DIALOGUES ON JAPA

Q. What is Japa?
A. Repeated recitation of a word or words, Mantra or name of God in
particular is called Japa. It has to be remembered that only mechanical
repetitions of mantra or name is not Japa. In Yoga Sutra (Aphorisms on
Yoga of Patanjali it is said !Tatjjapam tadartha bhvanam" #Tat$ that
(Mantra% japam= Japa% tat$that (Mantra% artha$meaning% bhvanam$
contemplation& i.e. Japa should be done along with contemplation on the
meaning of the words'mantra'name. In Kulrnav Tantra (one of the core
boo(s on )antra it is said that the letter Ja means Janmntara sahareshu
krita ppa pranshant (for the destruction of sins committed in thousands
of births and Pa means pardeva praksha (for the manifestation of the
ultimate Godhead. *apa is practiced to reach spiritual goal.
Q. Is Japa specific for any particular school of Indian spirituality?
A. +o. Almost all the schools of religious practice in Santan Dharma
(eternal ,harma% here religion and ,harma are not e-uated by the author,
this will be discussed in some other conte.t ad/ocate Japa as a tool of
spiritual practice and use it.
Q. Do other religions adopt Japa as a tool of practice?
A. In 0hristianity and Sufism constant remembrance of God plays ma1or
role in spiritual practice. Japa is another name of constant remembrance. In
Shikhism and Tntric Buddhism Japa is also adopted as a spiritual tool.
Q. Are there any references to Japa in the Vedas?
A. As such though there are scanty references to *apa in the 2edas, practice
of *apa in 2edic rituals is not uncommon. In 2edic way of Ya1na (sacrificial
rites in fire oblations are offered to the fire by repeated utterance of
Mantras. )his in a way can also be called *apa.
Q. What is the difference beteen Japa and !a"na?
A. A simple definition of Yajna is to offer something to God forsa(ing the
propriety on the ob1ect offered. Yajna is a spiritual rite whereas Japa is a
spiritual practice.
Q. In chapter #$% &hloka '(% of the )ita lord *rishna said% +!a"nnm
"apaya"nasmi, i.e. of the !a"nas I am Japa !a"na. If by definition Japa
differs from !a"na% ho can you e-plain the abo.e /uotation?
A. A good -uestion indeed. In Yajna oblations are offered to the sacrificial
fire in the name of God reciting a Mantra with the words sh and na
mama at the end. 3or e.ample, when an oblation is offered to God !ndra the
Mantra goes li(e !"m !ndr#a sh$ idam !ndr#a na mama" which
means 4 !I offer (the oblation to !ndra$ this belongs to !ndra not mine
(na$not% mama$mine. )he aims of all Yajnas are to please the god. )he
same is with Japa also. Mantras play a most important role in Yajna as well
as in Japa. Yajnas are elaborate and rituals intensi/e. 5/en any inad/ertent
lapses in performing the rites will ma(e a Ya1na futile whereas in Japa as
such no strict rites and rituals are re-uired for its effecti/eness. )here are
strict scriptural ordains regarding eligibility to perform a Yajna whereas
Japa has uni/ersal eligibility.
In the Git6 the abo/e saying of 7ord 8rishna is to glorify simple Japa
practice o/er complicated Ya1na rituals, ha/ing no differences as far as
ultimate results of both are concerned.
Q. 0eople call Japa as Japayoga. Is Japa a !oga? If yes% ho can one
e/uate Japa ith !oga?
A. 9efore answering the -uestion let us first try to define the term Yoga. )he
root /erb Yuj from which the word Yoga is deri/ed ha/e se/eral meanings: ;
(< Yuj $ samdhi(ultimate dissolution of mind in the supreme
consciousness, (= Yuj=#ujir>to add or connect (one with the ultimate
reality?, (@ Yuj= san#am # to restrain (the mind from the /arious
ob1ecti/ities of the world&. According to Aatan1ali the author of Yoga Sutra
(aphorisms on Yoga !Y&'asittavrittinir&dhah" (Bittavritti$thought
contrast% nir&dhah$confinement i.e. Yoga is the ultimate cessation of
thought contrast. )he result of Japa goes well with all the meanings of
Yoga. +aturally, Japa can well be defined as Yoga. Japa is a tool to be in
union with the Godhead. Japa helps in restraining mental di/ersions and
attaining the state of uni;focal awareness.
Q. What is the difference beteen 1ma2Japa and 3antra2Japa?
A. Repetition of a name of God is (ma)Japa and repetition of a Mantra
related to God is *antra)Japa. )here are no restrictions regarding eligibility
of (ma)Japa but according to scriptural ordain a person initiated to a
Mantra by his Guru is only eligible for *antra)Japa.
Q. Which of these to is more efficacious?
A. +o spiritual practice is futile if performed properly and sincerely. Success
of spiritual endea/or depends on the aspirant, not on the paths. Ma used to
say !+mi jni nmei sab h&i" i.e. !I (now that all spiritual aspirations can be
fulfilled only by chanting the name of God." 9oth (ma)Japa and *antra)
Japa are e-ually important and efficacious spiritual practice. All the great
saints li(e Caitan#a *ahprabhu of 9engal$ ,knth$ Tukrm and -mds
of Maharastra and Kabir were all praise for (ma)Japa. Amongst the
contemporary saints of 9engal, Sri -makrishna, -mthakur$ *ahprabhu
Ja'atbandhu$ Sitrmds "mkrnth and *a .nandama#ee always
ad/ocated (ma)japa as a simple and effecti/e spiritual practice. A
scriptural Shl&ka (Sans(rit couplet goes li(e that: ;
/arernma harernma harernmaiva kevalam
Kal&u nstaiva nstaiva nstaiva 'atiran#ath.
In Kali#u'a ()he Iron Age there is no other ways but only the name of /ari
(the 7ord which can gi/e sal/ation.
Q. What is the difference beteen 1ma2Japa and 1ma2kirtan?
A. In both the cases the name of God is repeated. (ma)Kirtan is repeatedly
singing the name of God whereas (ma)Japa is repeated recitation of the
name of God /ocally or mentally. In the Iron Age (Kali#u'a according to
the scripture Kirtan has special importance. It has been a common saying
among the 2aishna/ite;schools of spirituality that !Kal&u Keshava
kirtant0 1Kal&u$in Kali#u'a$ Keshava$name of 7ord Keahava$
Kirtant$from singing i.e. In Kali#u'a sal/ation comes from singing the
name of Keshava the 7ord. Among the followers of Ma Anandamayee a
special (ma)Kirtan called as (ma)Yajna is /ery popular. )he names of
God !/are Krishna /are Krishna Krishna Krishna /are /are2 /are -ama
/are -ama -ama rama /are /are0 are sang uninterruptedly by batches of
singers from sunset to sunset. ,uring her lifetime Ma used to participate
physically in singing the names of the 7ord which was most inspiring to the
de/otees. )he 3aishnavites /ery often spea( of (avadh Bhakti
((avadh$nine folds, bhakti$de/otion i.e. nine folds practices of de/otion
of which Kirtan comes as the second. (<.Shravanam$hearing,
=.Kirtanam$singing, @.Smaranam$remembering,
D.Padasevanam$prostration or bowing at the feet, E..ranam$worship,
F.3andanam$prayer, G.Ds#am$to become li(e a ser/ant, H.Sakh#am$to
become li(e a friend, I.+tmanivedanam$surrendering the self.
Q. 4o can 1ma2Japa lead one to his spiritual goal?
A. )he ultimate spiritual goal of an aspirant is to be one with his belo/ed
Godhead. In the worldly ways one finds pleasure in constant remembrance
of oneJs belo/ed e/en in physical absentia. )he name is the first instrument
of remembrance. Along with name comes the form or image in the mind and
then come the -ualities se-uentially. Kith time and repeated remembrance
one en1oys mentally the company of the belo/ed. )his is true in case of
GodJs remembrance also but with a difference. 9y definition God is the
incarnation of all positi/e and appreciable beauties and goodness whereas in
case of human beings there are negati/e aspects also. )hese may at times
ha/e negati/e influences in the relation of lo/e. A name is generally used for
a person or an ob1ect for the purpose of particulariLation. 9ut a name of God
besides particulariLation is significant for its di/ine aspects. A blind man
with a name Padmal&an 1Padma$lotus% l&an$eye can well be identified
but when this name applies to God, besides particulariLation, it also means
the God ha/ing beautiful eyes comparable to a lotus. It can be said that a
name of God always accompanies the underlying meaning of the word.
)here is possibility of improper use of a Aroper +oun for a person or thing
as far as the underlying meaning of the word is concerned but in case of a
name of God a Aroper +oun has its proper application and meaning. Ma
used to say, !(m & nmi abhed0 1(m$ name% &$and% nmi$the named%
abhed$indistinguishable'same i.e. a name and the named are
indistinguishable. In Kanklmlini Tantra it is said !Kalikle varr&he
japamtram prashas#ate"i.e. MJ beautiful one, in the Iron Age only *apa is
superior (to all other spiritual practices4.*eru Tantra says, !Japa eva Kal&u
shre#an" i.e. In the Iron Age only Japa is preferable. 5andharva Tantra
-uotes, !Kevalam japamtrena siddha#ah siddhiknskinm"
(Kevalam$only% japamtrena$only by doing Japa% siddha#ah$attainment of
perfections% Siddhiknskinm$ those who aspire for spiritual perfections.
Q. )od is called in so many names. What are the criteria in selecting
name of )od for 1ma2Japa?
A. ,ifferent names of God signify Nis different forms, aspects and
attributes. It is for the aspirant to select the name he is inclined to or
interested in. It reminds me of the few occasions when de/otees as(ed Ma to
select a name of God for (ma)Japa. Ma in turn would as( the de/otee
which name and form of God he lo/es most and accordingly he was being
gi/en the name for Japa.
Q. 4o many types of Japa are there?
A. Japa is classified into so many categories of which (< Bh#a (e.ternal
and (= .bh#antar (internal are the main two. Bh#a Japa is also called
3aikhari Japa. )his is the initial stage of Japa practice. .bh#antar Japa is
subtle and superior to Bh#a Japa.
Some schools classified Japa as (<4 3#akta (manifested, (= .v#akta
(unmanifested and (@4 Sukshma (subtle. 3#akta Japa is called as 3ik or
3aikhari (uttered /ocally'with sound, .v#akta as 6pn'su (uttered with
inaudible /oice and *nas (mental.
3aikhari Japa
)he word 3aikhari has been e.plained in different ways by /arious authors.
