ॐ Dragon's Den
Body to Being Vijayalakshmi Nirvana Dinacharya
ॐ

A Day in Shlokas,
A Week of Discipline

A personal sādhanā chart — the dinacharya of fifteen daily prayers, the weekly habits that hold the body, and the calendar that holds them together.

✦ ⊹ ✦
21 days · once each · then again

i. The day, mapped

Eight moments. Fifteen shlokas. Seven habits that hold the body around them.

5:30 AMon waking
Before the feet touch the ground
1 · Karāgre Vasate  ·  2 · Samudra Vasane
6:00 AMbefore bath
Sanctifying the water
3 · Gaṅge ca Yamune
6:30 AMat the lamp
Lighting the deepam at the altar
4 · Śubhaṁ Kuru Tvaṁ
6:33 AMthe 15‑min sit
Daily prayer · five steps · before breakfast
Oṁ Śrī Paramātmane  ·  5 · Vakratuṇḍa  ·  6 · Sharadā  ·  7 · Guru  ·  8 · Mahālakṣmī  ·  9 · Navagraha  ·  10 · Smārta Gāyatrī  ·  japa  ·  11 · Pradakṣiṇā  ·  12 · Śaraṇāgati  ·  15 · Loka‑prārthanā
7:00 AMmeditation
Sitting with the breath — twenty minutes
After the anuṣṭhāna, while the prāṇa is already gathered. Daily.
7:30 AMsport
Movement · the body's offering
Swim · badminton · basketball · rotated through the week.
1:00 PMbefore lunch
Touching the plate, eyes closed
16 · Annapūrṇe Sadāpūrṇe
6:00 PMmusic practice
Forty‑five minutes at the instrument
Daily. Discipline through repetition, devotion through sound.
7:30 PMpartner time
Dating — the relationship, kept fresh
Tri‑weekly. The relationship is also a practice.
10:30 PMbefore sleep
Sitting up · a few conscious breaths
22 · Rāmaṁ Skandaṁ

ii. The week, in a single glance

Seven days, seven planets, seven moods of the same breath. The chants hold the morning and the night; the body habits rotate through the week around them.

The week is a small life. Monday opens as the moon — receptive, soft, listening. Tuesday lights as Mars — courage, decisive movement. Wednesday is Mercury's intellect; Thursday, Jupiter's wisdom; Friday, Venus's beauty and bond. Saturday is Saturn — slow, structural, the day of maintenance. Sunday is the Sun — gathering, family, rest with presence.

The same shlokas at the same times anchor every day. What rotates is the body: which sport, which evening, which intention. Below: a strip of the seven, a count of the hours, a hour-by-hour grid, and a card for each day with its full schedule and the deity behind it.

a. The seven, as a strip

सोम M ☽ Soma · Śiva मङ्गल T ♂ Maṅgala · Hanumān बुध W ☿ Budha · Viṣṇu गुरु T ♃ Bṛhaspati · Guru शुक्र F ♀ Śukra · Lakṣmī शनि S ♄ Śani · Hanumān रवि S ☉ Sūrya · Viṣṇu

b. The week, in hours

7×
Shloka Anuṣṭhāna
daily · 25 min sit
2h20
Meditation
7 × 20 min
5h
Sport
6 days · rotated
4h30
Music Practice
6 × 45 min
3×
Date Nights
Tue · Fri · Sat
22:30
Lights Out
all 7 days · same time
05:30
Brāhma Muhūrta
Mon–Sat · 06:00 on Sun
22×
Shlokas Memorised
across the day

c. The hour by hour

5am 8 11 2pm 5 8 11pm
☽
सोमवारMondaySoma
ॐSādhanā
≋Swim
ॐLunch
♪Music
ॐ
♂
मङ्गलवारTuesdayMaṅgala
ॐSādhanā
⌇Badminton
ॐLunch
♪Music
❤Date
ॐ
☿
बुधवारWednesdayBudha
ॐSādhanā
≋Swim
ॐLunch
♪Music
ॐ
♃
गुरुवारThursdayBṛhaspati
ॐSādhanā
●Basketball
ॐLunch
♪Music
ॐ
♀
शुक्रवारFridayŚukra
ॐSādhanā
≋Swim
ॐLunch
♪Music
❤Date
ॐ
♄
शनिवारSaturdayŚani
ॐSādhanā
⌇Badminton
ॐLunch
●Basketball
❤Date
ॐ
☉
रविवारSundaySūrya
ॐSādhanā
⊛Yoga
ॐFamily
♪Music
✦Dinner
ॐ
Morning Sādhanā Meal Swim Badminton Basketball Yoga Music Date Family Sleep ritual

