Every morning when the sky turns light and the world slowly wakes up, there are people across India — and honestly across the world — who roll out a yoga mat and begin their Surya Namaskar. Some do it quickly, just to warm up. Some do it slowly, with full focus on every breath. But a small number of people do something extra. They chant the Mantra of Surya Namaskar.
And those people will tell you — it feels completely different.
The mantra of Surya Namaskar is not something complicated or reserved only for saints and sages. It is a set of twelve simple chants, one for each pose. Each one is a different name of the Sun, and each name carries a different meaning. When you add these chants to your morning practice, something shifts. The breath slows down. The whole thing stops feeling like exercise and starts feeling like a prayer.
At Triyambakam Yoga Centre, we teach this practice not as an add-on, but as the real foundation of Surya Namaskar. This article is our way of sharing it with you.
Why the Sun and Why Mantras?
In ancient India, the Sun was not just a ball of fire in the sky. It was seen as a living force — the source of all energy, all food, all life. The ancient teachers understood this deeply, and so they created a practice of gratitude through the Mantra of Surya Namaskar. A way to bow to the Sun each morning, chant the Mantra of Surya Namaskar, and acknowledge what it gives us.
The Mantra of Surya Namaskar includes sacred names. Twelve different names of the Sun, each one describing a different quality — the Sun as a friend, as a light-giver, as a nourisher, and as the one who leads to wisdom. When you chant the Mantra of Surya Namaskar while moving through the poses, you connect each movement of your body with an intention, a feeling, and a deeper meaning.
That is what makes the mantra of Surya Namaskar powerful. It turns a physical sequence into a complete mind-body experience.
All 12 Mantras — Pose by Pose
Here is the full sequence. Read through it slowly. Try to feel the meaning of each mantra, not just memorize the words.
| Step | Pose | Mantra | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pranamasana — Prayer Pose | Om Mitraya Namah | Salute to the one who is a friend to all |
| 2 | Hasta Uttanasana — Raised Arms | Om Ravaye Namah | Salute to the one who shines and glows |
| 3 | Padahastasana — Forward Bend | Om Suryaya Namah | Salute to the one who sets everything in motion |
| 4 | Ashwa Sanchalanasana — Low Lunge | Om Bhanave Namah | Salute to the one who brings light |
| 5 | Dandasana — Plank Pose | Om Khagaya Namah | Salute to the one who travels across the sky |
| 6 | Ashtanga Namaskara — Eight Limbs | Om Pushne Namah | Salute to the one who nourishes and gives strength |
| 7 | Bhujangasana — Cobra Pose | Om Hiranyagarbhaya Namah | Salute to the golden light of creation |
| 8 | Adho Mukha Svanasana — Downward Dog | Om Marichaye Namah | Salute to the first rays of the morning |
| 9 | Ashwa Sanchalanasana — Low Lunge | Om Adityaya Namah | Salute to the child of the infinite cosmos |
| 10 | Padahastasana — Forward Bend | Om Savitre Namah | Salute to the one who awakens all life |
| 11 | Hasta Uttanasana — Raised Arms | Om Arkaya Namah | Salute to the one worthy of all honor |
| 12 | Tadasana — Mountain Pose | Om Bhaskaraya Namah | Salute to the one who shows the path to wisdom |
The Meaning Behind Each Mantra
Om Mitraya Namah — Begin With Friendship
You stand with folded hands. The practice has not started yet, but you are already making an offering through the Mantra of Surya Namaskar. Mitra means friend. The Sun is called a universal friend because it gives light to every person on earth without asking who they are or where they come from. Starting your practice with this Mantra of Surya Namaskar sets a tone of openness and gratitude.
Om Ravaye Namah — Reach for the Light
As your arms go up and your chest opens, you chant Ravaye — the radiant one. When you stretch upward, you are literally reaching toward the sky. The chant and the movement say the same thing at the same time. That alignment of body and sound is what chanting is really about.
Om Suryaya Namah — The One Who Sets Things in Motion
Surya is the most well-known name of the Sun. This Mantra of Surya Namaskar comes at the forward fold, where you bring your hands to the ground. You bow down to the force that wakes the whole world up every morning, without fail, without complaint. There is something deeply humbling about chanting the Mantra of Surya Namaskar in this moment.
Om Bhanave Namah — Inner Light
Bhanu means brilliance — not just sunlight, but the clarity that comes from truly understanding something. In the low lunge, the body opens and expands. Chanting this mantra in that pose feels like letting more light inside.
