Mantra: -
The word Mantra’ is said to derive from the words ‘Manana’ and ‘trana’
‘Manana’ literally means ‘reflection’ It also denotes the continuous thought or
awareness of mantra which is universal, omniscient consciousness ‘Tranam’ means
to ‘save’ and ‘mantra’ ‘saves’ us by freeing the mind from the bondage of
transmigration Mantras thus serve to generate a higher level of consciousness
by the process of ‘manana’.
Although Mantras may convey an
intelligible meaning, they are not bound to a convention (saiketa) as is common
speech. The language of mantra is not conceived with external objects. It is
language directed inward, deriving its energy from the supreme power of
consciousness into which it ultimately involutes, transcending the outer and
reverting to the inner.[1]
According to Rajanaka Rama. Mantra
are pure in the sense that they are not tainted by conventionally accepted
meaning and transcend the usual form of awareness created by reflection on the
phenomes conjoined to form words.
In the Gayatri Tantra it is said
that by the meditation on which the Jiva acquires freedom from sin enjoyment of
heaven and liberation and by the aid of which he attains in full the four fold fruits
that is called mantra.
Arthur Avelon writes, “A Mantra is
composed of letters. Letters and their combinations as syllables and words are
all forms of manifested shabda, that is, Brahman forms. They are each and all forms
of the creative stress as uttered by the mouth, heard by the ear, and
apprehended by the mind; but what are ordinarily called Mantras are those
particular sounds which are used in worship and practice (Sadhana) which
consist of certain letters or arranged in a definite sequence of sound of which
letters are the representative signs.”[2]
The relations of Varna
A waterwheel moves a series of
machines connected to it and can set them into operation by the force of its
united impulse. In the same way, by the power of the one continuous act of
awareness which corresponds to the incessant arising of mantra, the deities of
all Mantras at one with them become automatically propitious.[3]
The recitation of Mantra starts at
the individual level in consonance with the movement of the vital breath. To be
effective, however, the Mantra and its component syllables and words must
resonate with the force of awareness. They must be energized with the pulsation
of consciousness and so peretrate into absorption of the empowered level of
practice. At that level the pure thought of the Mantra gradually takes over
from the impure and dispersed thought of the world of objects wrongly perceived
to be severed from consciousness and so leads the adept to the Divine level
where the ultimate source of its power resides. This vitality is Spanda the
universal pulse of awareness residing in the heart of consciousness at the
supreme level of speech (paravac) as all embracing ‘I” consciousness.[4]
A Mantra is intoned is intoned in the proper way according to letter and
rhythm. For this reason a Mantra, when translated ceases to be a Mantra; that
is, the sounds heard and uttered in the translation are not the body of and do
not evoke, the Devata. We are then not dealing with the same sound; but with a
translation in another language; with other sounds giving the meaning to the
intellect of the Sanskrit Mantra. This shows that Mantra is not mere individual
thinking but a particular sound body of consciousness.
Mantric energy is not to be sought
in the actual sound or form of the Mantra
directly. The ordering of its phonemic constituents (vorna sannivesa) is
merely a channel through which the yogi can tap the energy of his own
consciousness. The mantra should be recited with the full force of awareness.
It can only be effective when associated with the adepts consciousness. The Mantra
and the reciter of Mantra must be rooted in the one conscious reality otherwise
the Mantra can beer no fruit. Rajanaka Rama says that Mantras are mere flux of
phonemic sounds powerless to bend even a blade of grass unless the adept makes
contact with Shiva’s plane of oneness. The imperishable power of awareness he
attains thus is the very life of Mantras; without it they are as fruitless as
autumn clouds. Through this power consciousness emanated and withdraws the countless
Mantras to gratify the wishes of each adept and bestow upon him the well
deserved fruits of his practice.
Mantra are thus full of knowledge and
action they derive from the Spanda energy
of universal consciousness through which they are empowered to perform their
function. The vitality of Spanda is the ground of all Mantras. It is the power
by which they emerge from the emptiness of consciousness and are drawn back
into it, along with the adept’s mind, when they cause to exist as articulate
sound. They are Shiva himself, one with the universal vibration of
consciousness through which they are created and in which they lead the yoga to unit with
Shiva. The awakened realize that the power hidden in Mantras is the vibration
of Shiva’s pure subjectivity which is both the transcendental inner nature of
all things and the immanent awareness that threads through all the planes of
consciousness.
