Paying homage to Patañjali

Kṛṣṇamācārya provided each of his students with their own personal mantra to be used at the start of each practice. TKV Desikachar honours Patañjali with these words and passes on the mantra on to his students.

Dr. Ronald Steiner Dr. Ronald Steiner
Yoga Mantra Collection
ॐ |
oṃ | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
oṃ
oṃ
particle
Om
Om (oṃ).
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
Om.
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer
Yoga Mantra Collection
योगेन चित्तस्य पदेन वाचां मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन |
yogena cittasya padena vācāṃ; malaṃ śarīrasya ca vaidyakena | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
yogena
instrumental case singular
substantive masculine
durch Yoga
cittasya
genitive singular
substantive neuter
des Geistes
padena
instrumental case singular
substantive neuter
durch Grammatik
vācām
genitive plural
substantive feminine
der Worte, der Sprache
malam
accusative singular
substantive neuter
das Übel, die Unreinheit
śarīrasya
genitive singular
substantive neuter
des Körpers
ca
particle
und
vaidyakena
instrumental case singular
substantive neuter
durch Heilkunde
Through yoga (yogena | ins sg), [he removed] the impurity (malam | acc sg n) of the mind (cittasya | gen sg n); through grammar (padena | ins sg n), [the impurity] of speech (vācām | gen pl f); and (ca) through medicine (vaidyakena | ins sg n), [the impurity] of the body (śarīrasya | gen sg n) ...
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
Through yoga he purified the mind, through grammar speech, and through medicine the body ...
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer
Yoga Mantra Collection
यो ऽपाकरोत् तं प्रवरं मुनीनां पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिर् आनतो ऽस्मि |
yo 'pākarot taṃ pravaraṃ munīnāṃ; patañjaliṃ prāñjalir ānato 'smi | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
yaḥ
nominative singular masculine
pronoun rel
der, welcher
apākarot
3rd person singular aktive preterite
previx
verbal root
er beseitigte
tam
accusative singular masculine
pronoun dem
diesen
pravaram
accusative singular masculine
adjective
den Besten, Vorzüglichsten
munīnām
genitive plural
substantive masculine
der Weisen
patañjalim
accusative singular
substantive masculine
Patañjali
prāñjaliḥ
nominative singular masculine
adjective
mit gefalteten Händen
ānataḥ
nominative singular masculine past participle passive
previx
verbal root
verneigt
asmi
1st person singular aktive present
verbal root
ich bin
... who (yaḥ | nom sg m) removed [them] (apākarot | 3p sg act pret). Before this foremost of sages (taṃ pravaraṃ munīnām | acc sg m), before Patañjali (patañjalim | acc sg m), I am (asmi | 1p sg act pres) bowed (ānataḥ | nom sg m ppp) with joined hands (prāñjaliḥ | nom sg m).
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
... With joined hands I bow before Patañjali, foremost of sages, who removed these impurities.
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer
Yoga Mantra Collection
आबाहुपुरुषाकारं शङ्खचक्रासिधारिणम् |
ā-bāhu-puruṣākāraṃ; śaṅkha-cakrāsi-dhāriṇam | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
ā
avyayībhāva-compund
previx
bis zu
bāhu
avyayībhāva-compund
substantive masculine
den Armen
puruṣa
tatpuruṣa-compound genitive
substantive masculine
des Menschen, menschlich
ākāram
accusative singular
substantive masculine
die Gestalt
śaṅkha
dvandva-compound
substantive masculine
Muschelhorn
cakra
dvandva-compound
substantive neuter
Diskus
asi
upapada-compound
substantive masculine
Schwert
dhāriṇam
accusative singular masculine
adjective
tragend
Before him, whose upper body has human form (ā-bāhu-puruṣa-ākāram | acc sg m), who bears conch, discus, and sword (śaṅkha-cakra-asi-dhāriṇam | acc sg m), ...
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
Before him in human form, bearing conch, discus, and sword, ...
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer
Yoga Mantra Collection
सहस्रशिरसं श्वेतं प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ||2.2||
sahasra-śirasaṃ śvetaṃ; praṇamāmi patañjalim ||2.2|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
sahasra
dvigu-compound
numeral
tausend
śirasam
accusative singular masculine
substantive neuter
tausendköpfig
śvetam
accusative singular masculine
adjective
strahlend, weiß
praṇamāmi
1st person singular aktive present
previx
verbal root
ich verneige mich vor
patañjalim
accusative singular
substantive masculine
Patañjali
... before the thousand-headed one (sahasra-śirasam | acc sg m), the radiant one (śvetam | acc sg m), I bow (praṇamāmi | 1p sg act pres) before Patañjali (patañjalim | acc sg m).
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
... I bow before radiant, thousand-headed Patañjali.
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer
Yoga Mantra Collection
ॐ |
oṃ | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
oṃ
oṃ
particle
Om
Om (oṃ).
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
Om.
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

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Dr. Ronald Steiner

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The "Yoga Doc" - Dr. Ronald Steiner is the founder of the AYI method. This method links traditional Ashtanga Yoga with innovative Yogatherapy and living Philosophy. This forms a practice that is personal for each and... more ›

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