Sacred sounds: Gen Z finds zen in Vedic chants
Vedic chanting, believed to be the world’s oldest oral tradition, seems to be in vogue again, this time among the younger generation.
A new record was set at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj recently, with 566 Brahmgyani Vedic scholars from five countries reciting the Rudra Ashtadhyayi Samhita from the Shukla Yajurveda 11,151 times. The mantra was chanted 2,642,409 times non-stop over 33 days, with a fairly young cohort in attendance. Vedic chants also echoed at the Triveni Sangam when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dip in the holy waters at the Mela.
At a separate event, held far away in Los Angeles, an album weaving ancient Vedic chants with a melodic flute and resonant cello, won a Grammy award. Incidentally, the album is titled ‘Triveni’. While the Triveni at Prayagraj is a sangam (confluence) of three rivers, the album is a blend of Indian classical music, a new age ambience, and global traditions.
Chanting is a good way to start. It’s easier to quieten the mind with chanting than to focus on your breath or any other meditation technique.
The latest season of White Lotus, an American satirical comedy series, released in February 2025, too had the Mahamrityunjay mantra playing in one of its episodes.
Vedic chanting surely seems to be in vogue.
What is Vedic chanting?
The ancient oral tradition of Vedic chanting was inscribed in Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity back in 2008. The four Vedas, believed to have been composed by the Aryans over 3,500 years ago, hold immense cultural value. They are a compendium of sacred hymns, including musical arrangements of hymns, prayers and sacrificial rituals, incantations and spells.
The tradition dates back to the Vedic age when Brahmin priests chanted Vedic mantras during rituals and ceremonies. Chanting a mantra right is a complex endeavour that involves recitation techniques based on tonal accents and unique pronunciations.
Documenting chanting heritage
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) has been working actively to preserve the intangible heritages of India. An ambitious and laborious project undertaken by the Centre included a video documenting the Apthoaryaama Soma yajna (ceremony) involving countless rituals and recitations of thousands of Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda mantras and the chanting of innumerable Sama Veda verses. Scientists from Nimhans, ISRO, and IISC were in attendance to evaluate the effects of the rituals.
The last time such a yajna is believed to have been conducted was nearly 200 years ago, a tradition that is near extinct now. Reportedly, only 13 of the over one thousand Vedic recitation branches have survived through the ages, with four noted schools in Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Odisha under imminent threat.
The Vedic heritage
Platforms like Vedastudies.com are trying to demystify chanting for those eager to learn and explore it by conducting courses and workshops. The universe of Vedic chanting is vast, and beginners may find it overwhelming. For instance, a single mantra can have many versions.
For the uninitiated, it is difficult to ascertain which is the right one. There are different chanting lineages and the right pronunciation also plays a big role.
The transformative power of chanting
The Covid-19 pandemic was an inflection point in the spiritual landscape. Many, especially the young, took to spirituality to cope with pandemic-induced uncertainties.
“I aspired to become a doctor and was taking coaching for the entrance when the lockdown was announced… as days became months, I felt everything was slipping out of control. Suddenly I felt my pursuit was meaningless. I didn’t want to become a doctor anymore.I had no purpose, I didn’t know what life was meant for,” shares 21-year-old Dhriti Biswas.
That’s when her mother introduced her to chanting the Om and the Gayatri mantra. “Chanting brought back meaning to my life. I was able to think with clarity once more. I felt at peace with my thoughts,” adds Dhriti, who practices chanting regularly now. She even has a separate playlist of mantras on her Spotify account.
The ancient oral tradition of Vedic chanting is now supported by tech-savvy apps such as Japa+, Prayer beads, Art of Living, and Miracle of Mind. They are making it easier for chanters to practice with features that help them stay on track with reminders or configurable vibrations.
It is like the sangam of the ancient and the modern.
The healing touch of sound
“It’s not just chanting but spirituality that’s in vogue because more and more young people are seeking true happiness and a more meaningful existence,” says Singapore-based Nupur Bhagat, who is passionate about weaving communities together through initiatives like creating multi-faith spaces for adults, junior youth and children to connect with their higher selves.
“Chanting is a good way to start. It’s easier to quieten the mind with chanting than to focus on your breath or any other meditation technique,” opines Bhagat who has been chanting the Buddhist mantra ‘Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo’ for over a decade now. She has started studying Hindu scriptures and listening to mantras on apps like YouTube fairly recently.
Her nine-year-old son too chants ‘Om Namah Shivay’ and ‘Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo’ at bedtime and likes listening to Hanuman Chalisa while trying to fall asleep.
Most seem to take to chanting for meditation and healing. The auditory experience is transformative. However, for some, it may take time. Seema Das, who just completed her doctorate from IIM Mumbai, learnt chanting the Gayatri mantra at Shri Ambika Yog Kutir in Mumbai. “I began by chanting the mantra 21 times and gradually built up my practice to reach 108 times. It has transformed my life in ways I cannot even begin to describe,” she shares.
“It is a complete ritual that involves breathing and sitting in a set mudra. Those who have mastered the art don’t need to chant loudly. They can hear the sound in their minds. I am yet to reach that stage,” she adds.
Swapnil Gawde, Co-Founder, Immersive Sound Experience, can certainly understand where Das is coming from. As part of a team, he crafts unique and holistic sound experiences with the help of over 30 instruments that are carefully tuned in ways that their frequencies resonate with the human body, resulting in deep states of relaxation and awareness.
“Every sound has a geometric formation and has the power to touch the body, the mind and the soul. It can heal. During a kirtan or while chanting mantras, you kind of get lost in the process. Time loses its power. It has a transformative effect,” says Gawde.
It must be zen.
The lead image on top shows the Ganga aarti in Varanasi. It is a spiritual spectacle of chants, lamps, fire and faith of thousands of devotees who gather to witness it. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
