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Mantra

Bhagavad-Gita: 18 Chapters in Sanskrit

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Here are the links to the short stories.

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http://www.shortstoryteller.com/CalufaTheWarDog.html http://www.shortstoryteller.com/PolyandrousMathanam.html
http://www.shortstoryteller.com/SadhuAndHisPeregrinations.pdf http://www.shortstoryteller.com/SeerKing.html
http://www.shortstoryteller.com/TheKingAndTheCow.html http://www.shortstoryteller.com/EggDiamonds.html
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http://www.shortstoryteller.com/ThreeDaughters.html http://www.shortstoryteller.com/MargaraTheCat.pdf
http://www.shortstoryteller.com/FourBrothers.html http://www.shortstoryteller.com/DemolitionDerbyDebates.html
http://www.shortstoryteller.com/SankaraAndMaleChauvinism.htmlhttp://www.shortstoryteller.com/SadhuAndHisPeregrinations.pdf
http://www.shortstoryteller.com/TwoFriends.html http://www.shortstoryteller.com/TheKingandHisKleptomania.html
Here is a link that you can click to read the PDF file Chapter V Mantras and Purification in Woodroffe's Book The Great Liberation.

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 Mantra is life, action, love, and wisdom flowing from within.

Japa Mantra cleanses and clarifies the mind, whose impure vibrations Mantra washes away. Silent
chanting of Mantras helps you obtain peace of mind, discard undesirable thoughts, go to sleep, get
good sleep, forget the worries of the day, awaken fresh every day, project a positive mood all day
and face the day with vigor and balance.
"When we repeatedly utter a Mantra we are tuning to a particular
frequency and this frequency establishes a contact with the
cosmic energy and drags it into our body and surroundings."[7]--

THE MYSTERY OF MANTRAS:

http://www.askastrologer.com/mantras.html

Om Namasivaya
Mantra is the sound-body of a god; Yantra depicts the sound-body in a diagram. Mantra = (Man = to think or meditate + Tra = to protect or liberate.) The
word 'man' comes from Sanskrit meaning 'to think.' Manitan ("$) in Tamil also means Man. Thus, man is a thinking animal. That which thinks is Manas (=
mind). Yantra = instrument, engine, apparatus, amulet with mystical diagram endowed with protective occult powers. Sanskrit letters are strung together like a
wheel called Matrikachakra. You know A is the first letter and Z is the last letter. All Sanskrit letters are sacred. The first letter is 'a' () and the last letter is h () ; 'a'
is dynamic Siva starting creation and 'h' is resting Siva in that creation has come to a standstill. The first letter and the last letter encompass all the letters between
them. Letters 'a' and 'ha' ( and ) are combined with a terminal 'm' resulting in 'Aham', which is the Mantra of Siva. All the vowels abide in Siva; all the
consonants from ka to a ( + ) abide in Sakti and thus Her Mantra is Ka- (= + ) . Mantra Hamsa: Ha ( the vowel) is Siva and a ( the consonant) is
Sakti.
Here is another variation of the same theme.
 Mantras are solar (Saura) and masculine, lunar (Vidya, Saumya) and feminine, and neuter. Neuter and masculine Mantras terminate in Namah, Hum, Phat;
feminine in Tham or Svh . Ajapa (A + Japa = No + Chant) is the primal Mantra. This chantless Mantra pervades the breath going in and out, the subtle sound
sah going in and the subtle sound ham going out. (Sa = Siva, Vishnu, Lakshmi, or Gauri [Parvati or Sakti]; Ham = I am; so = Parvati. As one chants this subtle-
sound Mantra soham, a derivative of sah-ham, Hamsa comes into being by inversion and is the personification of Vital Air or life-breath. Sa (Sah) is Sakti and
Ha is Siva. Soham, Hamsa and AUM (Pranava) are equipotent. Hamsah the inverted Sah-ham is the union of male and female. The universe is Hamsah, according
to Woodroffe. This is the bird Hamsah which disports in the Lake of Ignorance. Here ignorance indicates spiritual ignorance.
Anataratma, Guru, Hamsah and Parama Siva are all the same. Parama Siva (Supreme Siva) is seated on Hamsa Pita ( = pa = Seat), which is Mantramaya
(of the nature of Mantra). The Guru-Siva is in the white Lotus of a thousand petals--Sahasrara Chakra, within which is a triangle enclosing two Bindus making the
Visarga. There in the empty void is Parama Siva. Bindu is the circle O, the void is the Brahmapada or space within Bindu. Tirumular says that AUM, though a
three-letter word, is one-letter Mantra. Soham is the unintonated sound of normal breathing, meaning I am He. Hamsa, meaning Swan as in RamaKrishna Parma-
Hamsa, stands for an ascetic --Hamsan. All of us including all air-breathing living beings recite this Mantra Soham unknowingly for a lifetime. The west says that
normal breathing is an unconscious act, while conscious breathing of inspiration and expiration becomes an efficacious Mantra (Hamsah).
Svh = (sva + ha) = (his [one's] own + said) = he said 'svh, as he made offerings; Hail! Hail!; Personified Svh is the daughter of Daksha and wife of Agni,
presiding over burnt offerings; Wife of Rudra or Pasupati. ha is also an interjection. Prajapati is the first one to make offerings and say Svh.
Phat = an interjection.
$ * $*: (26 7 27 manthram trayateti mantraha). H L P QS P
26. What protects upon deliberation is Mantra. Likewise, Bhagavan protects whoever thinks of Him. Thus Mantra
 and Bhagavan are the same. U.V. Krishnan Swamy.

This chantless Mantra (Ajapa Japa) is called Ajapa Gayatri. As you are breathing this chantless Soham in and out, you are identifying your individual self
(individual soul) with the Great Self (the Universal Soul) of the Supreme Being. Every breath (and the Mantra) that you take pervades the whole universe of your
body. This life giving force or Mantra has the Great Self as the basis. Every time you chant a Mantra, it leads the individual soul to the Great Soul-- the Source, the
Essence. All Mantras inclusive of Sakti, Vishnu and Siva Mantras and many but not all rituals are Tantric in origin; that is the reason why Tantra is called Mantra
Sastra. Don't be surprised that all Catholic rituals have their origin in Tantra--Woodroffe. Devi or Sakti says that all Sastras that is in opposition to Sruti, Smrti, and
Oneness (Siva and Sakti in Saiva tradition, Vishnu and MahaLakshmi in Vaishnava tradition); Bhairava, Gautama, Kapala, Sakala and the like are created by her
Maya power for bewilderment of those devoid of Her Grace.

BHRATA DHARMA pages18-19

akti and kta -- Essays and Addresses on the kta Tantra-stra--Sir John
Woodroffe

The Tantras sayBegin practising under the guidance of a good

Guru; if you do not obtain favourable results immediately, you can
freely give it up. No other religion dares to give so bold a challenge.
We believe that the Sdhan of the Moslems, and the esoteric
religion or secret Sdhan (and rituals) of
the Christians of the Roman Catholic and Greek Churches is based on
this groundwork of the Tantras.

Ajapa Japa or Ajapa Gayatri. Soham Mantra

Breath is life, life is breath and thus must be a Mantra. Yes it is. There is a Mantra just for those who believe that nature has the right answers. It is good for
everybody. You perform your daily activities without conscious awareness of your breath or beating heart. This automatic and autonomic breathing is such that it
can vary its rate depending on the needs of the body. The Mantra is So'ham (So + Ham). This is the Mantra you chant throughout your life whether you know it or
not. Ajapa (A + Japa = No + Chant) is the primal Mantra. This chantless Mantra pervades the breath going in and out, the subtle sound so going in and the subtle
sound ham going out. Make yourself comfortable in Padmasana sitting position (Lotus position). This Mantra is not chanted loud as said earlier. Take a slow, deep
and sustained breath as if you are doing it from the base of the spine to your crown and say to yourself 'so'. Example: Sooooooooooooooooo.... The breath that you
inhale starts at the Muladhara Chakra (base of the spine) and ends in Brahma Randhra (the top of the head, anterior fontanel area). As you breath in and say 'so, your
chest expands and the Prana (life force) rises from below. When you are done with inspiration and the silent mental chanting of 'so', you exhale the breath with the
silent mental sound 'Hum'. Example: Hummmmmmmmmmmmm....Exhalation is from the top of the head to the base of the spine in a slow, steady and sustained
manner. The duration of inhalation and exhalation is according to your comfort level. You may do this for ten minutes each session twice a day

That is, "He I am". Sa = he, Aham = I. The two words, when combined, according to the rules of Sandhi, become So'ham, or the unity of the individual and
Supreme Spirit. --Woodroffe
kundal48.jpg---> soham.jpg
The Hugging Saint of India and the World
 Natal name = Sudhamani = Pure Gem AKA Sri Mt Amritnanadamayi Devi = Sri1-Mt2-Amrit3-nanda4-Mayi5-Devi6 = Her
divineness1-Mother2-Ambrosia3-Bliss4-She full of or in the form of5-Goddess6 = Her Divineness Ambrosial Mother Goddess full
of Bliss AKA Amma = Mother

"There is one truth that shines through all of creation. Rivers and mountains, plants and animals, the sun, the moon and the stars,
you and Iall are expressions of this one Reality."

I dont see if it is a man or a woman. I dont see anyone different from my own self. A continuous stream of love flows from me to
all of creation. This is my inborn nature. The duty of a doctor is to treat patients. In the same way, my duty is to console those who
are suffering.----Sri Mt Amritnanadamayi Devi

Amritanandamayi says that these practices (Karma [action], jana [knowledge] and bhakti [devotion]) refine the mind, making it
fit for assimilating the ultimate truth: that one is not the limited body and mind but the eternal blissful consciousness that serves as
the non-dual substratum of the universe.This understanding itself Amritanandamayi refers to as jivanmukti [liberation while alive].
Amritanandamayi says, "Jivanmukti is not something to be attained after death, nor is it to be experienced or bestowed upon you in
another world. It is a state of perfect awareness and equanimity, which can be experienced here and now in this world, while living
in the body. Having come to experience the highest truth of oneness with the Self, such blessed souls do not have to be born again.
They merge with the infinite."--Wikipedia.

This Corporeal liberation (jivanmukti ) while alive is a monistic view of the Saivites. SriVaishnavites believe in Videha Mukti, meaning that it is incorporeal
liberation (liberation after death), when the soul is divested of the body. In Saiva tradition, the Grace of Siva descends on an embodied soul (We the people) as
soon as our merits and demerits are brought to naught, and the soul is cleansed of the impurities. --Krishnaraj
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis Hughes op from http://dialogueireland.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/sri-mata-amritanandamayi-amma-by-louis-hughes-op/

At first sight Amma appears to westerners to be a traditional Hindu teacher. However, there are unique, even revolutionary, elements
in her approach to spirituality and mission. These include an emphasis on love that is more characteristic of the Gospels than of any
Hindu scriptures. And this isnt only theory. She exemplifies it in her loving approach to people on a one-to-one basis, as well as in
the extraordinary range of social services with which she is associated. This focus on love provides the foundation for her
ecumenism: Love is a universal religion and this is what society really needs.[13] She has had a network of Temples called
brahmasthanam (places for Brahma) built in different parts of India. These are designed to emphasize an essential unity underlying
different forms of God.
The manner in which Amma expresses love to all her embrace is exceptional in an Indian context. Physical touch is used in
some guru movements as part of an initiation ceremony. The guru communicates spiritual energy by touching the disciple, usually
on top of his/her head. This is called shaktipata (descent of the power). Generally however, touching is discouraged in polite society
and particularly in religious circles. Non-westernized Indians do not shake hands they greet one another by joining their own
hands together in front of the chest and bowing the head. To embrace someone, especially of the opposite sex, is highly
unconventional.
In another breach with convention Amma has installed women priests in her brahmasthanam temples, something previously
unheard of in India. On the other hand her popularity in the west is due in no small way to the fact that she pays homage to the
feminine aspect of God, something taken for granted in India. Here she has a strong appeal for women, many of whom feel
 alienated from what they see as a male-dominated Christian Church, in which God is conceived of first of all as Father.
Finally, Ammas over-riding concern with the social and material uplift of people is atypical of Hinduism and particularly the
advaita vedanta philosophy to which she subscribes. Advaita views the world as maya not fully real. Its concerns are with the
world of spirit. This otherworldly attitude has led to a neglect of developments that improve this world. Amma has rejected this
approach. For her, practical help for peoples needs must come first. After that they can be introduced to the mysteries of religion.
[14] Her programmes of social uplift and care for the environment are driven by spiritual energy. Thus, religion is seen as leading to
the renewal of society. This has some parallels with what has been happening in the Christian world for centuries. Consider for
example how Benedictine monasteries contributed to the building up of European civilization in the early medieval period.

Girish's photo. on Facebook Added on November 10, 2014

10696458_10152727775382716_7335550796238500609_n.jpg

Love is our true essence. Love has no limitations of caste, religion, race, or nationality. We are all beads strung together on the
same thread of love. To awaken this unity--and to spread to others the love that is our inherent nature--is the true goal of human
life." ~ Amma

We do not consider a genuine check or bill as mere paper; it has the value and the beneficiary's name written on the face. In like manner Mantras are not
mere letters, syllables and words. Mantra is the manifestation of Sakti and thus is Cit Sakti, which is part of Sat, Cit, Ananda; She having Cit Sakti is Citrupini, the
form of Consciousness. By dedicated chanting and meditation one can awaken the Mantra Caitanya, the consciousness in a Mantra. That awakening gives Sadhaka
(aspirant, skilled person, worshipper) Mantra Siddhi (power resulting from Mantra) which imbibes the powers and goodness of the presiding deity of the specific
Mantra. Now there is a concordance between Mantra Caitanya and Sadhaka's consciousness, resulting in transfer of the power of Mantra to the Sadhaka. This
transfer of power is also seen in Guru-Sisya tutelage. The communion with Mother Goddess in Her Mantra form (Mantramayi) is Mantra Vidya and Sadhana, the
latter is of three forms: S. Anavopaya, S. Saktopaya, and S. Sambhavopaya .

S. Anavopaya, S. Saktopaya, and S. Sambhavopaya . (Meager path, Sakti path and Siva path)
1. Anavopaya/ Anupaya = AnavopAya = Anu + Upaya = Monad + means.
It is also interpreted as absence of means; NO means; Not really any means.
2. Saktopaya = Sakti + Upaya = Sakti means.
3. SambhavopAya = Sambhava + upaya = Sambhava + means; Sambhava = coming together. Sambhavopaya is
also interpreted as the means of Sambhu-Siva.
The object of Upaya is to move from individual consciousness and gain entry into Universal
Consciousness of Siva.

One should seek help from Kashmir Saivism Gurus for more information and guidance.
1. Anavopaya: This is for an aspirant who cannot do the 2nd and 3rd. In order to enhance his awareness, he engages in external props such as breathing
exercises, meditation, fixation on a body part, Mantras, Ajapa Gayatri.... Fixation is on glabella between the eyebrows on the forehead, sternal notch (pit of the
throat), or the heart. This will merge into Saktopaya and eventually into Sambhavopaya.
2. Saktopaya: Thoughts take birth, persevere and die in the mind. Between thoughts there is a period of silence and inactivity. There are a series of thoughts
and a series of silent intervals. This gap (silent interval) is filled by the Universal Reality of Siva. The Sadhaka should concentrate on the Supreme Being abiding in
this gap. One should develop intense awareness of this gap and Siva Consciousness by letting the thoughts die and increasing the gap so much so that the aspirant is
in continuous immersion in Siva Consciousness. Once this persists, the aspirant gets grace and Anavopaya state merges into Sambhavopaya.

3. In Sambhava Upaya, the aspirant gains Samvesa (entry) into Supreme Consciousness without any meditation, Mantras.... The Yogi has to maintain a
thoughtless state (Nirvikalpa) so that by grace of Siva he gains entry into Universal Consciousness.
 The Jiva (we the people) is limited and Siva is unlimited. This limitation is imposed upon the Jiva by Mahamaya. One cannot gain entry with a limited
human consciousness. Jiva's limitation and dependence on Siva cannot force Siva's Unlimited Divine Reality to reveal itself. Just keep the Mind-lake free of
thought waves and wait for Siva to facilitate entry into Universal God Consciousness.

Swami Vishnu Devananda says that there are six criteria characteristic of a Mantra, slightly modified by the author. 1. It was originally revealed to a Seer,
Sage or Rishi who has attained Siddhi. 2. It has a presiding deity. 3. It has a specific meter. 4. It has a Bija, seed or essence as its hypostasis. 5. It carries sakti or
power. 6. It is like a jewel box whose lock has to be opened (by the aspirant) by prolonged repetition so that the aspirant receives self-realization and vision of the
Ishta Devata (Deity of his or her desire).
Siddhi = perfection, communion with Universal Consciousness.

Mantras are syllables, phonemes, quasi-morpheme and its series, morphemes, single word, words, phrases, sentences, verses, and passages. Examples of
Phonemes are hrim, hram, and hrum ending in 'm' (or 'n'), which can be intonated as long as one's breath can sustain it. HRIM: H = Siva; R = Sakti Prakrti; I =
Mahamaya; Terminal M is Chandrabindu (Moon-Dot). Chandrabindu = Nada and Bindu = Nada-Progenetrix of the Universe and Bindu-Brahman as Isvara and
Isvari (Isvaratattva). There is another interpretation of HRIM: H = gross body; R = subtle body; I = causal body; M = Turiya state. Sakti is the causal body of the
subtle and gross bodies of all living beings. Another interpretation of HRIM. HA, Ra, I, Ma. Ha =AkAsa = Ether; Ra = Agni = Fire; I = Ardhanarisvara =
Androgynous Siva; M = Nadabindu (Moon-dot).
Take the letter Ka. It is a combination of a generic consonant and a vowel: k + a = Ka. A vowel is interminable and so a terminator M (Chandrabindu) is
added; thus Ka becomes Kam. The M sound vibrates intranasally. Here is the anatomy of Aum with M terminator.
Mahamaya = Maha = Great. Maya = (Ma + Ya) = (Not +That). = Great Illusion
Maya is illusion. Illusion is appearance. God is the magician who creates illusions, by virtue of magical powers. The magician
knows it is magic and thus knows it is not truth. We the people see the illusion as real and assume it is true. That condition is
called ignorance (Avidya, spiritual ignorance.) God is the creator of these illusions or Maya. Mahamaya or great Illusion is the
deified partner or Sakti. This illusion comes between you and the magician--Brahman or God. Where there is no a magician,
there is no magic. Where there is no Brahman, there is no illusion. This illusion is the phenomenal world of beings and matter.
Illusion or Maya is true but not the truth. What is 'true' is true (exists) for now and here. What is Truth is forever, eternal and
immutable; that is Brahman. The phenomenal word is true in its projection but untrue when compared to the Absolute Truth,
Brahman. It is like seeing your image in the mirror. The phenomenal image is true now and here. When the mirror is removed,
what is untrue was your image and what is Truth is you. This illusion or phenomenal word serves as a barrier between you and
Brahman. It is called Obscuration (Tirobhava or Tirodhana) and Brahman is an Obscurant. We are all marching in a centripetal
fashion towards Brahman. Not everyone can merge with Brahman unless he is pure (Amalam = without impurities). We came
from Brahman and we merge back with Brahman. No one received his Ph.D in maths with 4th grade maths knowledge. Likewise
we cannot receive Grace (anugraha) unless we are pure. Grace of spiritual knowledge descends on us.
That is the obscuration or illusion that prevents us from seeing the Truth. We are so immersed in relative reality of illusion (the
phenomenal world) that we fail to see the Absolute Reality, the Truth (the magician or Brahman). Once you shed the impurities
(Malas and get spiritual knowledge or higher knowledge maths), you receive Grace (your Ph.D). There is removal of obscuration
and manifestation of Grace from Brahman. It is apparent now that Brahman and the phenomenal universe are one (Advaitam or
monism).
March 1, 2013.

Each repetition of AUM is sounded for about seven seconds, with two seconds on A, two seconds on U and three seconds on M, with a silence of about two seconds before
the next repetition. The three syllables are run together: AAUUMM (silence), AAUUMM (silence), AAUUMM (silence).

On the first syllable, A, we feel the solar plexus and chest vibrating. On the second syllable, U, the throat vibrates. The third syllable, M, vibrates the top of the head. Thus,
proper chanting of Aum also is a high form of yoga, moving energy from the lower chakras of the body up to the highest chakra, or energy centerthe sahasrra chakra at
the crown of the head. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.

HRIM (Devi) H =Siva R = Sakti I = Mahamaya M = Chandrabindu

SRIM (Lakshmi S = Mahalaksmi R = Wealth I = Satisfaction M = ditto
KRIM (Kali) K =Kali R = Brahma (Siva) I = Mahamaya M = ditto
DUM (Durga) D = Durga U = protection Ditto

As there are seeded and seedless grapes, so are seeded and seedless Mantras.

Seedless Mantra: NirpIsam = that which has no PIsam (seed). Nir +PIsam = No + PIsam = no + seed. PIsam (%m) in Tamil is Bija in Sanskrit. Bija means seed.
Bija Mantra = Seed Mantra = One syllable Mantra = by convention Bija Mantra is one syllable Mantra from Sanskrit letters. Sometimes compound letters form the
Bija Mantras (Hreem). Seedless Mantra in NirpIsam is chanting of Mantras without Bija Mantras. Seeded Mantra in SapIsam is chanting of Mantras with the
inclusion of Bija Mantras.
%)m = Bija or seed letters, forming seed Mantras of a Sanskrit letter or syllable.

