What is Mantra?

Śāstra Says:

Mananāt trāyate iti mantraḥ — “That which protects (trāyate) through contemplation (mananāt) is mantra.”

‘Mananāt’ means reflecting, contemplating, or meditating upon; ‘trāyate’ means to protect or liberate. Thus, a mantra is that which protects and sets us free through the process of meditative repetition.

Protected or set free from what?

From the kliṣṭa vṛttis — afflicted modifications of the mind that arise from attachments and in turn generate more attachments. These are the mental patterns that give rise to anxiety, agitation, and inner heaviness.

Mantra in the Path of Yoga

The use of mantra in Aṣṭāṅga Yoga is prescribed through:

• Svādhyāya (study/repetition),
• Īśvara-praṇidhāna (devotion to the Divine),
• Tapas (inner purification),as emphasized by Sage Vyāsa. It is also employed in practices such as āsana, prāṇāyāma, and pratyāhāra—especially within the Himalayan Yoga tradition as taught by Swami Rāma and Swami Veda Bhāratī—and continues through the antarāṅga sādhanā (internal limbs): dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi.

The heart of yogic practice is citta-prasādhana (clarifying and tranquilizing the mind), bhāva-śuddhi (purification of emotions), and citta-saṃskāra (re-conditioning of thought patterns). We suffer not so much from bodily pain, but from the turmoil of our own thoughts and emotions.

Desire sets our mind into motion, and emotions arise from innate urges: food, sleep, sex, and fear/self-preservation. When desires are obstructed, they generate anger; when fulfilled, they lead to greed. Both anger and greed cause delusion and cloud discernment. Success in greedy pursuits often leads to pride, which eventually manifests as envy toward others. This is the chain of inner affliction.

How to Overcome These Inner Enemies?

Yoga proposes pratipakṣa-bhāvanam — cultivating the opposite of negative tendencies.

Another effective practice is mantra-japa — repeated recitation of a mantra.

Normally, the mind produces 60–80 thoughts per minute, mostly automatic, repetitive, and non-linear — often about the past or future. Mantra-japa brings linearity and awareness: one knows what thought is present now and what the next will be. Mantras, being both sound and meaning, impress the mind, gradually neutralizing and replacing toxic thought patterns.

सौम्या मंत्र/Saumya Mantra

This mantra is found in the Durga Saptashatī, also called the Chandi, a part of the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, also associated with the Devī Bhāgavatam. It appears in:

• The Tantric Rātri Sūktas
• Chapter 1, verses 81 (second line) and 82 (first line)

Etymology of “Saumya”

Saumya is derived from Soma, an ancient Vedic name for the Moon and a Vedic deity.

• सोमः (somaḥ) [sū-man | Uṇādi-sūtra 1.139]su (auspicious, excellent) + man (to think, to mind)Literally: “that which has excellent essence or auspicious mind.”

 Thus, Saumya means:

• Moon-like
• Possessing lunar qualities
• Ordained by Soma
• Gentle, cool, charming, graceful

In spoken Sanskrit, to say someone or something is “saumya” implies inner beauty, spiritual radiance, kindness, grace, and soothing gentleness—like moonlight on a hot tropical night.

Moon and Mind: The Inner

Connection

In mystic traditions, the mind is often compared to a mirror. In the Vedas, the moon (soma) is directly identified with the mind:

“Chandramā manaso jātah…”

“The moon was born of the mind…” — Purusha Sūkta

This equation recurs in Vedic literature, showing a deep understanding of the reflective nature of both moon and minYāska, the pre-Patañjali grammarian of the 6th century BCE, in his discussion on the word Gandharva (a name for the moon), remarks that the moon reflects the light of the sun—specifically a ray called suṣumna (masculine form). Thus, just as the moon has no light of its own, the mind reflects consciousness, but is not the source.

This leads to the idea that the buddhi (intellect), as the reflective mirror of consciousness, is the key inner instrument (antaḥkaraṇa) through which we perceive the world.