d. The seven days, in full detail

Each day has a planet, a deity, an intent, and a slightly different body — the schedule that follows is the same shloka anchors and a different rotation of sport, evening, and emphasis.

M
☽
सोमवारMonday
Soma · the moon · Lord Śiva
"Receive before you speak. Begin the week softly."
planet Moon element Water colour Silver direction NW
5:30
Karāgre + Samudra shloka
6:00
Bath · Gaṅge ca Yamune shloka
6:30
Sādhanā · 15‑min anuṣṭhāna at the altar
7:00
Meditation · 20 min
7:30
Swimming · 45 min peak
8:30
Breakfast · journal · plan the week
9:00
Work · deep blocks
1:00
Annapūrṇe · main meal shloka
2:00
Work · meetings shift
6:00
Music practice · 45 min
7:30
Dinner · reading hour
10:00
Wind‑down · phone away
10:30
Rāmaṁ Skandaṁ · sleep shloka
If the lunar day is trayodaśī, a Pradoṣa observance can be added in the evening — a brief Śiva mantra, a small lamp. Foods cool today: milk, ghee, rice. Speech soft. Decisions, if possible, postponed.
T
♂
मङ्गलवारTuesday
Maṅgala · Mars · Hanumān
"Move toward the difficult thing. Courage is a small daily act."
planet Mars element Fire colour Red direction S
5:30
Karāgre + Samudra shloka
6:00
Bath · Gaṅge ca Yamune
6:30
Sādhanā · add Tvam-asmin Kārya-niryoge if a hard task is ahead
7:00
Meditation · 20 min
7:30
Badminton · 60 min peak
8:45
Breakfast · cold shower if not already
9:00
Work · take on the hard thing first
1:00
Annapūrṇe · main meal shloka
2:00
Work · execution blocks
6:00
Music practice · 45 min
7:30
Date night · partner time date
10:00
Home · wind‑down
10:30
Rāmaṁ Skandaṁ · sleep
Hanumān's day. A short Hanumān Chālīsā in the evening is auspicious. Push the body in the morning, then come back to softness for the evening with your partner.
W
☿
बुधवारWednesday
Budha · Mercury · Viṣṇu / Kṛṣṇa
"Speak carefully. Write something today."
planet Mercury element Earth · Air colour Green direction N
5:30
Karāgre + Samudra shloka
6:00
Bath · Gaṅge ca Yamune
6:30
Sādhanā · add Jñānānanda‑mayaṁ if focusing on study or research
7:00
Meditation · 20 min
7:30
Swimming · 45 min peak
8:30
Breakfast · long-form reading
9:00
Work · writing block · email zero
1:00
Annapūrṇe · main meal
2:00
Work · external comms
6:00
Music practice · 45 min · focus on theory
7:30
Dinner · writing journal
10:00
Wind‑down · poetry
10:30
Rāmaṁ Skandaṁ · sleep
Mercury's day — favour the intellect. The Hayagrīva shloka is the discreet ally if learning is on the docket. Green leafies favoured at lunch.
T
♃
गुरुवारThursday
Bṛhaspati · Jupiter · the Guru
"Teach what you know. Learn from someone wiser. Expand."
planet Jupiter element Ether colour Yellow direction NE
5:30
Karāgre + Samudra shloka
6:00
Bath · Gaṅge ca Yamune
6:30
Sādhanā · extra reverence on the Guru shloka today
7:00
Meditation · 20 min
7:30
Basketball · 60 min peak
8:45
Breakfast · mentor check-in
9:00
Work · teaching · mentoring sessions
1:00
Annapūrṇe · main meal
2:00
Work · 1:1s and reviews
