PRAYERS TO BE CHANTED ON WAKING UP

Karāgre vasate lakșmeeh,

Karamūle saraswatee;

Karamadhye tu govindah,

Prabhāte karadar anam.

“On the tip of fingers is Goddess Lakshmi, 

on the base of the fingers is Goddess Saraswati, in the middle of the fingers is Lord Govinda.”

Remembering this, on waking up one should look at their palms first before doing anything else.

PRAYERS TO BE CHANTED ON SETTING YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND

Samudravasane devi

Parvata stana maṇḍite

Namo viśvambhare mātah

Pāda sparśaṁ kṣamasva me.

“Salutations to You, Oh Mother Earth! Who is decked by ocean as the garment and mountains as the breasts! Kindly pardon me as I touch you by my feet”

PRAYERS FOR STUDING

Saraswati namastubhyam

Varade kāmarūpini;

Vidyārambham kariṣyāmi,

Siddhir bhavatume sadā.

“Oh Goddess Saraswati, my humble prostrations unto Thee,

who are the fulfiller of all my wishes.

I start my studies with a request that Thou wilt bestow Thy blessings on me”.

Saying this prayer, the student should start studies daily.

OM

The Universal Mantra

Om, or Aum, is a deeply divine sound, an all-embracing sound of the universe. 

A single syllable that is the sound of harmony itself, and when we chant it, we invite that harmony within us.

The sound of Om is considered the first sound of the universe, 

the life-breath of the Creator. 

So chanting Om as we breathe in and breathe out fills us with Creation’s energy.

Wherever you are right now, adjust your posture to sit up straight, and close your eyes. 

Take a deep breath and let it go. 

With your next deep exhale, let an Aaaaaa slip out low and rumbly from your belly.

 Keep it going as it rolls itself into a Uuuu sound. 

When you’re half-way through your breath, slowly bring your lips together into an Mmmmmmmmm. And then taper off into silence. That’s one Om!

Chant Om 3 times to feel yourself in tune with your inner being.

Chant for World Harmony

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

 May all beings in the entire universe be happy and free.

This is a popular mantra for peace, not just for one's own self or family,

 but for the world, and the universe (literally, all the worlds in the entire universe). 

It encourages one to go beyond his own identity and his small world, 

to identify with the entire creation and all its beings, since the Being is the same in all creatures.

A Mantra for Seeking Truth

Asato Ma Sat Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

From unreal lead me to real, from darkness lead me to light, from death lead me to transcend it.

This is a deeply meaningful mantra, of a seeker searching for truth and light beyond death. And not just any truth, but the Eternal Truth, that is not limited by body, mind and intellect.

A Mantra for Healing

The Mrityunjaya (mrit-yoon-jaya) 

Om Trayambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam

Urvarukam Iva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Mamritat

Mantra is a secret mantra that was only passed along verbally for generations.

 It is widely known now, as a healing mantra to ward off illness,

Simple Translation: I implore you, the Source of the cycle of birth,

 life and death, to free me from its bondage, make me fearless, 

and lead me to the absolute truth and bliss.

Soham for Self Realization

Soham (pronounced so-hum) in Sanskrit means, "I am That."

When someone asks you, “Who are you?”, would you say you’re 43 years old, a female, a wife and a mother? Or would you say you are a writer, and work at the local bank? Or that you like helping people, and run several charities? All of those may be true - for this human experience. And yet – do those descriptions define you?

Are you not something deeper? Strip off those outer body layers – I’m not just a female, not just a wife, not just a writer, not just this body. Go deeper – I’m not just a happy person, a depressed person, an angry person – strip off the inner emotional layer. Go even deeper – I’m not my thoughts, I’m not what I think, or say – strip off the interior mental layer where your thoughts arise from and see that that’s not you. And then what remains? Just your spirit. your pure soul. your essence. your awareness. There are no words for that pure essence of awareness, and therefore you're left with "I am That"."

Peace Within and Peace Without

Om Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:

 Peace within, peace without, and peace divine.

Mantras work by creating powerful sound vibrations within the mind. As you chant them repeatedly, with each chanting, your mind quietens, and the vibrations create a sense of peace and purpose within.