Om Nashi Me

7 weeks ago on my way back from Takengon to Banda Aceh.  I have just heard one beautiful song inside a traditional house of one passenger which being picked up by our small bus. Vaguely, it was a very simply song, with short lyrics, 2 - 4 rhyme, I guess. But on the song there was one line which repeated again and again; ‘Om Nashi Me’. I believe it was like Japa, the repetition of mantras in Sanskrit.

We have already known that almost Sanskrit mantras start with the word ‘Om’. The vibrating sound on spelling the word ‘Om’ was believed to encompasses mystical entity in the universe and the continuously spell technique of mantras will transform our soul parallel with the universe itself.

I urge myself to find it and then I finally found that it was a song by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros called “Om Nashi Me.”

I didn’t know why my ears were very familiar with this mantra line. I might be hearing that rhyme on my one day in my yoga exercise which music was being played while we were doing Shavasana pose. In the silence and solitude of body and soul whenever I try to calm down my breath, erasing all the pain, load, hatred, sadness on my mind,  just relax, lying, imagine the cold floor hidden by the thin mattress, feel the heat of my flow blood and hear the tap of my heart beat. Recognize the air that comes and out through my nose until I fell asleep and snoring. Or it might be came from one of India movie I have watched - where there was a scene of a beautiful India woman with her long black hair were praying in front of their Goddess statue. She was spread the fog of incense. Her sari was waving, blown by the wind while the fragrance of sandalwood was surround her body and attached on her cloth. The strange thing was my inner sense that the sounds was brought directly when I was born and was heard by me a long time before myself  shaped (for those who did not believe in reincarnation might be did not understand what was I am talking about).

I did asked one of my Pakistani’s friend whether she knows the meaning of the line but unfortunately although she is a Hindus, she never heard about it. In some sources, they believe those were Sanskrit language. In English itself Om Nashi Me can be translated as “infinite nakedness”. I assume that the meaning of infinite nakedness is not just literally nakedness but has a greater meaning. Nakedness is very close to both human body and soul.

In term of body, Om Nashi Me or infinite nakedness has deeper interpretation of how we treat our body.  In the beginning of human life we were born and come to this universe with nothing (naked) and so does when we die and leave this universe also with nothing (of course our family will put on the best or favorite clothes that we love during our life in this world) but nothing or nakedness here means we will not bring what we have in our mortal place; money, luxurious things, belongings, position, social status, etc.

Nakedness is also related into original sin of a human. Where on the bible, it was written that first knowledge was began when the devil which appears as a snake offer the fruit of knowledge to Eve, she ate the fruit and give the rest to Adam in a God’s paradise – Eden. Since then they know the word 'naked' and they feel shame of being naked. This is why I believe nakedness related to human body with its understanding which was given by social interpretation - of course with general common knowledge such as dirtiness, taboo, provocative, sin and so forth with closely to negative assumption and last but not least the heaviest burden given to the first human being whose ate the fruit of knowledge, Eve - a womankind

In term of soul, infinite nakedness means being freedom by releasing your soul from all negative emotion such as fear, worries, guilty of ourselves, jealousy and all boundaries. In the cycle of universe you live only once with your truly personalities (which might be change on the next phase if you believe in reincarnation). In every life cycle you need to be true and honest to people around you, to your God almighty (as I believe that some people believe in their God by deceiving of their chosen religion) but most of all you need to be true to yourself.

Since Om Nashi Me is not a usual prayer – there is no specific Goddess to be devoted with. I believe that this Japa is originally created to accommodate human being with their nature. There was a source which gives comprehension that Om Nashi Me close to the idea of universal love or compassion. Love between partners, friends, human being, creatures on universe.

Infinite nakedness also give the soul a bliss on learning how to forgive and to release all the pain that happened in the past – although you might not forget them but at least you are free, undress – naked from the hatred, intention of taking revenge or negative thought(s) that can leads you to negative behavior(s) of negative purpose(s).

Om Nashi Me mantra has to be repeated regularly and continuously to raise the energy of Caitanya (an awareness of its mantra’s purpose).

Om Nashi Me - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgDSp3R82wU