CONCLUDING SLOKA‑PRAYERS IN HINDU WORSHIPS-- INSPIRED BY
THE WISDOM OF VEDAS AND FOCUSED ON DHARMA
(Compilation for a discourse by N. R. Srinivasan, Nashville, TN, USA. April 2017)
Hindu prayers and worships end with popular slokas appealing to the
Supreme for all round prosperity, Peace and Harmony whose authorship is not
known. These compositions are often
based on Veda and Upanishad Mantras. The most popular mantras are
reproduced below with meanings.
Here is a popular sloka that is inspired by Veda Mantras:
Samudra Vasane Devi | Parvata Stana Mandale | Vishnupatni Namastubhyam |Paada Sparsam kshamasva May ||
O! Mother Earth, who has the ocean as clothes and mountains and forests on her body, who is the wife of Lord Vishnu, I bow to you. Please forgive me for touching you with my feet.
Veda Mantra:
Asvakraante rathakrante vishnukaane
vasundharaa | sirasaa sdhaarayishyaami rakshasva maam pade pade || mrittike
hana paapam yanmaya dushkritam kritam ||
Oh Earth that is traversed by a horse, a chariot and Vishnu,
I shall keep thee on my head; protect me at every step! O excellent Earth1 Destroy my evil deeds as
well as sins connected with me!
Stress reduction through
tri-karana-shuddhi:
The spiritual teachings of India have always kept
in mind the holistic development of the individual. The body, the mind, the
intellect and speech have especially been identified as areas where continual
development is necessary. The body, the speech and the intellect have been called
tri-karanas (three main instruments). If these are kept fit, 9 out of 10
stressful circumstances will lose their ability to affect us. Please refer to
the popular sloka in concluding prayers:
kāyena vāchā
manasendriyair vā budhyaatmanavaa prakrite svabhaavaat |
karomi yadyat sakalam
parasmai narryanaayeti samrpayaami ||
Whatever I do) with my Body, Speech, Mind
or Sense Organs, whatever I do using my Intellect, Feelings of Heart or (unconsciously) through the natural tendencies of my Mind and whatever
I do, I do all for others (i.e. without the
sense of attachment to the results) that I Surrender them all
at the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord Narayana!
This sloka is inspired by Veda mantra in Aghameshan sukta and the sloka in
Bhagavadgita:
Yanme manasaa vaachaa karamanaa yaa dushkritam gatam |
tanna indro varuno brihaspatih savitaa cha npunantu punah punah || --Aghamarsahana sukta
May Indra, Varuna, Brihaspati and Savitar (Vyahritis of Parabrahman or Narayana) completely destroy the sins committed by me and my people in thought, word and action. [This mantra is addressed to Varuna, the Regent of Waters, while taking a dip in a natural water source.]
Kayena manasaa budhyaa kevalaih indriyairapi |
tanna indro varuno brihaspatih savitaa cha npunantu punah punah || --Aghamarsahana sukta
May Indra, Varuna, Brihaspati and Savitar (Vyahritis of Parabrahman or Narayana) completely destroy the sins committed by me and my people in thought, word and action. [This mantra is addressed to Varuna, the Regent of Waters, while taking a dip in a natural water source.]
Kayena manasaa budhyaa kevalaih indriyairapi |
Yoginah karma kurvanti sangam
tyaktvaa aatmasuddhaye || Gita 5-11 ||
Men of selfless action, giving up
attachment, perform action through the body, mind and intellect as also the
mere senses, for the purification of the mind.
Swasthi prajabhya paripalayantha / Nyayena margena maheem maheesaah / Gobrahmanebhyo shubhamasthu nithyam/ Lokah samastha Sukhino bhavantu //
Let good things occur to the king of the country, who looks after
his people well, in the path of justice; Let Cows (wealth was measured by cows
in those times) and Brahmins (people in
search of Supreme Being Brahman) have
a pleasant life daily; Let all people of the world have a very pleasant life.
[This sloka should have also been inspired from Veda Mantras. I do
not understand why cows and Brahmins should be singled out to have a pleasant
life among all living entities? This is the orthodox thinking by religious
groups. I believe “go-brahmanebhyo”
is one word and refers to gotrapatis of
Vedic culture. We have today Dravid-brahmanas, Gowdiya-brahmanas, Saraswat-brahmanas,
Sivalli-brahmanas etc. So go-abrahmans
are those exalted sages who had realized Brahman. All Hindus are identified by the lineage of
these Gotrpatis today. Hence the reference to cow makes no sense and it seems
to be the manipulation of religious protagonists who wanted to make cow alone holy and Brahmins a superior caste! Why not then horse and goat
that were sacrificed during Yajanas and their meat was considered as Prasadam.
Therefore in my opinion Gobrahmanebhya refers to those Nityasuris and prajaa refers to those that have the
lineage from these Gotrapatis.
A shelter
for cattle is called a Gotra in Sanskrit. The Vedic Aryans were obliged to put
their cattle in the same shelter or Gotra. As a result the cattle of one family
often got mixed up with cattle of other families and disputes arose over the
ownership. To resolve such disputes, supervisors were appointed to act as
judges and give fair and just verdict. These supervisors were of exalted
character (Brahma-Jnanis or knowers
of Brahman with occult power known
as Brahmanas) and were called Gotrpatis.
Many of them were later recognized as spiritually illumined souls and their
descendants belonged to the lineage of these Gotrpatis. Later the term Gotra
came to mean clan. It broadly refers to people who are descendants of these
Gotrapatis or Kulapatis. It
broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a
common male ancestor].
Kale varshathu parjanyah / Prithawee
sasya shalinee / Desoyam kshobha rahithah / Sajjanaah santhu
nirbhayaah //
Let the monsoon be timely and plentiful; Let earth be
covered with vegetation; Let the country live without problems; and let good
people never have fear.
Aputhrah puthrinah santhu / Puthrinah
santhu pouthrinah / Adhanah
sadhanah Santhu / jeevanthuh sarada satham //
Let sonless people have son; Let people with son have grand-sons;
And let people who are poor or rich; Live and see one hundred autumns.
OM sarve
bhavantu sukhinah / sarve santu niraamayaah / sarve bhadraaNi pashyantu / ma
kashcid duhkhabhaagbhavet // OM shaantih shaantih shaantih
May all be happy! May all be healthy! May all enjoy prosperity! May none suffer! OM Peace! Peace! Peace!
May all be happy! May all be healthy! May all enjoy prosperity! May none suffer! OM Peace! Peace! Peace!
Om Sarvesham swasthir bhavthu / Om
Sarvesham santhir Bhavathu / Om Sarvesham poornam Bhavathu / Om
Sarvesham Mangalam Bhavathu.
Let comfort be everywhere; Let peace be everywhere; Let there be
plenty everywhere; and let good things happen everywhere.
Om Santhi, Om Santhi, Om Santhi
Let there be peace; Let there be peace; Let there be peace.
The popular
peace seeking slokas above in Hindu worship are believed to be inspired by
the Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad (BAU) verse 1.4.14.
These are not the same as
the verse 1.4.14 from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
But it implies this all-round peace well-being and happiness can be
achieved only by practicing of Dharma.
Even the King who is the protector of Dharma is protected by practicing
Dharma—Dharmo rakshati rakshitah meaning
one who protects Dharma is also protected by Dharma.
BAU says creation started with Non-beings
(Material) coming first. Out of Non-beings came Beings. Finally Supreme
Principal created Rishis, Sadhyas, Devas and Manushyas. It made only Manushyas
Asat (mortal) and other heavenly bodies Sat (Immortal). After creating the four
categories of Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra It created Dharma immediately in order to
maintain peace in the society and made Kshatriya protector Dharma. Upanishads also say Ritam (orderliness) is Truth (Sathyam) and Sathyam
is Dharma and that is Supreme Principal—Rita(g)am
Sathyam Parabrhma.
Mahanarayana Upanishad says:
Dharme viswasya jagatah prtishthaa
loke dharmishtham prajaa upasarpanti dharmena paapamapanudati dharme sarvam pratishthitam tasmaat dharmam
paramam vadanti //
Dharma is the support of all this universe.
All people approach a person devoted to Dharma (loved by all). Through Dharma a
person gets rid of sins. Everything is established in Dharma (All kind of peace
is obtained by practicing Dharma). Therefore
they say Dharma is supreme means. Here is the Mantra from Brihadarnyaka
Upanishad:
Sa
naiva vyabhavat / sah tachhre
yoroopamatyasrijata dharmam | tadetatkshtrasya kshatram yaddharmaatparam
nasstyatho abaleeyaan baleeyaam samaasamsate dharmena, yarthaa raajnyaivam| Yo
vai sa dharmah satyam vai tattasmaatsatyam vadantamaahuh dharmaam vaa vadantam
satyam vadateet-yetad-dhyevaitad-ubhayam bhavati //
Yet he did not flourish. He created that excellent form
Dharma, Righteousness. This righteousness is the controller of the Kshatriya.
Therefore there is nothing higher than Dharma. So a man who is weak hopes to
defeat a strong man through righteousness as through the support of a king.
That which is Dharma is verily Sathya.
Therefore, they say about a
person speaking truth, “He speaks what is Dharma”, or about a person speaking
Dharma, “He speaks what is Truth”, for this alone is both. The Dharma is the
controller of all and it is the controller of even Kshatriyas, There is nothing
great.
It is worth recalling here some of the mantras popularly
chanted at the conclusion of worship:
Saha-naa-vavatu |sahnau
bhunaktu | sahaveeryam karavaavahai |
tejas-vi-naavadheetamastu maa vidvishaa vahai | Om Santih! Santih! Santih!
May the Supreme Spirit protect us! May it cause us to enjoy!
May we strive together! May our studies be thorough and faithful! May we never
quarrel with each other! May there be Peace! Peace! Peace! [Hinduism consider these are part and parcel
of Manava dharma]
Swastir Maanushebyah |
Oordhwam jigaatu beshajam | sannoh-astu dwipade sam chatushpade! Om Santih!
Santih! Santih! (Purushasookta
May the entire society
prosper! Let the Flora sprout! May there be welfare for all humans (dwipade)
and all animals! May serenity prevail!
[This mantra calls for the welfare measures to be taken for all
humans, animals and plant kingdom on earth which should be everyone’s concern
as Manava dharma]
Dyauh Saantih
antariksham saantih prithvee saantih aapah saantih oshadhyah saantih
vanaspatayah saantih viswedevaah saantih brhma
saantih sarvam saantih saantireva saantih saa maa saantiredhi || (Veda)
There is peace in the heavenly region; there is peace in the
atmosphere; peace reigns on the earth; there is coolness in the water; the
medicinal herbs are healing; the plants
give tranquility; there is harmony in the celestial objects and perfection in
eternal knowledge; everything in the universe is peaceful; peace pervades
everywhere; May that peace come to me!
[Thus good Lord established the Universe with all round
peace. In turn it is our Dharma to preserve that peace all around]
We may recall here Hindu practice of the 'palika' ceremony.
In the olden days, the families of the groom and the bride would actually plant
a row of trees "pali" from which this function was called
"Palikaranai" is derived. The act was symbolic of showering the
couple to be with best wishes for a bountiful and happy married life. This can
be achieved by caring for flora and fauna and calmness all around. In modern
days the custom of germinating seeds is observed in ceremonies like
chaula(mundane), Upanayana and Marriage. Ficve earthen pots are filled with
earth soil –these are meant for five deities, Brahma, Indra, Yama, Varuna, and
Soma. The one for Brahma is kept in the center while the other four are
kept at the four points of the compass (the pots for Indra, Yama, Varuna and Soma
being kept in east, south, west and north respectively). Seeds of rice, black
gram, green gram, sesame and mustard are soaked in milk and sown in the five
different pots by five Suhaasinis. On the fourth day of the marriage when the
seeds have germinated the pots are immersed in a sacred river or pond. This
custom, called Panchapaalika, is meant for the protection and prosperity of the family or the individuals for whom the
function is performed. At the end of the function, an 'aarthi' ceremony is
performed.
[The wisdom thought here is to create in the minds of newly
wedded couple awareness of Nature and its protection for peace and prosperity.
If the surroundings are peaceful and prosperous the individuals would also be
peaceful and prosperous]
Please also go through my discourse on beginning and
concluding mantras from Vedas and
Upanishads :
Swami Krishnananda offers the following explanation on the
role and importance of Dharma in the Society:
“He
created thereafter, a glorious something, in the form of a power or a principle,
resplendent in its nature, because it is the ruling power, standing above even
the so-called rulers of the world. Even a king cannot rule unless there is a
ruling principle. The power of a king is an invisible something. It is not
visible to the eye. We see a monarch, an emperor, or a supreme head of
administration, as a power. Where is that power? You cannot see it anywhere. It
is not in a box, tied up somewhere. You try to locate the existence of this
power of a supreme master of administration, a monarch, or whatever he is, you
cannot see it anywhere. Even the wielder of the power cannot see where it is.
It is not there to be seen. But it is, existent and operating, and it is feared
by everyone. Why is this fear when it is not even visible to the eye? What is
this that you call law? What you call law, whether it is a family law, communal
law, social law, political law, whatever law it is, it is something which you
cannot see with your eyes. But yet, it is tremendously operating and nothing
can be more effective in its action than law. What a miracle! A thing that
cannot be seen at all anywhere, which apparently does not exist for tangible
purposes, is the supreme guiding principle, of which everyone is a limb, as it
were, and to go against which everyone is afraid. How can a visible person,
solid in his substantial body, fear something which is ethereal, inconceivable
almost non-existent for all practical purposes? This is an indication, as it
were, that reality is always invisible. It is not necessarily physical. Even
the physical, weighty object can be controlled by the operation of an invisible
law. Such a law was made manifest –
Sreyo rupam atyasrjata dharmam. Tad
etat kshatrasya kshatram /
This is the Kshatra of the Kshatra; this is the Ruler of the rulers. That is
called Dharma – Yad dharmah--Here, a
monarch is afraid of the law. It is not a great wonder. Even the maker of law
is afraid of the law that is made, because he is involved in that law. So,
there is something Transcendent above the manifestation of law. It is not an
occasion for us to discuss what law is, and how it is manifest. We are only
concerned with the topic that we touched upon, here in this section, that
Divine Order manifested itself as a ruling power in the world of this variety.
And,
some light is thrown upon what Dharma is – tad
etat kshatrasya kshatram yad-dharmah / Tasmat dharmad param nasti; atho
abaliyan baliyamsam asamsate: Even a weak person can overwhelm a strong
person by resorting to law, because strength and weakness depend upon the
proportion or extent to which one is in harmony with the law. If you are
disharmonious with the law, you are a weak person. If you are in harmony with
the law, you are a strong person. So, your strength does not depend upon anything
other than your participation in the working of the law. So, law is the strength, not any other
visible article of physical possession, as people wrongly imagine. When you participate in the law, whatever
that law be, you become positive, healthy and endowed with strength. It can
be the law of health; it can be the law of society; it can be the law of the
universe; it can be the law of the Absolute. Whatever that law be, you have to
participate in it by attuning yourself to it, and that law then becomes your
friend. And when law becomes your friend, nobody can shake a hair of your body,
because law is the supreme ruler. It is God operating in some form. So, the
weakness of a person goes when he becomes attuned to the law, or Dharma.--atha abaliyan baliyamsam asamsate dharmena .
Yatha raajna evam, yo vai sa dharmah
satyam vai tat:
Truth and Dharma are same, says this passage of the Upanishad. So, Dharma may be said to be the form of
Truth. So to be in harmony with the law is another way of being in harmony with
the Truth. Satyannasti paro dharmah
/ There is no Dharma above Truth. But you must know what Truth is, in order to
know what Dharma is, and it is not an easy thing to know it. That which is
ultimately true and is in consonance with the nature of things is the
repository of aw, and so, Law and Truth
are identical.
yo vai sa dharmah satyam vai tat
/ Tasmat satyam vadantam ahuh, dharmam
vadatiti: So, what is it
that is usually referred to when a person is said to speak the Truth? Well, he is speaking
Dharma; he is righteous. That is what people say. So, truthfulness and
righteousness are identified with each other. Dharmam va vadantam, satyam vadatiti /So, when someone is
righteous, we also say, he is a truthful person. So truthfulness and righteousness are identical in their nature.
Etad hy evaitad ubhayam bhavati: It is difficult to distinguish
between truth and righteousness because they appear to be the obverse and the
reverse side of the same coin.
Here is a
Confucian Proverb which the Indian President APL Abul Kalam Azad often quoted:Where there is righteousness (Dharma) in the heart, there is beauty in the character;
Where there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home;
When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the Nation;
When there is order in the Nation, there is peace in the World.
No peace invocation concludes without thrice repeating or invoking
Saanti. The three repetitions are-- it is explained by Aachaaryas like Sankara,
Raamaanuja, Madhwa--addressed to the three groups in which all the probable
obstacles in the study of the scripture can be classified. They are:
Aadhidaivikam (cosmic disturbances); Aadhi-bhoutikam (environmental
disturbances); Aadhyaatmikam (inner disturbances). The first type of disturbance
is from the phenomenal powers like lightning, thunder, rain, earthquake etc.
Hence the first Saanti is chanted loudly. The second type is the environmental
disturbance like noise around, animals growling, insects crawling etc. The
second chant is softer than the first to indicate that it is directed to the
environmental disturbances. The third type is disturbance springing from one’s
own body like sickness, worry etc. The last chant is therefore in whispers
directed to the inner disturbances.
Hindu
Americans are drawn from Multi Traditions. Hindu American Temples invariably conclude their Temple
worship by singing the popular composition Om Jaya Jagadisa Harey given below. Om Jai Jagdisa Harey is a Hindu religious song for the deity Vishnu. However it
also considered to be a monotheistic song. Although the religious hymn is a Hindi language composition, it is widely sung by
many Hindus within the Indian Diaspora, regardless of their native language with or without understanding the meaning like
chanting of Veda mantras. The prayer is
sung by the entire congregation at the time of Aarti, waving of the lamp in Hindu worship. It may
have been inspired by the Dashavatara
of Gita Govinda of Jayadeva, a lyrical
composition of 12th century, which has the same refrain: Pralayapayodhijale dhritavaanasi
vedam | vihita vahitra-charitramakhedam Kesavadhrita-meenasareera
Jayajagadisahare ||
This lyrical
composition is by Swami Shivananda in 1870 AD:
Devanagari
|
Transliteration
|
English Literal Translation
|
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
स्वामी*
जय जगदीश हरे
भक्त
जनों के संकट,
दास
जनों के संकट,
क्षण
में दूर करे,
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
जो
ध्यावे फल पावे,
दुख
बिनसे मन का
स्वामी
दुख बिनसे मन का
सुख
सम्पति घर आवे,
सुख
सम्पति घर आवे,
कष्ट
मिटे तन का
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
मात
पिता तुम मेरे,
शरण
गहूं मैं किसकी
स्वामी
शरण गहूं मैं किसकी .
तुम
बिन और न दूजा,
तुम
बिन और न दूजा,
आस
करूं मैं जिसकी
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
तुम
पूरण परमात्मा,
तुम
अंतरयामी
स्वामी
तुम अंतरयामी
पारब्रह्म
परमेश्वर,
पारब्रह्म
परमेश्वर,
तुम
सब के स्वामी
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
तुम
करुणा के सागर,
तुम
पालनकर्ता
स्वामी
तुम पालनकर्ता,
मैं
मूरख खल कामी
मैं
सेवक तुम स्वामी,
कृपा
करो भर्ता
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
तुम
हो एक अगोचर,
सबके
प्राणपति,
स्वामी
सबके प्राणपति,
किस
विधि मिलूं दयामय,
किस
विधि मिलूं दयामय,
तुमको
मैं कुमति
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
दीनबंधु
दुखहर्ता,
ठाकुर
तुम मेरे,
स्वामी
ठाकुर तुम मेरे
अपने
हाथ उठाओ,
अपने
शरण लगाओ
द्वार
पड़ा तेरे
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
विषय
विकार मिटाओ,
पाप
हरो देवा,
स्वमी
पाप हरो देवा,.
श्रद्धा
भक्ति बढ़ाओ,
श्रद्धा
भक्ति बढ़ाओ,
संतन
की सेवा
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
स्वामी
जय जगदीश हरे
भक्त
जनों के संकट,
दास
जनों के संकट,
क्षण
में दूर करे,
ॐ
जय जगदीश हरे
|
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
Swāmī* jaya Jagadīśa hare
Bhakta janoṅ ke saṅkaṭa
Dāsa janoṅ ke saṅkaṭa
Kṣaṇa meṅ dūra kare
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
Jo dhyāve phala pāve
Dukha binase mana kā
Swāmī dukha binase mana kā
Sukha sampatī ghara āve
Sukha sampatī ghara āve
Kaṣṭa miṭe tana kā
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
Māta pitā tuma mere
Śaraṇa gahūṅ maiṅ kisakī
Swāmi śaraṇa gahūṅ maiṅ kisakī
Tuma bina aura na dūjā
Tuma bina aura na dūjā
Āsa karūṇ maiṅ jisakī
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
Tuma pūraṇa Paramātmā
Tuma Aṅtarayāmī
Swāmi tuma Aṅtarayāmī
Pārabrahma Parameśwara
Pārabrahma Parameśwara
Tuma saba ke swāmī
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
Tuma karuṇā ke sāgara
Tuma pālanakartā
Swāmī tuma pālanakartā
Maiṅ mūrakh khala kāmī
Maiṅ sevaka tuma swāmī
Kṛpā karo Bhartā
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
Tuma ho eka agochara
Sabake prāṇapati
Swāmī sabake prāṇapati
Kisa vidhi milūṅ dayāmaya
Kisa vidhi milūṅ dayāmaya
Tumako maiṅ kumati
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
Dīnabaṅdhu dukhahartā
Ṭhākura tuma mere
Swāmī ṭhākura tuma mere
Apane hātha uṭhāo
Apane śaraṇa lagāo
Dwāra paṛā tere
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
Viṣaya vikāra miṭāo
Pāpa haro Devā
Swāmī pāpa haro Devā
Śraddhā bhakti baṛhāo
Śraddhā bhakti baṛhāo
Saṅtana kī sevā
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
Om jaya Jagdīśa hare
Swāmī jaya Jagadīśa hare
Bhakta janoṅ ke saṅkaṭa
Dāsa janoṅ ke saṅkaṭa
Kṣaṇa meṅ dūra kare
Om jaya Jagadīśa hare
|
Oh Lord of the
whole Universe
Mighty Lord of
the whole Universe
The agonies of
devotees
The sorrows of
devotees
In an instant,
thou removest
Oh Lord of the
whole Universe
He who's
immersed in devotion
His mind's
sadness ceases
Lord, his
mind's sadness ceases
Joy, prosperity
enter the home
Joy, prosperity
enter the home
A body free of
problems
Oh Lord of the
whole Universe
Thou art my
Mother and Father
Whom should I
take refuge with
Lord, whom
should I take refuge with
Without thee,
there is no other
Without thee,
there is no other
For whom I
would wish
Oh Lord of the
whole Universe
Thou art the
ancient great soul,
Thou art the
omnipotent master
Lord, thou art
the omnipotent master
Perfect,
Absolute, Supreme God
Perfect,
Absolute, Supreme God
Thou art the
Lord of everything and everyone,
Oh Lord of the
whole Universe
Thou art an
ocean of mercy
Thou art the
protector
Lord, thou art
the protector
I am a
simpleton with vain desires,
I am a servant
and thou art the Lord
Oh Lord, Grant
me thy divine grace
Oh Lord of the
Universe
You are the one
unseen
Of all living
beings
The Lord of all
living beings
Grant me a
glimpse
Grant me a
glimpse
Guide me along
the path to thee,
Oh Lord of the
Universe
Friend of the
helpless and feeble
Benevolent
savior of all
Lord,
benevolent savior of all
Lift up your
hand
Offer me thy
refuge
At thy feet
Oh Lord of the
Universe
Removing faults
of the mind (like ego, greed, selfishness etc.)
Defeating evil,
Supreme Soul,
Lord, defeating
evil
With all my
Faith and devotion
Oh Lord, With
all my faith and devotion
In Eternal
Service Unto Thee,
Oh Mighty Lord
of the whole Universe
Oh Lord of the
whole Universe
Mighty Lord of
the whole Universe
The agonies of
devotees
The sorrows of
devotees
Thou instantly
removest
Oh Lord of the
whole Universe
|
Sources:
Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev; P.R. Ramachandra Rao, Wikipedia Internet sources and
Ganesha Temple, Nashville, TN, Bhajan
Book
CONCUDING PRAYER MANTRAS OF UPANISHADS
(By Karthikeyan Sridharan in his The Science of the Upanishads)
Transformation of prayers into wills is
exemplified by the Peace Invocations (Śānti Mantras) of Upaniṣhads; no Deva or
Lord is addressed therein for securing anything. The only exception is the
Upaniṣads under Atharva Veda, namely Praśna, Muṇḍaka and Māṇḍūkya; note that
Atharva is a later compilation. Śānti Mantras appear in the beginning and end
of the Upaniṣads. The same Śānti Mantra appears in all the Upaniṣads under a
particular Veda. Since Yajerveda has two branches, namely the Kṛṣṇa and Śukla
Yajurvedas, separate Śānti Mantras are used in each of them. Thus there are
five important Śānti Mantras; we shall have a look at them all.
Let us first see the Śānti Mantra of Aitareya
Upaniṣad, the only Principal Upaniṣad under Ṛgveda.
ॐ वाङ्मे मनसि प्रतिष्ठिता | मनो मे वाचि प्रतिष्ठितम् | आविराविर्म एधि | वेदस्य म आणीस्थः| श्रुतं मे मा प्रहासीरनेनाधीतेनाहोरात्रान् संदधामि | ऋतं वदिष्यामि सत्यं वदिष्यामि | तन्मामवतु तद्वक्तारमवतु | अवतु मां अवतु वक्तारं अवतु वक्तारम् ||
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
vāṅme manasi pratiṣṭhitā; mano me vāci
pratiṣṭhitaṃ; āvirāvirma edhi; vedasya ma
āṇīsthaḥ; śrutaṃ me mā prahāsīranenādhītenāhorātrān saṃdadhāmi; ṛtaṃ vadiṣyāmi satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi; tanmāmavatu tadvaktāramavatu; avatu māṃ avatu vaktāraṃ avatu vaktāram.
āṇīsthaḥ; śrutaṃ me mā prahāsīranenādhītenāhorātrān saṃdadhāmi; ṛtaṃ vadiṣyāmi satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi; tanmāmavatu tadvaktāramavatu; avatu māṃ avatu vaktāraṃ avatu vaktāram.
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Word Meaning: vāk- speech (utterance); me-
my; manasi- in mind; pratiṣṭhitā- established; manaḥ- mind; vāci- in
speech; pratiṣṭhitaṃ- established; āvis- evident, manifest; āvirāvis-
more and more evident; ma- to me; edhi- enlarged, more clarified or apparent;
vedasya- of Veda, of learning; ma- to me, my; āṇī- instruments, means,
agents; sthaḥ- (you two) are; śrutaṃ- whatever learned; me- to me; mā- not;
prahāsīḥ- be lost; anenādhītena- by that learning; ahorātrān- day and
night; saṃdadhāmi- I shall unite; ṛtaṃ- SAT, the ruling principle of the
world; vadiṣyāmi – I shall speak of; satyaṃ Satyam; tat- that; mām- me;
avatu- may protect; vaktāram- the expounder, teacher; avatu māṃ – may I be
protected; avatu vaktāraṃ – may the teacher be protected.
śāntiḥ- peace, calmness.
śāntiḥ- peace, calmness.
Mantra Meaning: My speech (utterance) is
established in my mind; my mind is established in my speech. (May everything)
be more and more evident and clarified to me. (O, speech and mind), you two are
my instruments for learning. May what I have learnt be never lost. I shall
unite day and night by that learning. I shall speak of SAT and Satyam; May that
protect me and the teacher. May I be protected; may the teacher be protected.
The Mantra states that the mind and the speech
are established in each other. What one speaks is what there is in his mind;
what there is in one’s mind is what he learned by repeated recitation (by
speech). This is the implication of the statement. It is obvious here that mind
and speech are the instruments of learning. It is through them that one
acquires correct and clarified knowledge. The prayer seeks that the acquired
knowledge is never lost. The phrase ‘uniting day and night by the learning’
implies perseverance and constant effort throughout day and night. Ṛtaṃ is
SAT which indicates Ātmā, the ruling principle of the universe; Satyam
indicates, as we know, Brahma. ‘I shall speak of Ṛtaṃ and Satyam’ means ‘I
shall study about Ātmā and Brahma’. ‘May that protect’ implies ‘may such study’
protect. Upaniṣads repeatedly declare that knowing Ātmā and Brahma makes one
immortal. This declaration is relied in this Mantra.
Śānti is peace or calmness of mind obtained
by alleviation of miseries; the word is repeated three times aiming to
alleviate all the three kinds of miseries affecting humans.
The next Mantra is seen in Upaniṣads belonging
to Śukla Yajurveda; Īśa and Bṛhadāraṇyaka are the two Principal Upaniṣads which
use this Mantra.
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते | पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते||
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
om pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ
pūrṇātpūrṇamudacyate; pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate.
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Word Meaning: pūrṇam- Pūrṇam, that which
is full, complete, absolute, saturated, whole, ultimate; adaḥ- that; idaṃ-
this; pūrṇāt- from Pūrṇam; udacyate- emitted out; pūrṇasya- to the
Pūrṇam; ādāya- having taken, having merged; pūrṇameva- Pūrṇam alone;
avaśiṣyate- be left out, remains.
Mantra Meaning: That is Pūrṇam, this is
Pūrṇam. Pūrṇam emerges from Pūrṇam. Pūrṇam on having merged to
Pūrṇam, remains as Pūrṇam alone.
This Mantra, though short in size, actually
presents one of the important basic tenets of Upaniṣhadic philosophy. Upaniṣhads
say that this universe emerged from the ultimate principle, Ātmā and that it
will finally merge into Ātmā. In other words, the universe is only an
expression of Ātmā. It is well settled that Ātmā is absolute, ultimate and the
whole; that means it is Pūrṇam. The words ‘that’ and ‘this’ in the Mantra
indicate worldly objects there and here or far and near. All worldly objects
are said to be body parts of Ātmā; they are manifestations of Ātmā. They are
pervaded by Ātmā; they are actually Ātmā itself appearing in those forms. So,
both are Pūrṇam; ‘that’ and ‘this’ are Pūrṇam. They emerged from Ātmā, the
Pūrṇam; from Pūrṇam, only Pūrṇam can come out. So, it is said: ‘pūrṇāt
pūrṇam udacyate’. What happens if all these merge into Ātmā? It will remain
as such, as Pūrṇam only. Hence the Mantra declaration, “pūrṇasya
pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate” (Pūrṇam on having merged to Pūrṇam,
remains as Pūrṇam alone).
Now we go to the next Mantra which is seen in Upaniṣads belonging to Samaveda
(Kena and Chāndogya). This Mantra is an expression of an earnest wish to become
one with Brahma.
ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुःश्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि।
सर्वं ब्रह्मोपनिषदं माऽहं ब्रह्म निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म निराकरोद् अनिराकरणमस्तु अनिराकरणं मेऽस्तु। तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
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.