According to Prof. Subhosh Rai,
mantra Yoga is of the Vaikhari Vac and corresponds to the gross plane of the
matter.[5]
The idea involved in the working of the mantrayoga is that certain sounds, when
uttered produce a disturbance in the akasha,
which is in its turn, communicated according to the severity of the
disturbance, to the higher plane. It is reasonable then to believe that greater
the disturbance, the greater will be the communion to the higher plane. That
there exists some relation between sounds and the disturbance in the akasha and
that certain kinds of sounds produce certain kinds of disturbance is not only
an occult truth but also a scientific truth.
According to Woodroffe , Shabda is
the guna of akasa, but is not produced by it. It manifests in it; and Shabda svarava
is the Brahman. In the same way, however, as in outer space waves of sound are produced by movements of air (Vayu), so in
the space within the jiva’s body, waves of sound are produced according to the movements
of the vital air (Prona avaya) and the process of inhalation and exhalation.[6]
The Shabda which first appears in
the muladhara is in fact the Shakti which gives life to the Jiva. The jiva who
in breathes and outbreathes utters a great mantra. This is the ajapa mantra of
Hamsah, called ‘Ajapa’, because it repeats itself naturally without any effort
on the part of the jiva. It is the heaving of the dhavani which causes
alternate inspiration and expiration. Shakti, it is who is the cause of the
sweet, indistinct and murmuring dhwani which sounds like the humming of black
bees. This sound is para and then Pashyanti which becomes subtle as Madhyama
and gross as vaikhari kundalini, who is varnamayo and dhvanimayi is the
manifestation in bodies of the paramatmao. So the substance of all Mantra is Cit,
manifested as letters syllables, words and their sentences. In fact the letter
of the alphabet which are known as Aksara are nothing but the Yantra of the
Aksara or imperishable Brahman. It is the gross form of kundalini appearing in
different aspects as different Devatas, which is the besiding Devata of all
mantra though it is the subtle form at which all sadhapas aim.
In every mantra there are two Shaktis.
The vacya shakti and the vacaka shakti. The Devata who is indicated as the
ultimate svarupa is the vachya shakti, and the Devata who is that mantra is the
vacaka shakti. Worship assumes as its object some form. “When the Shakti with
attribute, resident in and as the Mantra, is by dirt
of sadhana awakened, then She opens the gate of monistic truth, revealing the
true nature and essence of the universe.”[7]
Mantra at the Divine level of
practice is the silent consciousness of ‘I’, at the empowered and individual
levels it serves as a means to purify thought.[8] It leads the adept in stages along the rungs
of the ladder of consciousness ascending which he abandons the lower stages of
conditioned awareness to reach the highest sate of Shiva hood, dence with the
light of consciousness. Thus the supreme form of mantric energy destroys the abstracts
to enlightenment set up by impure thought and establishes individual
consciousness in the true universal thought of pure Being Filled with this
energy mantras are like rays that emanate from the all consuming fire of consciousness
depriving thought constructs of their essence.
The utterance of a Mantra without
knowledge of its meaning or of the mantra method is a mere movement of the lips
and nothing more. The mantra sleeps. There are various processes preliminary
to, and involved in, its right utterance, which processes again consist of
purification of the mouth, purification of tongue, Jihva shodhna. The mantra
itself is Devata that is, the Supreme Consciousness manifesting in that form. The
Mantra is awakened from its sleep through the sadhana shakti of the mantrin. It
is at base one and the same Shakti which appears as sadhana Shakti and Mantra
Shakti the latter however being the more powerful manifestion. The consciousness
of sadhaka becomes en rapport and in union with the consciousness in the form
of Mantra and the Devata who is the artha of the manta appears to the Sadhaka,
whose mind has been cleansed and illumined by devotion. Though the substance of
the Mantras is consciousness that fact is not realized without the union of the
sadhaka’s Shakti derived from sadhana with Mantra Shakti. The Devata is then
revealed.
In case of puja, dhyana and other
sadhanas, it is only the sadhaka’s sadhana shakti which operates whilst in the
case of Mantra- sadhana, sadhana shakti works in conjuction with Mantra shakti
which is all powerful and reinforces sadhana shakti which is imperfect and meats
with abstracts - Sir woodroffe writes:
“The individual shakti is like fire
Just as wages of air, when struck and restruck by flames of fire, set up a
blaze with redouble force, so the sadhaka’s individual shakti when struck by
mantra shakti is rapidly developed, and then a strong active individual shakti
unites with Mantra – shakti to make the latter doubly powerful. It is because Mantra
possesses this wonderful power.[9]
The shakti of a jiva is transformed by the aid of mantra into the Daivi shakti,
he can accomplish that which a Devata can Mantra is thus an aspect of the
Divine Mother appearing through Mantra sadhana with devotion to Her. It has
been said that the string of fifty letters from ‘A’ to ‘ksa’ which are the Matrikas
is eternal, unbeginning and unending and Brahman itself. The realization of
this Mantra consciousness is Mantra siddhi. If a sadhaka attains perfect siddhi
in even a single Mantra, he becomes possessed of the spiritual knowledge which
is acquired by learning all Vedas For veda is the parinama or evolution of the
dhvani of Kula kumdalini in the body of Isvara and the parinama of the same in
the body of the jiva is shabda. For veda is dhvani uttered by Brahma and Shabda
is dhvari uttered by jiva. In that Shabda is essence of Mantra which is that
which gives vitality to jiva. In this dhvani too which evolves into gross
shabda as uttered sound the body of the Devata. Siddhi in such Mantra is not
gained so long as such mantra is not awakened. It may be that the appearance of
the Devata s a fact or it is not a fact. But it cannot be said that the mere
utterance of a Mantra is supposed to effect any result or that japa of the Mantra
is done with no other object than a mere vain and senseless repition. The
particular mantra suitable for as sadhaka is a matter determined by cakra and
other calculations Mantra is a mars of radiant energy.
The Aesthetic rapture the yogi
experiences increases to the degree in which the uncreated reality of pure
awareness abounds.[10]
and the power of his intuition is heightened as the convention of the day to
day, spoken language are immersed and adsorbed in the supernal energy of the phonemes
of the mantra.[11] The mind of the adept in read
of the constraints imposed upon its attention and so free of thought
constructs, merges with the silence of consciousness together with the mantra.[12]
Sabda is shakti. The Visvasra
Tantra (chapter II) says that Sabda Brahman which is Mantra (Mantra Maya)
exists in the body of jiva and is the subtle aspect of the jiva’s vital shakti.
And the Prapancasara Tantra states, the Brahmarda and spheroid (universe) is
pervaded by shakti as dhvan, called Nada prana and the like. The manifestation
in of the gross form of shabda would not be possible unless shabda existed also
in subtle form.
“Freed of all limitations of office
after having performed their assigned duties (niranjanah), their denotation as
particular diities having ceased (rhantarukah) they get dissolved together with
the mind of their devotees in that very Spanda principle. Hence they are of the
nature of Shiva.”[13]
At this stage any thought the yogi
may conceive is vibrant and full of energy because, having thus absorbed all
objectivity into itself, his mind is one with Mantra. So although in the
beginning individual Mantras may effectively correspond to distinct levels of
consciousness and stages in the cosmic process, once the yogi has ascended
through the planes of power by emerging with the vibration of the Mantras at
each level, he emerges into a state where he enjoys a direct awareness of his
own nature. Shiva’s power, which determines the nature and function of all
things, is transcended and the yogi’s own mind, discovered to be the source and
essence of all Mantras, can now, implement anyone of them to achieve anything
he wishes, including liberation From Shabda there arises the ethereal region
from touch air from colour, fire from taste water and from smell earth. The
gross comes out of the subtle in the process of unfolding and when it is reversed
the gross disappears in the subtle. As Prof. Pushpedara Kumar writes:
“….. the aspirant begins with a
gross material accessory v.z. the image and rises step by step to that which is
beyond word and speech. The image that is used in worship is the form of the
mantra that is chosen for the worshipper by the guru and represents his
conception of Brahman. One’s deva is the form of Brahman evolved out of one’s
