Dattātreyayogaśāstra 12–14: Letter Installation, Mantra, and Twelve Years of Practice

After ritually installing the letters of the alphabet, the wise practitioner should recite a mantra; even one may produce a supernatural power. A practitioner of limited capacity gains knowledge and powers after twelve years, yet the text ranks Mantra Yoga as the lowest yoga.

Dr. Ronald Steiner

Nils Jacob Liersch 21.07.2019

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 12

अङ्गेषु मातृकान्यासपूर्वं मन्त्रं जपेत्सुधीः |

aṅgeṣu mātṛkā-nyāsa;-pūrvaṃ mantraṃ japet sudhīḥ | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

aṅgeṣu lokative plural	aṅga substantive neuter	on the limbs
mātṛkā tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	mātṛkā substantive feminine	phonemes, alphabet
nyāsa tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	nyāsa substantive masculine	placing, application, direction
pūrvam accusative singular neuter	pūrva adjective	first; beforehand
mantram accusative singular	mantra substantive masculine	a mantra
japet 3rd person singular aktive optative	jap verbal root	should recite
sudhīḥ nominative singular	sudhī substantive masculine	the wise person

एकेन चापि सिद्धिः स्यान्मन्त्रयोगः स उच्यते ||12||

ekena cāpi siddhiḥ syān; mantra-yogaḥ sa ucyate ||12|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

ekena instrumental case singular neuter	eka numeral	through even one
ca	ca particle	and
api	api particle	also
siddhiḥ nominative singular	siddhi substantive feminine	supernatural power; accomplishment
syāt 3rd person singular aktive optative	as verbal root	may arise
mantra tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	mantra substantive masculine	mantra; sacred formula
yogaḥ nominative singular	yoga substantive masculine	yoga
saḥ nominative singular masculine	tad pronoun	that
ucyate 3rd person singular passive present	vac verbal root	is called

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

The wise person (sudhīḥ | nom sg) should recite a mantra (mantraṃ japet), after first installing the letters on the limbs (aṅgeṣu mātṛkā-nyāsa-pūrvam). A supernatural power may arise (siddhiḥ syāt) through even one [mantra] (ekena ca api | ins sg). That is called Mantrayoga (mantra-yogaḥ sa ucyate).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

In Mantrayoga, the letters are first ritually installed on the body and a mantra is then recited. Even a single mantra can produce a supernatural power.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

om. JM2024 ] add. mantrayoga DYŚ ante aṅgeṣu

japet JM2024 ] japan DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 13

मृदुस्तस्याधिकारी स्याद्द्वादशाब्दैस्तु साधनात् |

mṛdus tasyādhikārī syād; dvādaśābdais tu sādhanāt | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

mṛduḥ nominative singular masculine	mṛdu adjective	the weak practitioner
tasya genitive singular masculine	tad pronoun dem	for it
adhikārī nominative singular	adhikārin substantive masculine	qualified practitioner
syāt 3rd person singular aktive optative	as verbal root	may be
dvādaśa karmadhāraya-compound	dvādaśa numeral	twelve
abdaiḥ instrumental case plural	abda substantive masculine	after years
tu	tu particle	however
sādhanāt ablative singular	sādhana substantive neuter	through practice

प्रायेण लभते ज्ञानं सिद्धीश्चैवाणिमादिकाः ||13||

prāyeṇa labhate jñānaṃ; siddhīś caivāṇimādikāḥ ||13|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

prāyeṇa	prāyeṇa adverb	generally
labhate 3rd person singular aktive present	labh verbal root	obtains
jñānam accusative singular	jñāna substantive neuter	knowledge
siddhīḥ accusative plural	siddhi substantive feminine	powers
ca	ca particle	and
eva	eva particle	indeed
aṇimā tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	aṇiman substantive masculine	aṇimā, minuteness
ādikāḥ accusative plural feminine	ādika adjective	and the like

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

This path is especially suited to less capable practitioners. With sustained practice, they too can attain knowledge and extraordinary powers.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

sādhanāt | JM2024 ] sādhanāt || DYŚ

siddhīś JM2024 ] siddhiś DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 14

अल्पबुद्धिरिमं योगं सेवते साधकाधमः |

alpa-buddhir imaṃ yogaṃ; sevate sādhakādhamaḥ | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

alpa karmadhāraya-compound	alpa adjective	small
buddhiḥ nominative singular	buddhi substantive feminine	cognition, perception
imam accusative singular masculine	idam pronoun	this
yogam accusative singular	yoga substantive masculine	yoga
sevate 3rd person singular medial present	sev verbal root	undertakes
sādhaka tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	sādhaka substantive masculine	practitioner
adhamaḥ nominative singular masculine	adhama adjective	the lowest

मन्त्रयोगो ह्ययं प्रोक्तो योगानामधमः स्मृतः ||14||

mantra-yogo hy ayaṃ prokto; yogānām adhamaḥ smṛtaḥ ||14|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

mantra tatpuruṣa-compound genitive	mantra substantive masculine	mantra; sacred formula
yogaḥ nominative singular	yoga substantive masculine	yoga
hi	hi particle	indeed
ayam nominative singular masculine	idam pronoun	this
proktaḥ nominative singular masculine past participle passive	pra previx vac verbal root	is taught
yogānām genitive plural	yoga substantive masculine	among the yogas
adhamaḥ nominative singular masculine	adhama adjective	the lowest
smṛtaḥ nominative singular masculine past participle passive	smṛ verbal root	is held to be

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Mantrayoga is presented here as the path for weak practitioners and as the lowest of the yogas.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

sādhakādhamaḥ | JM2024 ] sādhakādhamaḥ || DYŚ

adhamaḥ smṛtaḥ JM2024 ] adhamas tathā DYŚ

smṛtaḥ || JM2024 ] tathā | DYŚ

Critical Apparatus

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Dr. Ronald Steiner

From Ulm

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 ›

Nils Jacob Liersch

Meine Begeisterung für Yoga, indische Philosophie und Sanskrit führte mich zum Studium der Indologie und Religionswissenschaft an der Universität Heidelberg. Seit 2004 befinde ich mich auf meinem persönlichen Yogaweg... more ›

Messages and ratings

2 messages Ø

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23.09.2021

Beginnen, eifrige Beschäftigung, vertrauter Umgang, Vervollständigung... ich bin schon gespannt, wie die einzelnen Stadien definiert werden!

26.09.2021

Ah. ... Dattatreya spezifiziert im Folgenden die Yogawege. :)
- Die Schülerstadien müssen wir durch unsere Fantasie richtig interpretieren.

Dattātreyayogaśāstra 12–14: Letter Installation, Mantra, and Twelve Years of Practice

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