Shanti

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The Shanti or " Mantras" are Hindu prayers for Peace (Shanti) from the . Generally they are recited at the beginning and end of religious rituals and discourses.

Shanti Mantras are found in , 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

According to the scriptures of Hinduism sources of obstacles and troubles are in these three realms.

 Physical or Adhi-Bhautika realm can be source of troubles/obstacles coming from external world, such as from wild animals, people, natural calamities etc.  Divine or Adhi-Daivika realm can be source of troubles/obstacles coming from extra-sensory world of spirits, ghosts, deities, demigods/angels etc.  Internal or Adhyaatmika realm is source of troubles/obstacles arising out of one's own body and mind, such as pain, diseases, laziness, absent-mindedness etc.

These are called "Tapa-Traya" or three classes of troubles. When Shanti mantras are recited, obstacles from these realms are believed to be pacified.

Contents

 1 Shanti Mantras  2 and Ishavasya Upanishad  3  4 Taittiriya Upanishad, , and  5 and  6  7 , Mandukya Upanishad and  8 Other Sources  9 References  10 Books for Additional Reading

Shanti Mantras

These are the Shanti Mantras from the different Upanishads and other sources. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and Ishavasya Upanishad

ॐ | || [1] ॐ || oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidam pūr ṇāt pūrṇamudacyate pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūr ṇamevāvaśiṣyate oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śānti ḥ ! That is infinite(), 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. Om ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace ![2] Taittiriya Upanishad

ॐ । । । । । । । । । । । । । । [3] ॐ ॥ oṃ śaṃ no mitraḥ śaṃ varuṇaḥ | śaṃ no bhavatvaryamā | śaṃ na indro brihaspatiḥ | śaṃ no viṣṇururukramaḥ | namo brahmaṇe | namaste vāyo | tvameva pratyakṣaṃ bhrahmāsi | tvāmeva pratyakṣam vadiṣyāmi | ṝtaṃ vadiṣyāmi | satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi | tanmāmavatu | tadvaktāramavatu | avatu mām | avatu vaktāram | oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śānti ḥ || Om May Mitra be blissful to us. May be blissful to us. May Aryaman be blissful to us. May and Brihaspati be blissful to us. May , of long strides, be blissful to us. Salutation to Brahman. Salutation to you, O . 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 (Reciter = the one who is currently reciting this mantra. Identifying oneself here as "reciter", and not as "I", is a sign of self-realization, of transcending beyond self and ego being dissolved). May He protect me. May He protect the reciter. Om, peace, peace, peace ![4] Taittiriya Upanishad, Katha Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad and Shvetashvatara Upanishad

ॐ । । ।

॥ [5] ॐ ॥ om saha nāvavatu saha nau bhunaktu saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ Om ! 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). Om ! Let there be Peace in me ! Let there be Peace in my environment ! Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me ![6] Kena Upanishad and Chandogya Upanishad

ॐ ।

।

। [7] ॐ ॥ oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi | sarvam brahmaupaniṣadam mā'haṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma nirākarodanirākaraṇamastvanirākaraṇam me'stu | tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste mayi santu te mayi santu | oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ || Om ! 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 extolled by the Upanishads shine in me Who am intent on knowing the Self. May they shine in me ! Om ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace ![8] Aitareya Upanishad

ॐ - ।

। [9] ॐ ॥ oṃ vāṅ me manasi pratiṣṭhitā mano me vāci pratiṣṭhita-māvīrāvīrma edhi | vedasya ma āṇisthaḥ śrutaṃ me mā prahāsīranenādhītenāhorātrān saṃdadhāmyṛtam vadiṣyāmi satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi tanmāmavatu tadvaktāramavatvavatu māmavatu vaktāramavatu vaktāram | oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ || Om ! 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. Om ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace ![10] Mundaka Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad and Prashna Upanishad

ॐ ।

। । । । ।

[11][12] ॐ ॥ oṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śruṇuyāma devāḥ | bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāṃsastanūbhiḥ | vyaśema devahitam yadāyuḥ | svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ | svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ | svasti nastārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ | svasti no bṛhaspatirdadhātu oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ || Om ! 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. Om ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace ![13] Other Sources

There are various Other sources of Shanti Mantras, of which some of the most famous are: ॐ : : : : : । : : : : : ॥ ॐ : : : ॥

Om dyauḥ śāntirantarikṣaṁ śāntiḥ pṛthivī śāntirāpaḥ śāntiroṣadhayaḥ śāntiḥ vanaspatayaḥ śāntirviśvedevāḥ śāntirbrahma śāntiḥ sarvaṁ śāntiḥ śāntireva śāntiḥ sā mā śāntiredhi Om śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ

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. Om peace, peace and peace to us and all beings! (Translation by Swami Abhedananda, Math, India) ॐ । । ॥ ॐ : : : ॥

Om asato mā sadgamaya Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya Mṛtyormā’mṛtaṁ gamaya Om śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ

Lead us from the unreal to the real Lead us from darkness to light Lead us from death to immortality Om peace, peace, peace!