Invocation to Patanjali

The invocation to Patanjali is chanted at the beginning of class in the Iyengar Yoga tradition. Here is a copy of the invocation in English and Japanese. You can also hear the invocation chanted in the links below to learn and practice with.

yogena cittasya padena vācāṁ

malaṁ śarīrasya ca vaidyakena

yo’pākarottaṁ pravaraṁ munīnāṁ

patañjaliṁ prāñjalirānato’smi

ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ

śaṅkha cakrāsi dhāriṇam

sahasra śirasaṁ śvetaṁ

praṇamāmi patañjalim

hariḥ OM

ヨーゲーナ　チッタシヤ　パデーナ　ヴァーチャーム

マラム　シャリーラッシヤ　チャ　ヴァイッディヤケーナ

ヨーパーカロッタム　プラヴァラム　ムニーナーム

パタンジャリム　プラーンジャリラーナトースミ

アーバーフ プルシャーカーラム

シャンカ　チャックラーシ　ダーリナム

サハッスラ　シラサム　シュヴェータム

プラナマーミ　パタンジャリム

ハリヒオーム

The meaning of the invocation:

To the noblest of sages, Patanjali, who gave us yoga for serenity of mind, grammar for purity of speech and medicine for the perfection of the body, I salute. I salute before Patanjali whose upper body has a human form, whose arms hold a conch, and disc and a sword, who is crowned by a thousand headed cobra. Oh incarnation of Adisesa my humble salutations to thee.

This link is of BKS Iyengar chanting the inovcation.

BKS Iyengar’s Invocation

This is a useful link for pronunciation and to practice correct intonation with.

Lakshya Yoga Invocation