Kundalini Yoga mantras: 6 of the most commonly used and their meaning

The mantras of Kundalini Yoga play a much more visible role than in many other styles of yoga. They may appear at the beginning of a class, during a meditation or kriya, and at different points throughout the practice.

But not all mantras serve the same purpose, and there is no single list that must appear in every session.

In this guide, we will look at six mantras commonly used in contemporary Kundalini Yoga, the meaning attributed to them, and the contexts in which you may encounter them.

One important clarification: we are referring especially to the Kundalini Yoga spread by the 3HO/KRI tradition, where these uses are widely documented. Other schools and traditions associated with kundalini may use different texts, practices, or teaching methods.

What purpose do mantras serve in Kundalini Yoga?

In Kundalini Yoga, mantra is used as part of practices that may combine breathing, posture, movement, mudras, and meditation.

This means that a mantra does not simply work as a phrase repeated because it has a particular meaning. In many practices, rhythm, breathing, and repetition form part of the meditation itself.

Within the 3HO/KRI tradition, certain energetic and consciousness-related effects are also attributed to sound. In this article, we present them as part of the teachings of that tradition, not as proven medical or scientific effects.

If you attend a Kundalini Yoga class for the first time, you do not need to know all the mantras beforehand. The teacher can introduce them and explain how they are used within the practice.

6 common Kundalini Yoga mantras

1. Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo — the Adi Mantra

Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo is probably the mantra you are most likely to encounter when entering a Kundalini Yoga class in the 3HO/KRI tradition.

It is known as the Adi Mantra and is used to begin or “tune in” to the practice. Kundalini Research Institute materials published by 3HO indicate that it is chanted at the beginning of a class or personal practice, usually several times.

There is no perfect word-for-word translation into English. In 3HO explanations, it is interpreted approximately as a call to the creative consciousness and wisdom that guide the practice.

Rather than memorising a literal translation, beginners may find it more useful to understand its function:

• it marks the beginning of the practice;
• it helps shift from everyday activity to a meditative context;
• it forms part of the opening ritual characteristic of this school of Kundalini Yoga.

You can consult the explanation of the Adi Mantra published by 3HO based on KRI materials.

2. Sat Nam

Sat Nam is one of the most recognisable expressions associated with contemporary Kundalini Yoga.

It appears in different meditations and kriyas and may also be heard outside a specific practice, for example as a greeting or as a way of closing certain moments in a class.

3HO often translates it as “Truth is my identity”, an idea close to “truth is my identity”. However, it is important to remember that Sat Nam is also part of Sikh spiritual vocabulary and that its meaning cannot necessarily be reduced to a single English translation.

Sikh Research Institute, for example, translates Sat Nam within the Mul Mantar as “Eternal-Identity”, placing the term within a broader Sikh theological context.

To understand its use within Kundalini Yoga, it is enough to retain one idea: Sat Nam is associated with identity, truth, and recognition of an essential nature within the language of this tradition.

It may be found, for example, in Sat Kriya, one of the practices documented by 3HO.

3. Aad Guray Nameh — Mangala Charan Mantra

Aad Guray Nameh are the first words of another mantra used within this tradition, commonly known as the Mangala Charan Mantra.

Within the teachings of 3HO/KRI, it is particularly associated with the idea of protection. It may be used in certain meditations, and some schools chant it after the Adi Mantra at the beginning of the practice.

This does not mean that every Kundalini Yoga class has to include it.

In fact, a useful distinction for beginners is this:

• Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo has a well-established role as an opening mantra within the 3HO/KRI system;
• Aad Guray Nameh may accompany that opening or appear in specific practices, but its presence depends more on the class and the teacher.

3HO documents it, for example, in its Meditation for Protection and Projection from the Heart.

4. Sa Ta Na Ma

Sa Ta Na Ma is particularly well known for its connection with Kirtan Kriya.

For this reason, it is best not to present it simply as a generic mantra chanted at any time. It has a clear association with particular meditative practices.

Within the interpretation used by 3HO, the syllables represent a cycle of existence and transformation: infinity or origin, life, change or death, and rebirth.

In Kirtan Kriya, the mantra is also combined with specific finger movements. It is a good example of how, in Kundalini Yoga, the experience of the mantra may form part of a broader technique and not be limited to chanting alone.

The practice is documented by 3HO in its guide to Kirtan Kriya and the Sa Ta Na Ma mantra.

5. Wahe Guru

Wahe Guru appears in different meditations and mantras used within Kundalini Yoga.

It does not have a single function comparable to that of the Adi Mantra. It may form part of different sound sequences and be combined with other words in various practices.