6:00
Music practice · 45 min · play with someone
7:30
Dinner · long conversation
10:00
Wind‑down · read your teacher
10:30
Rāmaṁ Skandaṁ · sleep
Guru's day. Reach out to one mentor. Mentor one person. Yellow turmeric, ghee, dāl at the meal. A small donation, if possible, completes the day.
F
♀
शुक्रवारFriday
Śukra · Venus · Devī / Lakṣmī
"Honour the relationship. Make something beautiful today."
planet Venus element Water · Earth colour White · Rose direction SE
5:30
Karāgre + Samudra shloka
6:00
Bath · Gaṅge ca Yamune
6:30
Sādhanā · Mahālakṣmī chanted 3× extra
7:00
Meditation · 20 min
7:30
Swimming · 45 min peak
8:30
Breakfast · flowers on the table
9:00
Work · creative blocks · the beautiful version of the deck
1:00
Annapūrṇe · main meal
2:00
Work · client touchpoints · gratitude notes
6:00
Music practice · 45 min · play something for her
7:30
Date night · the relationship, kept fresh date
10:00
Late dessert · slow conversation
10:30
Rāmaṁ Skandaṁ · sleep
Venus's day. The Mahālakṣmī shloka is also a wealth practice — chant it three times before any work that brings income today. Whites and rose at the table. Soft music. Lit candles at dinner.
S
♄
शनिवारSaturday
Śani · Saturn · Hanumān
"Do the maintenance. Sit with what's hard. The slow work is the real work."
planet Saturn element Air colour Indigo · Black direction W
5:30
Karāgre + Samudra shloka
6:00
Bath · Gaṅge ca Yamune
6:30
Sādhanā · Hanumān shloka added for Śani protection
7:00
Meditation · 20 min
7:30
Badminton · 60 min peak
8:45
Breakfast · weekly admin · finances · errands
11:00
Slow maintenance · the things that get pushed
1:00
Lunch · simple meal
3:00
Rest · or long walk
4:30
Basketball · 60 min peak
6:00
Bath · second one
7:30
Date night · long dinner · no agenda date
10:00
Together · slow close
10:30
Rāmaṁ Skandaṁ · sleep
Saturn's day — discipline and patience. No music practice today; let the body rest from the daily routine in one place. A small charity is auspicious. Avoid black foods, but indigo at the altar is appropriate.
S
☉
रविवारSunday
Sūrya · the sun · Viṣṇu
"Be with family. Rest, but with presence. Begin nothing — receive what is given."
planet Sun element Fire colour Orange · Gold direction E
6:00
Karāgre + Samudra · later rise shloka
6:30
Bath · Gaṅge ca Yamune
7:00
Sādhanā · Sūrya Namaskāra (12 rounds) added after
7:30
Meditation · 20 min · facing east
8:00
Light yoga · or a long slow walk
9:00
Family breakfast · long, no phones
11:00
Reading · slow time
1:00
Family lunch · the big meal of the week family
3:00
Nap · or family outing
6:00
Music practice · 45 min · returning to the instrument
7:00
Family dinner
9:00
Reflect · plan the week ahead
10:00
Wind‑down
10:30
Rāmaṁ Skandaṁ · sleep
Sūrya's day. Sun salutations are the natural addition — 12 rounds facing east just after the morning sit. Orange foods favoured: turmeric, marigold, citrus. No new beginnings — Sunday is for gathering, not initiating.

