Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

[SalixIncendium]

I have heard of the mantra "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" used in meditative practice. I have also heard a guru chant "Om Namo Bhagavate Sri [guru, messenger or deity]" prior to a group meditation.

While I have read the Wikipedia article, I am interested to hear first hand from those who practice Hinduism what this mantra means to them. What does ""Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" mean to you?

And rather than creating a separate thread, I'll ask here. Why is "shanti" repeated three times prior to a practice? I drew the conclusion on my own that it is to invoke peace in the waking state, the dream state, and the deep sleep state, but I've heard other interpretations, such as invoking peace in body, speech and mind.

 

[Aupmanyav]

'Vasudevaya' is Krishna and therefore, Vishnu. Those who have gurus or believe in the idea may say 'guruve namah' (though I accept two as my gurus, Adi Sankara and Buddha, I don't use that). Yes, I used the 'Vasudevaya' mantra for my meditation - neither too long, nor too short, nice. For 'Shanti', people will have various explanations, one more is peace for me, peace for you and peace for all.

 

[Terese]

Pranam Salix! Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya is a mantra of Lord Vishnu/Krishna, and it means "I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Lord Vasudeva".

Shanti means peace. To me, being at peace with the world like a leaf in the wind.

Shantih Shantih Shantih

 

[Aupmanyav]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanti_Mantras
http://www.hinduism.co.za/shanti.htm

"The Shanti Mantras or "Peace Mantras" or Pancha Shanti are Hindu prayers for Peace (Shanti) found in Upanishads. Generally they are recited at the beginning and end of religious rituals and discourses.

Shanti Mantras are invoked in the beginning of some topics of Upanishads. They are supposed to calm the mind of the reciter and environment around him/her. Reciting them is also believed to be removing any obstacles for the task being started.

Shanti Mantras always end with three utterances of word "Shanti" which means "Peace". The Reason for uttering three times is for calming and removing obstacles in three realms which are:

- Physical or Adhi-Bhautika realm can be source of troubles/obstacles coming from external world, such as from wild animals, people, natural calamities, diseases, etc.
- Divine or Adhi-Daivika realm can be source of troubles/obstacles coming from extra-sensory world of spirits, ghosts, deities, demigods/angels, etc. (Note: Do ghosts exist? What are demi-Gods/Angels? Gods are Gods).
- Internal or Adhyaatmika realm is source of troubles/obstacles arising out of one's own mind, such as laziness, absent-mindedness, etc."
Wikipedia (Modified)

 

[Vinayaka]

I have heard of the mantra "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" used in meditative practice. I have also heard a guru chant "Om Namo Bhagavate Sri [guru, messenger or deity]" prior to a group meditation.

While I have read the Wikipedia article, I am interested to hear first hand from those who practice Hinduism what this mantra means to them. What does ""Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" mean to you?

And rather than creating a separate thread, I'll ask here. Why is "shanti" repeated three times prior to a practice? I drew the conclusion on my own that it is to invoke peace in the waking state, the dream state, and the deep sleep state, but I've heard other interpretations, such as invoking peace in body, speech and mind.

The mantra means nothing to me. Shantih three times, to me, is wishing peace to all the 3 worlds of existence: Physical plane, astral plane, and causal plane. Edited ... in better detail, what Aup said.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Hindu rituals have a lot of preliminaries to prepare the person to the correct mind-set. Shanti Mantras are a part of it. Cleansing the body and mind, showing respect to the land where the ritual is being performed and to Gods and ancestors without whom the person performing the ritual would not have existed. The date, time, place of performance of the rituals, position of stars, the genealogy of the person for whom the ritual is being conducted and that of the priest who is conducting it is mentioned very precisely.

 

[Vinayaka]

Hindu rituals have a lot of preliminaries to prepare the person to the correct mind-set. Shanti Mantras are a part of it. Cleansing the body and mind, showing respect to the land where the ritual is being performed and to Gods and ancestors without whom the person performing the ritual would not have existed. The date, time, place of performance of the rituals, position of stars, the genealogy of the person for whom the ritual is being conducted and that of the priest who is conducting it is mentioned very precisely.

Some days it seems the sankalpa goes on forever. Weddings and geneology are particularly long.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, they are supposed to last a whole life-time and most would.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Hindu rituals have a lot of preliminaries to prepare the person to the correct mind-set. Shanti Mantras are a part of it. Cleansing the body and mind, showing respect to the land where the ritual is being performed and to Gods and ancestors without whom the person performing the ritual would not have existed. The date, time, place of performance of the rituals, position of stars, the genealogy of the person for whom the ritual is being conducted and that of the priest who is conducting it is mentioned very precisely.

