UK Consumer Debt Explained: Credit Cards, BNPL, Car Finance and Overdrafts in 2026

 

UK consumer debt is often discussed as if it were one number. It is not. Credit cards, overdrafts, buy now, pay later (BNPL), car finance, hire purchase and student loans are measured in different ways by different institutions. The result is a surprising amount of confusion—especially when activity, product use and balances outstanding are mixed together.

Here is the clearest current picture. At 31 July 2026, the Bank of England recorded £257.529 billion of consumer credit outstanding, excluding the Student Loans Company. Of that, £82.250 billion was credit-card borrowing and £175.279 billion was reported as “other consumer credit”.

The headline: cards are about a third of the measured consumer-credit stock

On the Bank of England’s like-for-like measure, credit cards represent 31.9% of measured consumer credit excluding student loans. The remaining 68.1% sits within the broader “other consumer credit” category.

That distinction matters. “Other consumer credit” is not another name for personal loans, car finance, hire purchase or BNPL. It is a broad residual category. The Bank describes other forms of consumer credit as including products such as car-dealership finance and personal loans, but the published balance does not provide a clean pound-for-pound allocation across all those products.

Bottom line: the £175.279 billion “other” total should not be relabelled as car finance, hire purchase, BNPL or personal loans. Doing so would overstate what the data can prove.

Where BNPL, overdrafts and hire purchase fit in

These products are important, but the best current public evidence is often about how many people use them or how much new lending is being written, rather than a comparable national balance outstanding.

• Credit cards: 65% of UK adults (35.3 million people) held a card in the Financial Conduct Authority’s Financial Lives 2024 survey. The FCA also estimated that 5% of adults—2.8 million people—were in persistent credit-card debt, meaning they had paid more in interest, fees and charges than principal over the previous 12–18 months.
• Overdrafts: 21% of adults reported holding or using an overdraft. Separately, Bank of England data show £6.936 billion of household sterling overdrafts on monetary-financial-institution balance sheets at 31 July 2026. This is a different coverage basis from the main consumer-credit total, so it should not be added to the headline figure.
• BNPL / deferred payment credit: 20% of adults (10.9 million) reported using unregulated deferred payment credit in the previous 12 months. Eleven per cent had at least £50 outstanding and 2% had at least £500 outstanding. These are survey thresholds, not a national market-balance estimate.
• Retail credit and hire purchase: 12% held retail instalment credit, 12% a store card, 11% a catalogue or shopping account, and 4% retail hire purchase excluding rent-to-own. Again, these are product-holding estimates and can overlap.

Car finance is a large flow—but it is not the same thing as debt outstanding

Motor finance is especially easy to misread. The Finance & Leasing Association reported £3.870 billion of point-of-sale consumer-car-finance advances in June 2026, covering 187,304 cars. That is new business in one month, not the stock of UK car-finance debt outstanding.

Likewise, the Bank of England reported £2.006 billion of net consumer-credit borrowing in July 2026—£0.864 billion on cards and £1.142 billion through other consumer credit. Net borrowing describes the monthly change after repayments; it should not be mistaken for the amount households already owe.

Student loans need their own line

Student loans are also material but are best treated as a separate system. The Student Loans Company administered a £324.8 billion UK portfolio at face value at 31 March 2026. It should not simply be added to the Bank of England’s July consumer-credit total: the two series have different dates, accounting bases and coverage.

What the data tell us—and what they do not

The reliable conclusion is not that one product dominates every form of household debt. It is that the Bank of England’s core consumer-credit series gives a robust view of credit cards versus a broad non-card residual. Beyond that, the evidence becomes product-specific: the FCA shows reach and repayment pressure; the FLA shows motor-finance activity; the Student Loans Company shows its administered portfolio.

That is why a single “all UK non-mortgage debt” headline can be misleading. A good reading of the data keeps three questions separate:

1. How much is outstanding? A debt stock at a point in time.
2. How much new borrowing is taking place? A monthly or annual flow.
3. How widely is a product used? A consumer survey measure.

