Soham (Sanskrit)
Template:Short description Template:Contains special characters Soham or Sohum (Template:Lang Template:IAST<ref>In English language literature also printed as So’ham, So Ham, So-aham, Sohum, So Hum, Saham, Sa'ham, Sau-ha, Sah-karena/Sahkara = the sound of Sa</ref>) is a Hindu mantra, literally meaning "That (is) I" in Sanskrit, implying "I am that".Template:Sfn<ref name=dhavamonyhs129>Mariasusai Dhavamony (1999), Hindu Spirituality, GB Press, Template:ISBN, page 129</ref>
In Vedic philosophy it means identifying Brahman with the universe or ultimate Brahman.Template:Sfn
The mantra is also inverted from Template:IAST (the sandhi of Template:IAST) to Template:IAST. The combination of Template:IAST has also been interpreted as "I am Swan", where the swan symbolizes the Atman.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Etymology
The term Template:IAST is related to Template:IAST, and the phrase translates to "That (is) I", according to Monier-Williams.<ref>Monier Monier Williams Dictionary, Sa s.v. " 6.": "it is often for emphasis connected with another pron. as with Template:IAST, Template:IAST, Template:IAST, Template:IAST&c. (e.g. Template:IAST, Template:IAST, 'I (or thou) that very person'"</ref> Interpreted as a nominal sentence, it can also be read as "I am the absolute" or "Great truth".Template:Sfn<ref name=dhavamonyhs129/> The term is found in Vedic literature, and is a phrase that identifies "One with the universe or the ultimate one reality".Template:Sfn
History
This phrase is found in Principal Upanishads such as the Isha Upanishad (verse 16), which ends:
- (...) तेजो यत्ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत्ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ॥१६॥
- Template:IAST
- "The light which is thy fairest form, I see it. I am what that is" (trans. Max Müller)<ref>The Upanishads, Part 1 1879, p. 313. Müller gives the footnote: "Asau purushah should probably be omitted", taking these words as an explanatory gloss that was accidentally incorporated in the text.</ref>
Soham, or "I am That", is very common in ancient and medieval literature.Template:Sfn Some examples include:
- Sannyasa UpanishadsTemplate:Sfn such as Naradaparivrajaka Upanishad,Template:Sfn Nirvana Upanishad,Template:Sfn Ashrama Upanishad,Template:Sfn Maitreya UpanishadTemplate:Sfn and Satyayaniya Upanishad.Template:Sfn
- Yoga Upanishads such as Dhyanabindu Upanishad<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Woodroffe 1974 76">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Yogashikha Upanishad<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Hamsa Upanishad<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Gandharva Tantra<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Woodroffe 2007 343">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Kali Tantra<ref name="Woodroffe 2007 343"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Kularnava Tantra<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Mahanirvana Tantra<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Mahanirvana Tantra is claimed to be a juridical fabrication in: Template:Cite book</ref>
- Niruttara Tantra<ref name="Woodroffe 1974 76"/>
- Bhaja Gaureesam<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed
- Gowresa Ashtakam<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed
- Shakthi Mahimnah Stotram<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed
- Tripurasundari Vijaya Sthava<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed
Adi Shankara's<ref name="Srinivasan 2007 48–49">Template:Cite book</ref> Vakya Vritti<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> subsequent works in the Nath tradition foundational for Hatha yoga.
- Matsyendranath's Yogavishaya
- Gorakshanath's Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Gorakshanath's Yoga Bija<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Gorakshanath's Goraksha Shataka<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Jñāndev's Lakhota<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Jñāndev's Yogapar Abhangamala<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- foundational for Swara yoga the original script Shiva Svarodaya<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
as well as the classical yoga treatises Gheranda Samhita<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Shiva Samhita<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> all make mention of soham and hamsa describing its significance and when teaching uniformly teaches So on inhalation and ham on exhalation.
This traditional practice in its several forms and its background is described in numerous other books.<ref name="Srinivasan 2007 48–49"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite q</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Hamsa
Swami Muktananda - although teaching the traditional So on inhalation and ham on exhalation as a letter from 1968 to Franklin Jones reveals<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> - later published a book<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> teaching Ham on inhalation and sa on exhalation. This practice is described in several later books all referring to Muktananda.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The teaching of Ham on inhalation and sa on exhalation is allegedly alluded to in a text of Kaśmir Śaivism, the Vijnana Bhairava:
However, this verse 155b is not found in the Vijnana Bhairava first published in 1918 in the Kashmir Series of Text and Studies<ref name="muktabodhalib.org">Template:Cite web</ref> but is quoted from a commentary by the Abhinavagupta disciple Kṣemarāja<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> in his Shiva Sutra Vimarshini (commentary on the Shiva Sutras)<ref name="muktabodhalib.org"/> in later editions of Vijnana Bhairava.<ref>Template:Cite book reprinted and published as: Template:Cite book</ref>
Yoga
When used for meditation, "Sohum" acts as a natural mantra to control one's breathing pattern, to help achieve deep breath, and to gain concentration.
- Sooooo... is the sound of inhalation, and is remembered in the mind along with that inhalation.
- Hummmm... is the sound of exhalation, and is remembered in the mind along with that exhalation.
Soham is also considered a mantra in Tantrism and Kriya Yoga, known also as Ajapa mantra, Ajapa Gayatri, Hamsa Gayatri, Hamsa mantra, prana mantra, Shri Paraprasada mantra, paramatma-mantra, and as such used notably on its own, in the meditation practice ajapa japa<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and in the kriya practice shabda sanchalana.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
See also
- Aham Brahmasmi
- Be, and it is
- I Am that I Am
- Dualism (Indian philosophy)
- Nondualism
- Monism
- Tattvam Asi