PPRRAAYYEERRSS aanndd IINNVVOOCCAATTIIOONNSSffoorr CCHHAANNTTIINNGG

IInncclluuddiinngg aann eexxppllaannaatt iioonn ooff tthhee iinnvvooccaatt iioonnssbbyy DDrr GGeeeettaa SS .. IIyyeennggaarr

IIYYEENNGGAARR YYOOGGAA AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONN ((UUKK))

In May 2009 Geetaji came to Europe to teach at Conventions held in two locations: Koln and London.

As well as conducting asana and pranayama classes,Geetaji led sessions where students practised the recitation or chanting of "the prayers". This is the

traditional way in which students of yoga learn by heartthe Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, invocations and prayers

directly from their teacher or Guru.

This booklet has been produced to include all the chanting from the Conventions. It also includes an

explanation of the meaning of the Invocations and anaudio CD compiled with the permission of the IYVD

(Deutschland) and the RIMYI. It will hopefully be a helpfulaid to learning the pronunciation of Sanskrit, the

intonation and flow of the chants and understandingtheir meaning.

AAcckknnoowwlleeddggeemmeennttssDr Geeta S. Iyengar for inspirationAbhijata Sridhar for proofreading Horst Binski and the IYVD for compiling the text & recording the chantingSallie Sullivan and Gerry Chambers for editing Sanskrit Philippe Harari and Jo Duffin for layout and productionJudith Jones for editing

Printed by: Blueprint Press, Cambridge, on paper made using wood from sustainable forests and without the use of chlorine

Printed and published (2010) by the Iyengar Yoga Association (UK)

wwwwww..iiyyeennggaarryyooggaa..oorrgg..uukk

PPRRAAYYEERRSS aanndd IINNVVOOCCAATTIIOONNSS ffoorr CCHHAANNTTIINNGG

CCoonntteennttss::

The 108 names of Patajali 1

Yoga Sutras of Patajali 13

samdhi pda 13

sdhana pda 14

vibhti pda 15

kaivalya pda 17

Universal Prayers for Peace 19

Prayers to devat 21

Prayers of Gaea 21

Prayers of Viu 22

Prayers of Hanumna 22

Prayers of Patajali 24

Prayers of Guru 25

Yoga 25

Surrender to Lord 25

tmaa#aka (Song of the Soul) 26

Qualifications of Disciple 28

Patajalis rat 30

An explanation of the invocations by Dr Geeta S. Iyengar 31

1

The 108 Names of Lord Patanjali

Translated by Shri Siddhartha Krishna

Introduction

On the 31st October 2004, the world's first temple dedicated to Lord Patanjali wasinaugurated by our respected Shri Yogacharya B. K. S. Iyengar (Guruji) in his holy birthplace of Bellur, a village in Karnataka, South India. Bellur is soon to become a place of pilgrimage for all Iyengar Yoga students, because the place is of immense importance to our beloved Guruji. Its tranquil and serene environment, enchanted with the grace of Lord Patanjali and his divine philosophy of Yoga, provides one of the most perfect spiritual settings for Yoga Sadhana (ardent practice of Yoga). The traditional priests, while performing Aaraadhanaa (divine worship) to the Lord, recite this "Ashtottara-shata-naamaavalih" (the 108 Names) of Lord Patanjali regularly in the holy sanctum of this temple. As explicitly mentioned in the last verse of this text, a devotee, who ardently recites these 108 names of Lord Patanjali, reaches the highest abode of consciousness by his blessings. Indeed, devotional recitation of the text leads to physical perfection, inner purification, mental peace, spiritual development, deep meditation and divine grace, which are the prerequisites to the attainment of Yoga, the highest goal of human existence. Yoga is the quintessence of all religions, ideologies, philosophies, ethics and nationalities. Thus, Yoga provides a better understanding of our own ideology, philosophy, religion and nation. Yoga bestows upon us firm determination, stamina and great willpower, which are essential for reaching the highest pinnacles in any field. Yoga welcomes all races, religious and ethnic groups, and renders them into one single bouquet consisting of a vast range of flowers. Yoga unites the world in its soul. Yoga is unity, in which all conflicts and hatred tend to dissolve and only unconditional pure love for the whole of creation prevails. Thus, Yoga truly has the ability to convert this earth into heaven. This is the divine vision (Darshana) of the great saint and sage of yore, Lord Patanjali, the author of the Yoga-Darshanam, the most authoritative text available on the philosophy of Yoga, and who is the spiritual successor of an extremely ancient Vedic tradition whose foundations are deeply rooted within the holy texts of the four Vedas (viz. Rig-veda, Saama-veda, Yajur-veda and Atharva-veda) and was promulgated for the first time by Lord Kapila to his beloved mother Devahuti and further exalted and embellished by Yogeshvara (the Lord of Yoga) Lord Shri Krishna in the Yoga-Shaastra (the scripture on Yoga) more commonly known as the Shrimad-Bhagavad-Gita. Finally I would like to express my special thanks and regards to Geetaji (Geeta S. Iyengar) for clearing all my doubts and answering all my questions. May Lord Patanjali's blessings dawn upon us all! Siddhartha Krishna

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!"##$%&'"($$

I bow down to Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras, who enlightens the science of words (Sanskrit grammar) and is the teacher of Ayurveda. ) !*#!#$+,&-.&$$

!

"!####$%After bowing down to Him with all my devotion I will reveal the 108 names of the great Muni Bhagavan Patanjali, who is the greatest spiritual master and is the purifier of mind, speech and body. (A Muni is a sage who contemplates.)

/&&' !##&Prostration to the Great Muni Bhagavan Patanjali. '&Prostration to the Great Yogi.

!#&Prostration to the Master of Yoga.

!01&!

#&Prostration to the explainer of the word "Yoga".

2+!3*#&()!!#&Prostration to the explainer of the various Vrittis (modifications of the mind). 45/)&*!+#&Prostration to him whose heart is fixed upon the Supreme God.

6#&,#&Prostration to the worshipper of OM. (To worship in Sanskrit means to meditate upon.) 7!8&,##&Prostration to the one who perceives the true nature of OM.

9*&-!##&Prostration to him who performs Japa (repetition of Mantras, viz. OM etc.) 6*!#&!##&Prostration to the teacher of the means of Yoga (Samadhi).

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!7##&'#&Prostration to him who discloses the true nature of the word (Shabda). !"

4

%"!*#&3!#&Prostration to him who purifies (us from) the state of ignorance. #'

5

6'QJ&.!

#&Prostration to him who knows all the branches (of the Vedas). 6A)#&./+#&Prostration to him who expounds the aphorisms (of Panini). !@C?90&'#! #&Prostration to the greatest authority on grammar.

%E&01&3$#!

#&Prostration to him who explains the letters (of Panini's Ashtadhyayi).

6A?'=#'&./#!#

#&Prostration to him who denies the worthlessness of any aphorism (in Panini's Ashtadhyayi). In his commentary on Panini's Ashtadhyayi, Lord Patanjali denies the worthlessness of even a single aphorism and says, "Acarya Panini, the greatest authority, used to compose these aphorisms with great effort in the peaceful morning hours while sitting in an immaculate place, facing the east, (i.e. praying to the rising Sun which is the abode of life, light and knowledge, and transcends all darkness, ignorance and impurity) and holding Kusha (i.e. the purifying grass) in his hand. In such a case, when a single letter ought not to be worthless, how can a complete aphorism be worthless?" In ancient times it was a custom to hold the purifying Kusha grass while performing any divine ritual or worship. However, the custom is still practiced in some very ancient temples even today. The razor-like sharp and pointed Kusha grass symbolizes a pure, subtle intellect and intelligence that can pierce through the subtlest of subjects, the Supreme Truth. Thus, the holy Upanishads quote, "That Supreme Truth can only be perceived through a subtle and sharp intellect." To make it clearer I would like to mention that such subtlety and sharpness of intellect can only be acquired by purifying it through ardent Yoga practice.

M/&!8&($!##&Prostration to him who demonstrates the reasons for special understanding.

!6D3C*J&,#!#&Prostration to him who knows the relation of words.

3S#!'#&"!#&Prostration to him who demonstrates many alternatives (of an explanation). 6'T+J&.$!#&Prostration to him who knows all the things that have been defined (in the scriptures). ='&(##&Prostration to him who explains the purport of the sentences.

