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The Ancient Science of Mantras: Wisdom of the Sages Kindle Edition
Wisdom of the Sages
The mystical energy of mantras is as intact today as it was thousands of years ago. All you need to know is how to invoke a mantra. This book tells you how.
In a neverbefore attempt, veering from the ancient tradition of gurudisciple secrecy, Himalayan ascetic and bestselling author Om Swami bares all the essentials and fundamentals of invoking the timeless mantras for material and spiritual fulfillment. Drawing on his decades of firsthand experiences and intense practice on the path of mantra sadhana, with his characteristic simplicity and humor, Swami explains:
• The origin of mantras.
• Why and how mantras work.
• How to choose a mantra and invoke it.
• How to succeed in mantra sadhana without a human guru, and
• Everything else you need to know about mantra yoga.
The Ancient Science of Mantras, magnificent and easy to read, is your ultimate guide to selftransformation. Brimming with wisdom, anecdotes and the author’s personal experiences, the sadhanas given here have been practiced and verified by Swami. An indispensible companion to those embarking on a spiritual journey.
Om Swami is a mystic living in the Himalayan foothills. He has a bachelor’s degree in business and an MBA from Sydney, Australia. Prior to his renunciation of this world, he founded and ran a multimillion dollar software company successfully. He is the bestselling author of A Million Thoughts, Kundalini: An Untold Story, A Fistful of Love and If Truth Be Told: A Monk’s Memoir.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherJaico Publishing House
- Publication date7 July 2017
- File size30094 KB
- “There’s no suffering, only ignorance. What people call suffering is merely their perspective born out of ignorance.”Highlighted by 426 Kindle readers
- “When due to ignorance, you can’t get over your grief, your sorrow,” Shiva said, “it is suffering.”Highlighted by 396 Kindle readers
- Receiving that benediction is grace and to be a worthy recipient of grace requires bhakti.Highlighted by 291 Kindle readers
Product description
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B073S5G3J1
- Publisher : Jaico Publishing House; 1st edition (7 July 2017)
- Language : English
- File size : 30094 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Print length : 570 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #13,985 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #86 in Mysticism (Books)
- #382 in Hinduism (Kindle Store)
- #1,253 in Hinduism (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Om Swami is a monk who lives in a remote place in the Himalayan foothills.
He holds an MBA from University of Technology, Sydney and a Bachelors in Business Computing from University of Western Sydney. Swami served in executive roles in large corporations around the world. He founded and lead a profitable software company for seven years with offices in San Francisco, New York, Toronto, London, Sydney and India.
Om Swami completely renounced his business interests to pursue a more spiritual life.
His blog can be seen on www.omswami.com.
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"Please allow me to speak on this somewhat arcane topic of mantra yoga today. It’s my specialisation, something I’ve spent years and years experimenting. And, a path I find quite rewarding even today. It’s taking the law of attraction to the next level, it’s experiencing samadhi in a way words just can’t explain.
I once heard a beautiful story by Swami Rama. His guru had adopted him when he was a five-year-old boy. At the time of initiation, Swami Rama’s guru promised him that he would experience samadhi in 12 years. The young Swami Rama held on to that promise with great hope and expectation.
Gradually, 19 years passed in which he assiduously served his guru, but Swami Rama was still deprived of any experience of samadhi. He was 24 years old now. Upset and hurt, he confronted his guru saying that he had already given 19 years and nothing divine had transpired. His guru urged him to practice a bit more, saying that he wasn’t ready yet, but Swami would have none of it.
“I’m going to drown myself in the Ganges,” he retaliated.
“Oh, in that case,” the guru joked, “make sure you jump with a big rock tied to you so that you are able to carry your resolve even if you change your mind once in water.”
“Fine!” And, Swami Rama stormed away. Barely had he reached the door of the cave, his guru called him back.
“Come, sit here,” he gestured. “Calm down and repeat after me.”
The guru whispered a mantra and Swami Rama repeated the mantra after him. A moment later, he touched him on his forehead and Swami Rama felt himself completely immersed in bliss, then he came out of that experience.
“It was beautiful,” Swami Rama said. “But now I’m even more confused.”
“I told you, you were not ready.”
“Was it the result of my 19 years of sadhana,” Swami asked, “or, what is your touch? If it was my sadhana, then why did you have to touch me and if it was your touch, why on earth did you have me wait 19 years?”
The guru smiled. “Silly boy,” he said, “it was neither my touch nor your sadhana.”
“Then?”
“It was divine grace.”
There are 16 critical factors that will ensure your success on the path of mantra yoga. All 16 requisites, however, depend on the singular most important element — grace. Without divine grace, it is impossible to attain siddhi (success).
The amount of grace you receive on the path of mantra yoga is directly proportional to how sincerely you fulfill the 16 conditions. They are:
Bhakti (devotion) 2. Shudhi (purification) 3. Asana (seat)
Panchang Sevan (five types of food) 5. Achara (conduct)
Dharana (concentration) 7. Divyadesh Sevan (self-identification)
Prana Kriya (breath regulation) 9. Mudra (hand locks)
Tarpana (libations) 11. Havan (fire offerings) 12. Bali (sacrifice)
Yaag (contemplation and inner worship) 14. Japa (chanting)
Dhyana (meditation) and 16. Samadhi (absorption)
It may sound a lot but for the sincere practitioner, who continues to practice step-by-step, it all comes together naturally.
Bhakti is first for a reason for, it is the most important condition to succeed in mantra yoga.
Every educated practitioner asks me one question: why do I need devotion if mantras form a scientific framework? It’s a question even I’ve asked myself at one time. Before I answer this question, I have to ask you whether you believe that Vedic scriptures are true and not a work of fiction. If you have come to believe that our scriptures are mere mythological texts, then mantra yoga will disappoint you completely. Mantra requires that you invest your faith in a deity. Every mantra has a deity. If you don’t believe in the existence of God or that God can have a form, then you would be better off practicing pure meditation and not bother with the sonic science of mantras.
If you feel good by just chanting a mantra, by all means, you can continue doing that. If, however, you wish to experience all that mantra siddhi can bring you, it is imperative that the entire system of mantras is followed in its entirety. Walking this path invariably begins with some faith in the truth of Vedic scriptures, existence of God and the possibility that God or energy can manifest in a physical form.
…
To reach any level above where we are, we must first have to accept with humility that we require help from someone who’s already there; that we haven’t yet figured out everything; that we need the beneficence of someone more superior than us. Receiving that benediction is grace and to be a worthy recipient of grace requires bhakti.
Bhakti is not the only hurdle for an educated mind that yearns for logic and rationality. Mantra yoga requires that you be devoted to a form, for a mantra is the verbal or sonic representation; it’s the sound form of a deity. Every deity has a mantra. If I need to call you, I ought to give you some name. Even if I don’t know your name, I must assign you some noun even if I don’t spell it out. I may loudly say, “Excuse me!” Or, if you can see me, I may gesture to indicate that I’m addressing you. Either way, I must find a way to express myself.
While there is no right or wrong way of praying or worshiping, when it comes to mantra yoga, a practitioner must direct and invest his faith in a form. It’s one of the fundamental requirements even if praying to a form appears counterintuitive in the beginning.
Swami Vivekananda was once visiting a king who told him that he didn’t believe in idol worship.
“It’s illogical, primitive and baseless,” the king said. “How can you love a stone? It’s not like the stone is actually God.”
Vivekananda kept quiet and a little while later, when he was just about to depart, he pointed at a big portrait on the wall.
“Whose picture is this?” Vivekananda asked the king.
“This is my great grandfather’s,” he replied with pride. “His valour is known throughout the length and breadth of the country.”
“Can you please have this picture taken down for a minute?”
The king was intrigued. Nevertheless, he did as asked.
“Now, spit on it,” Vivekananda instructed.
“Swamiji,” the king cried, “Had it been anyone else, I would have him thrown in jail for uttering such words. This is my great grandfather’s portrait. How can I even think of spitting? Visitors and workers bow before it.”
“Why?” Vivekananda countered calmly. “What’s the problem? It’s just a picture. How can you love a picture? It’s not like the picture is really the person.”
Idol worship does not mean that you only worship the idol, it simply means you have assigned a form to the one you pray to. It can bestow immense inner strength. Imagine, you have a pen friend. For years, you exchange letters with your friend and he always makes you feel important, loved and cared for. You feel that your friend understands you, listens to you and even helps you in need. His care will naturally evoke feelings in your heart. One day you would want to know what this noble person looks like. You would want to meet him in person and express your gratitude.
Idol worship is something like that. It’s a devotee’s sentiment. A bhakta says: the Lord who’s been taking care of me must look this beautiful, adorned with the best vastra and alamkara — this is simply a devotee’s way of expressing his gratitude.
If you don’t believe that God has a form or just don’t like idol worship, you could simply pray to the universe, the formless God. It’s just as beautiful, for, ultimately, all rivers merge into the ocean. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what your method of praying is, if you do so with moral, mental and physical purity, it will not go unheard. But, if you want to walk the path of mantra yoga, a belief in a deity is absolutely required. You don’t have to pray to an idol, but you must believe that God can assume a form and the form you believe in is your deity.
A mantrin believes that in the vast universe, there is a divine entity that can assume a form and that form can bestow upon me siddhis or protection. The firm belief that the divine form is my savior and can help me navigate through the choppy ocean of life to reach the shore is the foundation of bhakti. To be totally in love with God (or your deity) and to exercise complete self-surrender towards your object of worship is bhakti.
Mantras are not merely phonetic sounds. If this is the view we wish to take then we must negate their origin as it’s written in scriptures. Therefore, by definition, we must also denounce the injunctions or requirements as stated in various texts elucidating the science of mantras. And, if we are brushing them aside as works of fiction, clearly, we fail to accept the framework of mantras in its entirety. Partial acceptance won’t lead to complete success.
Somewhere along the line you have to make up your mind about which camp you are in. You can’t travel in two boats at the same time.
