Do you feel disconnected? Maybe everything you do just isn’t syncing up. It’s all juuust missing the mark?
There is a well loved mantra in Kundalini yoga called Guru Gaitri (also referred to as Guru Gayatri, Gobinday Mukunday, Gobinday Mukanday, or Gobinde Mukande) that helps you to invoke Source and serves as a reminder that you are one with this energetic entity.
Legend says, when you practice with Guru Gaitri it attunes you to the cosmos and bestows good tidings and prosperity. Come to think of it, Guru Gaitri may just be one of the best mantras to work with as you enter a New Year!
What Is The Gobinday Mukanday Mantra (Guru Gaitri)?
Gobinday Mukanday is a powerful and sacred mantra from the Sikh tradition. It appears in the Jaap Sahib of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. Guru Gaitri expresses (and conjures) the eight aspects of the Infinite (Source, God, the Divine, whatever you choose to call it).
Gobinday Mukanday serves as a reminder of God and that God is in all human beings. It reminds you of your essence and what you are capable of.
Like all mantras, it’s a devotional practice that invokes peace, healing, and spiritual enlightenment. It’s best to approach Guru Gaitri with your best intentions and gratitude.
When you recite these words, reflect on them and remember that you hold the same qualities within yourself.
Gobinday Mukanday consists of the following eight Sanskrit words that reflect on different aspects of God:
- Gobinday: One who sustains and nurtures the universe (a name for God, typically associated with Lord Krishna). God is taking care of you.
- Mukanday: The liberator, the one who frees you. God liberates.
- Udaaray: The one who uplifts and elevates the soul.
- Apaaray: The infinite, boundless energy and essence.
- Hareeang: The destroyer of all evil, the purifier. God destroys.
- Kareeang: The creator, the one who manifests all creation. God creates.
- Nirnaamay: The one who is beyond all names and forms.
- Akaamay: The one who is free from desires, beyond worldly attachments.
How to Relate to Gobinday Mukanday
As you read through this list you might think that some of the aspects are nourishing and comforting while others are tougher to relate to. Nirnaamay and Akaamay were a challenge for me.
Nirnaamay
Let’s start with Nirnaamay. The one who is beyond all names and forms. Essentially, God is nameless. Yet, so many traditions and religions have a unique name for God. Why do we as humans do this? Why do we try to define everything? Maybe it makes us feel more in control if we have a name for things, to let us feel knowledgeable and aware.
Approach this as a challenge to think outside of this default habit. Let go of that need to know. Let go of your knowledge, your thinking mind, and trust in the flow of spirit and all that is.
Akaamay
Akamaay touches on the idea that God is free from desires. I like to think of this aspect as a reminder to do your best, but be ok with whatever outcome presents itself.
When you tie yourself to a specific desire it can cause discontent if it doesn’t materialize exactly as you dreamed. Remember the wise words from The Rolling Stones, “You can’t always get what you want, But if you try sometime, well, you might find, You get what you need.”
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Are You Chanting Correctly? Refine Your Tune with Me!
Benefits Of Chanting Guru Gaitri Mantra
The yoga community makes many claims in regards to why you’d choose to work with Gobinday Mukanday.
It’s popular, as you can probably tell by how many spelling variations have been passed down through different lineages. Gobinday Mukanday is used in so many different meditations. We’ll go over some of them soon. Have you ever come across Gobinday Mukanday in a meditation class?
Depending on who you talk to, it’s a prosperity mantra, a practice to move past fears when you are in your darkest moments, a mantra of self-empowerment, or a way to cleanse yourself of past mistakes and feelings of guilt.
Guru Gayatri Benefits, a Simplified Approach:
I think it’s best to simplify your approach to this mantra. Focus on its most broad sense. Gobinday Mukanday is a powerful tool to align you to the frequency of Source. To tap into this potent energy.
It’s often said that Guru Gaitri Mantra bestows you with abundance. In my experience, this link to abundance comes from the idea that through attunement to Source (which in itself is abundant by the fact that it’s all encompassing and part of each one of us) you reaffirm your recognition of this entity and invoke it, listen, and relax into it. Your relationship to the flow of abundance becomes clearer and easier.
