OṂ in the Dharmaputrikā Saṃhitā

Chapter 4 of the Dharmaputrikā Saṃhitā teaches a five-phase process of voluntary exit from the body by raising the bindu in the body and beyond, via five specific actions collectively called pañcakarman, which combine techniques of breath control (prāṇāyāma), fixation (dhāraṇā) and meditation (dhyāna) simultaneously with the practice of OṂ. From the ultimate phase (pralayotkrānti), an archery metaphor occurs several times, designating the target to be reached (lakṣya) in different ways, notably as bindu or Śiva.

On the other hand, chapter 1 teaches a meditative practice consisting in the emanation of the phenomenal world and its resorption into a paramākṣara which could refer to either Brahman or OṂ.

In this lecture, I propose to examine the representations, functions and technical aspects of OṂ in the Dharmaputrikā Saṃhitā, and to what extent it is the expression of a supreme principle, whether it be Brahman or Śiva.