Bija Mantras are the seed (based on Sanskrit alphabet) mantras (like Lam the seed sound of Muladhara Chakra, Vam of Svadhisthana, Ram of Manipura,
Yam of Anahata, Ham of Visudha, and Om of Ajna. The first is Maya Bija, the second Lakshmi Bija, the third Kali Bija, the fourth KUrca Bija, the fifth Varma Bija,
the sixth Astra Bija. Ram is Agni Bija, Em is Yoni Bija, Klim is KAma Bija, Srim is BadhU Bija, Aim is Sarasvati Bija, Krim is Kali Bija, Hrim is the Maya bija,
Haum for Sadasiva, and so forth. The first letter of the Devata serves as the Bija Mantra: Gam for Ganesa, DUm for Durga.--Woodroffe. See the table below

Note: 'Alpha' for A; and thus in Sanskrit 'Ram' for the letter Ra (). The terminal 'M' is added. Ra = Generic R plus Vowel a.

A note on Woodroffe (1865-1936): That wonderful soul, that British Orientalist, that universal man, that gift to humanity, that Britisher
came to India by divine ordination in the form of a civil servant and justice, who later became professor of Indian Law at Oxford. If it is not for
him, the hidden treasures of India would not have been revealed to the world. Indians kept all religious texts under wraps esp. from foreigners.
Woodroffe pried their tight fists open to reveal the treasures for public good. Woodroffe felt at ease in his British attire and Indian loin cloth and
shawl, an attestation to his status as universal man.
"While maintaining his public profile as a judge and scholar of British Indian law, Woodroffe was also a private student of the tantras, who
published a huge body of texts and translations and thus pioneered the modern academic study of Tantra in the West. Yet Woodroffe was also an
apologist, seeming to have bent over backward to defend the Tantras against their many critics and to prove that they represent a noble, pure, and
ethical philosophical system in basic accord with the Vedas and Vednta."[2]--Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Woodroffe

London-born Paul Brunton (October 21, 1898 - July 27, 1981), British philosopher, Journalist, Mystic, traveler, guru says in his book 'Search for
Secret India': And with a country as with an individual. The most sacred things a country keeps secret. It would not be easy for a stranger to
discover what England holds most sacred. And it is the same with India. The most sacred part of India is the most secret. Now secret things require
much searching for; but those who seek will find. Those who seek with their whole heart and with the real determination to find will at last
discover the secret. The Indians...shrink from discussing it with them. The white man will, in most cases, possess but an imperfect acquaintance
with the Yogis, if he knows them at all, and certainly not with the best of them. The latter are now but a mere handful in the very country of their
origin. They are exceedingly rare, are fond of hiding their true attainment from the public, and prefer to pose as ignoramuses.

In India, in Tibet and in China, they get rid of the Western traveller who may happen to blunder in upon their privacy, by maintaining a studied
appearance of insignificance and ignorance. Perhaps they would see some sense in Emerson's abrupt phrase : "To be great is to be misunderstood";
I do not know. Anyway, they are mostly recluses who do not care to mingle with mankind. Even when met with they are unlikely to break their
reserve except after some period of acquaintance.

BJA-MANTRA. Author: Sir John Woodroffe

BJA-MANTRA
ACTION necessarily implies movement. Whenever thereforce, there is action, there is Spanda or movement and therefore what to
the perceiving subject (when heard) is called Sound. This may or may not be heard. One person may have a sharpened natural
faculty of hearing; so that he may hear what escapes the ear of another. There is Sound, though the latter may not hear it.
Similarly, there is Sound which is not heard by any natural ear until assisted by the extension of faculty procured by a material
scientific instrument. Similarly again, there is Sound which is apprehended by the Yogic Mind as part of its experience. In the
beginning of things the natural Principal (Prakti) was in a state of equilibrium (Smyvasth). Then there was no Sound, for there
was no movement of the objective world. The first Vibration which took plaoe at the commencement of creation, that is, on the
disturbance of equilibrium (Vaisamyvasth) was a general mov ment (Smnya-Spanda) in the whole mass of Prakti. This was
the Pranava-Dhvani of Om Sound. It is not that the Sound is represented as it is by the Sound of the letters Om. Om is only the
approximate representation or gross utterance to gross ear of the Subtle Sound which is heard in Yoga experience of the first
movement which is continually taking place, for at each moment the creative movement is present. From out of this general
movement and Sound special movements (Viesa-Spanda) and Sounds arise. The following apt illustration has been given (see
Worlds Eternal Religion). If a vessel of water is shaken, there is first a general movement of the whole water in the vessel.
Next, there are particular movements in every part of the water, now this way, now that. So the evenly balanced Gunas or factors
of Prakti equally vibrate throughout their whole mass, and as the movement continues, the equilibrium is disturbed and the
Gunas act and re-act on one another as in the second
state of the water in the illustration. Diverse vibratory conditions being set
up, diverse Sounds are given forth. The first equally distributed motion throughout the mass is Om, which is the great seed-mantra
(Maha-bja), for it is the source of all others and of all compounded Sounds.
Just as Om is the general Sound, the other Bja-
Mantras are the particular Sounds which are the letters of the alphabet. These are evolved out of the general Sound which
underlies all particular Sounds. Both the Omkara or Pranava and the Bja-Mantras as pronounced by the mouth are thus the
articulate equivalents of the inarticulate primal Dhvani. They become articulate at the last stage called Vaikhar or Spastatar
Spanda of the four stages, known as Par (Rest passing into movement), Payant (general movement), Madhyam or special
movement of subtle character heard by the subtle ear, and Vaikhar or special movement which as speech is the fully articulated
Sound heard by the gross ear. The Pranava-Mantra is thus the Sound Equivalent of Brahman and the Bja-Mantras are the various
forms with attribute (Sagunarpa) of the Devas and Devs. It is true that the approximate Sound Om is said to be constituted of the
letters a, u, m. This is not to say that the primordial Dhvani was these letters or their combination. For these letters are the product
of the primordial Dhvani which precedes them. What is meant is that Om as a gross Sound heard by the gross ear is the Sadhi or
combination of these letters. A European Sanskritist told a friend of mine that Om said before a Mantra is simply the clearing of
the throat before utterance; and I suppose he would have saidthe clearing of the throat after utterance, for Om both precedes
and follows a Mantra. Why however should one clear the throat then? Om has nothing to do with hawking sounds, or the throat.
Om is, according to Indian belief, a sound actually heard by Yogs as above described. If, moreover, the learned man had ever
heard the Mantra recited he would have felt that it could not be explained in so shallow and materialistic a way. For Om is
sounded as from the navel with a deep rolling and continuous Sound ending at the upper part of the nostrils where the Candra-
bindu is sounded. Moreover, how are we to account for the other Bja Sounds on this hypothesis, such as Am, m, Em and so
forth, except by supposing that the unpleasant and unmannerly act of clearing the throat had undergone an unaccountably varied
development? Be the doctrine true or false, it is more profound than that.
Mantras are given various names according to the number of their syllables. A Bja or Seed-mantra, is strictly speaking,
a Mantra
of a single letter such as Kam, which is composed of the letter K (Ka) together with Candrabindu which terminates all Mantras
Even here there is in a sense another letter. The reason is that the vowel cannot be interminably pronounced and is therefore
terminated by a consonant. In fact, as Pnini says, the function of a consonant is to interrupt a vowel sound. The consonant cannot
be pronounced without a vowel, which is hence known as the akti of a consonant. Here the termination is M in the form of the
nasal breathing called Candrabindu ( ) which is Nda and Bindu. The M which ends the Bja is sounded nasally, high up in the
bridge of the nose, and never reaches the lips. In all the other letters one or other of the five Bhtas or forms of sensible matter
(ka, Vyu, Agni, Ap, Pthivi) predominates. For this reason, in the selection by the Guru of the Mantra for his disciple the
letters are chosen according as an examination shows that there is an excess or deficiency of any particular Bhta. Where there is
excess of a Bhta, the letter in which it is predominant is said with the outbreathing. Where there is deficiency it is said with the
inbreathing. M is chosen to end the Bja because here the Bhtas are said to be in equipoise. Though strictly the Bja is of one
letter as the seed from which the Mantra springs, popularly other short unetymological vocables such as Hrm, rm, Krm, Hm,
Aim, Phat are called Bjas In these there are two or more letters, such as in the first H, R, I and Candra-bindu. Thus a Mantra may,
or may not, convey on its face its meaning. Bjas have no meaning according to the ordinary use of language and for this reason
they have formed the subject of ridicule to those ignorant of the Mantra-stra. The initiated however know that their meaning is
the own form (Svarpa) of the particular Devats whose Mantra they are, and that they are a form of the Subtle Power as creative
Dhvani which makes all letters sound and which exists in all that we say or hear. Each Devat has His or Her Bja. Thus the
Devats of Krm, Hrm and Ram are Kl, My and Agni respectively. The primary Mantra in the worship of any Deva or Dev is
known as the Root Mantra (Mlamantra). Every letter, syllable and Mantra is then a form (Rpa) af the Brahman, and so is the
image and are the lines of the Yantra and all objects in the universe. And so the stra says that they go to Hell who think that the
image is merely stone and that the Mantra is merely a letter of the alphabet. All letters are forms of akti as Sound-powers. The
akti, of which they are a manifestation, is the living Energy which projects itself into the form of the universe. The Mantra of a
Devat is the Devat. The rhythmical vibrations of its sounds not merely regulate the unsteady vibrations of the sheaths of the
worshipper, thus transforming him, but through the power of striving (Sdhana-akti) of the worshipper, there arises the form of
the Devat which it is. And thus the B had-gandharva-Tantra (Ch. V) says:
rnu devi pravakymi bjnm deva-rpatm.

Mantroccrnamatrea deva-rpam prajyatte.

The Bjas thus have a meaning. They indicate the Artha or Devat which they are. What that Devat is, is taught to the Sdhaka,
just as the child learns that rose means a particular flower, and that rice and milk are the names for particular forms of food and
drink which he takes. The Bjas of the five Bhtas, that is, of the Devats of the four forms of sensible matter, are Ha, Ya, Ra, La,
Va with Candra-bindu. Where there is more than one letter, each has its meaning. As examples I here select twelve Bja-mantras
(in their popular sense), the meanings of which are given in the 6th Chapter of the Varad-Tantra as quoted in the well known
Bengali compendium known as the Pratoi. I may here observe that the meaning of individual letters is given in the Bjakoas,
such as the Tantrbhidhna. The Varad-Tantra, Ch. 6, says:
Hau ()
ivavc hakrastu aukrah syt Sadivah.

nyam dunkhaharrtham tu
tasmttena iva yajet.

That is,
Ha means Siva. Au is Sadiva. The nya is that which dispels sorrow. Hence with that iva should be
worshipped.

The Moon-dot is Snya.

Dum ()
Da durgvcakam dev ukracpi rakae.

Vivamt ndarp kurvartho bindurpakah.

Tenaiva Klikdevim pjayedduhkhantaye.

That is,
Da, O Dev, means Durg. U also means to save. Nda is the mother of the Universe. Bindu means (pray) do.

Krm( )

Ka Kli brahma ra prokta Mahmyrthakaca .

Vivamtrthako ndo bindurduhkhaharthakah.

Tenaiva Klikdevim pjayedduhkhantaye.

That is,

Ka is Kl. Ra is said to be Brahma. means Mahmy. Nda means Mother of the universe. Bindu means
Dispeller of sorrow. With that Dev Klika should be worshipped for cessation of sorrow.
Hr ()

Hakrh ivavci syd rephah praktincyate.

Mahmyrtha -abdo ndo vivaprash smtah.

Duhkhaharrthako bindurbhuvan m tena pjayet.

That is,

Ha means iva. Ra is said to be Prakti. means Mahmy. Nda is said to be the mother of the universe.
Bindu means dispeller of sorrow. With that Bhuvanevar should be worshipped.

rm ()

Mahlakmyrthakah ah syd dhanrtho repha ucyate.

tustyartho parondo bindurduhkhaharrthakah.

Lakmdevy bjam etat tena devm prapjayet.

That is,
Sa means Mahlakmi. Ra is said to mean wealth. means satisfaction. Nda is Apara (which may mean
Aparabrahma or vara). Bindu means Dispeller of sorrow. This is the Bja of Devi Lakm. With it the Dev
should be worshipped.
 Ai ()

Sarasvatyrtha ai-abdo bindurduhkhahardhakah.

Sarasvaty bijam etat tena Vm prapjayet.

That is,
Ai means Sarasvati. Bindu means Dispeller of sorrow. This is the
Bja of Sarasvat. With it Vn or Sarasvat should be worshipped.

Klm ( )

Kah Kmadeva uddio pyathav Ka ucyate.

La Indra tuivci sukhaduhkhaprad ca am

Kmabjrtha uktaste tava snehn mahevari.

That is,
Ka refers to Kmadeva, or according to some to Ka. La means
Indra. means contentment. Am is that which grants happiness and
sorrow. Thus, O Mahevari, the meaning of Kmabja is spoken
unto Thee out of my love for Thee.

Hu ()

Ha ivah kathito devi Bhairava ihocyate.

Parrtho nda abdastu Bindurduhkhaharrthakah.

Varmabjatrayo hyatra kathitas tava yatnatah.

That is,

Ha, O Dev, is said to be iva. U is said to be Bhairava. Nda

means Para, Supreme. Bindu means Dispeller of sorrow. Here the
three composing the Varmabja (armour-bja) are spoken unto Thee
owing to Thy solicitation.

Ga ()

Ganerthe ga uktas te Bindurduhkhaharrthakah.

Gabjrtham tu kathitam tava snehn mahevar.

That is,
Ga, I speak unto Thee, means Ganea. Bindu means Dispeller of
sorrow. Thus, O Mahevar, the meaning of Gam-bja is spoken
unto Thee out of love for Thee.

Glau ()

Ga Ganeo vypakrtho lakrasteja au matah.

Duhkhaharrthako bindurganea tena pjayet.

That is,
Ga is Ganea, La means what pervades. Au means tejas. Bindu
means Dispeller of sorrow. With it Ganea should be worshipped.

Kraum

Ka, Nimho Brahma raca rdhvadantrthakaca au.

Duhkhaharrthako bindurNimha tena pjayet.

That is,

Ka is Niha and Ra is Brahma. Au means teeth pointing

upwards, Bindu means Dispeller of sorrow. With it Nimha should
be worshipped.

Strm ( )

Durgottravcyah sa trakrthastakrakah.

Muktyrtho repha uktotra mahmyrthanakaca .

 Vivamtrtako ndo Bindurduhkhaharthakah.

Vadhbjartha uktotra tava snehn mahevari.

That is,
Sa means deliverance from difficulties. Ta means Saviour. Ra here
means salvation or liberation. means Mahmy. Nda means
Mother of the universe. Bindu means Dispeller of sorrow. Thus the
meaning of Vadhbja is spoken unto Thee, O Mahevari, out of
love for Thee.

A close examination of the above may raise some difficulties, but must, in connection with what is elsewhere written, remove the
charge that the Bja is a meaningless saying to the worshipper. It is full of meaning to him.

Before creation Prakrti was in a state of equilibrium (= Smyvasth). Pra = as in pro(-cess) = natural urge. Krti = producing and the produced = process
and the product. Prakriti denotes a thought, a function, and an urge to produce and is the product itself. Prasava Dharmin is the working principle: observation of the
law of conception and begetting. Prakriti is an active female principle, while Purusa is the materially inactive male principle; and the product is the universe and
beings. Prakrti is the repository of Primary Matter wherein all subjects, objects and effects exist before and after their manifestation. Prakriti stands for cosmic will,
and energy in projecting this universe (the phenomenal world). Purusa is Isvara, a modification of Brahman and has the power of manifestation or my (Sakti).
Purusa is the subject and Prakriti is the object. Manifest Prakriti is matter which one can touch and feel; Prakriti is also an attitude that you love, hate, ignore, or
transcend because of its gunas or qualities. Prakriti is existence itself; Prakriti's modes are the stuff of human relationship, in which Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas clash,
collide, and compromise. Sattva = virtue; Rajas = motion and passion; Tamas = darkness. Prakriti by its nature makes compounds or substances, which are not
intelligent or thinking on their own accord. This substance needs something that transcends it to control and direct it. Purusa or Spirit carries out this necessary
transcendence, because if the spirit is a compound or a substance and has a stain of gunas, it cannot control another substance. Purusa is Light or Consciousness.
There was nothing; there was no Spanda (movement). Then came the Sound which brought on vibrations of Prakrti. That Sound was Pranava (Om/AUM).
Om Sound is not mere sound. It is the Great Seed Sound (Maha-Bija). It reverberated; new vibrations came about from the original Om just like water in half empty
vessel sloshes about and creates many disparate sounds. Many Bija Sound Mantras originated. Many sounds acquired particularity and became the sound of
alphabets. Many compound sounds arose; sounds of syllables and words blossomed out. The name of objects came from the intrinsic sound of an object (the internal
sound produced by the orbiting particles--see details below in faded text). These sounds originate in Muladhara as ParA VAk; it is a Still Sound--High-frequency
Sound only NAda Yogis can hear. (Let me give an example. A dog can hear sounds that human ear can't.) This still-sound acquires form and color (Pasyanti) as it
ascends up the Chakras and eventually becomes Vaikhari of articulated sound in the voice box. The Great Seed Sound is the source of other Bija Mantras of
Devatas; thus Om is the patronymic sound which is the origin and has the power of all sounds and Devatas. People not in the know call them gibberish and
cacophonic. Devatas are named after Bija sounds; its meaning is the form (Rupa) of the Devata. Its utterance and vibration invoke the particular Devata. Bija is
Devata Mantra. Bija sounds are Vocable Sounds, each one invoking a Devata. A votary invokes a Devata by his or her name and worship him or her. Examples:
Mantra Hrim Shrim Krim Hm Hum Phat
Deity Maya Bija Lakshmi Bija Kali Bija Kurca Bija Varma Bija Astra Bija
Mantra Ram Em Klim Shrim Aim
Deity Agni Bija Yoni Bija KAma Bija Badhu Bija Sarasvati Bija

Natural Sounds and Natural Names:

Inspiration for this article came from Natural Name by Woodroffe in Garland of letters. For better understanding, new terms introduced by me are as follows:
Primary Essential Sound (Causal Stress Sound) and External Stress Sound (Stress).
There is movement in all that exists. All movements (and objects) emit sound whether you hear it or not. Remember sub-atomic particles in atoms in objects spin
and make sound but we cannot hear that sound. If you can hear that sound and name it after the way it sounds, that is Natural Name of that sound or the object that
produced the sound. Cuckoo is named onomatopoeically so because it emits that which sounds like "cuckoo". In Tamil a Crow is named after its sound Ka. Since it
usually makes two consecutive Ka-Kas, it is called KAKA (). If you can hear the sound of the sap moving up the tree from its roots, you can give it a Natural
Name. The Uncreated Brahman is Unmoving (Nispanda); the created world is moving and anything that moves makes sound. Sound is the basic phenomenon by
which man apprehends the world. All else such as touch and feel, form and color, taste, and smell are all complex and specialized sounds. The skin, the eyes, the
tongue and the nose are the peripheral organs that transmit the 'sound' to the respective cortex. Human ear and the brain cannot hear all sounds. Elephants in the wild
communicate by sounds that humans cannot hear. Humans cannot smell what a dog smells. Smell is also a movement or complex sound. A dog can smell a narcotic
10 feet away from its source. Something moved from the narcotic to the nose for the dog to apprehend the narcotic. In like manner the Supreme Absolute Ear of
Divine Sakti can hear sounds in its purest state from all objects and that sound is the Natural Name for that object. If you think further all objects emit a Primary
Essential Sound and that sound is the same in all languages. Objects produce two kinds of sounds: Causal Stress Sound (Primary Essential Sound) and External
Stress Sound. Let us take a tuning fork. There is a sound, though not audible to us, emanating from a non-vibrating tuning fork; that is the Causal Stress Sound we
don't hear and yet is heard by the Supreme Absolute Ear of Sakti and accomplished Yogi and is produced by the motion of sub-atomic particles. When the tuning
fork is subject to external stress (tapping), it vibrates and emits sound and that is the stress-induced sound heard by the (our) Relative Ear. What the Yogi hears from
the non-vibrating tuning fork is imperfect sound because only Brahman, Prajapati or God can hear the Natural Sound in its perfection with His Supreme Absolute
Ear which is not gross or physical. Prajapati hears without ears, sees without eyes and walks without legs. The Prajapati utters and reproduces the Causal Stress
Sound by His Supreme Tongue to his Sadhaka (Yogi) who hears it by his imperfect Relative ear in a distorted way. When the Yogi rises to the level of Prajapati, the
Causal Stress Sound sounds true to its quality to him. The Yogi communicates the Causal Stress Sound to his disciples who hear the sound in varying degrees of
imperfection. Mantra Sastra states that Bija Mantras (Root Mantras sounding the Sanskrit letters) represent the Natural Names. The breath consisting of Inspiration
and Expiration emits the sound of Prana-Bija Mantra, Hamsa ( or its inversion So-Ham). The out-breath sound is Ham and the in-breath sound is Sa. Om is the
sound that has come down from its pristine natural state to its present form, structure and sound through many MAnasaputras and a line of Gurus, who tried to
reproduce the sound to the best of their ability. Woodroffe states that it is an open continuous sound uninterrupted by any consonant which clips it, vanishing as it
were upward in the NAdabindu which is placed on the vowel.
Interpretation of the term, "Natural".
1) The Supreme Absolute Ear hears the Primary Essential Sound (Causal Stress Sound) of an object without any distortion and He utters them with His Absolute
Tongue without any distortion. Causal stress Sound is the name of an Object. Example: The air moves making a 'whoosh' sound. Air's natural name should be
'whoosh.'
2) When Prajapati utters them to Yogis, what they hear varies according to their Relative Ear and what they utter varies according their Relative Tongue. What we
hear and utter are not Natural Sounds because we hear with imperfect relative ears and brain and utter with imperfect tongues. The Mantras Om, Ham, Ram are all
distorted sounds as heard and uttered by the imperfect us; the degree of distortion depends on the nature and sensitivity of the Relative Ear and Tongue.
3) Cuckoo and the crow are named onomatopoeically from the sound they make. This is the sound they make when subjected to stress--External Stress-induced
Sound. When the firewood is burning, it emits many sounds (crackles), which the Relative Gross Ear hears. The Causal Stress Sound or the Primary Essential Sound
fire emits is Bija Mantra Ram which only a Yogi hears. Various organs in the body make Causal Stress Sound Hamsa and so on. Primordial Sounds descend to our
relative levels according to our Relative Ears and Relative Tongues. Some do not descend to us at all.
4) Objects are named by Denotation and Connotation.

denotation: SaktyArtha, AbhidAsakti. Intrinisic, direct. Literal power or sense of the word. Primary name

1. the explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression, as distinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested
by it; the association or set of associations that a word usually elicits for most speakers of a language, as distinguished from those elicited for any
individual speaker because of personal experience. Cf. connotation.

