Everything About Mantras

What is a Mantra?

A "Mantra" is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit believed by practitioners to have psychological and spiritual powers. The earliest Mantras were composed in Vedic Sanskrit by Hindus in India, and are at least 3000 years old. Mantras are powerful sounds, which when chanted produce great effects. If these are chanted repeatedly, then it is called Japa. Japa is a key part of Hindu prayer.

One can wonder why Mantra is so special as compared to normal words. The reason is, Mantras are not human composed as we normally compose sentences. There are sages associated with the Mantras. These sages are not the composers of these Mantras, but are the discoverers who gave it to the world. Those who go in deep meditation reach a state 'known as God realization' in which these words are heard inside their head. To be such a discoverer needs great amount of qualification. Only the perfect one can unchangedly reproduce the Mantra heard. Others reproduce the Mantras only as pure as their closeness to perfection (or God).

Why do Mantras work?

There is a vibratory frequency that corresponds to everything in the Universe. Happiness or sorrow, joy or regret are vibratory frequencies in the mind. When we chant a Mantra we are choosing to invoke the positive power contained in those particular syllables. Whether it's for prosperity, peace of mind, increasing intuition, or any other possible benefits inherent in Mantras, simply by chanting them we are setting vibrations into motion that shall have an effect. It doesn’t actually matter if we understand the meaning of the sounds or not. One thing is to be noted that, if the actual physical vibration is coupled with a mental intention, the vibration then contains additional mental component that influences the result of saying it.

"Mantras are not small things, Mantras have power. They are the mind vibration in relationship to the Cosmos. The science of Mantra is based on the knowledge that sound is a form of energy having structure, power, and a definite predictable effect on the chakras and the human psyche."
~ Yogi Bhajan

There is a power or Shakti in every word. The Name of God, chanted correctly or incorrectly, knowingly or unknowingly, is sure to give the desired result (but it should not be chanted in haste, and with ignorance). The glory of the Name of God cannot be established through reasoning and intellect, but can be experienced or realized only through devotion, faith and constant repetition of the Name.

"A Mantra is divinity. Mantra and its presiding God are one. The Mantra itself is God. Mantra is divine power, manifesting in a sound body. Constant repetition of the Mantra with faith, devotion and purity augments the Shakti or power of the aspirant, purifies and awakens the Mantra Chaitanya latent in the Mantra and bestows on the Sadhaka Mantra Siddhi, illumination, freedom, peace, eternal bliss and immortality."
~ Swami Sivananda

How to chant Mantra?

Mantra can be chanted in 3 ways:

Manasic Chanting (Mental)
Upamsu Chanting (Whispering)
Baikhari Chanting (Loud)

Manasic Chanting (Mental): Chanting Mantra in mind without audible sound. This type of Mantra chanting is difficult and can be learnt only with practice.

Advantages:

Subtle form of chanting
Commonly used by advanced practitioners
Leads to higher states of awareness

Upamsu Chanting (Whispering): Chanting of Mantra in low voice so that only practitioner can hear and understand.

Advantages:

Long duration chanting (8 – 10 hours)
Purposeful Mantra repetition
Helps to concentrate in the words of Mantra

Baikhari Chanting (Loud): Chanting Mantra loudly which can be heard easily.

Advantages:

Removes thoughts
Makes meditation easy

Additional Tips:

Keeping a picture or idol of God in front of us while chanting the Mantra helps greatly in concentration.
When we repeat the Mantra, we should have the feeling that Lord is seated in our heart and purity is flowing from the Lord to our mind.
Mantra should not be chanted in hurried manner, but should be done slowly (not too slowly) with feeling, and one-pointedness of mind.
Mantra should be pronounced distinctly and without mistakes as far as possible.
For personal welfare, or for the sake of God alone, Mantra can be chanted mentally anytime, anywhere and in any amount, without disclosing it to others.
But, in order to have a habitual practice, Mantra Japa can be done which requires certain rules to be followed, such as:

Select any Mantra or Name of God (preferably given by a Guru), and repeat it from 108 to 1080 times daily (i.e. 1 to 10 malas).
The early morning period and dusk are the most favorable times for Japa and meditaition.
Hands, feet, face and mouth should be washed before sitting for Japa.
Face east or north during the practice. This enhances the efficacy of the Japa.
Purity and cleanliness is must for performing Mantra Japa.
Sit on Kusha grass, or some cloth. This conserves body electricity.
Sit in a separate meditation room or in any suitable place such as a temple, river bank or under a banyan or peepal tree, or wherever you find most comfortable and peaceful.
It's better to use a Rudraksha or Tulsi mala of 108 beads. Use the middle finger and the thumb of the right hand to roll the beads. The use of the index finger is prohibited. Do not cross the Meru while rolling the beads. Turn back when you come to it.
Some prayer can be done before starting the Japa, and after the Japa is over.

Benefits of Mantra chanting:

Chanting of Mantra purifies the environment around us and creates positive vibrations.
Chanting of Mantra not only benefits the person who is chanting, but also to the people around them wherever its vibrations flow.
It can place us in a meditational state which gives us deep relaxation.
Mantra chanting removes the impurities of the mind, removes desires, destroys sins and brings the devotee face to face with the Lord.
The repetition of the Mantra again and again generates great spiritual force and momentum and intensifies the spiritual Samskaras or impressions.
Sweeter than all sweet things, more auspicious than all good things, purer than all pure things, is the Name of the Lord.
Bhakti yoga is the easiest, quickest, safest, and surest way for attaining God-realization, and that Bhakti can be done by heartfully singing the holy names of the Lord.

Some Mantras

OM

ॐ

The most basic Mantra, also known as "Pranava Mantra", i.e. the source of all Mantras. It appears at the beginning and end of most Sanskrit recitations, prayers, and texts.

Shiva Mantra

ॐ नमः शिवाय |

Om, Salutations to Lord Shiva.

Gayatri Mantra

ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व: |
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं |
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि |
धियो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ||

Let us meditate upon the glory of Lord, Who has created this Universe (the three worlds), Who is fit to be worshiped, and Who is the remover of all sins and ignorance, May He enlighten our intellect.

Guru Mantra

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः ।।

I prostrate to that Sri Guru, who is himself Brahma, Vishnu and God Maheshvara, and who is verily the Supreme Absolute itself.

Peace Mantra

ऊँ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु ।
मा कश्चित् दुःखभाग्भवेत ।।

May everybody be happy.
May everybody be free from disease.
May everybody have good luck.
May none fall on evil days.

Revered Hinduism