How Mantra works?

What is a mantra and how does it work?

Mantras are powerful sounds. Mantras are the sounds that when chanted produce great effects. These are chanted repeatedly and that is called japa. Japa is a key part of Hindu prayer.
Mantras are very rich in their meaning. While doing japa one can meditate on the mantra and its meaning. As the mind dwells more and more into that meaning, the mantra conditions the mind and takes it up to higher states and forms the path to the great liberation – eternal bliss.
What makes mantras so special as compared to the normal words? Mantras are not composed by humans. One may wonder how can that be possible. Especially given that there are sages associated with the mantras. The point to be noted is that these sages are not composers of these mantras, as we would normally compose sentences. They are not the inventors, but they are the discoverers of the mantra. They get to know the mantras in a state in which these words do not emanate from their thoughts, but they are just passive audience to it. Those who go deep in meditation and realize God may be able to get a feel of this situation.
To be such a discoverer, even though they are just passive hearers, needs great amount of qualification. Only the perfect one can unchangedly reproduce the mantra he has heard. The only one that is absolutely perfect is God. All other discoverers reproduce that mantra only as pure as their closeness to perfection.
Veda samhitas are full of mantras and hence have been preserved for ages in their pure form by utilizing the various techniques like patha, krama, jaTa, gaNa pATas, that ensure that the chanter clearly gets the correct letters and even the correct level of sound for each letter (svara). The chanters are advised to chant the mantras only after getting the right pronunciation of it, so that the mantras are preserved against deterioration over time. There would be gurus who initiate the disciple in a mantra. The guru ensures that the disciple got the mantra right, so that the person can chant independently as well as initiate others in that mantra. Ensuring this preservation, the vedas were passed on only through the tradition of guru and disciples and was never written down till the very recent past. (It is really amazing to note that without being written down the vedas have been preserved in pure form across the land by these techniques. Though the texts are freely available now for anybody to read, it would be important to ensure that these mantras are properly learnt and then chanted. This way the treasure that has been preserved so carefully over multiple millenniums does not deteriorate due to indifference.)
It is to be noted that many of the hymns of thirumuRai are known to have the great powers of mantras that are practiced even today.
While there are plenty of mantras available, there are a few that are chanted with high esteem by the shaivas. Definitely those are highly powerful ones that can lead the chanter on the great path to mukti (liberation). pranava, paNJchAkashra, gAyatri to name a few. For shaivites the Holy Five Syllables (paNJchAkshara) with or without combination of the praNava is the ultimate mantra.
Definition #1: Mantras are energy-based sounds.
Saying any word produces an actual physical vibration. Over time, if we know what the effect of that vibration is, then the word may come to have meaning associated with the effect of saying that vibration or word. This is one level of energy basis for words.
Another level is intent. If the actual physical vibration is coupled with a mental intention, the vibration then contains an additional mental component which influences the result of saying it. The sound is the carrier wave and the intent is overlaid upon the wave form, just as a colored gel influences the appearance and effect of a white light.
In either instance, the word is based upon energy. Nowhere is this idea more true than for Sanskrit mantra. For although there is a general meaning which comes to be associated with mantras, the only lasting definition is the result or effect of saying the mantra.
Definition #2: Mantras create thought-energy waves.
The human consciousness is really a collection of states of consciousness which distributively exist throughout the physical and subtle bodies. Each organ has a primitive consciousness of its own. That primitive consciousness allows it to perform functions specific to it. Then come the various systems. The cardio-vascular system, the reproductive system and other systems have various organs or body parts working at slightly different stages of a single process. Like the organs, there is a primitive consciousness also associated with each system. And these are just within the physical body. Similar functions and states of consciousness exist within the subtle body as well. So individual organ consciousness is overlaid by system consciousness, overlaid again by subtle body counterparts and consciousness, and so ad infinitum.
The ego with its self-defined “I” ness assumes a pre-eminent state among the subtle din of random, semi-conscious thoughts which pulse through our organism. And of course, our organism can “pick up” the vibration of other organisms nearby. The result is that there are myriad vibrations riding in and through the subconscious mind at any given time.
Mantras start a powerful vibration which corresponds to both a specific spiritual energy frequency and a state of consciousness in seed form. Over time, the mantra process begins to override all of the other smaller vibrations, which eventually become absorbed by the mantra. After a length of time which varies from individual to individual, the great wave of the mantra stills all other vibrations. Ultimately, the mantra produces a state where the organism vibrates at the rate completely in tune with the energy and spiritual state represented by and contained within the mantra.
At this point, a change of state occurs in the organism. The organism becomes subtly different. Just as a laser is light which is coherent in a new way, the person who becomes one with the state produced by the mantra is also coherent in a way which did not exist prior to the conscious undertaking of repetition of the mantra.
