What is a Mantra and How Does It Work ?

Mantras are powerful sounds. Mantras are the ones that have 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 dwell more and more into that, the mantra conditions the mind and takes up to the 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 human composed. 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 normally compose the 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.

Mantra:

Devaki-sut Govinda Vasudeva Jagatpate
Dehi me tanayam Krishna Tvaamaham sharanam gataha

Meaning:

O Son of Devaki and Vasudeva, the Lord of the Universe
O Krishna! give me a son; I take refuge in you

Mantra:

Kaatyaayani Mahaamaayey Mahaa YoginyaDheeshwaree
NandaGopasuta Devi Pati Mey Kuru Tey Namaha

Meaning:

Katyaayani! MahaaMayey (Names of Ma the Mother Goddess) Supreme Lord of all great Yoginis, Make Shree Krishna, my husband Prostrations unto Thee.

Mantra:

Saraswati namastubhyam
Varde Kaamarupini
Vidyarambham karishyami
Siddhir bhavatu me sadaa

Meaning:

My humble prostrations unto Thee, O Goddess Saraswati,
You are the fulfiller of all my wishes, I start my studies, with the request that I achieve perfection in them.

Mantra: Mantra for Health

Om! Tryambakam Yajaamahe Sugandhim Pushtee Vardhanam
Urva ruka meva Bandhanaat Mrityor Muksheeya Ma amrutaat

Meaning:

Om! We worship Lord Shiva (The 3-Eyed One) who is full of fragrance and who nourishes all beings; may He liberate me from death, bestow salvation and (lead me) towards Eternity (Make me immortal) just as the ripe cucumber is severed (from the creeper) of its bondage.

Mantra: Mantra For Prosperity

Aayur dehee Dhanam Dehee
Vidyaam dehee Maheshwari
Samastamakhilam dehee
dehee mey Parameshwari

Meaning:

Give me long life
Give me wealth,
Give me knowledge,
O Maheshwari (Mother Goddess)
O Parmeshwari,
Give me everything that I desire

This is a mantra of Maheshwari. Maheshwari is the consort of Maheshwara, another name for Siva. It is said that Siva always grants the boons of those that pray to him or his consort.

Mantra: Mantra for a Peaceful Life

Sarveshaam Svaastir Bhavatu
Sarveshaam Shaantir Bhavatu,
Sarveshaam Poornam Bhavatu
Sarveshaam Mangalam Bhavatu
Om Shanti, Shanti Shanteeh

Meaning:

May Health abound forever
May Peace abound forever
May complete abundance, abound forever
May auspiciousness abound forever
Om Peace Peace Peace!

MANTRA for the FULFILLMENT OF DESIRES and RELEASE FROM BONDAGE

Mantra:

Om kaaram bindu samyuktam nityam dhyaayanti yoginah
Kaamadam mokshadam chaiva Omkaaraaya namo namaha

Meaning:

The sages constantly meditate upon the sound of Om and its 'Bindu´ (dot) We offer our obeisance to the Divine sound of Om repeatedly,
Which has the power to fulfill our desires and release us from bondage.

Mantra:

Krishnaaya Vaasudevaaya Haraye Paramaatmane
Pranatah Klesha naashaaya Govindaaya namo namaha

Meaning:

O Krishna! Son of Vaasudeva, You are the Supreme Lord, remover of miseries.
You destroy all evil, O Govinda!
I repeatedly bow to You!

Mantra: THE EPITOME OF DUTY.

Raamaaya Raamabhadraaya Raamachandraaya vedhase
Raghunaathaaya naathaaya Seetaaya pataye namah.

Meaning:
I bow to the Brilliant Rama, doer of good, Lord of the Raghus, the Beloved husband of Seeta.

Guru Mantra:

Gurur Bramha Gurur Vishnu
Gurur Devo Maheswaraha
Guru Shakshath Para Bramha
Thasmaisri Gurave Namaha
Gurave Sarvalokanam
Bhishaje Bhavaroginam
Nithye Sarvadhiyanaam
Dhakshina Moorthaye Namahah!

Meaning: Guru is Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Maheswara. Guru is nothing but the Supreme Brahman devoid of attributes. That is the reason why we bow to the Guru.

Meditation On Lord Shiva:
Shaantam padmaasanastham
shashadharamakutam panchavaktram trinetram,
Shoolam vajram cha khadgam
parashumabhayadam dakshinaange vahantam;
Naagam paasham cha ghantaam
damaruka sahitam chaankusham vaamabhaage,
Naanaalankaara deeptam
sphatika maninibham paarvateesham namaami.

Meaning: I prostrate myself before the five-faced Lord of Parvati, who is adorned with various ornaments, who shines like the crystal jewel, who is seated peacefully in the lotus pose, with moon-crested crown, with three eyes, wearing trident, thunderbolt, sword and axe on the right side, who holds the serpent, noose, bell, damaru and spear on the left side, and who gives protection from all fear to His devotees.

Meditation On Sri Shankaracharya
Padmaaseenam prashantam
yamaniratamaanan gaari tulya prabhaavam,
Phaale bhasmaankitaam
bhasmita rujira mukhaam bhojanindeevaraaksham;
Kambugreevam karaabhyaam
avidtamurulasat pustakam jnaanamudraam,
Vandyam geervaana mukhyair
natajana varadam bhaavaye shankaraaryam.

Meaning: I meditate on Sri Shankaracharya who is seated in the lotus posture with Jnanamudra, who is calm, endowed with virtues like Yama, Niyama, etc., whose glory is as great as that of Lord Shiva, who wears the sacred ashes on the forehead, whose face resembles the blossomed lotus, with lotus-like eyes, possessing sacred books in hand, who is ever adored by people of high learning and wisdom, and who fulfils the desires of his devotees (who prostrate themselves before him).

Meditation On Lord Dattatreya
Maalaakamandalu dharah karapadmayugme
Madhyastha paaniyugale damarutrishoolam;
Adhyastha urdhva karayoh shubha shankhachakre
Vande tamatrivaradam bhujashatkayuktam.

Meaning: I meditate on Lord Dattatreya, the son of Atri, who has six hands, who holds the rosary and water-vessel in two hands, with damaru and spear in the other two hands, and with conch and discus in the upper two hands.

Meditation On Lord Ganesha
Gajaananam bhootaganaadisevitam
Kapittha jamboophala saara bhakshitam;
Umaasutam shoka vinaasha kaaranam
Namaami vighneshwara paada pankajam.

Meaning: I worship the lotus feet of Ganesha, the son of Uma, the destroyer of all sorrows, who is served by the host of gods and elementals, and who takes the essence of the kapittha-jarnbu fruit (fruit resembling the bilwa fruit).

Meditation On Lord Subramanya
Shadaananam kumkumaraktavarnam
Mahaa matim divya mayoora vaahanam;
Rudrasya soonum sura sainyanaatham
Guham sadaaham sharanam prapadye.

Meaning: I always take refuge in Lord Guha (Lord Subramanya) of six faces, who is of deep red colour and infinite knowledge, who has the divine peacock to ride on, the son of Lord Shiva and the leader of the army of the Devas.

Meditation On Sri Krishna
Vamshee vibhooshita karaan navaneeradaabhaat
Peetaambaraadaruna bimbaphalaa dharoshthaat;
Poornendusundara mukhaad aravinda netraat
Krishnaat param kimapi tattwam aham na jaane.

Meaning: I know not any other Reality than the lotus-eyed Krishna with hands adorned with flute, looking like a heavy-laden cloud in lustre, wearing a yellow silk garment, with His lower lip like a ruddy bimba fruit, and with face shining like the full moon.

Meditation On Sri Rama
Dhyaayedaajaanubaaham dhritasharadhanusham
baddhapadmaasanastham,
Peetam vaaso vasaanam navakamala dala spardhinetram
prasannam;
Vaamaankaaroodhaseetaa mukhakamala milal lochanam
neeradaabham,
Naanaalankaara deeptam dadhatamuru jataa mandalam
raamachandram.

Meaning: One should meditate on Sri Ramachandra, with hands reaching the knees, holding the bow and arrows, seated in the locked-up lotus posture, wearing a yellow garb, with eyes vying with the newly-blossomed lotus petals, with a pleasant gait, who has Sita seated on His left thigh, who is blue like the clouds, who is adorned with all kinds of ornaments and having a big circle of Jata on the head.

Maha Mrutyunjaya Mantra

Om Thryambakam Yajaamahe' Suganthim Pushtivardhanam |
Urvarukamiva Bandana-mr.uthyormuksheeya Ma-amr.uthathu ||

Meaning: We worship the three-eyed One, Lord Siva, Who is fragrant and Who nourishes all beings; May He liberate me from the death, for the sake of Immortality, just as the ripe cucumber gets severed from the bondage of the vines.