In class, before asana practice, we chant the following invocation to Patanjali, the person credited with first codifying yoga practices into The Yoga Sutras. You can download your own copy of the Invocation here from sanskritforchanting.com as a pdf file. The pdf file shows the text in sanskrit, romanized sanskrit and translated into English.
The romanized sanskrit and pronunciation is below, BKS Iyengar’s translation follows:
INVOCATION TO PATANJALI
Yogena cittasya padena vacam
(yo-gay-nuh chih-tah-syuh pah-day-nuh vah-chahm)
Malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
(mah-lahm shah-ree-rah-syuh chuh vy-dyuh-kay-nuh)
Yopakarottam pravaram munina
(yo-pah kar-oh-tahm prah-vah-rahm moo-nee-nahm)
Patanjalim pranjaliranato’smi
(pah-than-jah-lim prahn-jah-leer ah-na-to-smee)
Abahu purusakaram
(ah-bah-hoo poo-roo-shah-kar-ahm)
Sankha cakrasi dharinam
(shahn-kah chah-krah-see dar-ee-nahm)
Sahasra sirasam svetam
(sah-hah-srah sheer-ah-sahm shvay-tahm)
Pranamami patanjalim
(prah-nuh-mah-mee pah-tahn-jah-lim)
In “Light on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” BKS Iyengar translates the invocation as: “Let us bow before the noblest of sages, Patanjali, 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 Patanjali, an incarnation of Adisesa, whose upper body has a human form, whose arms hold a conch and a disc, and who is crowned by a thousand-headed cobra.”
To hear Mr. Iyengar chanting the invocation to Patanjali, go here where you will have a choice of a variety of audio files to download.
Scott Smader said,
January 24, 2012 at 2:24 pm
Do you notice that your pronunciation guide to differentiate between the two ‘a’ sounds? In case you are not aware of it, both BKS Iyengar’s Light on Yoga Sutras and kofibusia.com have accurate transliterations. Kofibusia.com has a lovely audio recording in multiple formats, and Mr. Iyengar’s recording is available at his website http://www.bksiyengar.com/audio/invocation.mp3
It’d be great for you to make the distinctions here because this site is one of the top search results on google for the phrase, “invocation to patanjali translation”.
Thanks and best wishes.
The Invocation to Patanjali – Youtube videos « Elizabeth Kerwin Yoga said,
April 29, 2012 at 10:19 pm
[...] those wanting more of a chance to practice or listen to the chant – the invocation to Patanjali – that Elizabeth leads at the beginning of each class, here are a couple of choices from [...]