During the war times in the ancient era, the generals used to infer about the location of the enemy’s army by keeping an ear on the earth’s surface and thereby ‘sensing’ the sound of its movements. This example indicates that although sound is supposed to be spreading and being heard via the medium of air, its vibrations, if amplified, can also be perceived by the earth.
In the human body, the audible vibrations of sound, when make collision with the ear’s diaphragm, they create specific impulse in the latter’s connection with the brain and thus the corresponding sound is heard. Many animals and birds have latent communication- sensors in their bodies via which they can receive (‘hear’) subtle sonic signals from much longer distances than those falling in the audible range of the human ears. The ‘prior sensing’ of rainfall by the peacocks provokes them to dancing; spiders begin to unwind and recollect their meshes on the similar occasions…; cats take their kittens away from the building which is likely to fall in near future….
The human beings can receive and hear some of the non-audible sounds with the help of hi-tech devices. The early development of these types of sonic-sensors and related instruments included that of a device made up of two mica tubes filled with mercury. The base of this instrument used to be buried to sense the vibrations inside the earth in order to record the movements of the enemy’s army during the Second World War. This device used to register the ‘sound’ of the army’s movements much the same way as stethoscope records the sound of the heartbeats…. The next phase of such developments included that of the devices for recording the electrical signals and vibrations up in the space and beneath water. The early versions of microphones and the hydrophones had also played important role in the Second World War, especially in defeating the German regime of Adolph Hitler.
Further advancement of the electro-acoustic devices (which work on the principle of propogating, amplifying and/or recording the sonic waves via electrical or electronic signals) has made it possible for the modern scientists to record a large number of distant and subtle vibrations inside or upon the earth, beneath deep oceans or in the space above the earth’s atmosphere. The ultimate stage of such advanced developments should help the scientists realize that – every element, the subtlest particle of every entity existing in this universe is created by the vibrations of Sabda; or, in other words, the whole universe and cosmos is a manifestation of the Sabda Brahm. The risis – the scientists of Nada Yoga and Sabda Yoga had achieved this level of ultimate knowledge and therefore ‘devised’ the mantras and the methods (japa sadhanas) of their use in the physical (gross), psychological and spiritual development of men and women. What they had achieved in addition – by the dhyana yoga (meditating sadhana) – was, the expertise to link the subtlest power of light with that of the sound existing in the mantras.
Specific japa-sadhana of a specific mantra by a spiritually refined person is indeed a unique experiment in acoustics where the power of sound is utilized beyond the limits of material existence. When a harmonium or piano is played, pressing specific keys (that produce different accents or musical notes) repeatedly in an orderly manner generates specific musical tune…. Similarly, japa is a process in which specific components of the mouth, the vocal-cord and the connecting nerves produce desired sonic patterns that harmoniously vibrate the ‘keys’ of the extrasensory ‘wires’ (e.g. the ida, pingala, susumna nadis….) and the subtle ‘energy bundles’ (e.g. the sat cakras….) inside the body. The latter, being stimulated further by the subliminal energy and flow of the consciousness of the sadhaka, produce supernatural effects – via the associated currents of Sabda – specific to the type and purpose of the sadhana.
The immediate and necessary indication of the success of a mantra-sadhana is the refinement, improvement and illumination of the sadhaka’s overall personality and his deeds. The proper pronunciation of the mantra(s) under prescribed disciplines, and the spiritual level, faith and sincerity of the sadhaka are essential conditions for accomplishing a japa-sadhana. The sonorous vibrations produced by a mantra-japa generate sonic waves that could reach any desired place in the universe at a pace faster than the radiowaves and could transmit the signals of sabda at the focussed cosmic centers.
Different examples cited earlier – such as, the experiments (e.g. those conducted by some scientists in Canada) on using sonic power to drive a car; or, the demonstrations (e.g. those presented by a popular singer, Mrs. Watts) on transforming the nature/state of matter by music…, indicate that – “it might also be possible one day to capture and study some effects of mantrajapa in the modern scientific laboratories”.
In the third kandika (part) of the Gayatri Upanishad, Maharshi Maitraiya is cited to have asked Acharya Maudgalya about the relationship between the mana (conscious and inner minds) and the vak (absolutely refined voice); the reply is quoted there in the following sloka:
Meaning: Mana is Savitri (– the physical power of Gayatri). Vak subtly indwells there, where mana is present (with full concentration). And, wherever vak is present mana exists there (in its purest experience). These are like two mutually complimentary and coupled halves (of a single entity).
Our visual (materially existing) world is a manifestation of the power of the sun. This world and the gamut of Nature’s creation would not have existed (as they do till date) without the energy of the sun. Noting that savita and savitri represent the eternal source of the power of the sun and the manifestation of nature, the above sloka would imply the following. “As the movements of the planets are driven by the grand cosmic sun through its own motion, similarly, the micro subtler events could be regulated by the mind by setting it in a consistent ‘motion’ under constant amplitude and tune of a mantra-japa”.
The demonstrations presented by Mrs. Hags in front of reputed personalities like Lord Lieten are illustrative examples of the above principle. In these experiments, Mrs. Hags was able to produce (carve in the mediums like sand) visual images of trees, birds, animals, geometrical figures…. etc simply by her mental concentration during her musical performances. Madame Lang of France had created visible pictures of Jesus Christ and Notredame by the effect of her devotional songs in special classical tunes. The demonstrative performances of two Italian women who played musical tunes – based on a raca of the Sama Veda – on Sitar had similarly shown significant impact of music (a creation of Nada) upon human psychology. Pt. Bhagavan Das Awasthi has described many such incidents in detail in a special issue (on sadhana) of a Hindi magazine named “Kalyana”.
The incidents of above kind provide evidential examples of the principles cited in the Indian scriptures of Mantra–Vijnana. Which indicate that – every atomic (and even subtler) form of the elements of Nature can be created, converted or combined with other particles via the coherent conjunction of mental concentration (consciousness) and sound (vak) in the mantra-japa to give rise to any desired form of energy or matter….
In the present times of scientific development of acoustics when a large number of ultrasonic and infrasonic applications in medicine and technology have become easily accessible, the mantra vijnana should also be investigated. Especially for positive and creative applications in mantra cikitsa as an effective mode of treatment and in more important domains of human life – viz., those related with the vigorous progress of mind, righteous intellect and arousal of the divine sentiments, which are essential for a brighter and happier future of mankind.
Source: Eternity of Sound and the Science of Mantra