mantra.”[14]
The Tantra claims that a men who
worships his Istadevata which is another name for his image of Brahman in the
prescribed manner, lives a happy and contented life enjoys the objects of his
desire and at the same time uplifts himself spiritually. Prof. Kumar further
writes :
“The worship of the deva of one’s
adoption means the worshipper’s uplifting himself to the level of that deca and
when once this is secured he arrives at a stage when he becomes competent to apprehend
the supreme Deva, Brahman.”[15]
Bhattanarayana eulogies his Lord as :
“You are the ‘sacred formula’
(Mantra); you are the content or object of the sacred formula (Mantraniya); and
you are the ‘worshipper of the sacred formula (Mantri). Whence can anything be
apart from you? Such a One! confer me that ‘Sacred formula i.e. the unified
form of all the three the Mantra etc.) so that I may become one with you.”[16]
It has been said that it is only to
that man whose mind is purified by the mantras of Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Surya,
Ganesha and others that Kulajnana manifests itself. As Bhattanarayana writes :
“Commendable are they who having
realized the power of ‘sacred formula’ (Namo Nahah Shivaya) obeisance obeisance
to Shiva have set themselves to enjoy the glories of Shambhu.”[17]
According to Tantra there is a correspondence
between the parashakti, the ultimate divine creative power which brings about
the sum total of all objects and the paravak which is the ultimate divine word,
the source of the sum total of words. By means of mantras which consist of
words or letters , one can establish contact with the various shaktis. Every
word is a vacaya or indicator and every object is vacya or the indicated. The
vacya or object is nothing but the intent of the divine word the divine word
made visible.
The divine words or letters are however,
Amayiya out of the scope of maya. Words are of two kinds, viz. mayiya
(pertaining to maya) and amayiya (not pertaining to maya). Mayiya words are
those on which the meaning is imposed by convention, they are vikalpas or fancied
constructions; a mayiya words are those; which are nirvikalpaka, whose meaning
is just the real which do not depend on fancy, imposition supposition or
convertion which a cinmaya.
Then (i.e. on the attainment of kramamudra
as a result of entering into the perfect I consciousness or self which is in
essence cit and ananda (consciousness and bless) and of the nature of the power
of great mantra, there accrues the attainment of lordship over one’s group of the deities of
consciousness that brings about all emanation and reab sorption of the
universe. All this is the nature of Shiva.[18]
On attaining lasting samadhi, there accrues lordship over the group of
the deities of consciousness which (cakra or group) always brings about every
kind of emanation or reabsorption of the universe beginning with Kalagni and
ending with the last kala (phace) (known as shanta kala) by entering into the
natural camatkara or bliss of self consciousness. Which is of the essence of
prakasa and ananda i.e. sheer compact consciousness and bliss, which is the
very soul of all the mantras (sarva mantra jivita bhuta) which is perfect (purna)
i.e. the highest vimarsha (parabhattarika rupa). This Lordship accrues to the
greatest Yogin referred to in this context. This is the meaning. Shivam is to be construed as all this (really)
the form of Shiva this is the conclusion. This being so, (it is to be
understood that) the essence of whatever is cognized )i.e. prameya) is
cognition (i.e. pramana). Of this again, the inwardly turned experients (i.e.
pramatas) full of self consciousness are the essential truth.
Of these (experients) too sadashiva
Ishvaraship is the essence in which the sense of identification and whose body
is the whole universe. And the highest reality of this (Sadashiva ishvaraship)
is the blissful great Lord himself who is full of camatkara or vimarhsa (the
bliss of perfect self consciousness) of the entire universe brought about by
one-ness of being (eka-sadbhava) with prakasha (the substratum of all
manifestation).
There cannot indeed be the
manifestation of anything unless it shares (enters) the light (the source and substratum
of all manifestation) of the Highest Reality and the highest Lord is full of
the flow of bliss, because of His being free form all desire because of this being
fully perfect, because of His being the essence of absolute freedom and because
of his having attained to the state of full jagadananda in having made his own
the entire world consisting of indicator or word (vacaka) and indicated or object
(vacya) by reflection (seizing mentally) on the entire assemblage or nonmayiya
words from ‘a’ to ‘ksa’.
