A Mantra is a sound, syllable, word or group of words that are capable of creating spiritual, psychic and physical effects. Mantras were originally conceived in the Vedas, India’s oldest and most revered spiritual text. The word Mantra is a Sanskrit word combining the two syllables ‘man’ which means mind and ‘tra’ which means deliverance. So the word “mantra” literally implies “to free from the mind".
 

Mantras function by stimulating various Chakras in the Human body. There are mantras in religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. The most basic mantra in Hinduism is AUM, also known as the Pranava Mantra. It is the source of all mantras and is prefixed and suffixed to all Hindu prayers. Mantras are one of the main forms of worship leading to salvation. The aim of mantra is to achieve Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha and have definitive importance both at the materialistic and spiritual levels.

 
There are three types of mantras. One is Sabhri which empowers one with mystic powers. The second is Tantra which gives amazing demonstrative powers at the mystic level. The third is Vedic mantra which goes towards achieving eternal peace for the soul. All elements and energies in the Cosmos can be influenced and guided by Mantras. Mantras can used for health, to gain wealth, eliminate enemies etc. Whatever way they are used (through writing, speaking, whispering, thinking, inner repetition or listening) Mantras are beneficial and brings positive effects to the mind and body.

 
The procedure of repeating mantra is referred to as Mantra Jaap. Mantra Chanting has the power to influence one’s thoughts, emotions and attitudes. Research has proved that Mantras when chanted properly with devotion and faith evokes the production and spreading of curative chemicals in the brain and thereby creating Neuro-linguistic and Psycholinguistic effects in the body. The Neuro linguistic effect will be possible even if one does not know the meaning of the mantra. On the other hand, Knowing the meaning also brings in a Psycholinguistic effect (PLE).

 
Mantras are normally chanted 108 times to complete one cycle. For counting purpose a 108 beads rosary, preferably Rudraksha Mala, is used for this purpose. Research has proved that Listening to mantras directly lowers blood pressure, normalizes heart beat rate, brain wave pattern, adrenalin level and even cholesterol level. Mantras can also remove negativeness like fear, anger, jealousy etc and bring in positives like improved concentration and memory power, control over emotions, improved blood circulation and also activate our body’s natural healing processes.