PARAKUNNATH SREE VETTAKKORUMAKAN PAYYAN KSHETHRAM (TEMPLE), AROLI, KANNUR, KERALA: The tantra shastras recognize Om/Aum as the seed (bija) mantra and suggest its association with other mantras and names of Shiva, Shakti and other divinities so as to increase their potency and vibration and hasten the process of purification and self-realization. Some of the well known and powerful mantras

Monday 3 July 2017

The tantra shastras recognize Om/Aum as the seed (bija) mantra and suggest its association with other mantras and names of Shiva, Shakti and other divinities so as to increase their potency and vibration and hasten the process of purification and self-realization. Some of the well known and powerful mantras

The tantra shastras recognize Om/Aum as the seed (bija) mantra and suggest its association with other mantras and names of Shiva, Shakti and other divinities so as to increase their potency and vibration and hasten the process of purification and self-realization. Some of the well known and powerful mantras which are used in association with Om/Aum are ;

Om namah Shivaya
Om namo bhagavate Vasudevaya Namah
Om Ganeshaya namah or Om namo Ganeshaya
Om namo Pundarikakshaya
Om srimatre namah
Om sat-cit-ekam-brahma
Om Durgai namah

The Mahanirvana Tantra speaks about the significance of "soham" or "hamsa", used in both meditation and chanting as the means to self-realization. Both the words symbolize the ultimate reality hidden in the manifest creation and contain in themselves both the masculine and feminine aspects of creation, namely Shiva and Shakti, represented by the sounds "ham" and "sa" respectively. Hamsa, means the swan and also " I am He". It is equated with the sound of natural breathing because the sound of our natural breathing is very similar to the sound of hamsa. When chanted repeatedly hamsa (I am He) sounds like soham (He is I am) or vice versa. Thus it is said that by breathing naturally every living being chants unknowingly and spontaneously, one of the most powerful mantras in the world, which is regarded as the pranava itself. Through breath all beings continuously worship God, remind themselves of their true nature and connection with God and identify themselves with Him, although they may or may not be aware of it at all. We find a similar explanation in the Dhyanabindu Upanishad, which describes the chanting of hamsa as ajpa gayatri or the unchanted gayatri!