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Ajapa Japa

Last updated: December 21, 2023

What Does Ajapa Japa Mean?

Ajapa japa is the Hindu concept of the conscious awareness of a mantra, or the experience the yogi has in fully realizing the meaning of the mantra. Japa is a Sanskrit word, meaning “to repeat or remember,” and ajapa japa translates as “realization and experience of a mantra.”

When ajapa japa is attained, a yogi does not have to say or chant the mantra, as the yogi both understands and realizes the meaning of the mantra. Ajapa japa can be attained by anyone who engages in the practice of chanting or reciting mantras, through a progressive practice of learning, memorizing and chanting a mantra until the words are no longer merely spoken, but deeply realized.

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Yogapedia Explains Ajapa Japa

Ajapa japa is attained through the surrender of mental effort and thought that seeks understanding to unbounded consciousness that can realize and experience a mantra.

Mantras are used in yoga as a means for self transformation. When a yogi recites and repeats a mantra, they are working towards quieting the fluctuations of thought in the mind.This allows the mind to be still and clear. Mantras can be simple or complex, but they all provide an anchor for the mind and breath. Over time, the yogi can progress to ajapa japa, as they learn the mantra, to finding the meaning in the mantra and realize it. When realization of a mantra occurs, a yogi will no longer have to recite the mantra, as the meaning of the mantra is experienced in the consciousness. There is no predetermined timeframe for how long it can take for a yogi to achieve ajapa japa; it can literally take from a matter of seconds to a few years.


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