I have written posts on the Ajapa mantras, Soham and Hamsa earlier (index). Soham and Hamsa are the same energy, they both will take you to the same destination, they are both equal. But there is a subtle difference in the thought that they express, both routes are slightly different.
The Ajapa mantra are inherent in the sounds embedded in the breath. All living beings continuously recite the Ajapa mantra with every breath they take, but unconsciously. The initial objective of spiritual practice is to become aware of this continuous mantra jaap. This 5 layered body, panchakosh in which we, the individual soul, exist in, is ‘made from’ this Ajapa jaap, the ‘soundless speech’.
The sound ‘Sa’ exists in the inhalation/ Purak and the sound ‘Ha’ is embedded in the exhalation/ Rechak. And as I have mentioned earlier also, when you reach the Unmani avastha, the Ha and Sa vanish, ie you stop exhaling/ inhaling and remain in the Kumbhak state, this is the 4th stage of Om. The goal of spiritual practice is to go beyond the sound form of Consciousness, Shabda Brahma and reach into the soundless Arth, the Self hidden in the sound. Thus the Ajapa mantra are a fast track system for Moksh.
Om has four stages (ref Mandukya Upanishad). Waking – Jagrut, dreaming – Swapna and deep sleep – Sushupti are the three routine stages which we all go through in our lives. The silence that comes after you recite the Om is the fourth stage. In this state, the Mind is in the Unmani avastha and you are in your Self. When this stage occurs during Dhyan, it is called ‘Samadhi’, or more properly it is the Turiya state of the Vedant. You cross the boundaries of the creation and exist firmly in the ‘Soundless’ Atma. For the spiritual aspirant, this stage occurs temporarily while sitting on the Asan. The objective of all spiritual practice is to exist in this stage always, this is called the Parama-hamsa or the Jivanmukt state.
This subtle analysis of Soham and Hamsa is just a technicality. You can approach the Atma, the Self, from either direction. Both are the same energy and have the same power to pull you towards yourself.
Soham – When you start your Dhyan with an inhalation and end it in an exhalation the mantra is ‘Soham’ ‘Sah Aham’ सः अहं, I am He’. Here the idea expressed is ‘Aham Brahmasmi’. I am that Atma. You can understand Soham in two ways depending on your level of evolution.
- If you think that you are the Jivatma, then the subject ‘I’ is creation/ Maya/ Shakti or the jivatma the individual soul. With every ‘Soham’, the Jivatma says that it is the Atma/ Advaita / the ultimate auspiciousness, ie the Para Shivah itself. By continually asserting this fact, with time, transcendence takes place. In one line, ‘When Shakti looks at Shivah, it says Soham’
- If you are confident that you are the Atma, the Advaita. Then Soham also means that the Para Shivah is continually reasserting that it is verily the Self. This is the Anuttarah avastha or the Vedant Vichar, also called the Turiyateet in some books. In one line, ‘When Shivah is in itself, it is Soham’.
Hamsa – if you start your Dhyan with an exhalation and end it with the inhalation then the Ajapa mantra is ‘Hamsa’ ‘He is Me’. Here the idea expressed is more on the lines of ‘Ayam Atma Brahma’. If you analyse the Mahavakya, then the fourth one in sequence is that ‘everything around me is verily my own self’. This is the expansion of the identity to encompass everything and everyone.
- So in this thought process, with every ‘Hamsa’, the Atma/Brahma is saying that everything or all creation or Maya or Shakti is the same Me/ Atma/ Brahma. With Hamsa, the Ultimate Shivah says that he himself is the manifested Maya. In one line, ‘when Shivah looks at Shakti, it says Hamsa.’
- Also ‘When Shivah is in itself, it is Hamsa’. The Advaita Shivah is continually asserting that ‘it itself is the only known’.
But still, for beginners on the spiritual path, I would recommend ‘Soham’ as the easier path. Right now, we are all under the impression that we are the Jivatma thus ‘Soham’ vichar/ thought is more suited for this mindset. Soham is the samhaarrupa of the Paramatma, ie it will destroy the anandmayikosh, ie linga sharir which is the seat of ignorance. It will also destroy the sachit karma and change the perception from the limited jivatma to that of the Advaita Paramatma.
