Most mantras we are familiar with in yoga are chanted in Sanskrit. In the Sikh religion the language of their mantras is Gurmukhi.
ADAYS TISAI ADAYS
Adays tisai adays
Aad aneel anaad anaahat, jug jug ayko vays
I salute Thee, the Primal One, pure, in the beginning, through all time, through all the ages – the One.
These are the words of Guru Nanak and a salutation to the Infinite – to the God beyond the Infinite God. If you master this pauree of Japji, the entire knowledge of the universe beyond will come to you without ever reading a book. This mantra initiates you into that knowledge which is within all. It is the yogi’s humble bowing to the Infinite.
AD GURAY NAMEH
(MANGALA CHARAN MANTRA)
Aad guray nameh,
jugaad guray nameh,
Sat guray nameh,
siree guroo dayv-ay nameh
I bow to the primal wisdom.
I bow to the wisdom true through the ages.
I bow to the true wisdom. I bow to the great unseen wisdom.
You are guided from the primal core and beginning, through every moment of experience and activity, guided in your heart’s deepest truth and being by the unseen Infinity of your highest self. This is a mantra which clears the clouds of doubt and opens us to guidance and protection. It surrounds the magnetic field with protective light.
ADI SHAKTI
(KUNDALINI BHAKTI MANTRA)
Aadee shaktee, namo namo
Sarab shaktee, namo namo
Pritham bhaagavatee, namo namo
Kundalinee, maataa shaktee, namo namo
I bow to the Primal Power.
I bow to the all Encompassing Power and Energy.
I bow to that through which God creates.
I bow to the creative power of the kundalini,
the Divine Mother Power.
This devotional mantra invokes the primary Creative Power which is manifest as feminine. It calls upon the Mother Power. It will help you to be free of the insecurities which block freedom of action. By meditating on it one can obtain a deeper understanding of the constant interplay between the manifest and the unmanifest qualities of the cosmos and consciousness.
AD SUCH
(KUNDALINI SHAKTI MANTRA)
Aad such, jugaad such, haibhee such
naanak hosee bhee such
True in the beginning. True throughout the ages. True at this moment. Nanak says this Truth shall ever be.
This mantra connects the speaker to the Infinite and the Infinite to the speaker. It is from Japji.
Aad such jugaad such haiBHAY such
Naanak hosee bHAY such
There is a slight difference from the above. This is the 17th Slok of Sukhmani Sahib, the words of Guru Arjan, the 5th Sikh Guru. When things don’t move, this mantra adds the seeds of prosperity into your personality. All that is stuck shall move.
AAP SAHAEE HOA
Aap sahaaee hoaa
Sachay daa sachay thoaa, Har, Har, Har
The Lord Himself has become my protector.
The Truest of the True has taken care of me. God, God, God.
This mantra takes away negativity from the surrounding environments and from within. It is a gift that let’s you penetrate into the unknown without fear. It gives protection and mental balance.
ANG SANG WAHE GURU
Ung sung wha-hay guroo
The dynamic, living ecstasy of the universe is dancing within every cell of me.
This mantra eliminates haunting thoughts.
ARDAS BHAEE
Ardass bhayee, amar daas guroo,
amar daas guroo, ardaas bhayee
raam daas guroo, raam dass guroo, raam daas guroo, sachee sahee
This is a simple permutation and combination of words that manifests beyond the realm of creativity and activity. This mantra assures that all needs are provided for and guarantees the prayer will be answered. It can help when going through Shakti Pad. Chant this mantra when going through a difficult situation. Ardas bhayee is a mantra prayer. If you sing it, your mind, body, and soul automatically combine and, without having to say what you want, the need of life is adjusted. It guarantees by the Grace of Guru Amar Das (the hope of the hopeless) and Guru Ram Das (the king of the yogis and bestower of blessing past, present and future) that the prayer will be answered.
