IMPORTANCE OF MANTRAS

Chanting, or Mantra is more than just the Spiritual act of singing or praying. It is also mental and physical discipline. Besides being devotional, chanting excercises both the Nervous System and the Body. Articulation of the words, Control of the breath, and perfection of the posture, are all essential parts of the practice. The beneficial effects of various specific kinds of self-vibration, cannot be underestimated. Nor can the oxygenation that occurs, be overlooked or under-valued. Chant with your heart open, and mind alert! Chant with gleeful Spirit. Feel the vibration throughout your body. Notice how it transforms your state of being.

The word mantra comes from the Sanskrit word manatrana that means advice or suggestion. Whether it is one word or a string of words, a mantra is a sound pattern with meaning and also frequencies that have energy of their own.  

Mantra is a divine combination of divine syllables or sounds which when chanted with devotion, faith and emotion gravitate the concerned God or Goddess or deity and secure their divine blessings. For divine help one must link with divine forces but majority of humans are unaware of these forces and have no link whatsoever. But when an individual starts chanting Mantra related to a particular deity regularly the gap between him and the concerned divine force steadily decreases. By regular use of Mantra a subtle link is formed and through this one could then obtain any desired boon within the power of the deity. One could obtain wealth, prosperity, fame, fearlessness, success and spiritual upliftment, but for each a different Mantra is chanted and a different deity propitiated. 

A Mantra is a special set of words through only that particular deity could be summoned. If I write or speak in Chinese you won't be able to understand and my words will not produce any effect. But if I speak the language you know its effect shall be with doubt. Praying to these deities in one's language won't help much but if one uses the words that they can understand the result shall be instant. 

These words are the Mantras evolved by Rishis and Yogis who actually prepared them and used them to prove their worth. Over the ages these have helped thousands of Sadhaks achieve even that which appeared impossible to them. Within doubt that whose chanting fulfils one's wish is a Mantra. 

Mantras, also known as True Words, originated from Enlightened beings who have manifested the collection of their experiences as language and sound components.

A Mantra is a mystical energy encased in a sound structure. Every mantra contains within its vibration a certain power. Upon concentration and repetition of a given mantra, its energy is liberated and takes form. 

There are different types of mantras. Some called Bija (Seed) mantra. They have no exact meaning but act directly on the nerves of astral body. The other type of mantras, having a combination of words, and having some meaning also set up powerful vibrations in the body.  

Most common, however is the deity mantras, in which a specific form with attributes is visualized along with the repetition of the sound.

 Initiation - If possible, before attempting Japa or chanting one should seek out a guru and receive mantra initiation from him. Only those who are themselves pure can give initiation to others. Therefore it is important to find a qualified guru to successfully implant the mantras in the disciples body. If no guru can be found, one may select any mantra that seems appropriate to fulfil his desires, assuming Lord Shiva as his guru and start repeating it with mentally with faith and devotion everyday. 

The efficiency of the japa is accentuated according to the degree of concentration. The mind should be fixed on the source or the related Yantra, Talisman or the Thread. Then only you will realize the maximum benefit of a mantra.
When a person says a mantra over and over a vibrational field is created and these tones and overtones affect and influence or sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. Our nervous system is spread like a fine network around our internal organs and these sounds send messages to the cerebral cortex, affecting our emotional self. By practicing and chanting these sounds correctly, one can help not just oneself but other people.
Chanting mantras in the early morning hours sets a rhythmic pattern for the entire day. Chanting is a very special means of getting in touch with our higher self. There are several types of mantras, and to mention a few are those that explain Truth, advise, promote a certain emotional state and healing mantras. There are also mantras used for religious worship, to aid in spiritual evolution, for purification to make offerings and so on.
The speed of chanting creates a difference. Fast chanting exhausts the breath, the mind and heart and relaxation comes after the chanting is over. Slow chanting relaxes the breath, mind and heart while the chanting is going on but is recommended only when it is done individually.
All mantras in India, however, recite the 108 as is normally required. The number 108 has been considered sacred for thousands of years in India. The origin of this number probably lies in astronomy. The average distance from the sun and moon to the earth is 108 times each of their respective diameters. This is true to an accuracy of 0.5% for the Sun and 2% for the Moon. The thought that this was known so long ago is amazing. Like all tantric mantras each line is preceded by om and concluded with om. These characteristics give the mantras great potency.