Definition #3: Mantras are tools of power and tools for power.
They are formidable. They are ancient. They work. The word “mantra” is derived from two Sanskrit words. The first is “manas” or “mind,” which provides the “man” syllable. The second syllable is drawn from the Sanskrit word “trai” meaning to “protect” or to “free from.” Therefore, the word mantra in its most literal sense means “to free from the mind.” Mantra is, at its core, a tool used by the mind which eventually frees one from the vagaries of the mind.
But the journey from mantra to freedom is a wondrous one. The mind expands, deepens and widens and eventually dips into the essence of cosmic existence. On its journey, the mind comes to understand much about the essence of the vibration of things. And knowledge, as we all know, is power. In the case of mantra, this power is tangible and wieldable.
Statements About Mantra
Mantras have close, approximate one-to-one direct language-based translation.
If we warn a young child that it should not touch a hot stove, we try to explain that it will burn the child. However, language is insufficient to convey the experience. Only the act of touching the stove and being burned will adequately define the words “hot” and “burn” in the context of “stove.” Essentially, there is no real direct translation of the experience of being burned.
Similarly, there is no word which is the exact equivalent of the experience of sticking one’s finger into an electrical socket. When we stick our hand into the socket, only then do we have a context for the word “shock.” But shock is really a definition of the result of the action of sticking our hand into the socket.
It is the same with mantras. The only true definition is the experience which it ultimately creates in the sayer. Over thousands of years, many sayers have had common experiences and passed them on to the next generation. Through this tradition, a context of experiential definition has been created.
Definitions of mantras are oriented toward either the results of repeating the mantra or of the intentions of the original framers and testers of the mantra.
In Sanskrit, sounds which have no direct translation but which contain great power which can be “grown” from it are called “seed mantras.” Seed in Sanskrit is called “Bijam” in the singular and “Bija” in the plural form.
Let’s take an example. The mantra “Shrim” or Shreem is the seed sound for the principle of abundance (Lakshmi, in the Hindu Pantheon.) If one says “shrim” a hundred times, a certain increase in the potentiality of the sayer to accumulate abundance is achieved. If one says “shrim” a thousand times or a million, the result is correspondingly greater.
But abundance can take many forms. There is prosperity, to be sure, but there is also peace as abundance, health as wealth, friends as wealth, enough food to eat as wealth, and a host of other kinds and types of abundance which may vary from individual to individual and culture to culture. It is at this point that the intention of the sayer begins to influence the degree of the kind of capacity for accumulating wealth which may accrue.
Mantras have been tested and/or verified by their original framers or users.
Each mantra is associated with an actual sage or historical person who once lived. Although the oral tradition predates written speech by centuries, those earliest oral records annotated on palm leaves discussed earlier clearly designate a specific sage as the “seer” of the mantra. This means that the mantra was probably arrived at through some form of meditation or intuition and subsequently tested by the person who first encountered it.
Sanskrit mantras are composed of letters which correspond to certain petals or spokes of chakras in the subtle body.
As discussed earlier, there is a direct relationship between the mantra sound, either vocalized or subvocalized, and the chakras located throughout the body.
Mantras are energy which can be likened to fire.
You can use fire either to cook your lunch or to burn down the forest. It is the same fire. Similarly, mantra can bring a positive and beneficial result, or it can produce an energy meltdown when misused or practiced without some guidance. There are certain mantra formulas which are so exact, so specific and so powerful that they must be learned and practiced under careful supervision by a qualified guru.
Fortunately, most of the mantras widely used in our portal and certainly those contained in this chapter are perfectly safe to use on a daily basis, even with some intensity.
Mantra energizes prana.
“Prana” is a Sanskrit term for a form of life energy which can be transferred from individual to individual. Prana may or may not produce an instant dramatic effect upon transfer. There can be heat or coolness as a result of the transfer.
Some healers operate through transfer of prana. A massage therapist can transfer prana with beneficial effect. Even self-healing can be accomplished by concentrating prana in certain organs, the result of which can be a clearing of the difficulty or condition. For instance, by saying a certain mantra while visualizing an internal organ bathed in light, the specific power of the mantra can become concentrated there with great beneficial effect.
Mantras eventually quiet the mind.
At a deep level, subconscious mind is a collective consciousness of all the forms of primitive consciousnesses which exist throughout the physical and subtle bodies. The dedicated use of mantra can dig into subconscious crystallized thoughts stored in the organs and glands and transform these bodily parts into repositories of peace.
Some of you may be interested or even fascinated by the discipline of mantra, but feel somewhat overwhelmed by the array of mantras and disciplines, astotaras and pujas you find in here. If so, then this chapter will be of use to you. It contains some simple mantras and their common application. They have been compiled from vedas and upanishads, drawn from the various headings of the deities or principles involved. These mantras address various life issues which we all face from time to time.
Fromm indiadivine.org

