39. When prana reaches sushumna, Nada (sound) of eight sorts is heard within: like the sound of a bell, a drum,

a conch, an ocean, a vina (a musical instrument), a flute, cymbals, etc.

Isvara's manifestation in Yoga.

40. When prana dwells in Brahma-nadi (sushumna), the Divine Being appears in forms like those of fire, lightning, stars, the moon and the sun.

Manifestation of Pranava in Yoga.

41. In each breath the sun runs as many yojanas as there are breathings of a man in a day.

42. By breaths numbering twenty-one-thousand-and-six-hundred, Atman daily repeats the mantra "Soham, He I am." for the prolongation of life.

43. By omitting s and h, and by merging a in o preceding it, the Pranava (Om) is formed.

44. The wise say that a, u, m, the bindu and the nada are the five aksharas (sounds) of the Pranava.

The bindu is the nasal vowel-sound, without which the consonant m cannot be sounded. The nada is one with the sonant prana. It starts from Muladhara and becomes manifested in the cavity of the nadi through which the heated prana passes. The component parts of Pranava being manifested by this nada, the Pranava is said to end with nada. Thus a, u, m, bindu, and nada are the five aksharas or sounds residing in Pranava, i.e., in the body of man which is called Pranava.

45. Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Isvara and Sadasiva,--these dwell in the five

aksharas in conjunction with the thirty-six principles.

The Grace of God and Guru necessary.

46. By the Guru's grace, the devotee attains the eight-stepped Yoga; by Siva's Grace, he attains perfection in Yoga which is eternal.

Perfection in Yoga consists in the intuitive recognition of the true nature of Atman.

47. To Him who is Being, Consciousness, and Bliss; who dwells in Bindu and Nada; who has no beginning, middle or end; to the Guru of the Gurus be this bow!

This explains the meaning of pranava. Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss, represented by a, u, m, constitute the Pranava and form the essential nature of Brahman. Bindu and nada stand for name and form, the one standing

for the manifested name and form, and the other for the unmanifested name and form; so that they show that He is the cause of the origin, continuance and dissolution of the universe. They describe Him through His acts, but not as He is in Himself.

48. Thus ends the ninth chapter in brief in the work called Manasollasa, which expounds the meaning. of the Hymn to the blessed Dakshinamurti.