Japa Yoga

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JAPA YOGA

By

SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

What Is Japa ?MantraSound and ImageGlory of the Divine NameVarieties of

JapaPractical Aids to JapaMantras for Japa

There is another excerpt from Gurudev's book Japa Yoga at the TM web site. It

explains the meaning of the Bija-Akshara (seed letters such as Om, Kleem, Gam,

etc.). Click here to read that article.

WHAT IS JAPA ?

Repetition of any Mantra or Name of the Lord is known as Japa. Japa is an

important Anga of Yoga. It is a spiritual food for the hungry soul. Japa is the

rod in the hand of the blind Sadhakas (aspirants) to plod on the road to

Realization. Japa is the philosopher's stone or divine elixir that makes one

God-like. In this iron age, practice of Japa alone can give eternal Peace,

Bliss and Immortality.

Japa is repetition of the Mantra. Dhyana is meditation on the form of the Lord

with His attributes. There is meditation or Dhyana with Japa

(Japa-Sahita-Dhyana); there is meditation or Dhyana without Japa

(Japa-Rahita-Dhyana). In the beginning you should combine Dhyana with Japa. As

you advance the Japa drops by itself; meditation only remains. It is an

advanced stage. You can then practice concentration separately. You can do

whatever you like best in this respect.

Name (Nama) and the object (Rupa) signified by the Name are inseparable. Thought

and word are inseparable. Whenever you think of the name of your son, his figure

stands before your mental eye, and vice versa. Even so when you do Japa of Rama,

Krishna or Christ, the picture of Rama, Krishna or Christ will come before your

mind. Therefore Japa and Dhyana go together. They are inseparable.

Do the Japa with feeling. Know the meaning of the Mantra. Feel God's presence in

everything and everywhere. Draw closer and nearer to Him when you repeat the

Japa. Think He is shining in the chambers of your heart. He is witnessing your

repetition of the Mantra as He is the witness of your mind.

MANTRA

'Mananat-trayate iti Mantrah' - By the Manana (constant thinking or

recollection) of which one is protected or is released from the round of births

and deaths, is Mantra. That is called Mantra by the meditation (Manana) on which

the Jiva or the individual soul attains freedom from sin, enjoyment in heaven

and final liberation, and by the aid of which it attains in full the fourfold

fruit (Chaturvarga), i.e., Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. A Mantra is so

called because it is achieved by the mental process. The root 'Man' in the word

Mantra comes from the first syllable of that word, meaning 'to think', and 'Tra'

from 'Trai' meaning 'to protect' or 'free' from the bondage of Samsara or the

phenomenal world. By the combination of 'Man' and 'Tra' comes Mantra.

A Mantra is divinity encased within a sound-structure. It is divine power or

Daivi Sakti manifesting in a sound-body. The Mantra is itself Devata.

The sacred Mantra or the Divine Name is a vital symbol of the Supreme Divinity

directly revealed in the innermost depths of divine communion to the sages of

Self-realization in the hoary Vedic and Upanishadic times. These symbols are in

the nature of unfailing keys to gain access into the transcendental realms of

absolute experience.

Mantra Yoga is an exact science. A Mantra, in the Hindu religion, has the

following six parts. It has got a Rishi (a man of Self-realization) to whom it

was revealed for the first time and who gave this Mantra to the world. He is

the Drashta or Seer for this Mantra. Sage Viswamitra is the Rishi for Gayatri.

Secondly, the Mantra has a metre (Chhandas), which governs the inflection of

the voice. Thirdly, the Mantra has a particular Devata or supernatural being,

higher or lower, as its informing power. This Devata is the presiding deity of

the Mantra. Fourthly, the Mantra has got a Bija or seed. The seed is a

significant word, or series of words, which gives a special power to the

Mantra. The Bija is the essence of the Mantra. Fifthly, every Mantra has got a

Sakti. The Sakti is the energy of the form of the Mantra, i.e., of the

vibration-forms set up by its sound. These carry the man to the Devata that is

worshipped. Lastly, the Mantra has a Kilaka - pillar or pin. This plugs the

Mantra-Chaitanya that is hidden in the Mantra. As soon as the plug is removed

by constant and prolonged repetition of the Name, the Chaitanya that is hidden

is revealed. The devotee gets Darshana of the Ishta Devata.

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