Belief in some form of a divine energy and devotion towards that form is one of the basic requirements of mantra yoga."
First of all, the book is primarily on do it yourself, in case you do not have a Guru. Although Om Swami strongly recommends one should have a Guru.
Although Mantras are used in almost every religion, but the book is specific to Sanatan Dharma.
At a high level, the book consists of the following sections:
Foundations - from origin of Mantras, initiation, flaws, chanting principles, and how to overcome hurdles.
Practices - This is a small section consisting of invoking the Diety, Mudras and steps of invocation.
Sadhnas - This is the major section of the book. More than 2/3rd of the book consists of this section. Om Swami has given step by step process to do Sadhna’s of Lord Ganesha, Guru Sadhana, Gayatri Sadhna, and Sri Suktam Sadhna. This is followed by how to do Yagya (Havan).
Detailed Notes - This is a mixed topic covering important aspects of Mantra Sadhna for example, Types of Mantras, their flaws, aspects of Mantra Sadhna, Mantra compatibility with Zodiac signs etc.
Analysis - If you want to do any of the Sadhna’s mentioned above, I can vouch there will be no other resource available anywhere else. Look no further and go ahead and buy it.
If you do not have a guru, or you have one but still want to get insights into Mantra Sadhna, this book will be a great resource.
Let us go through some common questions and their answers, so that it will become clear that whether we should purchase this book or not :
* What is genre of book?
This belongs to Non Fiction genre, since it is about science of Matntra, so it covers technicalities from the base to end and also establishes the cause and effect relationships between various sadhna’s.
* What does it covers?
Apart from what is mentioned in last question, it covers every nook and corner of successfully taking up Mantra Yoga as your main mode of spiritual journey.
* Will it be interesting and useful to me?
Let me quote the author’s words here “ If you don’t believe that God exists or that He (or She) can have a form, let me tell you at the outset that mantra yoga is not for you. You will not stand to gain much by walking the path of mantra yoga or reading this book”
With all due respect to the author, let me differ from the his words here: after reading this beautiful book, With a strong conviction I can tell you, it doesn’t matter whether you are interested in mantra science or not, just read it to see what the power of mantra can do. It will atleast give a peace of mind that something so powerful like this science exists!
* Does it Provides methods for successfully Realising your dreams and achieving your goal?
The way in which whole structure of mantra science is laid down in this book, it becomes imperative that you are going to successfully achieve your goals through it “Most important is to follow it right from the beginning to the end” as far as I understand it is a equation, where every variable is of utmost importance, you could only get result after getting the equation right.
* What is the approach of book, Traditional or Modernistic?
Since it is talking about an ancient science so naturally it is inclined towards traditional side of the subject, but we need not to be concerned about it, because afterwards author also amalgamates the modernistic side, otherwise this book will not fulfils its purpose of establishing Science of mantra at its right place.
* What is Structure of the book?
There are basically 4 units in the book i.e
Foundation
Practices
Sadhanas
Detailed notes
All the above units covers several chapters that will talk about various topics such as Six limbs of mantra, Selecting right mantra, flaws in mantra and how to correct them, how to chant them correctly, invocation and its hurdles, Hand locks(mudras), Essential steps of Puruscharana (invocation), and so on….One will get amazed by plethora of topics introduced by author and mind it, while reading, you will realise each word in the book is from primary source and experience, not from secondary means of literature.
* What are the Sadhanas that are covered in the book?
Oh! my, while reading those sadhanas, it took me to another world, since Author himself does not specifically mention the names of sadhana, so I will let you read them yourself, but I can’t resist the temptation to share the name of one sadhana which I haven’t find anywhere else with such a clarity and precision. It is “SRI SUKTAM”
* Things worth special mention!!
- Most wonderful are the real life pictures of Author performing mudras (hand locks) for you, it makes content more practical and accessible.
- If nothing else, then you are surely going to love his personal anecdotes while treading the path of Mantra Yoga.
-This book gives you a hope and faith that if you dont have a guru then worry not, it will work as a guru for you and guides you on the path of mantra yoga and if you really want a Physical Guru then it gives you a special sadhana to ‘get your personal guru’
Last but not least, I feel that book like this comes once in a lifetime or centuries and gets to the status of scripture, it is a collector’s edition.
Top reviews from other countries

I can see that the author has a lot of knowledge and experience with this subject. And to someone on a similar path to the author of exploring mantra yoga will get something from this book. There is something in what the author is doing which is resonant but it didn't feel gentle and breezy and Godly - it felt a bit heavy and authoritarian. The spiritual path requires discipline and action, of course, but it shouldn't feel like a chore.
Looking into Kundalini Yoga mantras on youtube and practicing them will give a much more practical experience than this book.
I'm giving this 3 stars because some of the stories and mythology stories were interesting and shared in a pleasant spirit. I also feel that this is a technical & scientific book that does have truths in it. In the meantime I don't have the patience to chant something 5000 times when it hasn't been explained clearly why.
I don't like being harsh but this book really went against my grain.
