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It is said to be one thousand times more effective than upamshu japa and thus 100 000 times more effective than vaikhari japa. During upamshu japa the practitioner's lips should barely move so it is difficult for an observer to see that anything is being said. It is said to be one hundred times more effective than vaikhari japa. Upamshu japa is said quietly, at a whisper.It may be useful when there are other sounds nearby (though some consider this to be a mistake) or when concentration is difficult and is thus considered most suitable for beginners. Vaikhari japa is spoken loud enough so that, although this is not why it is so loud (unless it is a group japa session), nearby people can hear it recited.Japa may be performed in varying degrees of loudness: It is not uncommon for people to wear japa beads around their neck, although some practitioners prefer to carry them in a bead-bag in order to keep them clean. The number of beads in the japamala is generally 108. Many different types of materials are used for japa. In some forms of japa, the repetitions are counted using a string of beads known as a japamala. Īccording to the sage Patanjali (400 CE), Japa is not the repetition of word or phase but rather contemplation on the meaning of the mantra, this definition sometimes persists across different sources. The concept of japa is also found in early Buddhist texts, and is very common in Tibetan Buddhism literature. A related word, japana appears in Book 12 of the Mahabharata, where muttering prayers is described as a form of religious offering. Often it is the repetitive singing of a verse or mantra, sometimes counted with the help of a rosary which is called japamala. The term means muttering, whispering or murmuring passages from the scripture, or charms, or names of deity. Monier-Williams states that the term appears in Vedic literature such as in the Aitareya Brahmana ( Rigveda) and the Shatapatha Brahmana ( Yajurveda). It can be further defined as ja to destroy birth, death, and reincarnation and pa meaning to destroy ones sins. The Sanskrit word japa is derived from the root jap-, meaning "to utter in a low voice, repeat internally, mutter".