Living Mantra is an anthropology of mantra-experience among Hindu-tantric practitioners. In
ancient Indian doctrine and legends mantras perceived by rishis (seers) invoke deities and
have transformative powers. Adopting a methodology that combines scholarship and practice Mani
Rao discovers a continuing tradition of visionaries (rishis seers) and revelations in south
India's Andhra-Telangana. Both deeply researched and replete with fascinating narratives the
book reformulates the poetics of mantra-practice as it probes practical questions. Can one know
if a vision is real or imagined? Is vision visual? Are deity-visions mediated by culture? If
mantras are effective what is the role of devotion? Are mantras language? Living Mantra
interrogates not only theoretical questions but also those a practitioner would ask: how does
one choose a deity for example or what might bind one to a guru? Rao breaks fresh ground in
redirecting attention to the moments that precede systematization and canon-formation showing
how authoritative sources are formed.
