॥ Shanti Path ॥
The Universal Peace Prayer
Om sarvesāṃ svastir bhavatu
Sarvesāṃ śāntir bhavatu
Sarvesāṃ pūrṇaṃ bhavatu
Sarvesāṃ maṃgalaṃ bhavatu
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Complete Meaning
May there be well-being for all.
May there be peace for all.
May there be fullness (fulfilment, completeness) for all.
May there be auspiciousness (goodness, happiness) for all.
Om — Peace, Peace, Peace.
Why “Shanti” is Chanted Three Times
The triple repetition of Shanti is not merely for emphasis. In Vedic tradition, disturbances (taapa) that prevent peace are classified into three categories:
| Type of Disturbance | Source | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adhyatmika | From within oneself | Disease, mental distress, emotional suffering |
| Adhibhautika | From other beings | Conflict, theft, harm from others |
| Adhidaivika | From natural/cosmic forces | Earthquakes, floods, extreme weather |
The three Shantis petition for peace in all three domains — within, among, and around us.
The Shanti Path from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Om asato mā sadgamaya
Tamaso mā jyotirgamaya
Mṛtyormā amṛtaṃ gamaya
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Meaning:
From untruth, lead me to truth.
From darkness, lead me to light.
From death, lead me to immortality.
Om — Peace, Peace, Peace.
This is one of the most profound prayers in all of human spiritual history. It is not asking for external things — wealth, comfort, or victory. It is asking for transformation of consciousness itself:
- From untruth (ignorance, illusion) → to truth (right understanding)
- From darkness (spiritual blindness) → to light (self-knowledge)
- From death (the cycle of birth and rebirth) → to immortality (liberation)
The Shanti Path from the Katha Upanishad
Om saha nāv avatu. Saha nau bhunaktu
Saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai
Tejasvī nāvadhīt amastu
Mā vidviṣāvahai
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Meaning:
May He protect us both (teacher and student).
May He nourish us both.
May we work together with great energy.
May our study be luminous and effective.
May we not hate each other.
Om — Peace, Peace, Peace.
This Shanti Path is chanted at the beginning of study between teacher and student. It establishes the relationship of guru-shishya (teacher-student) as a sacred bond — one of mutual protection, nourishment, effort, and love.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
Lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu
Meaning: May all beings in all worlds be happy.
This simple but vast prayer extends the circle of our care to all beings everywhere — not just humans, not just those we know, but every sentient creature in the entire cosmos. It is perhaps the most expansive prayer ever formulated: a single sentence that contains infinite compassion.
The Practice of Universal Prayer
The Vedic sages understood something that modern psychology is only beginning to confirm: our inner state affects everything around us. When we genuinely wish well for all beings — including those who have harmed us — something shifts in our own consciousness. The act of wishing peace for others creates peace within ourselves.
The Shanti Path is therefore not merely a ritual ending to a puja. It is a practice of expanding the self — from the narrow, defended ego that wishes well only for itself and its circle, to the vast, open awareness that encompasses all of creation.
When to Recite
- At the end of every puja or ritual — to seal the sacred space with goodwill
- At the beginning of meditation — to set the intention of universal compassion
- In times of conflict — to return to a perspective larger than the immediate dispute
- At major life transitions — births, marriages, deaths — to offer all in the context of universal peace
Phala Shruti
Śāntipaṭhasya pāṭhena śāntiṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ
Sarvatra śāntim āpnoti yaḥ paṭhet śāntim uttamam
“By reciting the Shanti Path, a person attains peace. Whoever recites this supreme peace prayer attains peace everywhere — within, without, and in all dimensions of existence.”