Usually in the West, a secret is shameful and dishonest. But in the East, it is honored and regarded as sacred.
There are five secrets which are sacred and are guarded by the subtle beings and good elements in creation. They are:
1. Jananarahasya or the secret of birth
Birth is a secret. How a soul takes a body, the criteria for selecting the place of birth, time of birth, type of body, parents, etc are all a secret.
2. Maranarahasya or the secret of death
Death is a highly guarded secret. Death remains a mystery. The process of separation of spirit from matter and its journey from then on is a secret.
3. Rajarahasya or the royal secret, secret of governance
The principles of governing; the principles of maintaining the orderliness in creation are a secret.
4. Prakritirahasya or the secret of nature
Nature is a mystery. The more you know about nature, the mystery deepens. The more a scientist knows, the more he feels there is much more to know. Science, though appearing to resolve the mystery in creation, has deepened it. The knowledge of particles, wave functions, black holes, the vacuum state, etc have only deepened the mystery.
5. Mantrarahasya or secret of mantras
The mantras or prayers from the Vedas and their effect, influence, method and mode of working are all a mystery. Mantras are the impulses or rhythms of consciousness, which itself is a mystery.
Life itself a secret–you do not know ewhat lays ahead tomorrow. while you can rememember what has happened until this moment, you do not know what lies ahead–and the milestones keep moving further and further away, second by second.
Time itself is a relative entity, a secret unfathomable….it may be running away from one while another finds the seconds, minutes, hours stretching interminably aheda of them.
Life itself is a secret and therefore often called a dream state. That is the wonder of life that we live in the middle of this secretive dream and yet strive, toil and work at it hoping to reap something precious in the unknown (secretive) future.
This and That, There and Here 
That makes life seem so complicated.
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All the five secrets have been exposed by modern science. When this treatise was created, things were different and it helped to keep them secret. Not any more.
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I came across here from Ramana’s Blog; Although I cannot agree with what I assume are the premises upon which the Five Secrets are based I found them easy to understand.
Assuming certain things is essential here. For instance , one has to assume(believe?) that souls and spirit exist and can exist without a material body.
Another assumption would be that the world is governed from outside (by a God?) together with the idea that there is orderliness in creation.
As for understanding nature and solving the mystery in creation by science. Is that really what science is about?
As for prayers and mantras, I know little about them but can imagine that they do have effects on the practitioner in the same way that by thinking in a certain way I can lower my blood pressure and in a similar way remove pains from certain areas of my body. (Tricks I have learned over the years)
If my life has been a dream state then I must say that it has been a nightmare at times. I do not say that flippantly but in all seriousness.
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Thanks for dropping by.
Words, when chanted slowly and systematically become mantra .
Words that echo a request of a need to ‘god’ or a power above become prayer.
Words when used repeatedly become the tool for meditation.
We still quote Shakespeare–he is dead and gone and the mystery of who he was and his talents continue to haunt us. However his words are valid even today. Likewise we Hindus recite and chant the words, mantras, that have been part of our cultural DNA to suit our needs and circumstances.
What is science all about then if not to resolve the mysteries that present themselves before us.. be it the way things work, the cure or alleviation of pain and disease, to solving basic problems of man, harnessing nature’s bounty, energy—the list is endless….and finding a resolution to human conflict.
The assumption “that souls and spirit exist and can exist without a material body” is a personal thing. I still believe that my late mother is looking after me from wherever she is and takes pride in whatever I do. This may be only an echo of whatever she taught me, spoke to me or demonstrated through her value structures that are deeply embedded in my conscience. Hinduism believes in the existence of souls and we honour them remembering three generations before us in ritualistic ceremonies. This can simply be explained as honouring the people who are still in our memories for we have interacted with them.
There is an orderliness in nature, creation–however you look at it. I would call it a power beyond my reality that makes the seasons, the tides, the growth of life and its natural end happen at appropriate times.
Even when nature wreaks havoc it is based on particular parametres….to set right imbalances that have crept into the system. Normal course of nature is like a smooth ride controlled by the steering wheel. Nature’s fury is like brakes applied for course correction.
Dream state or nightmare are again perceptions…that is where mantra helps me to face the day.
Thanks once again for triggering my thought processes. It is indeed interesting to read the reactions of each one of you.
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#4 makes a lot of sense to me.
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Does only ‘words’ in mantra make effects or the ‘Bhav’ (feeling) of the chanter makes the effect?
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Thank you for your thought provoking reply.
I think all three have a holistic impact. In a mantra we do not understand all the words…we may know the general meaning. These words have been passed on by the aural tradition. It must have a special resonance.
The ‘Bhav’–mood, intention, emotion– too is very important as when you approach something with humility, with the desire to learn, with an aching need to find solace, then the words you say are empowered. There is this need to ventilate our deepest thoughts, emotions and desires in all of us. Sometimes we hesitate to tell another person. Then a mantra helps to bridge this gap.
Finally the ‘chanter’ enters the sphere of the chakra with faith. With repetition it becomes an automatic armour against the hurt and pain of the world.
Recently I have been listening to “Om namo bhagavathe Vasudevaya’ by Pandit Jasraj. My husband plays soft, chanting music or bhajans when driving as it cools down hot reactions on the road to bad traffic elements. I find this song reverbrating in my mind especially in waking moments….it has become an automatic reaction. I have been chanting this for many years…it did not have such an impact as the sung version.
A mantra is only a tool..how you use it and whether you gain from it is an individual matter.
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