The secret quality of sacred mantras

Mar 13, 2010, 12.00am IST
Bhanumathi Narasimhan.


Mantras are sound vibrations that permeate every cell of your being; they let the mind dissolve. Mantras are impulses or rhythms of consciousness. They create spiritual vibrations.


Mantra is that which saves you from repetitiveness. A repetitive thought is a worry. Mantras help to free you from worries. Often we wonder why we chant some sounds without understanding their meanings. Can something that we do not understand, help us?


The meaning of every mantra is infinity. It is a sound vibration beyond the cognition of the mind. When the mind is unable to do this, it simply dissolves and moves into a meditative space.


A mantra is like a seed. Every seed has the potential to become a tree. Similarly, these sound vibrations contain all the possibilities of creation. Some mantras are in seed form, called the bija mantras. Others are fully expressed, that is the fruit of the mantra is also expressed, like the Gayatri mantra.


Mantras are a secret. That which is kept a secret alerts the subconscious mind. Mantras work at the level of consciousness. When we want a seed to sprout, it needs to be sown into the soil, hidden, a secret. If it is simply thrown around, birds may eat them up. We can read and learn about mantras and their uses from books and the internet but that will only satisfy the intellect and not translate into experience.


When we chant the mantras, or listen to them, we get purity of mind and word. This prepares us for meditation. As a result of the sound vibrations, different patterns of the mind rearrange themselves to become tranquil. Agitation is reduced, helping us to turn inward. For instance, when we laugh, our happiness increases. When we cry, the heaviness of sorrow is released. Just as sounds of laughter and crying help, mantras act similarly. Repetition of mantras creates a psychological or mental response that is deep, beyond the realm of words or expression. It can only be experienced. Speech falls short as it cannot go beyond expression into the experiential level.

When the mind is calm and centred, it can turn inward. Only a mind turned inward can experience the vastness and beauty of Divine Consciousness. When our focus is outward on the objects of the senses, our mind is scattered; it races after one craving or other. Physical senses seek to know all about the external universe. Meditation is the tool for inner exploration. ‘Antarmukhi Sada Sukhi’ – one whose mind is turned inward is ever in bliss. Mantras are tools that allow the mind to dissolve and repose in the Self.


Why should we repose in the Self? How is this going to help us in our day-to-day life? When a river is calm, it reflects. When the mind is calm, there is greater clarity of expression. Our sense of observation, perception and expression improves. As a result, we are able to communicate effectively and clearly.


Most of our problems and misunderstandings arise because of a lack of effective communication. When our mind is free from agitation, the way we interact and communicate is much more pleasant and effective. Our efforts are not hindered by communication gaps. This leads to a lot of positivity in outlook.


Mantras are as subtle as the air that creates ripples in the water as it gently moves over it. Air is all-pervading and at the same time affects specific regions. The field of mantras is also one such. It is all-pervading; it creates an impact on the one who is practising.

The writer is the director of women and child welfare programmes, The Art of Living.