Last Updated on July 27, 2016 by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Pranayama
Question:
Could Shree Maa/Swamiji suggest any exercises, breathing exercises, mantras to aide with some of the unusual symptoms of awakening?
Swamiji Says:
Deep, rhythmic pranayam according to the 1-4-2 ratio will be very helpful. Continue to raise the energy up to the Ajna chakra.
Question:
I find it difficult at times to maintain pranayama. How can this be corrected?
Swamiji Says:
Use a mantra to measure the length of each breath. Then recite the mantra either silently or audibly as you breath in and out. If it becomes a strain, use a shorter mantra.
Question:
Where do we pause in the Gayatri Mantra to inhale?
Swamiji Says:
Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah – inhale
tat savitur varenyam – inhale
bhargo devasya dhimahi – inhale
dhiyo yo nah pracodayat – inhale
Chanting and pranayama
Question:
When chanting a scripture with pranayam should the inhalation time and exhalation time be equal? If so, what is the recommended way to monitor/gauge this? Should I use a stopwatch or timer?
Swamiji Says:
No. Neither should they be equal nor should you use any external tool to monitor the length of the breath.What I recommend during chanting is to make the audible recitation equal for every breath. That means, if you are chanting one full verse for each exhalation, then maintain consistency. Your inhalation will automatically be the same each time.
Question:
At times while chanting, I find my breath expanding over time during that one recitation, and wanting to go beyond the original rhythm with which I started. For example, I may begin 3 verses to the breath, then experience a tendency in my breath to chant more; however, I stay with the 3 verses since that is how I started. Should we stick to one rhythm for each recitation, once we’ve begun? Can we add more verses to the breath, and continue in that fashion? If we must stay with one rhythm throughout, what is the reason for this?
Swamiji Says:
There are reasons for both expanding the length of the practice, the number of verses per breath, and also for maintaining consistency. We want to do both. When you are able to increase, then do so. But try to maintain that new rhythm throughout the balance. What we want to avoid is being erratic. Consistency is the key.
Question:
If I were to breathe or stop at a certain word in a verse, it may change the intonation or the meaning of the word? How must I solve this problem? Should I breathe according to the word spacing?
Swamiji Says:
Anushtup chanda has 32 syllables to the verse. You may breathe at the quarter, the half, or at the end of the full verse. Sometimes you can even do two verses in one breath. This will automatically make the recitation in accordance with the grammar and proper intonation.
Question:
When we chant, is it more effective to do it in a monotone voice? Does it make a difference?
Swamiji Says:
When we sing, we take more breaths. When we chant, we take in a deeper inhalation and pronounce the mantra(s) on the exhalation. The tone of our chanting, whether or not it is musical, determines the speed of the pronunciation. So when we want to recite more verses to the breath, monotone is best. When we want to be entertaining or explaining or both, then musical tones are best.
Question:
How important is it to get the intonations perfect when each teacher teaches it slightly different? I’ve been told Vedic chants must be perfect otherwise other malefic influences will be attracted when chanted incorrectly. How does one know the way they are taught is the way it was intended?
Swamiji Says:
First, that you do it, is more important than how you do it.The most important ingredient is your intention. The proscription against mispronunciation is for professionals who want to alter other people’s karma because of their prayers. For students who want to purify themselves and reach to Godliness, the intention and effort is more valuable than the perfection of the technical presentation.Consider our own experiences. When our children brought home a drawing they made in kindergarten, didn’t we praise them and place the picture on the refrigerator? If we could be so encouraging with our children, how much more the Divine Mother will do for us.There are 22 major languages of India, with 247 dialects officially recognized. The pronunciation of Sanskrit is different in every region, and every region does it differently. Try to come as close as you possibly can to what your gurus teach, and realize that wherever you go someone will say you are not correct. But their judgment does not matter. You will get your certificate from Her.
Pronouncing Phat
Question:
How do you pronounce phaṭ, as in astrāya phaṭ? Is it with an f sound as in fat or with a p sound as in pot?
Swamiji Says:
F or PH as in Philosophy.
Sanskrit Words and their Meanings
Question:
I understand that there are many layers to any Sanskrit word and that the same word can mean something slightly different, depending on the context. Is that correct?
