Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.8.8-10
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionMantra Armor Extends in All Directions
“One must then chant the mantra of six syllables [oṁ viṣṇave namaḥ]. One should place the syllable om on his heart, the syllable vi on the top of his head, the syllable sa between his eyebrows, the syllable na on his tuft of hair [śikhā], and the syllable ve between his eyes. The chanter of the mantra should then place the syllable na on all the joints of his body and meditate on the syllable ma as being a weapon. He should thus become the perfect personification of the mantra. Thereafter, adding visarga to the final syllable ma he should chant the mantra maḥ astrāya phaṭ in all directions, beginning from the east. In this way, all directions will be bound by the protective armor of the mantra.”
What the purport teaches
- One next chants the six-syllable mantra oṁ viṣṇave namaḥ and places its syllables on the specified parts of the body.
- The chanter places na on all the joints and meditates on ma as a weapon. In this way, he should become the perfect personification of the mantra.
- Adding visarga to ma, one chants maḥ astrāya phaṭ in all directions, beginning from the east. All directions are thus bound by the protective armor of the mantra.
Try this today
Read these instructions slowly today, noting that the prayer seeks protection in every direction.
Ask yourself
What does this careful attention to the body and all directions teach you about the prayer’s scope?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.