Activity dictionary · what each cell means

ॐ
Shloka
The dinacharya verse for that moment — wake, bath, meal, sleep. Chanted aloud, once, with attention.
पू
Sādhanā · Pūjā
The 15-min anuṣṭhāna at the altar — five steps: Paramātmane, daily prayers, japa, pradakṣiṇā, surrender + Lokaprārthanā.
ध
Meditation
20 minutes after the anuṣṭhāna. The prāṇa is already gathered — just sit, breathe, do nothing.
~
Swimming · Mon / Wed / Fri
45 minutes. Water element. Resets the nervous system, opens lungs, calms vāta.
⌇
Badminton · Tue / Sat
60 minutes. Quick reaction, footwork, decisive shots. Sharpens prāṇa and intellect together.
●
Basketball · Thu / Sat
60 minutes. Team-cardio, court vision, power. Different intelligence — anticipation and trust.
♪
Music Practice
45 minutes, 6 days. Devotion through repetition. Saturday off — the body rests in one place.
❤
Date · Partner
Three evenings a week — Tue (short), Fri (full), Sat (long, no agenda). The relationship is also a sādhanā.

iii. The seven habits

Each one a small vow. Each one a small offering. The body, the breath, the relationship — all sādhanā.

ध्
Meditation
07:00 AM · 20 minutes · daily
After the anuṣṭhāna, while the prāṇa is already gathered. Sit, breathe, do nothing.
पू
Sādhanā · Pūjā
06:30 AM · 25 minutes · daily
Five steps · the deepam, the daily prayers, japa, pradakṣiṇā, surrender.
~
Swimming
07:30 AM · 45 minutes · Mon · Wed · Fri
The water element. Cardio, joints, lungs. Reset the nervous system.
⌇
Badminton
07:30 AM · 60 minutes · Tue · Sat
Quickness, reaction, footwork. The mind sharpens through play.
●
Basketball
07:30 / 4:30 PM · Thu · Sat
Power, court vision, team-cardio. A different kind of intelligence.
⚡
Sport · rotation
07:30 AM · 6 days / week
Swim · badminton · basketball — alternated. Sunday is rest or light yoga.
♪
Music Practice
06:00 PM · 45 minutes · 6 days / week
Discipline through repetition; devotion through sound. Saturday off for partner time.
❤
Dating · partner
07:30 PM · Tue · Fri · Sat
The relationship is also a practice. Tri-weekly, kept fresh, attended to deliberately.

iv. Reference recitation

Vijayalakshmi chants the dinacharya — the morning and anushthanam shlokas in sequence. Use it once before you chant, to settle the pronunciation in the ear.

The full dinacharya, in order
≈ 4 minutes · 15 shlokas
04:04

Each card below also has its own short clip — cut from the same recitation. Tap the circle to play; tap again to pause.

v. On waking

A rebirth, the texts say — the ātman is returning from the realm of dreams. Anchor it before the feet touch the floor.

1 · Karāgre Vasate Lakṣmīḥ
Wake‑up · palm‑darshan
5:30 AM · before getting out of bed · palms held in front
कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मीः करमध्ये सरस्वती ।
करमूले स्थिता गौरी प्रभाते करदर्शनम् ॥
karāgre vasate lakṣmīḥ  karamadhye sarasvatī | karamūle sthitā gaurī  prabhāte karadarśanam ||
reference chant
meaning

At the fingertips dwells Lakshmi; at the centre of the palm, Saraswati; at the base, Gauri. Therefore at dawn — palm‑darshan.

context

You are not invoking deities residing somewhere outside. The very purpose of the shloka is to acknowledge those energies — strength (Gauri), resource (Lakshmi), wisdom (Saraswati) — already within you. A note: it is lakṣmīḥ, with anusvāra — not lakshmi.

2 · Samudra Vasane Devi
Before stepping on the ground
5:31 AM · bowing toward the floor · asking the Earth's forgiveness
समुद्रवसने देवि पर्वतस्तनमण्डले ।
विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्व मे ॥
samudra‑vasane devi  parvata‑stana‑maṇḍale | viṣṇu‑patni namastubhyaṁ  pāda‑sparśaṁ kṣamasva me ||
reference chant
meaning

O Devi, garmented by the oceans, whose breasts are the mountains, consort of Vishnu — salutations to you. Forgive the touch of my feet upon you.

context

Before utilising — apologise. Then say gratitude. Then proceed. Without this, exploitation begins.

vi. Before the bath

Bathing is a reset for the nervous system, the pranic flow, and the jala‑tattva. The shloka makes it sacred.

