Mantras
In the Ashtanga Yoga method, two mantras are chanted in Sanskrit at the beginning and at the end of practice.
Mantras may be translated as “an instrument to guide the mind”. Within the tradition, their transformative power is understood to turn negative mental impulses into positive ones by elevating awareness through sound vibration.
Chanting a mantra at the beginning and end of Yoga practice is recommended, but it is not compulsory. Practitioners may instead remain silent during this moment.
The translations below express gratitude to the teachers who passed this practice on to us in the opening mantra, and a wish for peace, justice and prosperity for all beings in the closing mantra.
Opening mantra
ॐ
वन्दे गुरूणां चरणारविन्दे संदर्शितस्वात्मसुखावबोधे ।
निःश्रेयसेजाङ्गलिकायमानसंसारहालाहलमोहशान्त्यै ॥
आबाहुपुरुषाकारं शङ्खचक्रासिधारिणम् ।
सहस्रशिरसं श्वेतं प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ॥
oṁ
vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde saṁdarśita-svātmasukhāvabodhe |
niḥśreyasejāṅgalikāyamānesaṁsāra-hālāhala-moha-śāntyai ||
ābāhu-puruṣākāraṁ śaṅkha-cakrāsi-dhāriṇam |
sahasra-śirasaṁ śvetaṁ praṇamāmi patañjalim ||
Translation
OM
I bow to the lotus feet of the Gurus
Who teach knowledge, awakening us to the happiness of the revealed Self
Who act as the physician of the forest
Removing the poison of conditioned existence.
Before Patanjali
With a human form up to the shoulders
White, with a thousand radiant heads
Holding a sword, a discus and a conch
I bow down.
Closing mantra
ॐ
स्वस्तिप्रजाभ्यः परिपालयन्तां न्यायेन मार्गेण महीं महीशाः ।
गोब्राह्मणेभ्यः शुभमस्तु नित्यं लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
oṁ
svasti-prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṁ nyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṁ mahīśāḥ |
go-brāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubham-astu nityaṁ lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu ||
oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Translation
OM
May prosperity be glorified
May leaders govern justly and follow the path of goodness
May divinity and knowledge be protected
May all beings, everywhere, be happy.