A powerful mantra which has 24 words. The base kinds of living beings on earth are considered 19. Add to them the 5 elements and we get the figure 24, which is the reason for the mantra having 24 words, as per Mahabharata Bhishmaparva Chapter 24. During Shiva’s victory over Tripura, this mantra was hung in the form of a thread on the top of his chariot.

Chanting this mantra once will cause all the sins committed during that morning to be forgiven. Chanting it 10 times causes the day’s sins to be forgiven. 100 for a month, 1000 for a year, a lakh for a lifetime, ten lakhs for the previous births, and 100 lakhs for all the lifetimes. Chanting it 10 crore times will earn one salvation.

The way to chant it is thus – the body needs to be still, the face pointing downward, right hand upturned like a snake’s hood and ends of the fingers pointed upwards. Though there is a way to keep count using the fingers called karamalasampradaya, other methods can also be used as per Devibhagavata Navamaskanda.