According to Padmapdr#a (one of the main four disciples of
Shankarr#a, the e.ponent of non;dualistic monism 3i means specially
and Khar means harshness or hardness and that is why /ocally uttered words
are called 3aikhari. Bhskarr&# in his S&ubh'#abhskar commentary on
7alit Sahasranm (thousand names of Goddess 7alit *ah
Tripursundari opined that because words are uttered /ocally with the help
a Prnv#u (/ital air of respirations called Khar it is named as 3aikhari. In
S&ubh'#asudh&da#$ another commentary on 7alit Sahasranm it is said
that 3ai (certainly, Kha (ear channel and -a2 -ti (tra/erses' goes ma(e
the word 3aikhari which means that sound of word is heard because it
certainly goes through the ear channel. Repeated utterance of the name of
God or Mantra so that others can hear also is called 3aikhari Japa.
6pn'shu Japa
9eing mentally engrossed in thin(ing of God and with little mo/ements of
tongue and lips repeated utterance of a name or Mantra inaudible to others is
called 6pn'shu Japa. According to 3rihat Tantrasr (a core boo( on
Tantra 6pn'shu Japa may only be audible to the person doing it.
*nas Japa
Repeated mental recitation of a name or Mantra along with contemplation on
the meaning inherent in it is called *nas Japa. In *nas Japa there is
complete absence of any physical organic mo/ements and audible sound. In
this Japa there is total union of the mind, Mantra and the Godhead
representing the Mantra.
*apa is also classified as 184 (it#a (daily or routine, 194(aimittik ( special
occasion or purpose and 1:4 Km#a (with worldly desires.
(it#a Japa
An aspirant is supposed to perform routine Japa practice daily. It is ordained
in the scripture that after proper initiation from Guru it is obligatory to do
Sandh# 6psan three times a day along with Japa of the Mantra of
initiation. Sandh# is deri/ed from the word Sandhi which means time;
1unction and 6psan 16p$ near% san$seat% i.e. to sit near God or to be in
company of God is the other name of prayer or worship. )he 1unctions
between night and day (dawns, between forenoon and afternoon (midday
and between day and night (dus( are prescribed for Sandh# 6psan. In
some cases midnight 1*ahnish Sandh# is also prescribed.
(aimittik Japa
9esides routine practice Japa performed in special occasions, auspicious
times and days (such as during Solar and 7unar eclipses, full;Moon, new;
Moon, the SunJs passage to the ne.t sign at the e-uino.es etc. are called
(aimittik Japa.
Km#a Japa
Km#a is deri/ed from the word Km (lust'desire'e.pectation. In addition
to routine ones *apa performed with a resol/e for attainment of worldly
e.pectations is called Km#a Japa.
Q. What is A"ap Japa?
A. )he definition of .jap japa is -uite different from that of usual Japa.
9efore going into scriptural technicalities let us consider the simple
phenomenon of propagation of sound in terms of science of Ahysics. Sound
propagates in wa/e patterns following the Simple Narmonic Motion with air
as the medium. )he wa/es created in the air reach the eardrum which in turn
sends signals to the audio centers in the brain and sounds are percei/ed. It
can be said that any displacement of air carries sound wa/es. ,uring
inhalation and e.halation there are displacements of air. )he mo/ements of
air during inhalation and e.halation carry the sound /am and Sah
respecti/ely. )he Mantra /amsah is being repeated automatically along with
each respiration. )his is called .jap Japa. It is an effortless and in/oluntary
continuous process for the lifetime of a person. A Jiva (sentient being
recites /amsah *antra =<FOO times a day (<E respiration'minute P FO
minutes P =D hours'day $ =<FOO. .jap is of two types 3#akta i.e.
manifested and 5upta i.e. unmanifested'hidden. 3#akta again manifests in
two forms as Sound and 7ight. Gupta .jap is the re/erse of /amsah i.e.
Saha or the union of Shi/a and Shakti (Shi/aJs energy. In the scriptures on
Sar&da# (science of Sar$ respiration' /ital energy of life processes it is
said, !/an'kran' Shivarupena Sakrah Shaktiru#ate"
(/an'kran'$sound /am% Shivarupena$ form of Shi/a% Sakrah$sound
Sah% Shakti$energy% u#ate$being said. In Surendra Samhit it is said that
!/na'stmikn' Bha'avati Jiv& Japati Sarvad." (
/an'stmikan'=/an'sah as the self% Bha'avati$the female presiding deity%
Jiva$sentient being% Japati$ is reciting% Sarvad$all the time i.e. Jiva
always is reciting the Mantra /an'sah which is the supreme Goddess
herself. Mthers e-uate it with Kundalini the creati/e power of Shi/a that lies
coiled up in three and a half fold in the lowest ple.us called *uldhra)
;hakra at the base of 2ertebral 0olumn.
In general, an aspirant is not aware of such a continuous process that is
going on within. As the mind is not directly or consciously lin(ed with such
a process it can not be acti/ated, and the fruit remains unobtainable. An
aspirant can get the (nowledge and the ways to do it only from an able
teacher or Guru. 9oo(ish (nowledge about this is of no use practically.
Q. What are the fundamental differences beteen Japa and Dhyana?
A. In the words of Ma, +Jap karte kartei dhyana hoi, i.e. the state of
dh#ana occurs automatically during 1apa practice. In other words it can be
said that *apa is the practice and the result is Dh#ana.
Q. What is a 3antra?
A. 9efore going directly into the definition of Mantra let us consider a few
preliminaries about the word. According to Indian spiritual beliefs )he 2eda
is di/ided in four parts as -ik$ Sm$ Yaju and .tharva by the great seer and
saint 3#sadeva and taught these to his four main disciples. Ne taught
-i'ved to Pail, Yajurved to 3aishamp#an, Smved to Jaimini and
.tharvaved to Sumanta. 5ach 2eda again is di/ided into two sections
Mantra and 9rahman. !*antra brhmana#&r vedanmadhe#am." i.e.
Mantra and 9r6hman together is called )he 2eda. Samhit is the other name
of the Mantra part. Sam means together and /it means placed or compiled.
)he part which deals with the undisclosed meanings and applications of
Samhit or Mantra is called Brhman.
A simple definition of Mantra is the sacred word or formula to be chanted as
spiritual practice.
Yska the author of (irukta (Special 2edic etymology defined Mantra as
!*antra manant0i.e. with which contemplation can be done is called
Mantra. )his is the oldest a/ailable definition of Mantra.
)he word Mantra is the combination of two parts *an and Tra. *an is
deri/ed from the root /erb man means to ponder o/er, to ruminate mentally
and Tra from the root /erb trai means to protect or to liberate. !*anant
tr#ate0 1manant$ on pondering o/er, tr#ate$to liberate that which
liberates on pondering o/er or on ruminating mentally is called Mantra.
5#atri Tantra in its detail definition said, !9y contemplation of which a
human being protects himself from sins, en1oys hea/enly pleasures, gets
liberated and achie/es the four chief ob1ects of human pursuit /iL. /irtue or
piety, wealth or riches, sensual en1oyments and final beatitude is called
Mantra.
Mantra is the sacred word or formula by which the nature of the Supreme
reality is reflected on as identical with the self. It is called Mantra because it
induces manana or reflection on the Supreme self and because it pro/ides
trna or protection from the whirling of transmigratory life.
Section II, Sutra<of Shiva Sutra (Aphorisms on Kshmir Shaivism the core
boo( on non;dualistic Shi/a philosophy of 8ashmir is <;ittam mantrah.0
Nere citta means that which ponders o/er the highest Reality. In other
words, it is the consciousness that ponders o/er mantras which constitute the
essential characteristic of the perfect I;consciousness. ;itta is e-uated with
Mantra. In 3makeshar Tantra it is said, !)he intelligence principle is
e/ol/ed out of non;manifested sound;form of the Qltimate Reality or
Sabda)Brahma. *ana (mind, Buddhi (intelligence, ;itta (consciousness
and .han'kr (I;ness are e/ol/ed from that principle" +aturally *i/a;
intelligence also is Mantra. Ksemarja the great commentator on Kshmir
Shaivism in his 3imarsini commentary on Shi/a Sutra wrote, !)he mind of
the Sdhaka (Aspirant focused on intensi/e alertness of the Godhead
implied in a Mantra identifies with that Godhead and conse-uently becomes
Mantra itself.( At that point of time )he state of mind itself which is
Mantra, not the mere conglomeration of /arious letters of the alphabet." In
Sriknthi)Samhita, it has been said, !Prithan'mantra prithan'mantri na
siddha#ati kadana" i.e. if the practiser is different from the Mantra, then
this Mantra will ne/er gi/e results. Spanda Krik (one of the core boo(s on
Kshmir Shaivism says, !Sdhakena ittena tenaiva Shivadharmina" i.e.
the mind of the practiser along with the mantra has characteristics of Shi/a.
3rom the abo/e discussions it can be said that Mantra is consciousness itself.
Sounds or words are the body of Mantra.
Q. If sound and ord are inert ob"ects then ho can 3antra be
conscious?
A. A bodied sentient being is conscious, e/en when the body is inert.
7i(ewise Mantra is not inert in spite of its body (sound or word being inert.
Q. It seems that consciousness is the other name of 3antra and Ji.a is a
conscious being. &hould e take a Ji.a as representation of all 3antras5?
A. All the mantras ha/e their origin as the Kundalini (the latent serpent;
power'consciousness' supreme reality in the body of a sentient being. If
Jiva is Shi/a in principle and Mantra is Shivadharmina (0haracteristics of
Shi/a so it can well be inferred that all the Mantras ha/e their e.istence in
dormancy in the body of a Jiva. Kith an appropriate way of spiritual
practice the meaning of Mantra shines in the mind of the practiser. It has to
be remembered that here non;indi/idualistic all per/ading consciousness is
ta(en into consideration.
Q. What is the relation beteen a deity and 3antra?
A. In Shaktisan'am Tantra it is said, !*antrarup& bhaveddeva"(rupa $
form, mantrarup& means form of mantra bhavet$becomes% deva$deity
deity becomes the form of Mantra. 5andharva Tantra said, !sarveshmeva
devnm mantramd#am sharirakam" 1sarveshm$of all, eva$/erily,
devnm$deities, d#am$primarily, sharirakam$body /erily Mantra is the
primary body or form of all deities. A deity is represented by three bodies,
gross, subtle and subtlest or causal.
Gross body is of name and form (nma and rupa$image'statue called
3i'raha. Subtle body is the symbolic or geometrical representation of the
deity called Yantra. And the subtlest or the causal body is represented by
word or sound called Mantra. )he relation between Mantra and deity is the
same as between e.pression and e.pressed.