Swamiji Says:
There are actually different kinds of meanings:
dictionary meaning: vach arth
meaning according to an attitude of awareness: bhava arth
meaning according to your guru: guru arth
meaning according to your school of philosophy: darshan shashtra arth
meaning according to your tribe of sadhus: sampradayi arth
meaning according to your own realization: svadaya arth
hidden meaning: gupta arth
Question:
There are many stories that I have heard when the Deity is not pleased with the person who is chanting. What is the right attitude and right method of chanting?
Swamiji Says:
The best attitude I can suggest is:Dear God,I am going to do the best I can to please you through my worship. If you are pleased, then please grant me the fruit of my worship. If you are not pleased, then please teach me how to worship in such a way that you will become pleased.
Chanting Incoherently
Question:
During Purascharana, when the mantra is chanted at high speeds, there is a chance that Mantras are repeated incoherently. Are these chants of any use? Doesn’t the Mantra’s Deity know that the chant is directed towards Him or Her and accepted anyway? Or is Mantra Sabda Spashtatha (Clarity of Sound of Mantra) of prime importance with Guru Mantra.
Swamiji Says:
There are many aspects of our worship to which we are required to pay attention simultaneously: asana, pranayam, intonation, meaning, method, order, etc. If we make mistakes, which invariably we will, then we beg forgiveness. BUT we are trying with sincerity. That is the greatest exemplification of our devotion.How many times did Shankaracharya write: I don’t know mantras, yantras, tantras, worship, etc. But I am going to keep on trying to worship you anyway.
Am I chanting correctly?
Question:
With Maa’s blessings, I’ve been chanting aum aim hrim klim chamundayai viche at night for a while . I sometimes hear the sounds of things falling , sometimes I have bad dreams ,and I feel distracted and start to fear from these sounds. Does this mean I’m doing something wrong?.
Swamiji Says:
No, It means you are doing the right thing.These fears are unfounded and they must be disposed with. Only the Divine Mother has the capacity to take away all fear.Continue to chant the mantra and don’t worry.
Hearing or Chanting a Scripture
Question:
Would just listening to a scripture – like the 300 names or 1000 names of Lalita or even Chandi Paath, also be as fruitful as much as reading it?
Swamiji Says:
Yes, it is written so in Chapter Twelve (of the Chandi). However, it means to hear and understand and internalize, not just to have a tape or CD playing in the background.
Chanting in English or Sanskrit
Question:
Many of the mantras and prayer are in Sanskrit. I know many sages and gurus reiterate that the benefits are manifold when the mantras/slokas are chanted with understanding of their meaning. In that context, is is okay to read Chandi or any scripture in English than Sanskit. Is it okay to chant a mantra in “English meaning” form than transliteration or original sanskrit form? will the benefits be same?
Swamiji Says:
It is definitely important to understand what we are saying. When we recite the Sanskrit sounds, we get great benefits on many levels. When we recite with understanding we get even greater benefits on many more levels.It is more than OK to recite the translations as well as the original texts. It is preferred. After some time of reciting both the Sanskrit and the translations, we will find the correspondence between the two, and intuit the meanings on a multitude of levels. Highly recommended.
Swamiji Answers More Questions on Chanting
Question:
How does Path differ from Puja?
Swamiji Says:
Puja is a collection of viddhis or modules that are strung together to conduct
worship. Path involves recitation of a scripture. Purification and offerings are emphasized more in Puja.
Question:
What is the specific goal of Jivanam style of chanting?
Swamiji Says:
To intuit the meaning of each syllable of every mantra in the scripture and to become absorbed in that meaning. Also beyond the meanings of the mantras, the vibrations become so much more potent. We are adding life to the mantra – Jivanam, empowering it to carry us into it’s own bhava.
Question:
How do you choose a style of chanting (Bhakti, Shakti, Pranayama, Jivanam)?
Swamiji Says:
Bhakti when understanding is important, Shakti when Pranayam is important, Pranayama when Asan is important, Jivanam when you do not have the sankalpa to complete a text, but have the time and environment to go into deep meditation.
Question:
Is there a recommended order for focusing on these different styles of chanting (bhakti, shakti, tapasya, and jivanam) for those who are interested in chanting, before they are integrated?
Swamiji Says:
Just that order. First we learn how to pronounce and what it means. Then we become proficient at pranayam. Then we lengthen the asana so we can forget the body. Lastly we use the mantra recitation to go into deep meditation.