AJAI ALAI
This is the Guru Gobind Singh’s Jaap Sahib, which rouses the soul and the self. This brings great sensitivity to the Being and gives the ability to be able to compute what people are actually saying automatically. Once you recite this mantra correctly, it will give you the power that whatever you say must happen. When you chant this mantra you have the power to surpass anything.
DHAN DHAN RAM DAS GUR
(SHABD FROM SIRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB)
Dhan dhan ram das gur jin syreaa tinai savaari-aa
Pooree ho-ee karaamaat aap sirjanhaarai dhaari-aa
Sikhee atai sangatee paarbrahm kar namaskaari-aa
Atal athaaho atol too(n) tayraa ant na paaraavaari-aa
Jinee too(n) sayvee-aa bhaa-o kar say tudh paar utaari-aa
Lab lobh kaam krodh moho maar kadhay tudh saparvaari-aa
Dhan so tayraa thaan hai sach tayraa paiskaari-aa
Naanaak too(n) lehnaa too(n) hai gur amar too(n) veechaari-aa
Gur dithaa taa(n) man saadhaari-aa
Praise unto Ram Das the Guru, the one who created you, established you. You are such a miracle! The Creator has installed you on a throne. Your Sikhs, & all conscious people bow to you because you manifest God. You are unchanging, , immeasurable. Your limit cannot be perceived. unfathomableThose who serve you with love are carried across the sea of existence. The five obstacles (greed, attachment, lust, anger, ego) cannot exist where you are. The realm that you rule is the true place. True is your glory. You are Nanak, Angad, and Amar Das the Guru. Oh, when I recognized you, my soul was comforted!
This shabd reaches the realm of miracles. The impossible becomes possible. When life seems stuck, praise the domain of Guru Ram Das, the realm of the true Reality. It is the realm of the heart, of the Neutral Mind, where all things become pure.
BOUNTIFUL, BLISSFUL, AND BEAUTIFUL
(MANTRA OF BLISS: AFFIRMATION OF THE DIVINE SELF)
I am bountiful, blissful, and beautiful.
Bountiful, blissful, and beautiful I am.
Ek ong kaar sat gurprasaad
Anand bhayaa mayree maa-ay satiguroo mai paa-yaa
Satiguroo taa paa-yaa sehej saytee
Man vajeeaa vaadhaaeeaa
Raag rattan parvaar pareeaa shabd gaavan aaeeaa
Shabdo taa gaavho haree kayraa man jinee vasaa-yaa
Kahai naanak anand hoaa satiguroo mai paa-yaa
The Creator and the Creation are One.
I know this by the Grace of the Guru.
Oh my mother, I am in Infinite bliss for I have obtained the True Guru (the Word, the Shabd Guru).
I have met the True Guru easily, naturally;
divine music bursts in my heart.
The rhythmic beats are like cosmic jewels
and bring all powers through Divine Songs.
When God resides in you,
the mind is filled by and echoes with divine praise.
Nanak proclaims I dwell in supreme bliss
for I have merged with the True Guru.
This mantra is for self-esteem and self-confidence. After the affirmation “I am bountiful, blissful, and beautiful,” are words from the first part of Anand Sahib – the Song of Bliss – and the mantra Ek Ong Kar Satgur Prasad which elevates the self beyond duality and establishes the flow of spirit.
CHATTR CHAKKR VARTI
(LAST FOUR LINES OF JAAP SAHIB)
Chattr chakkr vartee,
chattr chakkr bhugatay
Suyumphav suphang sarab daa sarab jugtay
Dukaalang pranaasee dayaalang saroopay
Sadaa ung sungay aphangang biphootay
Thou art pervading in all the four directions, the Enjoyer in all the four directions. Thou art self-illumined and united with all.
Destroyer of bad times, embodiment of mercy.
Thou art ever within us.
Thou are the everlasting giver of undestroyable power.