Since I'm only allowed to ask polite questions here, I'll phrase this in question form...

Is anyone else as taken as I am by how other religions, I'm thinking specifically of newer earth-based paths, have incorporated such preliminaries in preparation for ritual from Hinduism? I was surprised by the parallels in the pujas that I attended to Wiccan rituals I've performed, especially in preliminary preparation. Much of it seems to be derived from Hindu ritual. One can even see such nuances in Catholicism (incense, holy water, consecration of the Eucharist, etc.).

 

[atanu]

I have heard of the mantra "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" used in meditative practice. I have also heard a guru chant "Om Namo Bhagavate Sri [guru, messenger or deity]" prior to a group meditation.

While I have read the Wikipedia article, I am interested to hear first hand from those who practice Hinduism what this mantra means to them. What does ""Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" mean to you?

And rather than creating a separate thread, I'll ask here. Why is "shanti" repeated three times prior to a practice? I drew the conclusion on my own that it is to invoke peace in the waking state, the dream state, and the deep sleep state, but I've heard other interpretations, such as invoking peace in body, speech and mind.

Bhagavate means divine Lord. The mantra signifies surrender to the highest divine principle, in this case invoked as Vasudevaya. In Upanishads, a typical life is divided in three phases. The beginning helpless state is of Vasudeva. The unruly ego middle state is of Rudra. And the state when the certainty of death dawns it is said to be Narayana. Narayana is said to be that which encompasses all that is known directly or through report. Vasudeva, Rudra, Narayana all represent the non dual reality.

So, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya is childlike surrender to the non dual.

Although, purists may not agree, a true surrender can happen to any name.

 

[Jainarayan]

I am interested to hear first hand from those who practice Hinduism what this mantra means to them. What does ""Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" mean to you?

It's my de facto mantra for japa. Literally it is "reverence to/I revere God [who is] Vāsudeva" (aka Krishna/Vishnu). Deeper meaning: it denotes that I belong to Krishna.

Grammatically (had to see this coming ), it's in the dative case: bhagavan -> bhagavate [to God] vāsudeva -> vāsudevāya [to vāsudeva, must agree in inflection]. It's by my name ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय above. That is literally om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Btw, it's very important to spell it Vāsudeva rather than Vasudeva. Vasudeva is Krishna's father, the long a ā denotes "son of Vasudeva". Sanskrit is sooo much fun!

If I ever get another tattoo it would be that... maybe at the base of my neck.

Well anyway, moving on...

 

[Aupmanyav]

Much of it seems to be derived from Hindu ritual.

I would not say that but people think in similar ways. Only Hindus have made it very eleborate. I, sort of, like that. It does have its intended effect - even the erotic sculpture on the outside of temples. It is a catharsis.

 

[Jainarayan]

I would not say that but people think in similar ways. Only Hindus have made it very eleborate. I, sort of, like that. It does have its intended effect - even the erotic sculpture on the outside of temples. It is a catharsis.

Mark Twain is quoted as saying that Hinduism is a beautiful but inconvenient religion. I take that to mean the elaborate rituals, compared to the basic Christianity of the US he was familiar with, probably Southern Baptist.

 

[Aupmanyav]

The rituals can be lengthened or shortened in the way the clients (Yajamana) want it - need of the times.

 

[von bek]

Mark Twain is quoted as saying that Hinduism is a beautiful but inconvenient religion. I take that to mean the elaborate rituals, compared to the basic Christianity of the US he was familiar with, probably Southern Baptist.

I wouldn't be surprised if by inconvenient, Twain was referring to vegetarianism. (Obviously, vegetarianism is not a requirement to be Hindu, but a lot of people in the U.S. think that is the case.)

 

[Jainarayan]

I wouldn't be surprised if by inconvenient, Twain was referring to vegetarianism. (Obviously, vegetarianism is not a requirement to be Hindu, but a lot of people in the U.S. think that is the case.)

Very possibly, yes.

 

[von bek]

Very possibly, yes.

By the way, thank you for mentioning that comment by Mark Twain. I googled him and Hinduism and have now found some interesting articles to read on the subject. Much obliged!

 

[Jainarayan]

By the way, thank you for mentioning that comment by Mark Twain. I googled him and Hinduism and have now found some interesting articles to read on the subject. Much obliged!

You're welcome. I'm glad I helped.