Ryan Todd Garza

Bhadram Shanti Mantra

By Ryan Todd Garza | August 8, 2020 in yoga

This mantra originates from the Rig Veda (1.89.8 + 1.89.6). The entire Arūṇa Praśna mantras are found in the first praśna of Taittariya Aranyaka in Yajur Veda (1.0.0). This is called Sūrya Namaskāra Praśnam.

Pattabhi Jois writes about this mantra in both the Yoga Mala (pp. 37) and the Sūrya Namaskāra booklet (pp. 39). Jois describes it as “a prayer to God asking for the attainment of a high degree of mental concentration”—dhāraṇā.1 The opening passage follows.

Mantra

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शर्णुयाम देवा । भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः ॥ स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिः । व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॥ सवस्ति न इन्द्रो वर्द्धश्रवाः । सवस्ति नः पुषा विश्ववेदाः ॥ सवस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः । सवस्ति नो बर्हस्पतिर्दधातु ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

Oṃ bhadraṁ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devāḥ bhadraṁ paśyemākṣabhir yajatrāḥ sthirairaṅgais tuṣṭuvāṁsas tanūbhiḥ vyaśema devahitaṁ yadāyuḥ svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśva vedah svasti nas tārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatir dadātu Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Om Oh Gods, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious, Oh ye fit to be worshipped, may we see with our eyes what is auspicious. Offering our praise with our bodies of strong and stady limb, May we enjoy the life given by the Gods. May God Indra of great fame bless us. May the omnicient Pūṣa bless us. May the protector Garuḍa bless us. May Lord Bṛhaspati protect us. Om peace peace peace

Transliteration

  • bhadraṁ - good, auspicious
  • karṇebhiḥ - with ears
  • śṛṇuyāma - may we hear
  • devā - shining ones or elevated beings
  • paśyema - see or visualise
  • akṣabhiḥ - with the eyes
  • yajatrāḥ - those deserving worship, the Devas
  • sthirairaṅgai - stable (strong) limbs
  • tuṣṭuvāṁsas - praying to God
  • tanūbhiḥ - by using the body (or bodies)
  • vyaśema - may we attain or gain
  • devahitaṁ - allotted by Presiding Deva
  • yadāyuḥ - with in the given lifespan
  • svasti na - bless us
  • indro - Lord Indra
  • vṛddhaśravāḥ - long known and heard of or Ancient, and famous
  • svasti naḥ - grant or endow us
  • pūṣān - Lord Sun
  • viśva vedah - knower of the Universe or everything
  • svasti nas - bless us
  • tārkṣya - Lord Garuḍa
  • ariṣṭanemiḥ - protector from evil or from all harm
  • svasti no - grace us
  • bṛhaspatiḥ - guru of Devas (devaguru)
  • dadātu - may give
  • śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ - may there be peace

Resources

  1. Jois, P. (2005). Surya Namaskara, pp. 39. Ashtanga Yoga New York.↩