These are the last four lines of Guru Gobind Singh’s Jaap Sahib. This mantra removes fear, anxiety, depression, and phobias, and brings victory. It instills courage and fearlessness into the fiber of the person. It gives saahibee – control over one’s domain – self-command and self-grace. Recite this when your position is endangered, when your authoritative personality is weak.
EK ONG KAR SAT NAM SIRI WAHE GURU
(ADI SHAKTI MANTRA)
Ek Ong Kaar Sat Nam
Siree Wha-hay Guroo
The Creator and all creation are one. This is our True Identity. The ecstasy of this wisdom is Great beyond words.
This eight part (ashtang) mantra corresponds to the body’s eight energy centers (7 chakras, plus aura). These eight words are the “code” letters of the phone number of the direct line to connect you, the creature, with your Creator. It was the first mantra Yogi Bhajan taught during his first year in the United States. This mantra creates a responsive interrelationship between you and the universal creative energy. It is very powerful for awakening the kundalini energy and suspending the mind in bliss.
EK ONG KAR SAT NAM SIRI WAHE GURU
(LAYA YOGA KUNDALINI MANTRA)
Ek ong kaar- (uh)
saa-taa-naa-ma
Siree wha-(uh) hay guroo
The Creator and all creation are one. This is our True Identity. The ecstasy of this wisdom is Great beyond words.
This is the Laya Yoga form of the Adi Shakti Mantra. The rhythm of the chant gives it a “spinning energy.” It rotates the energy of all the chakras and the aura. It will make you creative and focused on your real priorities and it helps you to sacrifice what is needed to accomplish them.
EK ONG KAR SAT GUR PRASAD
(SIRI MANTRA)
Ek ong kaar sat gur parsad,
sat gur parsad ek ong kaar
God and We are One.
I know this by the Grace of the True Guru.
I know this by the Grace of the True Guru.
That God and We are One.
This mantra is a gutka shabd – one that reverses the mind. It is the essence of the Siri Guru. If the mantra is chanted just five times, it will stop the mind and put it into reverse gear. The Siri Guru will sit in your heart. It can stop anything negative. It is so strong that it elevates the self beyond duality and establishes the flow of spirit. This mantra makes the mind so powerful that it removes all obstacles. Its positive effects happen quickly and last a long time. It needs to be chanted with reverence, in a place of reverence. This mantra brings great intuition to the practitioner. After chanting this mantra, anything you say will be amplified and created with great force. So have a positive projection and do not say anything negative for a while.
Normally when you chant mantras correctly, you benefit, and when you chant them incorrectly, they don’t have any ill effect. But if you chant this mantra incorrectly, it has a backlash. Normally we invoke the sacred before practicing this mantra. Chant the Mul Mantra or the Mangala Charn Mantra before practicing it.
GOBINDAY MUKANDAY
(GURU GAITRI MANTRA)
Gobinday, mukanday,
udaaray, apaaray,
Hareeung, kareeung, nirnaamay, akaamay
Sustaining, Liberating, Enlightening, Infinite
Destroying, Creating, Nameless, Desireless.
This mantra can eliminate the karmic blocks or errors of the past. It has the power to purify one’s magnetic field, making it easier to relax and meditate. It is a protective mantra, an ashtang mantra (having eight parts). Besides helping cleanse the subconscious mind, it balances the hemispheres of the brain, bringing compassion and patience to the one who meditates on it.
GURU GURU WAHE GURU
(GURU MANTRA OF GURU RAM DAS)
Guroo guroo wha-hay guroo guroo ram das guroo
Wise, wise is the one who serves Infinity.
This is a mantra of humility, relaxation, self-healing, and emotional relief. It calls on the spirit of humility and grace of the realm of Guru Ram Das, with its spiritual guiding light and protective grace. It reconnects the experience of infinity to the finite, and therefore rescues you in the midst of trial and danger.
The first part, Guroo Guroo Wha-hay Guroo is a nirgun mantra (nirgun means without any qualities) – one which vibrates only to infinity, having no actual finite components. It projects the mind to the source of knowledge and ecstasy.
