A Question About Vedic Mantras???

Question

I was reading that, according to Hinduism, sanscrit is the language of the Gods. Moreover, the sound waves that are produced when one speaks in sanscrit have unique mystical properties associated with them. That is why the Gayatri mantra is being used on mentally ill people, because of its powerful healing effects.

So why do so many Hindus recite the mantras quitely??? Doesn't it defeat the purpose of reciting mantras altogether if they are not spoken out loud???

Are there any advanced Hindus that can clarify???

Answer 1

Yes, indeed.
The vedic mantras are in holy Sanskrit language and their reciting either vocal or in silence has the same impact on the reciter and the person(s) for whom being recited. The waves generated by our brain travel to make the desired impact and not the sound waves only.

Answer 2

The Mantras are for chanting but with the meaning understood. When sanskrit was the main language people chanted and understood it. It sort of became a pledge with a "Swaha". It was a non-idolworship monotheist religion where people pledged in front of fire which is considered pure to perform good deeds. What is done today is nothing but mere ritual and is meaning less as only the pundits know the sanskrit and people are just following eager to make offerings to the fire. If it is to be done today, mantras should be translated into local languages and those chanted so everyone understands the pledge. Sanskrit is the language of Devas or the aryans of India. If you pick up the Parsi texts you will find great similarities between the Zend Avesta Gathas and the vedas. Fire worship as it is commonly refered to. There are also great similarities with the Brahmin "Janeyu" and the Parsi Thread that they wear around the waist. The Parsis are Ashura or "Asura" of old Iran. You will also see the "Garuda purana" read at hindu funeral which symbolises the taking of the soul by a vulture while this is an actual practice amongst zorastrians. Also the "Navratri" festival is similar to the Avestan "Nauroz"! When you worship devas as gods you are worshiping men not a god or gods! And "Mantra" means "thought" not some divine spell. Just like a "Mantri" of a particular cabinet gives thought to that dept!

Answer 3

not exactly that. if you know some background of all these, all manthras are in praise of one or other gods. praising plane pitches from one level to other and many. but this is as far as hinduism is concerned. other religions are also no different. they are also praising their own gods in their own language. there is nothing like gods will be pleased only when mantras are uttered in sanskrit. but mantras are better described in sanscrit. i am adding further my own opinion about the result of such prasings/mantras - one is able to achieve result if the person seeking is a self confident person. mantra also helps in a way to gain self confidence by the fact that the belief what is already existing saying, if a mantra is uttered 1000 times, the person will be granted with particular wish. this kind belief sometimes brings inner confidence with the people for which we give the name of god. the fact can be understood only with the deeper analysis and comparisons of events. but it is difficult to prove on logical plane.

Answer 4

I think The name AUM is not a mantra it a meaningful name of God which made by three alphabets "A", "U", "M" and every alphabet have its separate meaning which gives its identity as this is a name of God. However the Gayatri Mantra is a stand-able mantra taken from Vedas. But so-hum or so-sung is not a mantra is may be called as shloka which sung by any saint not taken from any Vedas hence the Gayatri is most and you may say only Vedic mantra among these and this is right in all respects

Answer 5

Mantra's given by an empowered Siddha Guru are to be kept secret as per the tradition. Many of the mystical mantra's work only when received from an empowered Guru. These are living Mantra's which have been transferred from generation to generation through Guru Disciple tradition. I follow Guru Siyag's Siddha Yoga. In this Yoga disciples receives a Sanjeevani Mantra from Guru. This mantra can be easily received by listening to you tube video of Guru Siyag giving the mantra. One of the reason that we are instructed to chant the mantra silently in the mind is that, for mental chanting of mantra we do not have follow any related ritual or karmkand. Mantra given by Guru Siyag awakens the Kundalini and heals diseases and aids and spiritual evolution.

http://gurusiyagsdisciple.blogspot.com/2014/02/sanjeevani-mantra-mantra-that-infuses.html

Answer 6

It is true that Sanskrit as a language is far more advanced in itself than any other. No wonder it has done away with punctuations n all. Sanskrit is a language where in a single phrase can mean differently when the stress levels on teh syllables vary.

Having said that, in Hinduism, Mantras are very important and do have powers. they are like equations which bind divine energies (in bija mantras). This neccesitates their proper pronunciation in a definite tone and speed with aaroha and avaroha (especially for vedic mantras). Their powers are well known.

As for many people reciting mantras in their minds, it is another way of self purification and improvement. wherein you say the mantras quietly wherein the vibrational energies are not dissipated outside in form of sound energy but are reverberated inside us in our mind and affect the person who does this.

For mantras to have their proper effect they should be said loudly only when there are recipient listeners who are equally aware of the mantra and are ready to grasp its vibrations are present and willing. else the purpose of reciting those mantras aloud is defeated.

In todays world no one seems to have time and moreover belief over such things so its better to say them quietly for oneself, than saying it aloud. isnt it?

Answer 7

The mantra Gayathri to be chanted by heart to heart only. If you slowly with lip moments if you mention ,the effect of the mantra will go away. If you do it by heart it will have 1000 times effect better than telling it loudly, the Gayathiri Mantra says . Yours VRVRAO

Answer 8

The third period began, according to Conze, in about the 7th century, to take centre stage and become a vehicle for salvation in their own right. Tantra started to gain momentum in the 6th and 7th century, with specifically Buddhist forms appearing as early as 300CE. Mantrayana was an early name for the what is now more commonly known as Vajrayana, which gives us a hint as to the place of mantra in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. The aim of Vajrayana practice is to give the practitioner a direct experience of reality, of things as they really are. Mantras function as symbols of that reality, and different mantras are different aspects of that reality -- for example wisdom or compassion. Mantras are often associated with a particular deity, one famous exception being the Prajnaparamita mantra associated with the Heart Sutra. One of the key Vajrayana strategies for bringing about a direct experience of reality is to engage the entire psycho-physical organism in the practices. In one Buddhist analysis the person consists of body, speech and mind. So a typical sadhana or meditation practice might include mudras, or symbolic hand gestures; the recitations of mantras; as well as the visualisation of celestial beings and visualising the letters of the mantra which is being recited. Clearly here mantra is associated with speech. The meditator may visualise the letters in front of themselves, or within their body. They may pronounced out loud, or internally in the mind only.

Answer 9

There's a lot of gyan that you'll receive from a lot of people here. Let me clarify the basics first.

Mantra Japa (recitation) is of 3 types -

Vachika (recited aloud audible to everbody around) - This method is applied for homas/yagnas (sacrifices) to purify the overall surroundings.

Upanshu (recited in a very low voice audible only to self) - This is used to gain self-control & concentration mostly used for normal/daily pujas.

Manasika (recited or recalled only in our minds) - This method is adopted for absolute meditation to purify our minds.

The Vedic Mantras are powerful as always irrespective of the method we use, it's only our purpose that decides the method. For eg. Milk obtained from Cow can be consumed directly, or can be skimmed for Butter or can be used to yield Curd/Yoghurt. The source is the same but the methods are different as per our requirements.

OM TAT SAT...!!!

Answer 10

There are certain Mantras which work when spoken loud...as they create special sound vibrations.

But since subtle is more powerful than gross...and when u recite a mantra for long time aloud... it becomes subtler and finally reaches the mind ... where it produces higher cosmic vibrations...which are more effective.

But a beginner chanting silently...willl not have that effect... It is only after one has awakened the mantra by chanting aloud for certain numbers of times, that the mantra becomes subtle

The next stage is where mantra is not even chanted in mind... only Mantra/Ishta remains in mind.. this stage is very high and can be said the highest state in Mantra Yoga.