Do you recite the Hanuman Chalisa every day? Or the Adya Stotra? Or any mantra daily? Do you perform your worship each day with devotion?

Have you received a guru mantra? Is that mantra a Shakti mantra or a Vaishnava mantra? Have you taken formal initiation from a guru? If so, is your guru still living?

Before chanting any mantra or stotra or performing worship, these questions are extremely important for you. Because if you have not received initiation or do not have a guru mantra, then all the time you have spent in recitation and worship so far will go in vain.

Any mantra or stotra is a form of poetic composition. It mainly contains descriptions of deities, their glory, and their powers. Along with that, there are certain syllables or sounds known as bija, or seed syllables. These beejas are of three types: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Apart from these, some special words are also used, many of which have no direct meaning.

A priest acts as a bridge between the devotee and God. But unless the priest performs the ritual, consecrates the idol with prana pratistha, and makes the sankalpa, that bridge is not formed. As a result, the mantra or stotra does not become awakened. Therefore, without a priest or a guru mantra, chanting, reciting mantras or stotras, and performing worship are fruitless. In fact, they may even bring adverse results.

For this reason, receiving a guru mantra before beginning recitation or worship is absolutely essential.