Rules for Chanting mantram… Vaachikam, Upaamshu and Maanasam

Rules for Chanting mantram… Vaachikam, Upaamshu and Maanasam

वाचिकाख्य उपांशुश्च मानसश्च त्रयस्मृताः।

त्रयाणां जपयज्ञानाम् श्रेयान् स्यादुत्तरोत्तरः॥

यदुच्चनीचस्वरितैः स्पष्टैः स्पष्टपदाक्षरैः।

मन्त्रमुच्चारयेद्वाचो जपयज्ञः स वाचकः॥

शनैरुदीरयन्मन्त्रं ईषदोष्ठौ प्रचालयेत्।

किंचिच्चब्दं स्वयंविद्यात् उपांशुः स जपः स्मृतः॥

धिया यदक्षरश्रेण्या वर्ण्णाद्वर्णं पदात्पदम्।

मन्त्रार्त्थचिन्तनं भूयः कथ्यते मानसो जपः।

उत्तमं मानसं जप्यं उपांशुर्म्मद्द्यमं स्मृतम्।

अधमं वाचिकं प्राहुः सर्वमन्त्रेषु वै द्विजाः॥

वाचिकस्यैकमेकं स्यात् उपांशोः शतमुच्यते।

सहस्रं मानसं प्रोक्तं मन्वत्रिभृगुनारदैः॥

vācikākhya upāṁśuśca mānasaśca trayasmṛtāḥ|

trayāṇāṁ japayajñānām śreyān syāduttarottaraḥ||

yaduccanīcasvaritaiḥ spaṣṭaiḥ spaṣṭapadākṣaraiḥ|

mantramuccārayedvāco japayajñaḥ sa vācakaḥ||

śanairudīrayanmantraṁ īṣadoṣṭhau pracālayet|

kiṁciccabdaṁ svayaṁvidyāt upāṁśuḥ sa japaḥ smṛtaḥ||

dhiyā yadakṣaraśreṇyā varṇṇādvarṇaṁ padātpadam|

mantrārtthacintanaṁ bhūyaḥ kathyate mānaso japaḥ|

uttamaṁ mānasaṁ japyaṁ upāṁśurmmaddyamaṁ smṛtam|

adhamaṁ vācikaṁ prāhuḥ sarvamantreṣu vai dvijāḥ||

vācikasyaikamekaṁ syāt upāṁśoḥ śatamucyate|

sahasraṁ mānasaṁ proktaṁ manvatribhṛgunāradaiḥ||

The procedure for chanting mantras or Divine chants can be in three ways. First..Chanting openly with audible sounds.. Second.. Upaamashu.. Third.. Chanting just in mind..or maanasam.

Chanting of the mantras with proper accent upwards, downwards and evenly (ucha, neecha and swarita) according to laws of rules prescribed in phonetic codes, with clearly audible and flawless pronunciation of letters and words, is defined as the Vaachaa or verbal chanting..

The mode of chanting a mantra slowly and without conscious attempt of producing any sounds but permitting the lips to vibrate producing some sympathetic and involuntary vibrations cause negligible effect by way of sound output is defined as Upaamshu.

Contemplating in the mind the entire train of a mantra letter by letter, word by word in the exact sequence understanding the meaning of it in great depth and detail, ( of course with no vocal output) is the mode of Maanasa or mental chanting.

Understand thee learned men that, of the three modes of chanting, the Vaachikam chanting.. the open throated chanting, is considered as of inferior value. Upaamshu is considered madhyamam.. or comparatively betterr, but the most appropriate and praiseworthe (Utthamam) method of chanting is Maanasam..

It is prescribed by sages like Manu, Atri, Bhrigu and Narada that if the vocal rendering of a manthra has the effect of one unit, the upaamshu will be worth hundred times the upamshu chanting and maansam will be thousand times as effective as vocal chanting..

The mahamrutyunjaya mantra

The mahamrutyunjaya mantra is

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनं

उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनात् मृत्योर मुक्षीय मामृतात्..

om tryambakam yajaamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam

urvaarukamiva bandhanaat mrutyormuksheeya maamrutaat

This is found in Rg Veda 7-59-12, Yajur veda Vajasaneyi Samhita 3-60 and atharvaveda 14-1-70

We worship and offer oblations to Rudra the thrayambaka( three eyed) He spreads frangrance and enhances our nourishment.

May He be pleased to realease me like the ripe cucumber from its stem, from mortal life but not from immortality

The cucumber falls down from its tendrils when it is ripe, but it has already the seeds of immortality within it.. And the separation from the mother tendril comes only when the fruit is ripe.. This would imply that by the Grace of Lord Mrutyunjaya Rudra,death may visit us with peace at ripe old age and also enable us to reach immortality at His lotus feet

In fact the mantra is found in Yajurveda Vajasaneeyi Samhita in a slightly modified form..

this is a prayer by a newly wedded lady for the benefit and longevity of her husband

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पतिवर्धनं

उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनात् मृत्योर मुक्षीय मामृतात् .

om tryambakam yajaamahe sugandhim pativardhanam

urvaarukamiva bandhanaat mrutyormuksheeya maamrutaat

Here the word Pathivardhanam… the enhancer of the longevity and welfare of the husband is used instead of the word Pustivardhanam..

  (yajurveda Vajasaneyi Samhita, 3-60)

Gayatri is Supreme

Gayatri is Supreme

ॐकारपूर्विकास्तिस्रः महाव्याहृतयस्तथा त्रिपदा चैव गायत्री विज्ञेया ब्रह्मणो मुखम् Iएतदक्षरमेताम् च जपन् व्याहृतिपूर्विकाम् संध्ययोर्वेद्विद्विप्रा वेदपुण्येन युज्यते II प्रणवे नित्ययुक्तस्य व्याहृतीषु च सप्तसु त्रिपदायाम् च गायत्र्याम् न भयम् विद्यते क्वचित् I परिहाप्यापि वेदाम्स्त्रीन् कर्माणि विविधानि च सावित्रीमात्रमाश्रित्य द्विजो भवति निर्भयः II

One has to realize the supreme truth that Gayatri with 

Omkaram(Om) in the beginning followed by the three Vyaahritis.. bhuur bhuvaH suvaH, and consisting of three paadams is the manifestation of the face of Brahmam itself.

The student of Vedas who chants Gayatri with Pranavam and the the Vyahritis during the Sandhyas.(.dawn and dusk), attains the benefits he could gain by chanting the entire Vedas.

For a persons who is engaged in the daily worship of Pranava (OM), the seven Vyahritis( bhu, bhuva, suva, maha, jana, tapa, satyam) and the Gayatri mantras itself, no fear can ever arise in life..

Even when one(a twi ce-born) is prevented from learning and chanting the three Vedas (Rg, Yajus, Sama), and who could not perform the various rites prescribed by Sastras, and he is chanting Savitri or Gayatri alone with steadfast devotion, all his fears would be removed.