Therefore, the extended universe
beginning with (the letter) ‘a’ which is the nature of the highest ‘akula’ and
upto the letter ‘ha’ indicative of the unfolding or expansion of shakti ‘ksa’
indicating only the finis of the expansion – that (universe) flashing forth or
vibrating, by virtue of the combination of ‘a’ and ‘ha’ and being accepted
inwardly in the manner of pratyahara rests in the Highest Reality in the form
of bindu indicative of the consciousness of non differentiation. Thus this natural
vimarsh or inword experience is of the nature of the congregation of words.
According to prof. Pushpendra
Kumar, “Mantra is nothing but the condensed form of that thought power. And
that is why proper pronunciation and concentration on it gives results.”[19]
In the Mantrasadhana, Mantras are
divided into four groups namely friendly, serving supporting and destroying. At
the time of initiation Guru according to the nature of disciple gives the
proper Mantra and that Mantra should be done constantly. This is known of japa.
Japa means repetition of Mantra.
This power cultivates power of concentration. Japa is of three kinds: (1) Vachikajapa
is which Mantra id uttered audibly (2) Upamrujapa in
which only Mantra only movement of lips is visible but no voice is heard
and the last one is (3) manasika japa which is considered as the highest form
of japa in which only repetition takes place with a single mind. Only mechanical
repetition does not create anything for the effective results, one has to do
japa with faith aspiration and devotion.
It has been said in the Svacchanda
Tantra that the man who realizes his Bharava nature by an apprehension of an
inner emergent divine nature and is thus united with the Eternal, all the
mantras become effective, being charged with power.
The Mantra of a devata is the
devata. The rhythmical vibrations of its sounds not merely regulate the unsteady
vibrations of the sheaths of the worshipper, thus transforming him, but through
the power of striving (sadhana – shakti) of the worshipper, there arises the
form of the devata which it is.
All the mantras are supposed to be the manifestations of Kala Kundalini
which is a name for the Shabda Brahman or Saguna Brahman in individual bodies.
Kundalini believed to be in the Muladhara cakra (or basic bodily centre) is
“the cause of sweet, indistinct and murmuring Dhvani, which is compared to the
humming sound of a black bee. Thence shadba originates and being first i.e.
Para gradually manifests upwards, as Pashfanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari (the
spoken speech). It is writer in the Shiva drishti.[20]
The substance of all mantras being manifestation of Kundalini, is
consciousness, (cit),manifesting as letter and words the letters of the
alphabets are called Afsara because they are the diagrammatic representation or
yantra of the afsara, i.e. Imperishable Brahman. This is realized, however,
when the sadhaka’s shakti generated by sadhana is united with mantra shakti.
The different aspects of Devata is as presiding deities of mantras are the
manifestation of the gross (sthula) from of Kundalini, who is however extremely
subtle. ‘Matra and Devata are thus one and are particular forms of Brahman as
Shiva shakti.[21] As has been said by
Uppaladeva in Ajada pramatr Siddhi, verses . 22-23.
‘Resting of all objective
experience within oneself is what is meant by I feeling this resting (within
one self), is called Sovereignty of Will primary doereship and lordship because
of the cancellation of all relational consciousness and of dependence on
anything outside oneself.
This I – feeling is the stage of great power, for all mantras arise from
and come to rest in it and by its power all activities with an object are
performed.
It has been said in the excellent Spanda
beginning with (i.e. Spandakarika, Nisyanda II, vv. 1-2).
“All mantra approaching this power” etc and closing with.
“All these (mantras) are endowed with the nature or the characteristic
mark of Shiva”
In Shiva sutras also it is said.
“By unification with the great lake one acquires the experience of mantra
power.”[22]
Here (i.e. in this sutra) the penetration into the perfect self which is
of the nature of great mantra power is becoming one with it by the immersion of
the body, prana etc. (into it), by steadiness in the achievement of that stage
(of perfect self) and by immersing in its essence the (experience of) body blue
etc. So that then whatever appears e.g. The body pleasure (inner experience),
blue, (experience of outer objects) etc. or whatever is known for certain (by
Buddhi) or remembered or thought out (by manes) in all these cases it is the
play of citi shakti which flashes forth as the background (of all experience).