Ram is the Denotation of Fire. Ram is the Primary Essential Causal Stress Sound for Fire. Ram is the name for Fire that Yogi hears from the Absolute.
Ram should be the real name for fire in all languages.

connotation: LaksyArtha, laksanAsakti Secondary meaning, with attributes or qualities. Secondary Name

the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning: A possible connotation of "home" is "a
place of warmth, comfort, and affection." Cf. Denotation

Ram is the Denotation of Fire. Ram is the Primary Essential Causal Stress Sound for Fire. Agni, Vahni, HutAsana are connotation and the Secondary
External stress-induced Sound for Ram.

Ram is the Denotation of Fire. Ram is the Primary Essential Causal Stress Sound for Fire. Ram is the name for Fire that Yogi hears from the Absolute.
Agni is the Sanskrit name (Connotation) for Fire; Agni is the connotative name heard by the ear. The Europeans heard the Sanskrit word Agni for fire
and their imperfect tongue called it Ignis. From Ignis came the word Ignition.

The British heard the word Tiruvanantapuram (Tiru-Ananta-Puram = Sacred + Endless + City) the name of a famous Temple Town in Kerala. His
relative ear, his relative tongue and his penchant to untwist his tongue made him say Trivandrum. He knows the word TRI (meaning three); he knows
the word VAN ( for vehicle) and he knows the word DRUM (that you beat). He put them all together and used the corrupted word, TRIVANDRUM
(Three + Van + Drum) for the sacred town. The original meaning of the word was Sacred-Endless-City. Tiru + Ananta + Puram = Sacred + Endless +
City. Thus the Sacred-Endless-City has come to be known Three + Van + Drum. Now you see how relative ear and relative tongue can alter the sacred
sound and meaning of a word and create an ignominious name for a sacred city.

5) "Primary and Secondary names may be combined in such order (Krama) and metre or harmony (Chandah) that by vitalizing one another, these in
combination may appear as an approximate name of thing or process.

All letters, syllables and Mantras are the names of Brahman, so are the lines of Yantra and objects of the universe. They who consider a Mantra mere letter
and an image mere stone are on their way to hell. A jiva has many sheaths: Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manonmaya, Vijnanamaya (food sheath, breath, mind,
Knowledge etc); they vibrate, each with it own frequency. Bija Mantras bring unison and regularization of vibrations of the sheaths, contributing to the welfare of
the Jiva. Bija is the name of a Devata as rose is the name of a particular flower.

A mantra, unless specifically stated or instructed, should be repeated 108 or a thousand times, the latter is ten rounds of 108 (redundancy built-in, in case of
error in counting). Loud uttering of mantra is the least effective; muttering is ten times more efficacious; repetition with movement of the tongue within mouth is
100 times more efficacious; mental repetition is a 1000 times more efficacious. Mantra is chanted looking east or down. All mantras start with Om; one should look
at the Guru or Deity while chanting Mantra; one should eat prescribed Prasada (food; Sacrament). Ideal places for chanting mantra are solitary sites, temples, river
banks, and temple tanks. The ideal food for the aspirant to succeed in Mantra is rice, milk, grains and butter offered to Agni god (Fire), who is the intermediary
between God and man. Hara (Siva), Durga, Jupiter, Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, and Kubera are the presiding deities of the days of the week. See a different version
of presiding deities of the days of the week.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

In Hinduism the following are considered auspicious or otherwise.
yellow or off-
pink or maroon White red green light blue purple
white
launch anything banking, crops,
No commerce animal husbandry education healing, friendship pious day
new romance
Sun-the ruler Siva rules Kartikeya rules Vishnu Lakshmi Devi Dakshina Kali
Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Below is the Jewish way of counting (and naming) days; days have no names.
1st day after Sabbath (7th day
2nd day 3rd day 4th day 5th day 6th day
Sabbath of the week)
 Generally a Mantra has three components: Pranavam, Atas, and Namah. Pranavam is the primordial sound of auspicious nature and so is Atas. Atas means
afterwards or what follows after Om and in this context depicts the name of the deity; Namah is offering of bowing salutation, obeisance, homage, reverence.
An example:
(Pranavam - Atas - Namah) = (Om - NarAyanAya - Namah) = (Om Narayanaya namah) = (Om, I offer bowing salutation to Narayana). (Pranavam-Namah-
Atas) = (Om NamO NArAyanA).

Mantra as said earlier is a syllable or a string of syllables. Varna and Svara (sound and Rhythm, intonation, musicality) are essential elements. A diva uses
Varna and Svara to sing a song; the result is musical excellence, pleasing to the ear, mind and soul. The same words uttered by a screechy voice evokes pain and
distemper. Kundali is the source of varna and svara; thus, the Mantras are suffused with the Consciousness of Kundali, just like the music of any diva. Diva = a
distinguished female singer. Diva has divine voice. Diva is cognate with Sanskrit Deva (deity). Diva is Devi of music. Devi = female deity. A Sadaka's sakti has to
unite with the Mantra Sakti to produce peace, harmony, steadiness of vibrations of his sheaths (Kosas) and appearance of the image of the Mantra-specific Devata.
The fruit is Mantrasiddha, consisting of fulfilled desires, material gain, Caturvarga (Dharma, Artha, KAma, and Moksa), advaitic wisdom and liberation. Dharma,
Artha, KAma, and Moksa = Virtue, Wealth, Love, and Liberation = Goal of man.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A view from the West: Abbe Dubois in his own words in green.
Abbe Dubois (1770-1848) a Christian Missionary from France was one of the most astute Hindu watcher in Tamil Nadu, India and an acerbic commentator.
He did feel that Mantras neither induced vibrations nor oscillations of Spirit nor obtain realm of peace. He most of his time was watching the Hindus so much so
that he did not have time and that he converted in his own words only "two to three hundred converts, 2/3rd were 'pariahs' (his words) or beggars and the rest
composed of Sudras, vagrants and outcastes of several tribes." He was frustrated that Roman Catholicism contaminated with caste system prevailed among the
converts. The converts consulted the astrologers and purohitas (priests), practiced Hindu manners and customs in marriage. He had a particular annoyance at the
Brahmin community then, whom he regarded as the sole purveyors of Mantras, which 'enchain the power of gods themselves.' Gods thus bound by chains were
afraid of Purohitas who declared themselves as 'Brahma gods or gods of the earth.' He quotes a Mantra familiar to Purohitas:

Devadhinam jagat sarvam,

Mantradhinam ta devata
Tan mantram Brahmanadhinam
Brahmana mama devata

Variation of the same Mantra.

|
||

Devadhna jagat sarva mantrdhna ca devat|

te mantr brahmadhn tasmd brhmaa devat||

Which means, 'The universe is under the power of gods; the gods are under the power of Mantrams; the Mantrams are under the power of the Brahmins;
therefore the Brahmins are our gods.' 'The argument is plainly set out, as you may see, and these modest personages have no scruples about arrogating to
themselves the sublime title of Brahma gods or gods of the earth. When one points out to the Brahmins that these much-vaunted Mantrams do not produce startling
effects in the present day, they reply that this must be attributed to the Kali-Yuga, a veritable age of iron when everything has degenerated.'
Abbe Dubois derides Gayatri Mantra, so highly regarded by Hindus. He observes derisively that Gayatri Mantram removes the sins and that gods tremble at
it. The Brahmin must make sure that he always repeats it in a low voice, that he is not overheard by a Sudra, or even by his own wife, particularly at the time when
she is in a state of uncleanness (monthly periods). The Mantram should not be imparted to an unbeliever (like Abbe Dubois). Page 138-140: Hindu Manners,
Customs and Ceremonies. (Dubois speaks and writes here in green and I in black.)
Donald A Mackenzie says that Brahma took Gayatri, the milkmaid, as a second wife because his chief wife, Sarasvati, despite her wisdom arrived late for a
certain important ceremony, at which the spouse of the god was required. Sarasvati cursed Brahma so that he could only be worshipped once a year. page 44, 149
Myths & Legends of India.
The following commentary by the author (Krishnaraj) is an analysis and mock anger directed at mack (a device to entice people to read the article on
Mantra) rather than an annoyance. Dear mack: Calling Gayatri the milkmaid is as bad, idiotic, inconsiderate and ignorant as calling the Lord Jesus Christ the
unemployed carpenter and a loser, President Truman the out-of-his-league haberdasher, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965) the Bulldog that
barked in queen's English, Honorable Jewish Matchmaker Shadchan a pimp, Bible a Jewish Fairy tale, Prophet Moses a shepherd who lost his way.... Sarasvati,
despite her wisdom arrived late: This characterization of dissociating wisdom from late-coming is a subtle and yet obvious insult to Sarasvati, who is the goddess of
arts, music and letters. mack expects all wise people to show up on time; only stupid people show up late. All this goes to show that the West goes out of the way to
denigrate Hinduism in any way it can. What mack says is that Brahma left a learned woman for a milkmaid. mack must have felt a vicarious glee at this scandal.
West treats Hinduism in a manner the media treats Paris Hilton or Jamie Lynn Spears. (Feb 2008). Sensationalism is its currency. Brahma's consorts are his energies.
What Sarasvati represents in Brahma is His Creative Aspect and Knowledge required for such an act. Sarasvati's other names are Gayatri, Satarupa, Savitri and
Brahmani. Actually her full name is Sarasvati Gayatri, who is the personified energy of Brahma. (These are the secrets the Indian sages never told mack.) Many
names of Sarasvati are intended to depict her essential quality in each of her names. When Sarasvati was busy with other important chores, Sarasvati sent herself in
the name of Gayatri (a deity can do such things) for the sacrifice which could not continue without the physical presence of wife. Sarasvati is a river, wife of
Brahma, daughter of Brahma, goddess of all arts and sciences, a milkmaid....Remember mack, in your days when there was no supermarket (Yes, I am talking to a
dead man), your wife was a milkmaid. I bet you had a milch cow around ready and willing to be milked. Let me give you an example as to how mack has
interpreted Brahma's marriage to Gayatri (the milkmaid). King and queen attend a ball. The queen on occasions adjusts his pillow, makes his bed, cooks his meals,
and makes coffee for the king. What mack says is that the king takes his maid (cook) for the ball. Now that my mock anger is out in the open, I could go back to
Mantra.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you don't have an initiating Guru, you can use OM as your Mantra.

exoticindia.com
Aum (Om) is the mystic syllable intonated audibly, sotto voce, or mentally; It is the fusion of three sounds beginning with aw (as
in paw) originating in Muladhara Chakra, vibrating as oo (as in coo) in the Anahata and Visuddha Chakras and resonating as mm (as
in mm, that is good) in Ajna and Sahasrara Chakras. It is Primal Mula (root or original) Mantra and thus a non-secular Mantra. m
(m = variation of Aum) in Tamil means "Yes, expressing assent." OM
Mantra Devata is like a three-limbed tree: Guru mantra (given by a Guru), Stotra or hymn of praise and prayer for the general good and specific
rewards, and Kavaca, mantra of protective nature.
Kavacha mantra is a mystical syllable forming a part of Mantra offering protection. Kavaca is mail, coat of mail, cuirass or armor. Mystical
words can be carved and worn as amulet to ensure protection. Kavacha Mantras are used to invoke, for example, Brahman to protect various parts
of the body. Each mantra is like a key that opens or invokes a god who offers protection. Siva is meditated upon in the heart. Vishnu is meditated
upon to protect the throat, so the devotee can chant a mantra to invoke his Ishta Devata, a god of his choice. (The Hollywood celebrities insure
their legs, hands, larynx, face for obvious reasons. Now you see why the Hindus want to protect their body parts for various reasons with the
insurance of faith in God, who prevents mishaps and protects them. Insurance does not really protect the limb but only pays its insured worth after
it is lost or injured. Kavacha Mantra is a preventive and a protective measure; now you see the immense difference.
 As said earlier, Mantra is the sound-body of god; as the tree is contained in a seed, Brahmanda (Brahman + Anda = Brahman's Egg = Brahman's universe) is
contained in the Mantra, Hamsa Mantra. Siva and Sakti throb in this Mantra. There is no life without this Mantra; it is integral to life and breathing, not only
inspiration and expiration of air but the internal breathing of each cell. To exemplify this fact it is said that Hamsa Mantra is like light in the sun, oil in the sesamum
seed, fire in the wood, Sakti in Siva, movement in the wind. All other Mantras do not have any potency unless they are conjoined with this Mantra; it is like saying a
little salt goes a long way to make food palatable. Hamsa is Prasadapara (Supreme Grace) Mantra, learned from a Guru and gives release (emancipation). Even gods
like Vishnu, Rudra, and Brahma repeat this Mantra and gain knowledge, luster, and liberation. An ordinary Pasu (individual soul) becomes Pasupati (the Lord of the
pasus). It is so powerful that a lowly man chanting this mantra can consecrate the idols and images. This mantra can be chanted by anyone to obtain its benefits; it
erases all class distinctions, and confers liberation. Mantras in general are deity-specific and therefore fruit-specific (Specific benefits); Hamsa is the King of
Mantras and confers the Complete Fruit. Hamsa is thus Siva and Sakti, SatChitAnanda, and Supreme Reality, yielding both Yoga and Bhoga.
SatChitAnanda = Being-Consciousness-Bliss.

This is a fundamental principle of the Tantrik method. The Kaula thus enjoys both Bhoga and Yoga, the worship being with enjoyment. Yoga is
the union of Prana and Apana, of seed and ovum, of " Sun " and "Moon,'' of Nada and Bindu, of Jivatma and Paramatma, So also the Rudra-
ymala and the Magala-rja-stava say: "Where there is worldly enjoyment there is no Liberation; where there is Liberation, there is no worldly
enjoyment. But in the case of excellent devotees of Srsundar both Liberation and Enjoyment are in the hollow of their hands."

Oct 6, 2012. The Worship of Sakti, The Great Liberation, by Woodroffe

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tantrics advance this theory you can enjoy this world and still obtain liberation (emancipation). They call it Bhoga and Yoga. They have it both ways. Tantrics
are the first group that believed man mired in the mud of animalism, prurience, sense satisfaction, and world enjoyment (like the happy worm wriggling in
ordure) can become man in the true sense of the word and manifest his divinity in him. Accordingly, the Tantrics divided people into Pasu (animal), Vira (the
hero), and Divya (Divine). Man is all three in one. Man goes from the Faustian to the sapient to the divine in a progressive manner. Everyone is capable of this
change to a divine being. The Tantrics took on this human experiment, wherein they imposed some rules of moderation in lifestyle of the Faustian: the Five Ms
(= Matsya, Mamsa, Madya, Mudra and Maithuna = Fish, Flesh, Wine, Grains and sexual intercourse) Hey, What is life without these five Ms? Is it worth? Are
we having fun with these five Ms? The idea is to transform man from his animalistic behavior to human behavior by imposing certain rules, regulations and
restrictions and positive reinforcements to move him from human to divine status. Animal is darkness (Tamas); man is all action (Rajas); Yogi is divine (Sattva).

Now let introduce to you Swami Sivananda, who explains this better than me.

Tantra Yoga

By

Sri Swami Sivananda

Tantra Yoga

Tantra Yoga had been one of the potent powers for the spiritual regeneration of the Hindus. When practiced by the ignorant,
unenlightened, and unqualified persons, it has led to certain abuses; and there is no denying that some degraded forms of Saktism
have sought nothing but magic, immorality, and occult powers. An example of the perverted expression of the truth, a travesty of
the original practices, is the theory of the five Makaras (Pancha Makaras);-Madya or wine, Mamsa or flesh, Matsya or fish, Mudra
or symbolical acts, and Maithuna or coition. The esoteric meaning of these five Makaras is: "Kill egoism, control flesh, drink the
wine of God-intoxication, and have union with Lord Siva".

Tantra explains (Tanoti) in great detail the knowledge concerning Tattva (Truth or Brahman) and Mantra (mystic syllables). It
saves (Trayate). Hence it is called Tantra.

The Tantras are not books of sorcery, witchcraft, magic spells, and mysterious formulae. They are wonderful scriptures. All
persons without the distinctions of caste, creed, or colour may draw inspiration from them and attain spiritual strength, wisdom,
and eternal bliss. Mahanirvana and Kularnava Tantras are the important books in Tantra Sastra. Yoga Kundalini Upanishad of
Krishna Yajurveda, Jabala Darsana, Trisikha Brahmana, and Varaha Upanishad are useful for getting knowledge of Kundalini
Sakti and the methods to awaken it and take it to Sahasrara Chakra at the crown of the head.

The Tantra is, in some of its aspects, a secret doctrine. It is a Gupta Vidya. You cannot learn it from the study of books. You will
have to get the knowledge and practice from the practical Tantrikas, the Tantric Acharyas and Gurus who hold the key to it. The
Tantric student must be endowed with purity, faith, devotion, dedication to Guru, dispassion, humility, courage, cosmic love,
truthfulness, non-covetousness, and contentment. Absence of these qualities in the practitioner means a gross abuse of Saktism.

The Sakti Tantra is Advaita Vada. It proclaims that Paramatman (Supreme Soul) and Jivatman (individual soul) are one. The
Saktas accept the Vedas as the basic scriptures. They recognise the Sakta-Tantras as texts expounding the means to attain the goal
set forth in the Vedas.

Tantra Yoga lays special emphasis on the development of the powers latent in the six Chakras, from Muladhara to Ajna. Kundalini
Yoga actually belongs to Tantric Sadhana which gives a detailed description about this serpent-power and the Chakras (plexus).
Entire Tantric Sadhana aims at awakening Kundalini, and making her to unite with Lord Sadasiva, in the Sahasrara Chakra.
Methods adopted to achieve this end in Tantric Sadhana are Japa of the Name of the Mother, prayer, and various rituals.
 Guru and Diksha (Initiation)

Yoga should be learnt from a Guru (spiritual preceptor). And this is true all the more in the case of Tantra Yoga. It is the Guru who
will recognise the class to which the aspirant belongs and prescribe suitable Sadhana.

The Guru is none other than the Supreme Divine Mother Herself, descended into the world in order to elevate the aspirant. As one
lamp is lit at the flame of another, so the divine Sakti consisting of Mantra is communicated from Guru to the disciple. The
disciple fasts, observes Brahmacharya, and gets the Mantra from the Guru.

Initiation tears the veil of mystery and enables the disciple to grasp the hidden truth behind scriptures' texts. These are generally
veiled in mystic language. You cannot understand them by self-study. Self-study will only lead you to greater ignorance. The Guru
only will give you, by Diksha (initiation), the right perspective in which to study the scriptures and practise Yoga.

Qualifications of a Disciple

The qualifications of the disciple are purity, faith, devotion, dispassion, truthfulness, and control of the senses. He should be
intelligent and a believer in Vedas. He must abstain from injury to all beings. He must be vigilant, diligent, patient, and
persevering. He must be ever doing good to all. All Sadhana should be done under the personal direction of a Guru or spiritual
teacher.

Tantra Sadhana

Bhuta Suddhi is an important Tantric rite. It means purification of the five elements of which the body is composed. The Sadhaka
(aspirant) dissolves the sinful body and makes a new divine body. He infuses into the body the life of the Devi.

Nyasa is a very important and powerful Tantric rite. It is placing of the tips of the fingers of the right hand on various parts of the
body, accompanied by Mantra.

Vacya = Vakya; Vacaka = Vasaka.

