Sadhguru explains about Naad or Nada. He said in the realm of vibration, each frequency dances with meaning, echoing the profound interconnectedness of all creation. The indestructibility of the letter 'Ka' signifies that every utterance echoes the eternal nature of the universe, resonating with the truths of Brahman.
Article | October 16, 1989
Sadhguru: Speech, or Vak, is revered as Brahman, as stated in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: "Vak vai Brahma iti"—Speech is indeed Brahman. The primordial sound (Nada) manifests in four distinct stages: Vaikhari, Madhyama, Pashyanti, and Para. In many of my previous writings, I have frequently mentioned Vaikhari, which has led several readers to inquire about its meaning. Due to time constraints, I have not been able to address this topic until now. Today, I will briefly attempt to explain its essence.
Vaikhari refers to the Naad i.e. vibration (Kampon) produced when breath (shwas and Prana) merges with vocal articulation. As the breath interacts with the throat, palate, and tongue, it creates vibrations that spread, resulting in what we recognize as sound, or Vaikhari. In Hindi, the term Bikhra means "scattered," and similarly, Vaikhari refers to the dispersed nature of sound vibrations emitted from us. This is the sound we commonly hear, the spoken word.
In the context of spiritual practice, when Kundalini awakens and rises through the Sushumna from the Muladhara chakra, the collision of Prana and Apana Vayu i.e. winds generates a sacred vibration, Nada. This Vibration, often resembling spoken words or natural sounds, becomes distinctly perceptible in the initial stages of practice. At first, the practitioner may not realize that this sound is arising from within, so clear and resonant is the inner experience. This level of sound is called Vaikhari, as it is scattered and spreads outward, like the spoken word.
Nada is vibration, and the universe itself emerged from the primordial sound—the unmanifested vibration of Akshara Brahman (the eternal, unchanging sound). Hence, Brahman is known as Akshara, which means indestructible, for He is beyond all decay and transformation.
In the Ancient Bengal Tantric tradition, it is said that as one delves deeper into the practice, one encounters the Bija or seed syllables, which represent the cosmic vibrations which we call Celestial Sound, the essence of Nada. Each of these seed sounds has a specific frequency, rotation, and wave pattern that can be experienced through spiritual practice. The power of each Bija and its corresponding deity is intricately connected, just as the Upanishads declare: "Vak vai Brahma iti"—Speech is indeed Brahman. It is through this sacred vibration or Nada that knowledge is revealed to us. In Nath Yoga, the practice of Nada Sadhana holds great significance, as it leads one to the profound realization of the divine through sound.
Thus, Vaikhari represents the initial and external form of this journey, where the scattered vibrations of sound bring us closer to the divine essence that permeates the universe.
In this context, the sage-king Bhartrihari states that all forms of knowledge are imbued and carried by sound—‘Anubiddhamiva jñānam sarvam śabdena bhāsate,’ meaning "All knowledge is illuminated through sound." Interestingly, these sound waves permeate the cosmos as embodiments of wisdom—similar to the concept of modern cloud computing. As a practitioner ascends to certain spiritual states through intense sadhana, they begin to perceive such cosmic waves as tailored revelations or instructions meant specifically for them. It is from this point that challenges begin to arise.
This Nada is what illuminates all knowledge within us, for everything in this universe emanates from Nada. Each object, every particle, possesses its unique vibration. Whether audible to our ears or not, these vibrations produce a precise frequency of sound. Thus, every entity in existence vibrates at a specific frequency, creating a distinct Nada. How is this so? This is where the principles of vibration—Amplitude, Frequency, and Wavelength—come into play. These vibrations generate precise geometric patterns, leading us to the understanding that Nada is both the eternal sound and the unchanging essence.
Now, when we think of Akshara (the indestructible sound), we also understand it as a letter or syllable. Take the letter "Ka," for example—it is a specific geometric shape. The sound "Ka" has been assigned a particular geometric form in the material world. If we delve deeper through spiritual practice, entering the innermost realms of awareness, we will observe that this geometric shape of the letter "Ka" manifests brilliantly in the Chidakasha (the sky of consciousness) against a deep, dark void. Every line and curve of this letter's form will reveal its meaning. To a seeker of high spiritual calibre, this symbol will unfold not just as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional form, but as a multidimensional figure, revealing its motion, rotation, and underlying vibration with intricate clarity.
When the vibration is specific, the particle naturally forms a geometric pattern. Thus, the geometric shapes we perceive are nothing but the expression of the underlying vibration, the Nada, giving form to the formless essence of the universe. Through this, we recognize that sound, geometry, and vibration are intimately connected in the dance of creation.
Image of Ka in Bengali
"The left stroke is Brahma,
The downward stroke is Vishnu with four arms.
