Chants for the great mother
You can also hear the audio of the following chants at my podcast.
In my book, Ayurveda and the Feminine I have devoted an entire chapter to the actual invocation and the invocation mantras. My students and Ayurveda clients ask me all the time, hence it was time to talk about it. So, what are invocation chants? They are called mangalacaranam- literally translated as auspicious steps or beginnings.
Our world is not just physical. It has another dimension. A dimension we cannot see or feel unless we are psychically attuned.
Whether we are establishing an altar to bring abundance to our life, starting a relationship, a business, getting married, moving to a new house, or beginning our education-invocation to a higher power, angels (devas) to help us is required.
When we start studying Ayurveda or any other Vedic knowledge--music, Vedic architecture (Vastu), Vedic mathematics, Jyotish or Vedic astrology, the Vedas itself or Ayurveda we must accept a lineage and teachers.
Studying Ayurveda is not like going to school for a regular subject it is all about notes, and slideshows, and, regurgitating all that information you crammed in an exam-and voila you are a Practitioner. No sir, it is more complicated than that.
Ayurvedic knowledge has to be heard. You must sit with a vaidya or a teacher in person and observe them. You must open your heart to this knowledge. This knowledge has to be digested.
To start with, we must invoke Sarasvati-the goddess of learning to help us begin our journey of Ayurveda.
We invoke Ganesha to remove obstacles-be it monetary, or other before we begin our journey.
Last, but, not least we must invoke Lord Dhanavantari-the deity of Ayurveda.
Some of the mantras that we use are: (used from my book Ayurveda & the Feminine)
https://anchor.fm/narayana-ayurveda/episodes/How-to-chant-etg7ko/a-a5243eq
praṇamya śirasā devaṁ gaurī-putraṁ vināyakam
bhaktāvāsaṁ smaren nityam āyuṣkāmārtha-siddhaye
Oh Gaṇeśa, son of Gaurī, please accept my salutations. You are the protector of the devotees, and help them with long life, health, and fulfillment of desires. Please help us in removing obstacles.
nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam
devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyasaṁ tato jayam udīrayet
I offer respectful obeisances unto the Divine, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara- Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto Mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva.
namāmi dhanvantarim ādi-devaṁ
surāsurair vandita-pada-padmam
lokair jarā-rug-bhaya-mṛtyu-nāśaṁ
dhātāram īśaṁ vividhauṣadhīnām
Oh Krishna, Oh Vishnu, Oh Nārāyaṇa, you manifest Lord Dhanvantari - the presiding deity of Āyurveda, healing, and of all healing herbs. I salute you. Please give me your blessing and medicine to help me become a medium to the community. You are the vaidya. I am a humble servant. Please provide your grace to the world just like you even give your blessing to devas (angels) and asuras.
sarva-maṅgala-māṅgalye śive sarvārtha-sādhike
śaraṇye tryambake gauri nārāyaṇi namo 'stu te
Oh, Goddess Nārāyaṇī, one who is mother nature herself, also called Ambikā and Gaurī — you are all-auspicious and fulfill the desires of devotees.
Oh, Mother - You preside over the running of the material world as Krishna's shakti (potency), as Mahāmāyā, the illusory power. You are the greatest illusionist. You are known as Yogamāyā, the goddess of Mysticism and Illusion, the giver of devotion. Please bestow shakti, bhakti, and devotion for Krishna to me. Dearest Yogamāyā, You manifest as Annapurṇā, the presiding deity of grains. As Śītalā Devī, you demonstrate yourself as the destroyer of disease and protector of small children, holding a pot of herbs in one hand and a broom in another.
Monica Groover is the author of Ayurveda and the Feminine and Essential Guide to Ayurveda part1: Ayurveda textbook for Students and Counselors.