Every Mantra has two Saktis (powers): Vakya Sakti and Vasaka Sakti; the former is the seed and latter is the flesh of the fruit; the former is life of Mantra and the
latter is the sustainer of life; the Vakya Sakti is subject and transcendent, and Vasaka Sakti is object and immanent; one cannot get to the seed without going through
the fruit; one cannot understand the meaning and true nature of Vakya sakti without worshipping Vasaka Sakti (they are like Brahman and Isvara); Vakya sakti is
without attributes (Nirguna Brahman), Vasaka Sakti is with attributes (Saguna Brahman = Isvara); Vakya sakti is seed and Vasaka Sakti is the tree; seed and Vakya
Sakti are latent and dormant, and tree and Vasaka Sakti are awake and florid; Vakya Sakti is white light and Vasaka Sakti is spectral or rainbow colors, yellow, blue,
red and more of Kundalini Devi. Paramatma is Vakya Sakti, while the son of Devaki (Krishna) is Vasaka Sakti. Vakya is meaning; Vasaka is words, phrases and
mutterings of Mantra. The god who is the subject of Mantra is Vakya Sakti and Pratipaadya (to be explained, meaning) Devata and god who is Mantra itself (god's
sound body = Mantra) is Vasaka Sakti. Vakya Sakti is like clouds and Vasaka Sakti is like rain water. Vakya Sakti is unlimited; Vasaka Sakti is delimited. Vakya
sakti is all-pervasive and unmanifest, while Vasaka Sakti is manifest. The Vasaka Sakti of Mantra with attributes is awakened by Siddhi of Sadhakas who then with
the help Devi step into the monistic world of Brahman knowledge. (Ref. to white light and spectral or rainbow colors, and seed and tree are author's input.) Vasaka
Sakti is the road to Vakya Sakti; the former is the means and the latter is the goal. Yogis are capable of meditating on Brahman without going through the
preliminary step of worshipping and meditating on Isvara. In this instance, they are the seekers of Cashew Nut which is outside the fruit--author's opinion.

Mular says that 'Sa' sound originates in Nada and 'Ha' sound originates in Bindu. Hamsa = Ham + Sa = Male + Female = Siva + Sakti = Purusa + Prakrti.
Hamsa is a bird: swan.
Each Mantra is packed with salubrious vibrations, the release of which spreads through the universe of human body and spirit like the ripples generated by a
rock dropped in a pond. The ripples in the mind lake created repeatedly by the mantras keeps the physical, emotional and mental state in good health. It is also
compared to a seed, which packs a tree inside, the growth of which depends upon the fertile soil. Such is the power of Mantra. Mere chanting helps, but sincerity
and surrender augment its power. Coming back to Soham, conscious recital (Mantra japa) of a Mantra and increasing the cycles of respiration with accompanying
Mantra are performed by yogis. Increasing the respirations without professional guidance is not recommended for beginners for it alters the pH of the blood with
some ill effects. The purpose of Mantra in kundalini yoga is to take you from a mere existence at Muladhara plane of four petals to superconscious Sahasrara plane
of a thousand petals, where the unwound Chakra-penetrating serpetine Kundalini power finds her union with Siva.
Mantras are double-edged swords; it can be used only for the good and never for harming anyone. If Mantras are used for evil purposes, it is like digging a
grave for someone else but falling and getting interred live in it. A Mantra is sound and or silent energy which has transformational power on the person who utters
it. By Mantra a Devata is invoked. Chanting of Mantra is like shaking a sleeping person to wake up from sleep. The moving lips are Siva and Sakti; their movement
is Mithuna (union). Sabda or sound is the name, artha is Devata whose name it is. The Devata that is produced is his/her manifestation, which is actually a roused,
altered or higher consciousness of the Sadaka (aspirant), which can perceive the Artha or the object that is invoked by Mantra. Sabda is cognitive sound, while
Artha is the object it denotes and the thought it provokes. Thus the whole universe is covered by sabda and the 50 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, which is the
articulate Vaikhari stage in the evolution of Sound. Go to SOUND.HTM. Mahakali's garland of fifty heads represents those fifty letters; she absorbs the letters, the
Sabda, and the Artha into herself during Maha Pralaya (Great dissolution). That is the naked fierceness of absorption or dissolution.

Sabda's causal source is Sabda Brahman, a manifest Brahman, while Para Brahman is unmanifest, soundless and Supreme, which is Turiya Consciousness
where sound and thoughts involute or subside. Go to POTPOURRI --Potpourri two for Sabda Brahman and Para Brahman.

Mantra is a magical formula based on a sound, a syllable, a word, a phrase or a verse which, when chanted in silence, solo, or chorus, creates wholesome vibrations
and energy.
Mantra is the soul of Yantra; worship in Yantra pleases the Goddess. Mantra is the language of communication with a chosen Deity. Yantra restrains, regulates,
modulates, subdues, and sublimates all miseries born of desire, anger, hate, greed, love and other entities. Worship without Yantra brings curse from the Deity.
While worshipping the Deities, the deity-specific Mantra and Yantra with all the attendant rituals and paraphernalia should be brought into play, guaranteeing the
proper respect and reverence to the deity; invocation of one deity, and worship of another brings the wrath of both offended deities. The Inner power (Antahsakti) is
brought to the full force in worship with all its rituals. All this is done under instructions from the Guru. Mantras are used for Worship, Communication, Rewards,
Gains, Powers, Avoidance and Expulsion, Cures, Detoxification, Manipulation, Control, Purification, inflicting injury, and other purposes.
 The written Mantra is Varntmaka Sabda, meaning the sound is based on the written characters --written Mantra; Dhvaytmaka Sabda is the sound (Nda) based
on speech--Uttered Mantra. The mystics and Kundalini practitioners hear the sound in the Anahata (heart) center, which is the abode of Sabda Brahman, Nada
Brahman or Sound Brahman--all synonyms. It is said that there are 330 million of devatas (deities or divine beings) of layered hierarchical status in this universe
living in various lokas or world domains. Each deity presides on his assigned domain, has a name, a mantra, a mantra-body known as Yantra and his or her
followers. When a deity-specific mantra is chanted, that particular mantra-specific deity responds according to the intensity of devotion and faith. The Guru gives to
the Sisya or pupil a Mantra, that is compatible with the pupil, brings the best from that devata and fructifies the pupil's needs. The mind of the meditator in the
depth of his faith takes the shape of the deity and the aspirant becomes one with the deity. This is the Maxim of Worm and Wasp.
The Maxim of Wasp and Worm
(Disclaimer: The 'WASP' has nothing to do with White AngloSaxon Protestant.)

'Wasp, where is thy sting?' is a book that I read many years ago.

A lowly worm is in constant fear of the wasp and thus meditates on the wasp, not knowing when the dreaded fate of wasp sting will strike it. The worm is so
much possessed of the image of the wasp, that its consciousness is reposed only in the thought and form of wasp. The worm becomes a wasp in its mind's image.
Similarly, an Avadhuta is constantly meditating on Brahman, not knowing when the blessed event of knowing and transforming himself to deity would take place.
He thus becomes deity himself by dwelling in his mind on the deity.
Bhakti (devotion) and Kriya (ritual external and internal purification) bring beneficial results from the devata.

Broadly, Mantras fall into three categories: Vedic, Tantrika, and Puranic; each category has three divisions: Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic.
Sattvic mantras are used for light, wisdom, discrimination, awareness, divine love, compassion and realization; Rajasic mantras are used for
material gains: progeny and prosperity; Tamasic mantras are used to invoke evil spirits for destructive purposes. Meditation on Tamasic mantra is
Vma Marga meaning a path that is left-handed, vile, wicked, base, low and bad. They earn a direct descent to hell. Rajasic mantras guarantee
birth and rebirth because there is no salvation in the chanting of these mantras. Sattvic mantras expunge all sins and karma and rewards the
aspirant with peace and tranquility, Bliss, Grace and Moksa (liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths).

AUM: Tirumular says that the one letter, A, represents the universe. The two letters A and U are Siva and Sakti, the latter being the all-powerful manifest
energy of Siva. The three letters, A, U, and M are Siva, Sakti and Light, the last being Jnana or knowledge. The letter M is also Maya. Tirumular calls AUM as one-
letter Mantra, representing Tandava, the Divine Dance of Siva. Tandava is derived from Tandu, a dancer and servant of Siva. Any act performed by Siva is a dance.
The dances are named according to his acts (creation, maintenance, destruction, veiling and Grace), places (Chidambaram), and competition (Urdhva), 25 Lilas (acts
of play). The most celebrated dance is the Tandava in Chidambaram.
In the plane of Muladhara (Kundalini, fist plane), he stands as Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya--Na for earth and Brahma, Ma for water and Vishnu, Si for fire and Rudra,
Va for Vayu and Rudra, Ya for Akasa and Sadasiva. NaMaSiVaYa has contextual meanings:

Entity Na Ma Si Va Ya
The souls journey to Veiling or Mala or Lord Siva Arul or Grace The Jiva or individual soul
Grace Tirodhana impurity
Panchaakshara (Five Tirodhana The Lord Siva Revealing Grace The Jiva
Syllables) Universe
Body Parts@ the lower the the The mouth or face The eyes or the head.
limbs abdomen shoulders
Dynamic Fire in the Right foot drum out-stretched hand left lower hand, dispelling fear
Panchaakshara of hand on
Nataraja Muyalakan

Sivas five functions in Destruction Concealing Creation, Revealing Grace, left Maintenance (Sthiti), right
 Nataraja stance (left Grace, right anterior hand pointing anterior hand with supinated
posterior planted posterior down to left foot-- upright palm. (A-bhaya mudra
hand with right foot. hand with Jiva's refuge fear-not symbol)
flame). the drum. [high-five position of palm]
Entity Na Ma Si Va Ya
Five Elements Earth Water Fire Air Akasa or ether
Muladhara triangle- Earth and Water and Fire and Vayu and Rudra Akasa and Sadasiva
Kundalini Brahma Vishnu Rudra
AUM A (Siva) U (Sakti)
Perpetual Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss
Jnana (knowledge) Knowledge Knowledge
Pure Joy Pure Joy Pure Joy Pure Joy
Tandava dance of Si Va
dissolution
Agamic Mantra U (Sadasiva)
A (Sadasiva)
Pati-Pasu-Pasa Pasa Pati Pasu
Triangle
Siva and Sakti A (Srim) U (Krim)
A and U Body of Body of Siva
Siva
The dance letters of O I U A E
Sivas rhythmic dance
steps. (The life letters
or vowles)
Five groves@@
Five hoods of
snake@@
Five fingers@@
five Cupid's arrows@@
@ = Thiruvarutpayan sings praise of Lord Nataraja and ascribes the alphabets to body parts of Nataraja: NA for foot, Ma for abdomen, Si for shoulders, Va
for face, Ya for crown of the head.
@@ = Thiru-gnana-sambandar's list of fives.
Panchaaksharam, the five-syllable mantra, represents Siva in Lingam and Nataraja.
Tirumular says that anagram Mantra, Na-Ma-Va-Si-Ya stands in the sphere of Fire; Va-Si-Ya stands in that of Sun; and Va-Si stands in the sphere of Moon.
Chanting Namasivaya drives away the fiery snake of Pasa--bondage. Sivaya Nama is the Sukshma (subtle) Mantra, chanting which eight thousand times reveals the
subtle path of Sushumna, destroys karma, and gives the bliss of Siva. For a detailed presentation of AUM (OM) go to POTPOURRI

Mantrasakti (the power of Mantra) reveals the forms of the deity in the wood, stone, earth, stalagmite, stalactite and infuses life into the
idol. Mantrasakti also is self-awakening and self-propelling in bringing together the Brahma Tejas in the spiritual heart of the Sadhaka
(worshipper or aspirant) and the Tejas (light, splendor) of the external idol; this combined Tejas of sacrificial fire accepts the oblations of the
Sadhaka. The deity descends on the idol with grace, beauty, benevolence and sweetness, when the Sadhaka approaches the idol with devotion,
fervor, focus and sincerity. For Saktas, the goddess is the power in the Yantras of river, ocean, mountain, tree, aparajita flowers, bush, jackals,
cremation grounds, Bael tree, cows, bulls, Brahmanas, Gurus and the rest in nature. The whole universe and its parts are her Yantras (Power
Points). If you worship a flower as Devata, you are not worshipping the flower but the goddess in the form of the flower; this is Svarupa Vibhuti.
Sva-rpa = its own-form. Vibhti = expansion. It means the flower is the expansion of the goddess.

Clitoria Ternatea (AparAjitA flower) If you see Labia Majora, Minora and Clitoris in this image of the flower, you are right and that is why it is named,
Clitoria Ternatea. Thus the flower represents the Goddess. Consider these symbols:
Caravay seeds representing phallus stand for God.

The goddess or god is macrocosmic Being; this universe and parts are Her or His microcosmic parts. That is Virta, the external manifestation. He or She
is the Sutaratma (Strtman / sutratman), the thread on which the universe and its parts are strung together. Isvara, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, gods, goddesses,
demons, Brahmanas, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras, animals, trees, fruits, crops, stone, rivers, mountains, and the rest are all connected by one thread. You appease
one, you appease Isvara; you hurt one, you hurt Isvara. (The word 'Suture' came from Sanskrit word 'Sutra' for thread.)
Brahma Vidya is the ticket for liberation or Moksa. It can be achieved by Sravana, KIrtana, Smarana (Manana), PAdasevana, Arcana, Vandana, DAsya,
Sakhya, Atmanivedana, Nidhidysana, Yoga, and Sdhana.
When we pray to God, we use the sound-syllable OM; OM is the first sound, first thought, Brahman and God; OM consists of three letters: A U M, the beginning,
the middle and the end. AUM includes or contains the past, the present and the future and is beyond time itself. When Prajapathi was meditating on the three worlds,
three Vedas originated; earth, atmosphere and sky came into existence; and the syllable AUM came about. AUM is the basis of any thought, spoken or written and
more; AUM also represents the Hindu Holy Trinity: A, Brahma; U, Vishnu; and M, Siva. AUM knows neither fear nor death and so men, gods and Asuras take
refuge in AUM. (Sing it sotto voce and have no fear of anything.) In Sanskrit A and U combine to form O sound and M gives that resonance. A begins at the voice
box, fills the mouth (u) and ends in the closed lips (m). While modulations of the sound takes place, as said before, it resonates in the sinus cavities. Upanishads
state, As all leaves are held together by the stalk, so all speech is held together by AUM. Joseph Campbell explains this as follows:

"Consonants are simply interruptions of these vowel sounds according to this view. So that all words and their meanings are simply broken inflections of aum, just
as all the scattered reflections on that pond that I mentioned are merely broken inflections of that great cosmic image." (page 33, Myths of Light.) End of quote.

Aum is the whole universe and beings in all their states. A comes into a state of wakefulness; U goes into dream sleep; M goes into deep sleep. A is
creation; U is life on earth; M is dissolution. The silence that follows OM is the period between dissolution and creation. This cosmic series of events
takes place in our daily lives on a smaller human scale: birth, life and death; wakefulness, dream, and deep sleep.

In wakefulness (A), one is aware of subject and object differentiation. It is I compared to you, it and that. Duality is the order of wakefulness; there is no
self-illumination; it is all ego; it is matter; it is waiting for (spiritual) illumination from outside of itself. The empirical world is its playground.

In dream sleep (U), I , You, and that become objects; you are a subject who dreams and also an object along with others; thus, subject and object
differentiation blurs and becomes one. It is a subtle state, where all are imageries, hopes, aspirations, fears, and possibilities.

In deep sleep (M), consciousness is in a potential state. It is a conceptual self in that seminal concepts are incubated without awareness until they are
hatched. This state of union with Brahman confers a temporary relief lasting for the duration of deep sleep. It is a Bliss state, though temporary.

That is the beginning of spiritual awakening. Wakefulness is spiritual night; night is spiritual awakening.

Here I am quoting from Bhagavad Gita, chapter 2, Verse 69.

2.69: What is night for all beings is awakening for the disciplined soul and what is awakening for all beings, is night for the Muni the silent one, the
sage or seer.

What is night for all beings is wakefulness for the self-controlled person. That (the senses) which keeps all beings awake, is the night for the Muni-the
discriminating sage or seer.

Man, who seeks satiation of the senses, lives his life in the night of darkness and ignorance; and is not awake to the reality of the soul or Truth.
The ignorant man walks the nights. What is awakening for a man of heightened senses, is the night of the soul (no enlightenment) for the Muni (sage,
seer). Muni, lacking worldly and sensual pursuits, and in the darkness (night of quietness) of his Mauna (silence), sees enlightenment of the soul
Pleasure seekers are the nightwalkers. Muni, in his silence, is the night guard keeping the senses out of his realm for the sake of realization of
the Self.

OM is the syllable, the utterance of which helps a soul to penetrate Brahman proportionate to the degree of belief in it, detachment, abrogation of desires and contact
with sense objects, and awareness. Its power is diluted by exegesis. Tirumular says in Tantra Four, Verse 885, that A became the world, A and U became Sakti and
Siva and AUM became the Light (Jnana = Wisdom). M became the Maya.

In Prasna Upanishad, there is a two-way conversation between Guru Pippalada and his disciples. Questions are asked and answered. The sound AUM is equated
to the Higher and Lower Brahman, also known as nameless (or unqualified = Nirguna Brahman) Brahman and personal Brahman (or Isvara = Saguna Brahman)
Meditation on each and all component(s) of AUM brings benefits to the mediator. Component A guarantees a quick rebirth soon after death among men of high
caliber and greatness associated with austerity, abstinence and faith. Meditation on the two components, A and U, guarantees a sojourn on the moon in all its
greatness with a return to earth. Meditation on all three components, AUM, guarantees oneness with the light of the sun, shedding of all sins, (compared to the
shedding of the skin by the snake) and an entry into the world of Brahma greeted by Sma chants. (The world of Brahma is a collection of individual souls, who at
one time or another are sent back to earth in embodied forms, after their term in Satya loka expires.) From the world of Brahma, he goes one step above, gets vision
of Isvara, qualified Personal Brahman and thereby attains eternal liberation from the world of samsra. Meditation on the three components are better than
meditating on individual components because AUM as one triad guarantees liberation and immortality in the world of Isvara, and AUM in its individual
components guarantees only rebirth in this phenomenal world.

Nada Bindu Upanishad says that AUM is a Bird. MANTRA2.gif converted to MANTRA2A.jpg.
MANTRA2AB.jpg
 MANTRA2A.jpg was modified to MANTRA2AB.jpg

Bija Mantra = Seed Mantra = One syllable Mantra = by convention Bija Mantra is one syllable Mantra. Sometimes compound letters form the Bija Mantras
(Hreem)
M with ChandraBindu (Crescent with a dot) on top of it:

ChandraBindu means Moon dot, a diacritic sign. It means that the previous vowel is nasalized. It is also known as Anusvara which
forms the termination of all Bija Mantras. Chandrabindu is a combination of Nada and Bindu. Nada and Bindu are two saktis (power).
Naada (Nada) is sound and Bindu is dot, or point. Nada and Bindu are the progenitors of Tattvas, the building blocks of the universe.
Nada is Sakti and Bindu is Siva (Siva-Sakti); Nada is action and Bindu is static; Nada is white and Bindu is red. (Skanda Purana says
that Siva-Sadasiva is of the nature of Nada (divine sound) sitting in AkArapIthikA (Pedestal of the letter A) and Five-letter Mantra Namasivaya.)

The first part of the mantra A resonates in Muladhara Chakra in the base of the spine; the second part of the mantra U resonates in Anahata and Visuddha Chakras;
the third part of the mantra M resonates in Ajna and Sahasrara planes. The crescent with a dot in the concavity above the mantra, is Chandrabindu or Nada and
Bindu and stands for the soundless sound Paranada. Chandrabindu = moon with a dot. Paranada is Supreme soundless sound, Nada is sound, Bindu is the derivative
of Nada and the source of the universe. Nada is called Visvamata or Mother of the Universe; Bindu is Duhkha Hara or Pain killer or remover of pain. This idea from
antiquity (actually a revealed knowledge) makes one consider that the Big Bang came from Nada-Bindu, a dot.

There is an explanation as to how the Chandra Bindu (M) originated. Seed Sound Krim (Bija Krim) is formed in Ajna Chakra at glabella (spot between the
eyebrows). Krim is composed of three components or sounds: Ka-kara, Kali; Ra-kara, Brahma as fire; I-kara, Mahamaya and m. Kara is the term used in
designating a letter or sound: Om-Kara. m is Chandrabindu made of two parts: Nada (Visvamata), the Mother of the Universe and Bindu (Duhkha Hara), pain killer
or remover of pain (Bijakosa). According to Kundalini Yoga, Kaali (Kundalini or Sakti) is the origin of sound; Krim is the Kali Mantra. See files: Sabda
<<<Click>>> Mantra.

A for wakefulness, U for dream sleep, M for deep sleep and Chandrabindu for Turiya silence: this is the explanation. Turiya silence occurs between two AUM
intonations. Nada and Bindu (Paranada, soundless Sound) represent Turiya silence of the Unmanifest world, while AUM represents the manifest world of living
beings in three states of consciousness as said earlier. AUM is Pravrtti, meaning continuation of life processes; Turiya is Nivrtti, meaning cessation (the 4th state);
thus, the cycle of evolution, maintenance, and involution of an individual and the universe is contained in Pranava, .