In 3HO explanations, it is often associated with an experience of awe, wisdom, or recognition of that which transcends ordinary understanding.

Here too, it is best to avoid an overly rigid English translation. Wahe Guru comes from the Sikh spiritual context, and the Western translations found in yoga manuals are useful interpretations for practice, not perfect linguistic equivalents.

For example, 3HO documents practices that combine Sat Nam and Wahe Guru, as well as other meditations built around this term.

6. Mul Mantar

The Mul Mantar requires a different explanation from the previous mantras because its original context is especially important.

It did not originate as a “Kundalini Yoga mantra”.

It is the opening verse of the Guru Granth Sahib and one of the foundational texts of the Sikh tradition. Sikh Research Institute describes it as the “Root Verse”, expressing qualities of the Divine and holding a central position within the Sikh worldview.

Kundalini Yoga as spread by 3HO/KRI later incorporated the Mul Mantar into different meditations and practices. It may therefore appear in Kundalini Yoga classes or materials, but it is important not to erase its origin or present it as a creation of this school of yoga.

There are also different transliterations and translations. Rather than reproducing the entire text here and presenting one version as definitive, it is more rigorous to consult specialised sources when you wish to explore its meaning in greater depth.

You can learn more about its original context in the Sikh Research Institute explanation of the Mul Mantar. For its use in contemporary Kundalini Yoga, 3HO also devotes a specific section to the Mul Mantra in its mantra guide.

Do all mantras have an exact translation?

Not necessarily.

One of the easiest mistakes to make when explaining mantras is to take a translation used by one school and present it as the only possible literal equivalent.

Terms may come from specific linguistic, religious, and philosophical contexts. In addition, a translation used to teach yoga in English may try to convey a practical idea rather than reproduce every nuance of the original term.

Sat Nam is a good example. In Kundalini Yoga materials, it often appears translated as “truth is my identity”, while SikhRI uses “Eternal-Identity” when analysing it within the Mul Mantar.

That is why, in this guide, we discuss meaning and context rather than absolutely fixed translations.

How does a Kundalini Yoga class begin?

In a class connected with the 3HO/KRI tradition, it is common to begin by sitting in a comfortable position and using Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo as the Adi Mantra.

From there, the structure may vary depending on the teacher and the practice for the day. It may include pranayama, warm-up exercises, a kriya, relaxation, meditation, and different mantras.

Some classes also include Aad Guray Nameh after the opening mantra, but a common structure should not be turned into a universal rule.

The fact that Kundalini Yoga appears in the names of two classes does not guarantee that they follow exactly the same sequence or even the same teaching lineage.

Is “Long Time Sun” a Kundalini Yoga mantra?

It may be heard at the end of many Kundalini Yoga classes linked to 3HO, but it is not a traditional Sikh mantra or an ancient yoga mantra.

It is a song incorporated into the closing of many classes within this community. It is therefore better described as a closing song used in this tradition, rather than added to a list of traditional mantras.

This distinction may seem minor, but it helps correctly separate tradition, contemporary practice, and customs developed within a particular school.

Do you need to learn the mantras before attending a class?

No.

If it is your first class, you do not need to memorise the words, know their full meaning, or know the pronunciation beforehand.

A teacher can introduce the mantra, explain when it is used, and give you time to listen before joining in.

You may also encounter slightly different transliterations of the same expression. This is normal when sounds from other languages are represented using our alphabet.

The important thing when starting out is not to feel that chanting is an exam. Listening is also part of the experience, and you can gradually become familiar with the sounds and the context of each practice.

Mantra, tradition, and context

Mantras are one of the features that can make a Kundalini Yoga class feel very different from other styles.

But understanding them properly requires more than translating a list of words.

Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo helps us understand how a practice opens within 3HO/KRI; Sa Ta Na Ma shows how a mantra can be integrated into a specific meditation; and the Mul Mantar reminds us that some of the repertoire used in contemporary Kundalini Yoga has roots that must be understood within the Sikh tradition.

Understanding these differences allows you to arrive at a class with a better idea of what you are hearing, while avoiding oversimplification of practices and texts with different contexts.

Sources consulted

To prepare this guide, we compared the use of mantras in contemporary Kundalini Yoga with documentation from 3HO/Kundalini Research Institute, and the Sikh context of the Mul Mantar with the Sikh Research Institute.

• 3HO / Kundalini Research Institute — The Adi Mantra & the Golden Chain of Kundalini Yoga
• 3HO — Mantra in Kundalini Yoga: A Complete Guide
• 3HO — Kirtan Kriya
• Sikh Research Institute — Our Root: Mul Mantar

Last reviewed: August 2026.