Shakti Bija Mantras
from Mantra Yoga and Primal Sound by David Frawley
2010
The term mantra is commonly used today in the media for key phrases,
terms or words of power and influence. Each group has its particular mantras
that represent its special view, orientation or goal, whether it is a
corporation, a political party or religious organization. We are coming to
value clear and concise statements or summary views over longer explanations
and discussion. Our communication through computers, power point and text
messaging is getting progressively condensed or, we could say, mantric in
nature.
Mantra in the Yoga tradition consists of the use of sacred sounds and
intentions to transform the energy of the mind in a positive direction. Mantra
is probably the most powerful and commonly used of all yogic meditation
methods. All the main paths of Yoga – whether of knowledge, devotion or action,
or whether Hatha, Raja or Kundalini Yoga – have their key mantras.
Mantras can also be performed to help us with concentration, with our
work, dealing with emotions, for health, prosperity or overall well-being.
Mantras are of many types. Some are longer prayers and intentions, like the
famous Vedic Gayatri mantra to the solar Godhead. Others consist of the
repetition of Divine names like the well-known mantra Om Nama Shivaya for Lord
Shiva.
Yet probably the most important and simplest of all mantras are the
single syllable mantras called “bija” or seed mantras starting with Om. They
can be used for meditation, worship of deities, energizing prana or for healing
purposes – for all aspects of mantra practice. These main bija mantras are also
called “Shakti mantras,” as they are commonly used in the worship of the
Goddess, who Herself, is the power of sound and mantra. Shakti bija mantras
carry the great forces of Nature such as the energies of the Sun and Moon,
electricity and magnetism, not simply as outer factors but as inner potentials
of Divine light, love and wisdom. Shakti mantras hold, resonate, and propel the
Kundalini force, the higher evolutionary power of consciousness, to flow within
us. In this article, we will focus on the eight prime Shakti bija mantras,
their energies and usage for Yoga, for health, and for improving our karmas in
life.
Prime Shakti Mantras
Pranic energy Om
Solar energy Hrim
Electric energy Krim
Power of fire Hum
Power to stabilize Strim
Energy of sound Aim
Lunar energy Shrim
Magnetic energy Klim
Power to stop Hlim
Power to transcend Trim
Solar energy Hrim
Electric energy Krim
Power of fire Hum
Power to stabilize Strim
Energy of sound Aim
Lunar energy Shrim
Magnetic energy Klim
Power to stop Hlim
Power to transcend Trim
Shakti mantras relate to the primary forms of the Goddess or Divine
Mother. There are special Shakti mantras for each of the great Goddesses,
through which we can commune with them and gain their grace. Shakti mantras are
the primary mantras used in Tantric Yoga, in which they are combined in various
ways to bring about different results. They have a great capacity for
transformation that can extend to the deepest layers of our consciousness and
prana. They should be approached with reverence and respect as the very life
blood of the Goddess. Most Shakti mantras contain the vowel–Ã, the vibratory
ee-sound, which is the main primal sound of Shakti. Most contain the
consonant-R, which is the seed of fire, heaven, light, order and dharma and has
a stimulating and energizing effect. Some contain the consonant-L, which is the
seed of earth, water, joy and bliss and has a calming and stabilizing effect.
Many begin with either the letter-H, which indicates prana, light and the Sun,
or the letters S or Sh, which indicate the Moon, the mind and water. Some like Aum
or Aim consist of vowels only.
Application of Shakti Mantras
Shakti mantras can be used to create, sustain or dissolve the various
forms, patterns and forces within us. They have particular affinities with
certain locations in the body and with specific chakras – like Hrim and the
heart – but also have a broader effect to promote certain types of forces, like
Hrim as solar energy that can be used on many different levels. The application
of Shakti mantras, like that of other mantras, depends upon the goals of life
that we are using them to achieve (dharma, artha, kama, and moksha or career,
wealth, enjoyment, or liberation), which gunas we are energizing them with
(sattva, rajas, tamas, or the qualities of clarity, action or inertia), or
their application through Yoga, Ayurveda, Vedic astrology or other disciplines.
