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After learning them, they perform the rites and rituals without ever knowing their meaning. For most of us that is enough. We have not thought about the meaning of these mantras. But mantras are not only this much. When they are chanted with full understanding and knowledge of the deity of the mantra, then they become effective. Mantra should be used properly, in the prescribed way, then it is powerful.
So this tool, the power of speech, is Rig mantra. What is the essence of this Rig mantra? It is the saama. Rig atyaudham saama geeyate. When musical compositions of mantras are sung, it is called saama. When saama is practised, one feels bliss even without knowing the meaning of the words. In bhajans the words have their meaning, but when the singer pronounces “Ni, dha, pa, dha, pa, ma", or any vocal vibration that has neither words nor meaning, even then you still start swinging your head like a snake before the charmer's flute. You may not follow the meaning of the song, but you are swayed by the music. The music leads you to a state of trance. What is this state? This is saama. Saama is the essence of the Rig mantras.
This saama can give you worldly pleasure, but this worldly pleasure is transitory, momentary. You hear music sung by someone, and you are pleased, you are charmed. But you cannot make this pleasure permanent because the singer is somebody other than you. You, the enjoyer, are separated from the singer after some time. You are dependent on another. You are not self-dependent for that pleasure. You have to become selfdependent. In order to express the bliss which is your basic nature, you have to look towards.saama.
A few moments earlier you were chanting the Pranava, the Omkaara mantra. This is the essence of the Udgitha. The shastras say that what can be reflected upon in the mind, uttered by the speech and heard by the ears, that is whatever comes in their range, is the 'word'. That is the reality in the form of word. So, whenever the word is used, the mantra is used, before some auspicious work is begun, we first of all chant the Pranava, the Omkaara. It is not only you and I who chant Pranava or Omkaara.
Omkaara atha shabdashcha dwaavetau brahmanah purahaah Kaantham vitwa vinurayaatau tasmaat maangaliksha vumau.
In the initial stage of creation, before the elements were created, Brahma first of all uttered the mantra Aum and Ath, so these are very auspicious. It is the sound form of the Lord, but
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