A Sruti states the following – Devee Vaacamajanayanta Devaastaam,Visvaroopaah Paasavo Vadanti |Saa No Mandressamoorgam Duhaanaa, Dhenurvaagasmaanupasustuvaitu ||

Meaning: The paraa vaani (vaak) is the Goddess of the universe. It is the mother of all divine powers. All Gods (divine powers) are immanent in the subtle body of the mantras. The knowledge of vaak encompasses all the sciences. The vaak is the true Kaamadhenu. Whatever we speak, think, know or feel is possible because of the presence of vaak in the inner self.......; our life exists because of this eternal boon of thee.

Spiritual refinement and evolution of vaani to the level of paraa vaak is as essential for the live expression of divinity in our inner self as the requirement of healthy food and physical exercises for our survival or that of books and practical training for education. It is the higher level of paraa vaak that enables the righteous development of the individual self along the path of greatness and divinity....

Sruti also mentions that – Paakkaa Nah Saraswath Vaajabhira,aajineevatee, Dhonaamaavitryavatu |

Meaning: The vaaka purified by tapa offers piety and trenchancy of thoughts together with creative talents and discerning intellect.

Mantra Saadhana is indeed a tapa in which although the baikharee vaani (our usual voice) is used initially for the japa and madhyamaa vaani for meditation. Disciplined endeavor of this Saadhana with the great support of sraddhaa helps gradual arousal and sublime transmutation of paraa and pasyanti vaani. The four faces in the idols of Lord Brahma symbolize the four levels of vaani– namely, the baikhari, madhyamaa, pasyanti and paraa. The allegoric stories in the puraanas mention of the maintenance of the universe by God Brahma’s continuous movements upward and downward along the lotus-cord emanated from the ‘navel’ of God Vishnu. This rhetoric description signifies the eternal cosmic impact of the repeated cycling of mantra japa in the four vaanis......

The concentrated powers – of the baikharee vaani and the madhyamaa vaani – strengthened by the mantra japa gradually energize the subtle centers of consciousness and the latter begin to function like the ‘conducting wires’ for the supply of the electrified currents of praana...’. This activation eventually links the power of paraa and pasyanti vaaniswith the former two.

When we practise the japa of the great Gayatri Mantra it is usually our baikharee vaani alone that enunciates the mantra. The japa therefore may not be as effective for most of us as it is described to be.... Maharshi Viswamitra had realized this mantra by the param tapa of his vaak and was then endowed with all the supernatural powers – including that of creating another universe, which are described to be attainable by the siddhi of this great mantra.

Dedicated endeavor for the refinement of vaani is an essential part of initiating a mantra-Saadhana. A sincerely performed tapa of vaani gradually leads to the activation of its successive sublimated forms (from baikharee.... to..... pasyanti....). The science of mantras revolves around the dual aim of the inter-linked vaak Saadhana and mantra Saadhana.

Paraa Vaak enables realization of the eternal existence of Sabda Brahm. and attraction of the desired streams of its unlimited powers. The attainment of success in the mantra (and vaak)-saadhanaa naturally enshowers the boons of riddhis -siddhis on the deserving saadhakas.

The realization of Sabda Brahm in the deep inner self is the true state of meeting thou and receiving thy blessings and boons, or equivalently, it is the state of ultimate beatified bliss and nirvaana.

Aakaasa – the sublest of the five basic elements of nature is supposed to be created by Sabda and is therefore omnipresent and also regarded as the source for creation of the other four basic elements. These elements (namely, vaayu, agni, jala and prathvi) are easily perceivable by vaak. Thus, all the sensory faculties (tanmaatraas) of vision (roopa), taste (rasa), smell (gandha) and touch (sparsa) etc, as well as the extrasensory functions can be performed by vaak.

In terms of spiritual interpretations, agni is manifested in the Bhoo Loka – the physical, material world; vaayu in the Bhuvah Loka – the entire domain of vital energy and creativity; and varunaa –the source of jala in the Swah Loka – the gamut of sentiments. When the dissipation of the (sound) energy of the baikharee vaani in unnecessary conversations and excitations is restrained and this vaani is adeptly controlled, refined and ‘energized’ by regular mantra-japa, it begins to link itself with its subtler forms and transmutes to move anywhere in the three lokas.

The potentials of the refined vaani become truly exceptional if activated by the energy of a yagna. The Paraa vaak equipped with the energy of yagnaas can ‘illuminate’ the whole world with the light of true and complete knowledge...., and guide it to the righteous path of all round progress, prosperity, peace and happiness. By the very definition of yagna, the subtle energy generated by it should always be utilized collectively for the altruist goals of global welfare. The mentioning of – sacrificing Brahm Havisya in Brahm Agni– in the Holy Geeta is a simple representation of the cosmic effects of mantra and yagna. These effects are described in some Srutis as –– the eternal shower of parajanya upon performing a yagna....

The omnipresent physical manifestations of the energy of Sabda include the electrical, magnetic, thermal, photonic (light) energies and their different combinations. Consciousness in the living beings is also a manifestation of the superimposition of the subliminal vibrations of the eternal energy of Sabda. The paraa vaak, when refined by higher levels of mantra-Saadhana, can induce such vibrations. This is how the ‘words’ enunciated in the paraa vaak become absolutely true like thy will. The paraa vaak of a siddha saadhaka possesses the power to transform any kind of material existence and also control the conscious faculties of mind – such as, thinking, feeling, desiring, ....,etc – in any being. It can thus guide and effectuate the righteous development of the human society and the world as a whole.

The relation between an individual self (pinda) and the omnipresent thy-self (Brahmaanda) is like that between a seed and its tree – each exists because of the other. The pinda is a small unit of the Brahmaanda and the latter is its manifold, unlimited..., ultimate expansion..... Every soul exists in the Brahm and the absolute state of enlightenment and ultimate spiritual evolution of the soul is a reflection of the Brahm. This commingling of the individual self with the Brahm can be realized by the paraa vaak. A Shruti mentions –

Vishnumukhaa Vai Devaichandobhiri-maanlokaanana Pajapyamabhyajapan |

Meaning: (The power of) God Vishnu subtly resides in the mouth. Thou is (an expansion of vakk in the form of) a mantra. The mantras are divine powers that can triumph over everything in a righteous manner. (This quote once again describes the unity between (the soul of) a mantra and the omnipresent, omnipotent thy-existence).

The power (Sakti) of mantras is classified into four categories – (i) Pramaanya Sakti, (ii) Phal Pradaana Sakti, (iii) Bahuleekarana Sakti and (iv) Aayaata Yaamataa Sakti. Maharshi Jaimini has analyzed these aspects in the vedic treatise entitled ‘Poorva Meemaansa’. According to his analysis, the Pramaanya Sakti deals with the words, phonetics, pronunciations, expression of thy- call and the configuration and order of the mantra.

The Phal Pradaana Sakti implies the power of achieving the desired or determined goal. It is awakened by thorough purification (by prescribed mantra-based methods and with due support of inner zeal and sincerity) of the kundaa, samidhaa, paatra, aajyacaroo, havi, peetha, etc, used in the yagna. Arousal of the inner power of the saadhaka is inevitable for the success of a Mantra Saadhana. The endeavors of tapa required for this purpose necessitate the disciplines of diet-control, brahmcarya, etc and sincere adoption of compassion and altruist service for the welfare of others.... This sakti activated by the inner consciousness of a true saadhaka effectuates accomplishing the Mantra Saadhana.

The bahuleekarana sakti, as the name suggests, corresponds to multiplication, amplification and expansion of the effect of mantra via the energy of yagna. We all know that even a tiny drop of oil can spread over a large surface of water; a small quantity of poison dissolved in the blood-stream can diffuse across the whole body; a momentary spark of fire could expand into a conflagration in a matter of just few seconds.... Similarly, the apparently small actions of mantra-japa by a single or handful of dedicated saadhaka(s) could be orgulously amplified to benefit very large areas and numbers of people by the bahuleekarana sakti.

The fourth, Aayaata-Yamataa sakti is awakened in a mantra by specific kinds of japa Saadhana of this mantra performed by a siddha saadhaka at a specific place under specific disciplines while using specific tools in the associated yagna. The effect of this power is also unique as per the ‘specificity’ of the corresponding Saadhana. Maharshi Viswamitra and Maharshi Parasuraama had accomplished supernatural gains by the specific saadhanaas of the Gayatri Mahaamantra. It was the Aayaata-Yamataa sakti attained by Srangi risi that led to the successful completion of the Putryesthi Yagna (organized by King Dasharatha), which even Brahmarshi Vasistha was unable to guide.

Even a glimpse of the powers of a mantra could be realized only if its saadhaka has purified his vaani and acquired complete control over his body and mind and is performing the mantra-japa with intense sraddhaa. A story cited in Mahaabhaarataa illustrates this fact more clearly. It says – Aswatthaamaa and Arjuna both used the mantra-based weapons called Sandhaana Asttraas.... In order to prevent the limitless devastation due to these dreaded weapons, Maharshi Vyaasa stood between the two and asked both to revert back their astras. Arjuna, because of his tapa of brahmacarya, could easily do so while Aswatthaama, because of lesser self- discipline, could not....

Similar incidents – highlighting the role of tapa and sraddhaa – is narrated in the Shatapatha Braahmana. This mentions of a competition between Nramedha and Yaroocchapa- with respect to their expertise in certain mantra.... During a demonstrative experiment, Nramedha was only able to produce smoke from his mouth while Yaroocchapa- could generate fire in a wet wood by his mantrajapa....Yaroocchapa- then told (Nramedha) that – ‘during your mantra Saadhana you have only practised over the proper and disciplined pronunciation of the mantra with meditation whereas I, because of my dedication and sraddhaa, have also connected my inner self with the soul of the mantra’.

Muni Kautsa has described the mantras as specific configurations of syllables whose sonic pattern, and not merely the meaning, is important. He therefore calls mantras as anarthaka – i.e., without a meaning. For instance, the ‘densely energized and compact’ bija mantras like Hrim, Srim, Klim, Aim...., etc do not possess any linguistic meaning. It is only the impulsive force of their sound – enunciated by the refined vaanis– which makes them so special and astonishingly powerful.

The thirteenth section of Naishadha-Charita focuses on the ‘mystery’ of such supernatural sonic-effects in detail.... Almost all the anusthaanas and saadhanaas of a mantra include japas and synchronized performance of a yagna. The constructive power of sound (enfolded in the mantras) specifically coupled with the thermal energy (of the yagnaagni) produces wonderful effects in the gross as well as the subliminal domains of life. The miracles of a mantra Saadhana materialize with successive activation of the hidden saktis of the mantra.