Dhyan Foundation

Dhyan Foundation

Journey of the Spirit...

Dhwani

Sound or Dhwani is said to have originated from the Damru of Lord Shiva. It is said that every perceivable and unperceivable object in the Universe has a corresponding sound.

Sound, the first perceivable dimension of the physical creation, originates from a layer so subtle that a normal human mind would not be able to comprehend that force.

The unmanifest (avyakt) gives rise to the manifest (vyakt). Dhwani or sound is the first manifestation of physical creation. Om. That is how it all began, the primordial sound/highest consciousness from where everything (including you and me) emerged and to which everything will return. The west calls it big-bang theory, though they are gradually finding Om to be the underlying sound of creation. Recently a western University, recorded the sound of sun. Listen to it here.


The source of energy for all life on earth... and found it to be the sound of Om. Om, not a-u-m, there is no break, it is one continuous and unending loop, just like creation. The sound vibrations starting from Ooo..represent creation, transition from Ooo to Mmm represent preservation and mmm... dissolution and the silence that follows represents emergence of manifest from unmanifest. Merging back into the silence, which is unmanifest, is the basis of vedic philosophy.

Sound has a deep and profound effect on the physical body of a being, whether we are able to immediately feel the effect or not depends on the kind of sound one interacts with. Grosser and heavier sounds affect the physical body, the grossest layer of a being, and have a short lived effect, while subtler sounds touch the lighter layers and the effect lasts for a longer time. A specific sound touches a specific centre of the energy body. While heavier sounds touch the lower centres, subtler sounds like mantras and hymns touch higher centres in the body. A loud sound is created to generate fear, and it affects the manipoorak chakra, or the navel centre, because fear is connected to the navel centre in the body. If you observe, you will see that people who get panic attacks have weaker stomachs. It also has been observed that people who have a generally fearful nature tend to develop the problems of the stomach which relate to digestion and elimination.

The effect of sound is also just as apparent in the behaviour of animals. The roaring of a lion creates an environment of dread all around, whereas the call of a cuckoo or the song of a nightingale soothes. When you sing a lullaby to a child, the child goes off to sleep. Even if the child doesn’t understand the language of the song, he responds to the sound and pitch in a particular way. Generally people who have fear inside them scream and shout on top of their voice, which is indicative of a weakness inside them. A fearless person will never be seen raising his voice unduly. In earlier times, just before the starting of war, they used to blow a conch – this was to generate fear in the opponents army. People who stayed close to jungles used to beat drums to keep fierce beasts and evil spirits away. All this was done keeping in mind the effect of the sound generated, for the sound affects not only the beings of the physical dimension but also the other dimensions e.g. the spirits and ghosts etc.

A combination of certain sounds is a mantra. The Vedic masters studied in depth the dimension of sound and its effects on the being. They experimented with the various types of sounds and their effects and gave us mantras for nearly everything, which a being could possibly desire.

Sounds programmed as mantras have a very powerful effect on the body as well as the environment. Mantras, when chanted in the prescribed manner, create the desired result. As they are based on particular sound patterns, each mantra is a programme set for a specific purpose, which manifests as that specific force. It becomes very important to chant mantras in the prescribed way with the right sound modulations, for as told earlier each sound has a specific corresponding energy to it and if chanted in a wrong way, just the opposite effect might manifest.

Experience first-hand the power of Vedic Mantras, through chants of Yogi ji. Click here.