Sanskrit mantras are sound formulas that echo the language of Creation, ranging from single-syllable “seed sounds” to longer, more extensive compilations of sounds designed to have specific effects. We are told that “In the beginning was The Word…” and the scriptures of many world religions testify that sound was the original manifestation of the Universe as we know it. This “Word” can be understood as Sanskrit, and delving into the Sanskrit mantra is ultimately a process of understanding Creation itself. However, the less subtle layers of this sacred language can also serve those of us with more practical concerns.
The word “mantra” can be translated as “that which liberates from the ordinary mind”. Regular use of the Sanskrit mantra helps us transcend the ordinary faculty of mind and its limited scope, helping us access the enlightened intellect, our soul’s storehouse of wisdom and powerful creative energy, and eventually awaken enlightened consciousness.
Because the Sanskrit mantra is an energy-based language of light, it works whether you fully understand it or not. Many mantras are untranslatable, and the translations that do exist are subjectively drawn sketches of a deeper meaning that supersedes our ability to convey it with the English language.
The best way to understand a mantra is to work with it. Each mantra has a direct and specific effect on the chakra system. (In fact, the 50 seed sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet correspond to the 50 petals of our chakra system.) As the mantra formulas are intoned, the chakra petals vibrate in sympathetic response and the bridge to healing from the dense physical level. to the eternal cosmic consciousness, is awakened. Simply put, the mantra creates a force field of such positive energy that you can’t help but feel positively affected.
There are powerful mantras that address every possible area of personal growth and every possible dilemma of the human condition. The “seers” of these mantras were sages with a deep understanding of human evolution, and they established the mantras as a trail of stars for us to follow Home.
Every problem we face, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, draws our attention to something we don’t yet understand. The learning process (also known as “healing”) can take days, months, years, or lifetimes, depending on the depth of the lesson. Working with the Sanskrit mantra for a particular topic links our consciousness to its root in cosmic consciousness, ultimately transcending space and time to access the pure knowledge that is inherent in our own higher nature. Through this knowledge, we have the power to unravel our personal knots and release the latent creative power that has been trapped within us.
Working with a personal mantra with practical or spiritual intentions is like shooting an arrow straight to the heart of the matter. It puts your soul evolution destiny at your fingertips, and your empowerment as far away as the tip of your tongue.
It is generally recommended that you learn mantras directly from a teacher, rather than from a book. Since there are millions of mantras, it is also important to choose your mantras wisely depending on the result you intend. Are you wanting the mantra purely for spiritual growth? Then one of the great liberating mantras such as Gayatri, “Om Mani Padme Hum” or “Om Namah Shivaya” might resonate with you. Do you want a mantra for a more practical topic? So one of many more focused formulas might be better; the well-known “Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha” is great for transcending obstacles of all kinds. Regardless of how you learn or which of the great mantras you practice, you are walking a well-trodden path in the company of many enlightened souls.