For readers watching household finances, the key takeaway is straightforward: credit cards remain the only large consumer-credit component separately quantified in the latest coherent Bank of England stock. BNPL, car finance, overdrafts and hire purchase matter to households, but their publicly available numbers must be read on their own terms—not added together as if they were slices of the same pie.

Primary sources

• Bank of England Bankstats A5.6 / IADB — consumer-credit amounts outstanding, July 2026.
• Bank of England Money and Credit — July 2026.
• Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Lives 2024: Credit & loans.
• FCA Financial Lives 2024, Annex A: Product holdings.
• Finance & Leasing Association — consumer car finance, June 2026.
• Student Loans Company Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26.

Figures are sourced from the publications above. This article is for information only and is not personal financial advice.

Conversation with my AI Agent About What It Can Do.

 

Conversation Excerpt 

(This is a conversation with Manus AI Agent. To get your own agent and 500 free credits , use my invitation link : http://tiny.cc/Free-500-Credit )

Assistant — Sep 4, 2026, 23:17 GMT+1 

�� Hey, I’m online. 

I’m your personal agent with my own computer and memory — always on, always learning. 

Let’s start with the basics: give me a name, and tell me what you’d like me to help with. The more you teach me, the better I get. 

User — Sep 7, 2026, 15:36 GMT+1 

Hello Manus 

Assistant — Sep 7, 2026, 15:36 GMT+1 

Hello! How can I help you today? 

User — Sep 7, 2026, 15:36 GMT+1 

Give me a list of some useful things you can do. 

Assistant — Sep 7, 2026, 15:37 GMT+1 

Here are some useful things I can do: 

1. Research topics and summarize reliable sources 

2. Compare products, services, tools, or options 

3. Write and edit emails, reports, proposals, and articles 

4. Analyze PDFs, spreadsheets, images, audio, and video 

5. Create presentations, charts, diagrams, and polished documents 

6. Build websites, prototypes, and mobile apps 

7. Generate or edit images, video, speech, and music 

8. Help with coding, debugging, automation, and data analysis 

9. Plan trips, projects, study schedules, and workflows 

10. Turn rough ideas or notes into clear, finished deliverables

11. Find current news, datasets, APIs, and online resources 

12. Set up recurring or scheduled research and monitoring tasks 

Tell me what outcome you want, and I’ll help take you from idea to completion. 

User — Sep 7, 2026, 15:38 GMT+1 

What useful monitoring tasks can you set up 

Assistant — Sep 7, 2026, 15:38 GMT+1 

I can set up scheduled checks and notify you when something changes. Useful examples include: 

1. News and reputation: Track a company, person, industry, competitor, or developing story. 

2. Prices and availability: Watch products, flights, hotels, tickets, rentals, or public listings for price drops and restocks. 

3. Finance: Monitor public stock, crypto, earnings, filings, dividends, analyst updates, or economic indicators. 

4. Jobs and opportunities: Find new roles, grants, tenders, scholarships, events, or property listings matching your criteria. 

5. Websites and content: Detect page changes, new blog posts, release notes, documentation updates, or newly published reports. 

6. Software and security: Watch GitHub releases, package updates, outages, status pages, vulnerabilities, and incident reports. 

7. Competitors and markets: Track product launches, pricing changes, hiring, partnerships, funding, and customer sentiment. 

8. Personal productivity: Produce daily or weekly digests, deadline reminders, recurring research summaries, or inbox/calendar reviews when the relevant service is connected. 

9. Data and operations: Check dashboards, APIs, feeds, or public datasets and flag anomalies or threshold breaches. 

10. Regulatory monitoring: Watch legislation, government notices, court publications, standards, or policy changes. 

You can specify the subject, frequency, conditions for alerting, and preferred summary format. For example: “Every weekday at 8 AM, check for new remote product-design jobs in Europe and send only listings posted in the last 24 hours.”

(This is a conversation with Manus AI Agent. To get your own agent and 500 free credits , use my invitation link : http://tiny.cc/Free-500-Credit )

Do You Know Your CBT from Your ACT? New York's Many Flavours of Therapy.

