product of blatant materialism which is at the bottom of the wrong direction which
Science is gradually taking, making knowledge more and more the instrument of de-
struction and unhappiness rather than that of ordered progress and true happiness. If
this tendency is allowed to grow unchecked the mighty edifice of Science is bound to
crash one day in a cataclysm which will destroy the fruits of knowledge garnered
through centuries. Where there is no humility and reverence in the pursuit of knowl-
edge it bodes ill for those who are engaged in its pursuit.
Howsoever it may be in the field of Science, in the field of Divine Wisdom Is-
vara is not only considered to be the fount of all knowledge and wisdom but the real
and the only Teacher existing in the world. All great Spiritual Teachers have been con-
sidered to be the embodiments of the Great Guru and have taught in His name and
through His power. The ‘Light on the Path’ is the light of His knowledge, the ‘Voice
of the Silence’ is His voice. This is a truth which all aspirants treading the path of
Yoga must burn into their hearts.
His (of Isvara) designator; indicator ‘Om’ pronounced A-U-
M as a humming sound.
- His designator is ‘Om’.
Having given in the previous three Sutras some necessary information about Is-
vara the author points out in the next three Sutras a definite method of establishing
direct contact with Him. Before dealing with these three Sutras it is necessary to give
very briefly some idea with regard to the theory of Mantra-Yoga, for without at least a
general idea of this branch of Yoga it is not possible to understand adequately the sig-
nificance of these Sutras.
Mantra-Yoga is that branch of Yoga which seeks to bring about changes in mat-
ter and consciousness by the agency of ‘Sound’ the word Sound being used not in its
modern scientific sense but in a special sense as we shall see just now. According to
the doctrine upon which Mantra-Yoga is based the primary manifestation of the Ulti-
mate Reality takes place through the agency of a peculiar and subtle vibration which is
called Sabda and which means Sound or Word. The world is not only created but