Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung is an eight-part healing mantra from the Kundalini Yoga tradition, composed of primal sounds corresponding to the Sun (Ra), Moon (Ma), Earth (Da), and Infinity (Sa), united with the personal and infinite aspects of the breath of life. It is regarded as one of the most powerful healing mantras in the Kundalini Yoga lineage, used for self-healing and for sending healing to others at a distance.
What is Ra Ma Da Sa?
Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung is known as the Siri Gaitri Mantra in the Kundalini Yoga tradition as taught by Yogi Bhajan. It is an eight-syllable (Ashtang) mantra that draws on the fundamental vibrational building blocks of existence: the solar energy of Ra, the lunar energy of Ma, the earthly energy of Da, and the infinite, formless reality of Sa, then calling the experience of infinity into intimate personal relationship through "Sa Say So Hung" (that infinity, I am that).
Yogi Bhajan introduced this mantra for healing practice in the 1970s, teaching that it activates what he called the "arc line", the energy field associated with the immune system and the protective aura around the body, and creates a powerful current of healing prana. It is one of the few Kundalini mantras specifically prescribed for healing others, not just oneself: practitioners can hold the intention of a sick or suffering person in mind while chanting, directing the mantra's healing energy towards them.
The mantra's eight sounds correspond to the eight chakras in the Kundalini Yoga system (the seven standard chakras plus the aura as the eighth), and the practice of the mantra is said to balance and activate the entire energetic body simultaneously.
Word-by-Word Meaning
Each syllable of the mantra represents a distinct energetic principle:
- Ra (ਰਾ): the sun; solar energy; expansive, radiant energy; vitality and strength
- Ma (ਮਾ): the moon; lunar energy; receptivity, cooling, and reflection; the nurturing mother
- Da (ਦਾ): the earth; grounding energy; the base of the physical world; stability
- Sa (ਸਾ): infinity; the impersonal infinite; the formless, nameless absolute
- Sa (repeated): calling on infinity; deepening the connection to the infinite
- Say (ਸੇ): the totality; all of it; the personal experience of infinity
- So (ਸੋ): that; identification with the infinite
- Hung (ਹੁੰ): the infinite, breathing, personal aspect of the divine; "I am that"
"Sun, Moon, Earth, Infinity, that infinity I am", a mantra that moves from the manifest world (sun, moon, earth) through the formless infinite and back to the personal recognition: I am that.
How to Pronounce Ra Ma Da Sa
The mantra is pronounced: Rah Mah Dah Sah / Sah Say So Hung. Each syllable is given approximately equal weight and duration. "Hung" ends with a nasal "ng" sound that vibrates in the back of the skull, it is not the English word "hung" but a resonant nasal completion. "Say" rhymes with the English word "say."
In practice, the mantra is sung on a single exhale in the Kundalini Yoga tradition. The full phrase "Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung" is chanted in one continuous breath, making it an intensive pranayama practice as well as a mantra meditation. The slower the breath, the longer each syllable can be held. Practitioners typically aim to chant the whole mantra in one breath over 20–30 seconds.
Origins and Tradition
Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung was given as a teaching by Yogi Bhajan within the Kundalini Yoga tradition. Its syllables are drawn from the Gurmukhi script associated with the Sikh tradition, and the sounds Ra, Ma, Da, Sa carry meanings consistent with both Sanskrit and Gurmukhi usage. Yogi Bhajan described the mantra as one of the most powerful healing mantras in existence and prescribed it for a wide range of healing purposes, both physical illness and emotional suffering. It has been widely used in Kundalini Yoga therapy, yoga for cancer patients, and end-of-life care.
The mantra's use for distant healing is particularly notable: Yogi Bhajan taught that practitioners could hold a person's face in mind while chanting and send the healing vibration to them directly, regardless of physical distance. This practice is widely used in Kundalini Yoga communities when a member is seriously ill. It forms part of the Aquarian Sadhana practised daily before dawn by dedicated Kundalini Yoga practitioners worldwide.
How to Use Ra Ma Da Sa in Your Practice
The standard Kundalini Yoga practice for this mantra uses the "shushmana mudra": sit in easy pose, bend the arms at the elbows with the upper arms parallel to the ground and the forearms at 90 degrees, palms facing up. Chant Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung on a single exhale, taking a full breath before each repetition. Eyes are closed, focused at the third eye. A typical session lasts 11 minutes; advanced practice uses 31 minutes.
For healing others, sit with eyes closed, hold the person you wish to heal in your mind's eye, and chant with the sincere intention of sending healing energy to them. Many Kundalini Yoga practitioners in community groups dedicate their Ra Ma Da Sa practice to a specific person or collective need. For self-healing, the same focus applies, hold an intention of healing a specific area of the body or aspect of the psyche. The mantra works on all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
The Benefits of Chanting Ra Ma Da Sa
The healing attributed to Ra Ma Da Sa in the Kundalini tradition operates through the activation of the neutral mind and the stimulation of the immune system through the arc line. The arc line is described as a band of energy running from ear to ear over the crown of the head, associated in Kundalini Yoga with the projection of personal presence and the body's capacity to radiate healing energy. The practice of the mantra is said to charge this energy field and create a coherent healing current.
On a practical level, the extended single-breath chanting of the mantra is a powerful pranayama exercise in itself. Expanding the lung capacity to hold the full phrase on one breath strengthens the respiratory system, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and improves oxygen distribution throughout the body. The sound vibrations of the eight syllables are said to stimulate specific marma points (vital energy points) in the body.
Many practitioners report that Ra Ma Da Sa produces a very particular quality of healing calm, not the relaxation of ordinary rest but a deeper settling, as if the mantra addresses the root of distress rather than its symptoms. This quality is often described in reports from the use of this mantra in clinical settings with seriously ill patients, where it has been reported to reduce pain, ease anxiety, and support a more peaceful relationship with one's own body.
The mantra also carries significant value as a practice of compassionate action. By chanting for another person, the practitioner cultivates the bodhisattva-like quality of genuine concern for others' wellbeing, which itself is healing for both the practitioner and the recipient.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Ra Ma Da Sa mean?
Ra, Ma, Da, Sa represent the Sun, Moon, Earth, and Infinity, the fundamental energetic building blocks of existence. Sa Say So Hung means "that infinity I am," completing the mantra as a movement from the manifest world through the formless infinite to the personal recognition of identity with that infinity.
How do you pronounce Ra Ma Da Sa?
Rah Mah Dah Sah / Sah Say So Hung. The entire phrase is chanted on a single long exhale. "Hung" ends with a nasal "ng" vibrating at the back of the skull, not a clipped English "g." Even weight across all eight syllables.
How many times should you chant Ra Ma Da Sa?
In Kundalini Yoga, a standard session is 11 minutes of continuous chanting, each full phrase on one breath. Advanced practice uses 31 minutes. There is no traditional "number of repetitions" count, the practice is time-based rather than count-based.
What tradition does Ra Ma Da Sa come from?
Ra Ma Da Sa comes from Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, drawing on Gurmukhi sounds from the Sikh tradition and the broader framework of Kundalini Yoga philosophy. It is used within the 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy Organisation) community and by Kundalini Yoga practitioners worldwide.