3 · Gaṅge ca Yamune
Sanctifying the bathing water
6:00 AM · standing before the bucket · a mug of water in hand · chant before pouring
गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति ।
नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् सन्निधिं कुरु ॥
gaṅge ca yamune caiva  godāvari sarasvati | narmade sindhu kāveri  jale'smin sannidhiṁ kuru ||
reference chant
meaning

O Ganga, and Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri — may you be present in this water.

context

Rivers are pure because they flow. The shloka invites that same flowing purity into still water.

vii. At the lamp

The deepam is your sākṣī — your witness, your accountability partner for these twenty‑one days.

4 · Śubhaṁ Kuru Tvaṁ Kalyāṇam
Lighting the lamp at the altar
6:30 AM · after bath · clean corner or altar · light the lamp first
शुभं कुरु त्वं कल्याणम् आरोग्यं धनसम्पदम् ।
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
śubhaṁ kuru tvaṁ kalyāṇam  ārogyaṁ dhana‑sampadam | śatru‑buddhi‑vināśāya  dīpa‑jyotir namo'stu te ||
reference chant
meaning

Bring auspiciousness, well‑being, health, and wealth. Destroyer of inimical thinking — O flame of the lamp, salutations to you.

context

It is kuru tvaṁ — "please do" — a request. Not a command, not a passive observation.

viii. The fifteen‑minute sit

Five steps. Step one names the supreme as one. Step two acknowledges the energies that hold the day. Step three is japa. Step four, pradakṣiṇā. Step five, surrender — and the world.

Oṁ Śrī Paramātmane Namaḥ
step one
ॐ श्री परमात्मने नमः
oṁ śrī paramātmane namaḥ

"Ekam sat viprā bahudhā vadanti" — truth is one, sages call it by many names. The deities to come are aspects of that same supreme.

5 · Vakratuṇḍa Mahākāya
Bhagavān Gaṇeśa · step two
6:33 AM · once · at the start of the daily prayers
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभ ।
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥
vakratuṇḍa mahākāya  sūrya‑koṭi‑sama‑prabha | nirvighnaṁ kuru me deva  sarva‑kāryeṣu sarvadā ||
reference chant
meaning

Curved‑trunked one, of mighty form, radiant as ten million suns — O Lord, make me free of obstacles in every endeavour, always.

context

The elephant‑spirit. Faced with an obstacle, it will either remove it or move around it — but it will not stop.

6 · Namaste Śāradā Devi
Mā Sarasvatī
6:34 AM · once
नमस्ते शारदादेवि काश्मीरपुरवासिनि ।
त्वामहं प्रार्थये नित्यं विद्यां बुद्धिं च देहि मे ॥
namaste śāradādevi  kāśmīra‑pura‑vāsini | tvām‑ahaṁ prārthaye nityaṁ  vidyāṁ buddhiṁ ca dehi me ||
reference chant
meaning

Salutations to you, Goddess Sharada, who resides in Kashmirapuram. I pray to you daily — grant me knowledge and the intellect to use it.

context

The correct reading is vidyāṁ buddhiṁ ca dehi me — knowledge and intellect. Knowledge alone is not enough without the intelligence to apply it.

7 · Gururbrahmā Gururviṣṇuḥ
Guru namaskāra
6:35 AM · once
गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
गुरुस्साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥
gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ  gururdevo maheśvaraḥ | gurussākṣāt parabrahma  tasmai śrī‑gurave namaḥ ||
reference chant
meaning

The guru is Brahmā, the guru is Viṣṇu, the guru is Maheśvara. The guru is verily the supreme reality. To that revered guru, my salutations.

context

Note the precise sandhi: it is gururbrahmā, not guru brahma; and gurussākṣāt, not guru sākṣāt.

8 · Namaste'stu Mahāmāye
Mā Mahālakṣmī
6:36 AM · once · also before any work that brings income
नमस्तेऽस्तु महामाये श्रीपीठे सुरपूजिते ।
शङ्ख‑चक्र‑गदाहस्ते महालक्ष्मी नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
namaste'stu mahāmāye  śrī‑pīṭhe sura‑pūjite | śaṅkha‑cakra‑gadā‑haste  mahā‑lakṣmī namo'stu te ||
reference chant
meaning

Salutations to you, great Māyā, seated on Śrī‑pīṭha, worshipped by the gods, holding conch, discus, and mace — Mahālakṣmī, salutations to you.

context

Lakshmi is the deity of every resource that sustains life, not money alone. Also chant three times before a work that brings income.

