Rajendra.Deshpande.B.Pharm.(Nagpur).M.M.M.(Bajaj.Inst.).PGDIT.Skyperaj4successTrainer.Sales.&.Marketing.Pharma,Travel.Hospitality,Aviation.BusinessValueIndia,

Essentialsof"Mantra"Sadhana

SinceancienttimetillthepresenteraMantrashavebeenusedasaremedyfornearlyeveryproblem.WiththeincreasingnumberofTVchannelsinIndia,thesituationissuchthatyoutellaboutanyissueandoneoutoftenpersons,youwillfindatleastonetocomeoutwithahandyMantratoresolveyourissue.

Thegreatlearnedpunditsarethereonthesmallscreenalmostroundtheclock.Nowaquestionarises,dowereallygetbenefitfromthosefreeofcostadvice?IdontthinktheTVchannelswillbehelpfultoyouinthisrespect.TheyshouldbemorethanhappywiththeincreasingTRPandwouldhardlygettimetoundertakeasurveytofindefficacyofsuchremedialmantrasetc.

Withaviewtoverifytheeffectivenessofmantras,letustrytoanswerthese

questions:

Canonemantrabeeffectiveformultiplepurposes?

PrerequisitesforUsingaMantra

TheseerswhoformulatedthemantrasofferedthemtotheirdiscipleswhowerewellversedwiththeprerequisitesasapartofthemethodologyofparticularschoolofspiritualSadhana.Theknowledgeofsuchprerequisiteswasbelievedtobesofundamentalthatitsnarration,attimes,usedtobeomittedtoavoidrepetition.

MostofthemantrashavebeenapartofaStotraoranUpanishadorafullflegedSadhanaoranAnushthanaandwereneverintendedtobeusedinisolation.However,overaperiodoftime,someofthePunditsstartedcompilingthemantrasandformulatedbooksofsuchcollection.Atthisstage,thebrevitywasthecallandnotonlytheprerequisites,buteventheoverallpurposeandrelevancelosttheirplace.

Inthemodernage,whereeducationandspiritualityhasturnedintoanIndustry,Astrology,too,hasslippedintothehandsofcommercialpeople.Inabsenceofhonestcustodiansandtherightfulinheritorsmantrasareprescribedinmostbizarremannerbythecommercialastrologersformeetingtheirselfishmeans.Needlesstosay,mantrashavebecometoolsintheirhandstoexploitthegreedyandignorantpeople.

TheRishiswhoformulatedthemantrasalsoadvocatedcertainprocedurestobefollowedforitsrightuse.ThisincludeaformalcommitmentintheformofSankalpa,somemovementsandgesturesinformofNyasa,creatingprotectivesheathinformofKavachaandofferingstotheDevataintheformofArghya.

Letusunderstandtheprocedureaswellasthepartsofmantra.

Sankalpa

SankalpawithrespecttoMantraSadhana,meansaformalcommitmentaboutonesplanoftheSadhana.Astatementofsankalpagenerallycontainsonesownidentification.Thisisinthevedicmannerincludingonesfullname,onesvediclineagei.e.Veda,Gotra,Shakhaetc.ThenfollowsonesdesiretochanttheMantraforaparticulardurationandinparticularnumberorundertakeanAnushthanaforfulfillmentofaparticularwish.ThesankalpaisaddressedtotheDevataoftheMantra.Ritualistically,asankalpaistakenthroughSanskrit.However,asweknowthesignificanceofMentalvibrationsinMantraSadhana,itshouldbeOKtoundertaketheSankalpainonesownlanguage.

Nyasa

Nyasa

NyasaisanimportantpreparatorystageofMantraSadhana.ItisinawayawarmingupandcleansingsessionpriortoundertakingMantrachanting.ThesadhakawhileexercisingPranayama,touchesdifferentpartshisbodyeitherphysicallyorvisualizementallydependinguponthetypeofnyasahehasadopted.TherearedifferenttypesofNayasa,e.g.KaraNyasa,AngaNyasa,HridayadiNyasa,RishyadiNyasa,PanchatatwaNyasa,etc.Here,againtheprimaryobjectiveistoaugmenttheprocessofattainingembodimentwiththeMantraanditsDevataatpsychelevel.

Kavacha

KavachaistheimageryshieldtobecreatedfortheprotectionoftheSadhakaduringSadhana.Itisveryimportantbecause,theSadhakaloseshisconscioussenseofawarenessashetransgressintomeditativestateoralteredstateofawareness.Duringsuchastatehestandsvulnerableandexposedtoabnormalfrequenciesandvibrations.TheperformingofKavachaprotectstheSadhakafromsuchvibrations.TheKavachainawaycreatehyponticlayerofselfconfidenceandkeephimcomfortable.