गायत्री मन्त्र का वैज्ञानिक आधार

गायत्री मन्त्र का अर्थ है उस परम सत्ता की महानता की स्तुति जिसने 

इस ब्रह्माण्ड को रचा है । यह मन्त्र उस ईश्वरीय सत्ता की स्तुति है जो 

इस संसार में ज्ञान और और जीवन का स्त्रोत है, जो अँधेरे से प्रकाश का 

पथ दिखाती है । गायत्री मंत्र लोकप्रिय यूनिवर्सल मंत्र के रूप में जाना 

जाता है. के रूप में मंत्र किसी भी धर्म या एक देश के लिए नहीं है, यह 

पूरे ब्रह्मांड के अंतर्गत आता है। यह अज्ञान को हटा कर ज्ञान प्राप्ति की 

स्तुति है ।

मन्त्र विज्ञान के ज्ञाता अच्छी तरह से जानते हैं कि शब्द, 

मुख के विभिन्न अंगों जैसे जिह्वा, गला, दांत, होठ और जिह्वा के 

मूलाधार की सहायता से उच्चारित होते हैं । 

शब्द उच्चारण के समय 

मुख की सूक्ष्म ग्रंथियों और तंत्रिकाओं में खिंचाव उत्पन्न होता है जो 

शरीर के विभिन्न अंगों से जुडी हुई हैं । योगी इस बात को भली प्रकार 

से जानते हैं कि मानव शरीर में संकड़ों दृश्य -अदृश्य ग्रंथियां होती है 

जिनमे अलग अलग प्रकार की अपरिमित उर्जा छिपी है । 

अतः मुख से 

उच्चारित हर अच्छे और बुरा शब्द का प्रभाव अपने ही शरीर पर पड़ता है 

। पवित्र वैदिक मंत्रो को मनुष्य के आत्मोत्थान के लिए इन्ही नाड़ियों 

पर पड़ने वाले प्रभाव के अनुसार रचा गया है । आर्य समाज का प्रचलित 

गायत्री मन्त्र है 

” ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व:, तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम् भर्गो देवस्य 

धीमहि, धियो यो न: प्रचोदयात्”.