The second part, Guroo Ram Das Guroo is a sirgun mantra (sirgun means with form). It therefore projects the mind to Infinity and then gives a finite guiding relationship on a practical level. This mantra was given to Yogi Bhajan by Guru Ram Das in his astral self.
HAR
HAR is one of the aspects of God – the Creative Infinity.
HARI
Haree
Hari is Creation in action.
HAR HARAY HARI WAHE GURU
Har haray haree
wha-hay guroo
This is a shakti mantra plus a bhakti mantra. It expresses the three qualities of the word Har, the Creative Infinity: seed, flow, & completion, unto the Infinite. This mantra can bring you through any block in life.
HAR HAR MUKUNDE
Har har mukunday
Har is the creative aspect of Infinity. Mukunday is the Liberating aspect of the Self. This mantra turns challenges into opportunities; removes fear.
HAR HAR WAHE GURU
Har har wha-hay guroo
Creative God in the ecstasy of the Infinite Wisdom.
This creates balance between earth and ether and restores equilibrium. It eliminates father/mother phobias.
HAR HAR HAR HAR GOBINDAY
(GURU GAITRI MANTRA WITH FOUR HARS)
Har har har har gobinday, har har har har mukunday
Har har har har udaaray, har har har apaaray
Har har har har hareeung,
har har har har kareeung
Har har har har nirnaamay,
har har har har akaamay
This mantra fixes the mind to prosperity and power. It contains the eight facets of Self. Har is the original force of Creativity. The four repetitions of Har give power to all aspects and provide the power to break down the barriers of the past. It converts fear into the determination to use and expand the reserve energy of the Naval Point. It invokes guidance and sustenance; all powers come to serve your true purpose.
HAR SINGH NAR SINGH
Har singh nar singh neel naaraayan,
guroo sikh guroo singh har har gayan,
wha-hay guroo, wha-hay guroo, har har dhiayan,
saakhat nindak dusht mathaayan
God the Protector take care of the universe. Those who live in God’s consciousness and power, chant Har Har. Meditate on Wahe Guru and live in that ecstasy. Those who vibrate God’s name and relate to God, all karmas are cleared.
This makes one a conqueror of evil. It works on the evolution of energy, and the strength of the masculine energy.
HUMEE HUM BRAHM HUM
We are we, we are God.
This mantra literally means that we are the spirit of God. It is total spirit. Total spirit represents God. It fixes the identity into its true reality.
HUMEE HUM TOO HEE TOO
Humee hum,
too(n) hee too(n),
wha-hay guroo
I am thine, in mine myself.
Ecstasy of Inner Wisdom beyond words
JAP MAN SAT NAM
(SHABD FROM SIRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB)
Jap man sut naam,
sadaa sut naam
Oh my mind, vibrate Sat Naam, the Truth
This mantra opens the flow of prosperity by attuning the mind to the power of Har, the Creative Infinity, the Joy of merger wit Infinity.
KAL AKAL
Kal akaal siree kaal mahaa akaal moorat
This protective mantra wraps around animosity and seals it closed. It can remove the very shadow of death.
MUL MANTRA
Ek ong kaar, sat naam, kartaa purakh,
nirbho, nirvair,
Akaal moort, ajoonee,
saibhang, gurparsad. Jap.
Aad such, jugad such, haibhee such
Naanak hosee bhee such
The Creator and all creation are One.
This is our True Identity.
The Doer of everything. Beyond fear. Beyond Revenge.
Image of the Infinite. Unborn.
Self-illumined, complete in the Self.
This is the Guru’s gift. Meditate!
Primal Truth, true through all time.
True at this instant, O Nanak, forever true.
These are the first words of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, uttered by Guru Nanak. The highest of all mantras, it contains the root of sound that is the basis of all effective mantras. Sahej Sukh Dhian: the comfortable and happy way to meditate that is perfectly balanced. The goal of life is to stay in perfect flow and contact with the perception of the soul at each moment. Imbalance comes when we forget the reality of God and Guru in our soul. This mantra orients like a compass towards God. It forms the basis of the consciousness of our very soul.
