Mantra

Mantra (Sanskrit for “instrument of thought”), in Hinduism, a magic phrase or prayer. The term originally meant a Vedic hymn (see Veda). The Gayatri invocation of the sun, chanted at sunrise, is the most popular Vedic mantra, but mantras of various kinds accompany every Hindu ritual, asking (or compelling) the god to give the desired blessing. Mantras from the Atharva-Veda are believed to have the power of magic and to work directly on a friend or enemy. Tantric mantras combine these two aspects, invoking the gods while conjuring up magic powers directly through the power of the word (see Tantra).