Sanskrit Mantra and Meaning in

Hindi

सौम्या सौम्यतरा शेष सौम्येभ्यस्त्वतिसुन्दरी।
परापराणां परमा त्वमेव परमेश्वरी॥८२॥

(हे देवि!) तुम सौम्य (अर्थात्, चंद्रमा की तरह शीतल एवं सुंदर) और सौम्यतर हो – इतना ही नहीं, (संसार में) जितने भी सौम्य एवं सुन्दर पदार्थ हैं, उन सबकी अपेक्षा तुम अत्यधिक सुन्दर हो, तुम ही पर (परमात्मा, ईश्वर) और अपर (चराचर जगत) से परे रहने वाली परमेश्वरी हो ॥

• सौम्या = चंद्रमा की तरह शांत, शीतल एवं सुंदर
• सौम्यतरा = उससे भी अधिक शांत, शीतल एवं सुंदर
• अशेष = संपूर्ण, शेषरहित
• सौम्येभ्यस् = सभी सौम्य पदार्थों से
• तु = तुम
• अति = अधिक
• सुन्दरी = सुन्दर
• पर अपराणाम् = परमात्मा और जगत
• परमा = सर्वोच्च
• त्वम् एव = तुम ही
• परमेश्वरी = आदिशक्ति, सर्वोच्च देवी

Transliteration and Meaning in

English

Saumyā saumyatarāśeṣā saumyebhyas tvati-sundarī, parāparāṇāṁ paramā tvam eva parameśvarī.

• saumya = possessing moon-like gentleness and calm
• saumyatara = even gentler and more luminous than the moon
• aśeṣā = complete, all-encompassing
• saumyebhyas = than all other gentle and lunar forces
• tu = you
• ati-sundarī = supremely beautiful
• parāparāṇām = of the transcendent and immanent realms
• paramā = supreme
• tvam eva = you alone
• parameśvarī = the Supreme Goddess, the Ruler of all that is

O Divine Mother!
You are the gentlest among all that is gentle,
more beautiful than all beauty,
and beyond both the manifest and unmanifest worlds.
You alone are the Supreme Goddess.

Psychological and Yogic

Implication of Saumya

In the Bhagavad Gītā, chapters 14, 17, and 18 outline the qualities of a sattvic mind—one that is pure, calm, and emotionally balanced.

Chapter 17.16 describes manasa tapas (mental austerity):

“manaprasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ maunam ātma-vinigrahaḥ…”

— Serenity, gentleness (saumyatvam), silence, self-control, and purity of emotions are the attributes of mental discipline.

To become saumya means to become emotionally radiant, peaceful, and soothing—like moonlight. A sattvic mind is free from emotional agitation (ādhi), such as anger, hatred, or vengefulness. It doesn’t suppress these, but transforms them through recognition and inner discipline.

Purification of emotions involves harmonizing the three guṇas:

• Sattva (clarity, harmony) should dominate,
• Rajas (activity) should support sattva’s purposes,
• Tamas (inertia) should provide grounding and stability—not stagnation.

Failing to balance the guṇas gives rise to the six inner enemies:

Kāma (desire), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (delusion), Māda (pride), Mātsarya (envy).

Self-Purification and Saumya

Mantra

To attain saumya nature:

• Begin with ātma-nirikṣaṇa — self-examination.
• Identify emotional weaknesses. Recognize that each is a distortion of a strength (e.g., intolerance is a weakened form of tolerance).
• Take a sankalpa (firm resolve) to overcome one weakness at a time.
• Practice smṛti-upasthāna — mindfulness of breath, posture, speech, and emotions.
• Maintain a mental journal: “Today I slipped… Today I held steady…”

Ask yourself constantly:

“Is this thought or action sattvic? Does it move me closer to becoming saumya?”

Apply pratipakṣa bhāvanam—cultivating the opposite of negative emotion.

Instead of responding with anger, respond with compassion.

Say gently:

“This person’s suffering is acting through them; let me soothe with a smile.”

By doing so, we create a field of emotional virtue—what may be called the ethics of emotion.

There is no true enlightenment without becoming saumya—peaceful, radiant, gentle.

May the blessings of the Guru and the Divine Mother illuminate our path.

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः।