waves. As such, the intellectual understanding of the mantra is not
at all necessary.
- Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Inevitably when I introduce mantra to a class someone asks, “What does it mean?” On one hand mantra is not just gibberish, on the other it doesn’t really correspond with our common notions of “meaning.” Ordinarily, we think of words as pointing to something, an object, idea or belief. Language as such is at the basis of dualistic thought. Mantra is non-dualistic language. It resonates within consciousness and has no object of reference.
Mantras are meant to takes us beyond the mind. While ordinary words point to either sensual or mental “objects,” mantras point inwardly to the Self. This makes it difficult to respond as to the “meaning” of a mantra. The mantra “Om Namah Shivaya,” for instance, is often “translated” as “I offer salutations to the Universal Consciousness.” As such it can give us somewhat of an intellectual crutch to use. The purpose of the mantra however goes way beyond the meaning. Dedicated practice of the mantra will open you to the experience of the Universal Consciousness within yourself.
Some mantras, such as the bija mantras for the chakras, have no meaning. They are simply sounds used to awaken experience of the psychic energy centers along the spine. Other longer mantras are actually understood as prayers, however, the resonant sound qualities of the mantras are just as important as the “words.” In this way the mantric prayers help harmonize the rational, analytic left brain and the holistic, aesthetic and emotional right brain. If we get hung up in interpreting the meaning we become unbalanced and simply intellectualize the mantra rather than allowing it to take us into a state of transcendent consciousness.
Om, sometimes spelled Aum, is regarded as the root of all mantras. It is referred to as the “pranava” meaning that it is the sound that pervades all life. Trying to unpack the various “meanings” of Om will take another post. However, Om chanting will help you to enter a state of calm presence, a sense of universal connection and deep inner peace. This is the real meaning of the mantra. In general we could say that the true meaning of a mantra is discovered through its practice rather than something given up front. We must enter into the experience of the mantra, give ourselves over to it and then its meaning will be revealed.
Some resources:
Aha! Words that have no inherent meaning have always been helpful to me in meditation and in attempting to fall asleep. Now I know why. Before yoga, I relied on the word "nothing," which was the only word that did not attract thoughts that led to a busy non-meditative state of mind.
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