[Buddha-l] Mantra as "mind-protector"

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Michael J. Wilson schreef:

>
>     A couple of late thoughts:
>     On the folk etymology of "mantra" as "mind protector", I seem to
>     recall the late Dr Guenther pointing out that this etymology,
>     false as it may be, has been used to explain the word for so long
>     that it may tell us more about how the word was being understood
>     and used than some more scientifically correct etymology might do.
>     Seemed like a fair point.
>
> http://www.hinduwebsite.com/vedicsection/mantra.asp
>
> I am really having a problem with the meaning and origin of the word 
> "mantra" especially the one recently posted by Richard Hayes, which I 
> can't dig out of the email digests at the moment.  In the article I 
> found above I found this interesting, a defintion by Edward Conze 
> suggesting it means "spell".  Is it an just an "urban myth" that 
> mantra means "mind protector", considering the sanskrit etymology? 
>
If you would have consulted the Wikipedia origin of the article you would have come a lot closer to the real meaning. (Tantric texts are full of these kinds of ad hoc fancy fairy ethymologies.) Mantra is according to this explanation 'that by which one thinks', 'an instrument of thought', like yantra is an instrument for moving. A mantrin is a minister or consultant. Originally it refers to the Vedic verses (.rgs, samans and yajus, see Aapte's dictionairy), outside the vedic context it's just a spell.

Erik


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