6/U9V&.!!#&Prostration to him who has a thousand tongues.

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Mythologically, Lord Patanjali is considered an incarnation of the primordial mythical thousand-headed serpent Shesha, who was considered to bear the earth on his heads and forms the couch of Lord Vishnu, the Omnipresent Supreme Godhead. Because he has a thousand heads, he is also occasionally mentioned as having a thousand tongues. Indeed, there is a tale related to this particular description. It is said that in ancient times some sentences in Lord Patanjali's Mahabhashyam were incomprehensible and unintelligible even amongst the greatest of scholars. Thus, the teachers of the text used to circle those sentences and they were not taught to the students. An explanation provided for this was that because Lord Patanjali was the incarnation of the thousand-tongued serpent, some of his tongues would prattle or babble, hence such meaningless sentences came into existence. However, a very great grammarian and the most authoritative commentator on the Mahabhashyam, named Kaiyyata, a resident of Kashmir probably in the 11th century AC, deciphered all those sentences and thus broke all those Kundalis, the circles that were in the Mahabhashyam.

%!M&$#&Prostration to the incarnation of the primordial serpent Shesha. Shesha symbolizes the law of Karma or the collective good and bad Karmas of entire humanity, which are considered to sustain and maintain creation.

)**&(+!!#&Prostration to him who bears the stream of thoughts. (Like Lord Shiva bears the holy stream of Mother Ganga, Lord Patanjali bears the stream of divine and holy thoughts.) !?8+!+!!8&'!!!##&Prostration to him who perceives the difference of the words and the non-difference of the objects described by them. According to Sanskrit grammar, all the different terms are considered to ultimately denote the Supreme Brahman, the substratum of the universe, the one single entity manifested in the form of the whole of creation. Therefore, even though there are endless words in so many languages, they all eventually describe the same Ultimate Existence. This is indeed a great concept that has the potential to eradicate all the conflicts that exist among various linguistic groups.

6*+!+2&.!!!)#&Prostration to him who practices the various types of Samadhi.

6X!#&,#!#&Prostration to the bestower of peace and superhuman powers (Siddhis). )I#@=&

#&Prostration to him who explains the consequence of mental concentration.

%6+!Y#&3!!#/#&Prostration to him who explains the various types of false attribution / misconception.

+!32/#&!)!#&Prostration to him who invigorated and promoted the various types of Yoga.

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+A&!/#&Prostration to him who is endowed with the magnificence or splandour of Yoga.

6###&Prostration to him who has arranged the steps of Yoga.

%!6X!&3!#&

Prostration to him who bestows etc. superhuman powers. The eight superhuman powers are 38 the power to become as small as an atom; 6!8 the power to assume excessive lightness at will; ,8 the power to obtain anything; ,8 irresistible will or freedom of will; 9!8 the power to increase size at will; *8 superiority or greatness; (8 the power to subjugate; 28 the power to suppress passion. However, Lord Patanjali believes that these superhuman powers are hindrances in .!:Thus, an ardent practitioner of Yoga should completely forsake the desire to acquire them.

#I?!8&2!##&Prostration to him who shows the path to Kaivalya (salvation). I>/&3*#&(!!#& Prostration to him who explains the causes of non-attachment.

&[&9#

$;#&Prostration to the greatest Muni (sage, ascetic). &C!&9###&Prostration to him who is worshiped by sages and ascetics.

!M/'&0$!

#&Prostration to him who destroys the three impurities (of mind, speech and body). !'&7# #&Prostration to him who dwells in the country called Gonarda. Gonarda is a village in Kashmir on the bank of a river of the same name.

#&&7#&Prostration to the son of Gonika.

6A\&/)#&Prostration to the author of the Yoga Sutras.

/+]8&9!!$#

#&Prostration to the author of the Mahabhashyam.

I"'#&(#&Prostration to the founder of the Ayurvedic scriptures.

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01&&(!##&Prostration to him who is very skilled in explaining.

D& Prostration to him who is only intelligible to Yogis (the ardent practitioners of Yoga).

%Q_`?8!&3!

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6X+!!8&.!!##&Prostration to him who describes the various Siddhis (accomplishment of superhuman powers). Y+*#&0!#/!!#&Prostration to him who describes the nature of meditation.

)6iH&5/#&Prostration to him who is free from mental confusion.

)6!!'##&Prostration to him who shows methods to purify the mind (friendliness, compassion, delight, impartiality, as described in the Yoga Sutra 1/33). c+*&%!!

#&Prostration to the author of the "Yoga Patala", i.e. the Yoga Sutras (lit. the roof of Yoga protecting us from the scorching heat and hailstorms of worldly grief, agony and suffering). =#8'#&2##&Prostration to the remover of afflictions and Karmas.

Y?&./!#&Prostration to him who rests in his own essential nature (in which the true Self is realized as described in the Yoga Sutra 1/3). #O#&,#&Prostration to the most compassionate soul.

#1&(!#& Prostration to him who has obtained discriminative awareness (as described in the Yoga Sutra 2/27).

/M8&9!$#&Prostration to the greatest Rishi. The Sanskrit root "rish" means to reach, perceive and know; hence the term "Rishi" means a Yogi who has reached and perceives or knows the Ultimate Truth, the substratum and the essence of the Universe. Rishis were highly purified souls that obtained the highest level of purification through ardent practice of Yoga and to whom the holiest of the Holy Scriptures, viz. the four Vedas were revealed. Rishis also developed the Vedic teachings into the highly mystical Vedic culture. Yoga is the practical aspect and Vedanta is the theoretical aspect of this universal Vedic culture, which encompasses and welcomes all the basic concepts of every religion and theology.

/&9!##&Prostration to the greatest Yogi.

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E?!'#&9$!#&Prostration to him who shows the path to liberation.

&&E&9C!&9$###&Prostration to him who is worshiped by those who long for liberation.

%P

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YYOOGGAA SSTTRRAA--SS OOFF PPAATTAAJJAALLII

UURRMMAATT PPAATTAAJJAALLII MMAAHHMMUUNNAAYYEE NNAAMMAAHH

aatthhaa ppttaajjaallaa yyooggaassttrraa pp##aa

aatthhaa ssaammddhhii ppddaa I.1 atha yognusanam I.2 yoga cittavtti nirodha I.3 tad dra#u svarpe avasthnam I.4 vtti srpyam itaratra I.5 vttaya pacatayya kli# akli# I.6 prama viparyaya vikalpa nidr smtaya I.7 pratyaka anumna gam pramni I.8 viparyaya mithyjnam atadrpa prati#ham I.9 abdajna anupt vastunya vikalpa I.10 abhva pratyaya lamban vtti nidr I.11 anubhta viaya asapramoa smti I.12 abhysa vairgybhy tannirodha I.13 tatra sthitau yatna abhysa I.14 sa tu drghakla nairantarya satkra sevita dhabhmi I.15 d#a nuravika viaya vitasya vakrasaj vairgyam I.16 tatpara puruakhyte guavaityam I.17 vitarka vicra nanda asmitrpa anugamt saprajta I.18 virmapratyaya abhysaprva saskraea anya I.19 bhavapratyaya videha praktilaynm I.20 raddh vrya smti samdhipraj prvaka itarem I.21 tvrasavegnm sanna I.22 mdu madhya adhimtratvt tata api viea I.23 vara praidhnt v I.24 klea karma vipka ayai aparm#a puruaviea vara I.25 tatra niratiaya sarvajabjam I.26 sa ea prvem api guru klena anavacchedt I.27 tasya vcaka praava I.28 tajjapa tadarthabhvanam I.29 tata pratyakcetana adhigama api antarya abhva ca I.30 vydhi styna saaya pramda lasya avirati bhrntidarana alabdhabhmikatva

anavasthitatvni cittavikepa te antary I.31 dukha daurmanasya agamejayatva vsapravs vikepa sahabhuva I.32 tatpratiedhrtham ekatattva abhysa I.33 maitr karu mudit upek sukha dukha puya apuya viay bhvanta cit-

