Mantra: Encyclopedia II - Mantra - Mantra in Hinduism

Mantra - Mantra in Hinduism

Mantras were originally conceived in the great Hindu scriptures known as the Vedas. Within practically all Hindu scriptures, the writing is formed in painstakingly crafted two line "shlokas" and most mantras follow this pattern, although mantras are often found in single line or even single word combinations.

The most basic mantra is Aum, which in Hinduism is known as the "pranava mantra," the source of all mantras. The philosophy behind this is the Hindu idea of nama-rupa (name-form), which supposes that all things, ideas or entities in existence, within the phenomenological cosmos, have name and form of some sort. The most basic name and form is the primordial vibration of Aum, as it is the first manifested nama-rupa of Brahman, the unmanifest reality/unreality. Essentially, before existence and beyond existence is only One reality, Brahman, and the first manifestation of Brahman in existence is Aum. For this reason, Aum is considered to be the most fundamental and powerful mantra, and thus is prefixed and suffixed to all Hindu prayers. While some mantras may invoke individual Gods or principles, the most fundamental mantras, like 'Aum,' the 'Shanti Mantra,' the 'Gayatri Mantra' and others all ultimately focus on the One reality.

In the Hindu tantras the universe is sound. The supreme (para) brings forth existence through the Word (Shabda). Creation consists of vibrations at various frequencies and amplitudes giving rise to the phenomena of the world. The purest vibrations are the var.na, the imperishable letters which are revealed to us, imperfectly as the audible sounds and visible forms.

Var.nas are the atoms of sound. A complex symbolic association was built up between letters and the elements, gods, signs of the zodiac, parts of the body -- letters became rich in these associations. For example in the Aitrareya-aranya-Upanishad we find:

In effect each letter became a mantra and the language of the Vedas, Sanskrit, corresponds profoundly to the nature of things. Thus the Vedas come to represent reality itself. The seed syllable Om represents the underlying unity of reality, which is Brahman.

Mantra - Mantra Japa

Mantra Japa was a concept of the Vedic sages that incorporates mantras as one of the main forms of puja, or worship, whose ultimate end is seen as moksha/liberation. Essentially, Mantra Japa means repetition of mantra, and has become an established practice of all Hindu streams, from the various Yoga to Tantra. It involves repetition of a mantra over and over again, usually in cycles of auspicious numbers (in multiples of three), the most popular being 108. For this reason, Hindu malas (bead necklaces) developed, containing 108 beads and a head "meru" bead. The devotee performing japa using his/her fingers counts each bead as he/she repeats the chosen mantra. Having reached 108 repetitions, if he/she wishes to continue another cycle of mantras, the devotee must turn the mala around without crossing the "meru" bead and repeat.

It is said that through japa the devotee attains one-pointedness, or extreme focus, on the chosen deity or principle idea of the mantra. The vibrations and sounds of the mantra are considered extremely important, and thus reverberations of the sound are supposed to awaken the prana or spiritual life force and even stimulate chakras according to many Hindu schools of thought.

Any shloka from holy Hindu texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutra, even the Mahabharata , Ramayana, Durga saptashati or Chandi are considered powerful enough to be repeated to great effect, and have therefore the status of a mantra.

A very common mantra is formed by taking a deity's name. Called Nama japa and saluting it in such a manner: "Aum namah ------" or "Aum Jai (Hail!) ------" or several such permutations. Common examples are "Aum namah Shivaya" (Aum I bow to Lord Shiva), "Aum Namo Narayanaya"; or "Aum Namo Bhagavate Vasudevãya," (Salutations to the Universal God Vishnu), "Aum Shri Ganeshaya Namah" (Aum to Shri Ganesha) and "Aum Kalikayai Namah" and "Aum Hrim Chandikãyai Namah." (i.e., mantras to Devi.)

Mantra - Some Hindu mantras

The most representative mantra of all the Hindu mantras is the famed Gayatri Mantra:

It is considered one of the most universal of all Hindu mantras, invoking the universal Brahman as the principle of knowledge and the illumination of the primordial Sun.

Mantra - Lead me from Ignorance to Truth

āsato ṃā sat gamayā / tamaso ṃā jyotir gamayā / ṃrityor-ṃā āmritam gamayā / Om śānti śānti śāntiḥ

"from non-being to being lead me, from darkness to light lead me, from death to immortality lead me."

Mantra - Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

It appears originally in the Kali-saņţāraņa Upanişad (Kali Santarana Upanisad):

Some may argue that "Rama" should be said first but there is a story behind this: When Caitanya Mahaprabhu (considered an incarnation of Krishna) began spreading the chanting of Hare Krishna in this Kali Yuga age, he put Krishna first as a way to divert the criticism from contemporaries who didn't like his openness when revealing great powerful mantras. Lord Caitanya said afterwards that when repeating the mantra continuously the effect was the same so it is not incorrect to say Krishna first.

When A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada established ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) a branch of the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya to the West, he popularised the "Hare Krishna" mantra to the entire world given an easy way of liberation in this age of Kali.

Mantra - The shanti mantras

Mantra - Universal prayer

(May good befall all, May there be peace for all, May all be fit for perfection, and May all experience that which is auspicious.)

(Om, May all be happy. May all be healthy. May we all experience what is good and let no one suffer. Om, Peace, Peace, Peace!)

Mantra - Other examples

• Tat Twam Asi "Thou Are That"
• Tryambakam.
• Surya Namaskara

Mantra - The Hindu Bija Mantra

In Hinduism the concept of mantra as mystical sounds was carried to its logical conclusion in "seed" (Sanskrit bija) mantras that have no precise meaning on there surface but instead are thought to carry within their sounds connections to various spiritual principles and currents. For example, worship of the Mother Goddess Kali, in mantra form, is famously reduced to the powerful Bija mantras of the Shakta tradition of Hinduism:

Krim Krim Krim Hum Hum Hrim Hrim Swaha

Of course, the most revered of all Bija mantras is Om/Aum.

The Bija mantra is part of the Hindu monistic understanding that while reality manifests itself as many/multiple, it is ultimately one.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Mantra in Hinduism", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki