The Shanti Mantras, or Pancha Shanti mantras, are Hindu prayers for peace (shanti) found in the Upanishads. Generally, they are recited at the beginning and end of religious rituals and discourses.
Shanti Mantras are invoked in the beginning of some topics of the Upanishads. They are believed to calm the mind and the environment of the reciter.
Shanti Mantras always end with the sacred syllable om (auṃ) and three utterances of the word "shanti", which means "peace". The reason for the three utterances is regarded to be for the removal of obstacles in the following three realms:
Physical or ādhibhautika realm can be a source of obstacles coming from external world, such as from wild animals, people, natural calamities etc.
Divine or ādhidaivika realm can be a source of obstacles coming from extra-sensory world of spirits, ghosts, deities, and demigods.
Internal or ādhyātmika realm is a source of obstacles arising out of one's own body and mind, such as pain, diseases, laziness, and absent-mindedness.
These are called tāpatraya, or the three classes of obstacles.
These are the Shanti Mantras from the different Upanishads and other sources.
Om! That is infinite (Man), and this (universe) is infinite.
The infinite proceeds from the infinite.
(Then) taking the infinitude from the infinite (universe),
It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace![2]
The translation and meaning of the Mantra can be understood when the context in which the Mantra is quoted in the Upanishad is known. Prior understanding of Vedanta is essential for translation and explanation of these Mantra. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad explains Consciousness and it in this context that this Shanti Mantra needs to be understood.
Oṃ śaṃ no mitraḥ śaṃ varuṇaḥ |
śaṃ no bhavatv aryamā |
śaṃ na indro bṛhaspatiḥ |
śaṃ no viṣṇur urukramaḥ |
namo brahmaṇe |
namaste vāyo |
tvam eva pratyakṣaṃ bhrahmāsi |
tvām eva pratyakṣam brahma vadiṣyāmi |
ṝtaṃ vadiṣyāmi |
satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi |
tan mām avatu |
tad vaktāram avatu |
avatu mām |
avatu vaktāram |
Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
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![4]
* Reciter = the one who is currently reciting this mantra. Identifying oneself here as "the reciter", and not as "I", is a sign of self-realization, of transcending beyond self and ego being dissolved.
Taittiriya and Katha Upanishad
Devanagari
English Transliteration
English Translation
ॐ सह नाववतु |
सह नौ भुनक्तु |
सह वीर्यं करवावहै |
तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
Oṃ saha nāv avatu
saha nau bhunaktu
saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai
tejasvi nāv adhītam astu
mā vidviṣāvahai |
Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
Om! May God protect us both together;
May God nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy;
May our study be vigorous and effective,
and 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! [5]
ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः
श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि।
सर्वम् ब्रह्मोपनिषदम् माऽहं ब्रह्म
निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म
निराकरोदनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणम् मेऽस्तु।
तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते
मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥ [6]
oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ
śrotram atho balam indriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi |
sarvam brahma upaniṣadam 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 Dharmas extolled by the Upanishads shine in me
Who am intent on knowing the Self.
May they shine in me!
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace![7]
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॥ [8]
oṃ vāṅ me manasi pratiṣṭhitā
mano me vāci pratiṣṭhita māvīrāvīrma edhi |
vedasya ma āṇisthaḥ śrutaṃ me mā prahāsīranenādhītenāhorātrān
saṃdadhāmy ṛtam vadiṣyāmi satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi tan mām avatu tad-vaktāram avatu
avatu mām avatu vaktāram avatu 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![9]
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![12]
Vedas
There are various other Shanti Mantras from the Vedas, of which some of the notable ones are:
Om. 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 Whole Universe.
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, Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, India)
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
1: May there be Well-Being in All,
2: May there be Peace in All,
3: May there be Fulfilment in All,
4: May there be Auspiciousness in All,
5: Om Peace, Peace, Peace.
— (Translation by Swami Abhedananda, Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, India)
^Mundakopanishad, Page 1, publisher Meharchand Lacchmandas Publications, New Delhi
^Mundaka Upanishad, Translated by Swami Gambhirananda, Published by Advaita Ashram, Kolkata.
Further reading
Mantra Pushpam, Text in Sanskrit, compiled by Swami Devarupananda, Published by Ramakrishna Math, Khar, Mumbai, India.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad with the Commentary of Shankaracharya, Translated by Swami Madhavananda, Published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, India. ISBN No : 81-7505-102-7
Eight Upanishads (Vol. 1) with the Commentary of Shankaracharya, Translated by Swami Gambhirananda, Published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, India. ISBN No : 81-7505-016-0
Eight Upanishads (Vol. 2) with the Commentary of Shankaracharya, Translated by Swami Gambhirananda, Published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, India. ISBN No : 81-7505-017-9
