Kśaraḿ pradhánamamrtákśaraḿ harah
Kśarátmánáviishate deva ekah
Tasyábhidhyánát yojanát tattvabhávát
Bhúyashcánte vishvamáyánivrttih.

In this universe, both mundane and supra-mundane, or say, physical and metaphysical, we find entities of two kinds: Kśara and Akśara. Kśara is a metamorphosed form of the cognitive faculty created under the tethering influence of Prakrti, the Operative Principle. Hence in philosophical Saḿskrta, the Operative Principle is also known as Pradhána because in the phase of creation it has got the primordial role. Pradhána means “main”. Whatever we see in the universe, or whatever cometh within the arena of our influence is Kśara, that is, creation of the Operative Principle. The portion of the Cognitive Faculty which does not come within the tethering periphery of the binding faculties remains akśara. That is, it undergoes no change, no metamorphosis, is non-decaying, non-waning. “Kśaraḿ pradhánamamrtákśaraḿ harah”. And that Akśara portion, that is, non-decaying, non-transforming, non-metamorphosing portion, is amrta or immortal. Kśara is mortal.

What is death? Death means a process of metamorphosis. Akśara means not undergoing the process of metamorphosis; hence it is immortal. “Amrtakśaraḿ harah”. That is why that Akśara is also known as Para. Para means beyond the scope of all changes, beyond the scope of all transformations.

“Kśarátmáná viishate deva ekah”. But there is a third entity. One is Kśara Brahma, that is, the transformed Brahma, objectivated Brahma – this external universe created by the tethering influence of the Operative Principle. The second one is Akśara Brahma whose other name is Hara. Hara means one who undergoes no change under the influence of others.

This world is a divine play of Hari and Hara. It is Hari-Harátmaka. Hara is one who is undergoing no metamorphosis and Hari means “Harati pápánityarthe harih”. That is, one who steals away sins of others. People may say, “Parama Puruśa is great and He steals! What is the matter?” As per necessity, He does engage in stealing but one without calumny or fault. He expects bhaktas to give away their sins to Him and be liberated. But when He asks bhaktas to do so, they say, “O Náráyańa! we can give You our minds, our bodies, our souls, our everything; but how can we give You our sins? That we can’t do.” Bhaktas love Him deeply and He loves them too. As Bhaktas won’t part with their sins on request, He steals them away and that is why He is known as Hari. But in this Shloka we are concerned with the word Hara. “Amrtákśarah Harah”.

Now, one is Kśara Brahma. The second one is Akśara Brahma and there is the third entity, Nirakśara Brahma.

You know, the acoustic root of creation is “A” “U” and “ma” = “Aum”. And the acoustic root of objectivated Brahma, causal Brahma creating “a” “u” and “ma” and effect Brahma created by “a” “u” and “m” – its acoustic root is “ka”. Hence “Ka” is our first consonant and “A” is our first vowel because “a” is the root of creation. “Ka” is our first consonant because it is the acoustic root of this objectivated universe.

So one meaning of ka is that it is the acoustic root of objectivated Brahma; the second meaning of ka is that it is our first consonant and the third meaning of ka is jalam, that is, water. In Saḿskrta jala is also called ka. Along with niiram, toyam, udakam, kambalam, and pániiyam, ka is a synonym for jalam.

Once I said that the land surrounded by ka, that is, covered by ka, is kaccha. Cha means “surrounded by”. Root chád + da suffix is cha and root verb chád + ghaiṋ suffix make chat. Chát means “covering entity”. Land covered by water is kaccha. Kaccha is an area on the western coast of India.

The third one is Nirakśara Brahma. “Kśarátmanáviishate deva ekah”. There is another Deva who establishes His control both over Kśara and Akśara. He is Nirakśara. The common meaning of nirakśara is illiterate but here nirakśara means “Táraka Brahma” – the tangential point who has got control over both Kśara and Akśara, but not Nirguńa because Nirguńa has got no control over anything. He does not accept anything as His object.

Now you are to worship, you are to do your auto-suggestions or outer-suggestions or meditation or any other spiritual observances for whom? Neither for Kśara, nor for Akśara but for Nirakśara.

If Kśara is accepted as your object of ideation or adoration, then finally you will converted into Kśara, you will be converted into crude matter. So Kśara can not be your object.

Akśara cannot be accepted either because Akśara is always associated with some Kśara and always engaged in so many duties concerning Kśara. That Akśara can not be Mukta Puruśa. So your only object of ideation or meditation or adoration, the only subjective pabulum, should be that Nirakśara. So here it has been said “Tasyábhidhyánát”. You will have to do His abhidhyána.

Abhi – dhyá + anat́ = abhidhyána. Abhidhyána means withdrawing yourself from all transitoriness of this world and goading that withdrawn propensity or those withdrawn propensities into the Nirakśara. This is the abhidhyána of the Nirakśara. So many propensities are brought to a single point, and that combined propensity, the combined force of all propensities is goaded unto Him. That is called abhidhánam.

“Tasyábhidhyáhat yojanát tattvabhávát.” By dint of a never-ending process or practice you come in closest contact with Him. Yojanát and tattvabhávát: tat + tva. Tat means That; that is, Nirakśara Brahma. Ideating on that only, that item only, that entity only, is tattvabhávát. “Bhúyashcánte Vishvamáyánivrttih.” And the final goal of yours, final result of yours, the resultant of so many practices should be liberation from Vishvamáyá.

There are different varieties of Máyá: Mahámáyá, Yogamáyá, Ańumáyá and Vishvamáyá. Vishvamáyá means the influences of Máyá that function both within and without the created world and that portion of Máyá working within it as an all-pervading faculty is known as Viśńumáyá. Here the bondage is from that universal Máyá or Vishvamáyá. It is she who with her dexterous hands creates this universe of so many colors and sounds.

So by dint of never-ending ideation of Nirakśara, one has to merge in Him and attain liberation from Vishvamáyá. There is no alternative.