Now we come to the fundamentals. What is a Mantra? Now, aspects of Hinduism as we understand it today versus what is mentioned in our agamas, what Mahadeva has to say. How far we are from the originally revealed to where we are today. Now according to Mahadeva, not a single activity is performed without a mantra. This not what I’m saying- this is what he says. ‘Mantra vina kriya naasti’. So, he has given mantra for every action.
So, Manana or contemplation if roughly translated, is the ability to know everything and Tranaa is the liberation from everything, all the ills, bondages of samsara. Since mantra gives you both, ability to know everything and capacity to get liberated from, everything is the mantra. This is the meaning of mantra. Mantra consists of two parts- Vaachya and Vaachaka. So, what form or words you actually pronounce is vaachya and what forms the deeper meaning, what you are experiencing when chanting that mantra is called vaachya. So, any Mantra has always both these parts. It’s not just chanting literally but also the deeper meaning you are experiencing while chanting that mantra.