[1] e/;uk∙;ksFoZxeua r)eZizkfIry{k.ke~A
folxfUrinkrhra
izkUrdksfVfu#fire~AA87AA
T.a. II Vol- P. 280. Ver – 87.
[3] ,dkuqlaf/k;Rusu fpÙka;U=ksn;a HktsrA
,dkuqla/kkucykTtkrs
eU=ksn;s∙fu”ke~AA4AA
rUeU=nsork
;ykÙkknkRR;suesa izlhnfrA
Tandta Laka 87 – 3b s a pp. 473-4
[4] Hkkoxzgkfni;ZUrHkkoh lkekU;laKd%A
LoUn% l
dF;rs “kkL=s LokReUeqNrukRed%AA183AA
fdafpPpyuesrk
onuU;LQqj.ka fg ;r~A
Tantra Loka – IX PP. 152-3.
[5] Third eye : Mythor A
scientific Reality? Prof. Subhash Rai Bhonu Agrawal pandey Publishing house Allahabad
[6] The Garland
[7]Ibid – P. 270.
[8] vr ,o o rss ea=k “kks/kdkf”p=#fi.k%A
fl)kUroken{kknkS
fp=ka “kqf} forUrrsAA87AA
vuqÙkj
f=dkuke dqe;U=kLrq ;s fdyA
rs losZ
loZnk% fdUrq dL;fpr~ Dokfn eq[;rkAA88AA
Tantraloka Chapter Verses 87 – 88.
[9] The garland of Letter –
Sir John woodroffe P. 272.
rFkk rFkk
peRdkjrkjrE;a foHkk;rsA76A
[11] vk/kkek.kh; o.kkZUrfuZeXus pksÙkjksÙkjsA
ladsrs
iwoZiwokZ”keTtus izfrHkkfHkn%AA77AA T.A. XII Chpater PP. 317-17.
[12] rnkØR; cyaea=k% loZK cy”kkfyu%A
izorZUrs∙f/kdkjk;
dj.kkuho nsfguke~AA01AA Spanda Karika trans – by Jaidev Singh Sect II P.
110
[13] r=So laizHkh;Urs “kkUr:ik fuj´tuk%A
lfjk/kdfpÙksu
ruSrs f”ko/kfeZ.k%AA2AA Spanda karika Trans by Jaidev Singh Sec. II
verse – 2, P. 110.
[14] Introduction to Tantra
and their Philosophy Prof. Pushpendra Kumar – Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan –
1998, P. 72
[15] Ibid.
[16] eU=ks∙fl eU=.kks;ks∙fl eU=h Ror% dqrks ∙ij%A
l egua nsfg
ra ea= RoUiU=% L;k¡ lFkk izHkksAA84AA
Stavacintamani Bhattanarayana Editor &
Vyakhyakara - Ram Shankar Singh Penman
Publishers Delh- 2002 P. 163.
[17] ueks ue% f”kok;sfr eU= lkeF;Z ekfJrk%A
“yk/;kLrs
“kk¡Hkoh HkqfrHkqiHkksäqa ; m|rk%AA20AA
Ibid Verse 20 P. 128.
[18] rnkizdk”kkuUnlkj egkeU=oh;kZRediw.kkZgUrkos”kkRlnk loZ
lxZlagkjdkfjfu tlafoðsork pØs”ojrk izkfIrHkZorhfr f”koe~AA20AA
Pratyabhijnahridayam trans by Jaidev singh Motilal
Banarasidass Publishers Delhi, Verse – 20, P. 106.
[19] Introduction to Tantras
and Their Philosophy – Prof. Pushpendra Kumar P. 194
rn{kja
“kCn#ia lk i”;Urh ijkfgokd~AA2AA
Shivadrishti – 2- 1-2 Trans by Radheshyam Chaturvedi Pub- Varanasi
[21] John woodroffe - Shakti and shakta P. 471.
[22] Egkânkuqla/kkukUeU=oh;kZiqHko% mŒ AA122AA
Shiva Sutra verse – 122.
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