शरीर में षट्चक्र हैं जो सात उर्जा बिंदु हैं – मूलाधार चक्र, स्वाधिष्ठान 

चक्र, मणिपूर चक्र, अनाहद चक्र, विशुद्ध चक्र, आज्ञा चक्र एवं सहस्त्रार 

चक्र ये सभी सुषुम्ना नाड़ी से जुड़े हुए है । गायत्री मन्त्र में २४ अक्षर हैं 

जो शरीर की २४ अलग अलग ग्रंथियों को प्रभावित करते हैं और व्यक्ति 

का दिव्य प्रकाश से एकाकार होता है । गायत्री मन्त्र के उच्चारण से 

मानव शरीर के २४ बिन्दुओं पर एक सितार का सा कम्पन होता है 


जिनसे उत्पन्न ध्वनी तरंगे ब्रह्माण्ड में जाकर पुनः हमारे शरीर में 

लौटती है जिसका सुप्रभाव और अनुभूति दिव्य व अलौकिक है।

 ॐ की 

शब्द ध्वनी को ब्रह्म माना गया है । ॐ के उच्च्यारण की ध्वनी तरंगे 

संसार को, एवं ३ अन्य तरंगे सत, रज और तमोगुण क्रमशः ह्रीं श्रीं और 

क्लीं पर अपना प्रभाव डालती है इसके बाद इन तरंगों की कई गूढ़ 

शाखाये और उपशाखाएँ है जिन्हें बीज-मन्त्र कहते है ।
गायत्री मन्त्र के २४ अक्षरों का संयोजन और रचना सकारात्मक उर्जा 

और परम प्रभु को मानव शरीर से जोड़ने और आत्मा की शुद्धि और बल 

के लिए रचा गया है । गायत्री मन्त्र से निकली तरंगे ब्रह्माण्ड में जाकर 

बहुत से दिव्य और शक्तिशाली अणुओं और तत्वों को आकर्षित करके 

जोड़ देती हैं और फिर पुनः अपने उदगम पे लौट आती है जिससे मानव 

शरीर दिव्यता और परलौकिक सुख से भर जाता है । मन्त्र इस प्रकार 

ब्रह्माण्ड और मानव के मन को शुद्ध करते हैं। दिव्य गायत्री मन्त्र की 

वैदिक स्वर रचना के प्रभाव से जीवन में स्थायी सुख मिलता है और 

संसार में असुरी शक्तियों का विनाश होने लगता है । गायत्री मन्त्र जाप 

से ब्रह्म ज्ञान की प्राप्ति होती है । गायत्री मन्त्र से जब आध्यात्मिक और 

आतंरिक शक्तियों का संवर्धन होता है तो जीवन की समस्याए सुलझने 

लगती है वह सरल होने लगता है । हमारे शरीर में सात चक्र और 

72000 नाड़ियाँ है, हर एक नाडी मुख से जुडी हुई है और मुख से निकला 

हुआ हर शब्द इन नाड़ियों पर प्रभाव डालता है । अतः आइये हम सब 

मिलकर वैदिक मंत्रो का उच्चारण करें .. उन्हें समझें और वेद विज्ञान 

को जाने । भारत वर्ष का नव-उत्कर्ष सुनिश्चित करें । 


गायत्री मंत्र ऋग्वेद के छंद 

‘तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्’ 

3.62.10 और यजुर्वेद के मंत्र ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः से मिलकर बना है। —

GAYATRI MANTRA -DETAILS

Gayatri Mantra is the Highest mantra of Hinduism.

Gayatri is a meter and has to be intoned.

It has to be in Five Padas, Five Groupings.

Gayatri is the Mother of all Meters,, Gayatrrem Chandasaam Maata,

Devi Gayatri

“

May we meditate on the Glory of the Lord, the Remover of pains and sorrows, the Bestower of happiness, Who has created the universe, and Who is the embodiment of knowledge and light. May the Lord, enlighten our intellect in the right direction by destroying all our sins and ignorance.

Meaning of each letter in mantra:

———————————
OM = Almighty God
BHOOR = Embodiment of vital or spiritual energy
BHUVAHA = Destroyer of suffering
SWAHA = Embodiment of happiness
TAT = That (indicating God)
SAVITUR = Bright, luminous, like and sun
VARENIYAM = Supreme, best
BARGO = Destroyer of sins
DEVASYA = Divine
DHEEMAHI = May receive
DHIYO = Intellect
YO = Who
NAHA = Our
PRACHODAYAT = May inspire.

