Spiritual Discovery: Sanskrit Language & Energy

Sanskrit Language & Energy

In order to truly understand the philosophy of Naad Yoga, it is imperative to understand some basic things about the Sanskrit language.

In the Sanskrit language, each letter has three aspects noted down.

1) When spoken, where does it physically form in the body?

2) When it resonates, where do we physically feel it?

3) When it reverberates, what energy do we feel?

Overall, one question is asked in the construction of words. If these letters are strung together into this word, what energy do we activate?

Vedic mantras are formed as an answer to the question - what are the best words that circulate a desired energy? This concept is the basis of Vedic chanting, which evolved into the practice of Naad Yoga in the form of Raaga music systems.

Sound, in terms of pitches - Swara (note) and Sruti (frequency) - is also evaluated in this way. What is the physicality of the sound, where does it resonate in the body, and what energy is felt when it reverberates?

To take this a step further, it is not just about energizing ourselves in isolation. The Raaga system also takes one more factor into account. What is the energy of the day, season, and time around us - when does a Raaga resonate best to synchronize energy of the human body with the nature around us? In this method, the ultimate goal of Naad Yoga is to synchronize the human body’s vibrations with the universal resonance so that we can access and channel pure universal energy through us.

There is one more aspect to this. Sanskrit is a representative language of the eternal nature of the universe. The Vedas and Mantras are not constructed solely with importance given to communicate meanings. Instead, they are also sonic representations of aspects of reality and universal truths in sonic form. In other words, you can think of Sanskrit as the blueprint of all that exists. What exists in form, Sanskrit has converted into sound form such that it can be energetically experienced and expressed through manifest vibration.

Form, or Chand, is a very important aspect in Sanskrit mantras, literature, and Raaga music systems. Each mantra is written in a particular “Chandas” or form denoted by a metric layout with laghu (short) and Guru (long) syllables. The mantras are constructed in such a way that the prose also maps to a particular form of what is being described through its Chandas, and elaboration or prosody. Mantras and literature are multi-layered in this way where you have the vibrations of letters, individual roots of words, whole words, chandas forms, and prosody elaboration all contributing to meaning - with the intention being that even without any knowledge of the words the energy of the meaning is also captured and evoked for a listener.

Form in Raaga music can be seen in a similar way where one sentence is elaborated in a specific form over a specific metered pulse, or Taala rhythm cycle. The energy of the intended meaning of the words is further brought out through specific melodic phrases.

In this way, this system is a comprehensive, subtle, deep subject that one can dive into and find a lifetime of secrets to be unearthed.