What are Mantras? |
Mantras are powerful mystical sounds, revealed to the ṛṣis (Sages) for the benefit of all the world. Mantras are used as prayers to invoke various aspects of Divinty. When they are intoned with attention and devotion, they are extremely powerful vehicles for the shakti (Energy / Spirit) of God. This shakti imbues people and things with uplifting healing power. The Thirumantiram proclaimed that the mantra holds the power to turn copper into Gold. The embodied soul (jīvā) is compared to copper. The Divine Self (śiva) is compared to Gold. The mantra will literally transform the embodied soul in to the Formless Absolute. Whereas the Yantra is likened to the physical body and Tantra to the soul; the mantra is said to relate to the mind. Mantra has power like no other technique we have to uplift consciousness and to awaken the higher capacities of the superconscious mind.
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"Mantras have the power to heal consciousness at the deepest level. They effect the people who hear them and the places where they are practiced. The Vedic mantras have been revealed by the Rishis (Sages) Rishikas (female Sages) for the benefit of humanity. Men, women, and children of all nationalities, casts, creeds, and social statuses can benefit from the use of the powerful Veda mantras, but they must have courage to look within themselves and an intention to help all living beings."
- Swamiji
Use of Mantras
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Mantras have the power to heal consciousness at the deepest level. They effect the people who hear them and the places where they are practiced. The Vedic mantras have been revealed by the Rishis (Sages) and Rishikas (female Sages) for the benefit of humanity. Men, women, and children of all nationalities, casts, creeds, and social statuses can benefit from the use of mantra, but they must have courage to look within themselves and an intention to help all living beings.
The mantra practices we follow were taught by Swamiji's Gurus. Most of the Vedic rituals are based upon the Āpastamba Sūtra of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda, one of the most popular Vedic traditions in South India. Some rituals here have their origins in the Āgamas and other later texts and some are unique to this lineage. This information is shared with the public for their education and spiritual upliftment. It is asked that the people who benefit from this information spread the blessings of these mantras by sharing them with compassionate, wise, and dharmic (spiritual) souls. |
Please use this information for the peace of the triloka (three worlds). The Vedas are powerful to heal and uplift all who use them for healing and peace. They are powerful to destroy those who work for selfish gains. They purify the soul by destroying all that is impure. It is very important for the safety of the chanter that chanting be done to offer his selfish tendencies to the Lord. When spiritual practice is done in this way there will be no concern about mistakes or bad effects from mispronunciation etc. When doing a practice of Veda chanting it is important to have a Guru to teach the proper pronunciation and to guide and support the soul through the process of spiritual awakening. The Guru's grace empowers the mantras for the sincere student. He balances and supports the seeker as the shakti of the mantras transforms his consciousness. There are relatively many people who chant many Sanskrit mantras daily; but there are a rare few souls who have realized the Truth of Vedas living within their own hearts. May this page lead the sincere seekers toward the realization of that Truth. Tat Sat, Hari AUM!
Sincere seekers who wish to realize the truth of Vedas are encouraged to contact Swamiji for guidance. |
Hand written palm leaf Sanskrit manuscripts
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Saṁskṛta Varṇa Māla (Alphabet) |
Linked below are texts in Sanskrit with English Transliteration for helping people learn the Sanskrit sounds. It is very important when reciting mantras to intone the sanskrit aksharas (letters) properly. The effects will be different (and can be catastrophic) if the sounds are not said correctly.
Speakers of Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and other modern Indian languages should be aware that the Sanskrit sounds are sometimes slightly different than their counter parts in the modern languages. Aspirated letters are stressed more than there are in speech to ensure a clear differentiation. For this reason, Indians are encouraged to look through this sheet. English speakers may find this text useful because it uses English sounds as a reference for describing the Sanskrit sounds. There is no amount of reading that can replace the direct instruction of a teacher when it comes to learning these sounds. This text can help people recall what they have been taught, but can never replace an actual teacher. |
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Request for Donations
This site is maintained by volunteers. Those who have benefited from this information are encouraged to give dakshina (donation). Donations are needed to help publish printed versions of Swamiji's books and to maintain and update this site. Those who are familiar with Sanskrit may wish to donate their time to help update or edit the texts here by contacting [email protected].