The Path of the Spiritual Sun Resources

Some notes about the mantras below

We’ve put together a list of mantras below that can be used at each of the ceremonies, along with examples of them being chanted we’ve found on the internet. You should feel free, however, to chant the mantras in the way you feel works best to create the right ambience of sound at your ceremony. Also feel free to use whichever mantras you feel work best, as you may prefer to do some of the more complex mantras, or you may prefer to keep to the simpler ones. It may also depend on the group you have as to how complex a chant you can do, especially if you have people participating who are unfamiliar with them. We’d recommend experimenting with them, and rehearsing them some time before the ceremony, so that they come naturally and you don’t have to think about whether you’re doing the mantra right whilst the ceremony is happening. This means you are more likely to feel confident doing the mantras, and be able to really enjoy singing them. You could also swap mantras around, and incorporate some of the extra ones suggested into your ceremony if you like.

Chants used in the Autumn Equinox Ceremony

Autumn Equinox Chant 1. The Mantra of Durga

Autumn Equinox Chant 2. The Dakshine Kali Beej Mantra

Autumn Equinox Chant 3. The Mantra of Durga

Extra chants for the Autumn Equinox

Krim Hum Hrim

The Mantra of Durga

Words: Om Aim Hrim Klim Chamundaye Vichche
Pronunciation: OHM eye-m hreem kleem chah-moon-dah-yai veech-chay
Meaning: In Indian traditions it is said that the mantra Om represents the primordial sound. Aim is the syllable of knowledge (like that gained from liberating consciousness from the egos). Hrim is the syllable of purification and transformation, and dispels illusion and ignorance. It is said to be the great mantra of the spiritual heart, and the mantra through which one can enter into the spiritual heart and the small space within its lotus in which the entire universe is held. Klim is a seed mantra that attracts spiritual energies from the sun god for protection. Chamundaye is another name given to Kali. It refers to a form of the goddess Paravati which is the destroyer of ignorance and evil. Vichche means cut, as in cutting one’s egos.

The Dakshine Kali Beej Mantra

Words: Krim Krim Krim Hum Hum Hrim Hrim Daksine Kalike Krim Krim Krim Hum Hum Hrim Hrim Swaha
Pronunciation: kreem kreem kreem hoom hoom hreem hreem dahk-shin-ay ka-li-kay kreem kreem kreem hoom hoom hreem hreem swa-ha
Meaning: This mantra is specifically twenty-two syllables long—mantras of this length are thought to be some of the more powerful. It also contains Kali’s threefold Bija mantra of Krim, Hum, and Hrim.
Daksine Kalike is referring to Kali in her aspect as a protector, which is when she has her right foot forward. Daksine can be taken to mean “South” as Kali is traditionally seen as facing south in the same direction as the souls who are heading south toward hell, so that she can rescue them. The word Daksine also has connections to the transit of the sun as it travels south after crossing the equator at the autumn equinox. The southern transit of the sun is also connected to the “night of the gods,” so she may also be said to be facing the night. According to Indian traditions, Kali’s seed mantra is Krim.

Seed mantras (called Bija mantras) in Indian traditions are thought, like a seed, to contain whole spiritual principles and do not have an easily definable literal meaning. The mantra Krim symbolizes all the work of sexual alchemy and is used to destroy the egos. The seed syllable Hum refers to the immovable, the nonfluctuating, and that which cannot be disturbed by anything. Hrim purifies and transforms, dispelling illusion. And at the end, Swaha is an offering and surrender of oneself to inner awareness, or a consecration into the light.

Krim Hum Hrim

~ Kali’s threefold Vedic seed mantra

Words: Krim Hum Hrim
Meaning: “The mantra KRIM serves to cut the knots of the heart. It works like a sword. It stimulates the heart energy within us, its primal desire or wish for immortality, love and light. The mantra HUM gives power to the heart, expanding the energy of prana and Agni (fire) in a strong, if not explosive manner. The mantra HRIM opens the energy of the spiritual heart which is like the Sun, spreading it into the Infinite.” (source: https://www.vedanet.com/the-goddess-kali-and-the-spiritual-heart/)

You could pronounce all three seeds of this mantra, or choose to focus on just one, as in the video given as an example here.

