1) What are your thoughts on Mantra Chanting?
Swami Ram Swarup: Mantra chanting is according to the knowledge of swar & vyanjan. Harsav,dirgh & plut are 3 kinds of the swars & swar further contains the qualities like Udaat,anudaat,swarit,harsav,dirgh & sanyog. And vyajans are not pronounced without the help of swars. So who has the full knowledge of pronounciation then chanting of the veda Mantras gives effect to the whole nervous sysetm, mind, etc. It controls all the organs and perceptions then results further controlling the anger, proud,etc. But still the meaning of the Mantras which are being chanted is to be known 100%. For this purpose a spiritual master is required.
2) Can you tell us anything about the history and origin of chanting and trace it to the present stage?
Swami Ram Swarup: Actually first of all faith on Vedas is essential. It is not blind faith but a real philosopher of Vedas will scientifically prove the philosophy of Vedas to an aspirant. It requires a long preach to be heard. Butin short way the Vedas were not a book. At the time of beginning of creation Almighty God by His powersoriginates the knowledge of 4 Vedas in the heart of four Rishis of unsexual World. So the way of chantingautomatically is made known to the four Rishis by the bless of God. The name of the present Rishis(forefathers) of unsexual World are Angira, Vaayu, Aaditya & Agni. So the chanting is to be learnt traditionally coming right from the beginning of the Earth.
3) Are there any significant reference to mantras in the Veda’s, Upanishads, Bible?
Swami Ram Swarup: Yes there are signs earmarked in all the Mantras which are known by the Vedas philosopher only.
4) Any comments on Om Chanting and its health benefits and any research done on this?
Swami Ram Swarup: Yes , OM chanting is according to the knowledge of swar & vyanjan which can not be described here being lengthy. If yet it is required please put this question again on internet. Om is the best name of Godin the Vedas. I shall try to send its brief description on receipt of your question again. The chanting of Omstart care of the aspirant, controls from bad evils, provide to contain good respiratory system to give long life, save from heart disease, high blood pressure and so many other sickness. I may mention here that by virtue of my long, hard Ashtang Yoga practice, The Om holy word has blessed me to be separated from so many tensions,sickness, etc., and at the age of about 65 years, I feel myself a young and this holy word I have been feeling everytime in my respiratory system .Research can not be done on any spiritualism or holy word Om etc. Only the preach is to be taken in action in life & secondly hard yoga practice is required then every experience is originated in the heart. Because research is a subject of mind,but Mantras are though studied with mind but its practice makes dead mind and thinking, then only experiences are experienced. This you may please call a research.
5) Do you think chanting has any think it has any therapeutic benefits? do you think mantra chanting promotes healing you can give us your personal experiences in this regard if you cannot give us a scientific side to this issue?
Swami Ram Swarup: Yes chanting has therapeutic benefits but it should be connected with Yoga practice also. There is no doubt that Mantra chanting heals. It heals broken heart, it heals wounds, & everything. Please you may see that Pop music or Indian music when are chanted, it heals 100% of people who are fond of listening. But this is worldly music which heals whereas chanting of Veda Mantras are from heaven/superb/God’s given knowledge. Therefore if properly chanted then it may results healing problem etc., and promoting international brotherhood. See when a baby is weeping and if her mother start chanting loudly or clapping loudly then automatically the baby stops weeping and concentrate on the voice. Similarly when Vedas Mantras are chanted then human beings become able to concentrate. See the ray of sun are coming on the earth. But no do become harmful , because the rays are not concentrated on one point, when these rays passes through lens and comes and then touch on our hand or cloth etc., now it burns. Now it has force. Similarly our thoughts have been spread on thousands of case when Mantras are chanted like the baby of mother then our thoughts are concentrated on one point and gains power by which we solve our problem happily.
6) Are there many school of thoughts on chanting? Which is the most effective for health and healing?
Swami Ram Swarup: There are schools giving education of chanting. You may contact Acharya Gurukul Kangri, Haridwar byletters because I do not know its e-mail & telephone.
7) do you think is mantra chanting and sound healing the next frontier in science, playing a significant role in healing, removing the need for allopathic treatment?
Swami Ram Swarup: Allopathic treatment or any other treatment and even full science whatever we are able to invent uptill now has come from four Vedas. But rest of the most part of science is still in Vedas is to be invented. It is acase of Athrvaveda. So Mantra chanting can not remove the need of Allopathic treatment. Because it is from the Vedas & is beneficial for human beings. In Yajurveda Mantra 14 chapter 40 clearly says that we must get progress both in science and as well as spiritualism. Vedas do not say to leave family or science or materialistic articles because all the materialistic have come out from Vedas knowledge only. These are made for the benefit of human beings. Yet a deep study of Vedas is required. I have been giving the knowledge of four Vedas here for the last 23 years and giving knowledge to the aspirants about Ashtang Yoga, therefore whatever I have been writing it is my experience of the last 50 years.
8) What is the correct way to chant Om?
Swami Ram Swarup: The correct pronunciation of OM requires vast study of Sanskrit Grammar which is taught in presence of spiritual master and disciple face to face. You are not before me therefore I can not teach such a lenghty subject on e-mail. Yet you can ask everytime any question. However I give you some education regarding pronunciation of OM. In grammar there are about 2000 formulae of Sanskrit Grammar,from which one is “ACHONTYADITI” please follow its meaning— In Sanskitalphabet viz., Aa, Ee, Uu etc., (these are called ACH) and Ka, Kha, Ga ( these are called HAL). So according to the above Sutra(formula) if there is a last ACH in the words and the ACH is also before the any HAL, then the HAL with that ACH will be named as TI. Next formula is “OMABHYADANE”, please try to follow its meaning. When Om is used in Yajna then OM’s word will be PLUT UDAAT,then the pronunciation of OM will be UDAAT PLUT and it will be pronounced lengthy voice means OM word will take tripple time of one time palpitation like O O O M. Because OM word has got TI name. That is why I am telling that it is not possible to teach on e-mail. This is the correct way to chant OM. However it requires more clarification with regards to breathing concern which you can ask again if needed.
9) According to the shastras one can chant om in different ways. What are the different ways?
Swami Ram Swarup: Chanting of Om in different ways is simply this that when we chant in Yajna (Agnihotra etc.) i.e., inburning fire when we pour Ghee and samagri therein, then OM is used as TI. Otherwise it is chanted simply OM without considering three times palpitation time.
10) Why does one chant Om before every mantra?
Swami Ram Swarup: Because it is traditional and as said in above formula i.e., “OMABHYADANE” ,the OM is chanted before Veda’s Mantra. Sometime it is also used before the Mantra and in the end of every Mantra.
11) Why is Om important for pranaayam?
Swami Ram Swarup: Actually in Pranayaam there is no need of chanting OM but in Jaap the OM is chanted in mind only with breathing system. However if it is chanted in mind while doing Pranayaam then there is no harm.
12) Is it true that the creation of Veda’s began with the sound of Om? Can you tell us something about this?
Swami Ram Swarup: Vedas are not books it is knowledge. Knowledge means as you eat ice-cream then you have experienced the taste of ice-cream. This real experience is called knowledge. So the knowledge which comes from God direct at the time of creation and is originated in the heart of four men who are called Rishis then the originated knowledge is called Vedas. Veda word is made from VID GYANE Dhatu(VERB) which means knowledge. So Yajurveda chapter 31 Mantra 7 says:
“TASMAT YAJAH SARVHUTAH RICHA SAMANI JAJIRE CHHANDANSI JAJIRE TASMAT YAJUHU TASMAT AJAYATAHA”
It means that Rigveda, Saamveda, Atharvaveda and Yajuyveda (knowledge) are originated from Almighty God. So OM is also originated from God being in Vedas.
13) Mandookya Upanishads says that Om is the swarup of Brahmaa. Can you tell us something about this?
Swami Ram Swarup: OM is the superb name of God & other names of God are in second category as said in Mandookya Upanishad. OM contains three words Aa, Uu, Ma. Aa(Akar) indicates Virat Agni and Vishwa etc.,these are the names of God. Uu(Uukar)contains Hirnya Garbha, Vaayu, Tejas etc., these are also names of God. Ma(Makar) contains Ishwar, Aditya and Pragya etc., which are also the names of God. So in word OM there are so many names of God, that is why It is superb name of God. It is said in Atteryo Brahman that from Rigveda Bhuhu, from Yajurveda Bhuvah and from Saamveda saah were originated and from those Aa, Uu and Ma were originated from which OM is made. So it is the best name of God. There is no swarup (statue) ofBrahma. In Yajurveda chapter 40 and Mantra 15 therefore it is said that O man/woman do pious deeds & work hard and always remember(Jaap) the holy name of God i.e., OM.
14) Is there reference to Om in any of the other Upanishads. Can you tell us specifically where and in what context?
Swami Ram Swarup: The reference of OM is in the said Yajurveda Mantra 15 of chapter 40, In Chhandga Upanishad (1/1/1), Ish Upanishad shalok 17 says to remember(Jaap) OM, Kath Upanishad (2/15) where it is said about whom Vedas says again & again that word is OM. In bhagwad Geeta chapter 17 shalok 24.
