The Four Layers of Meaning in a Mantra - Why a Mantra Is More Than Its Words - The Four Different Meaning Of A Mantra In Hinduism In Varahi Tantra, Chapter 10, Devi asks Bhagavan Shiva a question about mantras and worship of Mahatripurasundari Devi, and Shiva answers that every mantra has four different meanings. These are the literal or intended meaning (bhavartha), the traditional meaning (sampradayartha), the inner meaning (nigarbhartha), and the esoteric meaning (kaulika). This teaching is very important for every person who recites mantras, because it tells us that a mantra is not just a sentence to be translated. Today many people are fixated only on the literal meaning. They take a mantra, search for the English translation, and if it does not look powerful or logical to them, they lose interest. Some become disillusioned after some months of chanting, and some even call the mantra fake. The problem is not in the mantra. The problem is that they do not have the knowledge or the ...