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Each
mantra has a deity (the deity it invokes), its own metre and its
own seer (the seer who revealed it to the world). Mentioning the
name of the rsi and touching our head with our hand have their
own significance, that of holding his feet with our head. We
first pay obeisance to the sages because it is from them that we
received the mantras. We then mention the chandas or metre of the
hymn and touch our nose with our hand. Chandas protects the sound
of a mantra and is like its vital breath. So we place our hand on
that part of our body with which we breathe. Without breath there
is no life. While for all the Vedas taken as a whole Siksa is the
nose and Chandas the foot, for the mantras proper Chandas is the
nose.
When
we commence to chant a mantra we must meditate on its adhi devata,
or presiding deity, and feel his presence in our hearts. This is
the reason why we touch our hearts as we mention the name of the
deity.
The
Vedapurusa stands on Chandas. " Chandah pado Vedasya":
the Vedic mantras are supported by Chandas.
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"Hindu Dharma" is a book
which contains English translation of certain invaluable and
engrossing speeches of Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji (at
various times during the years 1907 to 1994).
For a general background, please see here
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