Om - Mantra for meditation

ॐ

Sarvadvaraani samyamya mano hrudi nirudya cha

Moordhnyaadhaayaatmanah praanam aasthito yogadhaaranaam

Omityekaaksharam Brahma vyaaharanmaamanusmaran

Yah prayaati tyajandeham sa yaati paramaam gatim

[When one] closes all the gates of the body, confines the mind within the heart,

Fixes the life-energy in the head, engages in steadfast yoga

[When one] utters the monosyllable Om that is Brahma, focuses on Me [Supreme Soul],

[One] leaves the body thus, and attains the Supreme Goal

{Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8, Verse 12-13}

Om is the Primordial Sound of the Vedas, Pranava of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Brahman of the Bhagavad Gita.

Uttered at the beginning and end of shlokabhyasa (shloka practice) and yogabhyasa (yoga practice), Om is made up of three basic sounds: A-U-M, which represent the following:

	Planes	Gods	Vedas
A (aa)	Physical	Brahma	Rig
U (oo)	Mental & astral	Vishnu	Yajur
M (mm)	Deep-sleep	Shiva	Sama

Several studies have revealed the health benefits of chanting and meditating on Om: mental alertness and physical relaxation, along with cardiac rhythm synchronization (see references below).

108 is considered to be a significant number in yoga, Vedic mathematics, astrology and numerology.  For instance, the distance of sun and moon from earth is said to be 108 times their respective diameters.  There are said to be 108 Upanishads and 108 tirthsthals (places of pilgrimage).  In yoga, 108 suryanamaskars (sun salutations) are performed during Rathasaptami (sun festival).   

In this video Om has been repeated 108 times, at the rate of about four per minute.  

Meditate to the sacred sound of Om:

https://youtu.be/3fpCsxx-l1Q

If you are not keen on meditative process, you could try relaxation therapy: lie down, close your eyes, take deep breaths, and relax your muscles while listening to the sound of Om.  The duration of this video will amount to less than half-hour of your daily relaxation therapy. 

References & resources:

Significance of Om:

The Bhagavad Gita, Trans. Swami Chidbhavananda, Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaitturai, Fourth Edition, 1989

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2952121/

http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Om
https://wanderlust.com/journal/108-yogas-sacred-number/
https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/the-number-108

Background music: Satya Yuga, Jesse Gallagher

Pictures of Om:

http://www.pngall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Om-PNG-Picture.png

http://www.pngall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Om-PNG-HD.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Creative-3D-Om-Shining-HD-Wallpaper-Free.jpg/1280px-Creative-3D-Om-Shining-HD-Wallpaper-Free.jpg

Prarthana shlokas

A shloka is a rhythmic verse recited as a prayer or as part of a meditative process.  A mantra is a phrase like a formula that is repeated to invoke spiritual fervour.  A stuti or stotra is a collection of shlokas recited as a eulogy of ishta devta (chosen deity). 

My daughter and I are students of Sanskrit through shlokabhyasa (shloka classes).  With the blessings of our Guruji, we humbly present to you mantras/shlokas/stotras that we have learnt. 

In this video prarthana (prayer) shlokas are presented that are recited at the beginning and end of shlokabhyasa: 

https://youtu.be/DdtYz01xjOc 

The meaning of each of the shloka presented in the video is given below:

Gurure vagatihi Gurume vabhaje

Gurunaiva sahasmi namo Gurave

Na Guror paramam shishurasmi Guroho

Mati rasti Gurau mama pahi Gurau

Guru is my refuge, I pray to Guru

I prostrate in front of my Guru, I chant Guru’s name

I am an immature child without my Guru

I beseech Guru to save me from my ignorance

Agajanana padmarkam

Gajananam aharnisham

Anekadamtam bhatkanam

Ekadantam upasmahe

Just as lotus blooms in sunlight

Goddess Parvathi’s face lit up looking at Ganesha

The giver of boons to devotees

I meditate upon the Lord with single tusk

Vakratunda mahakaya

Kotisurya samaprabha

Avighnam Kurume deva

Sarva karyeshu sarvada

O Lord of the curved trunk and great body

One with the effulgence of a crore suns

Always remove all the obstacles

From all the tasks I undertake

Saraswathi namastubhyam varade kamarupini

Vidyarambham karishyami siddhir bhavatu me sada

Salutations to Goddess Saraswathi, who bestows boons

As I commence my studies, bless me with accomplishments

Namaste sharade devi kashmira puravasini

Tvamaham prarthaye nityam vidyam-buddhimcha dehi me

I bow to you Goddess Sharada (Saraswathi) whose abode is Kashmira

I pray to you ever that you may bestow upon me knowledge and wisdom

Hayagriva Hayagriva hayagriveti yo vadet

Tasya nihsarate vani jahnu kanyapravahavat

Upon repeated chanting of the name of Hayagriva (avatar of Lord Vishnu)

One’s speech flows mellifluously as the sacred Ganga

Asadhya sadhaka swamin asadhyam tava kim vada

Ramadhuta dayasindho matkaryam sadhayaprabho

O accomplisher of impossible tasks, truly what is impossible to you?

O benevolent emissary of Lord Rama, make my task possible to accomplish

Asatoma sadgamaya

Tamasoma jyotirgamaya

Mrityorma amrutangamaya

Om shantih shantih shantihi

O Lord, take me from lies to truth

Take me from darkness to light

Take me from death to immortality

Let there be peace, peace, peace

Kalevarshatu parjanyaha

Prithavi sasyshalinim

Deshoyam kshobharahitam

Sajjana santu nirbhayaha

May there be timely monsoons

May the Earth be green and productive

May the land be free of all problems

May the good citizens and sages be fearless

Sarve janah sukhino bhavantu

Samasta sanmangalani bhavantu

Om shantih shantih shantihi

May all be happy

May everything be auspicious

May there be peace, peace, peace

As can be gleaned from the meaning of shlokas presented, Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) recognizes the importance of satya (truth), dharma (righteousness), personal development, wisdom, oneness of all humanity, and the welfare of all living beings.  

We hope that this presentation will help you in your own learning of mantras, shlokas, stotras and Sanatana Dharma.   

Resources & references:

Background music: The Inner Sound, Jesse Gallagher

Pictures:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Raja_Ravi_Varma_-_Sankaracharya.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Namaste_namaskar.jpg

https://c4.wallpaperflare.com/wallpaper/830/15/623/ganesh-chaturthi-lord-ganesha-vinayaka-ganapati-wallpaper-preview.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cvB_UkPATp8/TovSPUjhcKI/AAAAAAAAHRs/rblaDOvAVsI/s1600/104_001.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Hayagreeva.jpg/250px-Hayagreeva.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Hanuman_showing_Rama_in_His_heart.jpg

Meanings: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaiakE3LNso

http://www.dattavani.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Ganesh-Sapthaham-Full-com.pdf

https://www.templepurohit.com/mantras-slokas-stotras/ganpati-stotra/agajanana-padmarkam-ganesha-stotram/

https://www.templepurohit.com/mantras-slokas-stotras/powerful-ganesh-mantra/

https://ommrudraksha.com/vakratundamahakaya

https://www.devshoppe.com/blogs/articles/shri-ganesha-mantra-with-meaning-shree-vakratunda-mahakaya

https://www.templepurohit.com/mantras-slokas-stotras/saraswati-mantra-knowledge-wisdom/

http://aumamen.com/prayer/saraswati-namastubhyam-lyrics-in-english-sanskrit-meaning-in-english

https://greenmesg.org/stotras/saraswati/namaste_sharade_devi.php

https://meerasubbarao.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/hayagreeva-sampada-stotra/

https://www.gurushakti.org.in/729/deities/vishnu/hayagriva-sampada-stotram

http://mantrashlokas-madhuri.blogspot.com/2011/07/hanuman-mantra_24.html

https://greenmesg.org/stotras/vedas/om_asato_ma_sadgamaya.php

https://www.amritapuri.org/3731/asatoma.aum

https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/kale-varshatu/