Q. Why a 3antra is called &habda26rahma?
A. Shabda)Brahma means the Rualified Qltimate Reality in the form of
sound. +ow let us consider the origin of sound.
)he Qltimate Reality or the 5ternal Shi/a (santan Shiva has two forms: ;
non;-ualified and -ualified. )he former is independent of +ature ( Prakriti 4
or Shakti (energy whereas the later is coupled with Shakti eager to be
manifested as creation. It has to be remembered that, in fact, at no point in
time is Shi/a without Shakti. 9ut at times as Shakti remains one with Shi/a
with no signs of e.pression it seems that Shi/a is without Shakti. )he
Rualified Shi/a always has Self;awareness or independent di/ine Kill
which is a subtle acti/ity or spiritual dynamism. )his dynamism is yet to
ha/e any e.pression li(e physical, psychological or Prnic (/ital force of
life acti/ities.
,uring *ahprala#a (0osmic night or dissolution of creation this di/ine
Kill remains concealed within the great 7ord himself li(e the memories of a
person in deep sleep. Ne was the Sat) principle (5.istence only. )he 2eda
said, !+tm v idameka ev'ra sit. (n#at kinan mishat. Sa ikshata
l&knnu srij iti" #.itare#a 6panishad <.<.& that means (+tm eva$only
+tm (the ultimate reality, ev'ra$in the beginning (of creation,idam$ the
creation, eka$one, 6sit=e.isted in the beginning of creation the Qltimate
reality alone e.isted. (($no, an#at$others, kinan=some, mishat$ acti/ity
li(e blin(ing of eyes i.e. no other things li(e blin(ing of eyes were there.
)hat means the total absence of creation. (S.=Ne, ikshata$ saw'
considered'introspect'willed, l&kn nu$di/isions of the uni/erse according
to the fruits of actions of sentient beings, srijai$ I shall create. Ne willed to
create the di/isions of the uni/erse according to the fruits of actions of
sentient beings. )he desire for /ision, again of the world lost or dissol/ed
during cosmic night, is associated with a sense of /oid which is *#$ of
which the 7ord himself is the controller. )he /ision of /oid is accompanied
by an indistinct sound called par)nda which fills the /oid. (da is of
nature of light. )he first self;e.pression of the supreme Kill is the
origination of /oid and the indistinct sound and diffused light filling this
/oid. +e.t there is concentration of this light and sound into a focus called
par)Bindu. Nere the power of action starts unfolding itself distinctly. Para)
Bindu now brea(s into three parts as bindu$ bija and nda or the great;
sound. Nere we ha/e two sets of nada and Bindu. )he first one being causal
and the second is the manifestation. )he nda which comes into being at the
split of par)Bindu is (nown as Sabda)brahma. All the sounds ha/e their
origin in that nada or Sabda)brahma. +aturally a Mantra can be called as
Sabda)brahma.
Q. If all sounds originate from 1da then hy are all sounds not treated
as a 3antra?
A. Sound is of two forms, with meaning and without meaning. )he former is
represented by alphabets. Mantra is a conglomeration of alphabets or
word'words with meanings, which are to be pondered o/er.
Q. A 3antra is the body of a deity and the sound or ord7ords
represented by letters of alphabets are the body of a 3antra. 8nless these
are di.ine a 3antra ill loose its di.inity. 4o can one put di.inity in the
letters of the alphabet?
A. Mne need not put any e.tra di/inity into the letters of the alphabet
(3arna4 because these are di/ine by themsel/es. It is said in
Tantrasadbhva (a )antra scripture that all Mantras are composed of letters
of the alphabet and all letters of the alphabet are the representations of
Shakti (energy called *trik. As this *trik remains dormant as one with
Shi/a before manifestations of creation, it also has the Shi/a principle. At
the onset of creation it per/ades the entire space. In Sans(rit fifty alphabet
letters uttered or written are the gross representations of this all per/ading
energy. *trik means one who produces. )he energy, which is the
causati/e factor of all gross and subtle creations, is *trik. 7etters are of
two classes, Saravarna (<F /owels and B#anjanvarna (@F consonants.
)he former represents Shi/a;Shakti couple. (According to 3arn&ddhr
Tantra, (a )antra treaty on letters of alphabets a consonant always needs a
/owel to be e.pressed as Dhani (sound and also represents Shi/a;Shakti
couple. It is interesting to note that the letters are classified in terms of
gender.
Q. What is the relation beteen sound 9Dhani: and letter 9Varna:?
A. )here is a /ery close relationship between the two. A Dhani is a sound
without a letter. A 7etter can not be represented without sound. )o put a
meaning to the sound letter is a necessity. Sounds when produced are
e.pressed in different notes and scales independently. It is to be noted that
each letter has its presiding deity.
Q. Words are composed of letters. If each letter has a separate deity then a
ord is supposed to represent more than one deity and likeise a 3antra
comprising of one or more ords should also represent more than one
deity. In that case ho can a 3antra be deity2 specific?
A. Shrad Tilak (a well (nown te.t on )antra says, !Sarvadevama#i Devi
sarvamantrama#i Shiva." (Sarva$all, devama#i$form of god,
Devi$Supreme goddess, mantrama#i$form of Mantra, Shiva$ consort of
lord Shi/a or the presiding deity of the uni/erse. )hat means the Supreme
goddess represents all gods and all Mantras are the forms of the Supreme
goddess. )he abo/e te.t also says that the Supreme goddess is the other
name of Kundalini. +aturally all Mantras are the different forms of the
Qltimate Reality e.pressed as sound energy or Shabda)Brahma.
Suppose two bunches of candles, each bunch composed of ten assorted
candles, are (indled in a dar( room. 7ight from indi/idual candle in both
bunches contributes to the total illumination. 5ach candle and each bunch
has a different intensity of light but in respect of total illumination neither
one can percei/e the indi/idual contribution of a candle nor of a bunch.
Apparently though a Mantra seems deity;specific but in principle it
represents the Qltimate Reality.
Q. &hould one take all sounds and ords as 3antras?
A. According to )antra philosophy all letters of alphabets, words and sounds
are Mantras because, all these are the different forms of the Shabda)Brahma.
)he 5andharva Tantra says, !Caitan#am sarvabhutnm shabdabrahma
sarupakam' 3arnarupen tad v#aktam mantravid#di bhedata".
(Caitan#am$supreme consciousness, sarva$all, bhutnm$creation, sabda)
brahma$ultimate reality in the form of sound, sarupakam$form of,
varna$letter, rupen$as a form, tad$it, v#aktam$manifested, mantra$Mantra,
vid#$conglomeration of mantras depicting a deity in particular, adi$etc.,
bhedata$differentiations )hat means the Supreme consciousness per/ading
all the creations is the Shabda)brahma. Its manifestations differ because of
differences in e.pressions as letters and forms of deities. It can be said that
the energy in the form of Mantra e.presses itself with the help of letters,
words and sentences. Mantra can be e.pressed as any sound irrespecti/e of
languages pro/ided a particular meaning is imparted in it during applications
in worships, rituals and Japa. Mf course, all sound are Mantras in principle.
Q. Are 3antras the products of human intelligence?
A. If a Mantra is the representation of God how can that be the product of
human intelligenceS A Mantra is of di/ine origin and is only percei/ed or
recei/ed in the intelligence which was purified by penance, austerities and
intensi/e spiritual practices, of a seer. )hat is why sages are called as -ishah
*antra)drashtrah (Drasht$seer or percei/er of Mantra not *antra)
srasht (Srasht$creator.
Q. What are the common factors beteen Veda23antra and other
3antra?
A. 7i(e 2eda;Mantras all other Mantras also are associated with four factors
as -ishi$ ;handa$ Devat and 3ini#&'a.
;ishi<2 Ne is the person who by penance, austerities and spiritual practices
has purified both his inner and outer;being so that the di/inity in the form of
a Mantra with its full glory and meaning, descended on his heart. )he name
of the first seer or percei/er of the particular Mantra always remains
associated it.
=handa<2 5ach Mantra has its particular metrical composition. )hat means
dissention of the di/ine in the form of Mantra follows the rhythm of poetical
meter. In the 2edas there are mentions of se/en poetical meters /iL. 5#atri$
Tristup$ Ja'ati$ .nustup$ 6shnik$ Pankti and 3rihati. It is a common
e.perience that any orderly reception in the mind has its sustaining
impression and effect, which is not easily erasable. 7iteral meaning of the
word Chanda in Sans(rit is that which co/ers or /eils. (irukta (etymology
of 2edic words says, !Chandnsi hdant" (Bhandnsi$the Bhandas or
meters, Bhdant$for co/ering that means Bhandas or meters are for
co/ering. In Shrad Tilak it is said, !In olden time the gods scared of death
(from the demons in/o(ed Bhandas to co/er themsel/es."
De.at<2 5ach Mantra has its particular presiding deity. It has been
discussed before that a Mantra is the body of the deity. )here can be no
Mantra without a ,eity and vice verse.
Viniyoga<2 A Mantra ser/es multiple purposes of an aspirant. An aspirant
engages himself in spiritual endea/ors with the /iew to fulfillment of one or
all the following human goals, Dharma (inspirations to tread the path to the
ultimate ob1ecti/e of life, .rtha (riches or effluence in life, Kma (desires
related to sensual and other worldly en1oyments and *&ksha (the ultimate
beatitude. 3ini#&'a means the adoption of a Mantra for particular purpose
in a particular spiritual rite or practice. (3i$ special'particular, ni#&'a$
adoption.
Q. 8nlike Veda2mantra hat are the other essential limbs of a 3antra?
A. In the scriptures on )antra there are references of other essential limbs of
a Mantra. )hese are -ishi$ ;hhanda$ Devat (deity related to the Mantra,
Bij (seed of Mantra, Shakti (power or energy of Mantra, and Kilak (peg'pin
or a bolt. Nere Kilak means any hindrance that bloc(s the efficacy of a
mantra. In Dipika commentary of Shrivid#ratnasutram (a core boo( on
Shri)Yantra there is mention of se/en limbs of a Mantra, /iL. -ishi$
;hhanda$ Bij$ Kilak$ Shakti$ .n'an#s (.n'a$limbs of body,
n#s$placement. .n'an#s means the placement of a Mantra or its di/isions
in different limbs'parts of the body of the aspirant or the statue of a deity
and Dh#na (mental reflection on the meaning of the Mantra. 5#atri
Tantra mentions of fi/e limbs of a mantra as +vhan (in/ocation of the
presiding deity of the Mantra in the statue' Yantra' mind Dh#n$ Smaran
(remembrance, Samarpan (surrendering the results of the application of the
Mantra to the deity and 3isarjan (immersion of the deity within the self of
the aspirant.