Do You Know Your CBT from Your ACT?

 New York's Many Flavours of Therapy

 In places such as New York, where psychotherapy is relatively mainstream and people may see a therapist for anything from a specific problem to personal growth, there is a very broad range of therapeutic approaches. The main differences are in how they understand psychological problems and what happens during sessions.

Main psychotherapy methods

Method	Basic idea	What sessions tend to involve	Particularly associated with
CBT – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy	Thoughts, feelings and behaviours reinforce each other	Identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and changing behaviours; often includes exercises/homework	Anxiety, depression, phobias, OCD, insomnia
Psychodynamic therapy	Current difficulties can be influenced by unconscious patterns and earlier relationships	Talking openly about relationships, emotions, recurring patterns and the therapeutic relationship	Relationship problems, depression, self-understanding
Psychoanalysis	A deeper exploration of unconscious processes and formative experiences	Frequent, often long-term sessions; free association and exploration of dreams/relationships	Long-standing emotional and personality patterns
Humanistic / Person-Centred therapy	People have an inherent capacity for growth when given an accepting environment	Therapist provides empathy, acceptance and non-judgmental listening	Self-esteem, life transitions, personal development
Gestalt therapy	Greater awareness of one's present experience can produce change	Exploring emotions, bodily sensations and interactions in the "here and now"	Emotional awareness, relationships, personal growth
ACT – Acceptance & Commitment Therapy	Psychological flexibility is more useful than trying to eliminate uncomfortable thoughts	Learning to accept difficult internal experiences while acting according to personal values	Anxiety, depression, chronic stress, behavioural difficulties
DBT – Dialectical Behaviour Therapy	Emotional regulation and acceptance can be developed as practical skills	Skills training in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and relationships	Severe emotional dysregulation, self-harm, borderline personality disorder
EMDR	Distressing memories can be processed differently so they become less emotionally disruptive	Therapist guides attention while the client recalls traumatic material, often using bilateral stimulation	PTSD and trauma
Trauma-focused therapy	Psychological symptoms may be consequences of traumatic experiences	Processing traumatic memories and developing safety/emotional-regulation skills	PTSD, abuse, accidents and other trauma
Schema therapy	Deeply established emotional/behavioural patterns ("schemas") can originate in childhood	Identifying and changing persistent patterns in relationships and self-image	Personality difficulties and long-standing problems
Internal Family Systems (IFS)	The mind can be understood as containing different "parts" with different roles	Exploring different internal parts and developing a more compassionate relationship with them	Trauma, anxiety, self-criticism and personal development
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)	Psychological symptoms are closely connected to relationships and life changes	Working on grief, conflict, role transitions and interpersonal relationships	Particularly depression
Couples / relationship therapy	Relationship dynamics can be changed rather than treating one individual in isolation	Structured communication, conflict resolution and exploration of relationship patterns	Couples and long-term relationships
Family therapy	Problems can be maintained by patterns within a family system	Family members work together to change communication and interaction patterns	Family conflict, children/adolescents
Mindfulness-based therapies	Developing non-reactive awareness can change one's relationship with thoughts and emotions	Meditation, attention exercises and cognitive/behavioural techniques	Stress, anxiety, depression and relapse prevention
Existential therapy	Psychological distress can arise from questions of meaning, freedom, responsibility, mortality and identity	Philosophical and personal exploration rather than a highly structured treatment programme	Life transitions, meaning, identity and existential concerns

A useful way of understanding the New York model

The important point is that "seeing a therapist" doesn't necessarily mean receiving one particular type of treatment.

A New Yorker might see a:

• CBT therapist for anxiety or panic attacks.

• Psychodynamic therapist once a week for several years to understand recurring relationship patterns.

• Psychoanalyst several times a week for intensive long-term work.

• Trauma therapist following a traumatic experience.

• Couples therapist to deal with relationship difficulties.