Chants used in the winter solstice ceremony

Winter Solstice Chant 1. Om

Winter Solstice Chant 2. Om Namo Narayanaya

Winter Solstice Chant 3. Hari Om

Extra chants for the winter solstice

Om Asatoma

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Om (also known as Aum)

~ from the Upanishads

Words: Om
Pronunciation: The mantra OM is pronounced as in the word “home” and the sound elongated as in “ooooommmmm.” It is sometimes written as AUM as the “au” sound is a subtle intonation that naturally arises when OM is pronounced.
Meaning: In the ancient texts of the Upanishads, the syllable Om (written out as Aum) represents Brahman, the Absolute source of all creation, as well as the whole of creation. It is said to be the greatest of all mantras. Each letter of the mantra is said to have its own significance.

“In Hindu mythology, the letter A also represents the process of creation, when it is said that all existence issued forth from Brahma’s golden nucleus; the letter U refers to Vishnu, the god who is said to preserve this world by balancing Brahma on a lotus above himself; the M symbolizes the final part of the cycle of existence, when it is said that Vishnu falls asleep and Brahma has to breathe in so that all existing things have to disintegrate and are reduced to their essence to him… Finally, the silence at the end of the mantra symbolizes the period between death and rebirth. One must not forget that this silence is an important part of the mantra.”
~ “AUM.” New World Encyclopedia, . 4 Dec 2015, 20:21 UTC. 15 Feb 2016, 08:11 <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=AUM&oldid=992429>.

Interestingly, the Egyptian supreme creator deity is called Atum, containing the same letters as this sacred mantra.

“Om is the primordial throb of the universe. It is the sound form of Atma (Consciousness).”
~ The Maitri Upanishad

“I will give you the Word all the scriptures glorify, all spiritual disciplines express, to attain which aspirants lead a life of sense-restrained and self-naughting. It is OM. This symbol of the Godhead is the highest. Realizing it one finds complete fulfilment of all one’s longings. It is of the greatest support to all seekers. When OM reverberates unceasingly within the heart, that one is indeed blessed and deeply loved as one who is the Self.”
~ The Katha Upanishad, translated by Eknath Eswaran

“O Arjuna, I am the taste of pure water, and the light of the moon and the sun. I am the essential nature of the mantra Om mentioned in the holy scriptures, the sound in ether, as well as the courage and virility of human beings.”
~ Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita

Om Namo Narayanaya

~ from the Sama Veda

Words: Om Namo Narayanaya
Meaning: O my Lord, I honor Narayana

In ancient Indian texts, Narayana is the ultimate God, whom there is nothing beyond, and is used as another name for Brahman and the Absolute.

There are various meanings that have been understood from this Sanskrit name. Narayana is also called Vishnu, and both of these deities are depicted as resting upon water or the ocean. “Naara” in Sanskrit is another name for water, and it is said that Vishnu’s resting place, called “Ayana,” is “Naara,” hence the depiction of both deities upon water. For this reason, Vishnu is also known as Narayana, or “one who moves on the waters.”

“Naara” also means “the living entities,” so another meaning of the name is “resting place of all living entities.” Narayana is also said to mean “the Supreme Being who is the foundation of all humankind.” Another interpretation of the word Narayana sees Nara meaning “human” and Ayana as “direction/goal.” Hence Narayana refers to the “direction of a human” as the goal of human life. “Ayana” can also mean “shelter,” so Narayana can also mean “the shelter of all human beings.”

Hari Om

Words: Hari Om
Meaning: Hari Om is known as one of the most universal mantras. Hari is a name used for both Vishnu and Krishna. It also means “the One that removes all the obstacles and purifies” and can be translated as “the remover of ego.”

“I remove the sins of those who remember Me
I take what is offered in holy sacrifices
My complexion is blue in colour
Therefore I am known as Hari.”
~ Krishna in the Mahabharata

Om Asatoma

~ from the Yajur Veda and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28.

Words:
om asato ma sad gamaya
tamaso ma jyotir gamaya
mrtyor ma amrtam gamaya
om santi santi santih
Meaning:
Oh Lord, From ignorance, lead me to truth;
From darkness, lead me to light;
From death, lead me to immortality;
Let There Be Peace Peace Peace

Incredibly, this mantra is very similar to the Lord’s Prayer given by Jesus, and the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

~ from the Bhagavata Purana

Words: Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Meaning: O my Lord, Sri Krishna, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisance unto You.