Word Meaning: āpyāyantu- may be(come) strong, powerful; mama- my;
aṅgāni- body parts; vāk- speech; prāṇa- breath; cakṣuḥ- eyes; śrotram- ears;
athaḥ- and, further; balam-stamina; indriyāṇi- senses; ca- and; sarvāṇi- all;
sarvam- all this; brahma- Brahma; upaniṣadam- declared in the Upaniṣads; ma-
not; aham- I; nirākaroti- negate, separate off; mā’haṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ – may
I not negate Brahma; mā mā brahma nirākarot – may Brahma not separate me off;
anirākaraṇam- non-negation; astu- may there be; me- to me; tat- that; ātmani-
within; nirate- attached, linger; ya- ye- which; upaniṣatsu- in Upaniṣads;
dharmaḥ- ordinances, principles; te- they; mayi- in me; santu- may there be.
Mantra Meaning: May my body parts be strong;
may my speech, breath, eyes, ears, stamina and all senses be powerful. All this
(present here) is Brahma declared in the Upaniṣads. May I not negate (defy)
Brahma; may Brahma not negate me. May there be non-negation; may there be
non-negation to me; may that (non-negation) linger within (me). May the
ordinances of Upaniṣads be always present in me.
The first yearning in this Mantra is for a
strong body; this is because, without a strong and healthy body, sustained
pursuit of the ultimate knowledge is not feasible. The second yearning is that
there may not be any mutual negation of Brahma and the current seeker. This
implies his earnest desire to be one with Brahma; he wants that this desire
must constantly reverberate within him. Finally, he wants to bear in mind all
the ordinances of the Upaniṣads; for, these ordinances are leading lights in
the pursuit of spiritual realization.
We shall now see the Mantra that is found in
Upaniṣads of Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda. It expresses a wish jointly made by the disciple
and the master. They want the process of learning and teaching to be a smooth
one without room for any prejudices. See the Mantra below:
ॐ सह नाववतु | सह नौ भुनक्तु | सह वीर्यं करवावहै | तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
Oṃ saha nāvavatu; saha nau bhunaktu;
saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai; tejasvi nāvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai.
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.
Word Meaning: saha- together; nāvavatu – nau +
avatu; nau- both of us; avatu- may be impelled, promoted, protected; bhunaktu-
may be hungry; vīryaṃ- energy; karavāvahai- may we utilise; tejasvi- brilliant;
adhītam- learning; astu- may it be; mā- not; vidviṣāvahai- may we cause to
dislike each other.
Mantra Meaning: May both of us be impelled
together; may we be hungry together. May we utilise our energy together. May
our learning be brilliant; may we both not cause any dislike to each other.
The teacher and the student pray for being
motivated together and for being hungry together. Motivation is for study;
hunger is for imparting/receiving knowledge. To achieve this goal, they have to
utilize their energy together. Such united effort is essential to ensure a
brilliant output. Finally, the process of learning should not result in mutual
dislike. There is a possibility of dislike in the absence of simultaneous
inspiration and joint effort; that justifies the beginning part of the Mantra.
The last of the popular Śānti Mantras in the
Upaniṣads is given below; it is found in Upaniṣads belonging to Atharva Veda.
This Mantra is different from those given above, in that the prayers here are
directed to various Devas.
ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः श्रुणुयाम देवाः भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः|
स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः।
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः।
स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु |
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः।
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः।
स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु |
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
auṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śruṇuyāma devāḥ
bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ;
sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāṃsastanūbhiḥ vyaśema devahitam yadāyuḥ;
svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ;
svasti nastārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatirdadhātu.
auṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.
sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāṃsastanūbhiḥ vyaśema devahitam yadāyuḥ;
svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ;
svasti nastārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatirdadhātu.
auṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.
Word Meaning: bhadraṃ- auspicious, excellent;
karṇebhiḥ- by ears; śruṇuyāma- may we hear; devāḥ- Devas; paśyema- may we see;
akṣabhiḥ- by the eyes; yajatrāḥ- worshipful ones; sthirairaṅgaiḥ- (sthiraiḥ +
aṅgaiḥ) with determined mind; tuṣṭuvāṃsastanūbhiḥ- with a satisfied or healthy
body; vyaśema- spend, consume; devahitam- allotted or assigned by Devas;
yadāyuḥ- life as (alloted); svasti- blessing, prosperity; naḥ- to us; indraḥ-
Indra; vṛddhaśravāḥ- ancient glory; pūṣā- Pūṣa (the great nourisher);
viśvavedāḥ- all-knowing; tārkṣyaḥ- Garuda; ariṣṭanemiḥ- one who wards off
evils; bṛhaspatiḥ- Bṛhaspati (Lord of prayer); dadhātu- bestow.
Mantra Meaning: O Devas, may we hear the
auspicious with our ears. O worshipful ones, may we see the auspicious with our
eyes. May we spend our life time allotted by Devas, with determined mind and
healthy body. May Indra, the ancient glory and Pūṣa the all-knowing, Garuda,
the one who wards of evils, and Bṛhaspati bestow blessings on us.
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