What are Bija Mantras or Seed Mantras? How do They Work?

Seed mantras, or bija in Sanskrit, are one-syllable words that work with a specific focus but have no translation. They bring energy within their vibrations in a unique way. One can only find the meaning of a seed mantra by experiencing it. 

You can use seed mantras to cultivate health, inspiration, and vitality when meditating. These single syllable sounds are like water for your mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical seeds to grow and prosper within your environment.

Getting Started With Seed (Bija) Mantras

Seed mantras work best when you have a focus in mind. So if you have an issue you need to resolve or a goal you want to achieve, pick a seed sound that best represents the energy you want. 

Once you define your seed mantra, work with it for 10 days, repeating as many times as possible. Also, set aside five to 10 minutes twice a day to chant the mantra more meditatively. Then, if you feel like it is working, keep doing it for 30 days.

When you reach the 40th day, observe whether the mantra has helped you.

Types of Bija Mantras

Shrim [Shreem]

Shrim evokes the feminine energy of abundance — spiritual, health, inner peace, financial wealth, friendship, the love of children and family, etc.

Repeating the Shrim mantra will attract and maintain abundance in your life. Vedic teaching says that if you say it 100 times, you will experience abundance a hundredfold. But, if you repeat it a thousand times or a million times, the result is more significant.

Ein [I’m]

Ein evokes the feminine energy that rules artistic and scientific activities, music, and education. In addition, it produces Saraswati energy, which governs the development and manifestation of spiritual knowledge at a deeper level.

You can use this mantra to achieve good results in education, memory, intelligence, musical skills, and success in spiritual development.

Klim [Kleem]

Klim evokes the energy of attraction, and it’s often used with other mantras to attract objects of desire. 

It can also be used as a meditation by softly chanting the mantra. Start by lighting a candle or incense, sit comfortably and start directing your thoughts toward the object or condition you want to bring into your life. Alternatively, you can visualize it as you would like it to happen or manifest in your life. You can attract more energy to yourself by doing it this way.

Dum [Doom]

Dum evokes the feminine energy of protection. This mantra will help you feel more protected and less afraid. Chant it over and over whenever you feel in need of protection.

Once you are comfortable with the Dum, you can lengthen it to Om Dum Durgayei Namaha, which means: 

“Om and salutations to she who is beautiful to the seeker of truth and terrible in appearance to those who would injure devotees of truth.”

Krim [Kreem]

Krim is the feminine seed of Kali, the Hindu goddess of creation, time, destruction of evil, and empowerment. This is the sound of transformational energy and work. A person can also ignite the power of the goddess Kali within themselves and gain a higher perception of themselves. 

The following mantra accumulates power beginning near the base of the spine:

Om Krim Ka-likayei Namaha

Gum [As in bubble gum]

Gum is the masculine seed for Ganapathi, the energy of Ganesha. This seed mantra removes obstacles and brings success.
If you want to remove obstacles in your life, chant the Gum mantra for a few days until you are comfortable with it. Then, you can lengthen it by chanting the mantra Om Gum Ganapatayey Namaha, which means “Om and salutations to the remover of obstacles for which Gum is the seed.”

Glaum [Glah…owm]

Glaum is another seed for Ganapathi. It is used to remove obstacles located between the throat and the base of the spine. This mantra is also related to Ganesha as the energy of will.

Haum [How, with and “m” added at the end]

Haum is the seed for the abode of transcendental consciousness and a masculine energy manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva.

Kshraum [unvocalized “k… sh,” followed by a vocalized “rau,” as in “how,” and an “m” at the end]

Kshraum is the seed sound for god Vishnu’s manifestation Narasimha and the seed for the destruction of indestructible demonic powers. It is used to get rid of the evilest situations and release pent-up energies.

When using this mantra, try to visualize the power flowing to you.

Hrim [Hreem]

Hrim is both a feminine and masculine seed mantra for seeing through the illusion of daily reality. The person chanting this mantra can achieve clarity concerning truth if they do it constantly. This seed mantra invokes the feminine energy of Mahamaya, which is available through an energy center located below the heart chakra.

Mahamaya is an energy that lives inside of us. However, it is not part of reality. Vedic teachings call it the flame of Narayana, fuelled by devotion and can manifest material things and insights for those practicing the mantra. The flames can connect you to higher realms where exalted beings live.

Chakra Bija Mantras

Bija mantras that help activate your chakras are usually gender-neutral. These mantras prepare your chakras to handle and process energy.

Each chakra has a bija mantra that activates its potential; thus, chanting the mantra can speed up or slow down, amplify or purify the energy associated with the chakra. It would be best if you experienced this power individually since the results will be different for each person.

Below are the seed mantras that activate your chakras:

Lam [Lahm]

Chakra: Muladhara

Location: Base of the spine

Element: Earth

Quality: Smell

When a person meditates on Lam, they may smell a mystic fragrance. This means they are progressing spiritually.

Vam [Vahn]

Chakra: Swadhisthana

Location: Genital center

Element: Water

Quality: Taste

The person meditating on Vam should try to visualize a crescent moon over water to gain patience and control of appetite and other senses.

Ram [Rahm]

Chakra: Manipura

Location: Solar plexus

Element: Fire

Quality: Form

Those who meditate on Ram usually see a friendly fire that is part of them. This mantra balances this energy, curing stomach ailments and digestive problems.

Yam [Yahm]

Chakra: Anahata

Location: Heart center

Element: Air

Quality: Touch

People who meditate on Yam may hear music or voices of divine beings. In addition, this mantra relieves asthma and other lung disorders.

Hum [Hoom]

Chakra: Vishuddha

Location: Throat center

Element: Ether

Quality: Sound

Those who meditate on Hum often see a healing of throat diseases and an improved ability to learn languages.

Om [Ohm]

Chakra: Ajna

Location: Third Eye center

Element: Light

Quality: Cosmic intelligence

People who meditate on Om rid themselves of worry and achieve peace of mind.

How to Chant Bija Mantra to Activate Your Chakras

As a starting point, you can practice the basic formula: Four long intonations, followed by eight fast repetitions, and closing with four long intonations of the syllable sound.

Be open to the results the mantra will deliver to you. The changes in your life may contain the solution or goal for which you have been practicing the mantra.