Om Namo Narayanaya (Ashtakshara Mantra) — Benefits & How to Chant
ॐ नमो नारायणाय (अष्टाक्षर मंत्र)
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Om Namo Narayanaya (Ashtakshara Mantra)
Bestows deep inner peace and stills a restless, anxious mind
Considered a supreme mantra for liberation (moksha) and union with the Supreme
Purifies the heart and burns away accumulated sins and negative tendencies
Invokes the constant protection of the all-pervading Lord Narayana
Cultivates surrender (prapatti) and unbroken remembrance of God
Suitable for continuous japa and ajapa (effortless inner) repetition throughout the day
Brings auspiciousness, well-being and a steady, devotional state of mind
How to Chant Om Namo Narayanaya (Ashtakshara Mantra)
Instructions
After bathing, sit in a clean place facing east or north and chant the mantra on a tulsi mala, 108 times or more, with a calm and devoted heart. The mantra may be chanted aloud, softly, or mentally; many practitioners repeat it silently with the breath throughout the day until it becomes effortless (ajapa-japa). Meditate on Lord Narayana reclining serenely on the serpent Ananta upon the ocean of milk. It can be given as a sacred mantra by a guru, but in its simple form it may be chanted by any sincere devotee.
Spiritual Significance
It is traditionally held that the boy-sage Dhruva, and Prahlada, and many devotees won the direct vision and unfailing protection of the Lord through unbroken remembrance of His name, of which the Ashtakshara is the crown. The Narayana Upanishad promises that one who chants this eight-syllabled mantra attains the fullness of life and crosses beyond sorrow and death.
Origin & History
Source: Vedic and Vaishnava tradition; the Ashtakshara is glorified in the Narayana Upanishad and the Pancharatra and Sri Vaishnava Agamas
Author: Eternal (apaurusheya) Vedic mantra
Om Namo Narayanaya is revered as the very essence of the Vedas and is praised in the Narayana Upanishad, which declares that one who recites it crosses beyond death and attains immortality. In the Sri Vaishnava tradition it is one of the three sacred mantras (rahasya-traya), embodying complete surrender (prapatti) to Lord Narayana. The sage Narada and countless seers are said to have attained the highest realisation through its constant repetition.