oṃ dyauḥ śāntir antarikṣaṃ śāntiḥ pṛthivī śāntir āpaḥ śāntir oṣadhayaḥ śāntiḥ | vanaspatayaḥ śāntir viśve devāḥ śāntir brahma śāntiḥ sarvaṃ śāntiḥ śāntir eva śāntiḥ | sā mā śāntir edhi | oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
“Om. May there be peace in heaven, peace in the atmosphere, peace on earth, peace in water, peace in plants, peace in trees, peace in the gods, peace in Brahman, peace in all things. May that peace come to me. Om, peace, peace, peace.”
What This Means:
This magnificent prayer systematically invokes peace in every layer of creation: sky, atmosphere, earth, water, herbs, trees, all gods, Brahman itself, and everything. Then it asks that this universal peace enter the worshipper.
Going Deeper:
The progression moves from outermost (sky) to innermost (Brahman), touching every realm: celestial, atmospheric, terrestrial, aquatic, botanical, divine, absolute. "Śāntir eva śāntiḥ" (peace itself is peace) — the ultimate reality IS peace. Personal peace comes from universal peace.
How To Apply This:
Recognize peace in nature — sky, water, plants. When seeking personal peace, connect to the peace already present in creation. You are not separate from this universal peace.
Key Sanskrit Terms: