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The Shanti Mantras or "Peace Mantras" are Hindu prayers for Peace (Shanti) from the Vedas. Generally they are recited at the beginning and end of religious rituals and discourses.

Shanti Mantras are found in Upanishads, where they 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 three utterances of word "Shanti" which means "Peace". The Reason for uttering three times is for calming and removing obstacles in three realms which are:

• "Physical" or Adhi-Bhautika,
• "Divine" or Adhi-Daivika and
• "Internal" or Adhyaatmika

According to the scriptures of Hinduism sources of obstacles and troubles are in these three realms.

• Physical or Adhi-Bhautika realm can be source of troubles/obstacles coming from external world, such as from wild animals, people, natural calamities etc.
• Divine or Adhi-Daivika realm can be source of troubles/obstacles coming from extra-sensory world of spirits, ghosts, deities, demigods/angels etc.
• Internal or Adhyaatmika realm is source of troubles/obstacles arising out of ones own body and mind, such as pain, diseases, laziness, absent-mindedness etc.

These are called "Tapa-Traya" or three classes of troubles. 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 Upanishad and Ishavasya Upanishad

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(Brahman), and this (universe) is infinite.
The infinite proceeds from the infinite.
(Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe),
It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.
Om ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace !

 

Taittiriya Upanishad

ॐ शं नो मित्रः शं वरुणः ।
शं नो भवत्वर्यमा ।
शं न इन्द्रो ब्रिहस्पतिः ।
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 brihaspatiḥ |
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 (Reciter = the one who is currently reciting this mantra.^[1]).
May He protect me.
May He protect the reciter.
Om, peace, peace, peace !

 

Taittiriya Upanishad, Katha Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad and Shvetashvatara Upanishad

ॐ स॒ह ना॑ववतु । स॒ह नौ॑ भुनक्तु ।
स॒ह वी॒र्यं॑ करवावहै ।
ते॒ज॒स्वि ना॒वधी॑तमस्तु॒ मा वि॑द्विषा॒वहै॑ ॥
ॐ शान्ति॒ः शान्ति॒ः शान्ति॑ः ॥

om saha nāvavatu
saha nau bhunaktu
saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai
tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy,
May our study be vigorous and effective;
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 !

 

Kena Upanishad and Chandogya Upanishad

ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः
श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि ।
सर्वम् ब्रह्मौपनिषदम् 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 (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 !

 

Mundaka Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad and Prashna Upanishad

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

oṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śruṇuyāma devāḥ |
bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ
sthirairanṅgaistuṣṭuvāgaṃ sastanūbhiḥ |
vyaśema devahitam yadāyuḥ |
svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ |
svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ |
svasti nastārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ |
svasti no brihaspatirdadhātu
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||

Om ! O gods, may we hear auspicious words with the ears;
While engaged in sacrifices,
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 !

 

Other Sources

There are various Other sources of Shanti Mantras, of which some of the most famous are:

ॐ द्यौ: शान्ति रन्तरिक्षँ शान्ति:
पृथिवी शान्ति राप: शान्तिरोषधय: शान्ति: ।
वनस्पतय: शान्ति र्विश्वे देवा: शान्ति र्ब्रह्म शान्ति:
सर्वँ शान्ति: शान्तिरेव शान्ति: सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥
ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ॥

Om dyauḥ śāntirantarikṣaṁ śāntiḥ
pṛthivī śāntirāpaḥ śāntiroṣadhayaḥ śāntiḥ
vanaspatayaḥ śāntirviśvedevāḥ śāntirbrahma śāntiḥ
sarvaṁ śāntiḥ śāntireva śāntiḥ
sā mā śāntiredhi
Om śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ

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 Supreme Being Brahman.
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)

(and)

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय ।
ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ॥

Om asato mā sadgamaya
Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya
Mṛtyormā’mṛtaṁ gamaya
Om 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!

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Identifying oneself here as "reciter", and not as "I", is a sign of self-realization, of transcending beyond self and ego being dissolved