9 · Namaḥ Sūryāya Somāya
Navagraha · peace with the nine
6:37 AM · once
नमः सूर्याय सोमाय मङ्गलाय बुधाय च ।
गुरु‑शुक्र‑शनिभ्यश्च राहवे केतवे नमः ॥
namaḥ sūryāya somāya  maṅgalāya budhāya ca | guru‑śukra‑śanibhyaśca  rāhave ketave namaḥ ||
reference chant
meaning

Salutations to Sūrya, Soma, Maṅgala and Budha; to Guru, Śukra and Śani; and salutations to Rāhu and Ketu.

context

A peace‑offering. The grahas influence body and mind whether or not we attend to them — better to make peace.

10 · Smārta Gāyatrī
Yo Devaḥ Savitā
6:38 AM · once · or as japa (28 → 54 → 108 rounds)
यो देवः सविताऽस्माकं धियो धर्मादिगोचरः ।
प्रेरयेत् तस्य यद्भर्गः तद्वरेण्यमुपास्महे ॥
yo devaḥ savitā'smākaṁ  dhiyo dharmādi‑gocaraḥ | prerayet tasya yad bhargaḥ  tad varēṇyam upāsmahe ||
reference chant
meaning

That divine Savitā who pervades our intellect in matters of dharma — we meditate upon his most excellent radiance.

context

The Anuṣṭubh‑metre form of the Gāyatrī mantra — literally the same meaning, in shloka form. Veda‑Gāyatrī itself, like Oṁ‑upāsanā, alters pranic flow strongly and is to be received in person from a guru.

Step three · Japa Anuṣṭhāna
28 / 54 / 108 rounds

Quality over quantity. Begin with 28 rounds; a day will come when 28 isn't enough, and the mind will ask for 54, then 108. Before japa, settle the breath with five rounds of nāḍī śuddhi prāṇāyāma; then chant one favourite stotra of your iṣṭa; then begin.

if you know your iṣṭa
कृष्ण · राम · शिव · ॐ नमः शिवाय · ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
nāma‑japa: kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa…  ·  namaskārārtha: oṁ namaḥ śivāya, śrī rāma jaya rāma jaya jaya rāma
if you don't — Gaṇapati Bīja Mantra
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
oṁ gaṁ gaṇapataye namaḥ
Pronounce the gaṁ as gung — the anusvāra reads with a nasal that opens the Mūlādhāra.
11 · Yāni Kāni ca Pāpāni
Pradakṣiṇā · step four
6:48 AM · once · while doing three rounds around the deity
यानि कानि च पापानि जन्मान्तर‑कृतानि च ।
तानि तानि विनश्यन्ति प्रदक्षिण‑पदे पदे ॥
yāni kāni ca pāpāni  janmāntara‑kṛtāni ca | tāni tāni vinaśyanti  pradakṣiṇa‑pade pade ||
reference chant
meaning

Whatever sins, committed across lifetimes — those very sins are destroyed, step by step, with each step of pradakṣiṇā.

context

Make the divine the centre of your life and let life revolve around it.

12 · Kāyena Vācā
Śaraṇāgati for Bhagavān Viṣṇu · step five
6:49 AM · forehead touching the floor
कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतेः स्वभावात् ।
करोमि यद्यत् सकलं परस्मै नारायणायेति समर्पयामि ॥
kāyena vācā manasendriyairvā  buddhyātmanā vā prakṛteḥ svabhāvāt | karomi yad‑yat sakalaṁ parasmai  nārāyaṇāyeti samarpayāmi ||
reference chant
meaning

Whatever I do — by body, speech, mind, senses, intellect, ātman, or by the natural movement of prakṛti — I surrender all of it as an offering to Nārāyaṇa.

context

Surrender dissolves the "I am the doer." Without this, even spiritual practice grows an ego.