• Executive/life therapist to deal with career, relationships, stress and major life decisions.

• Psychiatrist if medication or formal psychiatric assessment is required.

• Therapist who combines several approaches, which is extremely common.

There is also a significant distinction between psychotherapy and psychiatry. A psychotherapist generally provides talking/behavioural therapy, whereas a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can diagnose psychiatric conditions and prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists also provide psychotherapy.

The "New York therapy culture"

New York is an interesting example because therapy has become relatively normalised as part of ordinary life, rather than being seen exclusively as treatment for serious mental illness.

Consequently, people may seek therapy for:

Clinical problems

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Panic

• OCD

• PTSD

• Eating disorders

• Addiction

• Personality disorders

Life problems

• Divorce

• Bereavement

• Career problems

• Family conflict

• Dating and relationships

• Parenting

• Relocation

• Burnout

Personal development

• Self-confidence

• Understanding one's behaviour

• Improving relationships

• Finding meaning

• Managing ambition and stress

• Understanding childhood experiences

• Becoming more emotionally self-aware

That produces an important spectrum:

Medical/clinical treatment ←→ psychological problem-solving ←→ self-understanding ←→ personal growth

And different therapeutic schools occupy different positions along that spectrum.

One particularly important distinction

The approaches can broadly be divided into three styles of intervention:

1. "Let's change the problem."
CBT, DBT, ACT and some behavioural therapies tend to be relatively practical and skills-oriented.

2. "Let's understand the problem."
Psychodynamic therapy, psychoanalysis and schema therapy spend considerably more time investigating why someone thinks, feels and behaves as they do.

3. "Let's develop a different relationship with the problem."
Humanistic, existential, mindfulness-based, ACT and some IFS approaches may focus less on eliminating an unwanted thought or emotion and more on developing awareness, acceptance and psychological flexibility.

In practice, modern therapists frequently integrate several of these approaches rather than adhering rigidly to one school.

From a business/market perspective, the New York model is also interesting because it has effectively created a large consumer market around psychotherapy—ranging from conventional clinical treatment through to relationship therapy, executive coaching and personal development. 

Shaktis residing in the Shri Chakra

Shaktis residing in the Shri Chakra

 [Shri Mataji explains the sub-chakras and their deities of Shri Shri Chakra, by reading and translating]

Apart from that, there are nine [sub] chakras on the sides, like Shri Lalita. And they have different Yoginis [subordinate deities], means the powers, the Shaktis, guiding those nine Shakti Pithas, or you can call them as Avarana chakras (nama chakra-Aura).

The first one is Shri Lalita, the Goddess Shri Lalita, which is the goddess of beauty. She is the joy giving, Sarv-anandamaya. Gives the joy from everything. In every created world, in every particle, in every form, there is a power which gives us joy. This power is the power of Shri Lalita.
She is called as Maha-tripura-sundari, Para [highest], Para-ati-rahasya Yogini, means ‘Para Para Atirahasya [secrets]’, ‘the One who knows the secrets.’ The ‘Para’. ‘Para’ means ‘the one that is beyond of the beyond’, the secrets of that area. The one who knows is Shri Lalita, who is the Yogini. At this state She is Bindu Sarv-anandamaya. She is the dot [Bindu] which is joy giving.

Second power, or ‘Avarana’, means the enclosure, is like a triangle. She is Sarva-sidhhi-pradha. She is the One who gives all the siddhis. She has got three sides. She [the presiding Deity] is called as Tripur-amba: Kameshwari, Vajreshvari, Bhaga-malini are the three Yoginis.

Third one is called as Astha Sarva-roga-hara’. This is another enclosure. The name of the Goddess is Tripura-siddha-ati-rahasya, meaning these Goddesses know the deep secrets of all the siddhis. The chakra is called as Sarva-roga-hara and the enclosure is called as Ashta.
The eight powers are called as Vaga-devata, means the power of the speech.
First is Vashini, means which attracts.
Kameshwari which excites.
Modini which makes you happy.
Vimala which makes you clean.
Aruna which gives you colour of the face.
Jayini which gives you a feeling of victory.
Sarveshi which connects you to everyone.
Kaulini is the one which gives you boons.