Q. Are there any categorical di.isions of 3antra?
A. Mantras are broadly categoriLed as 3edic)*antra$ Purnic)*antra and
Tntric)*antra.
3edic)mantra= ) Mantras contained in the 2edas are called 2edic;Mantras.
Purnic)*antra= ) Purnas are the scriptural te.ts written in /erses
(Shl&kas4 elucidating the intricate religious mysteries and philosophies with
e.amples and anecdotes. All the Shl&kas in the Purnas are thought to be of
di/ine origin and esteemed as Mantras.
Tntric)*antra: ; Although 3edic and Purnic Mantras also ha/e heir place
in Tntric literature, there are some Mantras found e.clusi/ely with
reference to )antra.
Since all the religious traditions and philosophies ha/e their origin in the
2edas, these classifications are somewhat tentati/e.
In )antra traditions Mantras are categoriLed in different ways. Mantras are
classified as male, female and eunuch li(e in the case of 3arnas (letters of
the alphabet. According to -'havabhatta (a great commentator on )antra
this classification is based on the considerations of application and efficacy
of the Mantras. In fact, a Mantra being the representation of the Qltimate
Reality cannot ha/e any gender differentiation. A Mantra for a male deity is
called Pun')*antra (pun'$male, for a female deity called String;*antra
1strin'$female and all other Mantras are called (apun'sak)*antra
(napun'sak$eunuch. 3id# is the other name of female Mantra. According
to *eru Tantra a 3emale Mantra brings in en1oyments, a male Mantra
results in liberation.
In Shrad Tilak (a treaty on )antra Mantras are categoriLed as S&um#a and
S&ura. Soumya is deri/ed from the word S&m means the Moon and Soura
from Sur#a means the Sun. S&ura)*antra is also called +'ne#a)*antra
(.'ni$fire.
In 3arha Samhit we find a different classification. Mantras are classified
as Siddha, Sdh#a$ Susiddha and .ri. Siddha *antra comes to fruition by
*apa, Sdh#a by fire oblation, Susiddha effecti/e immediately after
reception from a Guru or di/ine source and .ri brings in disasters.
,uring initiation (Diksh Mantras are classified as -ini (debtor and Dhani
(creditor. )his classification is of elaborate details. Nowe/er, in simple it
can be said that if the number of letters in the name of the recipient e.ceeds
the number of letters in the Mantra it is called -ini)*antra and in the
re/erse case it is called Dhani)*antra. -ini)*antra is considered to be
auspicious and should be accepted and if the Mantra falls in the Dhani
category it should be discarded.
Another classification is based on the number of letters contained in a
Mantra. Mono;syllable Mantra is named as Pinda$ bi;syllable Mantra is
Kartari , Mantra with three to nine syllables is called Bijak, Mantra with ten
to twenty syllables is called *antrak and if the number of letters e.ceeds
twenty it is called *l)*antra.
Q. What is a 6i"23antra?
A. In fact, any letter of alphabets con1oined with a note of nada is a Mantra.
Ke ha/e discussed earlier that *triks are Mantras.
7iteral meaning of the word Bij is seed. 9anyan tree is manifested in its full
forms as an effect from the tiniest seed as the cause% li(ewise a Mantra and
the deity related to it are manifested (the effect from the Bij)*antra (the
cause. A culti/ator first has to sow the seeds in the field, nurtures the
growth of plants and finally reaps the crops. In the similar way, an initiate
after recei/ing a Bij)mantra of his belo/ed Godhead should put all his
efforts into practice so that the deity in his full glory appears before him.
5/erything in the creation is of name and form and a pro1ection of
Kundalini. ()he creati/e power of the Qltimate Reality A name is e.pressed
in sound;form. And this sound is the inherent criterion of an ob1ect. )he
specific energy of Kundalini is the causati/e factor for the formation of a
particular ob1ect. )he /ibrations of that specific energy are the inherent
sound form of the ob1ect which is its subtle manifestation called the Bij or
seed of the ob1ect. 3or e.ample, the /ibration of the specific energy of
Kundalini$ which is the causati/e factor for the creation of water, is
e.pressed in its sound form or Bij is !Bam". 5ach deity had its Bij)*antra
and the subtle power of the deity remains latent in it. Klim for Krishna$ Krim
for goddess Kli$ .im for goddess Sarasati$ /&um for lord Shi/a and
Shrim for goddess 7a>mi and so on etc. Apparently it seems li(e a mono;
syllable sound. Kith proper spiritual e.ercise when this latent power is
awa(ened the di/ine force pertaining to the specific Godhead starts wor(ing.
Shri Ma Anandamayee said, !3rom whoe/er you get the Bij)*antra,
(eeping it as a secret in your mind wor( on it then definitely in time from
that seed the tree will grow, bloom and bear fruits. 8eep on watering in
secrecy. At the proper time the tree will germinate." In the Ymal (a group
of te.ts on )antra it is said, !2erily from the Bij)*antras issue forth the
bodies of the deities. An aspirant by doing *apa of the Bij)*antra related to
the specific deity will be one with Brahma or the Qltimate Reality.
Q. &ometimes it appears that there are e-ceptions regarding specificity of
a 6i"23antra for a deity. 0lease e-plain.
A. It is true that certain Bij)*antras are related to more than one deity. 3or
instance, Klim (called as Kma)Bij related to god Krishna or 5&pl is also
applied to goddess 5uh#a)Kli (an incarnation of goddess Kli and .im
(called as 3'bhava)Bij the Sarasati)Bij is also applied to the Guru. In
linguistics we find that a basic word can ha/e different meanings. Aarticular
conte.t or the way the word is used determines its meaning. )he same
argument also applies in case of abo/e e.ceptions regarding 9i1;mantra.
3or e.ample, in the Mantra !Klim Krishn#a (amah" Klim)Bij stands for
8rishna. )he same Bij)*antra is also used in case of goddess
Tripursundari. Kith the change of conte.t the meaning of a Bij)*antra is
changed. A 8rishna worshiper when he gets this Bij?*antra during
initiation, to him it stands for 8rishna only. 3or another aspirant it may
mean goddess Tripursundari.
Q. >an there be more than one 6i"23antra or 3antra for a particular
deity?
A. A single deity can ha/e more than one Mantra and Bij)*antra. In general
Mantras differ with respect to number of letters or syllables. 9ut it is not
uncommon that different Mantras for one deity may ha/e the same number
of letters or syllables. 3or instance, both the Mantras !Klim /rishikesh#a
(amah" and Shrim /rim Klim Krishn#a Sh" ha/ing the same number
of syllables (eight Sans(rit syllable in each but different Bij)*antras$ stand
for 8rishna. )his may be due to difference in the eligibility, aim and school
which the aspirant belongs to.
Q. >an a 3antra of a deity be ithout 6i"23antra?
A. )here are Mantras without Bij)*antras. 3or instance, !bada bada
v'bdini sh" is called 3'ishari)*antra which has no Bij)*antra.
Khen the Bij </rim0 is put in the beginning and end it becomes
*ahsarasat)*antra. Some Dmar)*antras (Dmar is a group of te.t on
)antra which are composed of collo-uial words and do not contain a Bij)
*antra.
Q. Is there any 3antra composed of 6i"23antras only?
A. Mnly Bij can also ma(e a Mantra. )he Mantra !Shrim /rim /um"
containing only three Bij)*antras stands for goddess *ahkli.
Q. Is Aum a 6i"23antra?
A. It has been discussed before that all sounds originated from Shabda)
Brahma. .um2"m or Pranava is its sonic manifestation. In the Yoga;Sutra
of Patanjali it is said that !)asya vaka Pranava". (Tas#a$of that, means
the Qltimate Reality% 3aka$e.pression (its manifestation% Pranava=
.um2"m. )his is called as *ah)Bij 1*ah$great% Bji$seed. All the Bij)
*antras are the deri/ati/es &@ *triks and Pranava is the source of all
*triks. .um2"m is also termed as Brahma)Bij. ,eities are the specific
representations of different forms of -ualified 9rahma or the Qltimate
Reality.
In the 2edas no other Bij)*antras were used e.cept .um2"m. All Bij)
Mantras are found in the te.ts on )antra only.
Q. Where and ho is ?m7Aum being used in @antra?
A. Pranava is called as !*antrd#a" (6d#a=di$starting or beginning i.e.
all Mantras start with Pranava. According to 9h6s(arroy *antrd#a means
that which should be uttered at the beginning of Mantra. )he 2edic
-uotation !"mkrena sarv vk santrinn" ("mkren$ by the sound Mm,
sarv$all, vk$Mantra, santrinn$brac(eted means all Mantras are
brac(eted by Mm. In other words it can be said that Mm should be put both
at the beginning and at the end of all Mantras. Although Mm is purely a
2edic 9i1;Mantra there are many Tntric)*antras which start with this.
Q. What is @ntric 0rana.a?
A. In *ahnirvn Tantra(a te.t on )antra it is said, !Kal&u tu AAAAA
*#d#ai sarva karmni kur#u Shankarashsant" (kal&u$in Kali
Yu'a$Iron Age, tu$/erily, *#$ *#)Bij i.e.the 9i1 /rim, 6d#a$ at the
start, sarva$all, karmni$spiritual rites, kur#u=should be performed,
Shankara$lord Shi/a, Shsant$by order or ordain that means all Mantras
should start with the *#)Bij /rim. )his is also called Tntric) Pranava.
Q. Are there any utilities of Vedic 3antras in the practice of @antra?
A. It has been obser/ed that in some routine and special spiritual practices in
Santan Dharma (Santan$eternal, Dharma$religion i.e. )raditional Indian
religious practices, both 2edic and )antric ways are adopted. 9ut there are
purely )6ntric practices where 2edic Mantras are also used but not the
re/erse.
Q. What are the fields of application of 3antras?
A. )here are innumerable applications for Mantras. )o name a few: ; (< 3or
conditional liberation, (= Korship of God and /arious other incarnations,
(@ Achie/ement of Super;natural powers, (D )o pay homage to forefathers,
(E )o ta(e control of the power of spirits, (F)o achie/e and ta(e control of
the Aower of gods and demi;gods, (G )o dri/e away the power of e/il
spirits, (H Aerformance of solemn rites for propitiating the planets and
deities to secure prosperity or to a/ert e/il effects. (I 0ure of diseases, (<O
)o bring harm to human, cattle and crops, (<< Relie/ing from effects of
poisons, (<= )o influence thoughts and acti/ities of others, (<@ Aurification
of the body by doing special rites. (<D Qltimate 7iberation by way of Citta)
Shuddhi (purification of the inner being which is the primary re-uirement of
all spiritual endea/ors as the first step. A Mantra brings about inner
purification that is why it is considered as sacred.