In Maitri Upanishad Chapter six, the Brahman is depicted as three-footed and three-lettered according to the three letters of the syllable AUM. The three-footed
Brahman is rooted above and the branches are the ether, wind, fire, water, earth etc; this upside-down tree is Asvattha or fig tree: The import is that Brahman is
rooted in heaven and the material world draws sustenance from Brahman. One has to cut asunder all attachments to the material world in order to attain Brahman. In
AUM, Brahman is gender, light, holy triad, mouth, knowledge, physical elements, time elements, physical sustenance and growth, thought, and breath.

Table: The Triads of Brahman

Gender Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter

Light Fire, Wind, and Sun

Holy Triad Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva

Mouth Three sacrificial fires

Knowledge Three Vedas, Rg, Yajur and Sman

Physical Elements Earth, ether and sky

 Time Elements Past, Present and Future

Physical Sustenance and Growth Food, Water and Moon

Thought Buddhi (Intellect), mind, and Self-sense or Ego

Breath Prna, Apna and Vyna Breath, Downward breath,

Pervading Breath

There was a rivalry between the Devas and the Asuras (the gods and the demons) born of Prajapati. The devas took refuge in and possession of OM and used it as
breath through the nose. The demons corrupted the breath with evil and so the breath has become sweet and foul for the nose. The Devas meditated on OM as the
speech, the eyes, the ears, the mind, and the breath by mouth. But they were all corrupted by the Asuras so we speak truth and falsehood, see beauty and ugliness,
hear what should be heard and what should not be heard, entertain good and bad thoughts, and experience dissipation of life breath as a clod of earth shatters on
impact on a stone wall. (Chandogya Upanishad 1.2.1-8) This not only tells the importance of chanting OM, but also brings into focus the Sattva (divine) and Tamas
(asuric) gunas or modes of behavior of an individual.

Upanishads mention that OM is the bow, the jivtman is the arrow and the Brahman is the target. A bow must be strong and tensile in that the faith is strong, one has
depth and breadth in Vedic wisdom, and life lived by Sattva sharpens the arrow with devotion. The mind is the tip of the arrow. Silence and stillness are the goals
that are Param-Brahman.

Om, as an entity, is a sage Visvamitra; it has three feet, A - U M; the ocean is its abdomen; the moon and the sun are its eyes; the fire is its mouth; Visnu is its
heart; Brahma is its head; and Rudra is its locks.

Swami Sivananda says: The Bijas of the five Mahabhutas or great elements, i.e., of the Devatas or the presiding intelligences of the elements, viz., Ether, Air, Fire,
Water and Earth, are respectively Ham, Yam, Ram, Vam and Lam. The meanings of a few Bija-Mantras are given here, to serve as examples.

OM

OM consists of three letters: 'A', 'U' and 'M'. It signifies the three periods of time, the three states of consciousness, the entire existence. 'A' is the waking state or
Virat and Visva. 'U' is the dreaming state of Hiranyagarbha and Taijasa. 'M' is the sleeping state or Isvara and Prajna. Study the Mandukyopanishad in detail in order
to understand the meaning of OM.

Haum

In this Mantra, Ha is Siva. Au is Sadasiva. The Nada and Bindu mean that which dispels sorrow. With this Mantra Lord Siva should be worshipped.

Dum

Here Da means Durga. U means to protect. Nada means the mother of the universe. Bindu signifies action (worship or prayer). This is the Mantra of Durga.

Krm

With this Mantra Kalika should be worshipped. Ka is Kali. Ra is Brahman. Ee is Mahamaya. Nada is the mother of the universe. Bindu is the dispeller of sorrow.

Hrm

This is the Mantra of Mahamaya or Bhuvanesvari. Ha means Siva. Ra is Prakriti. Ee means Mahamaya. Nada is the mother of the universe. Bindu means the
dispeller of sorrow.

rim

This is the Mantra of Mahalakshmi. Sa is Mahalakshmi. Ra means wealth. Ee means satisfaction or contentment. Nada is Apara or the manifested Brahman or
Isvara. Bindu means the dispeller of sorrow.

Aim

This is the Bija-Mantra of Sarasvati. Ai means Sarasvati. Bindu means the dispeller of sorrow.

Klm

This is the Kamabija. Ka means the Lord of desire (Kamadeva). Ka may also mean Krishna. La means Indra. Ee means contentment or satisfaction. Nada and Bindu
mean that which brings happiness and sorrow.

Hm

In this Mantra, Ha is Siva. U is Bhairava. Nada is the Supreme. Bindu means the dispeller of sorrow. This is the threefold Bija of Varma of armour (coat of mail).

Gam

This is the Ganesha-Bija. Ga means Ganesha. Bindu means the dispeller of sorrow.

Glaum

This also is a Mantra of Ganesha. Ga means Ganesha. La means that which pervades. Au means lustre or brilliance. Bindu means the dispeller of sorrow.

Kraum
This is the Bija of Narasimha. Ksha is Narasimha. Ra is Brahma. Au means with teeth pointing upwards. Bindu means the dispeller of sorrow.

There are, like these, many other Bija-Mantras which signify various Devatas. 'Vyaam' is the Bija of Vyasa-Mantra, 'Brim' of Brihaspati-Mantra and 'Raam' of
Rama-Mantra.

Strm

Sa is deliverance from difficulties. Ta is Saviour. Ra is liberation. I is MahAmAyA. Nada is Mother of the universe and Bindu is Dispeller of sorrow.

SRI VIDYA

Sri-Vidya is the great Mantra of Tripurasundari or Bhuvanesvari or Mahamaya. It is also called the Panchadasi or the Panchadasakshari, for it is formed of fifteen
letters. In its developed form it consists of sixteen letters and is called Shodasi or the Shodasakshari. The aspirant should directly get initiation of this Mantra from a
Guru, and should not start reading it for himself or doing Japa of it, on his own accord. This is a very powerful Mantra and, when it is not properly repeated, it may
harm the Upasaka. So it is imperative that it should be got directly from a Guru who has got Siddhi of this Mantra.

The general rule is that this Mantra (Sri-Vidya) should be repeated after one's passing through certain stages of self-purification through other Mantras. In the
beginning a Purascharana (prefatory rite) of Ganesa-Mantra should be done. Then Purascharanas of Gayatri-Mantra, Maha-Mrityunjaya-Mantra and Durga-Mantra
(Vaidika or Tantrika) have to be done. After this the Panchadasakshari and the Shodasakshari have to be taken up for Japa.

The Bija-Mantras and the Sri-Vidya should not be repeated by those who are not well acquainted with them. Only those who have a very good knowledge of the
Sanskrit language and who have been directly initiated by a Guru (who has Mantra-Siddhi) can take up the Japa of Bija-Mantras and the Sri-Vidya. Others should
not approach these Mantras and should do only their own Ishta-Mantras which are easy to pronounce and remember. End of Swami Sivananda quote.

The following are the most favorite Mantras

1: Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah, Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Diyo Yonah Prachodayat. GAYATRI

2: Om Sri Maha Ganapataye Namah - Homage to Lord Ganesa.

3: Om NamaSivaya - Homage to Lord Siva.

4: Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya - Homage to Vishnu, Krishna.

5: Om Sri Ramaya Namah - Homae to Lord Rama (Incarnation of Vishnu).

6: Om Sri Durgayai namah - Homage to Goddess Durga (Goddess destroying our evil qualities)

7: Om Sri Maha Lakshmyai Namah - Homage to Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth)

8: Om Air Sarasvatyai Namah (Goddess of learning)

9: Om Klim Krishnaya Namah (Homage to Krishna, Incarnation of Vishnu)

10: Om Triyambhakam Yajamahe Sugandhim PushtivardhanamUrvarukamiva Bandhanam Mrityor Mukshiya Mamritat.

Mantras are uttered with or without breath control. Simple Kundalini Pranayama is for the modern man who has no time for contemplation, meditation or the real
McCoy, Kundalini Yoga. PrAna + Yama = Breathing Restraint = Breathing Regulation = Control of Breathing. The following is modified and based on the
recommendation of Swami Sivananda. (Page xxiii, Kundalini Yoga.) Pranayama consists of Puraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka: Inspiration, Retention and Exhalation
of breath. Swami Sivananda says that positive attitude and dedication (Bhava) are more important than the time ratio of three components of Pranayama. Sit in
Padma Asana pose looking East or North. Perform a short prayer in worship of your Guru or Ishta Devata (Personal God = God of your liking). Take a deep breath
without snorting, hissing etc. As you inhale, imagine that Kundalini Devi is rising from Muladhara to Sahasrara Chakra through all the intermediary chakras. Retain
your breath for five to ten seconds (Kumbhaka Phase). As you retain your breath mentally chant Pranava (OM) or your own chosen Mantra. Feel that you are
suffused with LIGHT, POWER AND WISDOM during Kumbhaka phase. Next comes exhalation (Rechaka phase). Imagine that Kundalini is descending stepwise
from Sahasrara, to Ajna, to Visuddha, to Anahata, to Manipura and finally to Muladhara Chakra. As you are exhaling imagine that you are exhaling all Tamasic
qualities (sloth and slumber) out of your system.
As you take a breath, imagine that you are inhaling all the auspicious cosmic powers into your system, for the breath (Prana or power) spreads all throughout your
body and takes all the cosmic powers to each cell. During Kumbhaka phase, all the cosmic powers take their residence in each cell. In exhalation phase, imagine
that you are getting rid of all unwanted qualities from your system. During Kumbhaka phase, you can chant OM or any other mantra and also pray for the welfare of
you, your family, your community, your nation and the world. Kumbhaka phase is the most important. Hold the breath as long as you possibly can.
If you have an Ishta- or Adhi-devata in mind, meditate on him or her with or without retained breath, and then recite his or her name sotto voce keeping your
right palm over the heart which means that you invoke the Devata to come and reside in your heart. Ishta = of your liking. Adhi = over. Adhidevata =
tutelary deity.
Swami Vivekanada recommends the following Pranayama. Pranayama trains the superconscious mind. It consists of inspiration, retention and expiration. Inspiration
is done for a count of four through one nostril; the breath is retained for a count of sixteen; exhalation is done through the other nostril for a count of eight. One has
to occlude the non-breathing nostril with the thumb. "In time your breathing will obey your mind. Make four of these Pranayamas morning and evening."
A simple Sandhyavandanam Pranayama is performed as follows: block the right nostril by the right thumb, breathe in through the left nostril for the duration it takes
to mentally say the Gayatri mantra. Block both nostrils, hold the breath and say the Gayatri; breathe out through the right nostril as you block the left nostril for the
duration it takes to chant Gayatri.
Om -- Bhur, Bhuva, Svaha -- tat savitur varenyam -- bhargo devasya dhimahi -- dhiyo yo nah prachodayat-. You may stop to catch the breath after each round.
Performing all nine rounds in one session does not usually pose any problem.
When soldiers are stressed out during battle, they are advised to take Pranayama exercises consisting of Puraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka. If it works for them, it
should work for us. You can do this any number of times a day wherever and whenever it is feasible.
There are others who recommend modifications of Pranayama: Viloma Pranayama, Anuloma-Viloma Pranayama.
Anuloma = Natural Direction. Viloma: Turned the wrong way.
Loma is hair; Anuloma is going with the hair or grain; Anuloma is going with the flow.
Viloma is going against the hair or grain; Viloma is going against the flow.
Anuloma -Viloma Pranayama
Assume Padmasana Pose. Think of Hawaiian Hang Loose Pose of the right hand. Extend the thumb, the ring finger and the pinky; fold the index and the middle
fingers. The right thumb serves to occlude the right nostril and the combined ring finger and pinky occlude the left nostril. It takes a little practice to get it right.

Occlude the right nostril with the right thumb and take a deep breath through the left nostril until you cannot breath any further.
Occlude the left nostril with the combined ring finger and pinky and breath out slowly through the open right nostril.
The time ratio between inhalation and exhalation is 1: 2.
Now take a deep breath through the right nostril by occluding the left nostril, followed by exhalation through the left nostril.
This completes one cycle of Anuloma-Viloma.
The next step to learn is to hold the breath between Inhalation and Exhalation by occluding both nostrils. This is Anuloma-Viloma with Kumbhaka. Kumbhaka =
retention of breath. Inhalation and Retention (Kumbhaka) are of equal duration.
Assume any posture that makes you comfortable. Practice Anuloma-Viloma for a few months and feel at ease with the practice; later you can go on to Anuloma-
Viloma with Kumbhaka.
Viloma Pranayama
Viloma Pranayama is against the established order. Make sure both nostrils are patent for airflow before these exercises. Assume sitting or lying position, close your
eyes and just relax. Breath out completely as much as you can with comfort. With both nostrils open, breath in for a few seconds, take a pause holding the remaining
breath, resume breathing in for a few seconds; take a pause as before and repeat the process until you have filled your lungs. This is Staccato Inspiration. (I
introduced this foregoing term.) Hold the breath (kumbhaka phase) for a few seconds (Duration: as long as it takes to say 1-2-3) and breath out in a staccato fashion
reversing the process. The pauses in this staccato respiration are about 4 or 5 in each phase of inspiration or expiration. Repeat this staccato respirations for about
ten minutes. You may engage in a few normal respirations between Viloma cycles according to your comfort level. (Staccato speech: Enunciation of a word in
distinct syllables, example: stac-ca-to instead of staccato. Staccato inspiration: breathing-in in a disconnected fashion. Staccato Expiration: breathing out in a
disconnected fashion. Legato as compared with Staccato is smooth and connected without breaks.)
Sastras say that Gayatri should not be chanted loud. Loud chanting earns low gains (Remember, Senior Bush got into trouble and lost his 1992 reelection bid for
saying his Mantra loudly, "Read my lips: no new taxes"); Sotto voce begets greater benefits; mental chanting of Gayatri Mantra earns the highest reward. There are
five stops in the course of reciting the Mantras; there are five faces of Gayatri Devi. 1st stop is after Om; 2nd stop after Bhur, Bhuva, Svaha; 3rd stop after tat savitur
varenyam; 4th stop after bhargo devasya dhimahi; 5th stop after dhiyo yo nah prachodayat. Chanters get Brahma Varcas (Tejas, power, splendor, brilliance); that is
why it is called Brahma Sutra. Gayatri's Tejas gives the Light to Solar, Lunar and Stellar Mandalas and that light has spread to all that shines. It is the Light in the
eye and the heart. Gayatri is so supreme that it is beyond the Gunas. It is like the sun casting its light on the high and the low, the pure and the impure, the sacred
and the sacrilegious and yet does not take on the character of the object it shines on.
Gayatri Mantra: 1st round of Mantra mental enunciation should span the duration of inhalation; 2nd round with retention of breath and 3rd round with expiration.
That means one should mentally recite the whole mantra once with inhalation, once with retention and once with exhalation. Three grand rounds of a total of nine
recitations are considered suitable for a person in a hurry. Inhalation and mental chanting take 10 seconds; retention and exhalation take 10 seconds each. If you face
the sun and do it, it is even better.
Here are some thoughts expressed by Ramana Maharishi and modified by me. He says that you, the Spirit, are part and parcel of the universe, you are Brahman and
you as an individual subside in Brahman thus loosing your individuality. If you insist you are an individual, you are body-conscious and cannot dissolve in the ocean
of Bliss. You are the salt and Brahman is the ocean; Brahman is You, He, She, It and That that contain all the souls or solutes.

Lingapurana Vol 6, Chapter 8 says the following about Mantras.

Eight-syllabled Mantra, Om namo NArAyanAya and the 12-syllabled Mantra, Om Namo Bhagavate VAsudevAya are the greatest Mantras of the Great Atman. The
6-syllabled Mantra, Om NamasivAya connotes the entire meaning of all Vedic passages. The Mantra of Rudra, the Purusa in conjunction with Pradhana = Namaste
SankarAya.

Click here: OM NAMASIVAYA

Om Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya

AUM: Tirumular says that the one letter, A, represents the universe. The two letters A and U are Siva and Sakti, the latter being the all-powerful manifest
energy of Siva. The three letters, A, U, and M are Siva, Sakti and Light, the last being Jnana or knowledge. The letter M is also Maya. Tirumular calls AUM as one-
letter Mantra, representing Tandava, the Divine Dance of Siva. Tandava is derived from Tandu, a dancer and servant of Siva. Any act performed by Siva is a dance.
The dances are named according to his acts (creation, maintenance, destruction, veiling and Grace), places (Chidambaram, etc.), and competition (Urdhva), 25 Lilas
(acts of play). The most celebrated dance is the Tandava in Chidambaram.

In the plane of Muladhara (Kundalini, first plane), he stands as Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya--Na for earth and Brahma, Ma for water and Vishnu, Si for fire and Rudra,
Va for Vayu and Rudra, Ya for Akasa and Sadasiva. NaMaSiVaYa has contextual meanings:

Tirodhana sakti = ,t,). (t, = k,)

Entity Na Ma Si Va Ya
The souls Veiling or Mala or Lord Siva Arul or Grace The Jiva or individual soul
journey to Tirodhana impurity
Grace
Panchaakshara Tirodhana The Lord Siva Revealing Grace The Jiva
(Five Universe
Syllables)
Body Parts@ the lower the the shoulders The mouth or face The eyes or the head.
limbs abdomen
Dynamic Fire in the Right foot drum out-stretched hand left lower hand, dispelling fear
Panchaakshara hand on
of Nataraja Muyalakan

Sivas five Destruction Concealing Creation, Revealing Grace, left Maintenance (Sthiti), right anterior
functions in (left posterior Grace, right posterior anterior hand pointing hand with supinated upright palm.
Nataraja stance hand with planted hand with the down to left foot--Jiva's (A-bhaya mudrafear-not symbol)
flame). right foot. drum. refuge [high-five position of palm]

Five Elements Earth Water Fire Air Akasa or ether

Bija Mantras Lam Vam Ram Yam Ham
Muladhara Earth and Water and Fire and Vayu and Rudra Akasa and Sadasiva
triangle- Brahma Vishnu Rudra
Kundalini

AUM A (Siva) U (Sakti)

Perpetual Bliss Bliss Bliss Bliss
 Jnana Knowledge Knowledge
(knowledge)
Pure Joy Pure Joy Pure Joy Pure Joy
Tandava dance Si Va
of dissolution
merges in
Agamic Mantra U (Sadasiva)
A (Sadasiva)

Pati-Pasu-Pasa Pasa Pati Pasu

Triangle
Siva and Sakti A (Srim) U (Krim)
A and U Body of Siva Body of Siva

The dance O I U A E
letters of Sivas
rhythmic dance
steps.
Five
groves@@
Five hoods of
snake@@
Five finger@@
five Cupid's
arrows@@

Na Ma Si Va Ya
Earth Water Fire Air / Wind / Vayu Sky / Akasa
Lam Vam Ram Yam Ham
@ = Thiruvarutpayan sings praise of Lord Nataraja and ascribes the alphabets to body parts of Nataraja: NA for foot, Ma for abdomen, Si for shoulders, Va
for face, Ya for crown of the head.
@@ = Thiru-gnana-sambandar's list of fives.
Panchaaksharam, the five-syllable mantra, represents Siva in Lingam and Nataraja.

Tirumular says that anagram Mantra, Na-Ma-Va-Si-Ya stands in the sphere of Fire; Va-Si-Ya stands in that of Sun; and Va-Si stands in the sphere of Moon.
The basic Mantra is Na-Ma-Va-Si-Ya. See variant example below. When the soul Ya is flanked by Na and Ma on the front and Si and V in the end, Na and Ma
representing Tirodhana and Mala lead the soul into bondage and rebirth and Si and V representing Siva and Arul confer salvation and Grace to the soul.

Na Ma Ya Si V

In the above Mantra, obscuration and impurities are the burdensome front load (Na Ma) on the soul Ya, Siva and Grace Si V come once the soul is divested
of the front load of Na Ma.

Na Ma Ya Si V: Strike Na and Ma (obscuration and impurities). This is what you want. At this juncture the soul Ya moves and sits between Si V (Siva
and Bliss) and the new configuration is Si Ya V. This is bliss; this is liberation.

Na = Tirodhana Sakti or Obscurant Siva Sakti ,t,). (t, = k,)

Ma = Malas or impurities
Si = Siva
V = Grace
Ya = soul
Kvala state is dream-sleep state of the soul Ya before birth.
Sakala state is awake state, life of the embodied soul on earth (Na Ma Ya).
Suddha state is deep-sleep state, merger with Siva (Si V Ya---> Si Ya V ); Na Ma left the soul.
For more information on OM Namasivaya, go to OM NAMASIVAYA

SriVaishnava Mantras.
Srivaishnava Mantras are passed down as secret to the deserving disciple by the Vaishnava Acharya during initiation. The disciple offers his surrender at
Naaraayana's feet and the revered line of Acharya-Gurus. The disciple lives and maintains a sattvic life in accordance with Vaishnava tenets.
These three secrets reveal the absolute status of Naaraayana, Sri, and relative status of Jivatma; His JagatkAranatva (Primary Cause of Creation); His
AudhAratva, being the supporter of the Universe; Paramatma's ownership of Jivatma; Unity in Bimodality, Sri's inseparability from Naaraayana; His
pervasion in beings and universe; Naarayana being the Hypostasis or Basis for all Chetanams and Achetanams; Naaraayana's Supremacy as Sarvesvara;
Sesha's dependence and servitude to bimodal Seshi; Sesha's renunciation; Removal of all obstacles in the service of the Lord; Sri's mediation on behalf of
Chetanams; His Feet as the Means (Upayam) to attain the Lord; Atma Samarpanam (dedication of self) by the Jivatma to Paramaatma as Prapannan; simple
means to attain Him without the need for cumbersome Yogas (Sarva Dharman); forgiveness of sins; Exclusive surrender to Naaraayana only as precondition
to Naaraayana's Grace; VAtsalyam by the Lord; Paramatman's feet as the Object and Goal of Prapatti and Surrender; Removal of all impediments to Moksa;
Total Surrender as the guarantor of relief from grief.
For more Srivaishnava mantras

The Follwing is the Chapter on Mantra from The Six Centers and the Serpent Power by woodroffe.