The fourth enclosure is called as ‘Antar-dasha’. The chakra of this enclosure is called as Sarva-rakshakari, the One that protects. The Goddess is called as Tripuramalini.
The powers [Shaktis] are:
Sarva-gnya, the One which is all knowing.
Sarva-shakti is all powerful.
Sarv-eshvariprada, the giver of all the bounties.
Sarva-gnyanamayi, the knower of all the knowledge.
Sarva-vyadivinashini, the destroyer of all the diseases.
Sarva-dharaswarupa, the support of all the forms.
Sarva-papahara, the destroyer of all the sins.
Sarv-anandamayi, the One who makes everyone joyous.
Sarva-rakshaswarupini, the One who protects all of them.
Sarv-epsitaphalaprada, the giver of all the ‘phalas’, means fruits, rewards.

The fifth enclosure is called as ‘Bahir dasha Sarvartha Sadhaka’. Bahirdashar is the name of the enclosure. And Sarvartha Sadhaka is the chakra’s name. Tripurashri is the name of the Goddess.
She has powers:
Sarva-siddhiprada, she gives all the siddhis.
Sarva-sampathapradha, she’s the One who’s giver of all wealth.
Sarva-priyamkari, she’s the one who is beloved of all.
Sarva-mangalakarini, she’s the one who gives all that is auspicious.
Sarva-kamapradha, the One who gives all of our desires.
Sarva-dukhavimochini, the One who is the destroyer of all our pains.
Sarva-mrityuprashamani, the One who pacifies the dead.
Sarva-vighnatanivarini, she is the one who is the remover of all the hurdles.
Sarva-ngasundari, the One who makes every side of life happy.
Sarva-saubhagnyadayini, the One who is the giver of good fortune.

The sixth enclosure is known as ‘Chaturdasha Sarvasaubhagnya’. Tripuravasini is the name of the Goddess, Chaturdasha is the name of the enclosure, and the chakra’s name is Sarvasaubhagnyadayaka. The Goddesses’ name is Tripuravasini.

The powers are:
Sarva-samkshobhini, the One who burns off everything.
Sarva-vidravini, the One who can disperse.
Sarva-karshini, the One which attracts everything.
Sarva-haladini, the One who is the giver of joy.
Sarva-sammohini, the One who can entice all over.
Sarva-stambhini, the One who makes everyone alerted.
Sarva-jrumbhini [the power to extend].
Sarva-vashamkari, the One who is the controller of all.
Sarva-ranjini, the One who entertains all.
Sarv-onmadini, She’s the one who gives all the special joys.
Sarva-rthasadhini, the One who gives the meaning of all things.
Sarva-sampattipurini, the One who gives all the well-being. [from purin, making full]
Sarva-mantramayi, the one who is residing in all the mantras.
Sarva-dvandvakshayankari, the one who destroys all the dualities of life.

The seventh Avarana or enclosure, is called as ‘Ashta dala [padma]’. And the chakra of this Avarana is called as Sarvasamkshobhanikara. Here, She is called as Tripurasundari. She’s the one who gives the beauty to women, to be attractive wives.
[The powers are:]
Ananga [incorporeal] Kushuma Devi, She smells of many flowers.
Ananga-mekhala Devi, who is solid like a rock in the family.
Ananga-madana Devi, the One who is attractive.
Ananga-madanatura Devi, the one who gives desire to meet.
Ananga-rekhadhini, the One which crosses the different boundaries.
Ananga-veghini Devi, the One which gives you speed.
Ananga-nkushadhini, the One who gives power of ‘Ankusha’, means the controlling of man.
Ananga-malini Devi, the One which is very gracious.

Eighth enclosure is called as ‘Shodhasha dala [padma]’. The name of the chakra is Sarvashaparipuraka. The Goddesses’ name is Tripureshvari.

