Welcome to the eleventh installment in our Spiritual Practices series!
Each month, I’m introducing you to one of my favorites, and this month, I’m offering a sort of “Part 2” of my favorite sacred chants! In May, I shared my favorite Goddess chants, and now I’m offering the Sanskrit mantras I’ve grown to love through my yoga practice over the last 20 years.
Sanskrit Mantras
Like the Goddess chants, these chants are also what I call “vocal meditations,” and they are particularly powerful since the Sanskrit language itself is said to be made up of sound waves that have a profound effect on our minds and bodies. In fact, the literal translation of the word mantra is to “guide and protect the mind.”
Sanskrit mantras can be sung on your own or in a group, called kirtan, which means “to praise that which is exalted” (i.e., the divine). They’re often sung in a “call and response” format, where the group repeats what the leader sings, line by line. I’ve participated in many group Kirtans, which truly is a transcendent experience to be held and surrounded by this prayerful sound.
More often, though, I’m singing mantras on my own, accompanying recordings of chanting musicians. One of my favorite mantra singers is Deva Premal, and her “Mantras for Precarious Times” is especially powerful (don’t you love the title?!). She explains the tradition of chanting a mantra 108 times: according to the Vedic scriptures, there are 108 major nadis, or energy channels, throughout our bodies that meet in the ‘sacred heart’ (hrit padma). So, when we chant a mantra 108 times, the energy permeates our entire body and energy body.
Common Sounds Found in Many Mantras
Om—usually chanted at the beginning of every mantra and known as a ‘seed sound’ which is extremely potent and expresses a particular energy. Om is the sound of the sixth chakra, also known as the Third Eye, where the masculine and feminine energies meet.
Namaha— a common ending to many mantras, means “I offer.“
Shreem—the seed sound for the principle of abundance.
Maha—means great, both in quantity and quality.
Yei—a sound that activates shakti/energy.
Basic Chants for Different Spiritual Purposes
PEACE—Om Shanti
HEALING—Om Shree Dhanvantre Namaha
Dhanvantari is the celestial healer/physician—the patron saint of Ayurvedic medicine.
ABUNDANCE—Om Shreem Mahalakshmiyei Namaha
“Salutations to that heart-centered and great Lakshmi. May you pour forth your blessings upon me.”
Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, both spiritual and material. Invoking her through her name can bring tremendous creative energy.
TO CLEAR OBSTACLES—Om Ganesha Ganapati Om & Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha
Ganesh is the God of Oneness/Unity and the Remover of Obstacles.
Gum is the seed sound for Ganesh, and Ganapati is another name for Ganesh.
BALANCE OF MASCULINE AND FEMININE ENERGIES—Shtiram, Sukhan, Asanam
Shtiram = strength, groundedness; Sukham = ease, grace, sweetness; Asanam = posture.
Translates as “I sit in a posture that is steady and comfortable.”
PRAYER FOR THE WELFARE OF ALL CREATURES IN THE UNIVERSE:
Lo Ka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu, Om Shanti, shanti, shanti
CHANTS TO DURGA & KALI—Kali Durga Namo Nama
Invokes the fierce mother goddesses for protection and to give power and confidence.
Honors the divine feminine, removing obstacles and awakening creative energy and power.
You can watch the video below to hear the chants themselves, and if you watch it on YouTube, you’ll get even more information in the description there.
Enjoy… and let me know your favorite!
And please join me next month when I’ll introduce my final Spiritual Practice in this series, a Visioning meditation that is perfect for the end of the year and looking ahead to set intentions for 2025!
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Life & Relationship Coach, Deborah Roth, MA is also a Counseling Astrologer, and Interfaith Minister. She leads women’s New Moon Circles and Full Moon TeleMeditations every month and loves designing creative, meaningful rituals for individuals and couples to energize their lives and relationships.
I love this Deborah – thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks, Deborah, for this great article about the various ways we can use mantras for different purposes. I learned a lot about the process in your well-written article. Om Shanti is one of my favorites.