IV Chapter MANTRA

REFERENCE is made in the Text and in this Introduction to abda, Vara, Mantra. It is said that the letters (Vara) of the alphabet are distributed throughout the
bodily centres on the petals of the lotuses, as is shown on Plates II-VII. In each of the lotuses there is also a Seed- Mantra (Bja) of the Tattva of the centre,
Kualin is both Light (Jyotirmay) and Mantra (Mantramay),1 and Mantra is used in the process of rousing Her. There is perhaps no subject in the Indian
strawhich is less understood than Mantra. The subject is so important a part of the Tantra-strathat its other title is Mantra-stra. Commonly Orientalists and
others describe Mantra as "prayer," "formulae of worship," "mystic syllables," and so forth. Mantra science may be well founded or not, but even in the latter case it
is not the absurdity which some suppose it to be. Those who think so might except Mantras which are prayers, and the meaning of which they understand, for with
prayer they are familiar. But such appreciation itself shows a lack of understanding. There is nothing necessarily holy or prayerful about a Mantra, Mantra is a
power (Mantraakti) which lends itself impartially to any use. A man may be injured or killed by Mantra; 2 by Mantra a kind of union with the physical
1 The first is the subtle, the second the gross form. See as regards the subject-matter of this Chapter the Author's "Garland of Letters".

2 As in Maranam and other of the atkarma. To quote an example which I have read in an account of an author nowise "suspect" as an Occultist, Theosophist, etc. - General J. T. Harris noticed a scorpion close to the foot
of a Sadhu. "Don't move," he said; "there is a scorpion by your foot." The Sadhu leaned over, and when he saw the scorpion he pointed at it with his fingers, on which the animal immediately and in the presence of the
General shrivelled up and died. "You

seem to have some powers already," the General said; but the Sadhu simply waived the matter aside as being of no importance ("China Jim" : "Incidents in the Life of a Mutiny Veteran," by Major-General J. T. Harris, p.
74. Heinemann).

84 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

A man may be injured or killed by Mantra; by Mantra a kind of union with the physical akti is by some said to be effected; 1 by Mantra in the initiation called
Vedhadka there is such a transference of power from the Guru to the disciple that the latter swoons under the impulse of it;2 by Mantra the Homa fire may and,
according to ideal conditions, should be lighted; 3 by Mantra man is saved, and so forth. Mantra, in short, is a power (akti); power in the form of Sound. The root
"man" means "to think".

The creative power of thought is now receiving increasing acceptance in the West. Thought-reading, thought-transference, hypnotic suggestion, magical projections
(Mokaa), and shields (Grahana), 4 are becoming known and practised, not always with good results. The doctrine is ancient in India, and underlies the practices to
be found in the Tantras, some of which are kept in general concealed to
1 An extraordinary use to which it is put, I am informed by some worshippers of the Bhairava Mantra. The man projects the Mantra on to the woman, who then experiences the sensation of a physical union. The Viu
Purana speaks of generation by will power.

2 As the Kularnava Tantra says, and as may be readily understood, such a Guru is hard to get. The disciple who receives this initiation gets all the powers of his initiator. It is said that there are Gurus who can at once
make their disciples fit for the highest aims.

3 As is stated to have actually happended lately in the house of a friend of a collaborator of mine. A man is alleged to have lit the fuel in Kuandik-Homa simply by Mantra and the Bja of fire ("Ram") without recourse
to light or match.

4 This Sanskrit term expresses not so much a "fence" to which use a Kavacha is put, but the knowledge of how a man may "catch" a Mantra projected at him.

MANTRA page 85

prevent misuse.1 What, however, is not understood in the West is the particular form of Thought-science which is Mantra-vidy. Those familiar with Western
presentment of similar subjects will more readily understand 2 when I say that, according to the Indian doctrine here described, thought (like mind, of which it is the
operation) is a Power or akti. It is, therefore, as real, as outer material objects. Both are projections of the creative thought of the World-thinker. The root "man,"
which means 'to think', is also the root of the Sanskrit word for "Man," who alone of all creation is properly a thinker. Mantra is the manifested abda-brahman .
But what is abda or "sound"? Here the akta-Tantra stra follows the Mimamsa doctrine of abda, with such modifications as are necessary to adapt it to its
doctrine of akti. Sound (abda), which is a quality (Gua) of ether (ka), and is sensed by hearing, is twofold - namely, lettered (Varntmaka abda) and
unlettered, or Dhvani (Dhvanytmaka abda). 3 The latter is caused by the striking of two things together, and is meaningless. abda, on the contrary, which is
Anhata (a term applied to the Heart Lotus), is that Brahman sound which is not caused by the striking of two things together. Lettered sound is composed of
sentences (Vkya), words (Pada), and letters (Vara).

1 In the Samhit called Kulrnava (not the Tantra of that name) iva, after referring to some terrible rites with the flesh of black cats, bats, and other animals, the soiled linen of a Chandala woman, the shroud of a
corpse, and so forth, says: "Oh, Parvati, my head and limbs tremble, my mouth is dried" (Hridayam kampate mama, gatrani mama kampante, mukham shushyate Parvati), adding : "One must not speak of it, one must not
speak, one must not speak, again and again I say it must not be spoken of" (Na vaktavyam na vaktavyam na vaktavyam punah punah).

2 It is because the Orientalist and missionary know nothing of occultism, and regard it as superstition, that their presentment of Indian teaching is so often ignorant and absurd.

3 This Dhvani is the gross body of the Mantra. See the Author's "garland of Letters".

86 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

letters (Vara). Such sound has a meaning.1 abda manifesting as speech is said to be eternal. 2 This the Naiyyikas deny, saying that it is transitory. A word is
uttered, and it is gone. This opinion the Mmms denies, saying that the perception of lettered sound must be distinguished from lettered sound itself. 3 Perception
is due to Dhvani caused by the striking of the air in contact with the vocal organs - namely, the throat, palate and tongue. Before there is Dhvani there must be the
striking of one thing against another. It is not the mere striking which is the lettered abda. This manifests it. The lettered sound is produced by the formation of the
vocal organs in contact with air, which formation is in response to the mental movement or idea, which by the will thus seeks outward expression in audible sound. 4
It is this perception which is transitory, for the Dhvani which manifests ideas in language is such. But lettered sound, as it is in itself - is eternal. It was not produced
at the moment it was perceived. It was only manifested by the Dhvani. It existed before, as it exists after, such manifestation, just as a jar in a dark room which is
revealed by a flash of lightning is not then produced, nor does it cease to exist on its ceasing to be perceived through the disappearance of its manifester, the
lightning. The air in contact with the voice organs reveals sound in the form of the letters of the alphabet, and

1 When the word "Ghata" is uttered, then there arises in the mind the idea of a jar. "When the Mantra of a Divinity is uttered there arises the idea of the Deity whose name it is.

2 Not as audible sounds (Dhvani), but as that which finds auditory expression in audible sounds. The sensible expressions are transient. Behind them is the eternal Logos (abda-brahman ), whose manifestation they are.

3 Samantu tatra daranam ("But alike is the perception thereof").

4 This is only one form in which letters find sensible expression. Thus writing gives visual expression, and to the blind perforated dots give tactual expression.

87 MANTRA

their combinations in words and sentences. The letters are produced for hearing by the effort of the person desiring to speak, and become audible to the ear of others
through the operation of unlettered sound or Dhvani. The latter being a manifester only, lettered abda is something other than its manifester. Before describing the
nature of abda in its different forms of development it is necessary to understand the Indian psychology of perception. At each moment the Jva is subject to
innumerable influences which from all quarters of the universe pour upon him. Only those reach his Consciousness which attract his attention, and are thus selected
by his Manas. The latter attends to one or other of these sense impressions, and conveys it to the Buddhi. When an object (Artha) is presented to the mind and
perceived, the latter is formed into the shape of the object perceived. This is called a mental Vritti (modification), which it is the object of Yoga to suppress. The
mind as a Vritti is thus a representation of the outer object. But in so far as it is such representation it is as much an object as the outer one. The latter - that is, the
physical object - is called the gross object (Sthla artha), and the former or mental impression is called the subtle object (Sukshma artha). But besides the object
there is the mind which perceives it. It follows that the mind has two aspects, in one of which it is the perceiver and in the other the perceived in the form of the
mental formation (Vritti) which in creation precedes its outer projection, and after the creation follows as the impression produced in the mind by the sensing of a
gross physical object. The mental impression and the physical object exactly correspond, for the physical object is, in fact, but a projection of the cosmic
imagination, though it has the same reality as the mind has; no more and no less. The mind is thus both cognizer (Grhaka) and cognized (Grhya), revealer
(Prakaka) and revealed (Prakaya), denoter (Vcaka) and denoted (Vchya).
88 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

(Prakashya), denoter (Vachaka) and denoted (Vachya). When the mind perceives an object it is transformed into the Shape of that object. So the mind which thinks
of the Divinity which it worships (Ishta- devata) is at length, through continued devotion, transformed into the likeness of that Devata. By allowing the Devata thus
to occupy the mind for long it becomes as pure as the Devata. This is a fundamental principle of Tantrik Sadhana or religious practice. The object perceived is called
Artha, a term which comes from the root "Ri," which means to get, to know, to enjoy. Artha is that which is known, and which therefore is an object of enjoyment.
The mind as Artha - that is, in the form of the mental impression - is a reflection of the outer object or gross Artha. As the outer object is Artha, so is the interior

subtle mental form which corresponds to it. That aspect of the mind which cognizes is called abda or Nma (name), and that aspect in which it is its own object or
cognized is called Artha or Rpa (form). The outer physical object of which the latter is, in the individual, an impression is also Artha or Rpa, and spoken speech is
the outer abda. Subject and object are thus from the Mantra aspect abda and Artha - terms corresponding to the Vedntic Nma and Rpa, or concepts and
concepts objectified. As the Vednta says, the whole creation is Nma and Rpa. Mind is the power (akti), the function of which is to distinguish and identify
(Bheda-samsarga-vitti akti).

Just as the body is causal, subtle and gross, so is abda, of which there are four states (Bhava), called Par, Payant, Madhyam and Vaikhar - terms further
explained in Section V of this Introduction. Par sound is that which exists on the differentiation of the Mahbindu before actual manifestation. This is motionless
causal abda in Kua-lin in the Mldhra centre of the body. That aspect of it in which it commences to move with a general - that is, non-particularized - motion
(Smnya-spanda) is Payant, whose place is from the Mldhra to the Maipra Cakra, the next centre.

89 MANTRA

non-particularized - motion (Smnya-spanda) is Payant, whose place is from the Mldhra to the Maipra Cakra, the next centre. It is here associated with
Manas. These represent the motionless and first moving vara aspect of abda. Madhyam sound is associated with Buddhi. It is Hiranyagarbha abda
(Hirayagarbha-rp) extending from Payant to the heart. Both Madhyam sound, which is the inner "naming" by the cognitive aspect of mental movement, as
also its Artha or subtle (Sukshma) object (Artha), belong to the mental or subtle body (Sukshma or Liga arra). Perception is dependent on distinguishing and
identification. In the perception of an object that part of the mind which identifies and distinguishes, or the cognizing part, is subtle abda, and that part of it which
takes the Shape of the object (a Shape which corresponds with the outer thing) is subtle Artha. The perception of an object is thus consequent on the simultaneous
functioning of the mind in its twofold aspect as abda and Artha, which are in indissoluble relation with one another as cognizer (Grhaka) and cognized (Grhya).
Both belong to the subtle body. In creation Madhyam-abda first appeared. At that moment there was no outer Artha. Then the cosmic mind projected this inner
Madhyam Artha into the world of sensual experience, and named it in spoken speech (Vaikhar-abda). The last or Vaikhar abda is uttered speech developed in
the throat issuing from the mouth. This is Virt-abda. Vaikhar- abda is therefore language or gross lettered sound. Its corresponding Artha is the physical or gross
object which language denotes. This belongs to the gross body (Sthla arra). Madhyam abda is mental movement or ideation in its cognitive aspect, and
Madhyam Artha is the mental impression of the gross object. The inner thought-movement in its aspect as abdrtha, and considered both in its knowing aspect
(abda) and as the subtle known object (Artha), belong to the subtle body (Sukshma arra).

90 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

the subtle known object (Artha), belong to the subtle body (Sukshma arlra). The cause of these two is the first general movement towards particular ideation
(Payant) from the motionless cause, Para-abda, or Supreme Speech. Two forms of inner or hidden speech, causal and subtle, accompanying mind movement, thus
precede and lead up to spoken language. The inner forms of ideating movement constitute the subtle, and the uttered sound the gross, aspect of Mantra, which is the
manifested abda-brahman . The gross abda, called Vaikhar or uttered speech, and the gross Artha, or the physical object denoted by that speech, are the
projection of the subtle abda and Artha through the initial activity of the abda-brahman into the world of gross sensual perception. Therefore in the gross physical
world abda means language - that is, sentences, words and letters, which are the expression of ideas and are Mantra. In the subtle or mental world Madhyam
abda is the mind which "names" in its aspect as cognizer, and Artha is the same mind in its aspect as the mental object of its cognition. It is defined to be the outer
in the form of the mind. It is thus similar to the state of dreams (Svapna): as Para-abda is the causal dreamless (Suupti) and Vaikhar the waking (Jagrat) state.
Mental Artha is a Saskra, an impression left on the subtle body by previous experience, which is recalled when the Jva re-awakes to world experience and
recollects the experience temporarily lost in the cosmic dreamless state (Suupti) which is dissolution (Mah-pralaya). What is it which arouses this Saskra? As
an effect (Krya) it must have a cause (Kraa). This Krana is the abda or name (Nma), subtle or gross, corresponding to that particular Artha. When the word

91 MANTRA

When the word "Ghata" is uttered this evokes in the mind the image of an object - a jar- just as the presentation of that object does. In the Hiranyagarbha state
abda as Saskra worked to evoke mental images. The whole world is thus abda and Artha - that is, name and form (Nma Rpa). Those two are inseparably
associated. There is no abda without Artha or Artha without abda. The Greek word Logos also means thought and word combined. There is thus a double line of
creation, abda and Artha, ideas and language together with their objects. Speech, as that which is heard, or the outer manifestation of abda, stands for the abda
creation. The Artha creation are the inner and outer objects seem by the mental or physical vision. From the cosmic creative standpoint the mind comes first, and
from it is evolved the physical world according to the ripened Saskras, which led to the existence of the particular existing universe. Therefore, the mental Artha
precedes the physical Artha, which is an evolution in gross matter of the former. This mental state corresponds to that of dreams (Svapna) when man lives in the
mental world only. After creation, which is the waking (Jagrat) state, there is for the individual an already existing parallelism of names and objects.

Uttered speech is a manifestation of the inner naming or thought. This thought-movement is similar in men of all races. When an Englishman or an Indian thinks of
an object, the image is to both the same, whether evoked by the object itself or by the utterance of its name. Perhaps for this reason a thought-reader whose cerebral
centre is in rapport with that of another may read the hidden "speech" - that is, the thought of one whose spoken speech he cannot understand. Thus, whilst the
thought-movement is similar in all men, the expression of it as Vaikhar-abda differs. According to tradition, there was once a universal language. According to the
Biblical account, this was so before the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel. Nor is this unlikely when we consider that difference in gross speech is due to
difference of races evolved in the course of time. If the instruments by,

92 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

If the instruments by, and conditions under, which thought is revealed in speech were the same for all men, then there would be but one language. But now this is
not so. Racial characteristics and physical conditions, such as the nature of the vocal organs, climate, inherited impressions, and so forth, differ. Therefore, so also
does language. But for each particular man speaking any particular language the uttered name of any object is the gross expression of his inner thought-movement.
It evokes that movement and again expresses it. It evokes the idea and the idea is Consciousness as mental operation. That operation can be so intensified as to be
itself creative. This is Mantra-caitanya.

From the above account it will be understood that, when it is said that the "letters" are in the six bodily Cakras, it is not to be supposed that it is intended to absurdly
affirm that the letters as written shapes, or as the uttered sounds which are heard by the ear, are there. The letters in this sense - that is, as gross things - are
manifested only in speech and writing. This much is clear. But the precise significance of this statement is a matter of great difficulty. There is, in fact, no subject
which presents more difficulties than Mantravidya, whether considered generally or in relation to the particular matter in hand. In the first place, one must be
constantly on guard against falling into a possible trap - namely, the taking of prescribed methods of realization for actualities in the common sense of that term. The
former are conventional, the latter are real. Doubts on this matter are increased by some variations in the descriptive acoounts. Thus in some Ganea is the Devata
of the Mldhra . In the Text here translated it is Brahm. Similarly this Text gives Dakini in the Mldhra as the Devata of the Asthi Dhatu (bony substance).
When sitting in the prescribed Asana (posture), the bones are gathered up around this Cakra, and, moreover, from it as the centre of the body the bones run up and
downwards.

93 MANTRA

the body the bones run up and downwards. Another account, however, given to me places Devi akini here.1 Mistakes have also to be reckoned with, and can only
be ascertained and rectified by a comparison of several MSS.2 Again, four letters are said to be on the petals of the Mldhra Lotus - namely, Va, a, a, and Sa
(= ).

Why are these said to be there? Various statements have been made to me. As there are certain letters which are ascribed to each form of sensible matter (Bhuta), it
seems obvious to suggest that the Earth letters (Prthiva-Vara) are in the Earth centre. But an examination on this basis does not bear the suggestion out. Next, it
is said that the letters have colours, and the letters of a particular colour are allocated to the lotuses of the same colour. The Text does not support this theory. It has
been said that certain letters derive from certain Devatas. But the letters produce the Devata, for these are the Artha of Mantra as abda. I have been also told that
the letters are placed according to their seat of pronunciation (Uccraa). But it is replied that the Mldhra is the common source of this (Uchcharanasthana) for
all.3 Again, it is said that the
1 This account, which may be compared with that of the Text, is as follows:

Bone (Asthi-dhtu): Mldhra Cakra : Devi kin.

Fat (Meda- dhtu) : Svdhithna-Cakra ; Devi Kkin.

Flesh (Mamsa- dhtu): Maipra-Cakra ; Devi Lkin.

Blood (Rakta- dhtu): Anhata-Cakra ; Devi Rkin.

Skin (Tvak- dhtu): Viuddha-Cakra ; Devi Dkin.

Marrow (Majj- dhtu): j-Cakra ; Devi Hkin.

In the Sahasrra Padma are all Dhtus beginning with ukra (semen).

2 Thus in the text given me, from which I quote, the four letters of the Mldhra are given as Va, a, a Sa and La (= ). The latter should, according to other accounts, be Sa.

3 This is true, but nevertheless there may be special seats of pronunciation for each letter or class of letters. As apparently supporting this suggestion it may be noted that the vowel sounds are placed in the throat centre,
and Ha and Ka (= ) above.

94 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

Again, it is said that the letters on the petals are Bijas or seed-mantras of all activities (Kriy) connected with the Tattva of the centre, each letter undergoing
variations according to the vowels.1 All beings in Pthiv (Earth) Tattva, should be meditated upon in the Mldhra . Here are therefore (as we might expect), the
organs of feet (Padendriya), the action of walking (GamanaKriy), smell (Gandha), the quality of Pthiv, the sense of smell (Ghrana), Nivritti Kala, 2 and Brahm
(Lord of the Tattva). But we are also told that the letters Va, a, a, and Sa are the tma and Bijas of the four Vedas, 3 of the four Yugas, 4 of the four oceans, 5
which are therefore called ChaturVaratmaka, or in the self of the four letters. It is true that the four Vedas are in, and issue from, Para-abda, the seat of which is
the Mldhra . For Veda in its primary sense is the world as idea in the mind of the creative Brahman , portions of which have been revealed to the Rishis (seers)
and embodied in the four Vedas. But. why should Va be the seed of the Rigveda, a of the Yajurveda, and so forth? The ritual explanation, as given in the
Rudrayamala (xiv. 73, xv. 2, xvi. 1, 2) is that the petal Va is Brahm (RajoGua), and is the Bija of Rik; a is Viu (Sattva-Gua ), and in the a, being
Pudarktma, and is the Bija of Yajus; a is Rudra (Tamo-gua), and is the Bja of Sma, Sa is the Bija of Atharva, as it is the Bija of akti.6 These four are in
Para-abda in Mldhra . It seems to me (so far as my studies in
1 I am informed that the subject is dealt with in detail Kualin-kalpataru and in particular in the Adiytma-s{gara, neither of which MSS, have I yet seen.