She’s the one who has got sixteen powers.
The first is Kama, means the attraction [Karshini] of body.
Buddhya is the attraction by brain.
Ahamkara, attraction by ego.
Fourth, Shabda, attraction by words.
Fifth is Sparsha, attraction by touch.
Sixth, [Rupa] attraction by beauty.
Seventh, attraction by aesthetics, Rasa.
Eighth, Gandha, attraction by fragrance.
Ninth, attraction by attention, chitta.
Tenth, Dhairya, attraction by courage.
Eleventh, Smritya, attraction by memory.
Twelfth, Nama, attraction by name.
Thirteenth is Bija, attraction through the seed.
Fourteenth, Atma, attraction by Spirit.
Fifteenth [Amrita] is attraction by eternity.
Sixteenth [Sharira] attraction by warmth of the body.
These are all the attractions which are subtle and are in the Goddess, which act in a way that the sadhaka is attracted towards Her.

The ninth one is called as the ‘Bhupura’, this is the ninth enclosure, whilst chakra’s name is Trailokya Mohana. The name of the Goddess is Tripura.
There are ten powers in this chakra. Its first is Sarvasankshobhini. Sarva Vidravini, SavraKarshini. These three, I’ve already explained. Sarva Vashamkari, this one I’ve also explained. Sarvonmadini, the One who [inaudible], Sarvamahankusha, the One who controls. 33:10
Here the ‘Ankusha’ means the weapon that is used by the elephant driver. So, how he controls the elephant in the same way She controls all. Sarva Khechari, the One who attracts all. Sarva Bija, the One who is the seed in all. Sarva Yoni, the One who exists in all the yonis. And Sarvatrikhanda, the One which exists in all the three dimensions. ‘Yoni’ means ‘the ellipse’ which is the power of the Mother.

Apart from that, there are other Goddesses, which exist as the yellow line known as Mukta-shaktayama. The Mother Goddesses are called as Mahendri, Chamunda and Mahalakshmi. The siddhis that people can achieve are: Anima, Laghima, Mahima, Ishitva, Vashistva, Prakamya, Bhukti, Iccha, Prapti, Mukti.
Anima is to become like a small particle.
Laghima is to become small. Mahima is to have a big form.
Ishitva is to create gods out of human beings.
Vashistva is the attraction.
Prakamya is the manifestation.
Bhukti is the enjoyment.
[Iccha is] the fulfilment of desire.
Prapti is the attainment.
Mukti is the salvation.

These are all the siddhis that Sahaja Yogis can have.

Excerpt: 14th October 1978, Easthampstead

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Composer of 'Up Above My Head' - Chris Marlow

 Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Composer of ‘Up above my head’.

Chris Marlow

Rock’n’roll music has its roots in gospel music. Elvis Presley* grew up ‘deeply immersed’** in gospel music at his local Pentecostal church in Tupelo, and later at the Baptist church in Memphis. One of the main originators of the rock’n’roll style was Sister Rosetta Tharpe (20-3-1915 – 9-10-73) who recorded her unique style of rhythmic gospel (check out her version of ‘Down by the riverside’) which became popular in the 1930’s and 40’s. 

Chuck Berry, considered the ‘most important’** pioneer of rock’n’roll, famously said that his whole career had been ‘one long Sister Rosetta Tharpe impersonation’. 

One of her most famous songs is ‘Up above my head (music in the air)’ with the line ‘I really do believe, there's a Heaven somewhere’. She preached against drinking, smoking* and other vices (see ‘This Train’).

Rosetta started her musical career at the age of six, touring with her mother; as she was

already a guitar prodigy. Although she never veered away from gospel music, she lost support among church-goers due to her willingness to perform in ‘less holy’ places such as nightclubs and theatres, with ‘less holy’ people including jazz and big-band musicians.

The internet says: ‘If you are ever having a down day put on some Rosetta, she will definitely lift you up'

Shri Mataji liked most styles of music and, on at least one occasion, encouraged us to sing gospel music (as well as Indian classical).