taprasdanam I.34 pracchardana vidhrabhy v prasya

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I.35 viayavat v pravtti utpann manasa sthiti nibandhan I.36 viok v jyotimat I.37 vtarga viaya v cittam I.38 svapna nidr jna lambana v I.39 yathbhimata dhynt v I.40 paramu paramamahattvnta asya vakra I.41 kavtte abhijtasya iva mae graht grahaa grhyeu

tatstha tadajanat sampatti I.42 tatra abda artha jna vikalpai sakr savitark sampatti I.43 smtipariuddhau svarpanya iva arthamtranirbhs

nirvitark I.44 etayaiva savicr nirvicr ca skmaviay vykhyt I.45 skmaviayatva ca aliga paryavasnam I.46 t eva sabja samdhi I.47 nirvicra vairadye adhytmaprasda I.48 tabhar tatra praj I.49 ruta anumna prajbhym anyaviay vierthatvt I.50 tajja saskra anyasaskra pratibandh I.51 tasypi nirodhe sarvanirodht nirbja samdhi iittii ssaammddhhii ppddaa

aatthhaa ssddhhaannaa ppddaa II.1 tapa svdhyya varapraidhnni kriyyoga II.2 samdhi bhvanrtha klea tankararthaca II.3 avidy asmit rga dvea abhinive kle I II.4 avidy ketram uttare prasupta tanu vicchinna udrm II.5 anitya auci dukha antmasu nitya uci sukha tma khyti avidy II.6 dk daranaaktyo ektmat iva asmit II.7 sukha anuay rga II.8 dukha anuay dvea II.9 svarasavh vidua api tatha rha abhinivea II.10 te pratiprasavahey skm II.11 dhynahey tadvttaya II.12 kleamla karmaya d#a ad#a janma vedanya II.13 sati mle tadvipka jti yu bhog II.14 te hlda paritpa phal puya apuya hetutvt II.15 parima tpa saskra dukhai guavtti virodht ca dukham eva sarva vivekina II.16 heya dukham angatam II.17 dra#dyayo sayoga heyahetu III.18 praka kriy sthiti la bhtendriytmaka bhogpavargrtham dyam II.19 viea aviea ligamtra aligni guaparvi II.20 dra# dimtra uddha api pratyaynupaya II.21 tadartha eva dyasya tm II.22 ktrtha prati na#am api ana#a tadanya sdhraatvt II.23 sva svmi aktyo svarpopalabdhi hetu sayoga

II.24 tasya hetu avidy II.25 tad abhvt sayogbhva hna tadde kaivalyam II.26 vivekakhyti aviplav hnopya II.27 tasya saptadh prntabhmi praj II.28 yoggnu#hnt auddhikaye jnadpti vivekakhyte II.29 yama niyama sana pryma pratyhra dhra dhyna samdhaya a#au agni II.30 ahis satya asteya brahmacarya aparigrah yam II.31 jti dea kla samaya anavacchinn srvabhaum mahvratam II.32 auca santoa tapa svdhyya varapraidhnni niyam II.33 vitarkabdhane pratipakabhvanam II.34 vitark hisdaya kta krita anumodit lobha krodha moha prvaka mdu madhya

adhimtra dukha ajna anantaphal iti pratipakabhvanam II.35 ahisprati#hym tatsannidhau vairatyga II.36 satyaprati#hy kriyphalrayatvam II.37 asteyaprati#hy sarvaratnopasthnam II.38 brahmacaryaprati#hy vryalbha II.39 aparigrahasthairye janmakathat sabodha II.40 auct svgajugups parai asasarga II.41 sattvauddhi saumanasya aikgrya indriyajaya tmadarana yogyatvni ca II.42 santot anuttama sukhalbha II.43 kya indriya siddhi auddhikayt tapasa II.44 svdhyyt i#adevat saprayoga II.45 samdhisiddhi varapraidhnt II.46 sthira sukham sanam II.47 prayatna aithilya ananta sampattibhym II.48 tata dvandv anabhighta II.49 tasmin sati vsa pravsayo gativiccheda pryma II.50 bhya bhyantara stambha vtti dea kla sakhybhi parid#a drgha skma II.51 bhya bhyantara viaya kep caturtha II.52 tata kyate praka varaamII.53 dhrasu ca yogyat manasa II.54 svaviaya asaprayoge cittasya svarpnukra iva indriy pratyhra II.55 tata param vayat indriym iittii ssddhhaannaa ppddaa

aatthhaa vviibbhhttii ppddaaIII.1 dea bandha cittasya dhra III.2 tatra pratyaya ekatnat dhynam III.3 tadeva arthamtranirbhsa svarpanyam iva samdhi III.4 trayam ekatra sayama III.5 tajjayt prajloka III.6 tasya bhmiu viniyoga III.7 trayam antaraga prvebhya III.8 tadapi bahiraga nirbjasya III.9 vyutthna nirodha saskrayo abhibhava prdurbhvau nirodhakaa cittnvaya

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nirodhaparima III.10 tasya prantavhit saskrt III.11 sarvrthat ekgratayo kaya udayau cittasya samdhiparima III.12 tata puna nta uditau tulya pratyayau cittasya ekgratparima III.13 etena bhtendriyeu dharma lakaa avasth parim vykhyt III.14 nta udita avyapadeya dharma anupt dharm III.15 krama anyatva parima anyatve hetu III.16 parimatraya sayamt atta angatajnam III.17 abda artha pratyaynm itaretaradhyst sakara tatpravibhga sayamt sarvabhta

rutajnam III.18 saskra sktkarat prvajtijnam III.19 pratyayasya paracittajnam III.20 na ca tat slambana tasya aviay bhtatvt III.21 kya rpa sayamt tadgrhyaakti stambhe caku praka asaprayoge antardhnam III.22 etena abddi antardhnam uktam III.23 sopakrama nirupakrama ca karma tatsayamt aparntajnam ari#ebhya v III.24 maitrydiu balni III.25 baleu hasti baldni III.26 pravtti loka nyst skma vyavahita viprak#ajnam III.27 bhuvanajna srye sayamt III.28 candre trvyhajnam III.29 dhruve tadgatijnam III.30 nbhicakre kyavyhajnam III.31 ka#hakpe kutpips nivtti III.32 krmany sthairyam III.33 mrdhajyotii siddhadaranam III.34 prtibht v sarvam III.35 hdaye cittasavit III.36 sattva puruayo atyantsakrayo pratyaya aviea bhoga parrthatvt svrthasayamt

puruajnam III.37 tata prtibha rvaa vedana dara svda vrt jyante III.38 te samdhau upasarg vyutthne siddhaya III.39 bandhakraa aithilyt pracra savedant ca cittasya paraarrvea III.40 udnajayt jala paka ka#akdiu asaga utkrnti ca III.41 samnajayt jvalanam III.42 rotra kayo sabandha sayamt divya rotram III.43 kya kayo sabandha sayamt laghutlasampatte ca kagamanam III.44 bahi akalpit vtti mahvideh tata praka varaakaya III.45 sthla svarpa skma anvaya arthavatva sayamt bhtajaya III.46 tata aimdi prdurbhva kyasapat taddharma anabhighta ca III.47 rpa lvaya bala vajra sahananatvni kyasapat III.48 grahaa svarpa asmit anvaya arthavattva sayamt indriyajaya III.49 tata manojavitva vikaraabhva pradhnajaya ca III.50 sattva purua anyat khytimtrasya sarvabhva adhi#httva sarvajttva ca III.51 tadvairgyt api doabjakaye kaivalyam

