Om Manththraaya Namah

this morning i was listening to a discourse;


the topic was about the speciality of the above mantra appearing in " Vishnu Sahasranamam"

the thing that struck me was what they showed in a temple ( Tamilnadu)

in that, inside the sanctum sanctorium where there is no air hole the oil lamp was oscillating;

they showed "Shri Lakshmi Narasimha "

you will not believe; even while writing now i have the awe surrounding me;

let us see something about that mantra

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mantraah



The mystic word (He who protects those who meditate onHis name).



Om manththraaya namah.



" tan-mantaram trayate iti mantarah"

or

" mananat trayate iti mantrah "



mantra is that which protects him who meditates on it.


In Brahmapurana, Bhagavan says -


" thrshna toya samakIrnat ghorat samsara sagarat

aparat paramapnoti yo mam smarati nityasah "



"He who thinks of me always, will certainly cross this vast andfrightful sea of samsara which is filled with the waters of greed andavarice".



SrI Bhattar also gives the reference to the varaha carama Sloka fromvaraha purana


" sthithe manasi susvsthe sarire sati yo narah
dhatu-samye sthithe smarta visva-rupam camamaajam
tatastam mriyamanam tukashtha pashana sannibham
aham smarAmi mad-bhaktam nayAmi paramAm gatim "


"The man who, when his mind is in normal condition, when thebody is not shattered, and when the elementary constituents of his body(dhatus) are in perfect equipoise, meditates on Me who has thew worldas My body and who am not subject o biths due to karma - when that manlies like a log of wood or a piece of stone in his dying moments, I think of this devotee of Mine and lead to attain the Supreme Abode".

Sri Sankara gives the interpretation that He is the Sacred formula inthe form of the three vedas. The writer in dharma chakram gives the perspective on the importance ofmantras in our scheme of life. Just as we take external bath forkeeping our bodies clean, mantras are the means to keep our mindsclean. This can be done

1) through constant repetition of themantras (japam),

2) through deep and constant contemplation (meditation),

3) through musical singing (bhajan) etc.



Thirumangai Azhvar says

" nalamtarum Sollai naan kaanu kondaen naaraayanaa ennum naamam (peria tirumozhi1-1-9).
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