*In spite of his reputation as a ‘wild kid’, Elvis did not drink or smoke, although towards the end of his life he became addicted to prescription drugs (‘uppers’ and ‘downers’) which led to his early death at the age of 42. Elvis loved singing and gave 1,777 shows in his short career.

**Quotes are from Google AI search engine.

America is the Vishuddhi Chakra: Countries and the Chakras They Represent.

 

Kundalini Mangala Ashtakam - The Sahaja Yoga Chakra Invocation

▶ Kundalini Mangala Ashtakam — Sahaja Yoga Chant

 

Kundalini Mangala Ashtakam

The Sahaja Yoga Chakra Invocation

The Kundalini Mangala Ashtakam is a unique variation of the traditional Hindu wedding and blessing chant, adapted within the Sahaja Yoga tradition. Rather than invoking the traditional pantheon of deities in a general sense, this composition systematically invokes the presiding deities of the seven chakras (energy centres) within the subtle body, ascending from the Mooladhara (root) to the Sahasrara (crown). The chant blends Sanskrit and Marathi verses, reflecting the Maharashtrian roots of the tradition. Each verse closes with the auspicious refrain:

“Kuryat Sada Mangalam, Shubha Mangala Savadhan”
May they always bestow auspiciousness; be attentive, the auspicious moment is here.

Verse 1 — Mooladhara Chakra (Root)

Language: Sanskrit

Vishwasyadyam bijam gauri nandan balakam atipriyam |

Kundalini rakshakam bhumitattva virajitam ganavaram ||

Muladharasthitam pavitram pradayakam ganapatim |

Kuryat sada mangalam, shubha mangala savadhan ||

Meaning: He who is the primordial seed of the universe, the beloved child and son of Gauri (Parvati); the protector of the Kundalini energy, who is adorned with the earth element, the most excellent of the Ganas; who resides in the Mooladhara chakra, the bestower of purity — Lord Ganapati — may he always bestow auspiciousness; be attentive, the auspicious moment is here.

Verse 2 — Swadhishthana Chakra (Sacral)

Language: Sanskrit

Ya kundendu tusharahara dhavala ya shubhra vastravrita |

Ya veena varadanda manditakara nirmala vidyapradha ||

Bhuva swami priya suvarada atmaikanishtha prada |

Swadhishthana sthita viranchi sahitam kuryat sada mangalam ||

Shubha mangala savadhan ||

Meaning: She who is as white as the jasmine flower, the moon, and the snow; who is clad in white garments; whose hands are adorned with the Veena and the staff of blessing, the bestower of pure knowledge; the beloved of the Lord of the earth (Brahma), the bestower of excellent boons and steadfast devotion to the Spirit; who resides in the Swadhishthana chakra along with Brahma — may she always bestow auspiciousness; be attentive, the auspicious moment is here.

Verses 3 & 4 — Nabhi / Manipura Chakra (Navel) and The Void

Language: Marathi

Lakshmi sange virajila manipuri swatatvasha rakhavaya |

Deuni sukha sampade samanujam santoshvi manasa ||

Taraya bhavasagarat apana dattatreya vanduya |

Prarthuya charani ramapatisaya kuryat sada mangalam ||

Shubha mangala savadhan ||

Meaning: He who is seated with Goddess Lakshmi in the Manipura (Nabhi) chakra to protect the principle of self-mastery; who by granting happiness and wealth brings contentment to the human mind; to cross the ocean of illusion (Bhavasagara / The Void), let us bow to Lord Dattatreya (the Primordial Master); let us pray at the feet of the Lord of Ramaa (Vishnu) — may he always bestow auspiciousness; be attentive, the auspicious moment is here.

