This Track is a dedicated to our beloved Teacher & Master Swami Sivananda

“Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya” is the invocation of Swami Sivananda. We ask this great master to assist us, to help us, to inspire us. “Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya” is a mantra that every disciple of Swami Sivananda can repeat daily, it is a mantra with which one can connect with Swami Sivananda. “Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya” can also be used as a Dhyana Moksha mantra, a mantra for meditation, it is a mantra that can also lead to enlightenment, it is also a mantra that one can take initiation into, that is why it is also a Diksha Mantra.

“Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya” consists of four words: Om means Om, cosmic sound. Namas means “reverence to”, which becomes “Namo” before “Bhagavate”. Bhagavate means “divine” also means “the manifestation of the divine” also means “venerable”. And so it is: “Homage to Sivananda, Swami Sivananda, who is a manifestation of the Divine.” Or: “Homage to the venerable Swami Sivananda.” Sivananda is also called Shiva, which is God or love, and Ananda - joy. One could also say: “Homage to divine love and joy.”

“Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya” is aimed at Swami Sivananda, but is also aimed at love and joy. This mantra can be repeated in addition to your normal mantra whenever you want to connect with Swami Sivananda, whenever you particularly need guidance from the Master. Many people use their main mantra simply to feel and experience God, and when they need guidance or help in a specific situation, they turn to the guru. And in our tradition that is Swami Sivananda.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishan Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Spiritual translation:

“Om honor to the divine in his manifestations as Vishnu, Krishna and Rama”

It is the mantra that addresses Hari, Rama and Krishna. Hari is of course Vishnu, Hari means “yellow”, Hari also means “radiant”, Hari also means “who attracts the hearts of all”. Rama means “the one who is full of joy”, Krishna means “the black”, “the dark” and therefore “the mysterious”. And so “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” is the aspect that connects all three aspects of Vishnu, Rama, Krishna and Hari. In the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, Rama is also seen as the lover of Krishna. And sometimes Hari is also referred to as Shakti, Shakti of Krishna.

So, there are different interpretations of these three names. At Yoga Vidya we assume that Hari is Vishnu, Rama is the seventh incarnation of Vishnu and Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Vishnu. Originally the mantra actually began with Rama beginning, “Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”, then “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare”. And there was in the 16th century the Shri Krishna Chaitanya Maha Prabhu, also called Gauranga or just Chaitanya, and this Chaitanya was such a great devotee of Krishna, he really wanted to say Krishna first. And so he turned the mantra around and turned the classic mantra, “Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,” into the mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare.” , Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.” But the classic order is Rama first, Rama was born before Krishna and therefore Rama should be sung before.

But of course, if one interprets Rama as either Bala Rama or also as Radha, or if one interprets Rama as Bala Rama, brother of Krishna and interprets Hari as Radha, then of course one wants to repeat Krishna first. But when you receive an initiation in the Yoga Vidya tradition, you should repeat it so that “Hare Rama” comes first. If you sing it, then of course you can sing however you want and since the Hare Krishna movement is particularly important in German-speaking countries and this Maha Mantra is also particularly chanted, the Maha Mantra is very often sung in Yoga Vidya in such a way that “Hare Krishna” is sung first and only then “Hare Rama”. - Maha Mantra, great mantra that is particularly aimed at experiencing joy in life, experiencing joy, feeling your heart, feeling love, being able to give love, connecting with the divine.

Om Bhagavan
Shri Bhagavan
Ananda Bhagavan
Shivananda-Bhagavan

Spiritual translation

O Swami Sivananda, you are great joy, you have my deep admiration.

“Om Bhagavan” is one of the most popular kirtans at Yoga Vidya. “Om Bhagavan” is a kirtan with simple lyrics and a simple melody, it is a rhythmic kirtan that you start very slowly and can speed up more and more. “Om Bhagavan” is a kirtan for worship of the Guru, the spiritual teacher, a kirtan that can be repeated especially to invoke Swami Sivananda's blessings, Swami Sivananda's presence. It is also a kirtan to thank Swami Sivananda. Bhagavad means “worthy of worship”, Bhagavad means “the one who should be worshiped”.

And so Swami Sivananda is Bhagavan, someone to worship. “Oh Swami Sivananda, you are worthy of worship.” Swami Sivananda is Ananda, Ananda means “full of joy”. Swami Sivananda is present everywhere and so one says, “O Swami Sivananda, I worship you. O Swami Sivananda, you give me bliss. O Swami Sivananda, you manifest yourself in me as bliss. Oh Swami Sivananda, help me to give joy to others too.” You can of course combine this kirtan with any other guru name and we are happy to repeat the name of Swami Vishnudevananda, who is also worthy of worship and through his teachings leads us to great joy.

With “Om Namo Narayanaya” God is worshiped in every single being. “Nara” actually means “creature” and “Narayana” means the one who resides in all creatures. Yoga assumes that every person has God within them - without God a person could not exist at all.

