Shanti Mantra or Peace Mantra
Shanti Mantra or “Peace Mantra” are Hindu prayers for peace from the Vedas, where they are invoked in the beginning of some topics of Upanishads.
They are supposed to calm the mind of the reciter and environment around him/her. Reciting them is also believed to be removing any obstacles for the task being started.
Shanti Mantras always end with three utterances of word “Shanti” which means “Peace”. The Reason for uttering three times is for calming and removing obstacles in three realms which are:
“Physical” or Adhi-Bhautika,
“Divine” or Adhi-Daivika and
“Internal” or Adhyaatmika
These are called “Tapa-Traya” or three classes of troubles.
Shanti Mantra (शान्ति मंत्र) – Sanskrit with English meaning
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते |
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ||
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ||
Aum! That is infinite (Brahman), and this (universe) is infinite.
The infinite proceeds from the infinite.
(Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe),
It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.
Aum! Peace! Peace! Peace!
– Brihadaranyaka and Ishavasya Upanishads
ॐ शं नो मित्रः शं वरुणः।
शं नो भवत्वर्यमा।
शं न इन्द्रो बृहस्पतिः।
शं नो विष्णुरुरुक्रमः।
नमो ब्रह्मणे। नमस्ते वायो।
त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि।
त्वामेव प्रत्यक्षम् ब्रह्म वदिष्यामि।
ॠतं वदिष्यामि। सत्यं वदिष्यामि।
तन्मामवतु।
तद्वक्तारमवतु।
अवतु माम्।
अवतु वक्तारम्।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
Om ! May Mitra be blissful to us. May Varuna be blissful to us.
May Aryaman be blissful to us.
May Indra and Brihaspati be blissful to us.
May Vishnu, of long strides, be blissful to us.
Salutation to Brahman.
Salutation to you, O Vayu.
You, indeed, are the immediate Brahman. You alone I shall call the direct Brahman.
I shall call you righteousness. I shall call you truth.
May He protect me.
May He protect the reciter.
May He protect me.
May He protect the reciter.
Om, peace, peace, peace!
– Taittiriya Upanishad
ॐ सह नाववतु |
सह नौ भुनक्तु |
सह वीर्यं करवावहै |
तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
Aum! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy,
May our study be vigorous and effective;
May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).
Aum! Let there be peace in me!
Let there be peace in my environment!
Let there be peace in the forces that act on me!
– Taittiriya, Katha, Mandukya and Shvetashvatara Upanishads
ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः
श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि।
सर्वम् ब्रह्मौपनिषदम् माऽहं ब्रह्म
निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म
निराकरोदनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणम् मेऽस्तु।
तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते
मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
Aum! May my limbs, speech, vital air, eyes, ears, strength,
And all the senses be fully developed.
All that is revealed by the Upanishads is Brahman.
May I never deny Brahman:
May Brahman never disown me.
Let there be no repudiation (from Brahman);
Let there be no infidelity from my side.
May all the Dharmas extolled by the Upanishads shine in me
Who am intent on knowing the Self.
May they shine in me!
Aum! Peace! Peace! Peace!
– Kena and Chandogya Upanishads
ॐ वाङ् मे मनसि प्रतिष्ठिता
मनो मे वाचि प्रतिष्ठित-मावीरावीर्म एधि।
वेदस्य म आणिस्थः श्रुतं मे मा प्रहासीरनेनाधीतेनाहोरात्रान्
संदधाम्यृतम् वदिष्यामि सत्यं वदिष्यामि तन्मामवतु
तद्वक्तारमवत्ववतु मामवतु वक्तारमवतु वक्तारम्।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
Aum! May my speech be based on (i.e. accord with) the mind;
May my mind be based on speech.
O Self-effulgent One, reveal Thyself to me.
May you both (speech and mind) be the carriers of the Veda to me.
May not all that I have heard depart from me.
I shall join together (i.e. obliterate the difference of) day
And night through this study.
I shall utter what is verbally true;
I shall utter what is mentally true.
May that (Brahman) protect me;
May That protect the speaker (i.e. the teacher), may That protect me;
May that protect the speaker – may That protect the speaker.
Aum! Peace! Peace! Peace!
– Aitareya Upanishad
ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः श्रुणुयाम देवाः।
भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः
स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः।
व्यशेम देवहितम् यदायुः।
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः।
स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः।
स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः।
स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
Aum! O gods, may we hear auspicious words with the ears;
While engaged in yagnas,
May we see auspicious things with the eyes;
While praising the gods with steady limbs,
May we enjoy a life that is beneficial to the gods.
May Indra of ancient fame be auspicious to us;
May the supremely rich (or all-knowing) Pusa (god of the earth)
Be propitious to us;
May Garuda, the destroyer of evil,
Be well disposed towards us;
May Brihaspati ensure our welfare.
Aum! Peace! Peace! Peace!
– Mundaka , Mandukya and Prashna Upanishads
ॐ द्यौ: शान्तिरन्तरिक्षँ शान्ति:
पृथिवी शान्तिराप: शान्तिरोषधय: शान्ति:।
वनस्पतय: शान्तिर्विश्वे देवा: शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्ति:
सर्वँ शान्ति: शान्तिरेव शान्ति: सा मा शान्तिरेधि॥
ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति:॥
May peace radiate there in the whole sky as well as in the vast ethereal space everywhere.
May peace reign all over this earth, in water and in all herbs, trees and creepers.
May peace flow over the whole universe.
May peace be in the Supreme Being Brahman.
And may there always exist in all peace and peace alone.
Aum peace, peace and peace to us and all beings!
– Yajur Veda 36:17
