Why Chanting Mantras Is a Wonderful Habit

When you chant mantras in daily life, you get connected with the Divine

A woman sitting in lotus pose, preparing for chanting mantras

Mantras symbolize our mind, consciousness, and spirit. What’s more, even when you perform your routine daily tasks, the repetitive chanting of a mantra helps you to feel spiritually elevated and calm.

That mantras are used during meditation to reinforce changes brought about through them is obvious. All sound is cosmic vibration. Any sound that is created affects the Universe.

“To share chanting is to share an experience of silence through listening, a process of healing, and a link with nature, the deeper self, and the divine.”

T K V Desikachar

The Power of Chanting Mantra

Sound of words can soothe, or enliven us. Soft words heal us, while harsh words create repulsiveness and anxiety. A single word can soothe, or disturb us. The irate jangling of the telephone call irritates us, whereas the soft tinkling of the water fountain smooths the furrows on our forehead.

Mantras are one word, or a single sound, like Om; they may also be short phrases, or a string of sounds like Om Namo Shivaya. They are chanted in rhythm-like poetic hymns. They are potent with primordial energy and purpose.

A mantra is directly associated with the mental processes; they affect our brain, nerves, and emotional balance. According to Sanskrit texts, a mantra is a sacred utterance which protects and frees our mind. A mantra uses basic sound and rhythm patterns to redirect the flow of thoughts in our minds, so that we are freed from the fear that limits our true selves.

Need for Repetition

The repetition of any mantra, or of a deity’s name, is called japa. Japa is often a part of meditation, or dhyan, because the repetition of the mantra helps in creating focus and concentration. The japa has to be done with sincerity and feeling, so that the force of the Divine Power, that we are invoking, suffuses our being. After the japa is over, it is important to sit quietly, for at least 10 minutes, letting the spiritual vibrations that we have invoked have their effect. You should also use this time for reflection and calm before you resume your routine daily activity.

A Few Powerful Mantras to Chant

Om

This is the primordial sound. The vibration produced by chanting Om corresponds to the original vibration that first emerged at the time of Creation. The Sound of Om is also called pranava, because it sustains life and runs through prana, or breath.

Soham

“I am Him.” In other words, the Divine, or Supreme Being, is within me.

Tat Tvam Asi

“That Thou Art!” This is acceptance of, and surrender to, the Supreme Being.

Aham Brahma Asmi

This means “Brahma is within me.” It invokes the Divine within oneself.

Gayatri Mantra

“Om bhur’bhuvah svah tatsaviturvarenyam, bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodyat”

This is the Gayatri mantra — the most powerful mantra. Gayatri mantra invokes the Almighty, the Supreme God, the Creator of the Cosmos, and the essence of our life’s existence, He who removes all our pains and sufferings, and grants us happiness by His Divine Grace, within us. His Divinity and Radiance, adds to purify us, and guides our righteous wisdom on to the right path.Gayatri mantra should be meditated, everyday.

Om Namo Shivaya

This is another powerful mantra, the repetition of which produces the form of Lord Shiva. The mantra is an invocation to Him. Mantras, formulated by our ancient sages, create specific energies. They cannot be translated and used. Reason: translation changes the vibrations created.

Also read » Morning Mantras (Chants) to Awaken the Power Within

Benefits of Chanting Mantras

Experience of silence

Mantras help us to attain and experience silence. During meditation, we find that our mind is distracted with the continuous chatter of irrelevant thoughts and ideas. Through the simple process of chanting, we attain the silence we require for meditation. For example, as we take a deep breath and inhale, and chant Om slowly as we exhale, and repeat this process continuously, we train our minds to become quiet and still. Alternatively, we can also chant silently without using sound, and connect with the stillness within.

A process of listening

We can chant a mantra aloud, or whisper it. What is important is we need to listen carefully to our chanting, and make it effective. As a result, its impact becomes more powerful. We find ourselves connecting to and awakening the dormant energy within us. In the process, we also develop our listening skills; this helps us to be quieter and more receptive.

A process of healing

Sound has an immense capacity to heal. We need to understand this, and use this knowledge to apply it in our daily lives to heal the imbalances in our body and spirit. The chanting of mantras helps us to heal and recover, and find peace within ourselves. Chanting energizes us; besides, it soothes and calms our spirits.

A link with nature

The environment most suitable to the chanting of mantras should be natural, preferably a garden, or shady nook under a tree. Or, it should be a quiet and open space, as close to nature as possible. If not, the quiet of your room overlooking trees, or flowers, will just do fine.

A link with our deeper self

Mantras link us with our natural selves, stripped of all the trappings of the world.

A link with the Divine

When we continuously chant a mantra, we move into a deeper state of concentration, connecting with the essence of the mantra. This deep meditative state is called dharana. It helps us to draw the power of the mantra closer to ourselves; it links us to Divinity.

Mantras chanted with the right rhythm, accuracy, earnestness and devotion, not only help invoke the Deity to whom they are addressed, but they also compel that Divine Power to come to the aid of the sadhak, or invoker.

Conclusion

The daily chanting of mantras is a spirited tool in the process of our evolution to a higher level.

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Abha Iyengar
 Abha Iyengar is an internationally published author, poet, editor and British Council certified creative writing facilitator. Her story, The High Stool, was nominated for the Story South Million Writers Award. She won the Lavanya Sankaran fellowship in 2009-2010. She was a finalist in the FlashMob 2013 Flash Fiction contest. Her published works are Yearnings, Shrayan, Flash Bites, Many Fish to Fry and The Gourd Seller and Other Stories.

9 COMMENTS

  1. Mantra recitation is considered to be the mother of meditation. With the recitation of a mantra, the mind promptly concentrates on a solitary thought expediting transcendence. By presenting the mantra, smooth meditation is upgraded even while doing ordinary tasks.

    Through mantras, one can truly experience it to be an extension of mantras and simultaneously aids us reach the state of euphoria. But one can’t simply practice mantra by reading it out of a book. It is advisable to learn the art of mantra chanting with the guidance of a guru as they will be able to help us understand better the most correct way to recite.

  2. Please can u suggest some chants for day to day life for being calm , positive and energetic. .. I also want to become pregnant so could you suggest some chants for that too..

  3. I want chants for day to day life which wil keep me calm , positive and energetic. I want to conceive so please suggest some chants in that purpose as well

  4. I WANT TO IMPROVE MY EVERYDAY LIFE WITH PEACE AND PROSPERITY. WHICH IS THE MANTRA I HAVE TO CHANT?

  5. this article is really useful for all of us. everyone should know about the importance of mantras and should practise it.

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