The Nada Anusandhana Dhyana Mantra (Final) is a meditative mantra used in the practice of Nada Anusandhana, the systematic meditation on inner sound (nada). This practice is rooted in the Nada Bindu Upanishad, which describes the process of focusing on the subtle sound heard within the right ear as a means to achieve mental absorption and liberation. The mantra is associated with Nada Brahman, the concept of sound as the ultimate reality, where the entire universe is a manifestation of primal vibration. The term 'anahata nada' refers to the 'unstruck sound'—the eternal, uncreated vibration that underlies all creation, distinct from sounds produced by physical contact.
According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (4.66-70), Nada Anusandhana is a key technique for achieving samadhi, wherein the mind dissolves into the inner sound, leading to the state of unmani (mindlessness). The practice involves closing the ears with the thumbs and listening to the subtle sounds, progressing from gross to subtle, until only the unstruck sound remains. The beej-akshara 'Om' is often used as a support, but the final stage transcends all articulated sounds. Traditionally, this mantra is chanted mentally during meditation, preferably in a quiet environment during brahma muhurta (pre-dawn hours) or at night.
The recommended count is not fixed; the practitioner continues until the sound becomes self-sustaining. Cautions include avoiding forceful concentration, as it may cause tension; the approach should be relaxed and effortless. The Nada Bindu Upanishad warns that the mind should be absorbed in the sound like a bee in honey, without distraction. This practice is considered a direct path to samadhi, as affirmed in the Yoga Sutras (1.27-28) where Om is the pranava representing Ishvara, and its repetition leads to realization of the inner self.
The final dhyana mantra encapsulates the culmination of this process, where the meditator merges with the sound itself.
Salutations to the Sound-Brahman, the ultimate reality as vibration.
The mantra begins with the seed-syllable 'Oṁ', which is the pranava beej representing the primordial vibration and Ishvara. It is not a complex beej mantra but uses Oṁ as the foundational seed.