Thursday, November 17, 2011

Mantra for Beginners -- III

I have been posting messages about Mantras with the aim of demystifying Mantras. I was talking about Sri Sri Chandi only to point out that there is a lot of difference between the books and practice. I do not know how people started reading Sri Sri Chandi. But I know about Soundharya Lahari. This was not read by many people in the south because of the restrictions imposed. But in the early 70s The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetathipathi told his followers that there is no restriction in reading the text, and that it is extremely beneficial if Housewives recite it. So Soundharya Lahari became very popular.

Again Gayatri mantra was supposed to be only for the upper castes who receive Upadesa. But then Swami Dayananda Saraswathi (founder of Arya Samaj) removed all restrictions on this mantra. Now it has even become a cinema song.

Excepting a few Tantrik mantras other mantras do not cause any harm. It is only said that the effect may not be as dramatic as it is when it is recited properly. 

You know there are mantras in languages other than Sanskrit. I know many mantras in Tamil and Hindi. My Diksha Guruji gives initiation of mantras in Tamil. I know of Muslim magicians who use Arabic and Persian mantras. These mantras called Sabar Mantras by Dr. P.R. Tigunait the spiritual head of the Himalayan institute. (Disciple of Swami Rama). His classification of mantras is

Meditative mantras
Contemplative mantras
Siddha Mantras
Maha Mantras
Apta mantras
Sabar mantras

Malas have an effect on their own. This is independent of the mantras. Generally Saivites and Sakthas use Rudraksha and Vaishnavites use Tulsi. Tibetans use wooden malas. Counters have become popular for mantra japa. They are used when you have to do Japa thousands of times. Counters are used by Hare Krishna Devotees. I have used a counter.

Namah is a declamation used at the end of a Nama in Archana or in the middle in a mantra.
Example- Om Sri Rajarajeswaryai Namah - Namavali
Om Namo Bagavathe Vasudevaya - Mantra.
Swaha is used generally when giving an oblation into the fire in Homa. It is also used in a mantra at the end. Swaha is a name of MAA. There are other interpretations as well.

Friends who are keen on furthering their knowledge of Mantras can refer to the book Understanding Mantras -Edited by Harvey P. Alper - This book contains 10 research articles on the subject.

Jai MAA !!!

Sankar

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