The foundational thought/ Vichar of the Vedant is Soham as Aham Brahmasmi and also the Hamsa as Ayam Atma Brahma. And these two, Soham and Hamsa are also used in several mantra, yantra and tantra. You will find references to Soham and Hamsa in several standard books in the Upanishads and also in the Tantra.
Both are equally powerful and whatever you practice, keep on doing it. Convert every breath consciously into the Ajapa Mantra and be the Self.
(This mini-post is in response to a question on Hamsa and Soham)
28 responses to “Soham and Hamsa the Ajapa mantra”
Namaste writer
I am so happy to read this post as it resonates so much with teaching of my current guru.
I have a question regarding the astro bangle you have posted about. I tried to get one from the Ananda group but they are charging way too much. They say that the weights are a secret.
I read you post and straight away felt connected so I have these questions
Which hand should I wear it?
My jeweller says that it is tough to get the exact weight according to what you suggested. Is there a trick or technique for this?
Anything else you would suggest before I invest into this.
Thanks.
Hi there
it is not secret, Shri Yukteshwar giri was a Jyotishi too and this bangle is very common remedy for balancing things. I have given the weights in my post.
go to any temple and you will see kadas being sold. the sellers claim that they are tridhatu, panchadhatu, ashtadhatu etc, this means that this sort of kada was very commonly used in Bharat since ages.
any competent jeweller can make this sort of a kada. it is not difficult, several of my clients hve made it in several parts of Bharat and also overseas.
you can wear it on either hand or also in the arm if you wish.
with the current gold prices it will be very expensive,
so as short cut you can wear jewellery made of gold, silver and copper each on your body, eg gold ring in the finger, silver kada, copper kada etc.. these metals even if not of the exact weight and even if not casted together will work if you intend it strongly
Namaskaaram Tejaswi ji,
As always thank you for the abundant inflow of knowledge sharing 🙏
Just now I realised my son has moon(punarvasu 4th pada) in 1st house in lagna chart (lagna in ashlesha 1st pada), however the moon shifts to 12th house in Bhava chalit.
Rahu(uttara phalguni 2nd) /ketu (purva bhadrapada 4th) axis 3/9 in lagna chart shifts to 2/8 in Bhava chalit.
I am bit concerned as to which house results the moon will give? And are there any remedies for 12th house moon for above combination.
Dhanyawad
🙏
Hi there
Will give anshatmak results of both houses.
Daily puja routine.
And i have written on several small behavioural food color etc changes which can b done fr the planets. Ref index
Dear tejaswini ji ,
Sometimes when I wake up from my sleep, I see things like strings or spider webs or just random shapes moving across the roof. It’s not malicious and I’m not scared. Are these remnants of REM sleep cycle or something I’m seeing from a different dimension?
Hi there
Most likely floaters.
Or consult a medical professional.
Lol , you legend ❤️
Sometimes it’s just eyes being eyes. Haha
Thankyou
Namaste, First of all, thank you for your very interesting and informative posts. Really appreciated! I am a beginner in Jyotish and I want to purchase an astrology program. However, there seems to be so many fake sites out there. What software do you recommend? Looking forward to hearing from you soon! Kind regards Jo
Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
Hi there
https://psychologicallyastrology.com/2019/08/21/start-learning-astrology-systematically/
Learning Jyotish, needs changing oneself by following specific karmkands. Tejaswini ji has already mentioned those in many of her posts.
Do not fall for any astrology program. It will be good to learn the planet behaviours in your own chart first, then take the next step forward. 🙏🏻
Hii Madam
Query unrelated to this post.
1. if we encounter some incidence in the dream, then that particular karma is said to be offset/balanced off in full. is it correct?
then, getting bad dreams can be said to be good in a way? because that way, one doesn’t have to encounter those incidences in reality and karma also gets balanced.