ONG NAMO
(ADI MANTRA)
Ong namo
guroo dayv namo
I bow to the subtle divine wisdom, the divine teacher within
An ancient yogic mantra which allows the chanter to relate instantly to the divine teacher within. Adi means primal or first, and mantra means creative mental projection using sound. It is used to tune in before Kundalini Yoga classes, to center us in the higher Self, and to spiritually guide both the teacher and the students during the class.
ONG SOHUNG
Ong means creative consciousness, and so hung means “I am Thou.” Chanting the word “hung” stimulates and opens the heart chakra.
PAVAN GURU
(PRAN BANDHA MANTRA)
Pavan pavan pavan pavan
Par para pavan guroo
Pavan guroo wha-hay guroo
Wha-hay Guroo pavan guroo
Pavan is the air, the breath, carrier of prana, the life force. This is God in action. This mantra increases the pranic energy and gives the experience of “may the force be with you.”
PRITHVI HAI
(ISHT SODHANA MANTRA)
Prithvee hai akaash hai guroo raam daas hai
This mantra balances the Earth and Heavens. It represents the struck sounds of Earth (pritvi) and the unstruck sounds of Heaven (akash), crowning with the protection of the Neutral Mind, Guru Ram Das. (Hai means “is.”) This mantra can penetrate the cosmos, transcending past, present, and future.
RA MA DA SA
(SIRI GAITRI MANTRA OR SIRI MANTRA)
Raa maa daa saa
saa say so hung
Raa = Sun. Maa = Moon. Daa = Earth. Saa = impersonal Infinity. Say = Thou.
Saa Say = totality of Infinity.
So = personal sense of merger and identity.
Hung = the Infinite vibrating and real.
So Hung = “I am Thou.”
This mantra is a healing mantra in Kundalini Yoga and is an attunement of the self to the universe. It brings balance. These eight sounds stimulate the kundalini flow in the central channel of the spine for healing. This mantra combines Earth (raa maa daa) and Ether (saa say so hung), with Saa as the link word.
RAKHE RAKHANHAR
Rakhay rakhanhaar aap ubaarium
Gur kee pairee paa-eh kaaj savaarium
Hoaa aap dayaal manho na visaarium
Saadh janaa kai sung bhavjal taarium
Saakat nindak dusht khin maa-eh bidaarium
Tis sahib kee taayk naanak manai maa-eh
Jis simrat such ho-eh saglay dookh jaa-eh
God Himself is looking out for us, gives us the light, and takes care of our affairs. God is merciful, and never forgets us.
God guides us, giving us good people to help us.
God does not allow hurt to come to us.
I take comfort in the thought of God.
When I remember God, I feel peaceful and happy and all my pain departs.
These words are of Guru Arjan, the 5th Sikh Guru, and are for complete protection. It is from the evening prayer (Rehiras), which adds energy to one’s being, and helps when you are physically weak and have limited wealth. It is a victory song which allows us to be guided by God’s graceful and merciful hand. It does away with the obstacles to fulfilling one’s destiny.
SA RE SA SA
(ANTAR NAAD MANTRA)
Saa ray saa saa,
saa ray saa saa
saa ray saa saa, sa rung
Har ray har har,
har ray har har,
har ray har har, har rung
Saa is the Infinite, the Totality, God. It is the element of ether. It is the origin, the beginning, and it contains all other effects. It is subtle and beyond. Har is the creative Earth. It is the dense element, the power of manifestation, the tangible, the personal. These sounds are woven together and then projected through the sound of ung or complete Totality. This is the base mantra of all mantras. Adversity melts before this mantra. It gives you the capacity of effective communication so your words contain mastery and impact. This mantra helps you conquer the wisdom of the past, present, and future. It brings you peace and prosperity even if it wasn’t your destiny.
