Ashtanga Yoga Opening and Closing Prayer/Mantra

Ashtanga Yoga is more grounded in tradition, as it begins and ends with sacred mantras that pay tribute to its tradition and intention. The opening mantra welcomes the blessings, protection, and guidance of the ancient sages, and the Closing Mantra spreads peace, compassion, and well-being to all beings. Collectively, they form the spiritual core of yoga- they are there to remind those who practice yoga that this is not only a physical journey, but an internal one, a journey that can take one deeper, to spiritual awakening.

Ashtanga Yoga Opening Mantra

Devanagari Script

ॐ

वन्दे गुरूणां चरणारविन्दे

सन्दर्शित स्वात्म सुखावबोधे।

निःश्रेयसे जाङ्गलिकायमाने

संसार हालाहल मोह शान्त्यै ॥

आबाहु पुरुषाकारं

शङ्ख चक्रासि धारिणम् ।

सहस्र शिरसं श्वेतं

प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ॥

ॐ

Transliteration

Om

Vande Gurunam Charanaravinde

Sandarshita svatma sukhavabodhe

Nihsreyase jangalikayamane

Samsara halahala moha shantyai

Abahu purusakaram

Sankha chakra asi dharinam

Sahasra sirasam svetam

Meaning (Line by Line)

• Vande Gurunam Charanaravinde, I pay homage to the lotus feet of all my teachers.
• Sandarshita svatma sukhavabodhe — Who rouse the self-realisation.
• Nihsreyase jangalikayamane — Who are the curers in the forest of existence of the world?
• Samsara halahala moha shantyai -Who soothe the poison of delusion and of suffering.
• Abahu purusakaram - To him who is a man, even to the arms.
• Sankha chakra asi dharinam — Who is the holder of conch, discus, and sword?
• Sahasra sirasam swetam- The thousand-headed, white and radiant being.
• Pranamami Patanjalim - I pay homage to Sage Patanjali.

Historical and Vedic roots

Ashtanga Yoga mantras are based on the Vedic scriptures, which are based on ancient Sanskrit prayers. The opening mantra glorifies the Guru-the one who removes darkness, connecting the practitioner to an unbroken series of wisdom that stretches back to Patanjali, the father of classical yoga. The closing mantra repeats the universal wish for peace as in the Upanishads, and is a wish for well-being, health, and liberation of all creatures.

These mantras were traditionally recited to instil a sense of humility and gratitude before practice started and to end the session with devotion and compassion. This sacred ritual is still practised by Ashtanga students all over the world, and the tradition began with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who re-established and distributed this transformative practice to the contemporary world.

Mantra Maha-prakash

The Ashtanga opening mantra is a holy prayer of praise and devotion. It commemorates all teachers who help us out of the darkness to self-realization and pays tribute to the Sage Patanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutras and is worshipped.

With this mantra, students can tune their minds with humility, devotion and the eternal wisdom of yoga- turning the physical practice into a process of spiritual awakening and inner calm.

Related Post:- What is the Meaning of Mantra?

Ashtanga Yoga Closing Mantra

Ashtanga Yoga is a very traditional form of yoga that starts and finishes with holy mantras that pay tribute to its origins and its mission. The opening mantra welcomes the blessings, protection, and guidance of divine sages of ancient times, whereas the closing mantra is the source of peace, compassion, and well-being to all living beings. Collectively, they embody the spiritual core of yoga- reminding yoga practitioners that this journey goes way beyond the physical and is an embodiment of inner change and spiritual enlightenment.

Vedic and historical origins

Ashtanga Yoga mantras have their origins in the Vedic scriptures, which have their roots in ancient Sanskrit prayers. The Opening Mantra glorifies the Guru -the one who removes the darkness- connecting the practitioner to a continuous tradition of wisdom that stretches back to Patanjali, the father of classical yoga. The Closing Mantra is the echo of the universal appeal to peace in the Upanishads, and it is goodwill, health, and liberation to all beings.

These mantras have traditionally been recited to develop humility and gratitude prior to starting practice and to close the session with devotion and compassion after practice. Ashtanga practitioners worldwide today still maintain this sacred tradition, which continues the tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who rediscovered and brought this life-changing practice to the contemporary world.

Ashtanga Yoga Opening Mantra

Devanagari Script

स्वस्तिप्रजाभ्यः परिपालयन्तां

न्यायेन मार्गेण महीं महीशाः ।

गोब्राह्मणेभ्यः शुभमस्तु नित्यं

लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।

Transliteration

Svasti prajabhyah paripalayantam

Nyayena margena mahim mahishah

Gobrahmanebhyah nityam shubham.

Lokah sukhino bhavantu samastah.

Meaning (Line by Line)

• Svasti prajabhyah paripalayantam - May everyone be safeguarded and well-wish.
• Nyayena margena mahim mahishah- May the rulers of the earth be just and righteous.
• Gobrahmanebhyah shubham astu nityam -May the holy beings-cows and spiritual teachers- always be blessed.
• Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu - May all living beings everywhere be well and happy and peaceful.
• Om Shanti Shanti Shantih - Om, peace, peace, peace.

Essence of the Mantra

Ashtanga Opening Mantra is a Hindu prayer of thanksgiving and glory. It celebrates all those teachers who lead us out of ignorance into self-realization and honours Sage Patanjali, the holy writer of the Yoga Sutras.

By chanting this mantra, the yoga practitioners tune their minds to humility, devotion and the eternal wisdom of yoga- turning the yoga practice into a spiritual journey of awakening and inner harmony.

Meaning of the Mantra

Ashtanga Closing Mantra is a prayer of gratitude and goodwill. It reminds practitioners that yoga is not only a personal practice but also offers harmony to the world. We spread the peace that we have developed in us to all parts of the world by chanting it, and we extend it to all creatures, bringing them compassion, harmony, and calm.

This mantra is inspired by the Vedic tradition, and it is a wonderful way to complete the Ashtanga practice with a vibration of love, justice and peace, a reminder of the real goal of yoga, which is unity and the elevation of all.

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Conclusion

Gratitude, devotion, and compassion are beautifully interwoven in the Ashtanga Yoga Opening and Closing Mantras. They are divine companions to the physical exercise--they call in divine wisdom in the commencing, and dispense peace and goodwill in the terminating. These mantras make the yoga mat a holy place where body, mind and spirit come together in oneness.