Manthras

What are manthras and how many types of manthras are there?

“ Mananena thraayathe iti mantra”

By repeated chanting the one which protects you is known as manthra.

When a manthra is chanted in rhythmic tone with ups and downs, they create a melodious effect in the body . This effect can be defined as the neurolinguistic effect. Remember the Neurolinguistic effect will be possible even if you do not know the meaning of the manthra. Hence knowing the meaning of every manthra is not compulsory. At the same time if you know the meaning it has got an additional effect which is known as Neurolinguistic (NLE)+ Psycholinguistic effect (PLE). Lot of Research studies have been carried out by many and important results derived by one of the famous professors Dr. T. Temple Tutler, of the Cleveland University, USA on these effects are remarkable. Remember the NLE and PLE effects are due to the production and spreading of curative chemicals in the brain. These curative chemicals give smoothening and curing effect in the body. Thus manthra chanting is no way a superstition . It can also be directly called as music therapy or manthra therapy in modern words.

Listening to manthras directly lowers blood pressure, normalizes heart beating rate, brain wave pattern, adrenalin level, even cholesterol level. That is the reason why modern doctors advise the people under high tension to sit and listen to music or manthras for few minutes. This has become an accepted procedure just like the yoga and pranayaama practices. Even chanting the keerthans, melodious bhajans, songs, etc have the good effect almost similar to the NLE and PLE. How ever there should a melodious pattern for that . The music/ song/manthra should never be hard/ harsh/rough/ etc. The speed also should have a smoothening effect for example even Gayatri manthra chanting should be done at the range of 4 - 8 numbers per minute, Om Namo Narayanaaya at 38 -62 and Om Namassivaaya at 42 – 68 range per minute.

Chanting the manthras everyday is excellent and important at a particular time. In physics the time, space and observer are the three important factors. Exactly like that the time, space and the person connected with chanting/listening manthras are three important factors for deriving benefit of manthras. Hence sareera suddhi, ahaara suddhi, mana suddhi, vaak suddhi and karma suddhi are essential for deriving the full benefit of chanting the manthra. Also the place where you are sitting should give calming effect, comfortable feeling etc.

The ideal timings are the prabhata sandhya and saayam sandhya. Morning and evening. Group chanting is excellent. Absolutely no mistake is expected in Vedic mantra chanting. When you are sick due to ill health or old age, one need not worry too much about his incapability of chanting the manthras. Manthras are chanted for solving our problems and for positive effects but manthra chanting/ not chanting should not become another problem for us. The ideal sound for manthra chanting can be maintained if possible at radius 7 meters. Veda manthras chanting is not easy so it is advised not to chant without the guidance from a guru.