I fold my hands and bow to you my Guru, the
Ocean of Benevolence, for it is only by your
grace that I can be freed from the wheel of
cyclic existence.
| Ayam mayaañ | |
| u – yum mu – yaan | |
Note: the 'ñ' sound at the end of this phrase is the only kind of 'n' you could sound before next pronouncing the 'j' sound. |
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| jalir baddho | |
| ju – leer bud – dho | |
Note: añjali means folded hands. You may be familiar with this from hatha yoga - the añjali mudra pose, also used as a greeting with namaste.
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| dayaa saagara | |
| du - yaa saa – gu – ru | |
| Note: pay attention to the differentiation of short 'a' and long 'aa' here. | |
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| vrddhaye | |
| vr(i)d – dhu – yay | |
| Note: in Sanskrit, there are two 'r' sounds - one that is a consonant, like our English 'r', and another that is actually a vowel. Vowels have the purpose of helping you get from one sound to the next sound smoothly and easily. So when you see an 'r' before another consonant or consonant pair like the 'd' here, it's usually the vowel - give the 'r' a little roll of the tongue to lead it into the letters that follow. Sometimes it helps to imagine an invisible short 'i' after the 'r' sound, to help you say it. | |
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| Now glue... | |
| Ayam mayaañ jalir baddho, dayaa saagara vrddhaye |
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| Yad anugra | |
| yud unoo – gru | |
| Note: anugraha means grace (carries forward into next part of phrase). | |
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| hato jantush | |
| hu – to jun – toosh | |
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| chitra samsaara | |
| chee – tru sum – saara | |
| Note: chit here is being used to mean an individual being, samsaara, the mire of worldly existence; together we have: 'one who is in the mire of samsara' | |
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| muktibhaak | |
| mook – tee – bhaak | |
| Note: aspirated 'bh'; mukti means liberation | |
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| Now glue... | |
| Yad anugrahato jantush, chitra samsaara muktibhaak |
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Now repeat the entire verse all together: |
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| Ayam mayaañ jalir baddho, dayaa saagara vrddhaye; Yad anugrahato jantush, chitra samsaara muktibhaak. | |
| and know the keywords: | |
| Ayam mayaañ jalir baddho, dayaa saagara vrddhaye; Yad anugrahato jantush, chitra samsaara muktibhaak. | |
| I fold my hands and bow to you my Guru, the Ocean of Benevolence, for it is only by your grace that I can be freed from the wheel of cyclic existence. |
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