The fundamental purpose of mantras is control of power we all are conscious of; the power is there around us, within us, we just have to tap it, writes Ridhi Bahl
There is a tendency among most of us that either we believe in the little knowledge that is left with us by ancient sages or term it as superstition. Our this attitude is partly due to ignorance and partly to the fact that we think ourselves as intellectuals and try to measure everything with the modern scientific enlightenment.
In fact the interpretation which modern thoughts gives us about mantras is not very satisfactory. The words ‘mantra’ and ‘tantra’ are used for beliefs and practices which science and modern educated men will term as superstition and which priests and godmen use to exploit common men.
Even though it is pointed out that some of the highly educated men also make use of mantras for their mental and physical upliftment, mantra shastra is still confused with magic. In India, magic is associated with what is called Kshudravidya or certain practices which control crude forces of nature. Mantras have nothing to do with magic, and are used by the great yogis who underwent the most severe form of mental and physical spiritual discipline to get spiritual knowledge.
Man means mind and tra means vibration. The main purpose of religious rites associated with mantras is the control of power which we all humans want to possess, which we may call brahmshakti or cosmic force. There are times when we feel a mysterious emotion which enhances our strength and joy. What is this mysterious emotionIJ This mysterious emotion is an irrational truth of the universe which we can’t question or which science can’t measure or term it in as a substance or quantity. This irrational truth is a quality to which we have given different names like courage, love and faith. The connection of this irrational truth with mankind is found in the rites connected with mantras.
For our mind and body to attain a new state of consciousness and concentration, meditation and mantras play a pivotal role. The fundamental purpose of mantras is the control of the power we all are conscious of; the power is there around us, within us, we just have to tap it.
To attain a state of mental enlightenment and to tap the power within us, ancient sages gave us these mantras as the external tools. These mantras enabled them to concentrate and achieve unbelievable control over their bodies and mind.
Mantras are adjusted forms of vibrations. It is a matter of common experience that music for instance affects the emotional part of our being. Each mantra is made up of certain akshara, which have imperishable forms of sound vibrations, and every time the mantra is repeated it sets in action certain vibrations which reach the depths of our being. When a certain quantity of this energy accumulates (which happens by repeating the mantra), the person gets siddhi or power to control the energy that one has acquired, and this power can be utilised for the good of humanity.
Physical or mental disease is a vibratory disorder and those who are well versed in mantra shastras can control such disease by releasing appropriate vibrations which can correct the disorder. Mantras have amazing healing powers. One can acquire mantra shakti by controlling their mental inhibitions free from envy and hatred.
However, mantras are like double-edged weapons and should be used for the good of humanity. If used for selfish interest, they can have a evil effect on the practitioner. Each mantra releases a particular vibration which is capable of securing a particular object in view. Mantras are energy-based sounds that have the power to vibrate and resonate throughout the entire body. Mantras are not just sound vibrations which hold the energy of the world, they also form a connection between prana, the mind and the senses. Prana is the universal principle of energy or force and is the sum total of all the energy that is palpable within the universe, and the powers which are hidden in mankind and lie everywhere around us. Prana is the vital force which allows us to speak, and our breath is the fundamental force which carries the prana. Any sound requires breath, and prana is the energy behind every piece of speech.
Mantra chanting has the power to vibrate energy at certain frequencies and ranges, and therefore to demagnetise the body. Sound travels five times more efficiently through water than through air, and as the human body is comprised of more than 70 per cent water, it is therefore an excellent conductor for both sound and vibration.
Tansen, the famous court musician of emperor Akbar, could make the clouds pour down by singing Raga Megh Malhar, and could light lamps by singing Raga Deepak. This was due to the power of sound vibrations.
Scientists Graham and Neil conducted an experiment in a crowded street in Australia’s Melbourne city. The experiment was done to show the power of sound. The medium of experiment was a motor car. They wanted the car to move as per their commands. The car followed their command when they said ‘start’ and again when they commanded ‘go’, the car started moving and stopped when they said ‘halt’. People thought it to be magic but it was merely an experiment which showed the power of sound. But how did this happenIJ Graham had a transmitter in his hands; its function was to convert the command into a fixed frequency of electrical power and send it to the control unit which was fitted in the dashboard of the car. Another device named car radio was fitted in front of the control unit. When the electro-magnetic frequencies transmitted by the transmitter dashed against the car radio, the car’s engines started and began to move and ultimately stopped. The source of all this was sound wave!
Mantra chanting is based on ultrasonic sounds, which we can neither see nor hear. But if these are pronounced with clarity and emotions, they can do wonders. Indian thought, which includes the great system of mantra shastra, also plays an important role in rescuing our civilisation from the rising materialism and supplying to lives a moral uplift which will enable society to move forward and upward.
Bahl is an astrologer and Vastu consultant