In this regard, the same Shakti mantra can be used in many different ways. Yet
at the deepest level, Shakti mantras are meant to arouse and support the Yoga
Shakti or inner power of Yoga within us. For example, the mantra Srim at an
outer level connects us to the abundance of our dharma and artha, our career
and financial gains, and the fulfillment of our kama or desires. For Yoga
practice, it grants devotion to the guru and the deity. In Ayurveda, it
promotes healing, growth, and nourishment. In Vedic astrology, it is the mantra
of the Moon and can be used for strengthening benefic Venus and Jupiter as
well. In Vaastu, it promotes well-being, prosperity and happiness in the
dwelling. Used with a sattvic intention, Srim has a nourishing and harmonizing
force; with a rajasic intention, it has a power to promote outer development
and achievement; and with a tamasic intention, it can gain a destructive or
crushing capacity. At an outer Lakshmi (Goddess of Prosperity) level, Srim can
grant us the abundance of the material world; while at an inner Lakshmi level,
it can grant us the abundance of the spiritual life, which is devotion, bliss
and the beauty of perception.
How to use the mantras
Please use these mantras with respect and a sense of their sacred power,
along with your meditation, honoring the deity within. Generally, seed mantras
are repeated numerous times in a series of continuous meditation sittings to
reach the number of 100,000, which is the amount usually required to awaken
their energy and draw it deep into our psyche. Then they can be repeated
regularly as needed, even off and on during the day, to help us maintain calm
and focus of the mind, or to direct us towards the particular goal that we are
seeking through repeating the mantra. Many people use seed mantras as their
main mantra for meditation (TM mantras are usually based upon Shakti mantras,
for example), also referred to as “primal sound” or “mantra meditation.” They
repeat their special mantra before meditation to take the mind more quickly
into the meditative state. Shakti mantras have a powerful effect by their sound
alone, which is pranic in nature and helps decondition the mind, even if one
does not understand their meaning. They are easy to pronounce as they consist
of one syllable only! You can choose one of these mantras as your meditation
mantra, repeating it silently for at least fifteen minutes or around a thousand
times before meditation. Another method is to let the mantra reverberate along
with the breath. You can draw in the Shakti of the mantra on inhalation like Hrim
as the solar energy or pure light of awareness, and spread its energy throughout
your being or into your environment upon exhalation. When mantra and prana
become one, both are brought to a higher level of power and function. One can
direct the mantra along with the breath to whatever part of the body one wishes
to be healed or strengthened, or send it as a healing force for the benefit of
others. Bija mantras can be used along with Divine names, like Om Hrim Suryaya
Namah! for honoring the solar deity Surya. They can be used in combinations for
different deities or aspects of the Divine, like Krãæ Hïæ Hrim for Ma Kali.
There are many such mantric formulas in Sanskrit literature and Hindu
devotional worship. However, deeper applications and complex combinations of
Shakti mantras may require direct instruction from a teacher who knows how to
adapt these mantras on an individual basis. This is the same as for any other
Yoga practice.
Om
Om serves to open and clear the mind for meditation. It brings about an
ascension and expansion of our energy.
Om is the prime mantra of the Purusha, the Cosmic Being, the Atman or
higher Self. As such, it attunes us with our true nature and higher reality. Om
is the sound of Ishvara, the cosmic lord, the creator, preserver and destroyer
of the universe, who is also the inner guru and prime teacher of Yoga. It
reflects both the manifest and the unmanifest Brahman, sustaining the vibration
of being, life and consciousness in all worlds and all creatures. Generally, Om
is divided threefold as A, U and M, with A referring to creation, the waking
state and Brahma, the creator; U as sustenance, the dream state and Vishnu the
preserver; and M as dissolution, the deep sleep state and Shiva the
transformer.