“May we meditate on the Glory of the Lord, the Remover of pains and sorrows, the Bestower of happiness, Who has created the universe, and Who is the embodiment of knowledge and light. May the Lord, enlighten our intellect in the right direction by destroying all our sins and ignorance.”

This can be translated: Aum. Let us contemplate the spirit of the divine of the earth, the atmosphere and heaven. May that inspire our minds. Savitri is the Sun and this mantra is recited at the three junctions or twilight of the day. Here is described how the mantra Aum hums in the base or Muladhara chakra, and moves through seven stages to the chakra above the head Sahasrara.

Maha Vishnu describes Aum as consisting of the following. Bhur is existence, Bhuvah is the elements, Svah is the Atma of everything, Maha is greatness and light, Tat is Brahman (the absolute). Tapah is all knowledge, Satyam is supremacy and internal wisdom. This tantra connects the three letters of Aum to the seven worlds.

Tat, refers to the first cause of all substance, as fire in the circle of the sun and is supreme Brahman. Savituhu is the source of all living beings. Varenyam is the excellent one who receives adoration.

Bharga destroys sin. Devasya means it is full of light, while Dheemahi refers to knowledge being golden and always within the sun. Dhiyo means Buddhi. Yo stands for energy (tejas).

The mantra is divided into three sections of eight letters and four sections of six letters.

A dhyana (meditation) – Gayatri as having four faces, which are white, yellow, red and black.

Yet the tantrik tradition has different views of the Gayatri. For example, in the Matrikabhedatantra, there is a couplet, which says a person who knows the Brahman (the absolute) is a Brahmin.

Gayatri is mother of Vedas. Sadhana of Gayatri mantra is the essence of all Vedas. Even God like Brahma mediates on and performs Jap of Gayatri at the time of twilight.

Gayatri Jap performed daily for three years realizes God and like air, acquires the power of going where the person wants to go.

Merely by offering water to the Sun and performing Jap of three thousand Gayatri mantra at the time of twilight, a person becomes adorable by God.

..

In Bhavanopanishad, one witness within oneself the effulgent figure of Divine Mother with the different phases of the waxing and waning Moon.

The Devi is to be meditated upon as of a ruddy complexion, with eyes expansive, as an ocean overflowing with waves of grace, with noose, goad, arrows of flowers and a twig of sugar- cane in her hand, surrounded by Anima and other deities and ultimately as one´s own self.

1. Complete faith unflinching loyalty backed by a clear heart towards the deity is required for Sadhana.

2. Do not start Mantra Shakti under any pressure. Trust in God, kindness and patience should be the virtues of a Sadhaka.

3. Avoid harsh speech, lust, anger, restless thoughts, evil company and egoism.

Do not get emotional.

Mantras on hearsay should be avoided, as they must be authentic.

4. Sadhana done without any specific aim bears fruits early.

In case you see any miracle, do not fear. Keep your WILL POWER strong and continue your Sadhana.

All troubles will vanish.

5. Brahmacharya or celibacy should be observed during Sadhana. In case of failure, do not lose heart. Try it again and again and you will be crowned with success.”

I will be posting the Text and Meaning of Bhavanopanishad in Tamil and English shortly.

The right chanting of mantra:

Since each and every syllable is powerful and it awakens the energy spots in our body care should be taken while chanting the mantra. The right time will be either dawn, noon or dusk. The mantra should be chanted by pausing at four places. They are Om; Bhur bhuva Swaha; Tat Savitur varenyam; Bhatgo devasya dheemahi; Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat. The maximum benefit is attained when one chants it for 108 times but we can chant it for three, nine or eighteen times also as per our convenience and time limitations. 

For more details on Gayatri,Savitri, Sarasvati, please read my posts and the following Link.

Gayatri Mantra

Scientific Implication of Gayatri Mantra

 

 

Scientific Implication of Gayatri Mantra...

Gayatri mantra has been bestowed the greatest importance in Vedic dharma. This mantra has also been termed as Savitri and Ved-Mata, the mother of the Vedas.