It is said in India that prostration and salutation is an external symbol of an internal union, and that by chanting mantras to aspects of divinity, an atmosphere is created within to contemplate them and sense their presence.

Chants used in the spring equinox ceremony

Spring Equinox Chant 1. Om Ah Hum

Spring Equinox Chant 2. The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra

Spring Equinox Chant 3. Om Ah Hum

Extra chants for the spring equinox

Om Amarani Dziwanteye Svaha

Krim Hum Hrim

Om Ah Hum

~ Tibetan Buddhist mantra

Words: Om Ah Hum
Meaning: This mantra is composed of three ‘seed’ mantras. “… Om is the primal vibration out of which all things came forth and into which all things will be absorbed… It is the highest expression of consciousness. Ah is the symbol of the primal state of the spirit. It is the female aspect, the mother fully expressed in divine wisdom. It is also the unborn, a state of being that is without thought. It is the essential state of Emptiness… Hum is the universality (Om) brought into the heart, it is the infinite in the finite, the eternal in the temporal… [it] brings expansiveness, infinity, essence and oneness into the human being.” (source: http://www.soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/omahhum.htm)

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Please note the YouTube video above of Om Ah Hum may not work worldwide. Here is a link to the album on the artist’s website, where you can listen to the same track (no. 3).

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra

~ from the Rig Veda

Notes for pronouncing this mantra:
As this mantra is quite complicated, it’s best sung in the ceremony by either one or just a small number of people who can do it very well, and keep good harmony and timing with it together. The rest of the participants should softly sing the mantra Om in a continuous tone so there is a constant background sound that harmonizes with the main mantra.
Words:
Om Tryambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan
Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat
Translation:
We Meditate on the Three-eyed reality
Which permeates and nourishes all like a fragrance.
May we be liberated from death for the sake of immortality,
Even as the cucumber is severed from bondage to the creeper.
Meaning: The Mahamrityunjaya mantra is known as the Great Death-Conquering mantra, and is found in the most ancient Hindu text the Rig Veda, in the most ancient part of it. It is dedicated to Rudra, the ancient Hindu god of death, and appears in a passage in which Soma, the nectar of immorality is offered. The reference to the cucumber is significant, as a cucumber does not fall or separate from the vine like other fruits; it will grow, ripen, and then wither and die on the vine, producing the seeds for the next generation of plant without ever leaving the vine. This is symbolic of the cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. To leave the vine it must be picked, which is to be freed from the cycle of birth and death, and attain immortality.

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The text the Siva Purana (in the Sati Khanda section) tells a story involving the Mahamrityunjaya mantra. Sukracharya was the teacher of demons. As penance, Indra sets Sukracharya the task of hanging upside down from a tree above a fire with smoke billowing into him for twenty years. After Sukracharya succeeded in getting through this challenge, he was taught this life-restoring mantra so he could recover from his long period of austerity. It was later taught by Sukracharya to Rishi Dadhicha so he could recover after his body was cut into pieces (an interesting parallel with the restoration of Osiris’ body that had been cut into pieces as part of his Passion in Egypt).

Om Amarani Dziwanteye Svaha

The Tibetan mantra of the Buddha Amitayus, whose name means infinite life, and who dwells in the Pure Land beyond the bounds of this world. He is mostly depicted as holding a vessel containing the nectar of immortality in his hands.

Chants used in the summer solstice ceremony at sunrise

Summer Solstice Sunrise Chant 1. Om

Summer Solstice Sunrise Chant 2. IAO

Chants used in the summer solstice ceremony at sunset

Summer Solstice Sunset Ceremony Chant 1. Om

Summer Solstice Sunset Ceremony Chant 2. Om So Hum

Extra chants for the summer solstice

The Gayatri Mantra

Shanti Mantra

Om Tat Sat

Om (also known as Aum)

~ from the Upanishads

Words: Om
Pronunciation: The mantra OM is pronounced as in the word “home” and the sound elongated as in “ooooommmmm.” It is sometimes written as AUM as the “au” sound is a subtle intonation that naturally arises when OM is pronounced.
Meaning: In the ancient texts of the Upanishads, the syllable Om (written out as Aum) represents Brahman, the Absolute source of all creation, as well as the whole of creation.