More specifically, Om relates to Shiva, the cosmic masculine force. Om
serves to open and clear the mind for meditation. It brings about an ascension
and expansion of our energy. It promotes the higher prana and inner light and
takes us into the formless realm. It draws the sound current up the spine,
through the chakras and out from the top of the head. Om also means “yes” and
is said to be the sound of assent. It allows us to harmonize with the forces of
the universe externally and with our own nature internally. It attunes us to
the cosmic reality and the sacred vibratory patterns that arise from it.
Relative to Ayurvedic medicine, Om helps harmonize the body, prana,
mind, and senses with the higher Self, Atman or Divine presence within. It
connects us with the cosmic healing prana. It brings a deep healing energy into
the subconscious mind to remove negative emotions, addictions and compulsions.
Relative to Vedic astrology, Om is the sound of the Sun and of the higher light
behind all the stars and planets. In Vaastu, Om can clear the energy in the
home or dwelling and bring in Divine light, grace, and knowledge. Relative to
other mantras, Om is often used to begin them. It clears the mind for other
mantras to work, opens us up to the higher consciousness, and brings a deeper
prana into the mantra. Without first chanting Om, it is said that other mantras
may not be effective. Whole Upanishads and entire books have been written about
it.
Aim
Aim is also the mantra of the guru and helps us access all higher
knowledge.
After Om, Aim (pronounced “aym”) is the next most common bija mantra. Aim
is the feminine counterpart of Om and often follows Om in various chants. Om
and Aim are the two main compound vowel mantras, A plus U making Om (and Aum)
and A plus I making Aim. As such, together they comprehend all sounds. As Om is
the unmanifest or expansive aspect of primal sound, Aim is the manifest or
directed form. As Om serves to clear the mental field, Aim helps us focus the
mind and heart in a particular manner. As Om is the word that is heard, Aim is
the word that is seen. As Om is the supreme Purusha or cosmic masculine force, Aim
is Adya Shakti, the supreme Shakti or cosmic feminine force. That is why we
find the mantra Aim in so many different mantras to the Goddess or Divine
Mother.
More specifically, Aim is the seed mantra of Sarasvati, the Goddess of
knowledge and speech, the consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator in the Hindu
trinity of great Gods. As such, Aim aids us in learning, art, expression and
communication and is good for promoting learning and education generally. Aim
is also the mantra of the guru and helps us access all higher knowledge.
It can be used to call or to invoke wisdom and understanding. It
indicates motivation, direction and will-power. It can orient us toward
whatever we are seeking. It increases concentration of mind and awakens our
higher intelligence (Buddhi). Relative to other mantras, Aim is often used to
direct our awareness or intention to the deity, to function as our call to draw
in the higher knowledge so the mantra can work. In terms of Ayurveda, Aim
strengthens the voice and the vocal chords. It helps open the lungs and clear
the senses. Astrologically, Aim connects to the planet Mercury and to some
extent the Moon, both planets that govern speech and expression. For Vaastu, Aim
will bring creativity and learning into the dwelling, particularly for studies,
libraries and classrooms.
Hrim
After Om and Aim, Hrim (pronounced ‘hreem’) is probably the most
commonly used bija mantra. It is composed of the sound-Ha, which indicates
prana, space and light, with the sound-Ra, which indicates fire, light and
dharma, and the sound-Ã, which indicates energy, focus and motivation.
Hrim is the prime mantra of the Goddess in all of her three main powers
of creation, preservation and destruction, and so is the main Shakti mantra,
with a more specific application than Aim. It is said to be the Shakti bija and
to be equivalent to Om for the Goddess. More specifically, it relates to
Parvati or Shakti, the consort of Shiva, who is the destroyer/transformer among
the great trinity of deities.
Hrim is a mantra of magical force, captivation and empowerment. It can
be used relative to any deity or object whose presence we wish to access at the
level of the heart. It brings about joy, ecstasy and bliss. Hrim both purifies
and exalts us in our inner quest, humbling us before the Divine power so that
it can enter into our hearts.
