hearing, taste, sight, etc.). Next are the Ta and Ṭa lines, representing the basic constructive powers of the developed universe. The Ta line represents the five Karmendriyas (organs of action). The Ta sound appears in words representing linear movement (e.g., Tantanā, to pull in one direction). Da and Ta refer to up-down movement (e.g., Dāha, to burn). Their meaning also includes cutting through. These sounds are also connected to giving (e.g., Dātā, giver) and to self-control (e.g., Dam, Damayati means to control; Dam is a bīja mantra for sense control). Na is connected to bowing (e.g., Namaste) and to sound (Nāda; to make sound is Nāḍī). The cerebral Ṭa line gives more energy and stability. For example, Dha is in the word Dharma (law/order), giving support and connected to natural laws. The syllables Ta and Ta correspond to drum beats and are used for measuring rhythms in classical Indian music. Ta is also connected to the moon and Śakti (as in Haṭha Yoga: Ha is sun, Ta is moon). The last line is the Pa line, created with the energy of the U vowel, developing its energy in an expansive way. Pa is connected to protection (e.g., Pitā, father—the one who protects and feeds). Pha intensifies the energy. Ba is connected with the expansion of energy in circles. Bha is connected with creation and manifestation (e.g., Bhuvā, atmosphere; Bhū, earth). Ma is connected to Mātā (mother) and also to measuring (Mā means to measure). As the last consonant of the alphabet, Ma represents the dissolution of the universe and helps return to the origin. The bīja mantra Mam harmonizes the nervous system and tranquilizes the body and mind. Mā is connected to the mind (Manas), the heart (also Manas), and our inner natural self. This teaching about the Sanskrit alphabet and mantras is used not only for spiritual development but also for healing. Mantras are used in Āyurveda because the origin of everything—with form or without form—is sound, vibration. The human body is also a body of sound, and we can use vibration to form it or help it. By placing certain letters of the alphabet on certain parts of the body, we create the Mantra Puruṣa (the sound-personality), which is widely used in Āyurveda. In the head of this Mantra Puruṣa are the sixteen vowels, representing consciousness—the mind and spirit in the human body, which has no material reality in itself. The twenty-five consonants represent Śakti (energy), which gives form and name. They thus represent the limbs of the body, enabling life in the material world. The Antastha (half-consonants) represent the tissues in the body (e.g., blood) and the elements. The Ṣa sounds and Ha correspond to Prāṇa and breathing. Kṣam corresponds to the mind. These were just a few small insights into the Sanskrit alphabet.