I Was Pronouncing These 5 Mantras Wrong for 15 Years
Personal lessons learned from discovering pronunciation errors in common mantras like Gayatri, Om Namah Shivaya, and Hanuman Chalisa.
I Was Pronouncing These 5 Mantras Wrong for 15 Years
This is a bit embarrassing to share, but I think it might help others.
I grew up with mantras. My grandmother taught me Gayatri Mantra as a child. I chanted it thousands of times over the years. It was—and is—my anchor practice.
Recently, I started recording myself and comparing to authentic Vedic recitations. What I discovered was humbling.
The Realization
I wasn't just slightly off. Some sounds were fundamentally different from how traditional reciters pronounced them. Sounds I'd been getting wrong for over 15 years.
The weird part? I had no idea. I thought I was doing it correctly. My ear had adapted to my own mistakes.
Here are the five mantras where I found the biggest gaps, and what I learned from each.
1. Gayatri Mantra: The "Bhargo" Problem
What I Was Saying: "bar-go"
What It Should Be: "bhar-go" with aspirated "bh"
This was my biggest shock. The word "bhargo" (भर्गो) begins with an aspirated consonant. There's supposed to be a breath of air after the "b" sound.
I'd been saying it like an English word for my entire life. No aspiration. No breath.
How I Fixed It:
2. Om Namah Shivaya: The Missing Visarga
What I Was Saying: "nama shivaya"
What It Should Be: "namaḥ shivāya" with visarga and long "ā"
Two problems here:
First, I was dropping the visarga (ḥ) after "nama." It should be "namaḥ"—with a soft breath at the end.
Second, I wasn't holding the long "ā" in "Shivāya" long enough. In Sanskrit, vowel length matters.
How I Fixed It:
3. Hanuman Chalisa: The Hindi Factor
The Hanuman Chalisa isn't Sanskrit—it's Awadhi/Hindi. But I was still making pronunciation errors.
What I Was Saying: Inconsistent pronunciation of nuqta letters and nasals
Problems:
What I Learned:
Hindi/Awadhi has its own phonology. Don't assume it's "easier" than Sanskrit because it's more familiar.
4. Mahamrityunjaya Mantra: Retroflex Nightmare
What I Was Saying: "trayambakam" with dental "t"
What It Should Be: "tryambakam" with retroflex sounds
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra has several retroflex consonants that I was pronouncing as dentals. The "ṭ" sounds were coming out as regular "t."
Also, I was adding a vowel where there shouldn't be one: "ta-rayambakam" instead of "tryambakam."
How I Fixed It:
5. Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha: Speed Kills Precision
What I Was Saying: Fast, mushy, unclear
What It Should Be: Clear articulation of each syllable
This one wasn't about wrong sounds—it was about sloppy execution. I was chanting so fast that syllables blurred together.
"Ganapataye" became "Ganapatye." Conjuncts got skipped. Nasals got dropped.
What I Learned:
Speed is not devotion. Clarity is respect.
What This Taught Me
1. Recording Yourself Is Essential
I never would have caught these errors just by listening while chanting. You need the objectivity of a recording.
2. Your Ear Adapts to Your Mistakes
After years of practicing incorrectly, the wrong way sounds "right" to you. External feedback is necessary.
3. Speed Hides Problems
When I slowed down to half speed, problems became obvious. Correct pronunciation at slow speed becomes correct at full speed.
4. It's Never Too Late to Improve
I felt embarrassed at first. 15+ years of wrong practice! But that's just ego talking. Every chant going forward can be better.
5. The Practice Wasn't Wasted
Here's the thing—I don't believe those years of "incorrect" practice were meaningless. The devotion was real. The benefits were real.
But now my practice can be both devoted AND more precise. That's growth, not failure.
How I Practice Now
Before Each Session
During Practice
After Practice
Resources That Helped Me
For Identifying Problems
For Fixing Problems
For Staying Motivated
Final Thoughts
If you've been chanting mantras for years and discover you're making pronunciation errors, don't be discouraged. You're not alone.
The fact that you're even willing to question and improve shows sincerity. That matters.
Pronunciation can be refined at any stage. The practice continues. The devotion deepens.
Want to check your own pronunciation? Try Vedic Voice to get AI feedback on 10+ mantras.