Whatisthesourceofpowerofanymantra?

Whatisthecorrectwayofusingamantra?

WhatmattersthemostThesound,thetoneandrhythmofrecitingamantra,themeaningofthewordsusedinthemantra,ortheprocedureprescribed?

ByusageofaMantracananyonebeabletoescapefromexperiencingthefructificationofKarma?

HowdoesofferingofamantrabyaSiddhamakesadifference?OneMantraremovesallevil?

OneshouldnotneedanythingmorethanmerecommonsensetorejectthenotionofelixirkindofaMantrathatcanbeusedtoresolveaproblemirrespectiveofnatureofproblem.

AsweacceptthelowofCauseandEffectwehavetofindthelikelycauseofaproblemandthentheremedyhastoaddressthecause.Inaway,theremedyshouldbeakindofreversalprocessofthecause.

Wecanunderstandthateveryproblemhastohaveaparticularlyrelatedcauseand

hence,ithastobeaddressedwithaspecificprocess.Thus,aMantratoincreasephysicalheightofapersoncannotbeacceptedasacureofCancer.

HindumantraslikeMahaMrintyunjayaMantra,GayatriMantra,etc.sufferfromthenotionofOneforAllremedyandwemosthumblydonotagreewiththebelief.

Thesanctityofmantrasforspiritualupliftmentshouldbemaintainedandmustnotberecommendedfortemporallaukikreasonsastrivialassecuringajobtransferorbegettingchildrenetc.PeopleindulginginsuchactivitiesareunknowinglydoingagravedisservicetothesacredheritageofVedas.

Arghya

ArghyaisasymbolicgestureofhospitalityofferedtotheDevata.Asweoffersometeaandsnacksandrespecttotheguestatourhome,similarly,hereduringMantrasadhana,weareinvokingtheDevataoftheMantraandsuitablewelcomeisessential.Thearghyaisnormallyamixtureofwater,milk,curd,flowerpetals,kumkum,sandalandgrainsliketil(sesame).Themixtureistakeninhandsinthecavitycreatedbyholdingtwopalmstogetherandthenpouredinthevesselmeantforit.TheingredientsofArghyaareDevataspecificandsoisthewayofofferingitandassuchdifferentMantraSadhanarequiresdifferentkindofArghya.Onmentalandsubtlelevel,theofferingofArghyasignifiessurrenderoftheindividualegoatthefeetoftheDevata.

Inadditiontotheprocedure,itisvitaltounderstandtheessentialpartsofaMantra.Everymantraissupposetobecompleteonlywhenitisusedwiththefollowingsixparts,knowsasShadanga:

ChhandasDevataBeejaKeelakaShakti.Rishi

Rishi

RishiisthepersonwhooriginallyformulatedtheMantra.Invedicculture,Rishiisbelievedastheseer,avisualizerofMantra.TheprerequisiteofnamingtheRishiofthemantrabeforeusingthesameisahumblewayofshowinggratitudeandacknowledgement.Thisactofacknowledgementisthefirststeptowardsdissolutionofpersonalprideandego.ThefeelingofgratitudeinitiatesthealteredstateofmindleadingtointernalenvironmentcongenialtoinvocationoftheDevata

oftheMantra.

Devata

DevataoftheMantraistheformofthegodwhoisbeingpropitiated.Thedevetaelementengagesthevisualizingfacultyofhumanmind.EveryDevatahasitsownShape,Colour,Posture,Gesture,Mudra,Ayudha,andpersonality.TheprecedingstepsofRishiandChhandapreparesthegroundforeffectivevisualizationoftheDevata.TheinitialutterranceofnameoftheDevatacreatesflashesofthevisions.ItsfrequentrepetitionenablesadevoteetocontemplateupontheformoftheDevata.Ultimately,heforgetshisownselfandgetsunifiedwiththeformoftheDevata.

Chhandas

Chhandasdenotestothegrammaticalformationofwordsinaparticularrhythm.Thechhandasetsthepatternofwordsandnumberofsyllables.TheformationguidestherecitationoftheMantrainaparticularway.Thepatternactivatesdifferentpointsinhumanbrainandfurtheraugmenttheinternalpsychicenvironment.Eachchhandahasitsownattributestoinfluencethemoodofthepersonrecitingit.

Chhandasareclassifiedintotwotypes(1)VarnikChhand(alphabeticalstanzas)and(2)MatrikChhand(stanzascontainingshortvowels).HindumantrasfollowtheChhandasoftheirrespectiveVedicSamhitaandShakha.GenerallyadistinctMatrikChhandahasbeenpreferredbydifferentShakhaindifferentSamhitas.