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III.52 sthnyupanimantrae sagasmaykaraa punarani#a prasagt III.53 kaa tatkramayo sayamt vivekaja jnam III.54 jti lakaa deai anyat anavacchedt tulyayo tata pratipatti III.55 traka sarvaviaya sarvathviaya akrama ca iti vivekajam jnam III.56 sattva puruayo uddhi smye kaivalyam iti iittii vviibbhhttii ppddaa

aatthhaa kkaaiivvaallyyaa ppddaa IV.1 janma auadhi mantra tapa samdhij siddhaya IV.2 jtyantara parima praktyprt IV.3 nimitta aprayojaka praktn varaabheda tu tata ketrikavat IV.4 nirmacittni asmitmtrt IV.5 pravtti bhede prayojaka citta eka anekem IV.6 tatra dhynajam anayam IV.7 karma aukla akam yogina trividham itarem IV.8 tata tadvipka anugunm eva abhivyakti vsannm IV.9 jti dea kla vyavahitnm api nantarya smti saskrayo ekarpatvt IV.10 tsm anditva ca ia nityatvt IV.11 hetu phala raya lambanai saghtatvt em abhve tad abhvaIV.12 atta angata sarvarpata asti adhvabhedt dharmm IV.13 te vyakta skm gutmna IV.14 parima ekatvt vastutattvam IV.15 vastusmye cittabhedt tayo vibhakta panth IV.16 na ca ekacitta tantra ced vastu tat apramaka tad ki syt IV.17 taduparga apekitvt cittasya vastu jta ajtam IV.18 sad jta cittavttaya tatprabho puruasya aparimitvt IV.19 na tat svbhsa dyatvt IV.20 ekasamaye ca ubhaya anavadhraam IV.21 cittntaradye buddhibuddhe atiprasaga smtisakara ca IV.22 cite apratisakramy tadkrpattau svabuddhisavedanam IV.23 dra# dya uparakta citta sarvrtham IV.24 tat asakhyeya vsanbhi citram api parrtha sahatyakritvt IV.25 vieadarina tmabhva bhvannivtti IV.26 tad vivekanimna kaivalya prgbhra cittam IV.27 tat cchidreu pratyayntari saskrebhya IV.28 hnam e kleavat uktam IV.29 prasakhyne api akusdasya sarvath vivekakhyte dharmamegha samdhi IV.30 tata klea karma nivtti IV.31 tad sarva varaa malpetasya jnasya nantyt jeyam alpamIV.32 tata ktrthn parimakrama sampti gunm IV.33 kaa pratiyog parima aparnta nirgrhya krama IV.34 pururtha nyn gun pratiprasava kaivalya svarpaprati#h v citiakti iti iittiikkaaiivvaallyyaa ppddaa

iittii rrmmaatt ppaattaajjaallii mmaahhmmuunnii pprraattaa yyooggaassttrraa pp##hhaa

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UU

UUnniivveerrssaall PPrraayyeerrss ffoorr PPeeaaccee

uu pprraammaaddaa pprraammiiddaa pprrtt pprraammuuddccyyaatteepprraassyyaa pprraammddyyaa pprraammeevvvvaaiiyyaattee

uu nnttii nnttii nnttii

All that is invisible is filled with the infinite Brahman. All that is visible is also permeated by infiniteBrahman. The whole universe has come out of infinite Brahman. Brahman is infinite although thewhole universe has come out of it.

AUM peace, peace, peace.

uu aassaattoo mm ssaaddggaammaayyaattaammaassoo mm jjyyoottiirrggaammaayyaammttyyoorrmm aammttaaggaammaayyaauu nnttii nnttii nnttii

From the unreal, lead us to the Real; from darkness, lead us unto Light; from death, lead us to Immortality.

AUM peace, peace, peace.

uu ssaahhaa nnvvaavvaattuu ssaahhaa nnoouu bbhhuunnaakkttuussaahhaa vvrryyaamm kkaarraavvvvaahhaaii

tteejjaassvviinnvvaaddhhiittaammaassttuu mm vviiddvviivvaahhaaiiuu nnttii nnttii nnttii

May Brahman protect us both, the preceptor and the disciple. May He nourish us both. May we worktogether with great energy. May our study be vigourous and fruitful. May we not hate each other.

AUM peace, peace, peace.

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ssaarrvvee bbhhaavvaannttuu ssuukkhhiinnaassaarrvvee ssaannttuu nniirrmmaayyssaarrvvee bbhhaaddrrii ppaayyaannttuu

mm kkaacciitt dduukkhhaabbhhgg BBhhaavveettuu nnttii nnttii nnttiissaarrvveettrraa ssuukkhhiinnaa ssaannttuussaarrvvee ssaannttuu nniirrmmaayyssaarrvvee bbhhaaddrrii ppaayyaannttuu

mm kkaacciitt dduukkhhaammppnnuuyyttuu nnttii nnttii nnttii

May all be happy. May all be free from disease. May all realize what is good. May none be subject tomisery.

AUM peace, peace, peace.

uu bbhhaaddrraa kkaarreebbhhii sshhuuyymmaa ddeevvbbhhaaddrraa ppaayyeemmkksshhaabbhhii yyaajjaattrr

sstthhiirraaii aaggaaii ttuuttuuvvssaassttaannuubbhhiirr vvyyaaeemmaa ddeevvaahhiittaamm yyaaddyyuuuu nnttii nnttii nnttii

O gods may we hear auspicious words with the ears: while engaged in sacrifices, may we see auspicious things with the eyes; while praying to the gods with steady limbs, may we enjoy a life thatis beneficial to gods.

AUM peace, peace, peace.

Prayers to devat

TThheessee pprraayyeerrss sshhoouulldd bbee ddoonnee bbeeffoorree pprraaccttiiccee

PPrraayyeerrss ooff GGaaeeaa

vvaakkrraattuuaa mmaahhkkyyaa ssrryyaa kkoo##ii ssaammaapprraabbhhaanniirrvviigghhnnaa kkuurruummee ddeevvaa uubbhhaa--kkrryyeeuu ssaarrvvaadd

O, Lord Ganea of the curved trunk and massive body, the one whose splendor is equal to millionsof Suns, please bless me that I do not face any obstacles in my auspicious karma.

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PPrraayyeerrss ooff VViiuu

nnttkkrraa bbhhuujjaaggaaaayyaannaappaaddmmaannbbhhaa ssuurreeaa

vviivvaaddhhrraa ggaaggaannaassaaddddyyaammeegghhaavvaarraa uubbhhggaa

llaakkmmkkttaa kkaammaallaannaayyaannaayyooggiihhdd ddhhyynnaaggaammyyaa

vvaannddee vviiuu bbhhaavvaa bbhhaayyaa hhaarraassaarrvvaa llookkaaiikkaa nntthhaa

I adore Viu, the embodiment of Peace, who sleepson

the serpent, AdisheshaWhose naval is the lotus of the Universe

Who is the Lord of the Gods, who is the support of the Universe, Who is in the form of Space (the Om-

nipresent)Whose color resembles that of clouds, Whose body is

auspiciousWho is the Lord of Lakshmi, the wealth, whose eyes are

like lotusesWho is attainable by Yogis through meditation

Who is the destroyer of the fear of birth and deathAnd who is the One Lord of all the Worlds

PPrraayyeerrss ooff HHaannuummnnaa

mmaannoojjaavvaa mmrruuttaa ttuullyyaa vveeggaajjiitteeddrriiyyaa bbuuddddhhii--mmaatt vvaarrii##hhaavvttttmmaajjaa vvaarraa--yytthhaa--mmuukkhhyyaarr rrmmaaddttaa aarraaaa pprraappaaddyyee

I surrender to Hanumna, the messenger of Lord Rma,whose speed is as swift as the mind and as swift asthe wind, who has controlled his sense organs and isthe most intelligent among the intelligent ones; who isthe son of Vyu and the chief of the monkey tribe.

PPrraayyeerrss ooff PPaattaajjaallii

yyooggeennaa cciittttaassyyaa ppaaddeennaa vvccmmaallaa aarrrraassyyaa ccaa vvaaiiddyyaakkeennaayyooppkkaarroottttaa pprraavvaarraa mmuunnnnppaattaajjaallii pprrjjaalliirrnnaattoossmmii

bbhhuu ppuurruukkrraaaakkhhaaccaakkrrssii ddhhrriiaammssaahhaassrraa iirraassaa vveettaapprraaaammmmii ppaattaajjaalliimm

Let us bow before the noblest of sages, Patajali, who gave yoga for serenity and sanctity of mind,grammar for clarity and purity of speech and medicine for perfection of health.

