Swamiji TV

Other links



Podcast details

The Power and Practice of the Guru Mantra

A discourse on the correct practice and power of the Guru mantra.

"The Guru-mantra is the one which will purify all karmas and awaken our consciousness to the endless universal one." "Unless you do not practice systematically, there will be no success. It's not that you have a mantra and your master blessed you and that's all."

Swami Maheshwarananda instructs disciples on the profound science of mantra practice, emphasizing the necessity of using the complete initiated mantra. He outlines the five levels of practice—from writing (Likhita) and vocal chanting (Vācika) to mental repetition (Mānasika) and spontaneous repetition (ajapā)—explaining how the sound resonance affects the body and mind. He cautions against incorrect, hurried repetition and links proper practice to inner transformation, humility, and the dissolution of the ego, concluding with a parable on the impermanence of worldly relationships.

The Guru-mantra is always best, and the Guru-mantra is known as the Bīja-mantra. This Bīja-mantra is the one which will purify all karmas and awaken our consciousness to the endless universal one. Do not try to shorten your mantra. Some people are only repeating, "Oṃ Gurudev, Gurudev." This is not correct; I mean, you can repeat it. It's okay, Mahāprabhujī's name, but you are given a complete mantra. Therefore, it should be repeated, the complete one. Anuṣṭhāna is done with some saṅkalpa. There are two kinds of saṅkalpa: a material saṅkalpa and a spiritual saṅkalpa. Through the anuṣṭhāna, the saṅkalpa will come true. But you cannot make twenty saṅkalpas for three days a month. Therefore, you should know what would be your saṅkalpa, which you think is best for you, after all. That's very important. The mantra, many of you know, has many levels of practicing. Unless you do not practice systematically, there will be no success. It's not that you have a mantra and your master blessed you and that's all. Therefore, in yoga, it is advised to achieve the fifth level of the mantra. The yogī who advised these five techniques must have some experiences and see sense in it. The yoginīs who advise these five steps, five levels, certainly have experience with it and certainly see sense in it. Everything that is done has been researched and agreed upon by all. Therefore, the first step of the mantra, when you have already received it, you got initiation, then it's called Likhita Mantra. It's called Akṣara Brahma. Brahman, the Supreme One, is in the form of these letters, and these letters are Sanskrit letters. They are not only man-made letters. These are letters which appeared in meditation. Every form of the letter has a spiritual meaning. It represents a particular deity or element, and therefore each alphabet has its own meaning. So it is called Akṣara Brahma. Then each syllable has a connection to the inner organs and psychic centers, the chakras. These chakras and energy centers are very important for our well-being: first of all, physical, mental, emotional, and intellectual. Because this is called the sound, the nāda, the resonance, and it is a very fine resonance which you can hardly feel, but it is there. Through this resonance, our certain organs and all the tissues in the body are nourished. When those tissues are not able to get this resonance, then what we call the cells die, the dead cells in the body. When this resonance is reduced, then death comes. Old age means that your body is not able to receive this resonance, and too many karmas, too many things you have caused in your life; you didn't use your body, but you abused your body, and therefore your body is no more capable to resist or to live long. So if we practice Nāda Yoga and Svara Yoga—and Svara Yoga is the flow of the particular nerves, the nāḍī system, to let flow this very fine resonance through the nerve systems which supplies the energy in the form of the resonance to the organs of the body—and that's why every chakra has its Bīja Mantra, and these are the particular resonance of that area of the body. That part of the body which is ill means there is some blockage in the resonance. So as many Sanskrit alphabets there are, that many petals of the chakras, all the chakras. That many petals of every chakra. And each chakra is connected with a particular resonance. So this is the science of the mantra, so within you and outside of you. So, Likhita Mantra, Akṣara Brahma, and the letter is Brahman itself. Then comes Vācika Mantra; that means loud sound. That sound now, what you have written, you are listening to inside. It is said that painting can be made as music, and music can be painted. So you have to chant; you have to chant your mantra a few times a day, and that will keep your spiritual development. That's very important: the sound and the form. The sound and form are united with the energy, and that energy is then produced when you listen to the resonance that you were chanting within you. It means now it will activate your energy centers in the body. And when the energy centers are activated in the body, then peace of mind and concentration are realized. Good health, peace of mind, and concentration. That time, then the fourth level of the mantra is called Mānasika. So the first was Likhita, writing; second is Vācika, chanting; third is chanting inside, so from bahirmukha to become antarmukha, from extroverted your sound you bring to the introverted; and then when peace of mind is there, then you repeat mentally with your mālā. Then you repeat mentally with your mala. But the complete mantra—many people have done wrong things. You develop one sumarnī, and you are repeating like this small mantra, and I am surprised: I give you such a long mantra, and how could you do it like this? Even now, they are listening to my lecture and doing it like this. You see? So, good things we can also do in the wrong way, and therefore, the complete mantra. When you are doing it like this quickly, quickly, you are not aware of the mantra; the mantra is not complete, and it does not influence your entire being. If you will repeat the complete mantra and cross one bead, then you will realize how much energy and concentration