japa
जप japaThe repetition of a mantra, silently or murmured, counted on a rosary; the core of mantra practice.
Where this term appears
- The Gayatri Mantra Worship
At its centre sits japa , counted on a mala of 108 beads, and in the vowed disciplines of purashcharana , counted into the millions.
- What is a Mantra? Worship
In the texts that grade japa, this is ranked the highest form of the practice, though as we will see the tradition's own commentator Medhatithi reads that ranking as figurative praise rather than a literal meas…
- Eighty-five titles and no text: the Saura tantras and how a tradition disappears Lineages
Saura was the tradition of the Sun: a priesthood, a canon of scriptures, and royal devotees, recognised as a peer by its rivals. A Śaiva text preserved in a…
- What are Mudras? Lineages
… mala , a rosary of a hundred and eight beads, through the fingers in japa , the murmured repetition of a holy name, the strand is cradled on the middle finger and each bead is rolled past by the thumb, while t…
- What is Diksha? Lineages
Diksha is spiritual initiation: the formal rite by which a qualified teacher transmits a mantra, a lineage, and its saving power into a disciple. The tradition…
- What is Tantra? Lineages
Tantra is a broad esoteric current within Hinduism (with parallels in Buddhism and Jainism) that seeks both liberation and power by working with divine energy,…
- Ishta-Devata: Choosing a Personal Deity Deities
An *ishta-devata* is the cherished or chosen deity a devotee takes as the personal focus of worship, from *ishta* (chosen) and *devata* (deity). Choosing one is not…
- Pranayama: Working with the Breath Yoga
Pranayama is the yogic regulation and extension of the breath, the fourth limb of the ashtanga or eightfold yoga of Patanjali. It works with prana, the vital force,…