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JAPA: A PSYCHOLOGICAL
TREATMENT
Q. What is the starting point of japa from the linguistic point of view? What are the halting places in this journey? And how does the power of japa become comprehensive form the point of view of physiology or of the science of incantation?
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Ans. Japa, the repetition of the name of the deity, and jalpa, meaning sophistry, come from the root words japa and jalpa. The root word jalpa connotes plain, explicit speaking; whereas the root word japa has two connotations-explicit speech and mental talk. Thus, the semantic journey of japa begins from 'loud note' to 'mantra-articulation' and, 'mental repetition' thereof. Of course, japa is always done aloud, but from the point of view of articulation, it has been divided into two classes-voiced and mental. From the viewpoint of the science of incantation, japa is of three kinds-japa, antarjalpa, and mental jalpa. In the language of the science of incantation, these are known as voiced, low-voiced, and silent (i.e. mental). All these three kinds of japa can prove useful supports for one's progress in meditation.
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