Ashtanga Invocation Chant

Here’s an audio recording with Sanskrit and English transcriptions of the Ashtanga Invocation Chant, used to open an Ashtanga class.

OM
VANDE GURUNAM CARANARAVINDE
SANDARSITA SVATMA SUKHAVA BODHE
NIH SREYASE JANGALIKAYAMANE
SAMSARA HALAHALA MOHASANTYAI
ABAHU PURUSAKARAM
SANKHACAKRASI DHARINAM
SAHASRA SIRASAM SVETAM
PRANAMAMI PATANJALIM
OM

Roughly translated into English as:
I bow to the lotus feet of the gurus
The awakening happiness of ones own self revealed
Beyond better, acting like the jungle physician
Pacifying delusion, the poison of samsara
Taking the form of a man to the shoulders
Holding a conch, a discus, and a sword
One thousand heads white
To Patanjali, I salute.

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Ashtanga invocation chant is chanted in the beginning of each Ashtanga yoga class. Similarly it often starts the Doron Yoga class as well.
Repeat the chant first slowly in call and response, so it is easy to learn.

More mantras and chants

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