Ashtanga Yoga Mantra - for the beginning of Ashtanga Yoga practice

Before we start our Ashtanga Yoga practice we think of its thousand year old tradition and bow to it with a Mantra (= prayer). In particular, we bow to Patanjali, who is one of the most important guides for the philosophical path of Ashtanga Yoga.

Om
vande gurunam caranaravinde
sandarshita svatma sukha va bodhe
nih sreyase jangalika yamane
samsara halahala mohasahantyai

abahu purushakaram
shankacakrasi dharinam
sahasra shirasam svetam
pranamami Patanjalim
Om

English:
I pray to the lotus feet
of the supreme Guru
who teaches the good knowledge,
showing the way
to knowing the selfawakening great happiness;
who is the doctor of the jungle,
able to remove the poison
of the ignorance of conditioned existence.

To Patanjali, an incarnation of Adisesa,
white in color with 1000 radiant heads
(in his form as the divine serpent, Ananta),
human in torm below the shoulders
holding a sword
(discrimination),
a wheel of fire
(discus of light, representing infinite time),
and a conch
(divine sound)
- to him, I prostrate.