Q What is the relation beteen 0u"a and Japa?
A. Shaktisan'am Tantra says, !Puj#uktam japet *antra na *antra
kevalam japet". (Puj#uktam$along with Au1a, japet$*apa should be
performed, na$no, kevalam$only )hat means *apa should always be
performed along with Au16 not alone. Mf course, *apa without Au16 is not
futile but considered to be less efficacious. It may be considered as (ma)
Japa.
Q. It has been said that one should contemplate the meaning of the
3antra 93antrrtha: during Japa. What is the ay to kno it?
A. A practiser should contemplate the meaning of a Mantra along with *apa.
9esides the literal meaning each Mantra has its mystical meaning which has
to be understood from the lips of Guru as ad/ised in Purasharan Tantra.
(!*antrrtha 'urumukhd b&dh#a" i.e. *antrrtha$ meaning of Mantra$
'urumukhd$from the mouth of Guru, b&dh#a$to be understood It is worth
mentioning that a practiser should also (now about Mantra;Caitan#a
(0onsciousness of Mantra and Y&ni)*udr along with the meaning of the
Mantra while using it in spiritual practice.
Q. What is 3antra2=aitanya 93antra2consciousness:?
A. )he origin of all Mantras is the all per/ading di/ine consciousness. It is
the same that e.ists in Mantra, deity, Guru and aspirant. 9ut in the aspirant
and Mantra it remains as latent or dormant. A realiLed Guru by his
awa(ened consciousness empowers the Mantra and passes it on to the
disciple during Diksh (initiation.
Mantra (dormant $ ,eity $ Guru $ self $ Mantra (conscious. Kithout
induction of potency in a Mantra it is only a conglomeration of letters.
Q. >an an aspirant empoer a 3antra by himself?
A. 3or this there are different methods described in )antra te.ts such as (<
to contemplate on the Mantra to be in the solar orb or disc and repeat it <OH
times. Aresence of 5ternal Shi/a and his 5ternal Sha(ti (energy'power
should be thought of in the solar disc, (= to recite the Mantra by putting the
!im)Bij at the beginning and end of it. It should be mentioned here that the
secret or mystical significance of all these processes should be heard from
the lips of the Guru, not from boo(s.
Q. What is !oni23udr?
A. It is technical term ha/ing different meanings in relation to its different
applications in spiritual practices. As such it is a (ind of Yoga practice
detailed descriptions of which are found in the te.ts of /atha)Y&'a or -ja)
Y&'a. So far its application to empower a Mantra is concerned an aspirant
should learn its secret meaning from the Guru. In Prnt&shini Tantra
(compilations on )antra te.ts it is said that an aspirant should thin( of the
letters of the Mantra embedded li(e a garland in the space of consciousness
which is saturated with ,ternal) nectar.
Some say that an aspirant should thin( of his indi/idual consciousness as
identical with the all per/ading consciousness or Kundalini which in its
upward mo/ement from the *uldhr);akra (lowest ple.us at the base of
/ertebral column, by penetrating other Cakras gets united with Qltimate
Shi/a. And this union results in the appearance of 5ternal +ectar which has
the effulgence of ten millions Suns and soothing li(e ten millions Moons.
In another place it s said that contemplation on <S&ham" (I am )hat is the
best of Y&ni)*udrsB.
Q. Is it necessary to ha.e Diksh 9initiation: for doing any spiritual
practice ith 3antra?
A. 9efore answering the -uestion let us try to understand in brief something
about Diksh. In all Indian spiritual traditions from the 2edic period a
Guru'preceptor'teacher'mentor plays the pi/otal role. Mo/ed by inner urge
to (now and understand the secrets of creation and life an in-uisiti/e
aspirant should approach a wise Guru with re/erence and submission. )he
Guru in turn after assessing the capability of the aspirant first initiates him
so that he becomes eligible to tread the specific and suitable path of practice
to reach his goal. Aropagation of life follows parentsJ;progeny lineage
whereas propagation of wisdom and (nowledge follows Guru;disciple
lineage.
In all the te.ts on )antra Diksh is considered to be the first step in spiritual
endea/ors. So it can well be said that Diksh is a must for ta(ing up any
spiritual practice.
Q. What are the .arious types of Diksh?
A. 9roadly there are two types of Diksh$ (< 3edic Diksh and (= Tntric
Diksh.
Vedic Diksh: Initiation of first three of the four social caste orders
>Brhmin$priest class, Kshatri#a$ruler class, 3ais#a$ trader and
agriculturist class and Shudra$ser/ile class? in 2edic 5#atri *antra is
called 3edic Diksh. )his is obligatory for these three castes. )hese three
castes are called Dija (twice born. Diksh is the second birth for these
three castes. 9esides, before performing any special 2edic sacrificial rites
such as fire oblations a Yajaman (worshipper through priest needed to be
initiated.
@antric Diksh: A Dija after ta(ing 3edic Diksh of the 5#atri)*antra
should be initiated in !shta)*antra (!shta$most belo/ed image of deity to an
aspirant in the )6ntric way. Tantric Diksh is commonly prescribed for all
castes. In 3ishasr Tantra four types of DikahsJ are mentioned.
<. Kri#vatii Diksh: )his is ritual intensi/e. Nere purification of the
body (gross, subtle and causal of the disciple, induction of GuruJs
consciousness in the disciple and washing of the disciple with
consecrated water are done by the Guru. )his type is widely
practiced.
=. Kalvatii Diksha: Nere a Guru meditates on different Kals as
ordained in the scripture in different parts of the body of the disciple
in ascending order from feet to crown and places the Kals in
respecti/e parts of the body in descending order from crown to feet.
@. 3arnama#ii Diksh: Nere a Guru places the letters of the mantra in
different parts of the body of the disciple as ordained in the
scriptures. Ne then merges the letters and the consciousness of the
disciple in the all per/ading consciousness in ascending order and
again ta(es the letters and the consciousness out and places them in
the respecti/e parts of the body of the disciple in descending order.
9y this method of Diksh the disciple feels di/ine bliss in him.
D. Bedhama#ii Diksh: )his is also called *nas Diksh (mental
initiation. Nere a Guru initiates his disciple through meditation. It is
/ery rare to find such a Guru capable of gi/ing such Diksh. Mf
course an eligible disciple is the rarest to find.
In Kulrnava Tantra se/en types of DikshsB are named such as C.Kri#
Diksh$ 9.Kal Diksh$ :.3arna Diksh$ D. *nas Diksh (mental Diksh4
E.3k Diksh (Diksh by speech4$ F. Drik Diksh 1Diksha by loo($ and G.
Sparsha Diksh (Diksh by touch. Kri# DikshsB are classified into eight
and 3arna DikshsB are classified into three categories. 3irst four types are
the same as Kri#vatii$ Kalvatii$ 3arnama#ii and Bedhama#ii DikshsB
respecti/ely.
In -udra Ymal (Y6malsJ are a group of )e.ts on )antra we find three
types of Diksh viH. +navi$ Shktii and Shmbhavii.
<. +navii Diksh: )he ceremony initiation which is performed with
Mantra, Korship of deities, (#sa (placement of Mantra in different
parts of body is called (#sa, Asana (a particular posture of the
body, Dh#na (here dh#na means meditation, and other
paraphernalia is +navi Diksh. )his again are of different types /iL.
I. Smrtii (deri/ed from the word Smaran$remembrance here guru
initiates from a faraway place in the physical absence of the
disciple, II. *nasikii 1mnas$mental here Guru loo(s at the
disciple sitting nearby and initiates him mentally, III. Y&u'i (deri/ed
from the word Yoga here guru enters into the body of disciple by a
Yogic method and con1oins his self with the self of disciple, I2.
;kshush 1 akshu$ eye here guru thin(s himself as !I am the
ultimate lord Shi/a" and loo(s at the disciple compassionately,
2.Sparshinii 1sparsha$ touchhere Guru touches the disciple
compassionately, 2I. 3ikii 1vk$word here Guru identifies his
mouth with that of his Guru and gi/es the di/ine Mantra to the
disciple orally, 2II. *ntrikii (deri/ed from the word Mantra here
Guru places the Mantra in different parts of his body and ma(es
himself Mantra incarnate and initiates the disciple in that /ery
Mantra, 2III. /&trii (deri/ed from the word /&m$fire sacrifice
here the Guru will perform the rites of fire sacrifice for purification
of the body and mind of the disciple and initiates the disciple, IP.
Shstrii (shstra$scriptures here the Guru initiates a disciple
engaged in ser/ing the Guru and fond of worshipping deities, in
accordance with scriptural ordains, and P. .bhisheikii (Abhis(e($
ablution with consecrated water here Guru will perform Au16 of
Shi/a with his consort on a pitcher filled with water and sprin(le
this consecrated on the disciple
=. Shktii Diksha: In 3#avi#a Samhit (a di/ision of Shiva Purn. )his
scriptural te.t on 7ord Shi/a describes his lilas and glories in
se/eral cantosJ this type of Diksh is called Jnnavatii (Jnn$
wisdom. Nere the wisdom;incarnate Guru enters the body of the
disciple by Yogic;Aower and transfuses him with wisdom. )his
Diksh re-uires no ceremonial rites and rituals.
@. Shmbhavii Diksh: In (it#&tsav (a te.t which deals in detail with
the processes of Au16 of Goddess 7alit &r *ah Tripur Sundari
6mnandantha$ the great e.ponent of Kshmir Shaivism wrote
that the Guru will contemplate on the red and white feet of
Kmeshari)Kmeshara (the ultimate lord Shi/a and his consort
couple on the crown of the disciple. )hen he will further thin( that
from these feet the e.uding of nectar onto the disciple is washing
out his both inner and outer impurities. )he placement of the feet of
the great lord and his consort on the crown of disciple is called
Shmbhavii Diksh.
Q. Is 1ysa 9placement of 3antra in different parts of body: necessary
for Japa practice?
A. )he ultimate goal of *apa is to be one with the Mantra and the deity. In
fact, a Jiva (sentient being is Shi/a. *a .nandama#ee said, !Yatra Jiva
tatra Shiva." and !Yatra nri tatra 5&uri." )hat means where there is Jiva
there is Shi/a and where there is woman there is 5&uri or the consort of
Shi/a. )his attitude gets a firm hold in the mind of an aspirant by the
process of (#sa. )hat is why (#sa is ordained to be obligatory in
practice of Mantra.
