Mantra is the use of sound to affect consciousness; man means mind and trang means wave or projection. Everything in this world, down to the subatomic level, is in constant motion, vibrating. The denser a material, the more slowly it moves; often the vibration is so slow or so fast that we can’t notice it with our direct senses. This vibration is pure energy.
Sound and Vibratory Frequency
There is a vibratory frequency that corresponds to everything in the Universe. Happiness or sorrow, joy or regret are vibratory frequencies in the mind. When we chant a mantra we are choosing to invoke the positive power contained in those particular syllables. Whether it’s for prosperity, peace of mind, increasing intuition, or any other possible benefits inherent in mantras, simply by chanting them we are setting vibrations into motion that shall have an effect. It doesn’t actually matter if we understand the meaning of the sounds or not.
Chanting mantra produces specific vibratory frequency within the body. The sounds and thoughts produced by the body and mind radiate out from you. The vibratory frequency of a mantra draws to you whatever you are vibrating. You are like a magnet attracting vibrations to you by what you send out. As a vibration, a mood, a state of being that results from chanting, mantra is compatible with all belief systems.
In addition to the vibrations set in motion, something else happens when you chant. This is really important. There are eighty-four meridian points, or pressure points, in the roof of the mouth. Every time you speak, you stimulate them and their associated glands and organs—with the tongue. And every time you chant a mantra, you are tapping out a particular sequence, rhythm, and position that initiates a chemical reaction in the brain and body. It’s as if you have an electronic, computerized security system in your mouth. Punch in the right code on the upper palate and you gain entry to the brain and your inner chambers of higher consciousness!
Mantras We Use In Class
Here are some of the most frequently used mantras, the Adi Mantra and Mangala Charan will be used at the beginning of each class and we will always end with a long Sat Nam.
Mangala Charan Mantra
AD GURAY NAMEH, JUGAD GURAY NAMEH, SAT GURAY NAMEH, SIRI GURU DEVAY NAMEH is chanted for protection. It surrounds the magnetic field with protective light, and means "I bow to the primal Guru (guiding consciousness who takes us to God-Realization), I bow to wisdom through the ages, I bow to True Wisdom, I bow to the great, unseen wisdom."
First Shakti Mantra
ADI SHAKTI, ADI SHAKTI, ADI SHAKTI, NAMO NAMO, SARAB SHAKTI, SARAB SHAKTI, SARAB SHAKTI, NAMO NAMO, PRITHUM BHAGAWATI, PRITHUM BHAGAWATI, PRITHUM BHAGAWATI, NAMO NAMO, KUNDALINI, MATA SHAKTI, MATA SHAKTI, NAMO, NAMO.
This mantra tunes into the frequency of the Divine Mother, and to primal protective, generating energy. Chanting it eliminates fears and fulfils desires. Adi Shakti means the "Primal Power," Sarab Shakti means "All Power", and Prithum Bhagawati means "which creates through God."
Akal, Maha Kal:
AKAL, MAHA KAL means "Undying, Great death" is a powerful life-giving chant removing fear and relaxing the mind.
Ap Sahaee Hoa
AP SAHAEE HOA SACHE DA SACHE DHOA, HAR, HAR, HAR. means "The Lord Himself has become our protector, the Truest of True has taken care of us, God, God, God", or "The Lord Himself is my refuge, true is the support of the True Lord". Chanted for prosperity.
Ardas Paye
ARDAS PAYE, AMAR DAS GURU, AMAR DAS GURU, ARDAS PAYE, RAM DAS GURU, RAM DAS GURU, RAM DAS GURU, SUCHE SAHE:
Guarantees by the grace of Guru Amar Das, who is hope for the hopeless, and Guru Ram Das, who is King of the Yogis and Bestower of Blessings, past, present and future, that the prayer will be answered, and that all one's needs are provided for, signed, sealed and delivered!
First Sodhung Mantra
DHARTI HAI, AKASH HAI, GURU RAM DAS HAI.
Dharti means "earth" and Akash is Ether, and Guru Ram Das is the venerated 4th Sikh Guru.
Magic Mantra
EK ONG KAR, SAT GUR PRASAD, SAT GUR PRASAD, EK ONG KAR, the Magic Mantra, so named for its power and sacredness. It is usually chanted in reverse (Ek Ong Kar, Sat Gur Prasad, Sat Gur Prasad, Ek Ong Kar). Many pages are devoted to the explanation of this mantra and we are warned to chant it in reverence. It means, "There is one Creator - Truth revealed through Guru's grace".