2.
i was trying to use the DC’s for prediction, but feels i am not getting the hang of it.
e.g. for virgo asc person, rahu occupies the 8th house currently. now, 8th house signifies various things like occult, accidents etc. now, to differentiate among these 2x only,
i checked D16 for possibility of accidents during travel So, for D16, Rahu/Ketu both occupy 8th, Mangal in mesh, Sun/Moon in 11th, meaning all the imp points ( Asc sign/lord/sun/moon) seem ok.
and for D20 for spirituality, Rahu/ketu occupy 1st house of Makar, Shani in 1st, chandra in 2nd and surya in 5th. this again shows not a bad combination as such.
unable to conclude anything from above analysis.
am i taking some incorrect step?
thanks
Hi there
1. yes
2. Somewhat ok.
first birth chart/DC for the possibility of the accident
then trigger dasha
then pinpoint transit
first practice – analyse some past event, so tht you get the sense of it.
Madam ji
Did grahan yoga people wil act like energyvampires? Because when ever i feel someone is an energy vampire(sorry for the term, but i guess it wil convey the exact feeling) i found out that they hav grahan yoga in their chart, malicious people who dont take any responsibility and twist anything in their favour with a penchant for drama, once targeted its difficult to get away from them and they are highly perceptive, its like when we are at the wits end because of their drama, they start playing victim🙄, i guess somewhere madamji wrote about it but not in a blog but in some comments, sorry if the question is irrelevant but i found since i am one of those sensitive soul i am an easy target and now i can understand some of the traits, but may be one placement wont decide personality still is there any chance for the above traits and if so why they are drawing energy from others? Because we are vulnerable or they need it to sustain? Because they dont have enough energy with them?
Hi there
Grahan yog is a combination of Sun/Moon with Rahu/ Ketu. Such people have a different sense of morals, ethics, are unconventional etc.
Esp if Rahu is involved then one should be careful when interacting with them. Rahus typical qualities will heavily influence the mind, the creativity, etc.
If Ketu is involved then it can lead to a spiritual mindset if the rest of the chart is supportive.
I have had only one experience where someone I met, randomly hugged me and seriously messed up the energy of my aura. She was practicing some weird ‘mantra’ and was highly unbalanced herself, desperate for energy.
People with Rahu Ketu dominating their Asc lord, asc sign, 8th house, 12th house, with Mars esp, can intentionally strip off the aura/energy of their victims. I suppose you can call these people ‘energy vampires’, or people with an ‘evil eye’.
Unintentionally draining others energies is very common.You have to be alert and not become a victim.
I wrote somewhere on what a victim mindset is like, on psychic attacks, how to protect yourself, abuse, fraud, cracked auras, abusive spouses, evil eye, etc.
Ref the index or use the search bar.
Dear Ma’am,
How to not give evil eye or cast negitivity if unconsciously. Asking as I don’t want karma for my bad potential. I am also Rahu and moon in 8th with Scorpio asc and moon atmakarak
Regards
S
Dear Tejaswini Ma’m,
Many many thanks for this answer.
Apart from the “conjunction” of Rahu/Ketu with Sun, Moon etc, (grahan yog), if Rahu is in opposition with the planet will the same effect take place? Somewhere in the earlier comments you have mentioned that Rahu may give similar effects when opposite (7th from) the planets.
I have a person in life who is Scorpio Ascendant with Sun + Neptune in Asc, and Saturn Rahu conjunct in the 5th house opposite Jupiter, Mars and Moon in the 11th house. All the traits of your article on “Scorpio Ascendant” are applicable, especially the negative ones like secrecy, jealousy , rivalry, lack of help and support. My life had been very problematic due to various issues created by this person since childhood. I could place and identify these issues ONLY after I came across this blog! As Rahu is 7th from Moon, Guru (its dispositor) and Mars (Asc Lord), the typical effects you mentioned in the answer above will be equally intensely felt?
Hi there
Rahu in opposition means Ketu in conjunction. I wrote about Ketu conjunct planets. If they are incapable of auspicious results then yes. (In rare cases they can be yogkarak.)
Yes.
Hi Madam,
1. while doing mantra repetitions on fingertips, is it must that palms should face upwards( i read somewhere during shahjyoga practice that palms have to be kept facing upwards/sky, so as to get the divine blessings..kind of funny)
2. i know that one should do the mantra as per their pace. but generally how much time should take for 1 mantra/ 108 mantras, of nav varna? i am asking this i sometime feel that i am rushing pronounciation and should rectify deerghas (hreeng,kleeng) in the mantra, but don’t know by what extent. having ref. timing can help in this modulation.