“Om Namo Narayanaya” is a mantra for world peace. We can only strengthen peace in the world if we start with ourselves and treat ourselves peacefully. Then we can also show kindness and tolerance towards others and activate the powers of charity, help and commitment. If we always revolve around our own axis, ponder our own issues and judge ourselves for our behavior, our experiences and our actions, we also judge others. It is important to see life as an experience in which we can grow and evolve into our true being.

Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peaceable, for theirs will be the earth.” So if we want to master the world, we need peace. And we also need peace in order to accept ourselves and the world. The principle of Narayana can teach us acceptance. It can teach us to accept our lives, see our experiences as lessons and thereby accept our fate. Everything that happens helps us to move forward on the spiritual path; it first helps us to work on our personality in order to be open to God.

Raghupati Raghava
Raghupati-raghava Raja Ram
Patita-pavana Sita Ram
Sita Ram (jaya), Sita Ram
Sita Ram Jaya Radhe Shyam

Spiritual translation Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram

We worship the Divine, the great Lord of the universe. Oh God, you are the comfort of all the fallen. You manifest yourself as Sita and Rama, as Radha and Shyama (Krishna). Please give us all insight, oh God. Ishwara and Allah are your names - Let us love all people.

“Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram” is a particularly popular kirtan. It also comes in different melodies. There are two main melodies in use in Yoga Vidya. There is the melody that Swami Vishnudevananda liked to sing and also Swami Sivananda and as you also find it in the film with Mahatma Gandhi, that is a song that Mahatma Gandhi liked to sing. And then there is another version that Krishna Das made popular and that many at Yoga Vidya also sing.

Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram has different parts. The first part is the classic one, which is a mixture of Sanskrit and Hindi, it's more Sanskrit, but sometimes "Rama" is shortened to "Ram", which would be such a slightly Hindiized version. But Ram is also the Bija Mantra, which goes to the heart and develops Rama, as joy.

The second part is, you could say, the cross-religious part, where it is said that all religions are ultimately one. First of all, the first part. “Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram.” Ram is the king of the Raghavas, that is, he is the king of an entire tribe. He is Raghupati, he is the lord of the Raghus. He is Sita Ram, he is always connected to Sita. He is Patita Pavana, the one who purifies all the fallen. This means that when we don't know what to do and feel desperate somewhere, Rama helps us, Rama supports us.

The next verse: “Jaya Sita Ram Jaya Sita Ram Sita Ram Jaya Radhe Shyam”, this is a particularly dynamic part that means: “May Sita and Rama triumph.” Jaya means triumph or victory. And then Radhe Shyam is invoked, because Radha and Shyama (Krishna) are also important in Rama, are practically the descendants or are later generation, incarnations of Rama and Sita. Rama and Sita are incarnations of Vishnu and Lakshmi. Vishnu and Lakshmi incarnated later than Krishna and Radha

Krishna Krishna Mahayogin
Bhaktanam Abhayankara
Govinda Paramananda
Sarvam Me Vasham Anaya

Krishna Krishna Mahayogin is a mantra of faith and courage:
Krishna is invoked to take away all bhayas, all fears. Krishna is
Govinda, the good shepherd who brings great joy to a Paramananda.
He makes sure everything is for the best - Sarvam Me Vashamanaya

O Krishna, O Mysterious One (Krishna),

You lead me to Oneness (Yoga) in a great way (Maha).

You give courage and confidence (abhayamkara) to all who devote
themselves (bhaktanam) to you.

You are my good shepherd (Govinda). You lead me to the highest
joy (Paramananda).

Let me know: Everything (Sarvam) that comes is good for me (Me
Vasha Manaya)

Om Bhur Bhuvah Svaha
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi /
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat //

Spiritual translation Gayatri Mantra

O Divine Light, You have created all three worlds (Bhu, Bhuvar, Swar) with Your Light. We adore you. We meditate on you. Please enlighten and permeate us with your radiance.

Gayatri Mantra Meaning and Origin

The Gayatri Mantra, the “Om Bhur Bhuvah Swah” is one of the most sacred mantras. It is a Veda mantra and is said to contain the essence of the Vedas. The Gayatri Mantra is aimed at Savitri. Savitri is the radiant one, the shining one. Savitri also stands for, you can say, magnificence, also stands for “driving”, Savitri is also the name of the sun deity.

The Gayatri Mantra is a mantra for mental clarity, it is a request for enlightenment, it is a request also for decision making and it is a request for new energy. It is an invocation mantra, a mantra with which one invokes the divine power to be filled with light. The Gayatri Mantra also corresponds to the Christian saying: “Oh God, send me your light and your truth to guide me.” Guiding means, on the one hand, bringing clarity in the mind, and secondly, giving inspiration and really that you too has the energy to make it happen.

The mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya' could be translated as ´I salute to the absolute light of consciousness, beyond all names and forms´. By chanting this mantra you call opon Shiva the auspicious one to remove all your blockages.

For more information visit our website: Yoga Vidya Experience - The Dancing Shiva (yoga-vidya.de)

The Dancing Shiva is a music project of Yoga Vidya e.V., a non-profit organisation in Germany and Europe´s largest yoga and ayurveda education centre, visit for more info https://www.yoga-vidya.org/english/ .