Thread by @shrikanth_krish

Just discovered that the mantra that usually accompanies Surya Namaskara (the most famous of all Yoga Asanas) is actually from the Isha Upanishad

हिरण्मयॆन पात्रॆन सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम् ।
तत् त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टयॆ ॥ १५ ॥

(Contd..)

Translation:

With the golden lid the face of the Truth is covered.
Oh sun, please remove that! Let me see the truth!

I have heard this mantra all my life in Yoga classes when Surya Namaskara is performed.

But I was not aware of the ancient roots of the Mantra until today

It's quite interesting that a Vedic mantra (yes, Upanishads are a part of Veda) is associated today with this most ubiquitous and common of all Yoga Asanas, and is chanted everyday by men and women of all social classes and even nationalities

Here are two other Vedic mantras that have become a part of Indian culture cutting across caste and even religious divides (thanks to school prayers)

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

(Brihadaranyaka Upanisad)

(Contd)

ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

(Taittareya Upanishad)

It can be argued that these three Vedic mantras are arguably more popular than any other Non Vedic (i.e Non Shruti) shloka across India (be it from the Gita or Puranas) (though some may argue that Gita is Shruti)

The reason this is worth noting is because the usually understood traditionalist position is that Vedic utterances must not even be heard (leave alone uttered) by those not belonging to the twice-born classes

Yet the three most popular mantras in the country which we have just mentioned are all Vedic. Each of them far more popular than practically any shloka of Non-Shruti origin