Hrim is a specific mantra for the heart (hridaya in Sanskrit) on all
levels, whether the spiritual heart, the heart chakra, the emotional heart or
the heart as a physical organ. It energizes the heart, provides warmth, and
allows for both deep feeling and deep thought.
In terms of Ayurveda, Hrim can be used to counter heart disease of all
types, aiding in longevity and rejuvenation. More specifically, it helps
promote the pranic and functional aspect of the heart and with it the power of
circulation of the blood, the lungs and the nervous system. It has generally
Pitta (fiery) energy but some Vata (air) energy as well, stimulating the higher
pranas and emotions. In terms of Vedic astrology, Hrim relates to the Sun, the
planet of the heart, and helps promotes solar energy, expression and charisma.
Hrim is usually a soft mantra but can also be harsh. As a soft mantra,
it increases the finer energies of the heart. As a harsh mantra, it can be used
to hypnotize or captivate, to dissolve or carry away.
Shrim
Shrim (pronounced ‘shreem’) is one of the most commonly used mantras
because it is probably the most benefic of all sounds, drawing to us all that
is good, helpful and promoting of positive growth and development. More
specifically, Shrim is the seed mantra of Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity
and abundance, and the consort of Lord Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu
trinity of great Gods, and brings Lakshmi’s many blessings. Shrim is also
called ‘Rama bija’ and is used in the worship of Lord Rama, the avatar of
dharma.
Shrim is the mantra of faith, devotion, refuge and surrender. It can be
used to take refuge in or express devotion to any deity, helping us to gain its
favor and grace. Shrim relates to the heart in its feeling aspect, whereas Hrim
relates to the pranic or functional aspect of the heart.
Shri means splendor in Sanskrit, like the beautiful light of the Moon.
Shrim is often used along withHrim . As Hrim is solar, Shrim is lunar. Shrim
relates to the Moon in Vedic astrology and promotes a kind of lunar energy,
Soma and beauty overall. Yet it is also used for other benefic planets like
Venus and Jupiter, promoting their positive energies.
Relative to Ayurveda, Shrim is mainly a Kapha (watery and earthy) mantra
for improving health, happiness, fertility, love and calmness of mind. Yet it
does have some secondary Pitta (fire) qualities and improves our glow, luster
and light. It is particularly important for women’s health and brings proper
function and circulation to the female reproductive system. Shrim has a
soothing effect on the mind and emotions, allowing us to surrender to Divine
grace and take refuge in the higher powers.
Krim
Krim (pronounced ‘kreem’) is the first and most important of the
consonant mantras, the mantras that begin with a hard consonant rather than a
vowel or sibilant. Krim begins with Ka, the first of the Sanskrit consonants
that indicates manifest prana and the initial phase of energy. To this it adds
the Ra-sound or seed of fire, the Ã-sound or focusing power as in the other
Shakti mantras. It creates light and intention like Hrim and Shrim but of a
more specific, stimulating, and manifesting nature.
Krim relates to Vidyut Shakti or the basic electrical energy behind all
things in the universe – the Kriya Shakti or power of action on all levels.
Krim rules over all manifestation including time, space and action (causation).
Through it, we can gain control of our karmas and also move beyond them.
Krim is the seed mantra of Kali, the Goddess of time and transformation,
the consort of Lord Shiva, the Destroyer/Transformer in the Hindu trinity of
great deities. Through it, we set Kali’s power in motion within us. It serves
to energize things to the highest level, which is to raise their level of
vibration to the point where we can return to the source.
Krim is a mantra of work, yoga and transformative energy, and is said to
be Yoga bija or the ‘seed syllable of Yoga practice’. Its inner application is
to awaken the Kundalini Shakti to merge our outer nature back into the higher
Self. Krãæ stimulates higher perception and higher prana, promoting the yogic
process of pratyahara (internalization of mind) and giving greater power to
concentration, meditation and Samadhi. The mantra can connect us with the inner
power of any deity we wish to connect to.
