Shanti Mantras


The Shanti Mantras or "Peace Mantras" or Pancha Shanti are Hindu prayers for Peace found in 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 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 the sacred syllable Om and three utterances of the word "Shanti" which means "Peace". The reason for uttering three times is for calming and removing obstacles in the three realms:
These are called "Tapa-Traya" or three classes of obstacles. When Shanti mantras are recited, obstacles from these realms are believed to be
pacified.
These are the Shanti Mantras from the different Upanishads and other sources.

Brihadaranyaka and Ishavasya Upanishads

DevanagariEnglish TransliterationEnglish Translation

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते |
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ||
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ||

Oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidam pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Om! That is infinite, and this is infinite.
The infinite proceeds from the infinite.
taking the infinitude of the infinite,
It remains as the infinite alone.
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!

The translation given above are more like interpretations with strong devotional overtones. It would be useful and fulfilling to see real, linguistic translations. In particular, the original text discusses "purna" which means "complete or nearly perfect", but the translation turns it into "infinite". For anyone who knows Sanskrit, these translations are misleading at best and turn-offs at the worst. Devotional interpretations do have a place, but they should be marked as such and distinguished from linguistic interpretations.

Taittiriya Upanishad

DevanagariEnglish TransliterationEnglish Translation

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॥

Oṃ śaṃ no mitraḥ śaṃ varuṇaḥ |
śaṃ no bhavatvaryamā |
śaṃ na indro bṛhaspatiḥ |
śaṃ no viṣṇururukramaḥ |
namo brahmaṇe |
namaste vāyo |
tvameva pratyakṣaṃ bhrahmāsi |
tvāmeva pratyakṣam brahma vadiṣyāmi |
ṝtaṃ vadiṣyāmi |
satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi |
tanmāmavatu |
tadvaktāramavatu |
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!

* 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, Katha Upanishad and Shvetashvatara Upanishads

DevanagariEnglish TransliterationEnglish 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 |
Om 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;
May we not mutually dispute.
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!

Kena and Chandogya Upanishads

DevanagariEnglish TransliterationEnglish Translation

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॥

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 ;
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!

Aitareya Upanishad

DevanagariEnglish TransliterationEnglish Translation

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॥


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 the mind;
May my mind be based on speech.
O Self-effulgent One, reveal Thyself to me.
May you both be the carriers of the Veda to me.
May not all that I have heard depart from me.
I shall join together day
And night through this study.
I shall utter what is verbally true;
I shall utter what is mentally true.
May that protect me;
May That protect the speaker, may That protect me;
May that protect the speaker – may That protect the speaker.
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!

Mundaka, Māndukya and Prashna Upanishads

DevanagariEnglish TransliterationEnglish Translation

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः श्रुणुयाम देवाः।
भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः
स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवाग्ंसस्तनूभिः।
व्यशेम देवहितम् यदायुः।
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः।
स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः।
स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः।
स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

oṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śruṇuyāma devāḥ |
bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ
sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāgṃsastanūbhiḥ |
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 Pusa
Be propitious to us;
May Garuda, the destroyer of evil,
Be well disposed towards us;
May Brihaspati ensure our welfare.
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!

Vedas

There are various other Shanti Mantras from Vedas, of which some of the most famous are:
DevanagariEnglish TransliterationEnglish Translation

ॐ द्यौः शान्तिरन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः
पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः ।
वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः
सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
— यजुर्वेद ३६:१७

oṃ dyauḥ śāntirantarikṣaṃ śāntiḥ
pṛthivī śāntirāpaḥ śāntiroṣadhayaḥ śāntiḥ
vanaspatayaḥ śāntirviśvedevāḥ śāntirbrahma śāntiḥ
sarvaṃ śāntiḥ śāntireva śāntiḥ sā mā śāntiredhi
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
— Yajurveda 36:17

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!
—

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

oṃ asato mā sadgamaya
tamaso mā jyotirgamaya
mṛtyormā'mṛtaṃ gamaya
oṃ 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!

ॐ सर्वेशां स्वस्तिर्भवतु ।
सर्वेशां शान्तिर्भवतु ।
सर्वेशां पुर्णंभवतु ।
सर्वेशां मङ्गलंभवतु ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om Sarveshaam Svastir-Bhavatu |
Sarveshaam Shaantir-Bhavatu |
Sarveshaam Purnnam-Bhavatu |
Sarveshaam Manggalam-Bhavatu |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

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.
—