My Favorite Sanskrit Mantras for kids

This article compiles my favorite Sanskrit mantras for kids in no particular order. This is a source for the mantras shared in my lessons with links to the original post as well as a few new ones. I plan to update this post with more of my favorites as I find and try them out in class. Please do share with me your favorites too!

These mantras are kid-tested. I have used them in my classroom and at home. Although children are capable of memorizing long lines of verse and do like to do that, I tend to use short mantras that can be picked up and learned quickly because in the classroom setting that allows us to not get tangled up in the words, but to move into the chant quickly. These powerful repetitive phrases continue in the mind well past class time and because of that become for the child, a chant they relate to on a personal level. At home, feel free to choose longer, more complex chants. For more on the power of mantra and why I use it them teaching, see my posts Wisdom is Mantra and Kids love mantra.

Here I include links for listening from artists on YouTube. I could not find versions that I liked for all of them. I look forward to recording these chants with the children’s voices in my class, once we can meet again, at Center for Spiritual Awakening.

Although mantra may be in any language, Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, is particularly powerful because it is said to contain the seed sounds of the Universe, 49 phonemes, perfectly attuned to the vibrations of our body’s energy centers, the chakras. It was created by ancients listening to the vibrations of the Universe. Each sound carries with it a complexity of meaning. Each sound is a mother, the primordial mother that gives birth to life and gives life meaning.

Just by repeating the name, that which cannot be understood will be understood. Just by repeating the name, that which cannot be seen will be seen.

Jnaneshwar Maharaj

1. Aad Guray Nameh

I use this mantra at the beginning of my class to invite the knowledge of the Universe to move through me as teacher and through the students. Teaching and parenting for the large part come in unplanned moments. Yet, it is those very unplanned moments, if allowed to unfold, that provide the richest content, the deepest heartfelt conversations, and the greatest laughter.

Aad Guray Nameh
Jugaad Guray Nameh
Sat Guray Nameh
Siri Guru Dayvay Nameh

Translation:
I bow to the Primal Wisdom.
I bow to the Wisdom through the Ages.
I bow to the True Wisdom.
I bow to the great, unseen Wisdom

I use this mantra in my lesson Oneness: 10 ways to truly feel that we are all connected and in Communication is collective communion: how to commune with God

2. Adi Shakti

We call on Shakti, the Divine Mother of creation to move through us, to rise through us that we may embody our full expression in this lifetime, that our soul may shine.

Adi Shakti (X3)
Namo Namo
Sarab Shakti (X3)
Namo Namo
Pritham Bhagvati (X3)
Namo Namo
Kundalini Mata Shakti
Mata Shakti (X2)
Namo Namo
[REPEAT]

Translation:
First Force of all creation
To You I bow
Divine Force everywhere
To you I bow
Creative Force, Primal Force
To you I bow
Rising up Divine Mother
To you I bow

You can find this mantra in the lesson Self expression by Celestial Communication.

3. Om So Hum

This is a nice rumbling vibrating chant. Even though it may seem slow, the kids like all the body vibration.

The yogic mantra “so hum” is not only a reflection of the sound of the breath but also carries a contemplative meaning: “I am that” (so = “I am” and hum = “that”). Here, “that” refers to all of creation, the one breathing us all.

Shiva Rea

You can pair this mantra with lesson in Wisdom is Mantra.

4. Aham Prema

Aham- The secret sound that hums everything into existence. Lorin Roche writes writes that Aham, I am, is the source of all mantras with so many qualities “Ah!” in surprise, “Ha!” in laughter, “Mmmm!” in pleasure.  It is a primordial sound, like Om and Aum.  Repeat Aham on its own, or join Deva Premal in mantra repetition of Aham Prema (I am Divine Love).

Find this mantra paired with my lesson on Radiance.

5. Humee Humee Brahm Hum

A wonderful mantra for this teaching is Humee Hum Brahm Hum, which means “We are We. We are God.”  This mantra connects us to our true selves, a vibratory body connected to all the vibrations of the Universe and the original sound.  It is a great opener for the throat chakra as well, our instrument of communication, expression and vibration.  Best of all, all of the hum’s make a vibration that tickles.

I write more about this mantra in First there was the Word.

7. Sa Ta Na Ma

This kirtan is a great focusing mantra especially when combined with finger movements. I use it in my class for the older children (over 9).

SA for Wisdom. Press the index finger to thumb. It means the beginning, the end and everything that was or will be.

TA for Focus. Press the middle finger to the thumb. It means creativity and life.

NA for Energy. Press the ring finger to the thumb. It means change and transformation.

MA for Connection. Press the pinky to the thumb. It means rebirth.

8. Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha is a mantra to Green Tara, the mother of all Buddhas.  Green Tara is another personification of Kuan Yin.  She brings great compassion and relieves all suffering. Om is the primordial sound and invocation. Tare is libration from suffering. Tuttare is liberation from delusion. Ture is liberation from ignorance and Soha means take root in my mind.  I use this mantra when I forget and I think I must do all the work by myself. It instantly soothes and reminds me God does everything, not me. I love this mantra and so do kids. 

I write about this mantra in Compassion.

9. Jaya jaya shiva shambo

This is a rollicking, fun chant. We love to pull out all the hand percussion instruments as we play.

Jaya Jaya Shiva Shambho,
Mahadeva Shambho!
Shiva Shiva Shiva Shambho,
Mahadeva Shambho!

Translation:
Hail Auspicious God
Great God
Come!

10. Jai Ma

This chant is so fun and energizing and children of all ages. The toddlers dance around when we sing it. Although its has only a few words, the melody changes often and the words are changed too, making it interesting and exciting.

This is a chant to the Divine Mother, Kali who is the ultimate powerful protector and guardian. She fights for her children. Her essence is quite different from Tara and Kwan Yin in that way, who are soft. Kali is a warrior, combative, destroying, and fiercely energetic. Durga is also a form of Divine mother, the daughter of Kali. Durga births knowledge (Saraswati) and abundance and beauty (Lakshmi) and creates and sustains all the illusions of the Universe and visible world, Mahamaya. She is the “fort that is hard to conquer” and eliminates suffering. This chant is a hail to the Divine Mother Universal energy.

My absolute favorite version is on Awakening by Robert Gass and Wings of Song.

Jai Ma
Kali Durgay Ma
(REPEAT)
Om Mata Kali
Om Mata Durgay
(REPEAT)
Kali Durgay
Namo Namah
(REPEAT)
Kali Durgay Kali Ma Para Shakti Om Kali
Om Mata Kali Durgay Namo Namah
(REPEAT LOTS)

This version from Mnemosyne of the same chant holds the same energy but repeats only the first few lines without the complexity in line variation.

Jai! Mata Kali
Jai! Mata Durge
Kali Durge,
namo namah
Kali Durge,
namo namah

11. Om Gam Ganapate Namaha

Ganesha is the remover of obstacles. This chant invokes that quality to come forward. I play this mantra a lot at home when trying to finish an assignment or a task that I’ve been putting off. It works every time make my task easy and fun. My children walk around chanting it.

Om gam ganapataye namaha (3x)
Om gam ganapataye namaha sharanam ganesha (4x)
Om gam ganapataye namaha sharanam sharanam
Om gam ganapataye namaha sharanam ganesha sharanam ganesha
Om gam ganapataye namaha sharanam ganesha (4x)
om gam ganapataye namaha sharanam, sharanam
om gam ganapataye namaha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha sharanam Ganesha
ganapaty, ganapaty, ganapataye ganapataye ganapaty, ganapaty, ganapataye ganapataye ..

Translation
Greetings and salutations to Ganesha, remover of obstacles