The Critical Role of Pronunciation in Mantra Effectiveness

Correct pronunciation of a mantra is very important if you want to achieve the desired result.

There are three things involved when you chant a mantra or pronounce any word:

Mind: The mantra is stored as a memory in your mind. Whether you are reading or recalling from memory, it goes into the mind and then comes out.

Breath: This is the driving force. Try holding your breath and saying a word; it won’t come out. Breath is the driving force behind the mantra. We have 'Ajapa Japa,' where breathing itself is considered a constant chanting of a mantra called the 'Hamsa mantra.'

Speech Organs: Different parts of the speech organs are involved in pronunciation. When your mind, breath, and speech organs are in synchrony and harmony, the mantra works effectively and achieves the desired result.

Every alphabet in Sanskrit is pronounced using certain parts or combinations of parts of the throat, mouth, tongue, lips, and nose. The alphabets are divided according to their places of pronunciation:

अकुहविसर्जनीयानां कण्ठः
अ, आ, क, ख, ग, घ, ङ, ह, and विसर्ग (visarga) – These are pronounced from the throat. Try saying these letters: अ, आ, क, ख, ग, घ, ङ, ह, and रामः. You will feel the vibration at the throat, with the letters hitting or coming from the throat.

इचुयशानां तालु
इ, ई, च, छ, ज, झ, ञ, य, and श – These are pronounced from the palate, the roof of the mouth towards the back, above the throat, around the small tongue (palate or 'तालु' in Sanskrit). Try saying these letters, and you will feel the vibration or the force in the palate.

ऋटुरषाणां मूर्धा
ऋ, ट, ठ, ड, ढ, ण, र, and ष – These are called 'मूर्धन्य' (Mūrdhanya), pronounced towards the central upper roof of the mouth, going higher into the head. You will feel the vibration inside the head.

लृतुलसानां दन्ताः
लृ, त, थ, द, ध, न, ल, and स – When you pronounce these letters, your tongue touches the teeth. They are pronounced with the help of the teeth.

उपूपध्मानीयानामोष्ठौ
उ, ऊ, प, फ, ब, भ, म, and उपध्मानीय वर्ण (Upadhmanīya varṇas) – If there is a visarga before प (p) or फ (ph), like in 'कः पश्यति' (kaḥ paśyati), it is not pronounced as 'कः पश्यति' (kaḥ paśyati) but as 'कः पश्यति' (kaḥ paśyati). This change is called Upadhmanīya. This applies to प (p) and फ (ph) also.

ञमङणनानां नासिका च
ङ, ञ, ण, न, म – These are pronounced through the nose. Without the nose, you cannot pronounce these letters. They impart beauty to speech. Try closing your nose and speaking; it will sound strange. The nose is essential for good speech. That’s why Lakshmana cut off the nose of Shurpanakha, so she lost the beauty of her speech and could no longer entice anyone.

एदैतौः कण्ठतालु
ए and ऐ are pronounced with the help of both the throat and the palate.

ओदौतोः कण्ठोष्ठम्
ओ and औ are pronounced using both the throat and the lips. Try saying these letters; you will feel the vibration at the throat and need to curve your lips.

वकारस्य दन्तोष्ठम्
व (vakara) is pronounced with both teeth and lips.

जिह्वामूलीयस्य जिह्वामूलम्
जिह्वामूल्य (Jihvāmūlya), similar to Upadhmanīya, changes pronunciation when there is a visarga before क (ka) or ख (kha).

नासिकाsनुस्वारस्य।
Anusvāra (ं) – For example, in 'कम्' (kam), the final म (m) is called Anusvāra, and its position involves the nose.

This is how alphabets are classified in terms of their positions of pronunciation. When you pronounce a particular letter, a specific part or parts of your speech organs vibrate.

Consider the case of 'Krishna' (कृष्ण). It consists of क्, ऋ, ष्, ण् – क् is pronounced at the throat, flowing into ऋ, ष्, and ण्, all three at the top of the head (मूर्ध). If you say 'Krisna' instead, the flow is disrupted. क् starts at the throat, then र (repha) remains at the top of the head, but स and न are deflected towards the teeth, disturbing the harmony. The vibrations are different, and the effect of the mantra is altered.

Mantras work on vibrations and their effects. So, you must be very careful to pick up the correct pronunciation. This is why, in Vedadara, we advise you to listen to mantras with faith instead of immediately chanting them yourself. Listening is equally effective and avoids the risk of incorrect pronunciation.

Knowledge Bank

What is Pillayarpatti temple’s connection with Nattukottai Chettiars?

It is one among the nine ancestral temples of Nattukottai Chettiars.

Who are Aghoris?

Aghoris are ascetics who worship Lord Shiva in his powerful and fierce form, Aghora. Despite the name 'Aghora' meaning 'not terrifying,' this form of Shiva is both fearsome and deeply respected. The Aghoris are known for breaking all social rules and living outside normal boundaries. They are fearless and live in cremation grounds or isolated places. They use a human skull as a bowl and are said to eat anything, even things like dung or human flesh. Their practices make them both respected and feared by people. Many admire their devotion, but others avoid them because of their extreme way of life.