13 · Anyathā Śaraṇaṁ Nāsti
Śaraṇāgati for Bhagavān Śiva
6:50 AM · forehead touching the floor
अन्यथा शरणं नास्ति त्वमेव शरणं मम ।
तस्मात् कारुण्यभावेन रक्ष मां परमेश्वर ॥
anyathā śaraṇaṁ nāsti  tvam eva śaraṇaṁ mama | tasmāt kāruṇya‑bhāvena  rakṣa māṁ parameśvara ||
reference chant
meaning

There is no other refuge; you alone are my refuge. Therefore, out of compassion, protect me, O Parameśvara.

14 · Anyathā Śaraṇaṁ Nāsti
Śaraṇāgati for Devī
6:50 AM · forehead touching the floor
अन्यथा शरणं नास्ति त्वमेव शरणं मम ।
तस्मात् कारुण्यभावेन रक्ष मां जगदीश्वरि ॥
anyathā śaraṇaṁ nāsti  tvam eva śaraṇaṁ mama | tasmāt kāruṇya‑bhāvena  rakṣa māṁ jagadīśvari ||
reference chant
meaning

There is no other refuge; you alone are my refuge. Therefore, out of compassion, protect me, O Jagadīśvarī — Goddess of the universe.

15 · Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaḥ
Loka‑prārthanā · close of practice
6:51 AM · always close anuṣṭhāna with this
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग् भवेत् ॥
॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ  sarve santu nirāmayāḥ | sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu  mā kaścid duḥkha‑bhāg bhavet || oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
reference chant
meaning

May all beings be happy; may all be free from disease; may all see what is auspicious; may none experience sorrow. Oṁ — peace, peace, peace.

context

The ego that has been concentrated in the practice now expands outward — from "me" to "all." The triple śānti is the seal.

ix. Before food

Food is condensed prāṇa entering the body. Received well, it turns from matter into prasāda.

16 · Annapūrṇe Sadāpūrṇe
Before lunch · the main meal of the day
1:00 PM · plate before you · both palms touching the plate · eyes closed · once
अन्नपूर्णे सदापूर्णे शङ्कर‑प्राण‑वल्लभे ।
ज्ञान‑वैराग्य‑सिद्ध्यर्थं भिक्षां देहि च पार्वति ॥
॥ अन्नदातो सुखी भव ॥
annapūrṇe sadāpūrṇe  śaṅkara‑prāṇa‑vallabhe | jñāna‑vairāgya‑siddhyarthaṁ  bhikṣāṁ dehi ca pārvati || annadāto sukhī bhava ||
meaning

O Annapūrṇā, ever‑full, beloved life‑breath of Śaṅkara — for the attainment of wisdom and detachment, please grant me this offering, O Pārvatī. And may the giver of food be happy.

x. As the day asks

Specific concerns — beginnings, lost things, studies, health, the time of carrying a child.

17 · Tvam‑asmin Kārya‑niryoge
Kāryasiddhi Hanumān · beginnings
Starting a business · sitting an exam · a career change · a marriage
त्वमस्मिन् कार्यनिर्योगे प्रमाणं हरिसत्तम ।
हनूमन् यत्नमास्थाय दुःखक्षयकरो भव ॥
tvam‑asmin kārya‑niryoge  pramāṇaṁ hari‑sattama | hanūman yatnam‑āsthāya  duḥkha‑kṣaya‑karo bhava ||
meaning

You are the proof in this accomplishment of the task, O finest among the Hari‑clan. Hanumān, through effort, destroy this sorrow.

18 · Kārtavīryārjuno Nāma
For lost things
कार्तवीर्यार्जुनो नाम राजा बाहुसहस्रवान् ।
तस्य स्मरणमात्रेण गतं/हृतं नष्टं च लभ्यते ॥
kārtavīryārjuno nāma  rājā bāhu‑sahasravān | tasya smaraṇa‑mātreṇa  gataṁ / hṛtaṁ naṣṭaṁ ca labhyate ||
meaning

Kārtavīrya‑Arjuna by name, a king with a thousand arms — by merely remembering him, what is gone, what is taken, what is lost, is regained.

