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Mantras

Auspicious mantras, and what they mean

23 well-loved mantras and shlokas in Sanskrit, with a transliteration to read along, a plain-English meaning, the text each comes from and when it is traditionally chanted.

New to chanting? Start with Mantra chanting.

Great Vedic mantras

The oldest and most widely chanted, from the Vedas and Upanishads.

Universal

Om (Pranava)

ॐ

Om

The sacred syllable. The Mandukya Upanishad describes it as everything that was, is and will be, and what lies beyond time.

Source
Mandukya Upanishad
When
Begins and ends most chants, prayers and meditation.
Savitr, the sun

Gayatri mantra

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ।तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यंभर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

Om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥtat savitur vareṇyaṃbhargo devasya dhīmahidhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt

We meditate on the radiant light of the divine Savitr, worthy of worship. May it inspire our minds.

Source
Rig Veda 3.62.10
When
At sunrise, midday and sunset during Sandhya.
Shiva

Mahamrityunjaya mantra

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात् ॥

Om tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanamurvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya mā'mṛtāt

We worship the three-eyed one, fragrant, who nourishes all. As a ripe cucumber is freed from its vine, may we be freed from death, and not from immortality.

Source
Rig Veda 7.59.12
When
Traditionally in times of illness, in remembrance of the dead, on Mondays and at Mahashivaratri.

Shanti prayers

Invocations for peace, often chanted before and after study or worship.

Teacher and student

Om Saha Navavatu

ॐ सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु ।सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om saha nāvavatu, saha nau bhunaktusaha vīryaṃ karavāvahaitejasvi nāvadhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahaiOm śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

May we both be protected together and nourished together. May we work together with energy. May our study be bright, and may we never resent each other. Peace, peace, peace.

Source
Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1
When
Before study, chanted by teacher and student together.
Universal

Asato Ma Sadgamaya

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om asato mā sad gamayatamaso mā jyotir gamayamṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamayaOm śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Lead me from the unreal to the real. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality. Peace, peace, peace.

Source
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28
When
At the start of gatherings, and when lighting a lamp.
Universal

Om Purnamadah

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṃ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyatepūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyateOm śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

That is whole, this is whole. From the whole, the whole comes forth. Take the whole from the whole, and the whole remains.

Source
Isha Upanishad, opening invocation (also Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.1.1)
When
Before and after reading the Upanishads, and in meditation.
Universal

Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ॥

Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥsarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet

May all be happy. May all be free from illness. May all see what is good. May no one suffer.

Source
Traditional peace prayer
When
At the close of prayers, for the wellbeing of everyone.

Mantras to the deities

Verses and names chanted in devotion to a particular form of the divine.

Ganesha

Vakratunda Mahakaya

वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ ।निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥

Vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakoṭi samaprabhanirvighnaṃ kuru me deva sarvakāryeṣu sarvadā

O Lord with the curved trunk and mighty body, radiant as a million suns, clear the obstacles from all my work, always.

Source
Traditional Ganesha shloka
When
Before starting a task, a journey or a puja, and at Ganesh Chaturthi.
Ganesha

Om Gam Ganapataye Namah

ॐ गं गणपतये नमः

Om gaṃ gaṇapataye namaḥ

Om, I bow to Ganapati, lord of the ganas. Gam is Ganesha's seed syllable (bija).

Source
Ganapati Atharvashirsha
When
On Wednesdays, at Sankashti Chaturthi, and as daily japa.
Shiva

Om Namah Shivaya

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om namaḥ śivāya

Om, I bow to Shiva, the auspicious one. Known as the five-syllable mantra (Panchakshari).

Source
Shri Rudram, Krishna Yajurveda (Taittiriya Samhita 4.5)
When
On Mondays, through the month of Shravan, and at Mahashivaratri.
Vishnu

Shantakaram Bhujagashayanam

शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशंविश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् ।लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यंवन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥

Śāntākāraṃ bhujagaśayanaṃ padmanābhaṃ sureśaṃviśvādhāraṃ gaganasadṛśaṃ meghavarṇaṃ śubhāṅgamlakṣmīkāntaṃ kamalanayanaṃ yogibhir dhyānagamyaṃvande viṣṇuṃ bhavabhayaharaṃ sarvalokaikanātham

I bow to Vishnu: peaceful in form, resting on the serpent, the lotus at his navel, lord of the gods, support of the universe, vast as the sky, dark as a rain cloud, beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis in meditation, who removes the fear of worldly life, the one lord of all worlds.

Source
Traditional Vishnu dhyana shloka
When
On Thursdays, at Ekadashi and at the Satyanarayan katha.
Krishna and Rama

Hare Krishna mahamantra

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे ।हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे ॥

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare HareHare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

A call to the divine by the names Hari, Krishna and Rama. The source text gives the Rama line first; this is the order most sung today.

