जपjapa · repetition of a mantra
Mantra meditation and japa, step by step
3 min read · Updated October 16, 2026 · sources checked October 16, 2026
In short
Japa is the repetition of a mantra as a meditation. Sit upright, choose one mantra such as Om or oṃ namaḥ śivāya, repeat it aloud, then in a murmur, then silently, counting on a 108-bead mala, while keeping its meaning in mind. Patañjali teaches exactly this for Om: its repetition and dwelling on its meaning (Yoga Sutra 1.28).
Listen: Om and the Gāyatrī — short extract
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Chapters
Guided audio narrated with a synthetic voice (ElevenLabs). Sanskrit recitation checked line by line.
Read the transcript
Oṃ, the syllable. The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad divides it into three sounds, A, U and M: waking, dream and deep sleep. And a fourth part, the silence that follows.
Sit comfortably. Breathe in through the nose, and chant one long Om on the out-breath. Then rest in the silence for one breath. Three times, at your own pace.
Breathe in.
Om. [you chant]
Rest in the silence.
Breathe in.
Om. [you chant]
Rest in the silence.
Breathe in.
Om. [you chant]
Rest in the silence.
The Gāyatrī. A verse of the Ṛgveda, three, sixty-two, ten, attributed to the seer Viśvāmitra and addressed to Savitṛ, the sun as the divine power that sets all in motion. Listen once.
ॐ, भूर् भुवः स्वः। तत् सवितुर् वरेण्यं। भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि। धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्॥ (oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ / tat savitur vareṇyaṃ / bhargo devasya dhīmahi / dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt)
Now line by line. Repeat each line after me, slowly.
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः। (oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ)
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं। (tat savitur vareṇyaṃ)
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि। (bhargo devasya dhīmahi)
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्॥ (dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt)
Our translation: Om. Earth, atmosphere, sky. May we receive that excellent radiance of the god Savitṛ, who shall inspire our thoughts.
Some traditional families prefer that the Gāyatrī be received from a teacher; others open it to all. Whichever you follow, chant it seated, attentive, without haste. This was an extract from Sacred Mantras, on yogide.com.
Japa is the oldest and simplest form of meditation in India, and still the most widespread. Pilgrims on the ghats of Rishikesh, grandmothers in their kitchens, monks in their caves: all practise it the same way, a mantra and a string of beads.
What japa is
जप (japa) comes from the root jap, "to murmur, to repeat in a low voice". The word is already in the Upanishads: the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (1.3.28) prescribes murmuring (japet) the three lines asato mā sad gamaya… while the priest begins a Vedic chant; Śaṅkara assigns this japa to the patron of the sacrifice.
Patañjali turns it into a complete path of meditation:
तस्य वाचकः प्रणवः । तज्जपस्तदर्थभावनम् । ततः प्रत्यक्चेतनाधिगमोऽप्यन्तरायाभावश्च ॥
tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ | taj-japas tad-artha-bhāvanam | tataḥ pratyak-cetanādhigamo 'py antarāyābhāvaś ca ||
Its word is Om. Its repetition, and dwelling on its meaning. From this comes awareness turned inward, and the obstacles disappear.
Two words carry the method: japa, the repetition, and bhāvana, cultivating, letting the meaning grow in you. Repetition without meaning is sound; repetition with meaning becomes meditation.
Choosing a mantra
- If a teacher has given you a mantra, use that one; their instructions come first.
- Otherwise, choose a public mantra and keep it: Om, oṃ namaḥ śivāya, oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya, or the name of the deity close to your heart. The Gāyatrī and the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya are longer and suit those who already chant.
- Learn the word-by-word meaning before you start. Each mantra page gives it.
- Do not change mantra every week. All traditions agree that depth comes from staying with one.
Seed syllables of the tantric traditions (hrīṃ, klīṃ and others) are traditionally received in initiation; we do not teach their use. The overview of Sanskrit mantras explains which mantras are public.
Three ways of repeating
| Way | Sanskrit | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Aloud | vācika | the voice is audible; good for beginners, for the morning and in groups |
| Murmured | upāṃśu | only the lips move, almost without sound |
| Mental | mānasa | the mantra is repeated inwardly, without any movement |
The Śiva Purāṇa (Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā 11.38, GRETIL numbering 1.11) says that mental repetition is taught for deep absorption and the murmured form for all times. A natural progression within one session is to go from the voice to the murmur to silence.
A 15-minute japa session
- Prepare. Sit on a cushion or a chair, spine upright, at the same time each day. Hold a japa mala in the right hand.
- Settle (2 minutes). Close the eyes, breathe naturally through the nose, feel the body seated.
- Recall the meaning. Say the translation of the mantra once in your own language.
- Aloud (about 4 minutes). Repeat the mantra clearly and slowly, one bead per repetition.
- Murmured (about 4 minutes). Let the voice fade; only the lips move.
- Silent (about 4 minutes). Repeat inwardly. If you lose the thread, murmur again for a few beads.
- Rest (1 minute). Put the mala down and sit in silence. Notice the quiet after the sound.
A full round of 108 often fits in this time; finishing the round matters less than staying attentive.
The mantra of the breath: so'ham
Some traditions teach a mantra that needs no voice at all. The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā (5.84 in Vasu's 1914-1915 translation) says that every breath makes the sound sa as it enters and ham as it leaves: so'ham, "I am That", or haṃsa, "the swan". It counts twenty-one thousand six hundred breaths in a day and night and calls this natural, unspoken repetition ajapā gāyatrī. That figure belongs to the tradition, not to physiology. To practise it, listen to the breath and hear so on the in-breath, ham on the out-breath, for ten minutes, without changing the breath.
When the mind wanders
It will. Patañjali names nine obstacles to practice, from illness and doubt to instability of attention (1.30), and says the remedy is practice on a single principle (1.32). Each time you notice that you have drifted, return to the sound and the meaning. That return is the exercise. Beginners usually find the voice easier than silence; there is no hurry to go silent. For the posture and the basics of attention, see how to meditate; for meditation without a mantra, the guided meditation.
Going further
Beginners: one round a day, aloud and murmured. Intermediate: two or three rounds, more time in silence, and the meaning held throughout. Advanced: the long counts that traditions prescribe (sometimes hundreds of thousands of repetitions over months, as the Śiva Purāṇa describes for the five-syllable mantra) belong to a practice guided by a teacher. Our meditation hub explains what these levels mean.
Questions people ask
Is japa the same as mantra meditation?
Yes. Japa is the traditional Sanskrit name for repeating a mantra with attention; mantra meditation is the modern English term for the same practice.
Aloud or silently: which is better?
Tradition usually considers the silent form the most inward, and the murmured form good at all times. Beginners often start aloud, because the voice holds the attention.
How long should a japa session last?
One round of 108 repetitions takes from a few minutes for a short mantra to about twenty for a long one such as the Gāyatrī. Start with one round a day and keep the same time.
What if my mind keeps wandering?
That is the practice. Notice it and come back to the sound and the meaning, without criticising yourself. Patañjali lists distraction among the normal obstacles that practice removes (Yoga Sutras 1.29-1.30).
Sources
- Patañjali, Yogasūtra, Sanskrit text (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 16, 2026
- Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28, Sanskrit text (GRETIL) checked October 16, 2026
- Śivapurāṇa, book 1 (Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā) 11.38 on the ways of japa, Sanskrit text (GRETIL) checked October 16, 2026
- Śrīśa Chandra Vasu (tr.), The Gheranda Samhita and the Siva Samhita, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV (1914-1915), Internet Archive checked October 16, 2026