Let us prostrate before Patajali, an incarnation of die, whose upper body has human form,whose arms hold conch, a disc and a sword and who is crowned by thousand headed cobra.

yyaassttyyaakkttvv rrppaammddyyaa pprraabbhhaavvaattii jjaaggaattoo nneekkaaddhhnnuuggrraahhyyaapprraakkaakklleeaarriirrvviiaammaavviiaaddhhaarroo nneekkaavvaakkttrraa ssuubbhhooggssaarrvvaajjnnaa pprraassttiirr bbhhuujjaaggaa ppaarriikkaarraa pprrttaayyee yyaassyyaa nniittyyaaddeevvoohhaa ssaa vvoovvyytt ssiittaavviimmaall ttaannuurr yyooggaaddoo yyooggaayyuukkttaa

Let us prostrate before Lord die, who manifested himselfon earth as Patajali, to grace human race with health and

harmony.Let us prostrate before Lord die of the myriad serpent

heads and mouths carrying noxious poisons, discarding whichhe came to earth as single headed Patajali, in order to

eradicate ignorance and vanquish sorrow.Let us pay our obeisance to Him, repository of all knowledge,

amidst his attendant duty.Let us pray to the Lord, whose primordial form shines with pureand white effulgence, pristine in body, a master of yoga whobestows on us his yogic light to enable mankind to rest in the

house of the immortal soul.

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PPrraayyeerrss ooff GGuurruu

gguurruurr bbrraahhmm gguurruurr vviiuugguurruurr ddeevvoo mmaahheevvaarraa

gguurruuss sskktt ppaarraa bbrraahhmmaattaassmmaaii rrii gguurraavvee nnaammaa

The Guru is Brahm, the creator Himself. The Guru is Viu, the preserver. The Guru is great Godiva, the destroyer. The Guru is Supreme Brahman, Lord of Lords. To the divine Guru I bow.

bbrraahhmmnnaannddaa ppaarraamm ssuukkhhaaddaa kkeevvaallaa jjnnaammuurrttiiddvvaannddvvttttaa ggaaggaannaassaaddaa ttaattttvvaammaassyyddii llaakkssyyaaeekkaa nniittyyaa vviimmaallmmaacchhaallaa ssaarrvvaaddhh sskkiibbuuttaabbhhvvttttaa ttrriigguuaa rraahhiittaa ssaaddgguurruu ttaamm nnaammmmii

I bow to Guru, who is the embodiment of the bliss of Brahman, the giver of the greatest beatitude. Heis the absolute. He is the personification of highest knowledge. He is beyond the dualities. He is asvast as sky. He aims to become one with Lord. He is only one and eternal. He is pure and stable. Hewitnesses everything that is happening. He is unattached and above that. He is free from three quali-

ties, sattva, rajas and tamas. I bow down to that true and real Guru.

YYooggaa

llookkyyaa ssaarrvvaassttrrii vviiccrryyaaccaa ppuunnaa ppuunnaaiiddaammeekkaa ssuunniippaannnnaa yyooggaassttrraa ppaarraa mmaattaa

Having studied all scriptures and sciences, and thought them over again and again, one comes tothe conclusion that the art and science of yoga is the only true and firm doctrine.

SSuurrrreennddeerr ttoo tthhee LLoorrdd

Prayers after practice and worship

kkyyeennaa vvcchh mmaannsseeddrriiyyaaiirrvvbbuuddddhhyyttmmaannvv pprraakkttee ssvvaabbhhvvttkkaarroommii yyaaddyyaadd ssaakkaallaa ppaarraassmmaaiinnrryyaammaayyeettii ssaammaarrppaayymmii

Whatever I do by my body, speech, mind or sense organs and organs of action or through my intel-lect or impulsively, I offer all that to lord Nrya who is highest.

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ttmmaaaa##aakkaa ((SSoonngg ooff tthhee SSoouull))

mmaannoo bbuuddddhhyyaahhaakkrraa cciittttnnii nnhhaannaa ccaa rroottrraajjiivvhhee nnaa ccaa gghhrraanneettrreennaa ccaa vvyyoommaabbhhuummiirrnnaa tteejjoo nnaa vvyyuucciiddnnaannddaarrppaahh iivvoohhaa iivvoohhaa

I am neither ego nor reason, I am neither mind nor thought,I cannot be heard nor cast into words, nor by smell nor sight ever caught;

In light and wind I am not found, nor yet in earth and sky-Consciousness and joy incarnate, Bliss of the Blissful am I.

nnaa ccaa pprraa ssaajjoo nnaa vvaaiippaacchhvvyyuurrnnaa vv ssaappttaa ddhhttuurrnnaa vv ppaacckkooaahhnnaa vvkkppiippddaauu nnaa ccooppsstthhaappyyuucciiddnnaannddaarrppaahh iivvoohhaa iivvoohhaa

I have no name, I have no life, I breathe no vital air,No elements have moulded me, No bodily sheath is my lair;I have no speech, no hands and feet, nor means of evolution -

Consciousness and joy am I, and bliss in dissolution.

nnaa mmee ddvveeaa rrggaauu nnaa mmee lloobbhhaammoohhaauummaaddoo nnaaiivvaa mmee nnaaiivvaa mmttssaattrryyaa bbhhvvaa

nnaa ddhhaarrmmoo nnaa ccrrtthhoo nnaa kkmmoo nnaa mmookksshhaacciiddnnaannddaarrppaahh iivvoohhaa iivvoohhaa

I cast aside hatred and passion, I conquered delusion and greed;No touch of pride caressed me, so envy never did breed;

Beyond all faiths, past reach of wealth, past freedom, past desire,Consciousness and joy am I, and bliss is my attire.

nnaa ppuuyyaa nnaa ppppaa nnaa ssaauukkhhyyaa nnaa dduukkhhaannaa mmaannttrroo nnaa ttrrtthhaa nnaa vveedd nnaa yyaajjaahhaa bbhhoojjaannaa nnaaiivvaa bbhhoojjyyaa nnaa bbhhookktt

cciiddnnaannddaarrppaahh iivvoohhaa iivvoohhaa

Virtue and vice, or pleasure and pain are not my heritage,Nor sacred texts, nor offerings, nor prayer, nor pilgrimage;

I am neither food, nor eating, yet eater am I-Consciousness and joy incarnate, Bliss of the Blissful am I.

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nnaa mmee mmttyyuu aakk nnaa mmee jjttii bbhheeddaappiitt nnaaiivvaa mmee nnaaiivvaa mmtt nnaa jjaannmmaa

nnaa bbaannddhhuurr nnaa mmiittrraa gguurruurr nnaaiivvaa iiyyaacciiddnnaannddaarrppaahh iivvoohhaa iivvoohhaa

I have no misgivings of death, no chasms of race divide me,No parent ever called me child, no bond of birth ever tied me;I am neither disciple nor master, I have no kin, no friend-

Consciousness and joy am I, and merging in bliss is my end.

aahhaa nniirrvviikkaallppoo nniirrkkrraarrppoovviibbhhuurr vvyyppttaa ssaarrvvaattrraa ssaarrvveeddrriiyynnssaadd mmee ssaammttvvaa nnaa mmuukkttiirrnnaa bbaannddhhaacciiddnnaannddaarrppaahh iivvoohhaa iivvoohhaa

Neither knowable, knowledge, nor knower am I, formless is my form,I dwell within the senses but they are not my home;Ever serenely balanced, I am neither free nor bound-

Consciousness and joy am I, and bliss is where I am found.

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QQuuaalliiffiiccaattiioonnss ooff DDiisscciippllee

In the late 1960's and 1970's Guruji come to the UK every year to conduct teacher training classes.When the students began to teach Guruji sent the following 'Qualifications of a Disciple' taken from

the Taitiriya Upanishad to guide these teachers in their conduct. The 'Qualifications of a Disciple' are part of the Aims and Objectives of the RIMYI and can still be

found in the IYA (UK) Teachers' Handbook.

DDuuttiieess ttoo bbee ffoolllloowweedd bbyy aa ddiisscciipplleessaattyyaa vvaaddaaSpeak truth.ddhhaarrmmaa ccaarraaBe virtuous (Religion and virtue support, sustain and uphold man physically, morally, mentally andspiritually. Without them, man is nothing).