In terms of Ayurveda, Krim combines Vata (wind, electrical) energy
mantra with Pitta (fire) for an adrenaline type effect. It has a powerful
electrical force and stimulates all the pranas and Agnis (biological fires),
the circulatory and nervous systems, particularly the heart and the liver. In
Vedic astrology, Krim relates primarily to the planet Mars, which is the planet
of work and effort. Krim is generally a harsh or strong mantra, particularly as
used with Hum, and so should be recited with care.
Klim
Klim (pronounced ‘kleem’) is the softer, watery or more feminine aspect
of Krim. As Krim is electrical or projective, Klim has a magnetic quality that
draws things to us. It can also be used to hold or fix things in place.
Klim carries the Akarshana Shakti or the ‘power of attraction’. It
relates to Krishna, who grants bliss (Ananda) as a deity, and to Sundari, the
Goddess of love and beauty. Klim is the seed mantra of desire (Kama Bija) and
helps us to achieve our true wishes in life. Klim can be used relative to any
deity we would like to access to fulfill our wishes. Klim is the mantra of love
and devotion, increasing the love energy within our hearts. For this reason, it
is one of the most benefic mantras, and one of the safest and most widely used.
Relative to Ayurveda, Klim is mainly a Kapha (water)-promoting mantra
and is particularly good for the reproductive system and for the plasma and
skin. It promotes Kledaka Kapha (the digestive fluids of the stomach), increasing
our capacity for nourishment. Most importantly, it is specific for Tarpaka
Kapha, the Soma of the brain that promotes well-being, soothing the nerves and
calming the heart. It strengthens the immune system and brings contentment to
the entire being. Klim is not specifically an astrological mantra, but is
sometimes used for Venus or the Moon. For Vastu, it can bring the energy of
Divine love and beauty into the dwelling.
Klim can have a harsh side as well. It can be used to fix, to stop or to
nail down, or to hold things under the power of wishes, though such usage is
not as common as its benefic application.
Strim and Trim
Strim (pronounced ‘streem’) contains the Sa-sound of stability, the
Ta-sound which gives extension, and the Ã-vowel that provides energy, direction
and motivation. It is connected to root meanings such as to stand, to spread,
to take a step, to rise or traverse from one level to another. It brings about
an expansion and spreading of energy that can follow a horizontal expansion, a
vertical ascent, or a spiral movement.
Strim is said to be Shanti bija or the ‘seed syllable of peace’ and
carries the Shakti of Sat or Pure being. Strã in Sanskrit also means a woman.
The mantra Strim provides the power of the Divine feminine (Stri-Shakti) to
give birth, to nourish, to protect and to guide. It is similar to Shrim in
sound qualities but stronger and more stabilizing in its effects. It can be
used to increase Shakti or feminine energy in oneself or in one’s outer
activity.
Strim is another general mantra of the Goddess, particularly in her
higher knowledge form. Strim can be used relative to any deity whose energy we
wish to expand or project in a creative manner. It grants poetic and artistic
powers, as well as powers of argument, debate and law.
Strim is the seed mantra of the Hindu Goddess Tara (not the Buddhist
Tara, who is a different deity approached with different mantras). Hindu Tara
is connected to Durga, who is often called Durga-Tara, as a protective and
fiery form of the Goddess. She is the high priestess and represents the inner
knowledge and the insight of the guru, particularly the power of the Word. Tara
controls the weapons of the Gods, particularly the Trishula or trident of Lord
Shiva. Tara also relates to the mantra Om, and Strim is the means through which
Om takes us across all difficulties.
Tara in astrological symbolism is the wife or feminine form of
Brihaspati, the planet Jupiter. She is the great star Goddess associated with
the star Aldeberan (the Vedic star Rohini), the bright red star of the
constellation Taurus. As Brihaspati/Jupiter is the high priest or guru of the
Gods, Tara is the high priestess of the heavens. Strm as the mantra of the Star
Goddess attunes us to the benefic powers of the stars and Nakshatras and gives
us astrological knowledge.
