How to Get Mantra Siddhi

Of course, the panchanga purascharana is essential for mantra siddhi. Chanting the mantra — the prescribed number of times. Then ahutis — one tenth of that. Tarpana — one tenth of that. Abhisheka on oneself — one tenth of that. And Brahmana bhojana — one tenth of that.

That means if the prescribed number of chantings is 10 lacs, then
1 lac ahutis in homa,
10,000 times tarpana,
1,000 times abhisheka,
and feeding 100 noble brahmins.

Acharyas say:
जपात्सिद्धिर्जपात्सिद्धिः
Keep on chanting, keep on chanting — that is how you get siddhi.

When you put a mobile phone for charging, it doesn’t get charged immediately. You know how the points move on the battery icon. Mantra chanting is also like that. Keep on doing, keep on doing — after some time, siddhi comes, which is like the battery getting fully charged.

But other than this, there is one very important point. When you are chanting mantra, other than the sound — alphabets of the mantra as sound — and the particular dhyana swaroopa of the devata, there should not be anything else in your mind. No distractions, no desires, no other thoughts. Then only mantra siddhi will come.

Distractions — what are distractions?

If at other times you are involved in too many activities — watching movies, listening to music, reading on too many subjects, current affairs, politics — then these thoughts will continue to remain in your mind even when you are chanting.

Unless you are very accomplished in ashtanga yoga — pratyahara, dharana, and dhyana.

Even there, what is pratyahara?
स्व स्व विषयेभ्य इन्द्रियाकर्षणम्
There will be so much to see, but not allowing your eyes to see.

This is also why it is said to close your eyes and chant. But this is not just during chanting. Even at other times, if you keep on seeing things, they will become stored in your mind and distract you.

If you keep on hearing things — those sounds, that speech — they will all be in your mind and they will start replaying when you sit and try to chant.

Same with taste, smell, and touch also.

So, unless you cut down your activities to a bare minimum — to subsistence level — mantra sadhana will be difficult.

Now, desires.

Most people start mantra sadhana with an objective, a desire — for power, wealth. They themselves will become hindrances in obtaining mantra siddhi.

Mantra shastra itself says that those who do mantra sadhana for attaining something — the devatas of the particular mantra, they don’t like such people. It is not the love and respect for the devata that is making you do it. You want to use the devata for something. They don’t like this.

Plus, the thought of what you want to achieve will keep on coming to your mind when you are doing sadhana. You will start monitoring —
'I have been chanting for 15 days now — has my finance improved? Are my obstacles reducing?'
These thoughts themselves will become obstacles in obtaining success.

Then, the basic vasanas — which were there even before you started sadhana — anger, irritation, greed, confusions, physical desires, jealousy — all these will act as hindrances in mantra sadhana.

Your mind must be as empty and as clean as possible. Then only mantra will stabilise.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi