Sanskrit Sacred Sounds Collection

संस्कृतशास्त्रसङ्ग्रहः

A systematic collation of the Sanskrit sacred sound tradition, categorised by literary genre and practical application, establishing a comprehensive knowledge framework ranging from elementary syllables to philosophical stanzas.

स्तोत्र · Devotional Hymns

Comprises literary forms such as opening invocations, guru reverence, and Vedic hymns, serving to establish practice orientation and lineage connection.

Opening Invocation
वन्दे गुरूणां चरणारविन्दे संदर्शितस्वात्मसुखावबोधे । निःश्रेयसे जाङ्गलिकायमाने संसारहालाहलमोहशान्त्यै ॥
vande gurūṇāṃ caraṇāravinde saṃdarśitasvātmasukhāvabodhe । niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne saṃsārahālāhalamohaśāntyai ॥
I bow to the lotus feet of the Guru, which reveal the blissful awakening of the Self. Who, as a physician of the wilderness, administereth the antidote to the poison of delusion in worldly existence, bestowing the highest good.
This opening verse from the Ashtanga tradition establisheth the sacred student-teacher lineage and setteth forth the noble intention of rooting out spiritual ignorance.
Guru Prayer•Recited at the very beginning of one's practice to connect with the lineage and clarify one's aim.
Salutation to Patañjali
आबाहुपुरुषाकारं शङ्खचक्रासिधारिणम् । सहस्रशिरसं श्वेतं प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ॥
ābāhupuruṣākāraṃ śaṅkhacakrāsidhāriṇam । sahasraśirasaṃ śvetaṃ praṇamāmi patañjalim ॥
To Patañjali, who hath a human form above the waist, holdeth conch, discus, and sword, and whose thousand white-hooded heads I revere, I bow.
A visualization and homage to the sage Patañjali, compiler of the Yoga Sūtras. The conch signifieth the divine sound of teaching; the discus, the wheel of time and dharma; the sword, the discriminative intellect.
Sage Salutation•Chanted to honor the founder of the Yoga darśana and invoke the qualities he embodies.
Threefold Guru Salutation
आखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरम् । तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥१॥ अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशालाकया । चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥२॥ गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः । गुरुः साक्षात्परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥३॥
ākhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṃ vyāptaṃ yena carācaram । tatpadaṃ darśitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ॥1॥ ajñānatimirāndhasya jñānāñjanaśālākayā । cakṣurunmīlitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ॥2॥ gururbrahmā gururviṣṇur gururdevo maheśvaraḥ । guruḥ sākṣāt paraṃ brahma tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ॥ ॥3॥
1. Salutations to that glorious Guru who revealeth the state which is indivisible, circular, and pervadeth all that moveth and moveth not. 2. Salutations to that glorious Guru who, with the collyrium-stick of knowledge, openeth the eyes of one blinded by the darkness of ignorance. 3. The Guru is Brahmā, the Guru is Viṣṇu, the Guru is Maheśvara; the Guru is verily the Supreme Brahman; salutations to that glorious Guru.
The classic threefold praise of the Guru. The first verse praiseth the Guru for revealing the Absolute (Brahman). The second praiseth the Guru for granting spiritual sight. The third identifieth the Guru with the Trimūrti and with Brahman itself, emphasizing the Guru's divine status.
Guru Salutation•A profound meditation on the nature of the Guru, used in deep devotional practice and guru pūjā.
Lineage Praise
सदाशिवसमारम्भां शङ्कराचार्यमध्यमाम् । अस्मदाचार्यपर्यन्तां वन्दे गुरुपरम्पराम् ॥
sadāśiva samārambhāṃ śaṅkarācārya madhyamām 。 asmadācārya paryantāṃ vande guru paramparām ॥
I salute the lineage of Gurus, beginning with Sadāśiva, having Śaṅkarācārya in the middle, and extending to my own teacher.
A verse that honoreth the unbroken chain of transmission (paramparā). It traceth the lineage from the primordial Śiva, through the great systematizer Ādi Śaṅkara, down to one's personal teacher, affirming the purity of the descent of wisdom.
