Mantra
Also known as: Japa (repeated mantra practice)
Sanskrit: mantra, from man (mind) and the suffix tra (instrument), meaning an instrument of thought.
A mantra is a word, sound, or phrase repeated silently or aloud during meditation or ritual, used to focus the mind, invoke a particular quality, or mark a state of consciousness. Mantras range from a single syllable, such as Om, to longer Sanskrit phrases associated with specific deities or intentions.
Mantra repetition, known as japa, is traditionally counted on a mala, a string of 108 beads, and can be practiced aloud, in a whisper, or silently in the mind, with silent repetition generally considered the most internalized form. Outside devotional contexts, a simple repeated word or phrase is also used secularly as a concentration anchor in mantra-based meditation styles.
Some mantras, like the seed sound Om, are considered primordial and without literal semantic meaning, while others, like the Gayatri Mantra or Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, carry specific, translatable meaning addressed to a particular deity or quality. Traditional use emphasizes correct Sanskrit pronunciation and, in many lineages, initiation or transmission from a teacher, since the practice is considered to work partly through sound vibration itself, not solely through intellectual understanding of the words.
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Related Terms
Om (Aum)
Om, often written Aum, is considered in Indian traditions to be the primordial sound underlying all creation and is chanted at the start and end of yoga and meditation practices. Its three phonetic parts, A, U, and M, are traditionally said to correspond to waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, with the silence after representing Turiya.
Meditation
Meditation is a family of practices that train attention and awareness, typically by focusing on a single object such as the breath, a mantra, or bodily sensation, or by cultivating an open, receptive awareness of whatever arises. Traditions vary widely, from concentration practices to open monitoring and loving-kindness meditation.