DDuuttiieess nneevveerr ttoo bbee nneegglleecctteeddssvvddhhyyyynn mm pprraammaaddaaNeglect not the study of the sacred lore and of the self. (the self is vast field known and unknown consisting of the body, the mind and the soul.)yyccrryyyyaa pprriiyyaa ddhhaannaa hhttyyaa pprraajjttaannttuu mm vvyyaavvaattcchheettssiiHaving brought wealth to the teacher do not cut off the thread linking generations. (do not cut off thethread of knowledge which has been spun by the sages of old, which has been followed from time immemorial and handed down from Guru to Guru by those who have practised and experiencedand who know what is good for humanity. Do not break this tradition.)ssaattyynn nnaa pprraammaaddiittaavvyyaaBe not neglectful to truth. (Do not let egoism and intellectual arrogance stand in the way of truth.)ddhhaarrmmnn nnaa pprraammaaddiittaavvyyaaBe not neglectful to virtue and religion. (Do not despise any religion. That which is sacred to othersshould be sacred to you.)kkuuaallnn nnaa pprraammaaddiittaavvyyaaNeglect not welfare. (Be extremely attentive for your own health and inner happiness for only thencan you help others towards a better life.)bbhhttyyaaii nnaa pprraammaaddiittaavvyyaaBe not negligent of prosperity. (Do not overlook your own self support and maintenance. Work hardfor you have to earn your own bread. Be self reliant.)ssvvddhhyyyyaa pprraavvaaccnnbbhhyy nnaa pprraammaaddiittaavvyyaaDo not leave the study and teaching of the knowledge of the self (which has been practiced bysaints and yogis throughout the ages. Learn to know your own self.)ddeevvaa ppiitt kkrryybbhhyy nnaa pprraammaaddiittaavvyyaaDo not neglect your duties to God and to your fathers.

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PPeerrssoonnss wwoorrtthhyy ooff wwoorrsshhiippmmtt ddeevvoo bbhhaavvaaTreat your mother as god (for she gave you birth).ppiitt ddeevvoo bbhhaavvaaTreat your father as god (for he gave you life).ccrryyaa ddeevvoo bbhhaavvaaTreat your teacher as god (for he initiated you in the path of knowledge and truth).aattiitthhii ddeevvoo bbhhaavvaaTreat your guest as god (with love, warmth, respect and dignity), when he visits your home.

OObbsseerrvvaanncceeyynnii aannaavvaaddhhyynnii kkaarrmmaaii ttnnii sseevviittaavvyynnii nnoo iittaarriiDo what is irreproachable; discard the rest. (Do what is auspicious and good, not what is merelypleasant to the senses. The good is pure and lasting, conducive to happiness and spiritual progress.The pleasant is only momentary and brings sorrow. Therefore resist temptations.)yynnii aassmmkkaa ssuuccaarriittnnii ttnnii ttvvaayyooppssyynnii nnoo iittaarriiFollow the path shown by illumined souls in thoughts, words and actions. Discard other paths.

CCoonndduucctt ttoowwaarrddss ggrreeaatt ppeerrssoonnssyyee kkee ccaa aassmmaacchhrreeyyssoo bbrrhhmmaa tteemm ttvvaayy ssaanneennaa pprraavvaassiittaavvyyaaWhoever is learned, whoever is spiritually evolved, respect him with reverence and offer him seat inyour heart.

HHooww ttoo mmaakkee ggiiffttssrraaddddhhaayy ddeeyyaaGive faith (and love and dedication whatever you have been graced with).aarraaddddhhaayy aaddeeyyaaDo not give without faith.rriiyy ddeeyyaaGive plenty.rrhhiiyy ddeeyyaaGive with modesty.bbhhiiyy ddeeyyaaGive without fear.bbaavviidd ddeeyyaaGive with sympathy and compassion (expecting nothing in return). And God is within you. You are illumined and those who come to you for guidance are guided for thebetterment of their lives.

hhaarrii aauumm

Patajal i s rat (acclamat ion)

jjaaii ddeevv jjaaii ddeevv eevvaattrr,, hhoo jjaaii aaddiiee;;ggaauuiikkkkuummaarr ppaattaajjaallii ddeevv

jjaaii ddeevv jjaaii ddeevvVictory to Lord Patajali, the diea, the incarnation of serpent god and the son of Gauik.

aarrddhhgg mmnnaavvaa vviiuuccii aayyyy,,nnbbhh ppaaddmmkkhhll ssaarrppaa kkrr;;nniirrddvvaaddvvaa nniirrgguuaa ttmmaassvvaarruupp,,uuddddhhrr mmnnaavv ddvvii ssvvaarruupp

jjaaii ddeevv jjaaii ddeevv Victory to Patajali, whose upper body has human form and is couch to Lord Vishnu, the organizer ofthe universe. Below the lotus of the navel He has serpent form.Victory to Him, who is beyond dualities and beyond the qualities of nature and dwells in his truesplendour. He uplifts the human and shows him his own soul.Victory to god Patajali, the diea, the incarnation of serpent god and the son of Gauik.

kkyy vvcchh mmaannaa bbuuddddhhiiooddhhaannaa,,cciittttaa ppvvaannaa kkaarr cciittttaa ddaammaannaa;;ssaakkaalleeddrriiyyccee uuddddhhiikkaarraannaa,,vvttaa ppiittttaa kkaapphhaa kkaarr ssaammnnaa

jjaaii ddeevv jjaaii ddeevv Victory to Patajali, because he cleanses (our) body, speech, mind and intellect, He purifies and sub-jugates (our) consciousness. Victory to Him, because he cleanses all the organs and brings balancein vta pitta kapha i.e. wind, bile and phlegm.Victory to god Patajali, the diea, the incarnation of serpent god and the son of Gauik.

yyooggaa yyuurrvveeddaa bbhhsshh pprraakkaarraaaa,,ddee ddeeaaggii hhii kkaaiivvaallyyaakkhhaa;;aattggaa yyooggaa vvttttiinniirrooddhhaa,,

ssaammddhhii ssddhhaannaa yyooggppssaannaajjaaii ddeevv jjaaii ddeevv

Victory to Patajali, who gave yoga, ayurveda and grammar. He is the giver of mine of kaivalya, theemancipation. He taught (us) to worship yoga through the art of ashtanga yoga, art of cessation ofmental modifications and practice of absorption. Victory to god Patajali, the diea, the incarnation of serpent god and the son of Gauik.

jjaaii ddeevv jjaaii ddeevv eevvaattrr,, hhoo jjaaii aaddiiee;;ggaauuiikkkkuummaarr ppaattaajjaallii ddeevv

jjaaii ddeevv jjaaii ddeevvVictory to god Patajali, the diea, the incarnation of serpent god and the son of Gauik.

rrii kkrrppaaaammaassttuu

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An Explanation of the Invocations

This is an edited transcript of the talkgiven by Dr Geeta S. Iyengar at the

opening ceremony of the Iyengar Yoga Jubilee

at Crystal Palace, London, on Saturday 25th May 2002.

FFrriieennddss,, yyooggaa lloovveerrss,, first of all we will be performing the pj as we are starting the auspicious work(of yoga). I should like to share with you the background of the pj which is one of the methods ofworshipping. Lord Ka says in the Bhagavad Gt that whatever we offer to the Lord with devotion,such as leaves, flowers, fruits, or water, reaches him. Here we will be offering prayers, dpam (light),dhupam (agarbatti - incense), flowers and garlands.

When we know that we are starting some auspicious work such as the practice of yoga, the yogasdhan, we have to offer our prayers to the Lord who is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient.Although all of us know that the Lord is everywhere and that he is within us, it is not possible to re-alise or see the God as God hasnt got any form. He doesnt appear in any shape or form in front ofus that we can see. So the human mind creates a shape or form for the Lord to help us to worshipwith devotion.

Here we are offering our prayers to Lord Gaea, Lord Viu, Lord Hanumna, Lord Patajali and theGuru.

LLoorrdd GGaaeeaaYou may feel Lord Gaea is a Hindu God and as all of us who have gathered here to practise yogabelong to different religions you may hesitate to pray to Hindu Gods. Let us be clear that God doesnot belong to any religion. God is One, but man-made religions are multiple. God is beyond explana-tion but we explore him according to our intelligence, mental concept and calibre. Therefore, I wontsay that Lord Gaea is a Hindu God. He is a creation from the human brain for us to think how Godcould be. The image of Lord Gaea is elephant headed with a huge brain and a huge skull encas-ing the big brain. This is to indicate that human beings also have what we consider to be a com-pletely evolved brain which is completely developed, a very intellectual centre of ours. Gaea is

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considered to be the one who has this huge brain of mankind. Gaa means people. Gaea meansGod of people. He is also called as gaapati, the head or husband of people. He is also named asvinyak - the supreme leader. So Gaea leads us and guides us. He is the God, chosen by every-one (gaa) in a democratic way.

