Day 8 : Surya namaskara ( sun salutations with mantra)

VIDEO LINK

Srivatsa Ramaswami's has a traditional version of the Sun salutation laid out with the corresponding mantras starting on p. 213 of 'The Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga'. The idea is that you would move into each pose, retain the inhalation or exhalation 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.

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).


I'd added captions to the video, they used to work but some reason aren't showing up on Youtube at the moment.

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


NB: These are practice notes that will be tidied up and put into the new edition of my Vinyasa Yoga Practice Book along with the current sequences and subroutines. The book can be freely downloadedHERE. There is a page on Facebook HERE with all the latest sheets and updates. This book is in no way a substitute for Ramaswami's Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga.