mantra | मंत्र

mantra (Devanagari: मंत्र ISO15919: maṁtra) refers to the sacred hymns of the Vedas . These verses are also commonly referred to as Vedic richa (Devanagari: ऋचा ISO15919: r̥cā).

Each mantra is associated with three distinct components:

• devata: The presiding deity,
• a rishi: the seer and
• chhand (Devanagari: छंद ISO15919: chaṁda): the poetic matter

It is important to know that the Rishi did not "compose" those verses in the traditional sense. Rather Rishi was the seer who realized the mantra's meaning and directly perceived (had an audience) with the mantra's deity.

Contextual Usage: The phrase Mantra Dena (Devanagari: मंत्र देना; ISO 15919: maṁtra denā) refers to the act of giving a mantra, which is synonymous with Diksha (spiritual initiation). This process has specific rules ("dos and don'ts"); please refer to the article on Diksha for further details.

Further Reading and Reference

• Related Content: Samveda, Recognizing a saint
• Reference: Prema Rasa Madira - The Intoxicating Bliss of Divine Love, Vol. 1, Ch. 3