Sacred Learning

Saha nāv avatu

Taittirīya Upaniṣad, śānti (also Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda student-teacher peace).

Canonical source text

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

IAST transliteration

oṃ saha nāv avatu | saha nau bhunaktu | saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai | tejasvi nāv adhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai | oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Close translation

May he protect us both together. May he nourish us both together. May we work with vigour together. May our study be illumined; may we not quarrel. Oṃ peace, peace, peace.

Reader-friendly meaning

A peace before study: teacher and student ask to be kept, fed, and kept from spite.

Meenananda editorial explanation

Open a class, a scripture circle, or a quiet reading with this. Knowledge that breeds contempt has missed the mantra.

Practice context

Speak it at the start of shared study. No count is required.

Word meanings

सह — together
अवतु — may he protect

Taittirīya Upaniṣad śānti-pāṭha, public-domain Devanagari. Sanskrit: public domain. Foundation translations: CC BY-SA 4.0.