Pranava Mantram & Daiva Mantram
In Kathopanishad, Yama (the lord of Death) tells Nachiketa that ॐ (Aum) is verily Brahman, this word is the highest and he who knows this word obtains whatever he desires.
The syllable ॐ arises from the Sanskrit root अव् which means to Protect. Protection of the universe is that inclusive part of Sustenance. Hence etymology of Pranavam says: "प्राणन सर्वान परमात्मनि प्रणामयति इति प्रणवम् " - That which is always to be revered (bowed before), is Pranavam. Also, प्रकर्षेण नवमिति प्रणवम् - That which is eternally new is Pranavam.
The tantric concept of Life as a dot (Bindu) and as a Circle that expands from that dot (Bindu) to that Circle and thereafter returns to that Bindu is about the Creation (Bindu) & Preservation/Sustenance (the Circle).
The Circle can be further divided horizontally into two parts, the lower semi-circle being Preservation/Sustenance and the upper semi-circle being Beyond Existence. The lower part of the Life is Soorya governed (Solar) and the upper part is Chandra (Moon) governed (Lunar). We can see this division in the Jyotisha (Zodiac division) as well - the Raasis from Simha to Makara governed by Sun and from Kumbha to Karkataka governed by Moon. The Solar is what you are and what you experience as material. The Lunar is that beyond our normal existence. The Solar is day and Lunar is night. The Solar is Sura and the Lunar is Asura. Solar is Presevation/Sustenance and Lunar is Beyond Existence. Solar is Vishnu, Lunar is Shiva. Solar is Physical, Lunar is Abstract. Solar is Body, Lunar is Mind, Solar is Experiential while Lunar is Imaginable.
The Pranava Mantram is ॐ and the Daiva Mantram is अऌः .
ॐ is VaiShnava & अऌः is ShaiVa. They are two parts of the same circle. Vishnu is comprised of व & श while Shiva is comprised of श & व. शव् in Sanskrit also means dead. Thus Shiva is also the Lord beyond Death and his abode is the Cremation ground (grave-yard). वश् in Sanskrit also means attraction (possession) - Vishnu is also Krishna - the attracting. When the Praana is kept attracted (attached/possessed) to the material body, there is the feeling of Existence. It is Vishnu that keeps it attached (until decided to liberate) and it is Shiva that takes care of it when it is liberated. Vishnu has his consort as Lakshmi (prosperity). Shiva lost Sati and thereafter is an ascetic who is consorted by the very nature of the existence Paarvati (Prakriti).
Shivam means मङ्गलम् (Mangalam - Happiness & Well-being). Shiva is the one who consumed विषम् (poison) for the well-being (शिवम्) of all.
The following table details the same.
| Pranava Mantram | Daiva Mantram |
|---|---|
| ॐ | अऌः |
| Lower Semi-circle ँ |
Upper Semi-circle ऀ |
| Sandalwood Paste with Kumkum above | Bhasma (Ash) with Kumkum below |
| Solar | Lunar |
| Direct influence | Indirect (Reflective) influence |
| Simha to Makara | Kumbha to Karkataka |
| Light | Dark |
| Lord of the Day | Lord of the Night |
| Heat | Cold |
| Physical | Abstract |
| Existence | Beyond Existense |
| Experiential | Imaginable |
| Experienceable | Not Experienceable |
| Known | Unknown |
| Knowable | Beyond Knowledge |
| Attached / Attracted to Physical | Liberated from Physical Attachments/Attractions |
| Consorted by Prosperity | Consorted by Prakriti (Nature) |
| Lakshmi | Parvati |
| Samsaara (Bondage) | Samskaara (Liberation) |
| Sura | Asura |
| Vishnu (Sustenance) | Shiva (Destroyed) |
| वश् (Attracted/Attached) | शव् (Liberated) |
| Vishnu (विष्णु - Prevailing) | Shiva (शिवम् / मंगलम् - Happiness) |
| Active | Passive |
| Energized | Neutralized |
| (Controls the विषम् Poison of Life) | Consumed विषम् (Destroyer of विषम् Poison) |
| with प्राण (with Praana / Life) | bereft of प्राण (without Praana / Life) |
| अ + उ + अम् | अ + ऌ + अ: |
As Pranavam is related to Vishnu, Vaishnavites usually adorn their forehead, a 'gopi' - an upward open crescent with Saffron Kumkum dot above it. Shaivites on the other hand adorn their forehead with a long drawn Bhasma (hot ash - ideally from the cremation grounds) which forms a downward open crescent with Saffron Kumkum dot below it. The Kumkum indicates the Female power - Shakti. The Sandalwood paste cools the heat of the Sun and the Bhasma heats the cold nature of the Moon (Chandra). Thus they are used as compensating factors.
We can also see that the representation of अऌः resembles the figure of Ganesha with the visarga turned anti-clockwise to form the eyes of the elephant god; the ऌ forming the head and the trunk; and also including the अ placed anti-clockwise to form a straight line umbrella on top of the head. The upper semi-circle with the bindu (dot) below it, depicts the large belly of the Ganesha. Incidentally, there is also a close connection between Ganesha and the Moon (Chandra) as can be seen in the Vinayaka Chaturthi story.
We can also see that the representation of अऌः resembles the figure of Ganesha with the visarga turned anti-clockwise to form the eyes of the elephant god; the ऌ forming the head and the trunk; and also including the अ placed anti-clockwise to form a straight line umbrella on top of the head. The upper semi-circle with the bindu (dot) below it, depicts the large belly of the Ganesha. Incidentally, there is also a close connection between Ganesha and the Moon (Chandra) as can be seen in the Vinayaka Chaturthi story.
Considering that the ॐ and Ganesha are declared to be revered, venerated & invoked before any action/invocation that is intended to be undertaken, it implies therefore that Ganesha or Vigneshwara (the remover of obstacles) is none but अऌः. Ganesha is also considered to be the Pranavam ॐ. The elephant trunk and the belly is depicted in the script of ॐ. In otherwords, it could be said that Ganesha is a confluence of the Vaishnavaite and Shaivite principles uniquely representing both ॐ and अऌः in one symbol. (May also wish to know that on the same lines, Ganesha's brother Subrahmania is a confluence of Shiva and Brahma!)
While ॐ is Pranava mantra, अऌः is Daiva mantra.
While ॐ is Pranava mantra, अऌः is Daiva mantra.
Ref: Yoga-Vasishtam : https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/yoga-vasistha-volume-1/d/doc117974.html
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