By Mantra means a sound. But its not just a sound. It is the reverberation of cosmic energy in a particular way, which affects our body and mind. Scientists today see the whole existence as reverberations of energy, different levels of vibrations. Where there is a vibration, there is bound to be a sound. So, that means, our universe is a kind of sound, or a complex amalgamation of sounds. We have Naad Yoga, which identifies how these sounds can be used to produce certain forms.
The word ‘mantra can be divided into two parts. ‘Man’ and ‘Tra’. Man means mind and ‘Tra’ means the vehicle. So mantra is a vehicle of mind, a powerful vibration to help you in meditation. Mantras are a set of unique sound waves, which affect different pressure points in our body. These pressure points are specific points in our body which can cause acute pain and calming these can enhance our emotional and physical health.
There are certain mantras, which are identified as ‘Beej’ mantra because their unique pattern is more powerful than others. These are the keys, which help you to open a different dimension within you. Gayatri mantra is one such mantra. It has a meter consisting of 24 syllables arranged in triplets of each which affect 24 main pressure points in our body and affect our chakras. It is said to be the most powerful mantra in the world. The structure of Gayatri mantra is in perfect sync with the science of cosmic sound. Lord Krishna says, ‘I am the Gayatri in mantras’.
But mantras are to be pronounced correctly with clear diction and only then their powers are unlocked. That is why Sanskrit mantras in ‘gurukulas’ are taught by rote. The purpose is to teach the clear pronunciation. The meaning can be taught later. In order to benefit from mantras, we should learn from a guru.
Om is the primordial sound of the universe and a whole article will be posted soon. When we chant AUM, made of A, U and M and it has three aspects. A is the waking state, U is the dream state and M is the deep sleep state. At the end is a pause, known as ‘true or infinite consciousness. It is pronounced as ‘OM’ . Scientists at NASA have now recorded the sound of the sun and that is OM.
Om takes you to deep meditation if you recite it daily with concentration. It has other physiological effects. It was found in a study that chanting Om deactivated the same brain centers which were deactivated during the treatment of epilepsy by electric therapy. It also takes the edge off our basic emotions like fear, anger and anxiety. Just seven days of Om chanting showed regeneration of brain cells.