Long vowel mantras in the yoga lineage, like Gobinday Mukanday, are notorious for their ability to erase and shift patterns. Focus on slowing down. Allow your energetic frequency to realign to its purest possible form. If long vowel mantras intrigue you, I highly recommend you explore Ek Ong Kar.
Common Guru Gaitri Benefits:
- Protection and Guidance: The mantra helps you clear blocks in your subconscious mind, especially around issues of fear and anxiety.
- Inner Joy and Happiness: Encourages feelings of gratitude, tranquility, and well-being. Helps you regain a sense of ease and control over difficult situations and feelings (i.e. the negative mind). Encourages feelings of humility, compassion, patience and detachment.
- Spiritual Upliftment: Supports spiritual liberation by removing the illusions of attachment and ego.
- Mental Peace and Clarity: Reduces mental clutter/chatter and supports inner contentment, improved mental clarity, and decision making. Unblocks your creativity.
- Boosts Confidence and Resilience: Instills a sense of confidence with the knowledge that divine help is available at all times.
- Purification of Karma: Removes karmic blocks. Eliminates past errors.
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How To Chant Gobinday Mukanday Mantra
There is no one right way to practice the Gobinday Mukanday Mantra. Considered an all-around mantra, there are many methods and meditations that incorporate it with slight variations and intentions. Below are a few for you to explore.
It’s also completely valid and effective to simply sit and sway as you recite Gobinday Mukanday. This is your practice, customize as you wish!
While not a requirement, it’s always recommended that you take a few minutes to Tune In with the Adi Mantra before you begin your practice. You can even include the Mangala Charan Mantra, which is considered a powerful mantra for protection to support you during your practice.
Core Alignment Meditation
This meditation is said to work on subconscious blocks, especially related to fear. The goal is to work towards balance, to align with the middle way. From this place, you’re more capable to act thoughtfully and enjoy challenges as they appear for you.
Posture: Sit in Easy Pose, spine straight.
Mudra: Hands rest on knees in Gyan Mudra.
Eyes: Closed. Focus on the space between your eyebrows.
Mantra: Gobinday Mukanday Mantra.
Chant all eight words on one breath. To perform:
- Deep inhale.
- Pull in the navel and apply Mulbandh as you begin to chant. Slightly tighten Mulbandh with each word.
- After you complete the eight words, inhale and continue.
To Complete: Maintain the mudra, inhale and hold the breath as long as is comfortable. Exhale and relax.
Time: Continue for 3 – 31 minutes.
Guru Gaitree Mantra
This practice is said to align your vibration to that of the image of God.
Posture: Sit in Easy Pose, spine straight.
Mudra: Elbows rest loosely at your sides. Raise both hands and place your thumbs into your armpits (right thumb into right armpit and left into left). Make soft fists with each hand (curl your remaining fingers on each hand down onto the mounds). Hands rest against your chest.
Eyes: 1/10th open. Gaze slightly at your nose.
Mantra: Gobinday Mukanday Mantra.
Chant all eight words on one breath. To perform:
- Deep inhale.
- Recite all eight words as you exhale. Inhale again and continue.
To Complete: Maintain the mudra, inhale and hold the breath. Exhale and relax.
Time: Continue for 5 – 11 minutes.
The Magnificent Mantra
The Magnificent Mantra adds in an extra element to Gobinday Mukunday Mantra. Before you recite each of the eight aspects you’ll first chant Har four times.
As you say Har, notice where your tongue touches your mouth. Try to direct it to the roof of your mouth and you’ll notice it will sound like you are saying “hud.”
The addition of Har makes this a Shakti mantra. It’s a power, warrior mantra. When you speak the word Har you’ll start to notice that your abdominals contract a bit. This stokes your agni, inner flame, similar to practicing Breath of Fire.
The Magnificent Mantra is said to support self-elevation, happiness and protection from disease or discomfort.
Posture: Sit in Easy Pose, spine straight.
Mudra: Hold your hands in loose fists. With your arms at your sides, bend your elbows and raise your fists so that your hands are approximately at shoulder height. Your hands will naturally be slightly in front of your shoulders. Each time you chant Har, open and close your hands as you also pull the navel point in and up (similar to Breath of Fire).
Eyes: Closed.
Mantra:
Har Har Har Har Gobinday
Har Har Har Har Mukanday
Har Har Har Har Udaaray
Har Har Har Har Apaaray
Har Har Har Har Hareeang
Har Har Har Har Kareeang
Har Har Har Har Nirnaamay
Har Har Har Har Akaamay
To Complete: Maintain the mudra, inhale and hold the breath. Exhale and relax.
Time: Continue for 3 – 31 minutes.
Prosperity Meditation
This prosperity meditation also includes the addition of four Hars prior to speaking each aspect.
The interpretation of Har in this practice is the idea that it is the original force of creativity and creation. The creative energy of God. This makes sense metaphysically because the chakra stimulated by the Breath of Fire movement is the Solar Plexus (Manipura). The third chakra is associated with your sense of personal power, self-esteem, and creativity.
With each repetition of Har, power is given to each of the aspects. This exchange of power supports the various eight aspects in assisting you to break through barriers from your past.
Imagine energy blocks in your subtle system that slowly begin to flush out and reveal freed pathways for optimal prana flow. With this open flow, you are more receptive to external energies that can assist you.
Posture: Sit in Easy Pose, spine straight.
Mudra: There are various mudras that can be used with this Prosperity Meditation. For each of these variations, rest your hands on your knees.
- For prosperity of friendship, use Buddhi Mudra to work with the Mercury finger. Mercury is associated with communication, friendships, peers, and local connections. The tips of the pinkie fingers touch the tips of the thumbs. Left pinky touches left thumb, right pinky touches right thumb.
- For prosperity of health, use Surya Mudra to work with the Sun finger. The Sun is associated with life force. Touch the tips of the ring fingers to the tips of the thumbs. Left ring finger touches left thumb, right ring finger touches right thumb.
- For prosperity of perseverance and support in long term goals, use Shuni Mudra to work with the Saturn finger. Saturn is associated with time, matter, discernment, and commitment. Touch the tips of the middle fingers to the tips of the thumbs. Left middle finger touches left thumb, Right middle finger touches right thumb.
- For prosperity in overcoming difficult situations, use Gyan Mudra to work with the Jupiter finger. Jupiter is associated with growth, expansion and good fortune. Touch the tips of the index fingers to the tips of the thumbs. Left index finger touches left thumb, right index finger touches right thumb.
In each of these variations, the thumb is the common denominator. Your thumb is related to Mars, the planet of action.
One final option:
- For prosperity in monetary wealth, hold your left hand up in front of your torso, palm faces up. Place your right hand, also palm face up, to rest on top of your left hand, fingers crossing each other forming a slight v shape. Fingers on each hand are held touching together, thumb extended facing straight forward. Elbows rest at your sides. Set a clear intention of where you want an income stream coming in and how much you request.
Eyes: Closed.
Mantra:
Har Har Har Har Gobinday
Har Har Har Har Mukanday
Har Har Har Har Har Udaaray
Har Har Har Har Apaaray
Har Har Har Har Hareeang
Har Har Har Har Kareeang
Har Har Har Har Nirnaamay
Har Har Har Har Akaamay
To Complete: Maintain your mudra of choice, inhale and hold the breath. Exhale and relax.
Time: Continue for 3 – 11 minutes.
Closing Thoughts
Want to shine your brightest? Gobinday Mukanday is excellent to practice when you want support to elevate yourself. There are many other mantras that are great for when you want help to align with the divine. The Adi Shakti Mantra focuses on the creative power of the divine feminine. Another great option is the Ajai Alai Mantra. Try them all and see which one resonates with you the most!
If you want to learn more about the science of mantra and Kundalini yoga, you’ll love my Kundalini Demystified course.
Ready to study Kundalini Yoga at an even deeper level? Join Guru Singh and myself in our co-taught Kundalini 200 HR Teacher Training, Kundalini University.
Next Steps
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