15) Om is said to be the swaroop of Brahman, Vishnu, Mahesh, bhu, bhuvaha, svaha and triga, yajur and sam Vedas. Is that correct? Can you tell us something about this?
Swami Ram Swarup: Swarup of Om I have mentioned above. But Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh are the name of one God only. In Rigveda 1/164/46 says “EKAM SAD VIPRA BAHUDA VADANTI” it means truth is one that is, God is one. But the learned says so many names of God from Vedas like Surya(SUN), Chandrma(MOON)etc.-etc. So Brahma means the superb—- that is, God. Vishnu means omnipresent(everywhere) that is, God. Mahesh means creator that is, God. Therefore no separate Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh are there. These are the names of one God, the creator.
16) Mythologists say that it is by the combination of A + U+ M that the world got created. Is this true? How did this happen?
Swami Ram Swarup: No world has not been created by the combination of A+U+M. As I have already said above with proofs that world is created by God, whose superb name is OM. If you make a house but it does not mean that your name has made up the house. From Prakriti the world is created by the power of God, whereas Vedas directly comes from God and originated in the heart of four Rishis and OM is within the Vedas. Vedas are not made from any matter whereas world is made from Prakriti(Matter). If still you need clarification then either study Mandal 10th Sukat 129 of Rigveda about creation or tell me again.
17) In your last mail you had written, “Because it is from the Vedas & is beneficial for human beings. In Yajurveda Mantra 14 chapter 40 clearly says that we must get progress both in science and as well as spiritualism”. I just wanted to check whether the name of the chapter you have mentioned is chapter 40? what is mantra 14?
Swami Ram Swarup: I told that allopathic is beneficial because it is from Vedas and therefore it can’t be removed. Secondly chapter 40 Mantra 14 is as under———–
VIDYAM CH AVIDYAM YASTD VEDO UBHYAM SAH
AVIDYAM MRITUAM TIRTVA VIDYAM AMRITAM ASHNUTE
Here AVIDYAM MEANS——TO CONSIDER UNTRUE AS A TRUE, IMPURE AS A PURE, SORROWS AS A PLEASURE, NON-ALIVE AS A ALIVE, AND VIDYA MEANS HIGHEST EDUCATION OF VEDAS INCLUDING SCIENCE. So who get progress in both sides at a time in the life they get peace and realize God. In this connection actually Mantra 9 is also important which will follow. Actually those who study hard and knows words meanings etc.,& thus gain only but also have proud for the knowledge and does sins and bad deeds this is called Vidya their knowledge is not going to build self, moral character and benefits to other. They all are engaged in such like Vidya(knowledge) and gets illusion/darkness.
So mere study of Science or study of Vedas/Upanishads/holy books does not serve the purpose until we obey the preach mentioned therein and do only pious deeds, here Yoga practice is required. So again this mantra says ” AVIDYAM MRITUAM TIRTVA” means when we study Avidya with doing Yoga/meditation etc., then we will know this world along with human body is made of matter and is destroyed thus we will not be afraid of death. Again when we will study vidya(knowledge) with yoga practice then we will know about soul and God and we will thus attain peace and the stage of salvation/final liberation. So here Vedas says that we must progress & know all about matter and creation/deep science to know the world that it is destroyed one time and side by side we must get progress in spiritualism to get peace and promote international brotherhood and to get final liberation. One sided progress is always dangerous as you see mostly saint says about God (which is yet not true even) and condemns study of science etc and on the other hand one sided science is being progressed, but there is no peace and brotherhood and it has become danger to humanity. If you need I shall tell you next time about allopathic/medicine from Vedas.
One sided progress is always dangerous for example science says about entropy law which defines that there is a date when sun /Moon etc where built. Now Sun has been going little bit towards minimize point and one day it will be no more. You see when Sun will be no more then we all will be no more. This all is mentioned in four Vedas that God creates, nursed and one day destroys the universe and then again God creates. Now you see some of the scientists are worshiping God and some are not worshiping but most of the scientists do not identify the reality of God. Even they do not have time, but our forefathers like Shri Ram, Shri Krishna and other Rishi Munis were serving the the nation and were well conversant with the knowledge of God even they were real Yogi in the family life and there was progress of science as well as of spiritualism and there was unity in the human beings.
The knowledge of Vedas is eternal as it comes direct from God so Yoga shashtra sutra 1/26 says God is our first spiritualmaster who gives us knowledge. On this present earth God gave this knowledge about one Arab and ninety seven years back. Four Vedas contains three vidya – Karam(duties) in Yajurveda, upasna (worship)in Saam Veda and knowledge (science, matter, electronic etc.) in Rig Veda. And about these three Vedas and specially medical science, the fourth Atharva Veda speaks.
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