Mantra IAO

~ from the Pistis Sophia

Words: IAO
Pronunciation: The I is pronounced as the “ee” in the word “see”, the “A” as in the word “ah”, and the “O” as in the word “Omega.”
Meaning: This chant is found in the  Pistis Sophia – a sacred text that was banned by the early Church and kept out of the Bible, but resurfaced in 1773. It contains highly esoteric teachings between Jesus and the disciples about the final stages of enlightenment. In the following extract, Jesus recites IAO in a ritual setting and describes its meaning.

“And Jesus made invocation, turning himself towards the four corners of the world with his disciples, who were all clad in linen garments, and saying: “iaō iaō iaō.” This is its interpretation: iōta, because the universe hath gone forth; alpha, because it will turn itself back again; ōmega, because the completion of all the completeness will take place.”
~ Pistis Sophia, Book 5, Chapter 136, translated by G.R.S. Mead

Om So Hum

~ from the Upanishads

Words: Om So Hum
Meaning: This is a famous Vedic mantra that literally means “I am He/That.” It is used to identify oneself with ultimate reality, and one’s higher Being. It has also been called the universal mantra, as ‘So’ is said to be the sound of inhalation, and ‘Hum’ of exhalation.

“The light which is thy fairest form, I see it. I am what He is.”
~ Isha Upanishad, translated by Max Müller

The Gayatri Mantra

~ from The Rig Veda

Words:
Om bhur bhuvah svah
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yonah prachodayat
Pronunciation:
Om bhoor bhuva swahah
tat savi tur varenyam
bhargo dey vasya dhi mahhi
dheeyo yoh na pracho dayaht
Meaning:
Here are just some English interpretations of the meaning of the mantra; however, there are many, and even many of the words themselves have deep and profound meanings on their own:

1. We meditate on the transcendental Glory of the Deity Supreme,
   who is inside the heart of the earth,
   inside the life of the sky and inside the soul of Heaven.
   May He stimulate and illuminate our minds.
2. O God! Giver of life, Remover of all pain and sorrows, Bestower of happiness, the Creator of the Universe,
   Thou art most luminous, adorable and destroyer of sins.
   We meditate upon thee.
   May thou inspire, enlighten and guide our intellect in the right direction.

If you can’t view the video above, here is another version of it below.

Here is an interpretation of the Sanskrit words themselves:

Om: The primeval sound
Bhur: the physical world
Bhuvah: the mental world
Suvah: the celestial, spiritual world
Tat: That; God; transcendental Paramatma
Savithur: the Sun, Creator, Preserver
Varenyam: most adorable, enchanting
Bhargo: luster, effulgence
Devasya: resplendent, supreme Lord
Dheemahi: we meditate upon
Dhiyo: the intellect, understanding
Yo: May this light
Nah: our
Prachodayath: enlighten, guide, inspire

Om Tat Sat

~ from the Bhagavad Gita

Words: Om Tat Sat
Meaning: “One of the very few mantras given in the Bhagavad Gita, Om Tat Sat is said to be the three-fold designation of Brahman. ‘Tat’ and ‘Sat’ are said to signify the transcendent aspect of Brahman and the immanent aspect of Brahman, both of which are blended together in a universalised connotation or denotation ‘Om.’ It is taken to mean that God is here, God is above and God is below, and God is everywhere. The everywhereness of God includes the aboveness and the hereness of God. The aboveness is Tat, the hereness is Sat, and the everywhereness is Om.”
(source: http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bgita/bgita_47.html)

“From the beginning of creation, the three words om tat sat were used to indicate the Supreme Absolute Truth. These three symbolic representations were used by brahmanas while chanting the hymns of the Vedas and during sacrifices for the satisfaction of the Supreme.”
~ The Bhagavad Gita 17.23, translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Shanti Mantra

~ from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and Ishavasya Upanishad

Words:
Om
Purnamadah Purnamidam
Purnat Purnamudachyate
Purnasya Purnamadaya
Purnameva Vashishyate
Om shanti, shanti, shanti
Meaning:
Om
That is infinite, this is infinite.
From That infinite,
this infinite comes.
From That infinite,
this infinite removed or added;
Infinite remains infinite.
Om, peace, peace, peace.

or

Om.
That is the absolute, this is the absolute.
From the absolute,
the absolute becomes manifest.
When the absolute is added or taken away from the absolute,
the absolute remains.
Om, peace, peace, peace.