In short
- A mala has 108 counting beads and one larger bead, the Sumeru, which is not counted.
- Hold it in the right hand. Move each bead with the thumb, over the middle finger.
- Start at the bead next to the Sumeru. At the end, turn the mala round instead of crossing it.
- A mala helps, but it is not required. The name can be taken without one.
What a mala is
A japa mala is 108 beads strung in a loop, with one extra bead, larger or set apart, where the loop is joined. That extra bead is called the Sumeru, or the guru bead. It marks the beginning and the end of a round and is not counted.
The mala does one job: it holds the count, so that your mind does not have to. Without it, part of your attention is always doing arithmetic.
Which mala to use
Tulsi
The customary choice for the names of Radha and Krishna, and the one Vaishnava devotees generally use.
Rudraksha
Traditionally associated with Lord Shiva and used widely for Shiva mantras.
Size and knots
Beads of 7 to 8 mm are easy to feel. A knot between each bead stops them sliding and makes the count surer.
A tulsi kanthi, the short string worn round the neck, is a different thing: it is worn, not counted on.
How to hold it
- Right handLet the mala hang over the middle finger of your right hand.
- Thumb moves the beadDraw each bead towards you with the thumb, one bead for one repetition.
- Keep the index finger awayBy custom the index finger does not touch the beads. Hold it out, clear of the mala.
- Start beside the SumeruBegin with the first bead next to the Sumeru, not with the Sumeru itself.
One round, and the rule about the Sumeru
Say the name once, completely, on each bead, and then move to the next. When you have gone all the way round you will feel the Sumeru under your thumb: that is one round, 108 repetitions.
Do not cross the Sumeru. Turn the mala round and go back the way you came.
To begin a second round, turn the mala in your hand so that the last bead you counted becomes the first, and continue in the opposite direction.
Why 108
Many explanations are offered, drawing on astronomy, on the Sanskrit alphabet and on scripture, and no single one is agreed by everyone. What is certain is the custom itself: 108 is the count that has been kept for a very long time, across almost every tradition that uses beads.
Smaller malas of 54 or 27 beads exist for the same reason a full one does. Two or four times round gives 108.
Looking after it
- Keep it in a cloth bag when you are not using it. A gomukhi bag also lets you chant with the mala covered
- Do not let it touch the floor
- Keep it clean and dry, and do not hang it where it will be handled casually
- Use the same mala each day rather than sharing one
If you do not have one
Then begin without it. On this point Premanand Ji Maharaj is clear: a mala helps, because it gives the hands something to do and the mind a count to hold, but it is not a requirement. A good part of his instruction is about chanting while walking, cooking or commuting, where no mala is involved at all.
The name needs no posture, no fixed hour and no minimum count. If a number helps you, pick one you will repeat tomorrow. See how to start naam jap.
Common mistakes
- Racing the beads so that the name is half said. Slower and complete is the point
- Raising the count in a burst of enthusiasm, then dropping the practice two weeks later
- Treating the number as the achievement. The count serves the remembrance, not the reverse
- Waiting to buy the right mala before starting at all
This is a fan website, not the official site of Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj. The article summarises what he teaches in public satsang; it does not quote him. If something here is wrong, tell us and it is corrected the same week.