Beeja

BeejaisasingleletterofSanskritAlphabetanditrepresent,again,shortestpossibleformoftheDevata.TheshapeoftheBeejacreatestheroutefortheenergytovibrate.Beejamresemblesthebasiccharacter(tatva)ofthemantra.forexamplejalatatva(soft),agnitatva(hard)etc.

Keelaka

Keelakameansanail.Now,whatissignificanceofaNailherewithrespecttorecitingaMantra?TounderstandthesignificanceofKeelakawehavetolinkitwiththenailthatstopsarotatingwheelslippingoutofitsexcel.Weknowthattheenergyofamantraisgeneratedfromthemindofthepersonanditsimportanttokeepitcenteredatapointtosaveitgettingdissipated.ThisisdonethroughKeelaka.Somepeoplesymbolizeitwithakeyofthelock.Thus,akeelakais

believedtobeaKeytoopenthelockofthesourceofaMantrapower.

Shakti

ShaktimeansPower.ShaktimeanspowerorenergyoftheMantra.Thisisthepowergeneratedthroughrecitingthemantra.

IthastobenotedthateveryMantrahasitsownformofShakti.However,letusadmitthattoday,exceptthenamedenotedtotheShakti,wedonotknowmuchaboutdistinctformsoftheenergyofMantra.Themainreasonforthisomissionisattributabletothefactthatgraphicalreproductionoftheformofenergyvibrationsvisualizedduringalteredstateofmindremainsdifficult.ThesecondreasonforthemisconceptionisthatweconsiderthewordsDeviandShaktiassynonyms.

Duetothisambiguity,itisquitepossiblethataSadhakaofaMantramaycontemplateuponaknownformofDeviinsteadoftheenergyvibrationsoftheMantra.

Now,itshouldbeclearastowhywedontgetthemuchacclaimedresultsfromrecitingamantra.Ifweignoretheessential6parts,howcanweexpectthedesiredeffects?

Thelimitationliesontwoparts.Firstistheignoranceofthedoer.ThepersonwhoundertakesMantra,doesnotknowtheessentialprerequisites.Secondly,thelimitationlieswiththesourcefromwhereapersonreceivesthemantra.Itisquitecommonnowthatpeopletakemantrafromanysource,beitacheappocketbookbeingsoldattheroadside,anySadhuoraTVJyotishi.ItisquitepossiblethattheprerequisitesarecompromisedinofferingandreceivingtheMantrainthismanner.

ResearchonMantraSadhana

MyobjectivehereistosensitizetheneedforconductingaresearchuponeffectivenessofvariousMantras.Thisway,wecanassesstheeffectivenessofdifferentmantras.Theresearchshouldincludethefollowing:

WhatwastheobjectiveofundertakingaMantra?

WhetherMantrawasreceivedfromaSiddhaoraGuru

Ifyeswhowastheperson?

whatwastheprocedureusedbythegurutoseason(siddhi)theMantra?

WhatweretheconditionsfollowedbytheGurutoassessthesuitabilityofthebeneficiary?

HowmanytimestheMantrawasrecited/chantedeveryday?

Whatwastheduration/periodtheMantrawasrecited?

WhethertheShadangasi.e.Rishi,Devataetc.wereperformedritualistically?

WhetherViniyasi.e.Sankalpa,Nyaasa,Puruscharanawereperformed?

Ifyes,whatwastheprocedure?

WhatbenefitswereobservedthatcanbeconfidentlyattributabletoMantrasadhana?

WhatwaythepronunciationandmodulationrecitationofMantraororanyinstrumentalsoundusedsubstantiated?Coulditbeverifiedbya

livingexperiencedexpert?

WhethertheVerbatimmeaningoftheMantrasignifiedtheexpectedbenefits?

Whethercolourswereuseddeliberatelyi.e.,colouroftheclothsortheAsanausedbythesadhaka

IfMantrawasusedasaremedyofanydiseasewasitverifiedthroughmedicalreports?

Iwishtohavevaluablecontributionsfromlearnedmembersandvisitorsofthissothatthescienceofmantracanbeaugmentedinrightdirection.IinvitesuggestionswithregardtoclassificationofvariouskindsofMantrasanditsgenuinepurpose.IwishthatwecancompiletheShadangasofeveryMantrawithitsdosanddonts.Letusbringintransparencyintothissubject.Thisistheway,wecangetbackthelostglorytoourdivineheritage.LetusadmitandsensitizeastowhatcanbedoneandwhatcannotbedonethroughMantra.Thisistheway,wecancurbtheCheatersandThugswhoareexploitingtheignoranceofpoorandneedypeople.

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