3.42 – Samyama on the fusion of sound and space brings divine hearing.

श्रोत्राकाशयोः संबन्धसंयमात् दिव्यं श्रोत्रम् ॥४१॥

shrotra akashayoh sambandha samyamat divyam shrotram

  • shrotra – act of hearing
  • akashayoh – of space; sky; ether
  • sambandha – fusion; binding together; joining together; intimacy with
  • samyamat – by samyama – the perfect integration of consciousness; the uniting of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi
  • divyam – divine; heavenly
  • shrotram – act of hearing

In the silence of deep meditation, subtle sounds may arise that are not coming from any outside source. That can occur when energy flows become more prominent in one of the chakras. For example, we may notice specific chakras produce unique sound vibrations such as the buzzing of bees, the plucked strings of a harp, various pitches of a flute, the striking of a bell or gong, or the rumbling of thunder. All of these sounds are aspects of OM.

We can use a subtle sound as an object of meditation by bringing our attention to it and the space in which it’s arising. As the sound draws our attention, we can probe it with our curiosity and experience its finest levels. The more we work with subtle sounds, the more refined our sensitivity to them will become.

As with any object of meditation, we should allow our consciousness to merge fully with it, then go beyond it and rest in the silent recognition of Awareness.