Q. What are the other obligations in Japa practice?
A. Dh#na (meditation and Prn#ma are the two most important
obligations to be performed before doing *apa. Prn#ma is also
prescribed at the end of *apa. In Sarasati Tantra the following se-uences
are prescribed before *apa. 3irst of all a Sdhaka (Aspirant should
remember his Guru. Korship and pay obeisance to him. )hen se-uentially
he should perform the following processes as ordained in the scriptures
such as; *antra)shikh (flame of Mantra, *antra)aitan#a (Mantra
consciousness, *antrrtha Bhvan (contemplation on the meaning of
Mantra, Meditation on the Guru at the thousand petals lotus at the crown
of the head, Meditation on the deity at the heart, Kulluk (special Mantra
specific for a deity used to sanctify the Japa)*antra, *ahsetu ( great
bridge ( a specific mantra for a deity lin(ing the mantra with the deity li(e
a great bridge, Y&ni)*udr Bhvan (as described earlier, .n'an#sa
(placement of the Mantra in parts at the different limbs of body,
Prn#ma, Jihav)Sh&dhan (purification of tongue or mouth which
remains generally in an impure state due to lying and improper use of
words, Prna#&'a (uniting the /ital life force with the Mantra,
Dipanii(lighting up of the Mantra, .sh&u)Bhan'a (ash&u means period
of defilement due to birth or death, Bhan'a means to brea(, (asa'ra)
Drishti (fi.ing the gaLe at the tip of nose, Setu)Japa (li(e in *aha)Setu ,
again Setu)Japa$ again .sh&u)Bhan'a and Prn#ma. All these
processes ha/e special meanings and mystical significance, which are to
be learnt and understood from the Guru only. )hese may /ary according to
the different schools of practice.
Q. What are the general rules and restrictions in doing Japa?
A. An aspirant interested in the practice of *apa is supposed to obser/e
some rules and restrictions to achie/e the cherished goal. As *apa is a
spiritual practice of a high order, the practiser should underta(e it
seriously with utmost alertness, sincerity and faith. )he following factors
should be ta(en care of.
Asana (posture) and seat: )hese are common to all spiritual practices.
Yoga;Sutra says, !Sthira sukhsanam" (sthira$ fi.ed, sukhsanam$
comfortable body posture.
)he aspirant should get used to a particular posture so that he can sit for a
prolonged period of time without feeling any physical strain and
discomfort. )he seat should be three feet by three feet in siLe, made of
successi/e layers of Kusha)5rass, s(in of naturally dead animal and
cotton cloth. It should be at least two inches higher from the ground le/el.
)hese are the general specifications prescribed in *eru Tantra. )he
composition of the seat may /ary in accordance with the purpose of *apa.
3or wisdom 9lac( ; deer s(in, for general purpose ; tiger s(in, for
reco/ery from ailments ; sheep s(in, for nourishment ; Kusha)'rass and
for wealth ; cane seats are recommended. 3or /arious incantations with
harmful designs s(ins of elephant, buffalo, sheep, rhinoceros, cow and
1ac(al are used.
Place of Japa: In the 5ita (0h.F, Shl. << it said, !Shu&u deshe
pratisthp#a sthiram 6sanamTT.. i.e. the seat should be placed there in
a clean and sanctified place. Kithout going into details of innumerable
selections of places it can simply be said that the clean and sanctified
place where the mind feels composed and cheerful is the best for spiritual
practice.
!"e of Japa: )his has been discussed pre/iously in connection with
(it#a and (aimittik Japa. In addition to routine obligations for an initiated
aspirant, as such, there are no other time restrictions because% one of the
purposes of *apa is constant remembrance of God. In -udra Ymal it is
said that *apa of Shakti *antra (Mantra related to Goddess at night is
more fruitful.
#$%t$" of Japa: *apa should not be too fast or too slow. )here should be
clarity of the sound of the Mantra and a fi.ed rhythm.
Nu"&er of Japa: Routine Sandh# 6psan after initiation is a
commitment for the lifetime of an aspirant. )he firm resol/es as to the
number of routine *apa ta(en after initiation by an aspirant by himself or
ordained by the Guru should be fulfilled at all costs. (aimittik Japa that
means *apa on special occasions or during auspicious moments should be
underta(en after ha/ing a firm resol/e regarding the number of *apa. In
Purasharan (ceremonial *apa;ritual obser/ed with strict rules and
disciplines accompanied by Puj$ (a /&m ( fire oblations, (b
.bhishek1ablutionsand (c Tarpan(sprin(lings with consecrated water
and (d Brhman Bh&jan ( feeding 9r6hmins, as directed in scriptures, in
order to awa(en'energiLe the potency of a Mantra numbers play /ery
important roles. Nere the number of *apa is determined by the number of
letters'syllables contained in a Mantra. Generally one hundred thousand
times the numbers of letter'syllable are prescribed for *apa followed by
steps (a, (b, (c and (d respecti/ely. +umber of fire oblations should be
<'<O the number of 1apa
+umber of ablutionsTTTTTT.<'<OTTTTT fire ablutions
+umber of sprin(lingTTTTTT.<'<OTTTTTablutions
+umber of 9r6hmin feedingTTTT<'<OTTTTTsprin(ling.
3or e.ample, the 2edic 5#atri *antra (ha/ing =D letters =.D million
*apa followed by the successi/e steps with prescribed numbers are
re-uired for Purasharan.
Routine *apa is classified into three categories, ten thousand as 6ttam
(superior, one thousand as *adh#am (Medium and one hundred eight as
.dham( inferior. It is not ad/isable to do *apa less than <OH.
Q. What is the use of the rosary 93ala: in Japa?
A. Rosaries or *ls help in (eeping the number. Qse of rosaries in
different religions li(e Sui@sm$ Tntric Buddhism$ ShikhismB and e/en in
0hristianity are not uncommon. Rosary is considered to be a sacred tool
for doing *apa. Aroper use and maintenance of sanctity of the rosary
should be ta(en care of. )here are certain rules and restrictions regarding
uses of rosaries. Qsually there are <OH beads 1*ani4 stringed together in
sil( or cotton thread li(e a garland. )here is an e.tra bead situated at the
1oint of two ends of the thread called the *eru (pole. A typical three and
a half round coiled (not called 5ranthi separates each bead from the ne.t
one. ,uring *apa the *eru should not be crossed . After completion of
<OH recitations the *eru is reached. Kithout crossing it the *l is to be
turned around and ne.t turn of *apa should start from the <OH
th
bead.
Q. What are the types of rosary generally used in Japa?
A. In Santan Indian traditions three types of rosaries are being used /iL.
3arnaml$ ;araml and Karaml.
'arna"(l() Nere the letters of Sans(rit alphabet represent the beads, the
compound syllable !Ksha" ma(es the *eru and Kundalini is the thread of
this rosary. )he practiser is supposed to add the sound of .nusar (nasal
sound to each of the letters of alphabet starting from !U" and recite the
Mantra and continue up to the last letter !la". 3or once he should utter
!ksha0 and again recite bac(wards to end up with !U" again. 9y this
process one hundred recitations of the Mantra will be completed. )hen he
will di/ide the letters of alphabets into eight 3ar'asJ (categories and
adding .nusar to the last letter of each category he should recite the
Mantra. 9y this way his <OH recitations will be complete.
*ara"(l() )his is also called as ;ala &r ;anala. )he beads may be of
any one of the materials li(e -udrksha$ 0onch shell, I/ory, 7otus seed,
Aearl, RuartL, Gold, Sil/er, 0oral, Sandalwood (both red and white, Tulsi
(9asil wood, Root of Kusha)grass, 5unj;seed, )urmeric, *ahshankha
(forehead bone of human s(ull, )eeth of a don(ey, horse and man etc.
+umber of beads, bead materials and colour and type of threads are
selected in accordance with specific purpose of *apa or as directed by the
Guru.
+ara"(l() (Kar$hand, ml$rosary )en segments of fingers of hand are
used as counting tools for *apa. )here is a difference of opinion as to
which of the segments are to be used in counting. Aspirants are supposed
to follow the direction gi/en by Guru after initiation.
)here is another type of rosary called SamsmaranIml
(Samsmaran$remembrance generally composed =G beads and a *eru
used for continuous practice of *apa.
Q. Are there any prescribed rules and restrictions regarding the use of
3l?
A. *l is not merely a tool for counting *apa. It considered as sacred and
its sanctity should be maintained while using it. Scriptural te.ts ()e.ts on
)antra in particular prescribed certain rules and restrictions regarding the
use of *l. )o mention a few:;
<. It should be properly (notted and subse-uently consecrated as
ordained before use
=. 9ead material is to be selected in accordance with specific Mantra
and purpose of *apa.
@. Same *l cannot be used for different Mantras. 3or instance, in
3aishnav)Mantra, *ls made of Tulsi&&d, Khite Sandalwood,
7otus seed etc. are prescribed whereas in Shi/a and Shakti)
*antra, *ls made of -udrhsha and other materials are to be
used. Mf course RuartL *l can be used in both cases.
D. Qtmost care should be ta(en so that mo/ements of beads do not
ma(e any sound, *l should not slip away from finger grip
during *apa and the thread should not be bro(en. A *l should
not touch the ground or any other parts of the body during *apa.
E. A bro(en *l should again be freshly and properly (notted and
consecrated before reuse. 5.tra <OOH or <OH recitations of the
Mantra are suggested before reuse of the *l.
F. Mo/ement of the beads should be guided by thumb and middle
finger and the fore finger should be unused. In some incantations
aiming to do harm the forefinger is used.
G. Mne is not supposed to be on the mo/e with *l while doing
(it#a$ (aimittik and Km#a Japa. 3or constant remembrance
there is no such restrictions and a separate *l should be used
for this.
J. An aspirant should not use anybody elseJs *l or should not
allow anybody else to use his *l.
I. A *l should ne/er be (ept unused i.e. once an aspirant starts
using a *l he should at least use it once a day. Mtherwise the
*l should be freshly re;consecrated or e.tra *apa should be
done for deliberate or inad/ertent lapses.
<O. Generally a Japa)*l should not to be used as a nec(lace.
Q. !ou ha.e said before that in *ali2!uga Japa is most efficacious
and simple spiritual practice. 6ut after the brief discussions so far it
seems that to achie.e the desired results one has to go through many
steps and fulfill rules hich are not so easy. 4o do you e-plain
that?