Om bhur bhuvah swah
Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dheemahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
...
The literal meaning of the mantra is:

O God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty, You are all Light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss. You are Destroyer of fear, You are Creator of this Universe, You are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon Your light. You guide our intellect in the right direction.

The mantra, however, has a great scientific importance too, which somehow got lost in the literary tradition. The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000 million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system. We know that the moon moves round the earth and the earth moves round the sun along with the moon. All planets round the sun. Each of the above bodies revolves round at its own axis as well. Our sun along with its family takes one round of the galactic center in 22.5 crore years. All galaxies including ours are moving away at a terrific velocity of 20,000 miles per second.

The alternative scientific meaning of the mantra
Line by Line

Line 1:

OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAH:

Bhur the earth, bhuvah the planets (solar family), swah the Galaxy. We observe that when an ordinary fan with a speed of 900 RPM (rotations Per minute) moves, it makes noise. Then, one can imagine, what great noise would be created when the galaxies move with a speed of 20,000 miles per second. This is what this portion of the mantra explains that the sound produced due to the fast-moving earth, planets and galaxies is Om. The sound was heard during meditation by Rishi Vishvamitra, who mentioned it to other colleagues. All of them, then unanimously decided to call this sound Om the name of God, because this sound is available in all the three periods of time, hence it is set (permanent). Therefore, it was the first ever revolutionary idea to identify formless God with a specific title (form) called upadhi. Until that time, everybody recognized God as formless and nobody was prepared to accept this new idea. In the Gita also, it is said, "Omiti ekaksharam brahma", meaning that the name of the Supreme is Om , which contains only one syllable (8/12). This sound Om heard during samadhi was called by all the seers nada-brahma a very great noise), but not a noise that is normally heard beyond a specific amplitude and limits of decibels suited to human hearing. Hence the rishis called this sound Udgith musical sound of the above, i.e., heaven. They also noticed that the infinite mass of galaxies moving with a velocity of 20,000 miles/second was generating a kinetic energy = 1/2 MV2 and this was balancing the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence they named it Pranavah, which means the body (vapu) or store house of energy (prana).

Line 2: TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM:

Tat that (God), savitur the sun (star), varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Once the form of a person along with the name is known to us, we may locate the specific person.Hence the two titles (upadhi) provide the solid ground to identify the formless God, Vishvamitra suggested. He told us that we could know (realize) the unknowable formless God through the known factors, viz., sound Om and light of suns (stars). A mathematician can solve an equation x2+y2=4; if x=2; then y can be known and so on. An engineer can measure the width of a river even by standing at the riverbank just by drawing a triangle. So was the scientific method suggested by Vishvamitra in the mantra in the next portion as under:-

Line 3:
BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI:

Bhargo the light, devasya of the deity, dheemahi we should meditate. The rishi instructs us to meditate upon the available form (light of suns) to discover the formless Creator (God). Also he wants us to do japa of the word Om (this is understood in the Mantra). This is how the sage wants us to proceed, but there is a great problem to realize it, as the human mind is so shaky and restless that without the grace of the Supreme (Brahma) it cannot be controlled. Hence Vishvamitra suggests the way to pray Him as under:

Line 4:

DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT

Dhiyo (intellect), yo (who), nah (we all), prachodayat (guide to right Direction). O God! Deploy our intellect on the right path. Full scientific interpretation of the Mantra: The earth (bhur), the planets (bhuvah), and the galaxies (swah) are moving at a very great velocity, the sound produced is Om , (the name of formless God.) That God (tat), who manifests Himself in the form of light of suns (savitur) is worthy of bowing/respect (varenyam). We all, therefore, should meditate (dheemahi) upon the light (bhargo) of that deity (devasya) and also do chanting of Om. May He (yo) guide in right direction (prachodayat) our(nah) intellect dhiyo.

The important points hinted in the mantra are

1) The total kinetic energy generated by the movement of galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah
(body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2
(Mass of galaxies x square of velocity.)