Om Khagaya Namah — The Consistent Traveler
The Sun crosses the entire sky every single day. Never late, never absent. In the plank pose, where the whole body is engaged and steady, this mantra is a quiet reminder to be consistent too. In your practice. In your life.
Om Pushne Namah — The Giver
Pushan is the Sun as nourisher. In Ashtanga Namaskara, where you lower your whole body to the ground, there is a beautiful humility to this mantra. You give your whole self in gratitude for everything the Sun provides.
Om Hiranyagarbhaya Namah — The Golden Beginning
Hiranyagarbha means the golden womb — the original light from which the universe was born. In Cobra pose, the chest lifts and the heart opens. Many students say they feel something different during this particular mantra. There is a stillness to it. Do not rush through it.
Om Marichaye Namah — The Promise of Dawn
Maricha refers to the soft golden rays that appear just before sunrise — before the Sun itself is even visible. In the Mantra of Surya Namaskar, it is a mantra about hope and fresh starts. No matter how difficult yesterday was, dawn comes again. In downward dog, this chant from the Mantra of Surya Namaskar carries that feeling of renewal.
Om Adityaya Namah — Connected to Everything
Aditi was the Vedic goddess of infinite space. The Sun is called her son. As you come back to the low lunge, this mantra reminds you that you are connected to something much larger than yourself. You did not come from nowhere. None of us did.
Om Savitre Namah — The Awakener
Savitri is the Sun’s power to stimulate and awaken — the same root as the sacred Gayatri Mantra. In the Mantra of Surya Namaskar, as you fold forward again, you bow to the force that woke you up this morning, that keeps your heart beating, and that gives you energy to think, move, and feel.
Om Arkaya Namah — Simply Grateful
Arka means worthy of worship, worthy of praise. As the arms rise again, this mantra is just a simple, honest thank you. No deep philosophy. Just gratitude.
Om Bhaskaraya Namah — Carry the Light Forward
The sequence ends here, standing in mountain pose with hands at the heart. Bhaskara means the one who leads you toward wisdom and inner light. You have completed a full cycle. Now you carry that energy with you into the rest of your day.
What Actually Changes When You Start Chanting
When you chant, your breath naturally becomes longer and more controlled. You cannot chant and breathe quickly at the same time. So the breath slows, the nervous system calms, and the mind has something to hold onto. For beginners especially, this is a relief. One of the hardest parts of starting yoga is dealing with a mind that refuses to stay still. The mantra of Surya Namaskar gives the mind a job — listen to the sound, feel the meaning, stay here.
For experienced practitioners, the mantras add a dimension that physical practice alone cannot give. The poses become an offering. The session carries a different quality altogether.
| Type of Practitioner | How Chanting Helps |
|---|---|
| Complete Beginner | Slows breath, gives mind a focus point |
| Intermediate Student | Adds intention and meaning to each pose |
| Advanced Practitioner | Deepens the spiritual dimension of practice |
| Someone with Stress or Anxiety | Activates the body’s natural calm response |
How to Learn Without Feeling Overwhelmed
Twelve mantras sounds like a lot. And if you try to memorize all of them in one week, it probably will feel that way. But nobody expects you to get it all at once.
Start with just the first Mantra of Surya Namaskar — Om Mitraya Namah. Chant it every time you come into the prayer pose for every round you do. Let this Mantra of Surya Namaskar become familiar and comfortable. Once it feels natural, add the second one. There is no rush. The Mantra of Surya Namaskar has been around for thousands of years. It will wait for you.
One habit that works well is listening to a recording of the mantras during your first few weeks — not while practicing, just while cooking or commuting. The sounds settle into your memory without any effort. Then when you come to the mat, they are already there.
| Timeframe | What to Focus On |
|---|---|
| Week 1–2 | Listen to recordings, read the meanings slowly |
| Week 3–4 | Chant only Mantra 1 during practice |
| Week 5–6 | Add two more, one at a time |
| Week 7 onwards | Keep adding until the full sequence flows |
Learn It the Right Way at Triyambakam Yoga Centre
Reading about the mantra of Surya Namaskar is a good start. But learning it in a room with a teacher who guides your breath, corrects your posture, and chants alongside you — that is something an article cannot fully replace.
At Triyambakam Yoga Centre, Surya Namaskar with full mantra chanting is a core part of how we teach. We work with students at every level — complete beginners, long-time practitioners, and people who simply need something grounding in their daily life. The practice we teach is traditional, connected to the real roots of yoga, and taught with genuine care.
The Sun rises every morning without fail. Your practice can have that same quiet reliability. All it takes is a mat, a few minutes, and the willingness to begin.
