THE SECRET POWER OF SANSKRIT MANTRA
Part 2
Continuing our exploration of the "secret" power of Sanskrit mantra, I’d like to help you find a mantra that resonates with you. So that you can harness the power of vibration through this very special practice.
A mantra is word or a phrase in Sanskrit that encapsulates a higher ideal and that when spoken has the power to transport you to a higher state of awareness, to transform your consciousness, to support and invoke your intentions.
Mantra meditation is done by repeating a Sanskrit mantra over and over (either aloud or silently). Repeating the mantra helps you to transcend the busyness of your mind, to move it away from troubling thoughts. Focusing on a mantra is an excellent way to stay focused, concentrated on your practice.
But Sanskrit mantra is so much more than a tool for focusing your mind. It’s all about the vibrant and sacred nature of the ancient Sanskrit language allowing us to tap into its unique resonance and powerful energetic system.
There are many different forms of mantra, from single syllables to multi-line verses. Tantric mantras invoke specific energies to affect body energy. Devotional mantras express reverence to deities in order to affect our emotions and feelings. Vedic mantras are sacred chants that are powerful tools for spiritual growth. Bija mantras are single syllable “seed” sounds that are the root of all mantras. There are so many to choose from, the traditions are ancient and very deep. You could spend a lifetime studying mantras.
So how do you find a mantra that’s right for you?
Mantras are so powerful that in many traditions the mantra is passed down to a student by a teacher who understands its meaning and use, and sometimes they are passed down from generation to generation. This is still a practice widely used today.
But you don’t need to have a teacher or a guru to choose and use a mantra. With respect for the ancient tradition, you can borrow and use a Sanskrit word or phrase to use as a mantra in your own practice.
I think it’s easiest to choose a mantra that is meaningful for you and also easy to say and remember.
Choose a mantra with a meaning that supports you in your life and practice, one that helps you to stay grounded and focused on your intention. Your mantra should reflect something you would like to shift in your life, something you want to let go of, something you would like to bring into your life. Like an invocation. To get the most benefits, be really clear on your intention in this moment, use your heart and your intuition. Then choose a mantra that will best support that intention.
Ideally you should use the same mantra everyday for at least 30 days. At the end of the 30 days, reflect on any changes that have occurred, anything you have noticed in your life.
Here are 15 Sanskrit mantras and their meanings that you can choose from.
1 - OM ॐ- is a mystical symbol, one of the most sacred and powerful of the bija mantras. It can be used on it's own and is also very often used at the beginning or end of a larger mantra. OM is pure vibration, the primordial sound of the universe and connects us to universal vibration and energy. OM is the mantra to connect you to your higher self, to your true nature.
2 - OM MANI PADME HUM ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ - this is one of the most powerful and universal of all mantras, invoking love and compassion. It translates to “the jewel is in the lotus”. By reciting the mantra over and over we can call on universal energy to cultivate our own inner wisdom in order to clear away the mud until we find our pure compassionate and loving self.
3 - OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्ति- OM is the primordial sound of the universe, SHANTI is the sound for peace thus invoking peace and harmony for all beings. Reciting shanti three times enhances its meaning and invokes peace in mind, body, spirit, peace for past, present, future.
4 - HUM हूं- HUM is a powerful bija mantra, a mantra of inner fire that carries transformative powers. It is a Shiva mantra that is used to destroy negativity and create passion, fiery brilliance and vitality. HUM means "I am" and when linked with another Sanskrit words it works as a declaration and affirmation of a particular pure quality such as joy, peace, compassion. HUM is vibration, universality brought down to the human heart.
5 - SO HUM सो ऽहम्- I am that = a statement of being, an affirmation of existence as pure awareness, a connection to the universal consciousness. This mantra is great for balancing the Root Chakra, getting grounded in self-love, and connecting with your “enoughness.”
6 - SHANTI HUM शान्ति हूं- SHANTI means universal peace, peace in mind, in the world. Combined with the word HUM this mantra is a quiet declaration that you are universal peace, a calming, harmonious power in the world.
7 - ANANDA HUM आनन्द हूं - ANANDA means bliss, joy and love. Linked with HUM, this mantra declares that you are joy itself, and helps you to resonate with that very high and happy vibration. I AM JOY.
8 - DHARMA HUM आनन्द हूं- DHARMA is the life purpose that leads to our spiritual awakening
9 - KARUNA HUM करुणा हूं- KARUNA means compassion, combined with HUM it means “I am compassion”
10 - HUM SA हूं स - This mantra activates the transformative power of pure awareness, and also affirms the essential true "I am”.
11 - SAT CHIT ANANDA सच्चिदानन्द- It literally means Truth Consciousness Bliss = the full reality of our true self.
12 - SHREEM KLEEM NAMAH श्रीं क्लीं नमः - SHREEM refers to the goddess of joy, abundance and beauty. KLEEM is the sound that attracts those qualities to you. NAMAH means respect and gratitude. The mantra cultivates an appreciation and gratitude for the abundance in life.
13 - SHANTI VIRA शान्ति वीर - SHANTI means peace and VIRA means infinite power and strength. Together in this mantra, SHANTI VIRA gives you the strength, courage and clarity to be your true self in all situations, even the most difficult.
14 - SHREE RAM श्री राम- This mantra combines the energy of SHREE, which is divine joy, auspiciousness and abundance, with the energy of RAM, a mantra which strongly draws those divine qualities directly into the physical body and into the emotions. So this can invoke a surge of bliss and abundance. Traditionally it is also considered a powerful healing mantra.
15 - OM SHREEM NAMAH श्री राम - This mantra encourages the expressions of joy, generosity, and beauty to grow in all our relationships.
Get Started Using Your Mantra
To begin mantra meditation, fInd a quiet place where nobody will disrupt you, and if you are shy about chanting choose a place where nobody will hear you. Then settle yourself into a comfortable meditation posture and close your eyes. And just repeat your chosen mantra over and over. You can chant it or say it out loud to get the full powerful effect of the vibrations. But the beauty of mantra is that you can still get the same benefit by repeating your mantra silently in your mind. A timer can help you to know when to stop. Or a mala can help you keep track of your mantra repetitions, and keep you grounded. Do what makes you feel the most comfortable and vibrant.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
