Mantras are foundational to Vedic and tantric practices, serving as sonic embodiments of divine energy. The most famous, “Om,” encapsulates the essence of Brahman. In poetry, mantras appear as invocations, structural refrains, or metaphors for the power of sound and intention. Classical kavya often begins with a mantra to ensure auspiciousness, while bhakti poets treat the divine name itself as a mantra—chanting as a path to liberation. Poets use mantra imagery to convey the idea that language, when purified and focused, can transform consciousness and bridge the human and the divine.

A Mantra is a sacred sound, syllable, word, or phrase believed to have psychological and spiritual power. The most fundamental is "Om," which represents the primordial sound of the universe. Mantras are used in meditation (japa) to focus the mind and connect with the divine. In poetry, the rhythmic and phonetic power of mantras can be studied as an ancient form of sound symbolism and spiritual technology.