This mantra is a very special mantra, dedicated to God who paves our paths to light from the darkness. This mantra belongs to the part of Stotram – Twameva Mata Cha Pita Twameva. The source of these lines is the Pandava Gita which is presumably written by Vyasa. These lines were famously attributed to Gandhari where she addresses Lord Krishna with the shlok. She surrenders all authority to Lord Krishna and claims him to be her savior and guardian. It was also made a part of Sarangathi Gadya which was a work of Hindu philosophy written by Sri Ramanujacharya around the 11th century. These lines are relevant when addressed to a Guru. Gurus played a very integral role as a part of the Indian culture and they are often given a very high place in one’s life in ancient sayings. In ancient times people did worship their Guru and treated them as equal to God. Yoga being a spiritual art does promote these ancient values and a better knowledge of these gadyas will surely lead to better yogic practices and experience overall. If you are learning Yoga or into music this mantra will definitely bring peace to your mind.
Lyrics of Twameva Mata Cha Pita Twameva
Om Tvamewa Mata Cha Pita Tvamewa
Tvamewa Bandhush Cha Sakhaa Tvamewa
Tvamewa Vidya Dravinam Tvamewa
Tvamewa Sarvam mama Deva Deva.
Source
The source of this mantra is the Pandava Gita which is traditionally attributed to Vyasa. The text contains 18 chapters and approximately 700 verses. It is a varied collection of mantras and slokas recited by sages and gods in reference to different values and situations. The particular mantra in question was uttered in Pandava Gita by Gandhari and she dedicated the lines to Lord Krishna. She acknowledges Krishna as her Lord supreme who is the source of everything that goes on in the universe.
Meaning of of Twameva Mata Cha Pita Twameva
Oh My Dear Guru You are mother and father to me,
You only are my relative and my friend,
You are my wisdom and my wealth
You are my divine light, my God.
General Meaning
This mantra is chanted so that everyone can remember the word “only”. The reason why “only” is brought into focus by this mantra is that in the path of spirituality, we need to have it clear in our minds that everything has one single source and that is God. The speaker of the mantra claims that their father, mother, relatives, and peers are all one and that is God. In this universe, all the relationships that we have are with God only. Our soul is spiritual and its subject of interest is God.
The mantra is seen as a means to acknowledge the ultimate wisdom and the independence from worldly knowledge that we hold on to. Yoga is a spiritual practice that is aimed at creating a calmer, focused and stable state of mind and body. This cannot be achieved with a restless mind which is trafficked with a million thoughts leaving us overwhelmed. The first step to attaining a state of calm and composure is getting rid of the things that clutter our minds and letting go of our preoccupations. Only then can we clear the path for wise thoughts and attain a higher level of consciousness.
Significance
This mantra is chanted to maintain peace and happiness in our lives. It guides you towards the right path when you face any difficulty. The mantra helps to increase concentration and also our dedication towards God. The shloka when chanted on a daily basis helps the individual to reach the state of “exclusivity”.
This mantra is generally used when concluding a session of spiritual practice such as meditation or yoga. This has a lot of significance in terms of the objective of these spiritual practices. After focussed activity to stimulate the mind and body, we need to enter a state of surrender towards a higher power that will act as our guiding light. The mantra transfers our spiritual authority from ourselves to the Gods as they hold more wisdom of thought and clarity of action. Through their wise insights about finding meaning and happiness in a turbulent world, we shall trust the almighty as he will help us enlighten our minds and uplift us as beings.
Detachment is another aspect that this mantra promotes. We as human beings are known to be very attached to materialistic things. However, the spiritual road does not have a place for material attachment. We need to keep ourselves apart from the negative influences of materialism which will ultimately lead to a clearer vision of the world and help us attain true enlightenment. By disowning worldly relations and turning them into one true relationship with the higher power, we are clearing our path towards a spiritually superior form of existence.
How this Mantra Coincides with the goals of Yoga practice
The true purpose of yoga is not physical well-being or mental well-being alone. The true purpose of yoga is hidden in the word itself. The word “yoga” means “to join”. It signifies the unification of the body and the soul. Yoga aims at helping the individual to be free from the vicious cycle of usual life and attaining a higher state of consciousness. It helps a person by calming their mind and clearing their vision about how to lead a meaningful life that is fulfilling for the soul.
The mantra in this context helps internalize the values that yoga seeks to promote. The mantra readily detaches the speaker from all worldly relations. The only relation that is acknowledged in the mantra is one with God and that is the only relation that matters. Only God possesses the level of wisdom that can prove beneficial to an individual’s soul. Therefore to attain the wisdom that God has to offer, one must acknowledge him as their one and only.
The mantra calls for the surrender of the individual to spiritual practice. A person’s mind holds the authority of their soul. Letting go of that feeling of authority and entitlement is one of the most vital steps of yogic practice. The mantra signifies god to be the ultimate source of knowledge and wisdom and that God alone has all the authority in the universe. God is the source of all human relations and in order to look within oneself, one needs to look for guidance towards god. People practicing yoga and using this mantra should be aware of this aspect in order for them to internalize all the benefits of the yogic experience.
Yoga practice also calls for acknowledging the superior place that a guru holds. In the case of Yoga, this can mean either instructor or God. The instructor is more of a guide to whom we surrender our body and mind and all the energy of concentration. The Guru’s word acts as our guiding light in the whole process and through him, we practice attaining a higher level of consciousness. Surrendering ourselves to the knowledge of Gurus is however a mere symbolism. It allows us to practice the art of detachment from worldly preoccupations. This in turn prepares our mind to absorb the energy of the universe and make our existence more meaningful.
