Can I chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Namah without Guru?
It is not recommended to chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Namah without the guidance of a Guru. You may chant Vasudevaya Namah instead.
“Om or Aum” (vedic pranava) is not suitable or required for everyone to chant. It represents paramatama tattva (Supreme Truth) and is the beej mantra of the vedas. This means the mantra is very powerful and if used incorrectly can be very damaging. Remember, what can heal can also harm.
Thus, to chant Om one would have to follow several rules and regulations and have a traditional approval and initiation from Guru.
Vedic mantras like Om can only be chanted by those who are from brahman, kshatriya or vaishya families, and have had their yagyopaveet (sacred thread) at the right time. They must receive initiation and follow an austere lifestyle as suggested by the Guru to chant Om as part of their sadhana mantras.
For all others, and women, beej mantras are given by Gurus instead of Om. These beej mantras are called “tantric pranava” (hreem, kleem, shreem, etc) and while very potent, they are in a form that can be digested by everyone after initiation (Guru is still needed since if these are done wrongly, problems will arise in your health and life).
Please note that chanting Om on its own is restricted to brahmans who are sannyasis. They alone can digest the power of the beej of the entire creation.
If others do these restricted practices without the above-mentioned authority, a mantra can create mental imbalance, health issues and losses, since power of the mantra cannot be digested without following their respective rules and regulations. Women can also severely damage their reproductive system with chanting vedic mantras like Om.
Those who are not authorized to chant Om, may derive the same fruit of sadhana by chanting the name of their Ishta devata. This can be made even more powerful by receiving guru diksha. There is no stealing of fruit in Sanatana dharma.
May you derive great benefit from chanting mantras and at the same time do it correctly to protect yourself from harm. Our traditional knowledge is most scientific.
What is shared here is authentic knowledge from the vedas and shastras, that most modern Gurus will not share with you!