He also has a huge body. This indicates that though our physical body is, let us say six feet high andtwo feet broad, Lord Gaeas huge body is equal to that of the Universal Body. It is true that whenwe are practising, many a time we feel a state where we are going beyond this body and in thatsense we experience mahkya.

mmaahhkkyyaa:: mah means big, great and ky means body. Gaapati with his huge head and hugebody indicates the depth of largeness and intricacies of the human body and brain.

vvaakkrraattuuaa:: vakra means turned or crooked and tua means tusk. This is to indicate that Gaea,though elephant headed, has not got the two tusks of an elephant. This elephant has one long tusk.This is a legendary story which says that Lord Gaea lost one of his tusks when he opposedParaurma from entering the regime of Lord iva, Gaeas father.

nniirrvviigghhnnaa:: means overcoming the obstacles. The Lord Gaea is considered to be the one whohelps us in all auspicious work to overcome all the obstacles and hindrances which get in the wayon the auspicious path of yoga. Having studied the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali you know that there arenine obstacles in the path of yoga, along with four distractive and destructive mental obstructions (YS1.30 and 1.31). So we offer our prayers to Lord Gaea, asking him to bless us and help us so thatthese obstacles can be faced courageously and removed. Basically, Lord Gaea is the God of Wis-dom and Remover of Obstacles; hence he is involved and worshipped at the commencement ofevery important progressive and auspicious undertaking. It is said that Gaea wrote the Mahb-hrata at the dictation of Vysa on the condition that Vysa should not pause or break his flow of nar-ration even for a fraction of a second, otherwise Gaea would stop writing. Vysa accepted thechallenge and did not pause even for a fraction of a second.

LLoorrdd VViiuu Then we offer our prayers to Lord Viu. Again the name seems to be a Sanskrit word indicating aHindu God, but it is only a question of language. Man developed language to relate his understand-ing to others. Language is meant for communication. Therefore, if the prayers are said in Sanskrit, itdoes not mean that God belongs to that particular community which speaks or follows that particularlanguage. The Bible is translated in many languages and it would be ridiculous to say that Christonly belongs to those who speak Hebrew. So when we offer the prayers in Sanskrit to Lord Viu itdoes not mean that the Lord is Hindu.

The word Viu comes from the root verb vi which means to spread through, to extend, to pervade.Viu means all pervader, or worker. Here, worker means a he has got a job to do in every aspect. Italso means to embrace. Lord Viu not only embraces the whole universe but also remains above it.In this sense he is a Protector. Lord Viu hasnt got a form or a shape. He is considered to be n-tkra.

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nnttaakkaarraamm:: nti or nta means quietness, peacefulness, serenity. Serenity cannot be given anyform. You dont say serenity is like a jar or like a cup. Serenity is serenity. In a similar manner LordViu is ntakaram who is just the incarnation of serenity and peace. He is depicted sleeping com-fortably and peacefully on the couch of the serpent diea, the bhujaga.

bbhhuujjaaggaaaayyaannaa:: Even in our imagination it is impossible to think that we can sleep on a serpent,but Lord Viu is not afraid of anything. He is fearless because there is no enemy for him. It is wehuman beings who have many enemies and that is why we are afraid of each other. From His navelemerges the lotus which is the seat of the Creator - Brahm. The very Creator is born out of the navelof Viu who is apparently the Creator of this whole Universe. The seed (bja) of that Universe is inHim. From his navel (the embryo) we find the whole world coming into existence.

ssuurreeaa:: this is another name of Lord Viu. Sura means God and sha means Supreme God. LordViu in this sense is the God of Gods.

vviivvaaddhhrraa:: viva is the entire Universe, the Universe which is known and unknown to us. Adhrameans to support. He is the one who supports the known and unknown world. So how big is He,how small is He? Is He six feet tall and two feet broad like any other human being? No, He is as vastas the sky! You cannot measure the sky and similarly he cannot be measured.

ggaaggaannaassaaddddyyaa:: gagana means sky and saddya means similar. So he is all pervading as the sky.

mmeegghhaavvaarraa:: megha means cloud and vara means colour. How does he look; what is hiscolour? Is he brown like Indians? Is he white like Westerners? Is he black like Africans? No, His colouris similar to the clouds. When you see clouds in the sky in England they dont have a different colourto clouds in America or Africa. You dont say this is an Indian cloud, this is an African cloud, or this isan American cloud ! Cloud is the same everywhere. It could be black, white and could be withgolden or silver lining or without lining. So also Lord Viu has no colour.

uubbhhggaa:: ubh means auspicious or pure and ga means limbs. Has he got arms, legs, bellylike us, a chest like us? Is His body like our body made out of flesh and bone? No, His body is justthe incarnation of auspiciousness. There is nothing inauspicious in Him. No inauspiciousness cantouch him because He Himself is auspicious.

llaakkmmkkttaa:: the husband of Lakm. The word indicates the increase of good fortune, prosperity,success and wealth. In other words, the Universe. The wealth that we see on this Earth and thewealth that we see in the Universe, all belongs to him because he is the husband of Lakm.

kkaammaallaannaayyaannaa: kamal means lotus. Nayana means eyes. His eyes are like the lotus, always openand beautiful. Though He is sleeping on the bed of the serpent diea, His eyes are always wideopen because he is seeing everything and witnessing everything. The lotus though remaining inwater is untouched by it. Similarly, the eyes of Lord Viu, though seeing and perceiving everything,remain untainted. Then if this is the Lord, how do we see him? You can see me, I can see you, butwhat about Him? How can we see Him?

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yyooggiihhdd ddhhyynnaaggaammyyaa:: he can be seen by a yogi through the heart - the spiritual heart - only bypractising dhyna. The yogi though His heart sees that Lord through the practice of sdhan. Youneed to practise yoga, do dhyna and purify the heart, the very core of the being. Then you will beable to see Him. For the yogi the spiritual heart is the eye and this eye of the spiritual heart has toopen. Like His lotus eyes, the lotus of the heart has to open.

vvaannddee vviiuu:: let us salute Lord Viu, the All Pervader who never deteriorates, who never dimin-ishes, who is ever omnipresent, who exists everywhere.

bbhhaavvaa bbhhaayyaa hhaarraa:: bhava means worldly life. It means to come into existence or to have birth afterbirth to experience worldly life. Bhaya means fear and hara means to destroy. What does He do forus? He is the one who being fearless gives us courage to cross this world of pleasures and pains,this world in which we are caught, and when we cannot reach the other end of it, the spiritual end ofit, the very soul, the very self, then He is the one who destroys the fear of appearing in this worldagain and again, getting caught in the cycles of births and deaths. He destroys the fear which keepsus away from seeing the soul.

ssaarrvvaa llookkaaiikkaa nntthhaa:: sarva - whole, entire, loka - heaven, earth, space. Eka - one and only one.Ntha - possessor and protector. He is the one who is the head of the whole Universe, the solemaster of the Universe, the only single One. There is no other God. There is only one vara and weread in the Yoga Sutras that He is untouched by klea (afflictions) and karma (actions). The One whois untouched by this is above everyone. vara is the One. And that is how in a poetic way the slokais presented to us. I am taking a little time to explain all this so that you understand because youare all yoga teachers and obviously this is something that practitioners have to know.

