योगेन चित्तस्य | Yogena Cittasya

INVOCATION TO PATANJALI: This invocation to Patañjali is the introduction to the Bhoja Vrtti, the commentary on the Yoga Sutras written by Raja Bhoj. It is frequently chanted at the beginning of a yoga class. The first part of the chant salutes Patañjali's achievements as a founding figure in yoga; in grammar; and in ayurvedic medicine. The second part salutes him for carrying: the conch, which sounds the vibrations of the Universe but also awakens us to the coming victory over the world of matter; the wheel, which symbolizes the dominion and universal power of wisdom; and the double-edged sword of discriminative understanding, which enables us to see duality and cut through it to reveal reality. The reference to ‘1,000 heads’ is to his form as Ananta or Adisesa, the divine serpent that, in biting its own tail, symbolizes endlessness or the circle of eternity from which all possibilities and universes can spring.
For further details on Patañjali, please refer to the Patañjali biography.

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योगेन चित्तस्य पदेन वाचां।

मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन॥

योऽपाकरोत्तं प्रवरं मुनीनां।

पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिरानतोऽस्मि॥

Aum

yogena cittasya padena vācāṁ

malaṁ śarīrasya ca vaidyakena

yo'pākarottaṁ pravaraṁ munīnāṁ

patañjaliṁ prāñjalirānato'smi

Aum

Yoga that brings quietness of mind; grammar that elicits effective speech

And the healing arts that remove bodily ailments

He bestowed these things—that most illustrious of sages—

Patañjali to whom I make reverential obeisance.

आबहु पुरुषाकारं।

शङ्खचक्रासि धारिणं॥

सहस्र शीरसं श्वेतं।

प्रनमामि पतञ्जलिम्॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॐ॥

ābahu puruṣākāraṁ

śaṅkha cakrāsi dhāriṇaṁ

sahasra śīrasaṁ śvetaṁ

pranamāmi patañjalim

aum śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ aum

Spirit rendered into human form

Bearing the conch, the discus and the sword

Adorned with the cobra of one thousand heads—

I bow down before Patañjali.

Aum shanti shanti shanti Aum