A. In a particular conte.t Ma once said, !Aath towards God is
straight'simple (saral and easy (sahaja". 9ut our e.periences are the
opposite. In the history of spirituality irrespecti/e of any religion we
find that all the prophets and saints spo(e about the hindrances and
difficulties an aspirant has to face during his endea/or. 5/en the 2eda
says that the path of spirituality is li(e, !Skhuras#a dhra nishit
durat#a# dur'am pathastt kav&#& badanti." (Skuras#a$of a raLor,
dhr$edge, nishit$ sharp, durat#a#$impassable'far reaching,
dur'am$difficult to tread, pathah$path, kav&#&$the seers, tat$ that,
badanti$say, that means, the path of spirituality is li(e the sharpened
edge of a raLor impassable to tread on and full of obstacles. )his has
been said by the seers of olden days. )his ties in with our actual
e.perience but is opposed to what Ma had said.
7et us try to understand the meanings of the words VeasyJ, VstraightJ and
VsimpleJ. Ma used the 9engali term VSahajaJ (saha$ along with%
ja=jta$ born that means to tread the path of spirituality is an in;born
faculty of a person. Mnce he is con/inced about this, he can go for it
with ease. 9ehind e/ery action lies the intention of the doer. Again the
intention has its root in desire which is the ob1ecti/e manifestation of
lo/e within for the particular action. )he doer first fi.es a hypothetical
goal and with (nowledge, e.periences gained so far and predetermined
methods starts doing it. At the onset he may encounter difficulties but
with practice he gets used to o/ercoming those with ease and efficiency
and achie/es the cherished goal.
Apparently the acti/ities of life of a person start at birth. (3or the time
being acti/ity starting from conception with prenatal growth are not
ta(en into consideration to a/oid further arguments and comple.ities
and difficulties come along until the apparent death ends life. )o a new;
born child e/en the first breath is a difficult tas(, which turns into an
in/oluntary and effortless natural acti/ity for the rest of its life.
In MaJs life we notice that the spiritual practices of /arious disciplines
attained fulfillment on their own with ease without any e.ternal aids
li(e a Guru, scriptures, philosophical understanding and primary
preparation. She termed these as !Sdhanr khel" (Sdhanr$ of
spiritual practice, khel$play that means, play of sdhan. Sdhan
played through her physical and inner being, or sdhan seemed to be a
play to her. )his again is apparently contradicting our usual
understanding of spiritual practice. 3irst of all a Guru, or the scriptures,
caution an aspirant at the /ery onset of spiritual practice not to ta(e it as
a play. A practitioner is supposed to ta(e up spiritual endea/or earnestly
and with all seriousness and sincerity. Aerhaps, Ma is the first in the
spiritual history of the world to coin the term !Alay of sdhan".
+ow let us try to understand what we mean by the word play. Alay is to
amuse oneself, or the e.pression of inner happiness in action. In other
words it can be said that play is the e.pression of the inner lo/e for the
self. In play there is continuation of happiness throughout, from the
beginning to the end irrespecti/e of the final result. Alay and
competition are not the same. In competition happiness depends on the
end result, when one wins, whereas in play there is happiness
throughout. In competition one gi/es out energy, e.pertise and
sincerity, but when one looses one feels pain and thin(s that all efforts
were futile. Khen happiness comes at the cost of someone elseJs pain it
is not real happiness. In a competition the 1oy of /ictory causes the loser
pain. In spiritual practice one should feel happy while pursuing it.
Nappiness in achie/ing the goal will come as a bonus as in the case of
true play. In addition to lo/e for the imaginary achie/ement or goal one
needs to ha/e lo/e for the practice as well. Almost all our physical and
mental faculties are ac-uired through the e.perience of interactions
with the world outside. )he only faculty e/eryone is born with is lo/e.
)his is called Sahaja.
Q. 4o can one be in lo.e ith Japa practice? At times one feels
bored in repeating the same ord or 3antra. Is there any ay to get
rid of this boredom?
A. Mf course, there is a way. Khat one needs is to loo( at oneJs actual
life e.perience and try to apply it in his spiritual practice. *apa is
another name for constant remembrance of the most belo/ed godhead.
A child with /ery few e.periences or interactions with the di/ersified
outside world has its lo/e focused on the mother only and constantly
remembers her. A young person spends hours, days, months and years
together in constant remembrance of the date of the first lo/e. A young
mother in the midst of all her worldly actions and household chores has
her attention focused on her new;born baby. In all these cases constant
remembrance is an effortless action. 9ut with time on the one hand the
ob1ect of lo/e changes and on the other hand more ob1ects of lo/e
infiltrate into the mind. )he single;minded attention or lo/e becomes
di/ersified. An e.clusi/e relation is transformed into se/eral relati/e
relations.
Numan mind is in constant search for the changeless lo/e. 9ut the
changes both in the belo/ed and the lo/er in the temporal and the
spatial frame of the world, come in the way of this changeless lo/e.
+ow the -uestion is, whether it is possible to stop these changes. )he
answer as such is negati/e. )o find the way out, one needs to e.amine
his e.perience of interactions with the ob1ecti/e world around and see
whether there is any apparently changeless ob1ect or thought that he is
in lo/e with. )he changes registered both in the sub1ect and ob1ects are
of the names and forms only. At the surface it seems that lo/e also
changes with the changes in names and forms. 9ut the fact is deeper
than this. )a(e for e.ample the lo/e for dresses. Mne buys dresses of
different colours and designs of ones choice. Apparently there are
changes in the ob1ecti/e lo/e but the fact is that the lo/e for dress
remains the same. +ow let us consider lo/e in a sub1ecti/e way. You
can find changes in yourself with the passage of time. )hese changes
are noticed only when you put yourself in the spatial and temporal
frame of the world ob1ecti/ely. )o be more precise, changes are noticed
only in the sub1ect;ob1ect relationship. Kith time and situation your
lo/e seems to change with changes of ob1ects but your lo/e for ob1ect
remains unchanged.
+ow let us ha/e a deeper loo( at boredom. Khy do we feel boredS At
the bac(ground of all boredom there lies an underlying sense of
changeless self;lo/e. In the pursuit of feeling the changeless lo/e the
mind is constantly probing different sense ob1ects and has ac-uired the
habit of see(ing change. )herefore anything changeless apparently has
its impact on mind compared with its de/eloped shape, and this is
called the feeling of boredom.
It is a transient world. All the ob1ects (material and mental are in the
process of change both in temporal and spatial frames of conception.
Sometimes these changes are so minute that the wor(able and gross
sense organs cannot percei/e them and the ob1ect seems to be
changeless. 9ut the fact is that, both the percei/er and percei/ed are
undergoing changes with respect to temporal and spatial frames. )he
lac( of right mindfulness brings about the sense of changelessness.
9ehind any action whatsoe/er (mental or physical there lies the inner
urge of the doer to ha/e a taste of happiness. In other words it can be
said that this inner urge is the indirect e.pression of self;lo/e of the
doer. )o be rid of boredom one should try to go to the root of boredom
;and it will be remo/ed.
Q. &ometimes it happens that a seeker recei.es a mantra either in a
dream or .ision and he7she starts doing Japa of the mantra thus
obtained. What do you say about that?
.. Yes, it is not uncommon that at times an aspirant recei/es a mantra
in dream or /ision and this creates doubts in his mind as to whether or
not to practice this *apa. If the mantra in dream'/ision does not tally
with the mantra he had already recei/ed during initiation the person
should first consult the Guru before doing anything with the mantra.
,reams are the outcome of Sanskars (Mind;set within. )he Guru only
(nows which of these sanskars are to be gi/en prominence during the
course of spiritual practice of his disciple. 9esides, the sound thus
obtained may not be complete in all respects so that it can be termed a
mantra.
It has been said earlier that mantra is not mere sounds. A practiser is
supposed to (now and understand a mantra with all its limbs and
meaning before wor(ing on it. I had been the witness to many such
cases of see(ers who recei/ed mantras in a dream and came to Ma
as(ing for her guidance. In almost all the cases Ma would as( the
person to get the mantra authenticated and sanctified by the respecti/e
Guru or an able person in his guru lineage in the physical absence of the
Guru.
It may so happen that the mantra obtained in a dream is not at all related
to the Ista (most belo/ed God;head of an already initiated see(er. 9ut
an aspirant is supposed to ha/e one;pointed attention on his !sta)mantra
during spiritual practice. In that case the see(er will not be in a position
to ascertain how to deal with this situation without the guidance of his
preceptor or guru. Self suggesti/e spiritual practice may not gi/e the
desired result and at times the efforts may pro/e to be futile.
Q. What about a mantra in a dream or .ision gi.en by the )uru
himself?
A. In that case too the mantra needs to be authenticated and sanctified
either by the Guru personally or by an able person in the guru lineage in
the physical absence of the guru.
Q. It is not uncommon to notice that a seeker practices a mantra
recei.ed from a guru for sometime% then lea.es both the guru and
mantra and goes for alternati.es. What is your comment in that case?
A. It has already been said that spiritual practices can be classified
broadly into three categories such as, (< (it#a (,aily routine, (=
(aimit#ik (Special occasions and (@ Kam#a 1with worldly desires. An
initiated aspirant should underta(e spiritual practice as a commitment
for life. Mnce he embraces a Guru, mantra and a path he is not supposed
to change these until the end. )his (ind of practice falls under the
category of (it#a which should be the main stay in his spiritual path.
3or the other two categories a change is not unwelcome. Mf course,
e/en in such cases special Diksha and Sankalpa (firm resol/e for
underta(ing such time;bound practices are necessary.
An aspirant who changes his path and Guru may find e.cuses for doing
so by referring to some scriptural te.ts. In Kularnav Tantra says, !!n
search &@ kn&led'e a disciple sh&uld m&ve @r&m &ne 5uru t& an&ther
like a h&ne#)bee m&ves @r&m &ne @l&er t& an&ther in search &@ h&ne#.0
In some other place the same scripture says, !(ever leave the 5uru but
@&ll& his advice." Ma also said, !?nce embraced the &ad2)uru can
ne.er be left." Nere we find apparent contradictions in scriptural te.ts
in connection with the changing of a Guru. Kithout going into the
details of treaties on the Guru as described in different scriptural te.ts
one can say that the word Guru has its /arious meanings e.plaining
different aspects of the Guru. 9roadly Gurus are categoriLed into two
classes, (<4 Diksa 5uru i.e. Guru of initiation and (= Shiksha 5uru i.e.
Guru for gaining (nowledge. Anyone from whom an aspirant can gain
(nowledge is a Siksha 5uru$ which is sub1ect to change according to
need. 9ut a Diksha 5uru in general is not changeable unless the Guru
himself as(s or sends his disciple to some other Guru for further
spiritual upliftment.
It has to be remembered that the term Diksha in the 2edas in general
signifies a ceremony to be performed before underta(ing any (aimittik
and Kam#a 8arma (as defined earlier li(e special Yajna etc. In such
cases the Yajman (the doer'host has the freedom to select a competent
conductor (-ittvik of the rites and to get initiated by him. )his type of
diksha remains /alid till the completion of the special ceremony.
