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Om Hraum Mitraya Namaha Mantra Meaning – Mantra for Yoga

“Om Hraum Mitraya” is a Sanskrit mantra spoken in tribute to the Vedic goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. It can bring peace and protection to the speaker.    

Overview

The mantra is a tribute to Saraswati, who in the Hindu religion is the goddess of learning, wisdom, and the arts.

She is the force that provides human beings with speech, learning, and knowledge.

Along with the Goddesses Durga and Lakshmi, she makes up the key trinity of powerful goddesses in Hindu thought.

She is the mother of the Vedas and was first mentioned in the Rig-Veda.

She is the daughter of Lord Shiva and the Goddess Durga. She is often represented as having four arms in which she holds a book and rosary or possibly plays a lute or sitar.

Her four arms are sometimes thought to represent the four aspects of human intelligence: the intellect (budhi), the mind (mana), the ego (ahankara), and the waking state.

She is commonly depicted as seated on a white lotus while wearing a white sari.

She is thought to ride a swan as a means of transportation and to subdue the peacock, which is a symbol of arrogance.

In Sanskrit, her name means “the area of lakes.”

On one level, this may be in part because of her association with the vast river in India at which the ancient Vedic people pursued wisdom through study and meditation.

Further, perhaps for this reason, she is considered the deity of rain and is often associated with thunder and clouds.

In a more figurative sense, however, her association with water is sometimes broadened to be linked to anything that “flows” in the way that water does, including the mind or words. For this reason, her name also means “the flowing one.”

Saraswati is a major figure in the yogic tradition.

In that tradition, she is seen as the embodiment of creativity, wisdom, and intuition.

She is thought to signify the type of profound insight and understanding that is deeper than verbal expression can communicate.

Indeed, she is specifically associated with the type of free-flowing creative wisdom that is within all humans.

Sacred chants to Saraswati, “Saraswati Vandana,” are commonly used to begin and end Vedic lessons.

“Om Hraum Mitraya” can be thought of as an example of such a chant.

Lyrics

Om Hraum Mitraya Namaha
Om Hraum Mitraya Namaha
Om Eim Saraswatiyei Namaha
Om Eim Saraswatiyei Namaha

English translation:

May the light of friendship shine through me,

drawing noble companionship.

Om and Salutations to the feminine Saraswati principle.

Om Hraum Mitraya Namaha Mantra Meaning

The mantra calls upon the sacred powers of Saraswati. As can be seen from the lyrics, it particularly addresses her powers in relation to friendships or social relationships. On some accounts, the mantra is seen as partially addressed to the sun, which might be interpreted as the archetype of a good friend because it selflessly gives light to all.

Thus, the mantra is about the pursuit of wisdom through friendship and kindness and the suppression of arrogance or self-centeredness.

In this way, through kindness and friendship, one might then awaken the inner wisdom that is inside of all humans and which the Hindu belief system considers eternal bliss or (Ananda).

The musician Deva Premal released a popular interpretation of the mantra in 2005.

Benefits

The mantra is recited to establish protective forces around the practitioner and to provide them with positive energy.

Chanting the mantra when frightened or anxious can help to bring a sense of calm and peace.

Conclusion

“Om Hraum Mitraya” is a mantra calling upon the powers of the goddess Saraswati. It can provide many benefits to the speaker, including protection and a sense of tranquility. 

Read about more healing mantras on insightstate, like – Ajai Alai Mantra or 100 Syllable Mantra of Bodhisattva Vajrasattva.

Image credit – @Getty

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