Mantra
Mantra
a secret, the communication of which forms the chief ceremony of initiation in all Hindu sects. It generally consists of the name of some deity, or a short address to him; it is conveyed by the teacher to the disciple in a whisper, and when once known, is carefully concealed from all the uninitiated. The word mantra is also employed generally to denote a spell or enchantment, and also a hymn or a prayer.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Mantra
(Skr.) Pious thought couched in repeated prayerful utterances, for meditation or charm. Also the poetic portion of the Veda (q.v.). In Shaktism (q.v.) and elsewhere the holy syllables to which as manifestations of the eternal word or sound (cf. iabda, vac, aksara) is ascribed great mystic significance and power. — K.F.L.