Sacred Sounds of Hinduism

by Sri Ajit Halder

Any person when visiting a Hindu temple while a puja is in progress, will listen to an array of sacred sounds such as those originating from priests chanting mantras, worshipers praying, devotees reciting hymns or singing devotional songs.  The worship in a temple is often permeated by a range of holy sounds generated by the beating of drums, ringing of bells, striking of gongs and cymbals, and the blowing of conchs and flutes. Puja of a Hindu deity is always associated with sacred sounds of various kinds, and this pleasant hearing sensation adds an audible or sonic dimension to the ritual.

Sound or music in the present context is something more than just an experience of gaining a quantum of listening pleasure.  To a Hindu, sound and music are considered to play the role as a potential medium to achieve a deeper unity with both the inner self and the supreme self, Jeevatma with Paramatma.

It is important to remember that correct chanting of mantras with the right modulation of loudness, intonation and diction is a requisite to gain the maximum religious benefit from the utterance of holy words.  This note on the characteristic features of sound should motivate readers to recite the mantra in the appropriate melodious manner.

Sound is a kind of vibration which travels through a physical medium like air, water and metal and is sensed by the ear.  Sound is generated by speech, music and others like a dialogue that we hear in a drama, in a video recording uploaded and projected on the screen of a computer, or a film being shown on the large screen in a cinema hall.  We can vary the volume of sound per our taste using electronic means.  Some sounds are loud or soft to hear, others may be shrill or hoarse.  So we note the two aspects of sound: (1) fine or coarse - that depends on frequency and (2) loud or soft - which depends on the intensity of vibration.  These features are very much noticeable in music.  The quality of sacred sound heard through chanting of mantras or singing of hymns depends on a right balance of pitch and loudness.

Of the variety of sounds in Hinduism, the one sound that is omnipresent in all mantra recitals is the sound of OM which is a sound produced by the utterances of three letters – A, U and M in the order they are shown here.  OM is the vibration sound of the cosmos.  Most Hindu mantras start with the word AUM, because AUM is the primordial vibration of consciousness, the Brahman, which created the universe.  The other words in the mantra are prayer(s) to the deity being worshiped to seek His/Her blessings.  AUM in itself is a complete mantra.  The chanting of AUM is sacred, and brings peace, happiness and spiritual enlightenment.  It is truly called the MAHA MANTRA.  OM (often written as AUM) is both a visual symbol and a sacred sound or mantra which can be both heard or chanted.  It is the sacred word and sacred symbol of the Hindu religion.

Manduka Upanishad says – ‘AUM stands for supreme Reality, It is a symbol for what was, what is and what will be and so it is eternal and has been in existence from the instant of the creation of the universe..’ 

Following the narrative on OM, it should be pointed out that there are other mantras of spiritual significance and a discussion on the characteristics of a mantra will be in order here.

A mantra is a thought manifest in a sacred utterance that possesses profound spiritual significance.  Moreover a mantra is a pure sound vibration for delivering the mind from the material and the mundane to spiritual consciousness.  It is understood that by chanting japa and by hearing the holy sounds of mantra, one can elevate himself to the platform of spiritual realization. The energy in the sound vibration of the mantra prepares and opens one’s consciousness to higher levels of reality.  This may be called the process of Mantra-Yoga.  Chanting the names of God i.e. remembering the different attributes of God brings a devotee in direct contact with God. The Gayatri Mantra may be cited as a good example.

Each mantra has a presiding deity over it who is supposed to bestow the results of the chanting of mantras (mantra phala).  Mantra such as the seed mantra (bija mantra) - uttered into the ear of a devotee by a Deekkha Guru during the initiation ceremony - has to be repeated regularly by the devotee every prayer session.

Before closing this narrative on mantra, we wish to draw attention to two mantras that are specially recommended in the Vedic literature.  One is Omkara or OM mantra which has already been elaborated upon in a previous paragraph, and the other is: ‘Hare Krishna Hare Ram’ mantra adopted by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON).  ISKON is to be credited for popularizing the chanting of the sacred sound ‘Hare Krishna Hare Ram’ and bringing celestial joy to those participating in community singing of this sacred mantra.

No discussion on sacred sound will be complete without making a reference to the holy words uttered by Sri Sri Babathakur in his many religious discourses.  Groups of devotees of the Prajnanpurush who attended His religious discussions are fortunate enough to listen to the message, illuminating and issuing out directly from the Master’s Lotus Lips.  There are a huge number of other devotees who were not so lucky and could not attend the satsanga with the Divine Master. Thanks to the development of technology, these devotees can now hear the sacred words spoken by Sri Sri Babathakur that have been recorded on CDs.  What is more, those once deprived devotees can now watch the telecast of the Divine Master, experience his virtual presence among them, and listen to the Master delivering the sermon on the television screen with enjoyment.

In conclusion, we stress that the Sacred Sounds generated when holy words are spoken have been with the Hindus from the time of the Vedas. The Vedas are given the designations of ‘shruti’, meaning having been heard and discerned by the sages (rishis).  The origins of the Vedic texts are oral, i.e. words were spoken by the sages and heard and remembered by their disciples.  These words were then passed down through strict oral traditions for generations before being committed to the page to become a written record. .We notice the per-eminence of sound (deemed to be sacred because of its association with the holy Vedas) as exemplified through its role in creation “By His (Bramhan’s) utterance the Universe came into being.” from the Brihad Aranyak Upanisad (1.2.4).  Even more significant is the personification of the goddess Vak, the goddess of speech, in the Rig Veda.  Devi Vak is viewed as a female potency who sustains the power of Vedic mantras.  The Sacred Sounds heard in temples and uttered by worshipers have been spiritually benefiting the Hindus through the ages.