Listen & Chant Along
Meaning & Translation
Sanskrit
ॐ अ र प च न धीः
Transliteration
Om A Ra Pa Tsa Na Dhih
Deity / Quality Invoked
Manjushri
Pronunciation
ohm ah rah pah tsah nah DEE-h
Full Translation
This is the mantra of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of transcendent wisdom, built on the arapacana syllabary — an ancient alphabet whose first five letters (a-ra-pa-ca-na) each unlock a facet of insight, crowned by Dhih, Manjushri's seed syllable of discriminating wisdom. Practitioners often repeat the final "Dhih" in a long cascade to sharpen the mind.
Spiritual Significance
Manjushri wields a flaming sword that cuts through ignorance, and his mantra is chanted by students, debaters, and meditators alike to strengthen memory, eloquence, and penetrating understanding. It is the mantra traditionally recited before study and philosophical debate in Tibetan monasteries.
Cultural Context & History
The arapacana syllabary predates its Buddhist use and appears in the Prajnaparamita literature as a meditation alphabet. Deva Premal and the Gyuto Monks of Tibet recorded the mantra as "Wisdom" on "Tibetan Mantras for Turbulent Times" (2010), with each of the 108 repetitions trailing the triple "dhi dhi dhi."
Terms in the Glossary
Words from this page, explained in our A–Z reference.