About this Course
The Guru Aṣṭakam is a powerful Sanskrit hymn traditionally attributed to Ādi Śaṅkarācārya. Composed in eight verses, it points the student toward one of the most essential truths of spiritual life: outer accomplishment has little meaning without sincere connection to the Guru principle and the awakening of inner wisdom.
This course is taught through the lens of the Krishnamacharya lineage, where chanting is approached through careful listening, accurate pronunciation, meaning, repetition, and relationship to the teacher. The Guru Aṣṭakam is studied not as performance, but as a contemplative practice that supports humility, discernment, and inner transformation.
This chant is direct, poetic, and deeply reflective. It asks the practitioner to consider what remains valuable when worldly success, beauty, knowledge, status, or achievement are not rooted in wisdom and surrender to truth.
In this course, Tara Mitra will guide students through the chanting, pronunciation, meaning, and contemplative depth of the Guru Aṣṭakam. Rather than approaching the text as performance or belief, students will be invited to study it as a mirror for self-inquiry.
The course will include chanting practice, discussion, and reflection on how the Guru Aṣṭakam speaks to the modern yoga practitioner, especially in a time when yoga can easily become externalized, performative, or disconnected from its deeper purpose.
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You will learn to chant the Guru Aṣṭakam with clear pronunciation, steady rhythm, and deeper understanding.
You will explore the meaning of the eight verses and their relevance to sincere yoga practice.
You will reflect on the role of the Guru as a principle of awakening, not merely a person or title.
You will examine how the chant speaks to ego, achievement, attachment, humility, and devotion.
You will gain a more traditional understanding of why chanting is part of yogic study and transmission.
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This course is for yoga students, teachers, and yoga practitioners who wish to study chanting, Sanskrit, and yoga philosophy in a serious yet accessible way.
It is especially valuable for those in mentorship, those who teach yoga, or those who feel called to deepen their relationship with traditional texts and sacred sound.
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Date: June 26 & July 23
Time: 5-6:30pm
Duration: 1.5 hours, 3 hours total
Teacher: Tara Mitra
Format: Live online / recording available
Level: Open to sincere students of yoga
FAQ
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The Guru Aṣṭakam is an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn traditionally attributed to Ādi Śaṅkarācārya. It reflects on the importance of the Guru principle and the limitations of worldly success without inner wisdom.
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It is both. Students will learn the chant while also exploring its meaning, philosophical context, and relevance to yoga practice.
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No. Sanskrit experience is not required. The course will guide you through pronunciation, rhythm, and meaning in a clear and accessible way.
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The course honours the devotional nature of the chant while presenting it through clear study, pronunciation, and reflection. It is suitable for students who want depth without dogma.