SAT NAM
(BIJ MANTRA)
Sat naam
Oh my mind, vibrate Sat Naam, the Truth
This mantra is probably the most widely used mantra in the practice of Kundalini Yoga. Sat means truth – the reality of one’s existence. Naam means identity. It is a bij (or seed) mantra. Within the seed is contained all the knowledge of the fully grown tree. The essence or seed is the identity of truth embodied in condensed form. Chanting this mantra awakens the soul and gives you your destiny. This mantra balances the five elements (tattvas).
SA-TA-NA-MA
(PANJ SHABD)
Saa Taa Naa Maa
Saa = Infinity, totality of the Cosmos
Taa = Life (birth of form from the Infinity)
Naa = death (or transformation)
Ma = Rebirth
Panj menas five, and expresses the five primal sounds of the Universe. (SSS, MMM, TTT, NNN, and AAA.) It is the atomic or Naad form of the mantra Sat Naam. It is used to increase intuition, balance the hemishpheres of the brain and to create a destiny for someone when there was none. This mantra describes the continuous cycle of life and creation.
SAT SIRI SIRI AKAL
(MANTRA FOR THE AQUARIAN AGE)
Sat siree, siree akaal,
siree akaal, maahaa akaal, maahaa akaal, sat naam, akaal moorat, wha-hay guroo
Great Truth, Great Beyond Death,
Great Beyond Death, Truth is His Name,
Deathless Image of God,
Great beyond Words is this Wisdom
This mantra captures the frequency of the Aquarian Age as we cross the threshold into it. The mantra helps us establish ourselves outside the change of time as deathless beings. We are timeless. Everything we do is from the timeless space of the soul.
SAT NARAYAN
(CHOTAY PAD MANTRA)
Sat naarayan wha-hay guroo,
haree naaraayan sat naam
Sat Narayan is the True Sustainer. Wahe Guru is the indescribable Wisdom, and Sat Naam means True Identity.
Chanting this mantra gives inner peace, happiness, and good fortune. It makes you intuitively clear and pure in your consciousness. Even a person with low self-esteem can become majestic by chanting it. The words invoke the various names of God to help bring prosperity, peace of mind, and the capacity to look beyond this world to realize the Infinite.
WAAH YANTEE
Waah yantee kar yantee, jag dut patee, aadak it whaa-haa,
Brahmaaday trayshaa guroo
It wha-hay guroo
Great Macroself, Creative Self.
All that is creative through time, all that is the Great One.
Three aspects of God: Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh.
That is Wahe Guru.
This mantra is is from the teachings of Pantanjali. The practice of this mantra is the culmination of thousands of years of prayer.
WAHE GURU
(GURMANTRA)
Wha-hay guroo
I am in ecstasy when I experience the Indescribable Wisdom.
This is a mantra of the Infinity of ecstasy and dwelling in God. It expresses the indescribable experience of going from darkness to light (from ignorance to true understanding). It is the Infinite teacher of the soul. A trikutee mantra, it balances the energies of the generating, organizing, and transforming principles. It expresses ecstasy through knowledge and experience. It is the gurmantra, which triggers the destiny. It is said that chanting Wahe Guru is equivalent to chanting Har 11,000 times.
WAHE GURU WAHE JIO
Wha-hay guroo
wha-hay guroo
wha-hay guroo
wha-hay jeeo
Great beyond description is His Infinite Wisdom.
This is the mantra of ecstasy. This mantra means “indescribably great is God’s infinite, ultimate wisdom.” Jio is an affectionate, but still respectful, variation of the word Ji, which means soul. The word Jio sends the message directly to the soul. “O my soul, God is!” This mantra causes a very subtle rub against the center of the upper palate and stimulates the meridian known in the West as the Christ Meridian Point, and in the East as Sattvica Buddha Bindu. The tongue and lips correspond to the Sun and Moon in their movement. Soothe the wounds of life with the infinite bliss this mantra induces.