The upward stroke, uniting with the left,
Is Mahadeva, the preserver of balance.
Above all, in full form,
Is Goddess Saraswati, the deity of speech.
The hook-shaped, coiled form,
Is Kali, the bestower of liberation."
Consider the symbolic interpretation of the letter "Ka" as follows:
The leftward stroke descending from the top represents Brahma, the Creator. The line extending downward from that left stroke symbolizes Vishnu, the Four-Armed Preserver. The line that connects these two strokes and ascends directly upwards signifies Mahadeva—Shiva, the great God who maintains the balance between creation and sustenance. Above all, in the fullness of form, resides Saraswati, the Goddess of speech and wisdom.
The curved hook-like form that descends from Para Vak (the transcendent form of speech) represents the coiled Kundalini, embodying the primal energy, the Adya Shakti. This is none other than the great Goddess Kali, born of the seed of the primordial roar, who bestows liberation (Kaivalya). This form, shaped like a noose, points towards the Mahashunya—the great cosmic void, where the root of all existence resides.
Thus, the geometry of the letter "Ka" is a divine symbology, where each stroke and line corresponds to cosmic deities, their energies, and the foundational principles of the universe. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Saraswati, and Kali—through the shapes of this sacred letter—reflect the interplay of creation, preservation, dissolution, wisdom, and transcendence. Each element of this script reveals the profound, metaphysical truths that underpin existence itself.
The relationship between the symbol 'Ka' and the letter itself is indeed intrinsic, which is why it is considered indestructible. Thus, it is proclaimed that this universe is composed of sound, with Brahman as the very source of these sounds. Sound is not merely a testament; it embodies knowledge, the essence of wisdom, and even the conscious awareness of the knower itself.
King Janaka once received an illuminating explanation from the sage Yajnavalkya: that all the Vedas, histories, Puranas, sciences, Upanishads, verses, sutras, expositions, rituals, sacrifices, food, drink, this world and the next, all beings, and even the bond of kinship—are known only through Vak (speech). Vak itself is the Supreme Brahman.
Everything in the cosmos, all matter and substance, is essentially defined by a sound. So, what is the meaning of this sound? It is the expression of a being or object through sound. This expression is called Sphota—nothing but the cognitive manifestation or realization of an object within the intellect. The very term Pratiti (cognition) contains within it the revelation of the object in the intellect. The way the intellect perceives and reveals an object is the totality of the object’s essence. If something beyond this exists, it has not yet manifested in the perception of that being.
When a person cannot distinguish between sound and its meaning, they remain at the level of Vaikhari, the grossest form of speech. The sage-king Bhartrhari elaborates on the threefold Nada—Vaikhari, Madhyama, and Pashyanti—which represent the "many sacred crossings." In this context, Tirtha (crossing) refers not merely to pilgrimage sites but to the various chakras within the body. The sacred "crossing points" or seat of consciousness (Adhishthana) are located in the breath, intellect, and heart, where Vaikhari, Madhyama, and Pashyanti respectively manifest, ultimately leading the seeker to self-realization.
From an etymological standpoint, the word Tirtha stems from the root "tar," which signifies movement, crossing, or change in velocity. It is also a riverbank or a place of transition. Just as the flow of a river touches three banks, so too does the current of speech touch these three stages as it flows—Vaikhari, the expressed sound; Madhyama, the subtle sound; and Pashyanti, the vision of sound. Sage Bhartrhari asserts that this stream of speech, filled with Nada, is the dynamic expression of Kala Shakti—the power of time itself.
When we say "water," it is not merely a sound; its sound and meaning emerge simultaneously in our consciousness. The great poet Kalidasa illustrates this concept by likening Shiva and Parvati to Vak (speech) and Artha (meaning)—inseparable and intimately connected.
The word Artha has two interpretations, one is meaning the other one is Cash or Currency. Because cash or currency has meaning to buy and sell materialistic objects and services.
Knowledge and the object of knowledge, both, are revealed through speech and within the intellect. However, this does not yet represent the purest state of awareness. In the progressive path of spiritual practice, there is a gradual refinement of Nada—from the gross Vaikhari to the subtler Madhyama, and finally to the most subtle Pashyanti.
I will write more about this progression at a later time. Even the knower of consciousness (Chaitanya) cannot transcend the form of Vak until they reach the level of Pashyanti. When one attains the highest level of Para, knowledge, the known, and the knower (Chaitanya) dissolve into unity. In that moment arises bliss, the pristine purity.
When the involuntary recitation (Ajapa) ceases, Nada arises in the practice. This is the turning point in the journey of spiritual evolution. The Nada traverses from sacred crossing to crossing, finally reaching the state of ultimate purity.
