Why Chant the Pantanjali Invocation?
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali were composed over 2000 years ago. Their combination of practical pointers and profound inspiration have continued to inspire practitioners through the ages. Patanjali’s Yoga aphorisms, are a collection of yogic teachings, brought together into a cohesive whole, and give the yogi a real sense of the full journey and reach of yoga practice.
It is obvious that Patanjali himself learned from what was practiced around him and then drew this into his own practice, giving the sutras strongly authentic and integrated feel. The teachings have obviously been purified and coalesced in the fire of Patanjali’s own ‘Tapas’ (zeal/discipline). His aphorisms have never been more popular than they are now, with leading teachers such as Patthabhi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar kicking off their sessions with grateful salutations and recognition through this invocation.
Patanjali wrote on Grammar and medicine too, and so covered the traditional areas to be mindfully refined by the aspirant body (medicine), speech (grammar), and mind (yoga).
Pronunciation
Om
Yogena chitassya padena varcharm
Malam shareeras ya-cha-vai(d) yaken(y)a
Yopar karottum pravaram muneenam
Patanjalim pranjarlir-ranoto sme
Abarhu-purushar-karam shanka-chakra-sidharin(y)am
Sahasra-shirasum svwtam pranamarme Patanjarlim
Om
Translation
Let us bow down before the noblest of sages, Patanjali, who gave us 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 Adis(h)esa, whose upper body has a human form, whose arms hold a conch (Visnu holds a conch/used ritually to herald proclamations and announcements/represents life coming out of primal waters) and a disk (Visnu’s disk-like weapon associated with protection/energy centre or wheel) and who is crowned by a thousand-headed cobra (associated with protection/Visnu/rebirth).