Top 10 Mantras For Meditation

Have you ever wondered why in ancient times people used to have a sense of peace? People were relaxed and stress-free but now they are not. Our ancestors used to meditate to keep control over oneself and find inner peace. Today man is behind all the material possessions but what he truly requires is to be content with what he already has. Money may bring you material happiness but the inner peace would be missing. No possession will bring you such content.

In the Vedic time’s people, specifically, the Yogis used to chant various hymns and mantras. Yogis discovered how to keep control over one’s desires, find the meaning of their presence in the world, connect with their soul in a true manner, and live a serene life.

Mantras for meditation are the greatest treasure that mankind possesses but we still haven’t figured out the true power of it. Some say mantras will make your life composed while others see mantras as a means of holding power and use it in a negative manner. There are more than 10 million mantras in the world; some are short as a word or even a single letter while others are really long.
Mantras hold the power to connect you with your soul and use your whole mind, body, and soul to live a sustainable life. When man utilizes his full potential imagine what he will be able to achieve!
Meditation mantras are composed in such a way that will help you find your concentration just like it helped the Yogis. Mantras for meditation are such potent words that have the power to transform the person and in the long run society as a whole.

Let’s see some of these great Mantras for Meditation: –

1. ॐ – Om/Aum

You may have seen people chanting this particular hymn many times. It is often associated with Lord Shiva, but this mantra is used for other reasons too.

OM is often learned by people who are new to meditating. Some people even say OM is the sound of the universe and the cosmos. It is universal and the constant chant of the mantra will help you reach the Nirguna state of the supreme authority that exists.

2. Pavamana Mantra

ॐअसतोमासद्गमय।
तमसोमाज्योतिर्गमय।
मृत्योर्माअमृतंगमय।
ॐशान्तिःशान्तिःशान्तिः॥
Om AsatoMaa Sad-Gamaya |
TamasoMaaJyotir-Gamaya |
Mrtyor-MaaAmrtamGamaya |
Om ShaantihShaantihShaantih ||

Meaning

Oh Lord please free me from the illusion and make me face the reality; please take me towards the light and away from the dark. Please take the fear of death away from me and guide me to the path of immortality [remove my ignorance], let there be peace and peace and only peace.
This meditation mantra highlights the reality of things and one can understand the true meaning behind the words only when he has deeper knowledge.

3. Shanti Mantra

ॐसहनाववतु |
सहनौभुनक्तु |
सहवीर्यंकरवावहै |
तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तुमाविद्विषावहै॥
ॐशान्तिःशान्तिःशान्तिः॥
Oṃsahanāvavatu
sahanaubhunaktu
sahavīryaṃkaravāvahai
tejasvināvadhītamastu
māvidviṣāvahai |
Om śāntiḥśāntiḥśāntiḥ ||

Meaning

May God protects all of us, may God provide us nourishment to survive. May God provide us with enough strength to work together using all of our energy, may we never have any disputes or feeling of hatred against each other.
May there be peace in me, may there be peace in everything around me, and may there be peace in the forces that act on making me the things I do.

4. Guru Stotram

गुरुर्ब्रह्मागुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवोमहेश्वरः।
साक्षातपरंब्रह्मतस्मैश्रीगुरवेनमः॥
GururBrahmaaGururVisnuGururdevoMaheshvarah |
Guru SakshatParahma Brahma TasmaiShriGuraveNamah: ||

Meaning

Guru means the one who eradicates the dark and brings light. Guru is the one who guides a person to the path of righteousness. The mantra for meditation says Brahma, the creator is the Guru who creates life. Vishnu, the one who maintains the life is the Guru. And Shiva, the destroyer who destroys life and maintains life on Earth is also a Guru. I salute to these Gurus and ask them to bless me. Guru is the ultimate truth.

5. Sri Vishnu Mantra for Meditation

शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं
विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्ण शुभाङ्गम् ।
लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यम्
वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥
Shaanta-AakaaramBhujaga-Shayanam Padma-NaabhamSura-Iisham
Vishva-AadhaaramGagana-SadrshamMegha-VarnnaShubha-Anggam|
Lakssmii-Kaantam Kamala-NayanamYogibhir-Dhyaana-Gamyam
VandeVissnnumBhava-Bhaya-Haram Sarva-Loka-Eka-Naatham ||

Meaning,
I salute to Lord Vishnu who has a peaceful body and a shape and a pure look; the one who sleeps on the holy snake Sheshnaga, the one who has a lotus flower blooming from his navel, who is the true ruler of all the Gods, on whom the world depends on, who seems like the infinite sky, who has the color of the pure white cloud, who has the most propitious body. I pray to Lord Vishnu who is also the Lord of Goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth. The one who has eyes just like the Lotus, calm and composed. The one who is seen by the Yogis who perform supreme meditation. The one who is responsible for the removal of the fear of the cycle of life and death. One who is the only Lord of the entire universe.

6. Panchakshari Shiva Mantra

ॐनमःशिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya

Meaning

The verse literally translates to; I bow to you, Lord Shiva.
Here the meaning of the mantra is to be taken in such a way that one surrenders one’s ego in order to find the self. Finding your true self is the sole goal of the verse. This hymn is used mostly at the beginning of the meditation process.

7. Shiv Dhyan Mantra

करचरणकृतंवाक्कायजंकर्मजंवाश्रवणनयनजंवामानसंवापराधं।
विहितंविहितंवासर्वमेतत्क्षमस्वजयजयकरुणाब्धेश्रीमहादेवशम्भो॥
KarcharankritamVaaKaayjamKarmjamVaaShravannayanjamVaaMaansamVaaParadham |
VihitamVihitamVaaSarvMetatKshamasva Jay JayKarunaabdhe Shree MahadevShambho ||

Meaning

This meditation mantra is very effective if you wish to meditate under the shelter of Shiva the great God. This is one of the mantras for meditation that helps to remove all the evils from your life and surrender yourself in the hands of Shiva.
It means, Oh the supreme God, the one who relieves me from all the stress in my life, the one who cleans my mind and soul from the negatives that I face in my life, the one who removed me from the traps of my evils like the failures, obstacles.

8. Gayatri Mantra

ॐभूर्भुवःस्वः
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम
भर्गोदेवस्यधीमहि।
धियोयोनःप्रचोदयात॥
Aum
BhurBhuvahSvah
Tat SaviturVarenyam
BhargoDevasyaDheemahi
DhiyoYo nah Prachodayat

Meaning

O the authority of the absolute power, We bask in your light, the holy light you have bestowed upon us. May your light keeps shining on us and remove us from the darkness in our lives. May your divine light bring us knowledge and joy.

9. SaraswatiStotram

या कुन्देन्दुतुषारहारधवला या शुभ्रवस्त्रावृता
या वीणावरदण्डमण्डितकरा या श्वेतपद्मासना ।
या ब्रह्माच्युतशंकरप्रभृतिभिर्देवैः सदा पूजिता
सा मां पातु सरस्वति भगवती निःशेषजाड्यापहा ॥
YaaKunde[a-I]ndu-Tussaara-Haara-DhavalaaYaaShubhra-Vastra-[A]avrtaa
YaaViinnaa-Vara-Danndda-Mannddita-KaraaYaaShveta-Padma-[A]asanaa |
Yaa Brahma-Acyuta-Shankara-Prabhrtibhir-DevaihSadaaPuujitaa
SaaMaamPaatuSarasvatiBhagavatiiNihshessa-Jaaddya-Apahaa |

Meaning

O Devi Saraswati, who is white just like the flower who blooms in the Kunda [lake], the one who is just as fair as the full moon on the night of Purnima, the one who seems to be adorned with precious pearls and snow, the one who wears white clothes just as how pure she is, the who holds a Veena, a musical instrument which produces gentle music, the one who has a throne of a beautiful white lotus, the one who is loved by all Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. The one who guides everyone and provides them with intellect. The one who removes all the evils of ignorance, may she always protect and nurture me.

10. DurgaDhyan Mantra

ॐजटाजूटसमायुक्तमर्धेंन्दुकृतलक्षणाम |
लोचनत्रयसंयुक्तांपद्मेन्दुसद्यशाननाम ||
Om jataa jut samaayuktamardhendukritlakshnam
Lochanyatrasanyuktampadmendusadyashannaam ||

This particular Mantra for meditation helps one concentrate and strengthen the capacity of an individual. The mantra is usually chanted prior to performing any rituals related to the Goddess Durga. This mantra guarantees to increase the focus of a person.