'Mantra' [sanskrit] means in its literal sense 'to free from mind'; it derived from 'manas' ('mind') and 'trai' ('protect' or 'free from').
A mantra consists of words or sounds bringing spiritual energies clearly before the mind. So the mind is protected against the flow of subconscious and conscious thoughts.
The words or sounds of the mantra make feel the spiritual energy by their vibrations.
This spiritual energy imparts the flow of prana in the body.
The number of times the mantra is repeated and the time of reciting it are associated with the mantra.
Articles: