A mantra is a syllable or phrase that is repeated over and over again and which has spiritual significance. Mantras often has devotional significance but they are also used in meditations. The word, mantra, is composed of two parts of the Sanskrit language. “Man”, means “to think” and  “-tra” is attached to the names for tools. So, “mantra” means “a tool to think with.

They are intended to deliver the mind from illusion and material inclinations.  Mantras were originally conceived Vedas. The most basic mantra is Aum, also known as the "pranava mantra," the source of all mantras.