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LYRICS AND SANSKRIT

              PETER ALEXANDER
    www.riversofdevotion.com
         © 2015 Peter Alexander

Oṃ
Oṃ is the seed syllable or bija mantra for the ultimate,
  unknowable divine: God in the English language.
  “Oṃ is considered to be the most mystical, sacred and
    powerful Mantra by the Hindus because it is the
  Vācaka (designator) of Īśvara, the Greatest Power and
  the Supreme Consciousness as far as our Solar system
                     is concerned.”

            ~ I.K. Taimni, The Science of Yoga

An important note about Sanskrit
                   “translation:”
Most Sanskrit mantra evokes the essential nature of
      an aspect of the divine, which is easier to
understand as “explained” rather than “translated.”
 Many of the mantras do not employ grammatical
  structure. Most mantras recognize the almighty
 divine in one aspect or another and call on or bow
                   to that divinity.

 In most cases, rather than asking, “what does this
   mantra mean?” ask, “what is the fundamental
  nature of the divinity to which I chant or pray?”

Contents
      1. Gaṇapati Mantra (Oṃ Gaṃ Gaṇapataye Namaḥ)
                         2. Ardhanārīśvara
           3. Mahāmṛtyunjaya Mantra (Oṃ Triyamakam)
                         4. Serenity Prayer
                       5. Aham Brahmāsmi
                           6. Walk Gently
                 7. Ānanda Bliss (Open this Heart)
               8. Tāraka Mantra (Oṃ Śri Rāma Jaya)
                          9. Pūrṇamadaḥ
                       10. Sukhino Brahms

Peter Alexander: Vocals, Background Vocals, Piano, Harmonium, Shruti Box, Frame Drum, Box Drum,
   Lap Cajon, Rattles and Singing Bowls; Stephen La Porta: World percussion on tracks 2, 3, 7 & 9

            All music created by Peter Alexander except percussion on tracks 2, 3, 7 & 9

Lyrics and text arrangement by Peter Alexander on tracks 2, 4,6, & 7 including additional text for the
                 Serenity Prayer commonly attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr c. 1940

                                    Produced by Peter Alexander
              Recorded and mixed by Peter Alexander at Redwood Recording Studios
                                        Mastered by LANDR

                       CD layout: Gretchen McDougal and Ronald B. Gardner

1. Oṃ gaṃ Gaṇapataye
           Namaḥ

   gaṃ ~ the seed sound to invoke Ganesha
    gaṇapataye ~ to the lord of Śiva’s army
namaḥ ~ hail, an acknowledgement of greatness

I call on the great Ganesh(a), remover of obstacles,
         unifier of opposing ideas or forces.

2. Ardhanārīśvara
  Ardhanārīśvara, ardhanārīśvara, ardhanārīśvara
              Soham, soham, soham
                   Om Kali, Kali
                   Mā Durgā, mā
     Śrī Lakṣmyai, Śrī Lakṣmyai, Śrī Lakṣmyai

     Half Śiva, half Śaktī, half man, half woman,
                  half Śiva, half Śaktī
           I am that. I am that. I am that.

Kali and Durgā are strong warrior goddesses who can bring destruction
                       for the purpose of renewal.
Lakṣmī is the Goddess of abundance, rising from the ashes or mud as in
        the case of the lotus flower on which she sits or stands.

3. Mahāmṛtyunjaya Mantra
        The Great Death conquering mantra

             Oṃ tryambakam yajāmahe
            sugandhim puṣṭivardhanam
             urvārukam iva bandhanān
             mṛityor mukṣīya māmṛitāt

"We bow to that three-eyed Lord (Siva) who is full of
 sweet fragrance, who nourishes human beings. May
  he free me from the bondage of births and deaths,
just as the ripe cucumber is separated from the vine,
          and may I be fixed in immortality."

             ~ Swami Vishnu Devananda:
             "Meditations and Mantras"

4. Serenity Prayer
      God grant me the serenity
 To accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference:
       The wisdom in your plan.

5. Aham Brahmāsmi

                   I am Brahman.
(the ultimate unknowable divine, the ground of being.)

6. Walk Gently
              May the sun bring new life ev’ryday.
            May the moon softly restore you by night.
             May the rain wash your worries all away.
          May the wind blow you straight into the light.
               May you walk gently on the earth,
       And know its beauty all your days from death to birth.

         May you shine in the shadow of changing moon.
              May you glow in the fire of blazing sun.
         May the wind press on our hearts until we attune,
        And the rain dance on the sky and make rivers run.
                May you walk gently on the earth,
       And know its beauty all your days from death to birth.

                       Lyric ~ Peter Alexander

        May the sun bring you new energy every day.
         May the moon softly restore you by night.
           May the rain wash away your worries.
     May the breeze blow new strength into your being.
May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all
                    the days of your life.
                         ~ Apache blessing

7. Ānanda Bliss,
  Open this Heart
  Jai ānanda, jai, jai, Sat ānanda, sat,
 Jai ānanda, jai, jai, Chit ānanda, chit,
       Yoga ānanda, Guru ānanda
     Deva ānanda, Open this heart.
  Sat, chit, ānanda, sat, chit, ānanda,
   Sat, chit, ānanda, Open this heart.
      Sahaj ānanda, Jagat ānanda,
      Vira ānanda, Open this heart.

             Ānanda - bliss
               Jai ~ victory
           Sat ~ Reality, truth
          Chit ~ consciousness
       Yoga ~ to connect, attune
Guru ~ a teacher, revealer of knowledge
        Deva ~ Masculine divine
       Sahaj ~ natural, of nature
            Jagat ~ universal
               Vira ~ Hero

8. Tāraka Mantra
       Oṃ śri Rāma jaya, Rāma jaya, jaya Rāma

    I bow to the honorable Rāma, victory to Rāma!

Lord Rāma is the embodiment of dharma, a perfect man.

9. Pūrṇamadaḥ
  Pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidam pūrnāt pūrṇam udacate,
    Pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇam evā vaśiṣate.

            Pūrṇam ~ Complete, whole, full

That (divinity) is full. This (the person chanting) is full.
        This fullness comes from that fullness.
 Despite the constant fullness taking of this from that,
                 That remains ever full.

                Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

      May peace and peace and peace be everywhere.
                      ~ Y.E. Yeats

10. lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino
         bhavantu
     May all beings in all worlds be happy.

Lokāḥ ~ humanity, all people of the world, worlds
           Samastāḥ ~ united, beings
               Sukhino ~ happy
       Bhavantu ~ they shall, may they be