A few students have asked about the Invocation to Patanjali. Below is a translation and brief explanation, with the phonetics in CAPS:
According to the Hindu faith, Lord Patanjali is considered to be the incarnation of Adhishesha, the cobra, which is the seat for the Lord Vishnu. It is said Lord Patanjali was born three different times, giving three different sciences for people to improve themselves.
YO-GAYNA CHITTASYA PADAYNA VACHAM
To purify the mind (citta) and purify the consciousness, Patanjali gave the science of yoga (yogena) to us. To purify our use of words (pada) and speech (vacca), he gave a commentary on grammar to us, so that our use of words and way of speaking is clarified, distinct and pure
MALAM SHARIRASYA CHA VAIDYAKAYNA
To remove the impurities (malam) of the body (sarira), he gave us the science of medicine (vaidyakena)
YOPAKAROTTAM PRAVARAM MUNINAM
Let me go near the one who has given these things to us
PATANJALIM PRANJALIR ANATO’SMI
Let me bow down my head with my folded hands to Lord Patanjali.
Then, after knowing the work of this lord, the second stanza says what Lord Patanjali looks like – to have the form in front of the eyes enables meditation
ABAHU PURUSHAKARAM
From the hand up to the head he has the shape (karam) of a human (purusa)
SHANKHA CHAKRASI DHARINAM
In his hand he is holding the conch (shanka) and disc (chakra)
SAHASRA SHIRSHAM SHVETAM
On the top of his head (sirsam) he has got a thousand (sahasra) hoods of the cobra, because he is the incarnation of Adishesha, the greatest cobra. Svetam means white.
PRANAMAMI PATANJALIM
I bow down to Patanjali
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Personally, I am not religious. Above, I have explained the meaning behind the chant, but I don’t chant to worship.
I chant out of respect for tradition
I chant to draw a line between my busy day/evening and the time I carve out for practising yoga
I chant because it feels ceremonious and special
I chant because it makes me feel small – in the best possible way! It makes me feel humble. To acknowledge that I am on that yoga mat to learn something, to express that I come from a place of humility – of not knowing everything. Nothing can be learned if you come from a place of arrogance.
Bowing my head gives me a feeling of surrendering myself, of feeling gratitude for yoga – and being thankful for all those brilliant teachers who have shared and continue to share what they have learned. It reminds me that no matter what qualifications I have or what poses I can ‘do’, I have so much to learn. As my youngest child would say, “I am better than no one, and no one is better than me.”