2) Realizing the great importance of the syllable OM , the other later date religions adopted this word

Why Chants of mantra is important

21st century tonoscope Creates 22000+BC year old Hindu diagram of OM . Amazing ? Read More

The Sri-Yantra Mandala is the image of the OM mantra, the primordial Hindu sound of creation . When OM is intoned into a tonoscope, it first produces a circle. As the tone is completed, the circle is filled sequentially with concentric squares, triangles and finally, as the "mmm" dies away, the Sri Yantra. 
A tonoscope is an appliance that turns sounds into patterns.

There is a science called Cymatics that is about the translation of sound vibrations into visible patterns. It is usually done by vibrating a fine powder or a liquid on a plate connected to a speaker. The images that can be produced with different frequencies are complex and beautiful and often look like mandalas. see video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6PSA5bYTxs

Mantras are not small things, mantras have power. They are the mind vibration in relationship to the Cosmos. The science of mantra is based on the knowledge that sound is a form of energy having structure, power, and a definite predictable effect on the chakras and the human psyche.

GAYATRI MANTRA MEANING

Meaning and Significance of Gayatri Mantra
 

 Gyatri Mantra is recited in Sanskrit language as mentioned below:

“ओम् भूर्भुव: स्‍व: तत्‍सवितुर्वरेण्‍यं भर्गो देवस्‍य धीमहि धियो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ।”

(Aum bhoorbhuvah svah tatsaviturvarenyam bhargo devasya dheemahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.)

Thus Gayatri Mantra begins from the word aum whose meaning and significance has been explained in Mandukyopanishad. The word ‘Aum’ is in itself a hymn which is also called ‘Pran...ava’. This word contains three letters A, U, M. The letter A represents the cosmos, the body of Virat Brahma. When subtle Brahma (Supreme Eternal Being) manifests or projects himself into vast universe which can be visualized by the mind or by the senses it is called Virat or Vaishvanar. In this shape, magnificence of God is fully reflected. The letter U stands for intellectual design of creation, the totality of all subtle subjects and Brahma possessed of subtly differentiated creation is called Hiranyagarbha (also Sutratma or Prana) where every being is in the illumined shape of self-born sperm and foetus. The letter M stands for Saguna Brahma or Ishvar where Brahma described also as Omniscient and Omnipotent Being is the Creator, the Sustainer and the Destroyer of the world. Thus all the three letters combined together give description of God in three different ways.

The remaining part of Gayatri Mantra finds place in thirty-sixth chapter of Yajurveda. The word Savitri (or Savita) has two meanings—(1) the sun (2) One that inspires. Here the word Savita has been used in the sense of God who inspires us. Due to some confusion some people say that this hymn prays the sun.

The words bhoorbhuvah svah tell about the body of Brahma (Supreme Being). Bhoor or Bhooh means Being or matter and energy of the universe. Bhuvah means space and Svah means Atma or the Self or the Spirit. If we want to see God, we can see Him in anything visible in the universe. If we separate matter, energy and space, then we can know God through self-realization for in that position God is formless, weightless, consciousness or knowledge, all-pervading, all-knowing, omnipotent, eternal, imperishable and abode of bliss. Then God is called Paramatma.

Thus we can understand Gayatri Mantra in brief in the following manner-----

That omnipotent God (Supreme Being) pervades all matter, energy, space and consciousness. That (tat) God is the source of inspiration (savituh), is most venerable (varenyam), and is pure in character (bhargah). Our mind should take hold (dhimahi) of that divine power (devasya). May that Supreme Being (yah) lead (prachodayat) our (nah) wisdom (dhiyah) towards good path.

Gayatri Mantra is very significant for us because it describes, in brief, essence of God or material and spiritual aspect of God. It is also a magnificent hymn or prayer that yokes the mind with Supreme Being.

In the interest of readers and devotees another Vedic hymn is given here---

यो भूतं च भव्‍य च सर्व यश्‍चाधितिष्‍ठति

स्‍वर्यस्‍य च केवलं तस्‍मै ज्‍येष्‍ठाय ब्रह्मणे नम: ।

(Reverential obeisance to Brahma (Supreme Being) who is the past and the future and who precedes and pervades all beings, and who presides over divinity and who alone exists)