+ow let us consider a few points which could lead a disciple to thin(
about changing his Guru.
2ery often it is noticed that a disciple embraces a Guru from a passing
impulse to ha/e immediate or -uic( spiritual'worldly gains in a specific
time frame. Khen he does not get the desired results, doubts crop up in
his mind about the path as well as the Guru. 3inally he tries to change
the Guru.
9ecause of psychological in/ol/ement a disciple tries to (eep a close
association with the Guru. Nere both re/erence and infatuation act
together. Kith time and interactions the different aspects of the
beha/ioral patterns of both the Guru and disciple unfold. Sometimes
this may be the cause of the changes in initial attitudes and the disciple
wants to distance himself from the Guru.
In certain cases the Guru fails to assess the physiological as well as the
mental constitutions of the disciple and prescribes practices which may
not be best suited for the disciple. )he disciple also sometimes as(s for
practices for a self;chosen path, which ultimately does not stand him in
good stead for continuing to the goal ; and he starts searching for an
alternati/e
)o tread the path of spirituality is li(e wal(ing on a RaLorJs edge. It
was said in &h.etash.atar 8pnishad that the path of an aspirant is li(e
!skhurasya dhara nishit duratyaya durgam pathastat ka.oyoh
.adanti, 9Skhuras#a= of raLor, dhara= edge, nishit$ sharp, durat#a#a$
far reaching, dur'am$ full of obstacles, kav&#&h$ the seers of the past,
vadanti $ say i.e. to follow the spiritual path is li(e wal(ing on a
raLorJs edge% this is far reaching and full of obstacles as told by the
seers of the past.
An aspirant is re-uired to ha/e a strong con/iction for the path and
should be committed to the goal for his whole life. A see(er, ha/ing so
many worldly duties and preoccupations, cannot maintain unperturbed
focus on his spiritual goal. Ne is always in search of a short cut to
achie/e his goal within a time frame. Khen it does not happen with a
particular Guru and path, he loo(s to change.
Q. It is a common complaint of spiritual seekers that hile engaged
in Japa the mind roams about ceaselessly on different ob"ects and
causes disturbances. Are there any specific instruction gi.en by 3a to
o.er come this?
A. It is difficult to generaliLe MaJs instructions. Khate/er had come out
of MaJs lips was in response to a specific -uery by a particular aspirant.
Ner ad/ice /aried from person to person. 0ompiled below are a few of
her instructions regarding *apa which can be considered somewhat
generaliLed instructions:;
9A:. &thir asan% sthir dristi% Japa ashray% tabei raser asha.
Sthir asan(fi.ed posture'seat:; Nere Ma pointed out the
necessity of ha/ing a fi.ed sitting posture while doing 1apa. It is to be
noted that the seat on which *apa is practiced should not be changed as
far as practicable. In all the te.ts on Yoga, the importance of seats and
postures were discussed in meticulous detail. In the Yoga Sutra of
Aatan1ali, the third limb of Yoga of eight limbs is the asana. It says,
!sthir sukhasanam0i.e. the posture as well as the seat should be fi.ed
and comfortable.
Sthir dristi (fi.ed loo(:; Nere dristi means both e.ternal and internal
loo(. 0losed eyes can negate the e.ternal /isual distraction but the
hyperacti/e and interacti/e sans(ars within do not allow the mind to
settle down. A focused mental occupation li(e contemplation on the
meaning of the mantra is also necessary. )he Yoga Sutra said,
!tajjapam tadartha bhavanam." (contemplation on the meaning of the
/ery mantra of *apa
Japa ashra# 1Japa as t&&l2res&rt4=) *apa is one of the most efficacious
tools for controlling the mind. According to Ma one should ta(e resort
to *apa to arrest the uncontrollable mo/ements of mind.
Tabei raser asha=) )hen only there is hope for en1oying the
necter'essence of spiritual practice.
6. !adi "ape beshikshan thakte icchs kare tabe shabder upar lakshya
rekhe "ap. Akshar rupe bhaga.an% shabdarupe bhaga.an. (If one
wishes to do *apa for a long time then it should be done being attenti/e
to the shabda. God is represented as sound and syllable as well. )he
meaning of the term shabda includes both sound and syllable.
Nere Ma was /ery clear about the usefulness of contemplation in *apa
practices and hinted at the options on contemplation. Mne may focus
attention either on the sound or on the syllable of the mantra.
)he syllable'syllables of a mantra are fi.ed for a particular language.
9ut the sound generally does not change. It has to be noted that the
pronunciation of a mantra differs from person to person and apparent
/ariations of sound may be noticed. 3or e.ample, a mantra may be
common in both classical Indian tantric order and in Tibetian tantric
9uddhism but the syllables and sounds are different. )hese differences
do not affect the potency and efficacy of the mantra.
>. At times it seems .ery difficult to contemplate on the meaning of
the mantra simultaneously ith "apa. In that case the meaning of the
mantra should be contemplated on first. ?ne should also think that
this meaning is fully reflected in the mantra.
Nere Ma is gi/ing some tips to o/er come some of the practical
difficulties an aspirant generally faces during 1apa practice. Right
mindfulness is complementary to successful 1apa and vice verse. In the
conscious le/el registration of thoughts follows close se-uences. As
such it may seem that thoughts float on the surface of consciousness
simultaneously which cannot be registered separately because of /ery
close se-uence. )he mind fi.es itself alternately between 1apa and
contemplation on the meaning of the mantra thereby ma(ing 1apa a
mechanical process. Nere Ma suggests that first the mind should be
conditioned by contemplation followed by doing 1apa.
D. +1ishs prasse saha" bh.e nm kariy "oy."((ishs$
inhalation% prashse$ in e.halation% sahaj bhve$in natural way,
nm$ +ame of God% here nm signifies mantra% kari# j&#$ should
be continued% that is to say, 1apa of the name of God or the mantra
should be continued along with natural breathings. In another occasion
Ma said, +&hser dike lakshya rkhiya Jap., (Shser$ of breathing%
dike$ towards% laksh#a$ focus% rkhi#a$ (eeping on% that means, 1apa
should be performed (eeping focus on the breathing. )hese two
sayings of Ma are of primary importance in 1apa practice. )heoretically,
the sayings are in simple and understandable language. 9ut to practice
1apa in accordance with MaJs suggestion re-uires detailed
consideration.
Prn#ma is thought to be the most effecti/e tool for the concentration
of mind. In almost all the spiritual practices irrespecti/e of any
particular order pranayama was upheld as an obligatory tool to start
with. In the boo(s on Yoga >Ast6nga Yoga (Yoga with eight limbs in
particular? there are detailed treaties on different prn#masB and their
methods, all of which re-uire rigorous practice under the direct
guidance and super/ision of an able master. )o ha/e mastery o/er these
/arious Prn#ma calls for a lifetime dedication and endea/or.
Nere Ma, without mentioning any name, hinted at one of the easiest
methods of prn#ma called sahaj prn#ma or natural rhythmic
breathing. )here are so many gross and subtle factors (both mental and
physical which influence the normal breathing rhythm. Kithout going
into the comple. biochemical mechanisms which are dependant on so
many interrelated criteria, now let us consider in brief the relation
between mental acti/ities and breathing. Any acti/ity, mental or
physical re-uires energy and this energy is being released by the
comple. biochemical enLyme;catalyLed reactions within the body. It is
a well established fact that substrateWproduct re/ersible'irre/ersible
enLyme;catalyLed transformation can be e.plained in terms of electrons
transfer mechanism between reactants and products which re-uire
o.ygen. )his o.ygen is supplied mainly by breathing. +aturally o.ygen
input is directly proportional to the output of energy and this energy in
turn controls the both physical and mental acti/ities. 0on/ersely it can
also be said that any change in mental acti/ities has its direct influence
on breathing. So it can be said that controlled or regulated biochemical
reaction within an organism results in regulated release 'absorption of
energy which in turn effects both mental and physical actions. 5.ternal
o.ygen supply is one of the (ey factors for these processes. Prn#ma
or regulated breathing to a greater e.tent helps maintaining a dynamic
e-uilibrium in the biochemical reactions within. 9reathing as such is an
in/oluntary natural process. Its change in rhythm is also dependant on
so many other inter;related mental and physical factors. *apa can be
used as an ideal tool to bring in automatic regulation in rhythmic
breathing. An aspirant can fi. the number of repetitions of a mantra or
(ma in the time lengths of inhalation and e.halation. )his will
automatically regulate the rhythm of breathing which will ha/e a direct
influence on the mind in maintaining a dynamic e-uilibrium in its
acti/ities a/oiding erratic mental beha/ior. )his will be further
discussed in the conte.t of 0ractical hints for &uccessful Japa
B. !&hser dikC lakshya rekhC Jap., (Shaser$ of breathing%
dike$towards% laksh#a$focus% rekhe$(eeping i.e. *apa should be
practiced while (eeping focus on the (rhythm of breathing.
Since simultaneous focus on *apa and breathing being impracticable
this saying of Ma can be interpreted in two ways. Mnce the number of
repetitions of the mantra or nama are fi.ed in the time lengths of
inhalation and e.halation, an aspirant can focus his attention either
towards (a Sound'Syllable of the mantra or (b the rhythm of
breathing.
D. +3an lguk n lguk "apa dhyna smaran karii "o.,
(*an= mind% l'uk$get adhere to% n l'uk$ not get adhere to%
smaran=remembrance% karii$/erily to be wor(ed on% j&$to
proceed. Khether the mind gets fi.ed in it or not, remembrance of
(GodJs name, 1apa and dhyana should be continued.
). +&usthC asusthC anukul pratikul tkn n,.
(SusthK$in good health% asusthK$in sic(ness% anukul$fa/ourable
condition% pratikul$ad/erse situations% tkn$pay attention to% n= no
Khether in good health or in sic(ness and whether situations are
fa/ourable or unfa/ourable one should not pay attention to these. )hat
means come what may an aspirant should not pay attention to anything
but 1apa. Spiritual practices in any discipline need some primary mental
and physical preparation, congenial atmosphere and fa/ourable
situations. Ahysical disability and indisposition are some of the
determining factors for successful spiritual practice. 9ut 1apa can be
pursued at any time and in any situation. Ma further said, !D& #&u st&p
havin' a dip because &@ the sea avesL Y&u @inish the bath b# plun'in'
int& the aves. 7ikeise tr# t& be ith /is 15&d4 remembrance and
japa in the midst &@ &rldl# turm&il.0