Bhakti by the Lake Mantra Meditation - Reference
Jack Utermoehl
This page accompanies Bhakti by the Lake Mantra Meditation. Our practice begins by honoring the teachers who carry yoga forward, continues with Ganesha as we enter a new day with clarity and ease, and turns toward Lakshmi as we cultivate abundance, gratitude, and the capacity to receive the experience before us.
Mantra is a sacred sound, word, or phrase used to gather attention.
Japa is the repeated recitation of mantra.
Bhakti is the practice of devotion, relationship, and sincere participation.
Together, these practices offer a direct form of meditation built through listening, repetition, attention, and return.
Vande Gurunam
Honoring the Teachers and the Yoga Tradition
Vande Gurunam is an opening invocation honoring the teachers, teachings, and wisdom that guide yoga practice. The first half offers gratitude to the lineage of teachers. The second half honors Patanjali, traditionally associated with the Yoga Sutras.
This invocation opens the meditation. It is chanted as a complete prayer rather than repeated as the japa mantra.
Mantra:
Vande Gurunam Charanaravinde
Sandarshita Svatma Sukhavabodhe
Nihshreyase Jangalikayamane
Samsara Halahala MohashantyaiAbahu Purushakaram
Shankha Chakrasi Dharinam
Sahasra Shirasam Shvetam
Pranamami Patanjalim
Pronunciation:
Vande gurūṇāṃ caraṇāravinde
Sandarśita svātma sukhāvabodhe
Niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne
Saṃsāra hālāhala mohaśāntyai
Ābāhu puruṣākāraṃ
Śaṅkha cakrāsi dhāriṇam
Sahasra śirasaṃ śvetam
Praṇamāmi Patañjalim
Simple Meaning
I bow to the teachers who reveal the joy of awakening to the inner Self and who bring healing to the confusion and suffering of worldly life.
I bow to Patanjali, depicted in human form from the arms upward, holding the conch, discus, and sword, crowned by the radiant thousand-headed serpent.
Meaning of the First Half
The first four lines express gratitude for the teachers who reveal knowledge of the Self. The teacher is compared to a healer who enters the wilderness of conditioned existence and offers relief from confusion, attachment, and suffering.
- Vande
- I honor, praise, or bow.
- Gurunam
- The teachers or lineage of teachers.
- Charanaravinde
- The lotus feet, a traditional expression of reverence and humility.
- Svatma
- One’s own Self or essential nature.
- Sukha
- Ease, joy, or inner well-being.
- Samsara
- The recurring cycle of conditioning, attachment, confusion, and suffering.
Meaning of the Second Half
The final four lines honor Patanjali through traditional symbolic imagery.
- Human form
- Represents Patanjali’s ability to transmit wisdom through language and embodied teaching.
- Conch
- Represents sacred sound, awakening, and the transmission of spiritual knowledge.
- Discus
- Represents clarity, discernment, and the movement of consciousness through cycles of existence.
- Sword
- Represents discriminative wisdom that cuts through confusion and false identification.
- Thousand-headed serpent
- Connects Patanjali with Ananta or Adishesha, the serpent associated with infinite consciousness and divine knowledge.
Workshop Intention
We begin by recognizing that practice does not arise in isolation. The teachings reach us through teachers, communities, traditions, texts, and personal relationships.
Chanting Vande Gurunam establishes gratitude, humility, and receptivity before we begin japa meditation.
Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha
Beginning With Ease
Devanagari:
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Workshop chant:
Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha
Pronunciation:
Oṃ gaṃ gaṇapataye namaḥ
Ohm gum guh-nuh-puh-tuh-yay nuh-muh-huh
Translation
Salutations to Ganesha.
This mantra honors Ganesha, the deity traditionally invoked at beginnings, transitions, and thresholds. Ganesha represents discernment, steadiness, wisdom, and the capacity to move through obstacles without losing direction.
Mantra Definition
- Om
- The sacred syllable associated with wholeness, consciousness, and the underlying unity of existence.
- Gam
- The bija, or seed sound, associated with Ganesha.
- Ganapataye
- To Ganapati, another name for Ganesha. Ganapati can be understood as the lord or guide of the ganas.
- Namaha
- I bow, honor, or offer reverence.
Workshop Intention
We chant this mantra as the day begins. The intention is to enter the experience with ease, meet uncertainty with awareness, and recognize whatever may require patience, clarity, or a new approach.
An obstacle may be external, such as a difficult circumstance, or internal, such as hesitation, distraction, expectation, or fear. The mantra gives attention a steady place to return while we begin moving forward.
Om Shri Maha Lakshmyei Namaha
Cultivating Abundance
Devanagari:
ॐ श्री महालक्ष्म्यै नमः
Workshop chant:
Om Shri Maha Lakshmyei Namaha
Pronunciation:
Oṃ śrī mahālakṣmyai namaḥ
Ohm shree muh-haa-luk-shmy-eye nuh-muh-huh
Translation
Salutations to Shri Mahalakshmi.
This mantra honors Lakshmi, the deity associated with abundance, prosperity, beauty, harmony, nourishment, generosity, and the favorable conditions through which life can flourish.
Material wealth is one expression of Lakshmi. Her broader symbolism includes healthy relationships, meaningful opportunities, creativity, nourishment, dignity, gratitude, and the ability to receive and care for what has been given.
Mantra Definition
- Om
- The sacred syllable associated with wholeness and universal consciousness.
- Shri
- A word associated with auspiciousness, beauty, dignity, abundance, and flourishing. Shri is also a name and honorific associated with Lakshmi.
- Maha
- Great, expansive, or vast.
- Lakshmyei
- To Lakshmi. This grammatical form directs the salutation toward the deity.
- Namaha
- I bow, honor, or offer reverence.
Workshop Intention
We chant this mantra to cultivate abundance for the experience before us. This includes the ability to recognize support, receive what is present, share generously, and appreciate the conditions that allow practice and community to exist.
The mantra becomes an expression of gratitude for the morning, the lake, the gathering, the teachings, and the life that allows us to participate.
Continuing Your Mantra Practice at Home
You may continue with any mantra from the workshop. Choose the mantra that feels most relevant to your present circumstances and practice it consistently enough for the sound to become familiar.
A Simple Japa Meditation
- Choose one mantra. Work with a single mantra for the duration of the meditation.
- Find a steady seat. Sit in a chair, on a cushion, or anywhere the body can remain comfortable and alert.
- Establish your intention. Remember why you selected the mantra.
- Listen to the sound. Begin by hearing each syllable clearly as you chant.
- Repeat the mantra. Practice 108 repetitions (one full mala). Counting is optional.
- Rest in silence. After the final repetition, remain still and notice what continues within you.
A mala can be used to count repetitions. Hold one bead for each repetition and move to the next bead when the mantra is complete.
Choosing a Japa Mantra
Japa is the repeated recitation of a chosen mantra. Select one mantra for your meditation and remain with it for the full practice. Repetition allows the sound, meaning, and devotional relationship to become increasingly familiar.
Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha
This mantra honors Ganesha, the guardian of thresholds and the deity traditionally invoked at the beginning of a practice, journey, ceremony, or important undertaking.
Om Shri Maha Lakshmyai Namaha
This mantra honors Lakshmi, whose abundance includes material support, meaningful relationships, inner wealth, favorable opportunities, creativity, and the conditions through which life can flourish.
Om Namah Shivaya
This mantra honors Shiva, the auspicious presence associated with meditation, transformation, dissolution, and the consciousness that remains beneath changing thoughts and experiences.
Om Aim Saraswatyai Namaha
This mantra honors Saraswati, the deity associated with knowledge, inspired expression, music, speech, education, and the refinement of understanding.
Om Shri Hanumate Namaha
This mantra honors Hanuman, whose stories express unwavering devotion, disciplined strength, humility, and service offered without concern for personal recognition.
Om Mani Padme Hum
This Buddhist mantra is associated with Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Its repetition supports the cultivation of compassionate awareness toward oneself and all beings.
How to Select Your Mantra
Consider the quality you are cultivating or the circumstances you are meeting:
- Beginning something new: Ganesha
- Cultivating gratitude and abundance: Lakshmi
- Moving through transformation: Shiva
- Studying, teaching, or creating: Saraswati
- Developing courage and devotion: Hanuman
- Cultivating compassion: Om Mani Padme Hum
Once you choose a mantra, remain with it long enough to move beyond unfamiliarity. The relationship with mantra develops through consistent repetition, attentive listening, and lived experience.
Practice With Respect
These mantras come from living bhakti devotional traditions. Practice them with respect for their language, deities, histories, and cultural context.
You may relate to the mantras devotionally, symbolically, philosophically, or contemplatively. Sincerity, attention, and willingness to learn allow the relationship with the mantra to develop over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is mantra meditation?
Mantra meditation uses a repeated sound, word, or phrase as the central object of attention. When the mind wanders, attention returns to the mantra.
What is japa?
Japa is the repeated recitation of a mantra. It may be practiced aloud, quietly, internally, or with a mala used to count repetitions.
Do I need to chant aloud?
No. Mantra can be repeated aloud, softly, or silently within the mind. Each form develops a different relationship with sound and attention.
Do I need perfect Sanskrit pronunciation?
Clear pronunciation is worth learning and refining. Familiarity develops through listening and repetition. Begin carefully, remain receptive to correction, and allow the mantra to become more natural over time.
Do I need a mala?
No. A mala provides a tactile method for counting repetitions and maintaining attention. You may also practice for a set length of time or repeat the mantra without counting.
Which mantra should I continue after the workshop?
Choose the mantra that most closely supports your current intention. Consistent practice with one mantra usually creates greater familiarity than frequently changing between several mantras.