Mul Mantra
EK ONG KAR, SAT NAM, KARTA PURKH, NIRBHAO, NIRVAIR, AKAL MOORT, AJUNI, SAI BHANG, GUR PRASAD, JAP, AD SUCH, JUGAD SUCH, HABHE SUCH, NANAK HOSI BHEE SUCH
is the root of all mantras. It means, "The creator of all is One. Truth is His Name. He does everything, fearless, without anger, undying, unborn, self-realized, realized thru Guru's Grace, Meditate: He was true in the beginning, true thru all the ages, true even now. Nanak shall ever be true."
Adi Shakti Mantra
EK ONG KAR, SAT NAM, SIRI WAHE GURU is very powerful for awakening the Kundalini and suspending the mind in bliss. Ek means "One, the essence of all", Ong is the primal vibration from which all creativity flows, Kar is "creation", Sat "truth", Nam "name" Siri "great", Wha "ecstasy," and Guru is "wisdom". Taken together it means, "There is one Creator whose name is Truth. Great is the ecstasy of that Supreme Wisdom"!
Guru Gaitri Mantra
GOBINDE, MUKUNDE, UDARE, APARE, HARING, KARING, NIRNAME, AKAME means "sustainer, liberator, enlightener, infinite, destroyer, creator, nameless, desireless". It brings stability to the hemispheres of the brain and works on the Heart Center to develop compassion, patience and tolerance, uniting one with the Infinite.
Guru Guru Wahe Guru
GURU GURU WAHE GURU, GURU RAM DAS GURU calls upon Guru Ram Das in praise of his spiritual guiding light and protective grace.
Har
HAR means Creative Infinity, a name of God.
HARA is another form.
HARI is the active form of Creation.
Hari Nam, Sat Nam
HARI NAM, SAT NAM, HARI NAM, HARI. HARI NAM, SAT NAM, SAT NAM, HARI.
The name of God is the True Name.
Hum Dum
HUM DUM HAR HAR opens the Heart Chakra and means "We the universe, God, God."
Ong
ONG means Creator - the Primal Vibration from which all creativity flows.
Adi Mantra
ONG NAMO, GURU DEV NAMO should always precede Kundalini Yoga practice, tuning one in to the higher self. Ong is "Infinite Creative energy in manifestation and activity". ("Om" or Aum is God absolute and unmanifested), Namo is "reverent greetings' implying humility, Guru means "teacher or wisdom", Dev means "Divine or of God" and Namo reaffirms humility and reverence. In all it means, "I call upon Divine Wisdom".
Ong So Hung
ONG SO HUNG is "Creator, I am Thou!", a heart-opening and empowering mantra.
Prana, Apana, Sushumna, Hari
PRANA, APANA, SUSHUMNA. HARI. HARI HAR, HARI HAR, HARI HAR, HARI.
Prana is the life force, Apana the eliminating force, and Sushumna is the Central channel for that force. This helps draw energy up the spine for healing. Hari and Har are names of God.
Pritvi Hai
PRITVI HAI, AKASH HAI, GURU RAM DAS HAI
(see "First Sodhung Mantra")
Pritvi means earth - calling on the venerated Guru Ram Das is very powerful.
Siri Gaitri Mantra
RA MA DA SA, SA SAY SO HUNG is chanted for healing. Ra is the sun, Ma is the Moon, Da is the earth, and Sa is Infinity. Say is the totality of Infinity, and So Hung is "I am Thou". "Ra Ma Da Sa" is the Earth Mantra. and "Sa Say So Hung" is the Ether Mantra.
Panj Shabad
SA TA NA MA expresses the five primal sounds of the universe. "S" is Infinity, "T" is life, "N" means death and "M" is rebirth. (The 5th sound is "A".) This is one of the most frequently used mantras in Kundalini Yoga.
Seed (Bij) Mantra
SAT NAM is the most widely used mantra in the practice of Kundalini Yoga. Sat means the Truth; Nam means to call upon, name or identify with. Sat Nam means Truth is my identity and I call upon the eternal Truth that resides in all of us. Chanting this mantra awakens the Soul, and more simply means "really". It is pronounced to rhyme with "But Mom!"
Chotay Pad Mantra
SAT NARAYAN, WHA HE GURU, HARI NARAYAN, SAT NAM.
In this ancient mantra, Narayan is the aspect of Infinity that relates to water, and Hari Narayan is Creative sustenance, which makes the one who chants it intuitively clear or healing. Sat Narayan is True Sustainer, Wahe Guru, indescribable Wisdom and Sat Nam, True Identity.
Guru Mantra
WAHE GURU is the mantra of ecstasy. It is not translatable but chanting it elevates the spirit.
Wahe Guru Wahe Jeeo
WAHE GURU, WAHE GURU, WAHE GURU, WAHE JEEO - "The ecstasy of consciousness is my beloved."
