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Mantras are known to be very powerful prayers to gods and goddesses. They are in sanskrit generally , I want to know that prayers spoken in other languages are less effective than the mantras, or what makes them supreme?
I was of the opinion that we don't even require to pray because god knows everything.
As stated in the answer by Rakesh Joshi, there are certain Mantras which are spoken by God only but those Mantras are not in Sanskrit. Those Mantras are stated in "apabhAshA".
The Mantras are called ShAvar Mantra and plenty such Mantras can be found in the Shavara Tantram.
One Mantra which is to be used on water (such Mantras are called JolporA Mantra) is given below and is stated by Lord Shiva himself:
MahAdeva UvAcha:
apabhAshAm pravakshyAmi mantram strivashikarnam |
Yasya dhAranamAtrena shaktishAdhanamuttamam ||achal ghater nichal pAni |
TAhAte upajila kAler vAghini ||
KAler vAghini volom tore | ... etc
Lord Shiva said -
I am telling the Mantra for Stri Vashikarana ( which is used for controlling any lady) in apabhAshA. By the practice of this Mantra there is definite increase in power/vitality of the chanter.
So, here, as you can see, Lord Shiva's words are in Sanskrit but the Mantra he gives is not in Sanskrit but in an "apabhAshA".
Here apabhAshA means a language that is not pure as Sanskrit but any commonly spoken language.
There are many persons on this earth (for e.g. the tribal people) who may not pronounce Sanskrit Mantras properly. But since God is all-merciful he cares about everyone.
So, for the benefit of such less privileged persons (if I may say that) plenty of such Mantras are given by Lord Shiva himself in the ShAvara Tantras.
So, the conclusion is, that although more than 99% of the Mantras are in Sanskrit but there are Mantras that are in other languages too.
As regards prayers, then people usually pray in their native languages. So, a Malayali will pray in Malayalam where as a Punjabi will pray in his own language. There is no restriction, to my knowledge, that one needs to pray in a particular language like Sanskrit or any other.
There are some mantras in different language/dialect which have been going on since centuries.
For example we have the shaabar mantras which are usually non sanskrit with some sanskrit or similar words. They are used generally by those belonging to the naath panth. This tradition was propagated by Sri gorakshanatha (gorakh nath). They can also give good results if done properly.
Also there is similar thing like Shabar mantras in Malayalam language too. Some of the prayogas of kerala maantrikam has such mantras.