LLoorrdd HHaannuummnnaaNext we offer prayers to Lord Hanumna. The word Hanumna signifies the syllable "AUM". Hastands for Lord Viu, nu stands for Lord iva and m stands for Lord Brahma. Lord Hanumna inthis sense signifies the confluence of creator (Brahma), protector (Viu) and destroyer (iva) in him.We are all sadhakas. We are all practitioners. We havent reached the state of a yogi. We are all onthat path so here is the reason why we offer our prayers to Lord Hanumna.

mmaannoojjaavvaa:: speed of the mind, mana is mind and java means swiftness or speed. Lord Hanumnahas a speed equal to the mind. We want that speed of the mind. We often think that we should bequiet as a yoga practitioner but the quietness also has a speed. For a while we remain quiet and sud-denly the mind thinks of something and the flow of serenity is broken. The speed of quietness breaks.You say "Oh, we were sitting here but our mind was somewhere else." The mind has a speed butdoesnt flow with a single attention swiftly. So here is a god, Lord Hanumna, whose speed of bodyand speed of intelligence is equal to the mind which has got a great speed to have a single mindedattention. I can be here yet at this moment I can reach India because the mind can go that fast. I maynot have even reached the airport but the mind can reach there faster. Lord Hanumna is the Onewho has such speed of the mind that He can physically reach with the speed that the wind can go.

mmrruuttaa ttuullyyaa vveeggaa:: mrut means wind or vayu, tulya means similar or equal and vega means

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speed. This is indicating the vigour of Lord Hanumna and the power of his body to be quick andswift. When He is going with that speed, is he shaken? Is He disturbed? Is he perturbed? No, He isstable in spite of having a speedy mind.

jjiitteeddrriiyyaa:: jita means conquered and indriya means senses and organs. He has conquered Hissenses of perception, so His mind is not wavering though He is reaching with that speed.

bbuuddddhhii--mmaatt vvaarrii##hhaa:: buddhi means intelligence and buddhi-mat means Intellectuals.Vari#ha means excellent. Our intelligence has limitations. Lord Hanumna is above all the intellec-tuals that we have in this world. In Lord Hanumna excellence of intelligence has reached the top.

vvttttmmaajjaa:: he is the son of the wind. Vayu means wind, atmaja means son. To a yogi is the practiceof niyama and yama is most important. We have to conquer our pra, conquer our energy. We firsttry to conquer more cautiously the energy at the subtle level. We need to keep the vta under control.Vta means the air or wind humour of the body and is the cause of good and bad behaviour. Ourcharacter depends upon the quality level of vta. In order to have control over vta we offer prayers.

VVaarraa means monkey. Normally Lord Hanumna is translated as Monkey God because his facelooks like a monkey.. But here the vara Hanumna is human being. Va means to blow and spreadin all directions or to procure or bestow anything by blowing. ara means human being. So vara isHe who is above the human being, who is stronger than human beings, so vara in this sense isnot a monkey. In the Rmyana it is said that the military force of Sugrva was given a special uniformto wear which gave them the appearance of monkeys. Rma was given this army of all the vara-s.Though they looked like the monkey they had the strength to cross the ocean. There were engineersin the army. Lord Hanumna is the head of all the vara-s, yet in spite of reaching that level he re-mains all the time like a servant rendering service to the Lord, ri Rma. He never lifted up his headwith ego or vanity to say "Look, Im above everyone" He is the incarnation of humbleness and he re-spected the Lord, and that is how we offer our prayers to Lord Hanumna. Lord Patajali

LLoorrdd PPaattaajjaalliiThen we offer our prayers to Lord Patajali. You know the meaning of this as you have read theYoga Sutras of Patajali.

GGuurruuLastly, we offer our prayers to the Guru. vvaarraa is the One and only One who is the Guru of gurus be-cause He is omniscient, in whom the seed of knowledge exists. The knowledge flows only from Him.He is the ocean of the knowledge and from Him we are receiving the knowledge bit by bit. So how isthis Guru? - He is the Creator, gguurruu bbrraahhmm; He is the Protector, gguurruu vviiuu and He is the Destroyer ofour ignorance, iva or gguurruu mmaahheevvaarraa.

Then there is the guru who is transforming that knowledge to us. Because God, (vara) cannot beseen by us and cannot be felt by us, unless we realise through the sdhana, we require somebodyto guide us. And it is our Guruji who guides us. We have to salute him as well. The guru who is in thephysical form right in front of our eyes, gguurruu sskktt, is ppaarraa bbrraahhmm, the Ultimate Supreme God. He

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is the guru who is always drawn in the thoughts of brahm, thinks of the Supreme and is happy withthat Supreme. All his happiness is established only in that supreme source. He is again the incarna-tion of knowledge. No dualities affect Him. He has crossed the dualities. He is as vast as the sky. Heaims at the Upanisadic truth "tat tvam asi", "That Thou Are". He is only One eka, He is always eter-nal nitya, He is untouched by afflictions, untouched by any bad or wrong actions or thoughts, Heis always pure. He is stable and immovable. He is always watching everything. He is always witness-ing everything. He is never caught emotionally. He doesnt differentiate saying I like this person moreso I will teach him more and I will not teach that person. He transcends emotions. We are alwayscaught in the three gua-s but Guru is the one who is above all so he has crossed these three quali-ties. Let us offer our prayers to the Guru who shows the right path to us.

I do understand that doubt may arise in your mind whether you should say these prayers or not.Therefore I thought you should understand the language and the meaning of these prayers. In theend God is Universal. We always create God through our minds but when we cross our own mindwe realise the Universal God. If the Supreme is understood in this sense than I dont think anyoneneed to have any doubts in their mind.

We always begin any auspicious work, even the simple birthday celebrations, by lighting candleswhich shows us the light. In the similar manner when we are offering the pj we will light the can-dles of knowledge. Let this knowledge always remain enlightening us. The flowers are offered withthe sense of appreciation and affection. The Lord says in the Bhagavad Ga, "Dont offer me anythingbig. But even if you offer me the flowers, fruits, leaves, water, I accept them because you have offeredthem to me with love and affection. I return them back to you because Im not the one to enjoy them.You have offered them to me but I give them back to you."

So when we are offering light in the form of candles or flowers, it is He who is going to return thatback to us. We do not ask for that but that is what His nature is, to give. He is not going to keep anyaccount of what we give. In other words he says, "You try to tread the path of realisation, you try towalk on the path of self-realisation and I will be guiding you; I will be showing you the path." If weare absolutely agnostics, having no faith, then He is not going to force us. But if a little feeling comeswhich says "Let me do yoga; let me know what it is," He is going to guide us.

The first time you came to your yoga class some of you might have felt "oh, yoga cures diseases, solet me try if it helps me." So we come with that selfish approach. Even though it might be a selfish ap-proach God does not make any objections to that. He says, Fine, you have got a selfish approach - itdoesnt matter but be on the right path. When your mind says, Oh, there is something beyondhealth and I want to know that., then He knows that the intention is changed. He says, Fine, you areprogressing further, so I will help you further.

So this is the dialogue which goes on between us and the Universal Soul and this inner dialogue isneeded. This is what the pj means. The pj means worshipping HIM, the Supreme One. Whiledoing the sdhan, we need to have a dialogue with the Lord. Sdhan is the language of dialoguebetween us and God.

So having this in your minds, let us offer the prayers.

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Disc 1

Disc 2

Disc 3

DDiisscc 11

Track 1 The 108 names of Patajali1

Track 2 Yoga Sutras of Patajali Intro. by B.K.S. Iyengar2

Track 3 Invocation to Patajali2

Tracks 4-12 Yoga Sutras of Patajali samdhi pda2

Tracks 13-17 Yoga Sutras of Patajali sdhana pda2

DDiisscc 22

Track 1-8 Yoga Sutras of Patajali sdhana pda (cont.)2

Tracks 9-22 Yoga Sutras of Patajali vibhti pda2

Tracks 23-29 Yoga Sutras of Patajali kaivalya pda2

DDiisscc 33

Track 1 Yoga Sutras of Patajali kaivalya pda (cont.)2

Tracks 2-5 Yoga Sutras of Patajali concluding prayers2

Note: text of these not included in this bookletTrack 6 Universal Prayers for Peace1

Track 7 Prayers to Devata Prayers of Gaea1

Track 8 Prayers to Devata Prayers of Viu1

Track 9 Prayers to Devata Prayers of Hanumna1

Track 10 Prayers to Devata Prayers of Patajali1

Track 11 Prayers to Devata Prayers of Guru1

Track 12 Prayers to Devata Yoga1

Track 13 Prayers to Devata Surrender to Lord1

Track 14 Prayers to Devata tmaa#aka (Song of the Soul)1

Track 15 Qualifications of Disciple1

Track 16 Patajalis rat3

1. Geetaji and Abhijata recorded at the Koln Convention - May 15th 20092. CD produced by the RIMYI in 2009 - Yoga Sutras of Patajali recited by Pandit Sri S. T. Nagara3. RIMYI recording of Patajalis rat