Source
Kali-Santarana Upanishad
When
Counted on a mala as japa, or sung together as kirtan.
Rama

Shri Ram Jai Ram

श्री राम जय राम जय जय राम

Śrī Rāma jaya Rāma jaya jaya Rāma

Glory to Shri Rama, victory to Rama, victory, victory to Rama.

Source
Traditional; popularised by Samarth Ramdas
When
At Ram Navami, and as daily japa.
Hanuman

Manojavam Marutatulyavegam

मनोजवं मारुततुल्यवेगं जितेन्द्रियं बुद्धिमतां वरिष्ठम् ।वातात्मजं वानरयूथमुख्यं श्रीरामदूतं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥

Manojavaṃ mārutatulyavegaṃ jitendriyaṃ buddhimatāṃ variṣṭhamvātātmajaṃ vānarayūthamukhyaṃ śrīrāmadūtaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye

I take refuge in the messenger of Shri Rama: swift as the mind, fast as the wind, master of the senses, foremost of the wise, son of the wind god, leader of the vanara host.

Source
Rama Raksha Stotra
When
On Tuesdays and Saturdays, and at Hanuman Jayanti.
Durga (Devi)

Sarva Mangala Mangalye

सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके ।शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

Sarvamaṅgala māṅgalye śive sarvārtha sādhikeśaraṇye tryambake gauri nārāyaṇi namo'stu te

O auspiciousness of all that is auspicious, O kind one who brings every aim to fulfilment, O refuge, three-eyed Gauri, Narayani, I bow to you.

Source
Devi Mahatmya 11.10 (Markandeya Purana)
When
Through Navratri, and on Fridays.
Saraswati

Saraswati Namastubhyam

सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यं वरदे कामरूपिणि ।विद्यारम्भं करिष्यामि सिद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा ॥

Sarasvati namastubhyaṃ varade kāmarūpiṇividyārambhaṃ kariṣyāmi siddhir bhavatu me sadā

O Saraswati, giver of blessings, who takes any form you wish, I bow to you. I am beginning my studies; may they always bear fruit.

Source
Traditional Saraswati shloka
When
Before study or exams, and at Vasant Panchami.
Lakshmi

Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah

ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः

Om śrīṃ mahālakṣmyai namaḥ

Om, I bow to Mahalakshmi. Shreem is Lakshmi's seed syllable (bija).

Source
Traditional bija mantra
When
On Fridays, and at Lakshmi puja on Diwali.
Surya, the sun

Japakusuma Sankasham

जपाकुसुमसङ्काशं काश्यपेयं महाद्युतिम् ।तमोऽरिं सर्वपापघ्नं प्रणतोऽस्मि दिवाकरम् ॥

Japākusuma saṅkāśaṃ kāśyapeyaṃ mahādyutimtamo'riṃ sarvapāpaghnaṃ praṇato'smi divākaram

I bow to the maker of the day: red as the hibiscus flower, son of Kashyapa, of great brilliance, enemy of darkness, remover of all wrongs.

Source
Navagraha Stotra, attributed to Vyasa
When
At sunrise, on Sundays, and at Makar Sankranti.
The guru

Gurur Brahma

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

Gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇuḥ gurur devo maheśvaraḥguruḥ sākṣāt parabrahma tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ

The guru is Brahma, the guru is Vishnu, the guru is the god Maheshvara. The guru is the supreme Brahman itself. To that guru, I bow.

Source
Guru Gita (Skanda Purana)
When
At Guru Purnima, and before learning.

Through the day

Short prayers for waking, eating and lighting the evening lamp.

Morning prayer

Karagre Vasate Lakshmi

कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मीः करमध्ये सरस्वती ।करमूले तु गोविन्दः प्रभाते करदर्शनम् ॥

Karāgre vasate lakṣmīḥ karamadhye sarasvatīkaramūle tu govindaḥ prabhāte karadarśanam

Lakshmi dwells at the fingertips, Saraswati in the middle of the palm, and Govinda at its base. So look at your hands at dawn.

Source
Traditional morning prayer
When
On waking, while looking at the open palms.
Before meals

Brahmarpanam

ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥

Brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutambrahmaiva tena gantavyaṃ brahmakarma samādhinā

The offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, poured by Brahman into the fire that is Brahman. One who sees Brahman in every act reaches Brahman.

Source
Bhagavad Gita 4.24
When
Before eating, offering the meal before taking it.
The lamp

Shubham Karoti Kalyanam

शुभं करोति कल्याणम् आरोग्यं धनसम्पदा ।शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

Śubhaṃ karoti kalyāṇam ārogyaṃ dhanasampadāśatrubuddhi vināśāya dīpajyotir namo'stu te

I bow to the light of the lamp, held to bring what is good and auspicious, health and plenty, and to end thoughts of enmity.

Source
Traditional lamp prayer
When
When lighting the evening lamp.