Q&A: 1. Mantras and Meanings

தமிழில் படிக்க இங்கு செல்லவும். 

Question: I am asked to chant hymns but I don’t even know the meaning of them. How can this be beneficial to me?

Answer: A very good question! I only wish we have the same question when we are using 4G or Bluetooth Technology in our smartphones! Some scientist has invented such technology and we trust him/her blindly and start using them; no questions!

Sri Paramacharya of Kanchi was asked the same question by a devotee once. He asked the devotee whether he knew what PIN code stood for that we regularly use while mailing letters. The devotee answered no. Paramacharya then explained that PIN stood for Postal Index Number and each locality is designated with a numeric code and even if the locality is not clear in the mail, with the help of the PIN code the letter reaches the destination safely (even if the sender does not know what it is used for). Similarly, though the inner workings of the mantra/hymn is not known to the chanter, the benefits of the same will still be realized.

Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swami also explains the same in a different way. When a person unknowingly puts his finger in fire, it burns.  The person can’t claim that since he had no knowledge about fire, it can’t burn him. It is the nature of the fire. Similarly mantras have their effect no matter if the person possesses the knowledge of its workings or not. This is what happened in Mahabharata when Kunthi unknowingly chanted the mantra that Sage Durvasa taught her towards Sun God and brought upon Karna’s birth.

So there is every reason to chant hymns with total belief even if the meaning is not known.