19 · Kṛṣṇāya Vāsudevāya
During pregnancy
कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने ।
प्रणतक्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥
kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya  haraye paramātmane | praṇata‑kleśa‑nāśāya  govindāya namo namaḥ ||
meaning

Salutations again and again to Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, to Hari, the supreme self, to Govinda, destroyer of the suffering of those who bow.

20 · Jñānānanda‑mayaṁ Devam
Hayagrīva · for studies and focus
Three to five times before sitting to study
ज्ञानानन्दमयं देवं निर्मलस्फटिकाकृतिम् ।
आधारं सर्वविद्यानां हयग्रीवमुपास्महे ॥
jñānānanda‑mayaṁ devaṁ  nirmala‑sphaṭikākṛtim | ādhāraṁ sarva‑vidyānāṁ  hayagrīvam upāsmahe ||
meaning

He who is the embodiment of the bliss of knowledge, of pure crystalline form, the support of all wisdom — Hayagrīva — we offer our worship.

21 · Namāmi Dhanvantarim
For health · before taking medicine
नमामि धन्वन्तरिमादिदेवं सुरासुरैर्वन्दितपादपद्मम् ।
लोके जरारुग्भयमृत्युनाशं दातारमीशं विविधौषधीनाम् ॥
namāmi dhanvantarim ādi‑devaṁ  surāsurair vandita‑pāda‑padmam | loke jarā‑rug‑bhaya‑mṛtyu‑nāśaṁ  dātāram īśaṁ vividhauṣadhīnām ||
meaning

I bow to Dhanvantari, the primordial god, whose lotus feet are honoured by gods and asuras alike — destroyer in the world of the fear of old age, disease and death — the lord and bestower of every kind of medicine.

xi. Before sleep

Surrender the night. Eyes closed, a few conscious breaths — no prāṇāyāma needed — then chant once.

22 · Rāmaṁ Skandaṁ Hanūmantam
Before bed · peaceful sleep
10:30 PM · sitting up in bed · last thing of the day · nothing after
रामं स्कन्दं हनूमन्तं वैनतेयं वृकोदरम् ।
शयने यः स्मरेन्नित्यं दुःस्वप्नस्तस्य नश्यति ॥
rāmaṁ skandaṁ hanūmantaṁ  vainateyaṁ vṛkodaram | śayane yaḥ smaren nityaṁ  duḥsvapnas tasya naśyati ||
meaning

One who remembers, at the time of sleep, Rāma, Skanda, Hanumān, Vainateya (Garuḍa) and Vṛkodara — that person's bad dreams are destroyed.

xii. The lifestyle the practice asks for

Without this, the practice "doesn't work" — not because the shlokas fail, but because the body and mind cannot hold what the chanting begins to give.

·
Three things to leave. Alcohol, smoking, non‑vegetarian food — each strongly raises rajas and tamas.
·
Reduce onion, garlic, strong spices — at least on days of pūjā or before sitting for practice.
·
Moderation of the five senses. Not asceticism — moderation. As the practice settles, your preferences quietly change on their own.
·
Oṁ and Veda‑Gāyatrī upāsanā require a guru. Their bīja‑power alters pranic flow strongly. Use the Smārta Gāyatrī (#10) and the Gaṇapati Bīja instead.
·
Pronunciation matters. Bīja‑mantras work at the energetic level — wrong pronunciation can release more energy than the body can hold.
·
Always chant aloud. The sound is the instrument of the transformation.
·
Posture. Spine upright. A chair is fine — but do not lean.

xiii. A note on the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra

Not for casual practice — but worth knowing the precise form.

Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra
receive from a teacher
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनात् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात् ॥
oṁ tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭi‑vardhanam |
urvārukam iva bandhanāt mṛtyor mukṣīya mā'mṛtāt ||

tryambakam, not tri‑am‑bakam; mā'mṛtāt (a graceful elision, not māmṛtāt) — the meaning is "from death — for the sake of immortality." The "Mṛtyuñjaya" idea is not the removal of death itself but the removal of the fear of death.