Verse 5 — Anahata Chakra (Heart)

Language: Marathi

Anahata smaru jagat janani lila sambhali ji sadhaka |

Shabdartha iva ekarupa paridai rahi save mahesha ||

Vanduya shiva parvati saridai jagavinya ananda |

Prarthuya charani jagat jananija kuryat sada mangalam ||

Shubha mangala savadhan ||

Meaning: In the Anahata (Heart) chakra, let us remember the Mother of the Universe who playfully protects the seeker; who remains united with Mahesh (Shiva) just as a word and its meaning are one; let us bow to Shiva and Parvati within the heart to awaken true joy; let us pray at the feet of the Mother of the Universe — may she always bestow auspiciousness; be attentive, the auspicious moment is here.

Verse 6 — Vishuddhi Chakra (Throat)

Language: Marathi

Akasha samrahu nicharachari nada jave vaikhari |

Rahuni kamalata shodashadala siddhi save vanila ||

Madhuri samajivanasa karuni dei jana samashtila |

Vanduya charani radharamanala kuryat sada mangalam ||

Shubha mangala savadhan ||

Meaning: Pervading the animate and inanimate creation like the ether (Akasha element), where sound becomes the spoken word (Vaikhari); residing in the sixteen-petalled lotus (Vishuddhi chakra), bringing perfection and sweetness to speech; granting a balanced life to the collective humanity; let us bow at the feet of the Beloved of Radha (Lord Krishna) — may he always bestow auspiciousness; be attentive, the auspicious moment is here.

Verse 7 — Agnya Chakra (Third Eye)

Language: Marathi

Ajna chakri virajala isave yeshu mahalakshmicha |

Premabhava vikasinya jagiya dei kshamashilata ||

Moksha marga prakashuni swateje dei jana tapaswita |

Sashtange namuya jagat jananila kuryat sada mangalam ||

Shubha mangala savadhan ||

Meaning: In the Agnya (Third Eye) chakra resides Lord Jesus along with Mother Mary (Mahalakshmi); who, to blossom the feeling of love in the world, bestows the power of forgiveness; illuminating the path to liberation with his own radiance, he grants ascetic power to the people; let us bow with all eight limbs (sashtanga) to the Mother of the Universe — may she always bestow auspiciousness; be attentive, the auspicious moment is here.

Verse 8 — Sahasrara Chakra (Crown)

Language: Sanskrit

Ya brahmachyuta rudra krishna yeshu stuvanti divyai stavai |

Vedai sanga padakrama upanishadai gayanti yo samaga ||

Dhyanavasthita tadgatena manasa pashyanti yo yogino |

Sa devi parameshi adishakti kuryat sada mangalam ||

Meaning: She whom Brahma, Vishnu (Achyuta), Shiva (Rudra), Krishna, and Jesus praise with divine hymns; whom the Sama-Veda singers glorify through the Vedas, their branches, the Upanishads and their sequences; whom the Yogis behold in their minds absorbed in deep meditation; may that Supreme Goddess, the Primordial Power (Adi Shakti) — always bestow auspiciousness.

Final Shloka — Closing Invocation

Language: Sanskrit

Tadeva lagnam sudinam tadeva tarabalam chandrabalam tadeva |

Vidya balam daivabalam tadeva adishakti tavapadayugam smarami ||

Savadhan ||

Meaning: That alone is the auspicious time (lagna), that alone is the good day; that alone is the strength of the stars, and that alone is the strength of the moon. That alone is the strength of knowledge, and that alone is the strength of the Divine — O Primordial Power (Adi Shakti), when I remember Your two lotus feet. Be attentive!

Structure of the Kundalini Mangala Ashtakam

Verse

Chakra

Deity Invoked

Language

1

Mooladhara (Root)

Lord Ganesha

Sanskrit

2

Swadhishthana (Sacral)

Goddess Saraswati / Brahma

Sanskrit

3 & 4

Nabhi / Manipura (Navel) & The Void

Lord Vishnu / Dattatreya

Marathi

5

Anahata (Heart)

Shiva & Parvati

Marathi

6

Vishuddhi (Throat)

Lord Krishna

Marathi

7

Agnya (Third Eye)

Jesus Christ / Mary

Marathi

8

Sahasrara (Crown)

Adi Shakti

Sanskrit

Final

Closing Shloka

Adi Shakti

Sanskrit