MANTRA

The Iyengar practice is traditionally started with the following Sanskrit mantra:

OM
YOGENA CITTASYA PADENA VACAM
MALAM SARIRASYACA VAIDYAKENA
YOPAKAROTTAM PRVARAM MUNINAM
PATANJALIM PRANJALIRANATO’SMI

ABAHU PURUSAKARAM
SANKHA CAKRASI DHARINAM
SAHASRA SIRASAM SVETAM
PRANAMAMI PATANJALIM
OM

which is roughly translated into English as:

Let us bow before the noblest of sages Patanjali, who gave 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 Adisesa, whose upper body has a human form, whose arms hold a conch and a disc, and who is crowned by a thousand-headed cobra.

The Ashtanga practice is traditionally started with the following Sanskrit mantra:

Om
Vande Gurunam Charanaravinde
Sandarashita Svatma Sukava Bodhe
Nishreyase Jangalikayamane
Samsara Halahala Mohashantyai

Abahu Purushakaram
Shankhachakrsi Dharinam
Sahasra Shirasam Svetam
Pranamami Patanjalim
Om

which is roughly translated into English as:

I bow to the two lotus feet of the masters
who teach the good knowledge showing the way to Self Awakening
that act as the jungle physician,
removing the poison of ignorance caused by conditioned existence.

Assuming the form of a man below the shoulders,
holding a sword of discrimination, a wheel of light representing infinite time, and the conch shell representing Divine sound, appearing radiant white with a thousand heads,
to the sage Patanjali, I prostrate

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