Vedic Chanting

Please visit my new website sarasvati.school.nz which is dedicated to the practice of Vedic chanting.
There you will learn more about the approach I take to teaching Vedic Chanting, and why I believe this practice is of benefit to all.

Mantras for Peace on Zoom

You are warmly invited to this free monthly online gathering.

We come together in peace to hold space for those who are suffering, and to send positive thoughts and vibrations around the world, as we chant and pray for world peace.

You can participate by listening, meditating, sending love around the world, or chanting along with me in your own space. I will follow the same sequence of mantra's each month. Below you will find recordings of the entire sequence, along with a brief explanation of each chant.
There is no charge for this offering. In lieu of payment, you may choose to make a donation to a charity of your choice.

We meet once a month on a Saturday, from 12:00 - 12:30pm, NZ time.
The remaining sessions for 2026 will be held on the following dates: July 18, August 22, September 26, October 24, November 28, December 19

If you would like to join us, please do so using the link below:
Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 840 9003 9027
Passcode: 4peace

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Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu ~ May all beings everywhere be happy and free.

Prarthana-Slokah

This set of prayers is chanted in order to seek the blessings of our teachers, and to ask for protection and nourishment from divine forces

Ganapati Prarthana

A chant invoking the blessings of Ganapati, who is believed to be full of wisdom, and able to ensure the success of our endeavours.

Saha Navavatu

May we be protected, so that we may focus on the task at hand, and enjoy our work together

Sam no mitra

Offering respect to the sun and various other deities, and to the wind, which we experience as our breath.

Bhadram karnebhih

May we enjoy good health so that we can use our body and our senses for auspicious purposes.

Namo brahmane

Honouring the divine, the earth, medicinal herbs and the spirit that pervades all of nature.

Tacchay Yoh

With this chant we invoke peace into our hearts, so that our chanting ritual may be blessed. Peace is requested for all humans, as well as all other sentient beings

Namo Vace

We are reminded that our words create our reality. Therefore, we must speak like the ancient sages, who knew the importance of truth.

Sam no mitra

This is a variation of the earlier chant, which is used to conclude the peace chants.

Ksama Slokah

This small verse is chanted to seek forgiveness for any inadvertent errors we may have made while chanting.

Sattvika Tyagah

To conclude, we offer all our efforts to the divine.

THE YOGA OF SOUND

Benefits of the practice

A regular Vedic Chanting practice

• Improves your memory

• Builds mental discipline

• Creates energetic balance

• Helps you find and refine your voice

• Creates inner strength

• Reduces anxiety and agitation

• Improves your capacity to listen

• Refines your communication skills

• Increases your breath capacity

• Deepens spiritual connection

• Fosters an overall sense of well-being

THE PRACTICE OF

Vedic chanting

The practice of Vedic chanting is called adhyayanam, meaning ‘that which takes you inside’. This term comes from the words adhi (inside, the light in the heart) and ayanam (to move towards). It is a form of svādhyaya, the process of developing self-awareness and understanding.

The practice of adhyayanam involves listening to the teacher chanting the mantras and then doing your best to repeat the sounds exactly as you heard them. This process hones your ability to listen in a subtle way, to the teacher and to yourself.

Sound can penetrate to the most subtle aspects of your being, to create positive vibrations at the level of the emotions and personality. Chanting Sanskrit words engages the mind through concentration, and as you practice more and more, your breath capacity increases.

As you begin to find your voice, your posture will naturally improve, in order to accommodate the sound that is moving through you.

Lynda together with her chanting teacher, Mrs Menaka Desikachar

Prarthana-Slokah

We recite these chants at the beginning of our practice, to express gratitude to our teachers, and to acknowledge the lineage of teachers who have carried the wisdom of the Vedas through the ages and preserved it for the benefit of humanity.

With these chants we also ask for support, protection and nourishment from divine forces, so that the obstacles to learning are removed.

Gurvastakam

This chant was composed by the great yogi Ādi-shankara. It emphasises the importance of the relationship between the student and the teacher. This relationship, which is at the heart of the yoga journey, is the key to our transformation.

Without a competent teacher, we may struggle to find a clear direction, and to overcome the obstacles that will undoubtedly arise as a result of a dedicated practice.

BEGINNING

A unique practice

Vedic chants differ from other mantras and compositions, and are protected by certain rules to ensure that they are preserved in their original form. It is said that the Vedas were received by the ancient yogis while in deep meditation. For this reason the label ‘sruti’ (that which was heard) is used to describe them.

Other texts, including the Yoga Sutras, as well as various commentaries on the Vedas, are attributed to specific authors, and are labelled as ‘smrti’ (that which is remembered). Pronunciation of smrti texts may vary from one teaching tradition to another, while the sruti texts must always be recited in their original form.

Since we are beginning our exploration of Vedic chanting with relatively simple mantras, it is enough to know that the rules exist and to focus on listening carefully and repeating the sounds as accurately as possible. Through the practice of adhyayanam you will develop an experiential understanding of the rules.