2 See. Author's "Garland of Letters" (Kals of the aktis). Samna-Vyu is also located here.

3 Va of k, a of Yajus, a of Sama and Sa of Atharva-Veda.

4 The four ages - Satya, Treta, Dvpara and Kali.

5 Of Sugarcane juice, wine, ghee (Ghita), milk,

6 See Rudra-ymala XVII, where priority is given to Atharva as dealing with cra of akti. From Atharva arose Sma, from Sma, Yajus, and from the latter k.

95 MANTRA

It seems to me (so far as my studies in the stra have yet carried me) that the details of the descriptions of the centres are of two kinds. There are, firstly, certain
facts of objective and universal reality. Thus, for example, there are certain centres (Cakra ) in the spinal column. The principle of solidity (Pthiv Tattva) is in the
lowest of such centres, which as the centre of the body contains the static or potential energy called Kualin-akti. The centre as a lotus is said to have four
petals, because of the formation and distribution of the Yoga-nerves 1 (Ndi) at that particular point. Solidity is denoted aptly by a cube, which is the diagram
(Yantra) of that centre. The consciousness of that centre as Devata is also aptly borne on an elephant, the massive solidity of which is emblematical of the solid
earth principle (Pthiv). The forces which go to the making of solid matter may, by the Yogi, be seen as yellow. It may be that particular substances (Dhtu) of the
body and particular Vtti qualities) are connected with particular Cakras, and so forth.

There are, however, another class of details which have possibly only symbolical reality, and which are placed before the Sdhaka for the purposes of instruction
and meditation only. 2 The letters as we know them - that is, as outer speech - are manifested only after passing through the throat. They cannot therefore exist as
such in the Cakras. But they are said to be there. They are there, not in their gross, but in their subtle and causal forms. It is these subtle forms which are called
Matrika. But as such forms they are abda of and as ideating movements, or are the cause thereof. Consciousness, which is itself (Svarpa) soundless (Nih-abda),
in its supreme form (Para-abda)
1 The term "nerve" is used for default of another equivalent. These Ndis, called Yog-Nds, are not, like the Ndis of physiology, gross things, but subtle channels along which the life-force works in bodies.

2 See the Demchog Tantra, published as the seventh volume of "Tntrik Texts".

96 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

Consciousness, which is itself (Svarpa) soundless (Nih-abda), in its supreme form (Para-abda) assumes a general undifferentiated movement (Smnya-
spanda), then a differentiated movement (Viea-spanda), issuing in clearly articulate speech (Spata-tara-spanda). The inner movement has outer correspondence
with that issuing from the lips by the aid of Dhvani. This is but the Mantra way of saying that Consciousness moves as akti, and appears as subject (abda) and
object (Artha) at first in the subtle form of Mind and its contents generated by the Saskras, and then in the gross form of language as the expression of ideas and
of physical objects (Artha), which the creative or Cosmic Mind projects into the world of sensual experience to be the source of impressions to the individual
experiencer therein. It is true that in this sense the letters, as hidden speech or the seed of outer speech, are in the Cakras, but the allocation of particular letters to
particular Cakras is a matter which, if it has a real and not merely symbolical significance, must receive the explanation given in my "akti and akta".

In each of the Cakras there is also a Bja (seed) Mantra of each of the Tattvas therein. They are the seed of the Tattva, for the latter springs from and re-enters the
former. The Natural Name of anything is the sound which is produced by the action of the moving forces which constitute it. He therefore, it is said, who mentally
and vocally utters with creative force the natural name of anything, brings into being the thing which bears that name. Thus "Ram" is the Bija of fire in the
Maipra-Cakra. This Mantra "Ram"is said to be the expression in gross sound (Vaikhar-abda) of the subtle sound produced by the forces constituting fire. The
same explanation is given as regards "Lam" in the Mldhra, and the other Bijas in the other Cakras. The mere utterance,1 however, of "Ram" or any other
Mantra is nothing but a movement of the lips.
1 The mind must in worship with form (Skra) be centred on the Deity of Worship (Itadevat); and in Yoga on the light form (Jyotir- Maya-Rpa). It is said, however, that mere repetition of a Mantra without knowing
its meaning will produce some benefit or that which arises from devotion. The subject of natural Name is dealt with in the author's "Garland of Letters".

97 MANTRA

When, however, the Mantra is "awakened" 1 (Prabudha) - that is, when there is Mantra-caitanya (Mantra-consciousness) - then the Sdhaka can make the Mantra
work. Thus in the case cited the Vaikhar abda, through its vehicle Dhvani, is the body of a power of Consciousness which enables the Mantrin to become the
Lord of Fire.2 However this may be, in all cases it is the creative thought which ensouls the uttered sound which works now in man's small "magic," just as it first
worked in the "grand magical display" of the World creator. His thought was the aggregate, with creative power, of all thought. Each man is iva, and can attain
His power to the degree of his ability to consciously realize himself as such. For various purposes the Devatas are invoked. Mantra and Devata are one and the
same. A Mantra-Devata is abda and Artha, the former being the name, and the latter the Devata whose name it is. By practice (Japa) with the Mantra the presence
of the Devata is invoked, Japa or repetition of Mantra is compared to the action of a man shaking a sleeper to wake him up. The two lips are iva and akti. Their
movement is the coition (Maithuna) of the two. abda which issues therefrom is in the nature of Seed or Bindu. The Devata thus produced is, as it were, the "son"
of the Sdhaka.
1 Thought is not then only in the outer husk, but is vitalized through its Conscious centre.

2Some attain these powers through worship (Upsan) of Agni Vetla, a Devayoni; some of Agni Himself. The former process, which requires 12,000 Japa, is given in bara-tantra. In the same way objects are said to
be moved, though at a distance from the operator, by the worship of Madhumat-Dev. A higher state of development dispenses with all outer agents.

98 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

It is not the Supreme Devata (for it is actionless) who appears, but in all cases an emanation produced by the Sdhaka for his benefit only.1 In the case of
worshippers of iva a Boy-iva (Bla iva) appears, who is then made strong by the nurture which the Sdhaka gives to his creation. The occultist will understand
all such symbolism to mean that the Devat is a form of the consciousness of the Sdhaka which the latter arouses and strengthens, and gains good thereby. It is
his consciousness which becomes the boy iva, and when strengthened the full-grown Divine power itself. All Mantras are in the body as forms of consciousness
(Vijna-rpa). When the Mantra is fully practised it enlivens the Saskra, and the Artha appears to the mind. Mantras are thus a form of the Saskra of Jivas,
the Artha of which becomes manifest to the consciousness which is fit to perceive it. The essence of all this is -concentrate and vitalise thought and will power. But
for such a purpose a method is neoessary - namely, language and determined varieties of practice according to the end sought. These, Mantravidya (which explains
what Mantra is) also enjoins. The causal state of abda is called abda-brahman - that is, the Brahman as the cause of abda and Artha.

The unmanifest (Avyakta) power or abda, which is the cause of manifested abda and Artha, uprises on the differentiation of the Supreme Bindu from Prakiti in
the form of Bindu through the prevalence of Kriy 2 akti. Avyakta Rava or abda (unmanifested sound) is the principle of sound as such (Nada-matra) that is,
undifferentiated sound not specialized in the form of letters, but which is, through
1 If Surya (Sun-God) be invoked, it is an emanation which comes and then goes back to the sun.

2 See, v. 12 : rad .

Kriyaktipradhanayah abdaabdartha-Kraam

Prakriter bindu rupinyah abda-brahmbhavat param.

In plain English this means, in effect, that increasing activity in the Consciousness about to create (Bindu) produces that state in which it is the cause of subject and object, as mind and matter.

99 MANTRA

creative activity, the cause of manifested abda and Artha.1 It is the Brahman considered as all-pervading abda, undivided, unmanifested, whose substance is
Nada and Bindu, the proximate creative impulse in Paraiva and proximate cause of manifested abda and Artha.2 It is the eternal partless Sphota 3 which is not
distinguished into abda and Artha, but is the Power by which both exist and are known. abda-Brahman is thus the kinetic ideating aspect of the undifferentiated
Supreme Consciousness of philosophy, and the Sagua Brahman of religion. It is Cit-aktivehicled by undifferentiated Prakiti - akti- that is, the creative aspect of
the one Brahman who is both transcendent and formless (Nirgua), and immanent and with form (Sagua).4 As the Hathayogapradlpika says: 5 "Whatever is heard
in the form of sound akti. The absorbed state (Laya) of the Tattvas (evalutes of Prakiti )ia.that in which no form exists. 6 So long as there is the notion of Ether,
so long is sound heard. The soundless is called
1 Tena abdartharpa-viitasya abda-Brahmtva avadhritam (Pra-toin 13).

2 See Pra-toin, p. 10; Raghava Bhatta, Comm. v. 12, Ch. I, rad .

Srishtyunmukha-paramaiva-prathamollasamatram akhando vyak-

to nadabinduMy eva vyapako Brahmtmakah abdah.

3 Sphota, which is derived from Sphut, to open (as a bud does), is that by which the particular meaning of words is revelded. The letters singly, and therefore also in combination, are non-significant. A word is not the
thing, but that through which, when uttered, there is cognition of the thing thereby denoted. That which denotes the thing denoted is a disclosure (Sphota) other than these letters, This Sphota is eternal abda.

4 It is to be noted that of five Bhutas, Aka and Vyu belonging to the formless division (Amrtta), and the remaining three to the form division (Mrtta). The first is sensed by hearing. abda is vibration for the ear as
name. Agni, the head of the second division, is sensed as form (Rpa). Artha is vibration to the eye (mental or physical) as form.

5 Ch. IV, vv. 101, 102.

6 Yatkinchin nadarupena Shruyate aktir eva sa

Yas tattvanto nirakarah sa eva parameshvarah.

100 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

The soundless is called Para-brahman or Paramtma." 1 abda-brahman thus projects itself for the purpose of creation into two sets of movement - namely, firstly,
the abda (with mental vibrations of cognition) which, passing through the vocal organs, become articulate sound; and, secondly, Artha movements denoted by
abda in the form of all things constituting the content of mind and the objective world. These two are emanations from the same Conscious

Activity (akti) which is the Word (Vk or "Logos"), and are in consequence essentially the same. Hence the connection between the two is permanent. It is in the
above sense that the universe is said to be composed of the

letters. It is the fifty2 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet which are denoted by the garland of severed human heads

which the naked3 Mother, Kali, dark like a threatening raincloud, wears as She stands amidst bones and carrion beasts and birds in the burning-ground on the white
corpse-like (avarp) body of iva. For it is She who "slaughters" - that is, withdraws all speech and its objects into Herself at the time of the dissolution of all
things (Mahapralaya).4 abda-brahman is the Consciousness (Chaitanya) in all creatures. It assumes the form of Kuali , and abides in the body of all breathing
creatures (Prn), manifesting itself by letters in the form of prose and verse.5 In the sexual

1 Tavad Akasamkalpo yavachchhabdah pravartate

Nihabdam tatparam Brahm paramatmeti giyate.

2 Sometimes given as fifty-one.

3 She is so pictured because She is beyond My (Mytt). She is the "Bewilderer of all" by Her My , but is Herself unaffected thereby. This Kl symbolism is explained in the Svarpa-vykhy of the "Hymn to
Kl " (Karprdi Stotra) which I have published as Vol. IX of Tantrik Texts.

4 The same symbolism is given in the description of the Heruka in the Buddhist Demchog Tantra.

5 Caitanyam sarvabhutanam abdabrahmeti me matih

Tat prapya kundalirpm praninam dehamadhyagam

Varatmanavirbhavati gadyapadyadi-bhedatah. (rad Tilaka,

Ch. I.)

101 MANTRA

In the sexual symbolism of the kta Tantras, seed (Bindu)1 issued upon the reversed union2 of Mahakala and Mahakali, which seed, ripening in the womb
of Prakiti, issued as Kuali in the form of the letters (Akara). Kuali as Mahmtik-sundari has fifty-one coils, which are the Mtiks or subtle
forms of the gross letters or Vara which is the Vaikhar form of the abda at the centres. Kuali when with one coil is Bindu; with two, Prakiti -Purua;
with three, the three aktis (Icch, Jna, Kriy) and three Guas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas); with the three and a half She is then actually creative with Vikiti
; with four She is the Dev Ekajat, and so on to rmtikotpattisundar with fifty-one coils 3 In the body, unmanifested Para-abda is in Kuali-akti.
That which first issues from it is in the lowest Cakra, and extends upwards through the rest as Payant, Madhyam and Vaikhar abda. When akti first
"sees"4 She is Param Kal 5 in the mother-form (Ambikrp), which is supreme speech (Par vk) and supreme peace (Param nt). She "sees" the
manifested abda from Payant to Vaikhar. The Payant 6 state of abda is that in which Icch akti(Will) in the form of a goad 7 (Amkukra) is about
to display the universe, then

1 The term Bindu also means a drop as of semen.

2 Viparita maithuna. aktiis above iva, and moving on and in coition with Him because She is the active and He the inert Consciousness.

3 aktisamgama Tantra, first Ullasa Utpattikhanda. When with the ten coils She is the well-known Daamahavidya.

4 The first movement in creation, called lkana ("seeing") in Veda. To see is to ideate.

5 Parama = supreme or first. Kala = Vimara-aktiof tma. She is, as such, the first cause of all the letters.

6 Payant = She who "sees" (lkana).

7 Here the crooked line (Vakrarekha) comes first, and the straight second. Possibly this may be the line rising to form the triangular pyramid.

102 THE SIX CENTRES AND THE SERPENT POWER

in seed (Bja) form. This is the aktiVm.1 Madhyam Vak, which is Jna (knowledge), and in form of a straight line (ijurekh), is Jyeth akti. Here there is
the first assumption of form as the Mtik (Mtiktvam upapann), for here is particular motion (Viea- spanda). The Vaikhar state is that of Kriy akti, who is
the Dev Raudri, whose form is triangular 2 and that of the universe. As the former akti produces the subtle letters of Mtik which are the Vsan,3 so this last
is the aktiof the gross letters of words and their objects. 4 These letters are the Garland of the Mother issuing from Her in Her form as Kualin akti, and
absorbed by Her in the Kualin-yoga here described.
1 So called because she "vomits forth" the universe (Vamant vm iti).

2 rgtaka - that is, a triangular pyramidal figure of three dimensions.

3 That is, Saskra or revived impression, which is the seed of the ideating Cosmic Consciousness.

4 Yoginhdaya Tantra. Saketa I.

End of Chapter on Mantra in The Six Centers And the Serpent Power by woodroffe.

Here is a link that you can click to read the PDF file Chapter V Mantras and Purification in Woodroffe's Book The Great Liberation.
 Mantras By Periyavar of Kanchi Mutt (Monastery)
Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamy

22 (May 20, 1894 January 8, 1994)

As compiled by Shri Ra Ganapati in Tamil

Translation: Veeraswamy Krishnaraj

The Rishis gave us the Veda Mantras, the sounds unheard of by us and received by them from ether. It is sufficient for the seekers to
follow the sayings in Vedas as to how to restrain desires, how to stand the mind still, and how to obtain eternal bliss. In the end, we
can attain Supreme Bliss (26). May Paramesvaran do Anugraha (favor) to you.
What is the core (Tatpariyam = 76 pith of the matter) of this Mantra? This world inseparable from Brahmam. It is the
Brahmam only that appeared as the world. Brahmam did not create the world from some extraneous matter. Brahmam is the world.
Brahmam did not transform into the world. Brahma appears like the world. There is nothing more or nothing less.
According to declaration in Upanishadic Mantras, Brahmam is Praam (6 = complete and perfect) and immutable; the world is
Praam, mutable and thus can be assumed as Anantham (26 = infinity).
Other religions (do not go beyond, and) stop only with the mention of God (without any elaboration of Parabrahman and
Sagunabrahman and the difference between them). Sanathana Dharma (6 cataa-tarmam = Eternal order) as
mentioned in Hinduism shows us that one God comes (presents himself) in many forms and names according to the mental makeup,
(receptivity and proclivity), with which the devotee can get closer to God with love and worship. This is not a creation of imagination.
The Unitary Paramatman (in his oneness) revealed himself in multifarious forms to many great men. Each one of them had an
intimate relationship with his Ishta Devata by sight, conversation and worship. Likewise, for our benefit of Dharsan (seeing) of God in
his or her many forms, they recommended tailor-made specific Mantras and procedures in the worship of individual Ishta Devata.

Whatever may be the kind of worship, Bhakti that is Bhavam (= S H 6 = Devotion that is a sentiment, a disposition, an
emotion) is common to all. Bhakti occupies the central place in polytheistic worship in our religion and other religions.
Ok, let us assume our religion is immemorial. The question of who the founder was, arises in our mind. Much research produced no
results as to the founder of our religion. It was neither Vyasa of Brahma Sutra nor Krishna of Bhagavadgita. They made mention of
preexisting Vedas. Could we call the Rishis, who wrote the Mantras, as the founders? They deny any authorship of the Vedas. The
Mantras named after the Rishis preceded the Rishis, who, according to their claim, did not compose the Mantras. The Rishis claim
that they saw and received these Mantras from the sky or space, when they were in meditation. They were Mantra-Drstas (Mantra
seers) and not Mantra-Kartas (Mantra composers).

Space or the sky is the birth place (origin) of many sounds, from which Dristi (Seeing, beholding, intuition, Vision) came about.
Science tells us that Space-Vibration is the Causal Agent of this earth. The Rishis, on account of the greatness of their Tapas or
austerity, saw the sounds (synesthesia) as soul-liberating Mantras in space. These Apurusheya (Not composed by man) Mantras are
the respirations of Paramatman in the form of Space. Having seen and found them, the Best of Rishis gave them to the world.
Now there may not be a teacher to offer instructions (in Vedas). We are in that precarious condition. Conduct Vedic studies from
neighborhood to neighborhood in common places, considering economic situations. Conduct Vedic classes in a cooperative basis. In
ten years, slowly, they will learn mantras by rote and the procedural elements of performing rites and rituals (Prayoga) like Upakarma
(= beginning. Changing the sacred thread) for themselves and others. Earning expertise in Proyoga or practice of rituals helps in the
performance of Vedic rites for themselves in the absence of Purohitas (priests) in the future. If people may ask whether Purohitam
(priestcraft) alone can make a livelihood for the children, this arrangement comes handy.

Mantras are mere sounds: that is one view. They are in words, which should carry some meaning. They may have lofty meanings.
Though it is so, can't we learn them from books? Why should we be chanting these Mantras all our lifetimes? Where is the need for a
group of people to chant these Mantras? If the Vedas and their meanings were to remain resplendent, you can always look them up in
the books. Where is the necessity to perpetuate a hereditary and traditional Jti (Here, Brahmana Caste) to protect what is already in
the book?
Anyone can open the book and learn Vedas, Mantras and Tattvas. The Veda Sabdas (sounds) should retain the order and symmetry
and not change in any way. These mantras have meanings. Why should there be a group to voice the Vedas to protect them? Here is
the answer.
Veda Mantras are sounds that have the inductive power to those with good and lofty thoughts. It is not just that. People need food to
live. There is a formation of clouds. The clouds come down as rain, which means that many kinds of vibrations caused the series of
actions.
With the production of some sounds and their inherent vibrations, the rainfall must happen perforce. We can bring to people life's
essential needs through sounds. Certain sounds can produce unneeded and bad fruits or results. All sounds in the Veda have one
supreme purpose: the welfare of the world.
Are these vibrations and sounds spontaneous in origin? No. Spontaneous and varied vibrations, having no relationship, appear
zigzag. In this world, there is so much of orderliness, propriety, and mutuality. It appears that One Great Intellect has planned all these
events, and made all the movements (and sounds), and the creation. The movement in this Intellect made sounds. That is why we
say Veda Mantras were formed in the Supreme Soul and the Witness. We have to protect and nurture those sounds for the welfare of
the world. Veda Mantras are a series of sounds (sabda-k-kovaikal LS ) offering welfare to the world.

Veda Mantras: We heard them well with our ears. The Sabdas of creation, produced outside of the world, are not perceived by the
ears. How could you say that Creation Sabdas (creation sounds) and Veda Mantras are one?
Jiva has all that is found in the cosmos. Pinda (body) has all that is in Anda (cosmos). (We are a little beings, made of cosmic dust.) If
we raise Mantra Sabdas with musical notes, with the vibrations created in the Nadis of the body, we can catch the welfare-producing
vibrations in the Ether. This premise might sound incompatible with analytical intelligence. We are unable to grasp many events in the
cosmos with the limited instruments of our body. Even the atheists agree with this premise.
When you look at the orderly functioning world, it is apparent that there must be a Great Intelligence or Wisdom (in command). It is
that Supreme Soul from whom all matter and all Sabdas emerged. First after a world of Sound in Ether appeared, a world of visible
objects appeared. All sounds exist in the Ether. In the phenomenal world, man's body is present. The external Ether is present in the
heart of the Jiva. Yogis in a state of Samadhi experience this Ether in the heart (hrdyakasa). Thereat, the difference between the
external and the internal disappears, and everything becomes one. In that state, the Yogis receive the sounds from the Ether and give
them to the world. This series of sounds, granting wellness to the world, are the Veda Mantras. No Rishi created these sounds or
Mantras, though the Mantras are named after Rishis. What it means is that a Rishi discovered a hitherto unknown Mantra in Ether and
offered it to humanity. Rishi means Mantra Drsta, the discoverer of a Mantra. It is not that he is a Mantra Karta (the designer of
Mantra). As the breath moving in the body giving us life, the movements of the Sound sustain the life on earth. Paramatma's breaths
are Veda Mantras. There is no Supreme Soul without these Mantras. Like Paramatman like Mantras. The unique nature of these
Mantras in the form of sound without meaning is they grant wellness to the world. There is more to it. There are transcendent
meanings in them. The supreme purport (6 = tpariyam) in all Vedas is Truth, which, Vedas say, manifested in so many
forms. When the deities existed as Sound-forms, they remained in the forms of individual Devathas, granting us bliss and favors and
manifesting as idols.

