subscribeI have been a yoga practitioner since 1984. In the beginning, like many, I tried on different styles, but eventually settled into method of B.K.S. Iyengar. There will be many many posts to follow on the practice of yoga. But first things first. Here is the chant and translation that is recited before every class. The sound clip is of BKS Iyengar himself.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
yogena cittasya padena vacam
Yoga for consciousness, grammar for speech
malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
medicine for the ills of the body;
yopa karottam pravaram muninam
he gave us these things the sage
patañjalim pranjalir anato’smi
Patañjali to whom I pay my respects.
abahu purusakaram
His upper body (arms) of human form,
sankha chakrasi dharinam
holding conch and disc,
sahasra sirasam svetam
thousand headed cobra [over his head]
pranamami patañjalim
I pay my respects to Patañjali
yastyaktva rupamadhyam
prabhavati jagato’nekadhanugrahaya
praksinaklesharasir visamavisadharo’nekavaktrah subhogi
sarvajnana prasutir bhujagaparikarah pritaye yasya nityam
devohisah sa vovyat sitavimalatanur yogado yogahyuktah
Salutations to Lord Adisesa of the myriad serpent heads and
mouths carrying noxious poisons, who came to earth single-headed to eradicate ignorance and vanquish sorrow. We respect Him, repository of all knowledge, amidst his attendant retinue. His primordial form shines with pure and white effulgence, pristine in body, a master of yoga who bestows yogic light to enable mankind to rest in the house if the immortal self.
