This technique combines the sacred power of AUM chanting with the focused subtlety of the previous verse, directing the meditator to concentrate on the precise junction where sound vibrations cease and absolute stillness begins, leading to the state of Shiva.
The Junction Point: Where Sound Becomes Silence
This practice focuses on increasing degrees of subtlety, guiding the mind from a clear auditory object to a point of near-nothingness:
Chant AUM audibly. Gradually the sound diminishes. By concentrating on the point where the sound ends into the void, one becomes Shiva. (Verse 42)
This meditation refines the method of Verse 39 by emphasizing the transition point itself, rather than the subsequent period of silence. It trains the awareness to perceive the subtle transition, which is critical for attaining a state beyond thought.
Practice Instructions (Subtle Transition)
This technique is best done seated, and the act of self-chanting helps maintain attentiveness:
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Audible, Diminishing Chant: Chant AUM (or OM) audibly and slowly, ensuring the sound “gradually diminishes,” particularly protracting the ‘M’ component.
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Focus on the Junction: The meditator must focus on the “point where the vibration of the sound ends in silence”. This is described as a “subtle point” that demands and therefore naturally increases the practitioner’s awareness.
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Self-Chanting for Awareness: The commentary notes that chanting oneself (rather than listening to another) makes it easier to maintain awareness and prevents the mind from wandering.
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Continuous Cycle:Â Repeat the process: chant AUM slowly, focus on the diminishing sound, and concentrate on the subtle junction point where the vibration transitions to silence.
Becoming Shiva
The effect of repeatedly and attentively seeking this subtle junction point is the stilling of the mind.
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Mind Stills: Concentrating on the precise point where the sound ends into the void causes the mind to “become still”.
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The Result: Becoming Shiva: When the mind is still, the state of liberation is achieved, and the practitioner “becomes Shiva”, which is the state of pure consciousness.
This technique is crucial because it highlights the universal yogic principle: all energy, thought, and activity eventually dissolve into a subtle point of transition, which, when concentrated upon, leads to the ultimate source of reality. The transition point (the junction) is the gate to the eternal.