Lineage Salutation•Recited to consciously connect with and express gratitude for the entire spiritual lineage.
Lineage Genealogy
नारायणं पद्मभवं वशिष्ठं शक्तिं च तत्पुत्रपराशरं च । व्यासं शुकं गौडपदं महान्तं गोविन्दयोगीन्द्रमथास्य शिष्यम् ॥
nārāyaṇaṁ padmabhavaṁ vaśiṣṭhaṁ śaktiṁ ca tatputraparāśaraṁ ca । vyāsaṁ śukaṁ gauḍapadaṁ mahāntaṁ govindayogīndramathāsya śiṣyam ॥
Nārāyaṇa, born from the lotus; Vasiṣṭha; Śakti and his son Parāśara; Vyāsa; Śuka; the great Gauḍapāda; and Govinda, the king of Yogis, his disciple.
A listing of key preceptors in the Advaita Vedānta lineage, from the divine Nārāyaṇa down to Gauḍapāda (the guru of Govinda, who was Śaṅkara's guru). It showeth the ancient and sacred pedigree of the teaching.
Lineage Salutation•Chanted in traditional learning environments to remember and honor the chain of teachers.
Śaṅkara's Lineage Genealogy
श्रीशंकराचार्यमथास्य पद्मपादं च हस्तामलकं च शिष्यम् । तं तोटकं वार्तिककारमन्यानस्मद् गुरून्संततमानतोऽस्मि ॥
śrī śaṁkarācārya mathāsya padmapādaṁ ca hastāmalakaṁ ca śiṣyam । taṁ toṭakaṁ vārtikakāra manyānasmad gurūn saṁtatamānato'smi ॥
To Śrī Śaṅkarācārya and his disciples—Padmapāda, Hastāmalaka, Toṭaka, the author of the Vārtika, and others—my own teachers, I bow continually.
A salutation to Ādi Śaṅkara and his four famous direct disciples (Padmapāda, Hastāmalaka, Toṭaka, and Sureśvara, the 'Vārtikakāra'), who were instrumental in establishing and propagating his teachings.
Lineage Salutation•Used by followers of the Śaṅkara tradition to pay homage to the founder and his immediate successors.
Praise to the World-Benefactor
श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणानामालयं करुणालयम् । नमामि भगवत्पादं शंकरं लोकशंकरम् ॥
śruti smṛti purāṇānāmālayaṁ karuṇālayam । namāmi bhagavatpādaṁ śaṁkaraṁ lokaśaṁkaram ॥
The abode of the Vedas (Śruti), the traditional codes (Smṛti), and the ancient lore (Purāṇas), the abode of compassion; I bow to the venerable Śaṅkara, the benefactor of the world.
A tribute to Śaṅkarācārya as the living repository of all scriptural knowledge and as an ocean of compassion, whose sole purpose was the welfare (śaṁkara) of the world.
Sage Praise•A verse of deep gratitude for Śaṅkara's life and work, often chanted in monasteries and study groups.
Praise to the Holy Lion
शंकरं शंकराचार्यं केशवं बादरायणम् । सूत्रभाष्यकृतौ वन्दे भगवन्तौ पुनः पुनः ॥
śaṁkaraṁ śaṁkarācāryaṁ keśavaṁ bādarāyaṇam । sūtrabhāṣyakṛtau vande bhagavantau punaḥ punaḥ ॥
I salute again and again the two blessed ones: Śaṅkara (the commentator) and Bādarāyaṇa (the author), who created the Sūtra and its Bhāṣya.
Homage to the two pillars of Vedānta: Vyāsa (also called Bādarāyaṇa), who composed the Brahma Sūtras, and Śaṅkara, who wrote the definitive commentary (Bhāṣya) thereon. Together, they laid the unshakable foundation of Advaita philosophy.
Sage Praise•Recited by students of Vedānta before engaging with the Brahma Sūtras and Śaṅkara's commentary.
Salutation to Vyāsa
नमोऽस्तु ते व्यास विशालबुद्धे फुल्लारविन्दायतपत्रनेत्र । येन त्वया भारततैलपूर्णः प्रज्वालितो ज्ञानमयः प्रदीपः ॥
namo'stu te vyāsa viśāla buddhe phullāravindāyata patra netra । yena tvayā bhārata taila pūrṇaḥ prajvālito jñāna mayaḥ pradīpaḥ ॥
Homage to thee, O Vyāsa, of vast intellect, whose eyes resemble the petals of a full-blown lotus; by thee the lamp of wisdom, filled with the oil of the Mahābhārata, was kindled.
A salutation to the sage Vyāsa, the compiler of the Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, and Vedānta Sūtras. It thanketh him for filling the lamp of scripture with the 'oil' of his epic, thereby lighting the lamp of liberating knowledge.
Sage Salutation•Recited before studying the great epics or the Vedānta philosophy to honor the source of this wisdom.
Reverence to the Guru
श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः । हरिः ॐ
śrī gurubhyo namaḥ । hariḥ oṃ
Salutations to all venerable Gurus. Hariḥ Om.
A humble obeisance to the lineage of teachers, combining the name of Viṣṇu (Hari) with the primordial sound (Om).
Short Mantra•Often chanted at the beginning of practice to connect with the guru lineage and sanctify the session.