What is mantra

Before we try to understand a mantra, let us be clear about shabda, sound. Everything in this manifest universe is vibrational. Creation is also vibrational. And the first and subtlest expression of the vibrational flow is shabda. Shabda Brahmn is the first expression of Karya Brahmn, Effect Brahmn, Expressed Brahmn. The fundamental difference between Karya Brahmn and Karan Brahmn, Causal Brahmn, is that all vikasha, expression, in Karan Brahmn is purely subjective and blissful. There is no objective or extroversial pleasure therein.

Being purely subjective and blissful, it has no exceptional quality. Before its practical emergence, shabda existed in the realm of bhava, or ideas. The starting point of shabda in the world of ideation is called parashakti. Parashakti exists both in the unit and in the cosmos. Although parashakti has full possibilities of expression, it is not expressed due to a lack of a medium. Its vibrational expression is shabda.

Karan Brahmn is represented in tantric scriptures by all the svaravarna, vowel sounds taken together. When those sounds are converted into action, that is, acquire the potential to form mixtures and compounds, they are called consonants. The diversity of creation is expressed through consonants, not through vowels.

What is a mantra? A mantra is a collection of a few particular shabdas. Mantra means 'that collection of sounds, meditation on which leads to liberation'.