Universal Vedic Prayers for Peace and Harmony | Swami Tattwamayananda

Swami Tattwamayananda offers two Universal Vedic prayers from the Vedas and gives a short description for these troubled times.

मधु वाता ऋतायते मधुक्षरन्ति सिन्धवः। माध्वीर्नः सन्त्वौषधीः॥
मधु नक्तमुतोषसि मधुमत्पार्थिवँ रजः। मधुद्यौरस्तु न पिता॥
मधुमान्नो वनस्पतिर्मधुमाँ अस्तु सूर्यः। माध्वीर्गावो भवन्तु नः॥

madhu vātā ṛtāyate madhukṣaranti sindhavaḥ। mādhvīrnaḥ santvauṣadhīḥ॥
madhu naktamutoṣasi madhumatpārthivam̐ rajaḥ। madhudyaurastu na pitā॥
madhumānno vanaspatirmadhumām̐ astu sūryaḥ। mādhvīrgāvo bhavantu naḥ॥

Sweetly blow the winds. The streams scatter sweetness. May the herbs bring us sweetness. The nights and dawns fill us with sweetness. The dust of the earth is full of sweetness. May heaven itself, like a father, bring us sweetness. The ancient forest trees are full of sweetness. May the sun itself shower sweetness on us. May sweetness flow toward us from all directions.

ॐ द्यौः शान्तिरन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः
पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः ।
वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः
सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

oṃ dyauḥ śāntirantarikṣaṃ śāntiḥ
pṛthivī śāntirāpaḥ śāntiroṣadhayaḥ śāntiḥ ।
vanaspatayaḥ śāntirviśvedevāḥ śāntirbrahma śāntiḥ
sarvaṃ śāntiḥ śāntireva śāntiḥ sā mā śāntiredhi ॥
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

Peace is in heaven. May there be peace on earth, in the sky, and for all life everywhere. May the waters, the herbs, and the trees shower peace on us. May all dwellers in all worlds be filled with peace. In the supreme reality there is only peace. Everything everywhere is filled with peace. May we also experience that infinite, universal peace.

This is a prayer from Rig Veda and Yajur Veda. The essential harmony and unity of all existence are expressed eloquently in these Vedic mantras. The ancient Vedic sages of India prayed for peace and prosperity and harmony both in the external nature and also in our own hearts. They always prayed for peace, tranquility and harmony in all natural phenomena on Earth, in the sky, in the winds, in the oceans, in the rivers, mountains, and everywhere. They believed the interrelatedness or what we call Ritam in the Vedic tradition of all existence.

When we tune our life and actions according to this principle of inherent harmony and interrelatedness of all existnece, we are following the path of Ritam. We are in tune with the entire creation and when we regulate our actions and lifestyle according to this principle of spiritual unity of existence, then we are following the path of Dharma, and when we speak and interact with others in tune with this inherent principle of peaceful coexistence and interrelatedness of the whole creation we are following the path of Satyam.

When we live our life according to the principles of Ritam, Dharma, and Satya, which constitute the highest universal principles of ethics and morality and spirituality then our whole life becomes spiritualized. Every word becomes a sacred mantra, every action becomes an act of worship. Even without going to churches or temples or any places of worship, in our own hearts we can worship the Lord, we can worship the divine presence present everywhere and present in all of us. This idea of universal spiritual oneness of the whole creation, the idea that the whole creation is one spiritual humanity, helps us to live in peace, especially in trying times while facing challenges, which are beyond our control.

Om Shanti Shanti Shantih Hari Om Tat Sat Sri Ramakrishna Pranamastu

Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco
sfvedanta.org