being given the mantra by one’s teacher,
believed to transmit not only the sounds
of the mantra, but the power associated
with it. This living transmission is
considered an essential feature in “pos-
sessing” the mantra; for this reason
mantras learned in other contexts are
believed to be ineffective. The idea
of mantra as sacred sound is traced
back to the Vedas, the oldest Hindu
religious texts. One of the most common
mantras, the Gayatri mantra, is actually
a verse from the Rg Veda (3.62.10).
The use of mantras is emphasized in the
secret ritually-based religious practice
known as tantra. For further informa-
tion see Arthur Avalon (Sir
John Woodroffe), Shakti and Shakta,
1978; Swami Agehananda Bharati, The
Tantric Tradition, 1977; and Douglas
Renfrew Brooks, The Secret of the Three
Cities, 1990.
Mantraraja
(“king of mantras”) Name given to a
particular eight-syllable mantraasso-
ciated with the god Vishnu, in which
he is addressed as Narayana. The
mantra itself is “OmNamo Narayana”
(“Om, homage to Narayana”). This
mantra is particularly important in
the Shrivaishnavareligious commu-
nity, which developed in southern
India in the twelfth century. The
mantra is especially associated with
the community’s founder, Ramanuja.
Faithful recitation of this mantra is
said to bestow residence in Vishnu’s
heavenly abode, Vaikuntha.
Mantrashastra
The name for the body of learning that
focuses on mantrasor sacred formulae:
their classification, meaning, and use.
Some of this learning exists in textual
form, but given the secret nature of the
subject matter, and the traditional insis-
tence on oral, personal transmission
from a religious teacher, much exists
only in oral form.
Manu
In Hindu mythology, the Manus are
fourteen semidivine kings, perceived as
the progenitors of the human race and
rulers over the universe. According to
traditional belief, time has neither
beginning nor end but alternates
between cycles of creationand activity,
followed by cessation and quietude.
Each of these cycles lasts for 4.32 billion
years; the active phase is known as the
Day of Brahma; the quiet phase is
known as the Night of Brahma. In one
instance of cosmic time, each Day of
Brahma is divided into fourteen equal
periods, each ruled by one of the four-
teen Manus.Manu Smrti
(“Laws of Manu”) One of the smrtisor
“remembered” texts, a class of literature
deemed important, but less authorita-
tive than the shrutisor “heard” texts.
This smrti is ascribed to the sage Manu
and is an example of one of the Dharma
Shastras—manuals prescribing rules for
correct human behavior and ideal social
life. The Dharma Shastras are usually
ascribed to mythic sages, reinforcing the
authority of these texts. Manu’s text is by
far the most influential of the Dharma
Shastras and is believed to have been
composed just before the beginning of
the common era.
Manu’s text shows the break between
the Dharma Sutras and the Dharma
Shastras, for it is plainly intended as a
blueprint for an entire society, rather
than a set of rules for a particular brah-
min group. The introductory chapter
details the creationof the world and the
consequent social order; the chapter
ends by summarizing the rest of the vol-
ume’s contents. The next five chapters
focus on the four major social groups
(varnas) and the four stages of life
(ashramas), using material from the
Dharma Sutras.
Manu’s themes in chapters seven
through nine sharply diverge from earli-
er sources. Chapter seven defines the
duties of a king. Chapters eight and nineManu Smrti