you need. So, by listening to my lecture, it is very hard for you now to repeat the complete mantra and cross one bead. What does it mean? It means that you are not practiced. So, let us begin again anew. Think that you received mantra dīkṣā today. Because you have been practicing for so many years, and where is your mental peace? You have so many vṛttis. You have so much anger. You have so much ego. All that one sees. That is not a result. And if this is a result of Yoga in Daily Life, my God, that is terrible. But this is a result of your wrong practicing. And when you will practice your whole mantra all the time—mentally, in meditation, in prāṇāyāma, while walking—but not fixed, not fixed on it. When you overtake a car while driving, after overtaking you must come again to the right side. But you say, "I will repeat my mantra once more, and then I will go to the right side." That is too late. Every second has its meaning. Therefore, practice, but with a relaxed body, a relaxed mind, without stress, without fear, without doubts; then you will come to the ajapā. Mahāprabhujī said, "Ajapā jisko kyā japā, man japā jāy hoī." When you achieve the level of the ajapā, then what do you need anymore to repeat? Because without your repeating, victory is there. And when you will get ajapā, then you will practice more. So now, when you achieve the fifth level of the practice and you make a perfection of the fifth level of the mantra—když dosáhnete toho pátého stupně a dovedete ho k dokonalosti—potom ta vaše mantra bude působit na vaše tělo, na vaši mysl, na vaše vědomí, a vaše saṅkalpa bude úspěšná. Otherwise, you think, "I will do five mālās, and I should pass my examination." I doubt it. Psychologically, okay. But achieve something in your life. So many years you have dedicated yourself to a spiritual path, and you have inside the longing for it; you have this spiritual tendency within you, but there are a few stupid things on the surface of your mind, and that made you like this. The person who is spiritual develops a completely other radiance, and who falls down is completely different, like a lemon which is sucked out. No radiance. So when spirituality is there, humbleness comes. Kindness comes. Understanding comes, and friendship comes, brotherhood comes, love comes; all beautiful things radiate from you. Not that someone is kind to you—forget it that someone will be kind to you. Why should they be kind to you? But within you is such kindness, then automatically all will be kind to you. And all people whom you think are your best friends, after some time they will disappear. I tell you one story which I told you many times about that old man. He was a director of one big company; about 800 people were working under him, or more, and he had two cars from his business, one his private car, three houses, and many friends. He never had an evening free. Every day he got an invitation somewhere. And he had one daughter and one wife. And he became now 80 years old. And no friends were there. His wife died. His daughter went away somewhere. I don't know what happened to the cars, who's living in the house; he was pushed into the old home, and not one single friend came to visit him and say, "How are you, my friend?" That's it. He was very sad. These are your friends in this modern time. It is not easy to make a friend. Be happy if you have one friend who will accompany you till the last day of your life. But you don't have one like that. Even your husband or your wife—you don't know if tomorrow he or she will say, "I'm sorry, we don't understand each other, and we will divorce now." Therefore, don't think now, when you are very young, that everything is there. Think of the days that will come after. Therefore, it is said, "Sabadhin hotan ek samān," every day is not an equal day. And "Sabadhin svaran din," every day is a golden day. Every day is a golden day for a saint, for a spiritual person. And who falls into worldly affairs again, every day is a different day. So, your spiritual practice should awaken within you those beautiful talents, beautiful energy. It is only one energy, but it has more functions. For one who needs kindness, this energy is as kindness. Who needs love, this energy for the person is like love. Who needs happiness, this energy is for the person happiness. Like there is one elderly lady: one man says she is my wife, a second says she is my daughter, a third says she is my mother, a fourth says she is my sister, a fifth says she is my neighbor, a sixth says she is my grandmother. You see, it is only one lady. How is she acting? It is a miracle. She is at the same time as a daughter, and wife, and mother, and sister, and friend, and neighbor, and colleague. V jednu chvíli na jednou je matkou, dcerou, babičkou, sousedkou, přítelkyní, kolegyní, a všichni, kdo mají jeden z těchto vztahů, ho mají plný lásky. A proto, jeden ve všem a vše v jednom. Tohle můžete probudit, ale naše nevědomost, naše fyzické touhy, pokušení, to nás ničí. A vy víte, že to není dobré, ale přitom to děláte. Proto, mantry vám nepomůžou, pokud necvičíte řádně a pokud se nezměníte. Vy se musíte změnit. There is no one else who will change you. They cannot give an injection or medicine that you will change. They can talk to you, tell you something. But inwardly, you have to change. You have to change your ego. You have to change your wrong ideas and expectations; always this "I" is the most harmful for the spiritual aspirant: "I am a mother," "I am a sister," "I am the husband," "Where are you going?" "Oh, my God, this 'I'—I am director, I am manager, I am the boss." This "I" is the most dangerous thing for humans. Therefore, it is said, "Within you is the ocean of bliss." Within you is the fountain of joy; within you is the immortal one. Kill this little "I" and lead a divine life. So there is this "I"; either it is "I" or the Divine. And so, mantra, you should begin to repeat again the complete mantra.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

Email Notifications

You are welcome to subscribe to the Swamiji.tv Live Webcast announcements.

Contact Us

If you have any comments or technical problems with swamiji.tv website, please send us an email.

Download App

YouTube Channel