Sabdas by themselves do not offer any benefits. The omnipotent Isvara, remaining such, does not offer benefits, boons and bliss
directly; as a king would have delegates to run his affairs, Paramatman has ceded power to a Devata, capable of offering favors. That
Devata's Sound Form is the respective Mantra. (Your sound form is your name, spoken aloud; your name is your Mantra.) If an
aspirant attains Siddhi (Realization, Yogic perfection) by meditating on the personified Mantra, the Yogi will see the Devata with body
parts with his own eyes. If the Yogi invokes (-hti) the Devata's body with Devata-specific Mantras, that itself becomes -hra
(sacrifice).
Sabdas. (Sabdas carry no less honor and respect than those of Vedas in their import.) In truth, Sabda carries unique Sakti or power. It
is true of Veda Mantras and also of any Mantra.
Sabda or sound (Mantras) carries more importance than the meaning in many Mantras. The syllables and correct musicality alone
carry special power. The meaning of Mantra does not carry such an import. (How you say it is more important than what it means.)
Take Scorpion Mantra; its meaning is nowhere to be found. It is said that meaning should not be of prime importance. If you chant the
sound series, the vibrations caused by it in the Ether or by the power of syllables, the scorpion poison attenuates itself. Every kind of
sound (intonation) has every kind of power. Abhichara is a Mantra that could cause harm to others. Those sounds have the power to
inflict harm. In these, there are purity of syllables. Musical perfection in the sound has the power. They knock out the teeth of the
Incantor (sorcerer) of pilli-ciyam ( 6 = witchcraft). If the teeth are lost, so goes the correct enunciation. The Mantras
develop defective syllabic enunciation. Their effect suffers. Enunciation has to be precise for the syllables to offer benefits. (If your
name is JOHN, and some one calls you JOAN, he mispronounced your name, altered your gender...) When we understand the power
in the sounds, what is the language of Mantras? We get the urge to translate the Mantras into English. We can translate the Death-
Anniversary Mantras ( 26 = thivisa Mantras) into English. Veda Mantras have whatever sounds that offer wellness to all
living things. Trusting them is important. Do not ask whether Rishis can hear whatever we do not hear (the sounds coming from the
Ether, that are the respirations of Brahmam). Divine vision and Divine hearing of what we do not see and hear do occur (in Rishis).
Our vision is dependent on the lens in the eye. If the lens has structural problems, our vision will be distorted. By yoga Sadhana, we
can obtain all these divine faculties.
It is not advisable to test (exegesis) what is in the Vedas with the help of eyes, ears, intuition, Buddhi (scientific means)...Vedas are
here to tell us what is beyond the reach of eyes, ears, intuition, and Buddhi. We have the capacity to comprehend what we perceive
before us. There is no need for Veda to expound such common perceptions. Whatever that cannot be proven by evidence, and where
Buddhi cannot reach, such supreme truths are within the reach of Rishis, who offered them as Veda. We do not see the happenings
in foreign countries. We come to know of them via newspapers (and TV). And we trust them implicitly. Rishis have given us the
newspaper, "Veda Mantras" which has the material that we cannot perceive by worldly instruments.

We have to accept them on implicit faith. If we take it with a tad of trust, we will discover its benefits and with the passage of time, we
will know with certainty that it is Truth.

We can see some benefits from the power of Mantras. There are more bad than good Mantras. Incitement, witchcraft...by Mantras
induce fear in us. If some sounds have inimical power, it is easy to understand that there must be salubrious Mantras. Varuna Japam
(Invocation of rain god Varuna) brought rain (to the parched tongues and fields), which we have seen.
There were instances, when Varuna Japam did not work. We cannot castigate the Mantra as powerless. Some patients respond to
medications well. Some do not respond. Should we blame the medication? We may say that the disease is too far advanced for the
medicine to work. If Karma is strong, no medication or no Mantra will work. It may be that the patient did not observe dietary rules. If
Mantra Sakti is to fructify, there are some observances (Niyamam). If the Niyamam is not observed well, Mantras will not offer
benefits. Yoga Sastra is science. If the laboratory tests are not conducted well by procedures, the results will be awry or may even
cause catastrophe. Working on live electricity, one should stand on non-conducting wood and wear gloves. If you break the rules,
things go wrong. If Yoga Sastra is science, you have to follow the rules (and procedures). Where Varuna Japam was unproductive, I
made inquiries. They did not eat salt-free (6 = alavana = salt-free; = salt) diet, which is mandatory for rain-making
Varuna Japam.

Because of the greatness of Mantra, a fallen apparently dead log spouted sprigs, as witnessed by people in Tatiruvanaikka (a town).
The sacred tree (Sthala Viruksha) of the temple is the white Jambhu tree (Rose-apple tree). That is why the town is named
Jambukesvaram.
The tree was practically dead with one branch showing minimal life. The town's Chettiars performed the sacred ceremony with
Ekadasa Rudra-apishekam (11th-day ritual ablution). By Mantra Sakti, the barely living branch started to sprout sprigs at that moment.
Every sound shows results in the outer world. Researchers compiled many sound syllables in a musical arrangement and played the
note over and over again; the vibrations shone on the surface of the lake water as little points of light, which later coalesced into a
recognizable form. Every kind of musical series produced a light-form. From this, we can believe that the sound of Veda Mantras can
make the forms of the deity for us to witness it.
Not that Sound (oli ) changes into Light (oLi ) in the outer world. The Sound Pervades the outer world producing many kinds
of results. These Veda Sounds pervades the environment so much so they cause supreme auspiciousness; that kind of power exists
in the Mantras. Notes are important, some raised, some lowered, and some on an even keel. Then only we obtain benefits. Vedas,
chanted in three Svaras, Utattam, Anutattam, and Svaritam, come to fruition (palitham = 6). Svara and Sabda together will make
the cosmic power to confer benefits to us. 6 svaram = svara. 1. (Mus.) Note of the musical scale. We have faith in the power of
Veda Mantras. Why do we need a separate caste or Jti (to perpetuate the Vedic tradition)? There are many reasons.

First, Vedas are not meant to be read from books. It is an aural-oral tradition. It has to be committed to memory. What one learnt, the
next generation should hear. This is impossible if he has to hold another job. The teacher and the taught maintain an oral-aural
tradition. This is a full-time job and not a part-time vocation.

It is a Brahmanas vocation to protect, learn and teach other Jtis Vedas, other Sastras, and arts. He should teach hereditary and
traditional skills that a particular Jti should know to pursue latter's caste-specific livelihood. He has the responsibility to nurture
knowledge and tradition of the society. He should become masterful in Yuddha Sastra (science of warfare) inclusive of Dhanur Veda
(Archery) and teach them to the traditional warrior class. Sastras tell that though he knows all arts and sciences, he should not
practice them to make a living. He should teach others. He should not make it his vocation, though the monetary returns are excellent.
Vedic learning and teaching are his vocation. Sastra says that for Mantra Siddhi, a Brahmana should observe severe rules, vows, and
fasting, that he should curtail his food intake and sensual pleasures (= = akravihranga) to the extent to
safeguard his life, and that he should live in a hut. He should not make money by doing other jobs and fall into the abyss of sensual
pleasures. Making money should not be his aim. He should spend his time by being a Thyagi (selfless servitor) for the welfare of the
world, protecting the Vedas, and observing rituals and performing sacrifices.
Others should nurture him so that a Brahmana will not die of hunger. He should be given the bare essentials for sustaining life. He
should be provided without any impediments grains necessary for the performance of sacrifices. We pay salary for a particular job
performance. We pay to buy goods and services, which we need for daily living. We must provide living wages to the Brahmana for
his services such as performance of sacrifices with Mantra Sabdas for public weal of the whole society. I am not suggesting to build a
palace for the Brahmana or dole out gold coins. It might be necessary to provide him enough riches, so he is not short of grains
needed for the performance of sacrifices. There should not be any pomp and circumstance in his life His sensuality should dry, parch,
wither, droop and fall ( 7P) and consequently, his Mantra Siddhi should be able to create world weal.
What benefit can we obtain, if we cannot keep Veda Rakshana for the next generation as a model for life-time vocation and service? I
am asking the interested party to organize in a cooperative basis in all places Veda classes for children from 8 to 18 years of age on a
daily one-hour study of Veda Mantras and piraykam (6 = practice of rites and rituals). This is in truth the kaakpikam
and festival.
Isvara, Ambal, Vishnu, Vinayakar and Surya are the five deities who should receive the Puja. This is known as pacyataa-pcai (=
= worship of the Pentad = worship of Viu, Civa, Prvati and Criya, conducted daily in houses. It is the tradition
to use naturally-occurring substances in the place of idols, invoke divinity into them (vkaam = 6 = invocation divinity in
an idol(s) or other substances representing them). -vhana = Invocation to a deity, by mantras, to be present in an object) and offer
prayer.

Sir Monier Monier-Williams, KCIE (12 November 1819 11 April 1899) was the second Boden
Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University, England. He studied, documented and taught
Asian languages, especially Sanskrit, Persian and Hindustani.Wiki

Monier-Williams talks about mantras in his book, Brahmanism and Hinduism.

The subject of the employment of Mantras or sacred texts, their use, misuse, and
prostitution to the worst purposes, is one of the greatest interest and importance in its
bearing on the past and present religious condition of the Hindus.

A Mantra, as most persons know, is properly a divinely inspired Vedic text, but with the
ktas, and indeed with the great mass of the Hindus in the present day, it loses this
character and becomes a mere spell or charm. Even though the text be taken from the g,
Yajur or Atharva-Veda (p. 8), and be generally employed as a prayer or invocation with a
definite meaning and application attached to the words, it becomes with the ktas a mere
collection of magical letters and sounds, which, if properly uttered and repeated
according to prescribed formularies, possesses in itself a mystical power capable of
causing every conceivable good to one's self or evil to one's enemies.

The Bjas, again, are mystical letters or syllables invented for the sake of brevity to
denote the root (mla) or essential part of such Mantras, or the name of the deity to whom
it may be addressed, or some part of the body over which that deity presides. For example;
Am is said to denote Siva, U Vishnu, Hrim the sun, Lam the earth. Nam the mind, Dham
both the goddess Bhuvanevar and the tongue. Nam both the goddess Anna-pr and the
nose, Pam the ear, etc.

Perhaps the following abridgment of a passage from a little work by Pratpa-andra Ghosha,
descriptive of the worship of Durg (Durg-puja) in Bengal;, and giving directions for the
performance of a preparatory rite called Bhta-uddhi, removal of evil demons,' will give
the best idea of the uses to which the Bjas are applied;
Holding a scented flower, anointed with sandal, on the left temple, repeat OM to the
Gurus, OM to Gaea, OM to Durg. Then with OM pha rub the palms with flowers, and clasp
the hands thrice over the head, and by snapping the fingers towards ten different
directions, secure immunity from the evil spirits. Next utter the Mantra Ram sprinkle
water all around, and imagine this water as a wall of fire. Let the priest identify 8
himself with the living spirit (jvtman) abiding in man's breast, in the form of the
tapering flame of a lamp, and conduct it by means of the Suuma nerve through the six
spheres (akras) within the body upwards to the Divine Spirit. Then meditate on the
twenty-four essences in nature; viz. the Producer, Intellect, Egoism, the five subtle and
five gross elements, the five external organs of sense, the five organs of action, with
mind. Conceive in the left nostril the Mantra Yam, declared to be the Bja or root of
wind; repeat it sixteen times while drawing air by the same nostril; then close the nose
and hold the breath, and repeat the Mantra sixty-four times.
Then meditate on the Mtik, and say, Help me, goddess of speech:' Am to the forehead.
m to the mouth, Im to the right eye, Im to the left eye, Um to the right ear, m to the
left ear, Im to the right cheek, m to the left cheek. im to the right nostril, Rm to he
left nostril, Lim to the right cheek, Lrm to the left cheek, Em to the upper lip, Aim to
the lower lip, Om to the upper teeth, Aum to the lower teeth. Tam, Tham, Dam, Dham, and
Nam to the several parts of the left leg, Pam to the right side, Pham to the left. Bam to
the back, Mam to the stomach, Yam to the heart, Ram to the right shoulder, Lam to the
neck-bone, Vam to the left shoulder, am from the heart to the right leg. Ham from the
heart to the left leg, Ksham from the heart to the mouth.
198 Mantras and Bijas. 198 (234 of 644)

To us it may seem extraordinary that intelligent persons can give credence to such
absurdities, or lend themselves to the practice of superstitions so senseless; but we must
bear in mind that with many Hindu thinkers the notion of the eternity of sound as
propounded in Patajali's Mahbhsya (I. I. i) and in the Prva-mms of Jaimini is by
no means an irrational doctrine. According to the well-known Mms aphorisms (I. i. 18-
23), sound is held to have existed from the beginning. Hence the letters of the alphabet,
being the ultimate instruments by which sounds are uttered and thoughts expressed, are
considered to possess supernatural qualities and attributes and to contain within
themselves an occult magical efficacy.

Let a man only acquaint himself with the proper pronunciation and application both of the
Mantras and of their Bjas or radical letters, and he may thereby propitiate the aktis so
as to acquire through them superhuman power (siddhi) nay, he becomes, through their aid,
competent to accomplish every conceivable object.

Mantras and Bjas, 199 (235 of 644)

At the same time it is to be observed that for any ordinary man to make himself conversant
with the Mantras is no easy task; if at least we are to believe a statement in the Tantras

that the primary Mantras are seventy millions1 in number, while the secondary are
innumerable.

This, no doubt, is an absurd exaggeration; but it must be borne in mind that only a
certain number are regarded as efficacious, and that in the present day there are Brhmans
called Mantra-strs who make a knowledge of these Mantras their peculiar business,
learning them by heart with the sole object of using them as spells and charms. Only a
few, however, are believed to have acquired perfect mastery over the most powerful
Mantras, which must be pronounced according to certain mystic forms and with absolute
accuracy, or their efficacy is destroyed. Indeed, this kind of craft, though supposed to
endow the possessor of it with very enviable omnipotence, is not unattended with
unpleasant risks and drawbacks; for if in the repetition of a Mantra the slightest mistake
is made, either by omission of a syllable or defective pronunciation, the calamity which
it was intended to bring down on an enemy will inevitably recoil on the head of the
repeater. Then, again, there are various methods of obstructing or neutralizing the effect
of Mantras used by Mantra-strs for the destruction or humiliation of others. The
difficulty, of course, is to find out the exact Mantra which is being employed for one's
injury; but, having done so, every such Mantra is rendered powerless by uttering it with
one's face bending over a vessel full of milk and then swallowing the milk, or by writing

it on the leaf of a banian tree and throwing the leaf into a river2.

It must be noted, too, that Mantras are not always repeated without a knowledge of their
meaning, though the meaning is 8 of little importance compared with the magical force of
the letter and sound.

1 The same number is given in the aiva-darana of Mdhava's Sarva- darana sagraha.
2 Full directions are given in the Tantra-sra.

200 Mantras and Bjas, 200 (236 of 644)

8of little importance compared with the magical force of the letter and sound. Their
efficacy also is greatly increased if they are employed on lucky days or at particular
times and seasons. One Tantra teaches that Mantras should be repeated in the month aitra
to give valor; in Vaikha to obtain jewels; in Magha for intelligence; on Sundays for
wealth; on Mondays for tranquillity; on Tuesdays for long life, and so on. The intercalary
(inserted or interpolated in the calendar, as an extra day or month.) month ought always

to be avoided1 A few translations of common Mantras2 are here given;

'Cause stupefaction (stambhana) of the enemy, paralyze his mouth and tongue; confuse his
senses, arrest his speech.'

'Om reverence to the Lord svh. Let everything be auspicious; let everything opposed
to me perish; let every-
thing be favorable.'

'Let Brahm, Mhevar, Kaumr, Indr, (mu, Vrh, and Vaishav protect my
head, mouth, neck, hands, heart, waist and feet, together with my whole body; protect me,
O great goddess, Bhadra-Kl.' This Mantra is worn as a kavaa or amulet; see p. 204.

'I invoke Bhvan, accompanied by her husband, attended by her subordinates, by her
retinue, by her power (sa-ktik), by her vehicle, by her weapons, and by all defensive
things.'

'Salutation to the god of love (Kma-deva) with his five arrows; the arrow that puts to
flight (drvaa-ba); the arrow that enchants (sammohana); the arrow that fascinates
(vakaraa); the love-kindling arrow (sandpana); the love-inflaming arrow (santpana).'

The Gyatr or holiest text of the g-Veda (see p. 19) is of course the most potent of all Mantras. It is not
surprising, therefore, that many Mantras employed by the ktas are composed after the model of that text.
The following are translations of Gyatr Mantras;

1The Tantra-sra gives full directions on this subject. 2The original Sanskrit text of
these, as of all the extracts from the Tantras, will be found in Gopal Hari Deshmukh's
gama-praka.

Mantras and Bjas. 201 (237 of 644)

'We meditate on that being who has ashes for weapons; we think of that being who possesses
sharp teeth; let our fever (jvara) incite him.' This is called the fever-gyatr.

'We meditate on the goddess of nectar; we think of the goddess of love (Kmevar); let
our affection incite him.' This is called the nectar-gyatr.

'We meditate on the lord of water (Jalevara); we think of the fish-net; let the fish
(mna) incite him.'' This is called the fish-gyatr.

'We meditate on that being who has a snare for snaring animals; we think of the act of
cutting off the victim's head (Siras-cheda); let our offering (bali) incite him.' This is
called the bali-gyatr.
No magician, wizard, sorcerer or witch whose feats are recorded in history, biography, or
fable, has ever pretended to be able to accomplish by incantation and enchantment half of
what the Mantra-str claims to have power to effect by help of his Mantras. For example,
he can prognosticate futurity, work the most startling prodigies, infuse breath into dead
bodies, kill or humiliate enemies, afflict anyone anywhere with disease or madness,

inspire any one with love, charm weapons and give them unerring efficacy1 , enchant armour
and make it impenetrable, turn milk into wine, plants into meat, or invert all such
processes at will. He is even superior to the gods, and can make gods, goddesses, imps and
demons carry out his most trifling behests. Hence it is not surprising
that the following remarkable saying is everywhere current throughout India;

'The whole universe is subject to the gods; the gods are 8 subject to the Mantras; the

Mantras to the Brahmans; therefore the Brahmans are our gods2.'

1 Warlike weapons when thus charmed were supposed to possess supernatural powers, and to
assume a kind of divine personality like the genii of the Arabian Nights. Certain spells
had to be learnt for their restraint as well as for their use. When once let loose, he
only who knew the secret Mantra for recalling them could bring them back.
2The Sanskrit version of this saying is given incorrectly by Dubois (P 77)' I have heard
it variously rendered. Perhaps the following is the most usual; Devdhna Jagatsarvam
Mantrdhn-a Devat Mantr-a Brhmadhn Brhma mama Devat.

Dubois version
Devadhna Jagatsarvam
Mantradhinam Devata
Tan Mantram Brahmaadhnam
Brahmaa mama Devata.

202 Mantras and Bjas, 202 (238 of 644)

8subject to the Mantras; the Mantras to the Brahmans; therefore the Brahmans are our gods
^.'

Often these Mantra-strs are mere fortune-tellers.

Prophesy came true.--Krishnaraj

I may mention as an illustration that a kta Brahman of this type came to see me one day
at Patna. He asked to look at my hand, and, after examining it for a minute, prophesied
that my stay in India would be happy and prosperous, except that on that day fortnight I
should meet with a great disappointment. I smiled at the absurdity of his attempting to
forecast my future biography, but it is certain that I only met with one unexpected and
most mortifying contretemps (an inopportune occurrence)from the day of my departure from
England to the day of my return, and that happened on the very day predicted. It must at
least be acknowledged that the coincidence was remarkable.

I may also give an outline of a story told to me by a Maratha Pandit, which well
illustrates the sort of use these Mantra-strs are supposed to make of their magical
powers. A certain kta Brahman, named Bhskarrya, well-versed in the Mantras, expected
to be asked to a dinner-party given by a wealthy friend, but received no invitation. This
so irritated the Brahman that he determined to revenge himself on the householder who had
ventured so imprudently to slight him. Having waited till the moment when the assembled
guests, with appetites stimulated by the fragrance of an array of choice dishes, were
about to feast on the delicacies prepared for their consumption, he quietly in his own
house selected a particular Mantra, and by simply repeating it turned all the viands into
foul and fetid excrementitious matter. The story goes on to relate how the householder,
suspecting the cause of this disastrous metamorphose, sent a messenger in hot haste to
implore the immediate presence of the offended Brahman,8 who thereupon becoming mollified,
obligingly consented to repeat another Mantra which reconverted all the filth into the
most delicious ambrosial food.

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