उपनिषद् · Varāha 5.68
॥
देवनागरी
मुद्राबन्धविशेषेण वायुमूर्ध्वं च कारयेत् । ऱ्हस्वो दहति पापानि दीर्घो मोक्षप्रदायकः
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
mudrābandhaviśeṣeṇa vāyumūrdhvaṃ ca kārayet | ऱ्hasvo dahati pāpāni dīrgho mokṣapradāyakaḥ
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
मुद्रा-बन्ध-विशेषेणmudrā-bandha-viśeṣeṇaby the special seal and lock
वायुम् ऊर्ध्वं च कारयेत्vāyum ūrdhvaṃ ca kārayetlet him direct the wind upward
ह्रस्वः दहति पापानिhrasvaḥ dahati pāpānithe short burns away sins
दीर्घः मोक्ष-प्रदायकःdīrghaḥ mokṣa-pradāyakaḥthe long bestows liberation
अनुवाद
"By the special seal and lock, let him direct the wind upward; the short [sound] burns away sins, the long bestows liberation."
संस्करण
7996cd6a7aa1 · प्रकाशित 12 अग॰ 2026, 5:00:00 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The discourse turns to sound, and the verse distinguishes three lengths: hrasva (short), dirgha (long), and pluta (extended), of which the next verse will speak. This distinction is taken from grammar: every vowel in Sanskrit has three measures, and the measure is counted by matra, "units." That is, a grammatical distinction is applied to the pronunciation of OM, and each measure is ascribed its own effect.
Worth noting that here the craft rests no longer on the body, but on the science of language; and this is pervasive in Indian literature, for grammar was there the first of the sciences. Let us add that the Vaishnava side too speaks of the duration of chanting, for it has this too. Its name is chanted aloud and at length, and the distinction between japa (quiet repetition) and kirtana (loud singing) is drawn there with a preference for the latter.
The ground given is this: the quiet is heard by one, the loud is heard by many; and hence the loud is counted a hundred times more effective. This rule is stated directly by Chaitanya and repeated constantly in its books. Compare the two approaches and their difference will be seen.
Here the duration of the sound acts by itself, as a measure acts in an incantation. There the duration matters because others hear it; that is, the effect is ascribed not to the sound, but to the fact that it has reached someone.