Swami Pragyamurti (Director of the
London
Satyananda Yoga Centre) kindly agreed to answer
some questions about mantra chanting...
Swami Pragyamurti, could you explain
briefly the significance of Gayatri Mantra,
Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, and the universal
mantra OM?
Briefly, yes, as many articles and books have been
written about these mantras, in great detail. Gayatri
Mantra is for the development of intelligence,
expansion of consciousness; Mahamrityunjaya Mantra
is for the relief of suffering and is also chanted at the
time of death; and OM is the universal mantra, uniting
us all, the sound of creation.
If I chant these three mantras daily,
what effect will it have?
We are asked to chant these mantras not only for
our own benefit for also for our friends and loved
ones, and indeed for all of suffering humanity. So you
will notice the benefits to yourself in terms of health
and well-being, together with a feeling of being
connected to the greater whole, and I think you will feel
even better, because you are doing something for
others in a spirit of love and generosity. These days
many of us feel fairly desperate about the state of the
world and at a loss to find some solutions to our
problems and we find that chanting, knowing that
thousands of others all over the world are doing the
same thing, is very helpful. And by coming together
with other people of good heart we actually can help to
make changes and to become an effective force for
good.
Does it matter what time of day I
chant?
No, not really. However, we advise people to chant
in the early morning - a beautiful way to get the day off
to a good start! Or indeed, to chant in the evening time
before bed. You may like to add the chanting on to
your regular yoga practice, as part of your meditation.
And as well as certain specific times for chanting, you
can also repeat the mantras silently at any time -
when you are awake at night, for example, or when
sitting on the train to work. And in this way you are
filling your mind with the subtle and powerful energy of
sacred Sanskrit syllables, as opposed to the usual
mindless inner chatter with which we are so familiar.
Sometimes I feel a bit silly chanting
out loud - is it OK to chant very quietly, or
even mentally?
Yes, it is indeed fine to chant very quietly, or to
whisper the mantras or to practise silently, whichever
way suits you and your present circumstances. From
time to time it may be possible for you to chant in a
group and this will help you gain confidence for
chanting on your own out loud and you will be able to
appreciate the beauty and power of the mantras even
more.
And finally, do I need to know the
meaning of these mantras for them to be
effective?
No, the intellectual meaning is not as important
as the spirit with which you repeat the mantras. You
should also try and pronounce the words as correctly
as possible, and this is another reason why it is
helpful to chant in a group and learn the correct
pronunciation and rhythm. Incidentally, we have been
asked and encouraged to chant these particular
mantras by Swami Satyananda himself, and Swami
Niranjanananda, in his travels around the world, is
spreading the practice far and wide. So we are not
alone. And together we can be effective.
Swami
Pragyamurti, thank you!
"Three mantras are beneficial for all
aspects of life: the Mahamrityunjaya mantra
for health and well-being, the Gayatri mantra
for mental tranquillity and wisdom, and the
pranava mantra, Om, for peace and spiritual
awakening..." 
