Sun Salutation with mantras

Srivatsa Ramaswami's 'Complete book of Vinyasa Krama' has a traditional version of the Sun salutation laid out with the corresponding mantras. The idea is that you would move into each pose, retain the inhale or exhale while mentally chanting the mantra.

On the Vinyasa Krama home page you can find a link to Chants and Mantras including the Sury Namaskara chants available for download. To try and learn/practice it, I edited in some pauses to allow me time to enter the postures, and have been playing it on my itouch while performing the Salutation.

It's different, a nice alternative to the usual Sury. I tried to video it this morning but made a bit of a hash of it. First my practice room is too narrow to get a good angle and second, when I played it back, I could hardly hear the audio and had to spend most of the afternoon trying to work out how to switch audio files and synch with the picture. This is as close as I got, not great but perhaps good enough to get an idea of how it works.

You have the option of chanting the full mantra (actually it's three mantras joined together) or just the quick version down below which would mean a shorter breath retention.

The book includes full translations of each of the mantras. and here's a link to an article by Ramaswami on the Sun Salutation with mantra.

*One note on the Video, the squat posture before the first Chatauranga, is like Pasasana without the bind, squatting with the heels down rather than sitting on the mat (difficult to see that from behind).

The Twelve Sury Namaskara mantras

1. Om Hram

udhyannadya mitramaha

Mitraaya Namaha

2. Om Hrim

ārohannuttarāṃ divam

Ravaye Namaha

NB. Fingers are interlaced, palms facing outwards

3. Om Hroom

hṛdroghaṃ mamsūrya

Suryaaya Namaha

4. Om Hraim

harimāṇaṃca nāśaya

Bhaanve Namaha

NB. Squatting on heels

5. Om Hraum

śukeṣume harimāṇaṃ

khagaaya Namaha

NB. I know Susan, elbows in : )

6. Om Hrah

ropaṇākāsu dadhmasi

Pooshney Namaha

NB. Arms out stretched hands together

7. Om Hram

atho hāridraveṣume

Hiranayagarbhaaya Namah

8. Om Hrim

harimāṇaṃ ni dadhmasi

Om Mareechibhyoh Namaha

9. Om Hroom

udaghādayamādityo

Adityaaya Namaha

10.Om Hraim

viśvena sahasā saha

Savitre Namaha

11. Om Hraum

viṣantaṃ mahyaṃ randhyan

Arkaaya Namaha

12. Om Hrah

mo aham dviṣate radham

Bhaaskaraaya Namah

The Above mantras have three parts,

Part 1. (Quick version) Bijakshara mantras

1. Om Hram

2. Om Hrim

3. Om Hroom

4. Om Hraim

5. Om Hraum

6. Om Hrah

7. Om Hram

8. Om Hrim

9. Om Hroom

10. Om Hraim

11. Om Hraum

12. Om Hrah

Part 2. Mantras from the veda

1. Udhyannadya mitramaha

2. Arohannuttarāṃ divam

3. Hṛdroghaṃ mamsūrya

4. Harimāṇaṃca nāśaya

5. Sukeṣume harimāṇaṃ

6. Ropaṇākāsu dadhmasi

7. Atho hāridraveṣume

8. Harimāṇaṃ ni dadhmasi

9. Udaghādayamādityo

10. Viśvena sahasā saha

11. Dviṣantaṃ mahyaṃ randhyan

12. Mo aham dviṣate radham

Part 3 Laukika Mantra

1. Om Mitraaya Namaha (Salutations to the Friend of All)

2. Om Ravaye Namaha (Salutations to the Shining One)

3. Om Suryaaya Namaha (Salutations to he who induces activity )

4. Om Bhaanve Namaha (Salutations to he who illumines)

5. Om khagaaya Namaha - Salutations to one who moves through the sky

6. Om Pooshney Namaha - Salutations to the giver of strength and nourishment

7. Om Hiranayagarbhaaya Namah - Salutations to the Golden Cosmic Self

8. Om Mareechibhyoh Namaha - Salutations to the Rays of the Sun

9. Om Adityaaya Namaha - Salutations to Sun of Aditi (the Cosmic Mother)

10. Om Savitre Namaha - Salutations to the Stimulating power of the Sun

11. Om Arkaaya Namaha - Salutations to he who is fit to be praised (arka= energy)

12. Om Bhaaskaraaya Namah - Salutations to the one who leads to enlightenment

Update (1st Oct. 2013)

I've just come across this video of Ramaswami's Sun Salutations with mantras (also sun salutations to directions- 'Ding namaskars') posted by Yvette who I think must have been on Ramaswami's TT this year. I'm excited about this as a couple of years ago I spent forever trying to make a version of this, practicing along to the recording of the mantras Ramaswami had made as a tutorial (listen and repeat) and that were originally included with his Complete book of Vinyasa yoga. The tutorial can still be found on Ramaswami's chant page. http://vinyasakrama.com/Chants

Here's the video and thank you to Yvette (http://yvetteyoga.com) for making and posting it (as well as her other Vinyasa krama videos) and to Ramaswami  of course for 'playing along'.

Yvette, this is great, just seen that you've included the chants and translations


Sun Salutation with Mantra (samantraka-suryanamaskara)

Om Hram. Uddannadya mitramahah.
(You, the One rising now and daily, are the great friend, salutations to the great friend.)
Om Hrim. Arohannuttaram divam. Ravaye namah.
(Climbing, the great one, up the sky. Oh the fast mover, salutation to you.
Om Hrum. Hrudrogam mama surya. Suryaya namah.
(My heart ailment, O the divine guide. My salutations to the divine Surya.
Om Hraim. Harimanancha nasaya. Bhanave namah.
(And the green patches (on my skin due to heart ailment) you destroy. Salutations to you, the provider of light into the world.
Om Hraum. Sukeshu mey harimanam. Khagaya namah.
(Salutations to Thee, the mover in space.
Om Hrah. Ropanakasu dadhmasi. pushne namah.
(And give to the herbs used for healing paste. Salutations to thee the great Nourisher.
Om Hram. Atho Haaridraveshu mey. Hiranyagarbhaaya namah.
(To the green trees. My salutations are to the Golden creator (womb))
Om Hrim. Harimanannidaddhmasi. Marchaye namah.
(Deposit the green patches. Salutations to the radiant one.
Om Hrum. Udagadayamadityah. Adityaya namah.
(This Sun rising in the sky. Salutations to Aditya.
(tutorial)

Then
Salutation To Directions
(Ding-Namaskara)

Om! namh prachyai diseyascha devata yetasyam prativasanti yetabhyasch namah!
(Om. I bow to the east and the guardian angels that permeate it.)
Om! namh dakshinayai diseyascha devata yetasyam prativasanti yetabhyasch namah!
(Om. I bow to the south and the guardian angels that permeate it.)
Om! namh prateechyai diseyascha devata yetasyam prativasanti yetabhyasch namah!
(Om. I bow to the west and the guardian angels that permeate it.)
Om! nama udeechyai diseyascha devata yetasyam prativasanti yetabhyasch namah!
(Om. I bow to the north and the guardian angels that permeate it.)
Om! namh urdwayai diseyascha devata yetasyam prativasanti yetabhyasch namah!
(Om. I bow to the upward diection and the guardian angels that permeate it.)
Om! Namo adharayai diseyascha devata yetasyam prativasanti yetabhyasch namah!
(Om. I bow to the downward diection and the guardian angels that permeate it.)
Om! namo avantharayai diseyascha devata yetasyam prativasanti yetabhyasch namah!
(Om. I bow to the intermediate direction and the guardian angels that permeate it.)