In terms of Ayurveda, Strim is important as a healing and empowering
mantra for women, and can aid in childbirth and can promote women’s health
generally, strengthening the heart, reproductive system, circulatory system and
bones.
Trim (pronounced ‘treem’) is another version of the Tara mantra, but
more specifically a mantra of Tejas or fire. Without the Sa-sound, it has more
an energy of crossing over and ascending. Tri relates to the number three in
Sanskrit and to the bridging of dualities. Trim is also the seed mantra of the
Trishula, the trident of Lord Shiva, which is his most powerful weapon.
The mantra Trim is good for taking us across difficulties and overcoming
inimical forces. It has a strong Pitta (fire) energy and also allows us to
ascend in awareness. It is said to be the sound of Tejas, or the subtle essence
of Pitta, which relates to valor, courage, daring and fearlessness. Otherwise,
its indications are similar to that of Strim .
Hum
Hum (pronounced ‘hoom’) is one of the most important Sanskrit mantras
along with Om, Aim and Hrim. It is said to be the Pranava or primal sound of
Lord Shiva, the transformative aspect of the Divine Trinity.
Hum (short vowel as in put) is the main Agni or fire mantra and can help
enkindle fire in all of its forms from the digestive fire to the Pranic fire to
the fire of the consciousness. It refers to a gaseous type of fire and so can
be connected with lightning and to the power of prana and the breath. Hum is
also a weapon and protection mantra and can be used to destroy negativity with
its lightning fire. It can used to direct a fiery explosive energy with other
mantras. It is also called Krodha bija or the ‘seed sound of wrath’. It is the
mantra that Lord Shiva uses to project the fire from his third eye that
destroys all negativity and burns up all desires.
Hum with a long vowel sound has a similar meaning but a more feminine
and Shakti quality. It relates to fierce forms of the Goddess like Kali, Chandi
and Chhinnamasta. It has the power to cut off and indicates the sword. However,
Hum has a soft potential as well. It is said to be the Dhenu bija, the ‘seed
sound of the Mother cow’, calling its calf back to it. It calls out and
invokes, while at the same time challenging and warding off. Both the long and
short versions of this mantra Hum is used for raising the Kundalini,
particularly combining the mantra with the breath, and the fixing of the gaze
at the navel, the seat of the digestive fire.
Relative to Ayurveda, Hum increasse Prana, Tejas and Pitta, setting all
our fiery energies in motion from the digestive fire to the fire of the mind.
Both strengthen the immune system particularly against any active pathogenic
attacks, but as harsh mantras require some care in application.
Astrologically, Hum relates to fiery planets like the Sun, Mars or Ketu
and increase their fiery properties. They are particularly good for bringing in
the higher perceptive power of Ketu, which is a great aid in astrological
research, spiritual healing and Yoga. Relative to Vastu, they can be used to
create a protective energy shield around one’s dwelling.
The Language of Shakti Mantras
A single Shakti mantra can be used as a meditation mantra in order to
draw the mind into deep awareness. One repeats the mantra prior to meditation
to bring the mind into a meditative state. Then one keeps the mantra going in
the back of the mind as long as the meditation proceeds, to help sustain the
process. Several Shakti bija mantras can also be used together as meditation
mantras, often in groups of three to seven bijas. Shakti mantras can function
as names of deities to invoke them, like Om and Shiva, or Aim and Sarasvati.
But they are more commonly used in conjunction with Divine names, like Om Aim
Sarasvatyai Namah! Shakti mantras reflect various types of invocation. For
example, Om Aim Hrim Srim, means Om; I invoke (Aim); open my heart to (Hrim);
and take refuge in (Srim). Or Om Krim Hum Hrim means Om; I energize (Krim);
enkindle (Hum); and open my heart (Hrim). In conclusion, Shakti mantras allow
us to energize our thoughts and feelings at a deeper level with the force of
higher awareness.
source: VEDANET.COM