Hi there
The palms ideally face slightly towards each other and partially upwards. and the elbows should not bend.
the wrist should lock on the knees, this is important.
but do as much as you comfortably can. Ultimately it is all in the mind.
there are defined rules for this. but there is no point in getting into so many rules/technicalities.
Overthinking is the biggest problem. get out of this.
i consider only 1 rule, do as much as u can, but comfortably. there should be no stress.
Namaste Madam ,
Hope you are doing well. Off the topic , can you please write about vedic education? Like for joining the children in Veda PaaTaShala? What kind of energy is needed for a person to succeed in Vedam and Sanskrit education . Many thanks Madam for guidance.
Regards,
Sirisha
Hi there
if you have such a good genuine vedic pathshala near your place then yes! it would be a very good option for the children to study there
but evn if you cannot send your child to such a school here are a few things which you can incorporate in your child’s life.
get up before sunrise (ideally 1:30hrs before sunrise, but its not possible anymore)
“karagre vasate laxmi…. ” see the palms, touch the face.
get ready.
offer arghya to the sun (Om suryaya namah) and water to tulasi (Om tulasi devyai namah).
namsakar to puja ghar deity.
any small mantra of choice eg ‘Om namah shivaya’ 3 times.
read one shlok from the BG. just one in Sanskrit. (this should be a life time habit for everyone)
do namaskar to parents/ grandparents then go school
satvik food can be added to the diet as possible.
in the evening, do send the child to a marital arts class if you have a good one nearby.
this is very important as Shastra and Saastra both are necessary for a complete development of the mind/body.
if you have a Sanskrit teacher near you, request that he/she teaches spoken sanskrit to the child at least for 1 class/ week. (and children pick it up easily).
sleep in time by 9:30 pm.
wrote posts on almost all of these things, check the index.
even this much if done daily, it will help a lot.
‘energy’ needed?
Sanskrit and Ved are the birthright of every human born on this earth. just being born as a human is enough.
Thankyou very much Madam for the response.
We reside in Canada and my son goes to online Agastya Gurukulam.
Me and all my family members have been following few suggestions which you mentioned above ( Bhagavdgita, karagre, martial arts , satvik food etc)
We are in dilemma whether to come back India for Vedic education or stay here and continue the online studies.
For Vedic/Sanskrit Education , I thought Jupiter and Mercury energy is needed. If Jupiter , Mercury are well placed and connected to 4th and 5th house , and during their Dasha’s , vedic/sanskrit eduation is possible.
I wasn’t sure sure . Hence the question what kind of energy is needed.
Regards,
Sirisha
Hi there
Something is always better than doing nothing at all.
And the environment at home is important. If you can make your children understand the importance of Dharma then they will find ways to learn more about the Ved/BG etc and will always remain with Dharma. Parents should understand what ‘Sankar’ mean and give them to the children.
In the chart, the Dharma trikon has to be strong, 1-5-9 axis.
Both Devguru and Daityaguru have to be supportive.
If this much is there in the chart then the child will never stray away from Dharma.
Hello Mam I sent you messages in facebook and gmail but till now got no response.I have some questions regarding shivaratri
Hi there
Ask your questions only on this blog comments. I do not interact one-one with anyone.
Ok Mam.My question is that in drikpanchang puja time is in 11 pm.Can I worship before that time i.e.between 8 to 10 pm?My second question is that mahadev fulfills all of our problems if we worship him in shivaratri.So as chaturdashi falls vishti karana starts which is bad time.Should I pray to him in that karana or before chaturdashi in vanija karana trayodashi tithi?Bhadra Mukha remains until 9.43 pm but after bhadra mukha is it better time?bhadra puncha is in dawn.So as you can see its a lot of confusion.Please help.
Hi there
Mahadev pujas are best performed at the Nishitha muhurt, midnight.
but if you cannot then any time is fine.
Ok mam.One more question.I read about your earthen pot mirror post.In which intervals should I energise this?And mam can you please tell me the preference of priority of elements of panchanga?or if you’ve mentioned it in any of your post can you please paste the link here?