[Advaita-l] A Brief Introduction to pUrva mImAmsA - 6 (Mantras)

[S Jayanarayanan]

Namaste.

There are two extreme views regarding the meaning of mantras:

1) Mantras are only required to be chanted at a sacrifice as so many
syllables - they have no meaning at all.

2) If one does not know the meaning of the mantras, one cannot reap
any benefit by chanting the mantras.

KumArila refutes both the above views, and establishes that all
mantras have meaning, but knowledge of their meaning is not required
for performance of sacrifices.

IMHO, this shows a difference between theory and practice of dharma.
It is important to know dharma - in fact, HH Chandrasekhara Bharati
says that it is one's dharma to learn dharma - but it is equally (if
not more) important to practise it.

Regards,

Kartik

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