This is a translation of part of the Opening Prayers as taught to TKV Desikachar by T Krishnamacharya and taught by TKV Desikachar to his personal students.
View or Download the Prārthanā Ślokam (Request Prayer) – Dhyānaṃ Ślokam relative to Patañjali.
योगेन चित्तस्य पदेन वाचां मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन ।
योऽपाकरोत् तं प्रवरं मुनीनां पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिरानतोऽस्मि ॥
yogena cittasya padena vācāṃ malaṃ śarīrasya ca vaidyakena |
yo’pākarot taṃ pravaraṃ munīnāṃ patañjaliṃ prāñjalirānato’smi ||
‘Yoga for the psyche,
grammar for speech and medicine for impurities of the body.
Coming from the lineage of teachers, to Patañjali I salute.’
आबाहु पुरुषाकारं शङ्खचक्रासि धारिणम् ।
सहस्र शिरसं श्वेतं प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ॥
ābāhu puruṣākāraṃ śaṅkhacakrāsi dhāriṇam |
sahasra śirasaṃ śvetaṃ praṇamāmi patañjalim ||
‘Up to the shoulders human form, holding conch, disc, sword.
One thousand heads white to Patañjali I salute.’
श्रीमते अनन्ताय नागराय नमो नमः ॥
śrīmate anantāya nāgarājāya namo namaḥ ||
‘To venerable, eternal serpent king, Nāga, my reverences.’
It was learnt by heart as a Bhāvanam for Dhyānaṃ, to create a meditational mood linked to Patañjali prior to commencing either chanting practice or textual study of the Yoga Sūtra.
- View or Download the Prārthanā Ślokam (Request Prayer) – Dhyānaṃ Ślokam for Patañjali with translation.
- View or Download the Yoga Sūtra Full Opening Prayers with Chant Notations (without translation)
- View or Download the Prārthanā Ślokam (Request Prayer) – Śuklām Opening Verse with Translation
- View or Download the Prārthanā Ślokam (Request Prayer) – Gurubhyastad Opening Verse with Translation
- Listen or Download the Yoga Sūtra Full Dhyānaṃ Ślokam for Patañjali by TKV Desikachar as a sound file.