Mantras and the Gayatri Mantra
What mantras are in Hinduism, how they are used in worship and meditation, the practice of japa with a mala, and the meaning of famous mantras including the Gayatri Mantra.
A mantra is a sacred sound, word or phrase, usually in Sanskrit, that is chanted or repeated in worship and meditation. Hindus believe that mantras carry spiritual power: they invoke deities, purify the mind, protect from harm and lead towards liberation. From the hymns of the Vedas to the names of God chanted by devotees today, mantras are woven through every part of Hindu practice.
The word mantra is often explained as combining man, “to think”, with tra, “instrument” or “protection”: an instrument of the mind, or that which protects the one who reflects on it.
Famous mantras
Om
The most sacred of all mantras, Om, is regarded as the primordial sound of creation and is placed at the beginning of most other mantras.
The Gayatri Mantra
The Gayatri Mantra is the most revered verse of the Vedas (Rig Veda 3.62.10). It is addressed to Savitr, the divine sun, as the source of light and inspiration:
Om bhur bhuvah svah
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayatRig Veda 3.62.10, with the opening invocation
A common translation is: “We meditate on the glorious radiance of the divine Savitr. May he inspire our minds.” The opening words, bhur bhuvah svah, name the three worlds: earth, atmosphere and heaven.
Traditionally, the Gayatri Mantra was taught to boys of the upper three classes at their sacred thread ceremony (see Samskaras) and recited at dawn, noon and dusk. Modern reformers opened it to everyone, and today it is chanted widely by Hindus of all backgrounds, women and men alike.
Other well-known mantras
- Om Namah Shivaya: “salutations to Shiva”, the five-syllable mantra of Shaivism.
- Om Namo Narayanaya and Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya: mantras of Vishnu.
- The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra (Rig Veda 7.59.12), a prayer to Shiva for protection from death and illness, beginning Om tryambakam yajamahe.
- The Hare Krishna maha-mantra, central to ISKCON and Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
- Om Gam Ganapataye Namah: a mantra to Ganesha, chanted before new undertakings.
Japa: repeating a mantra
The practice of repeating a mantra is called japa. It is usually done with a string of 108 beads, called a mala, plus a larger “guru bead” that marks the start and end of each round. Devotees of Vishnu often use beads of tulsi wood, and devotees of Shiva beads of rudraksha seeds. The number 108 is sacred in Hinduism and has many explanations, including the 108 Upanishads in one traditional list.
Texts describe three levels of japa: spoken aloud (vachika), whispered (upamshu) and silent, in the mind (manasa), which is considered the most powerful.
Initiation
Many traditions hold that a mantra is most effective when received from a guru at initiation (diksha). The guru may give a personal mantra, which the disciple keeps private and repeats daily. Some mantras, especially in Tantric traditions, consist of single “seed” syllables (bija), such as hrim or shrim, believed to embody a deity's power.
Why mantras work
Hindu tradition holds that sound has creative power, and that Sanskrit mantras correspond to deep realities. For devotional traditions, the name of God is not different from God, so repeating it brings the devotee into God's presence. On a practical level, mantra repetition focuses and calms the mind, making it a powerful aid to meditation.
Sources and further reading
- Harvey P. Alper (ed.), Understanding Mantras (SUNY Press, 1989).
- Guy Beck, Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound (University of South Carolina Press, 1993).
- Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton (trans.), The Rigveda (Oxford University Press, 2014).