Shanti mantra (peace invocations)

Translation from the Vedic Sanskrit and comments by Dimitrios Vasiliadis

Shanti mantras (peace invocations) are usually chanted at the beginning of religious rituals and discourses. By reciting them it is believed that they calm the mind and environment of the listeners and remove all obstacles to the work that is about to begin.

Shanti mantras always end with the sacred syllable Om (aum) and the triple repetition of the word “shanti” which means “peace”. The reason it is uttered thrice is to pacify and remove the three categories of painful hindrances (tapa-traya) arising from nature (adhi-bhautika), gods (adhi-daivika) and self (adhyatmika).

The following Shanti mantra occurs in the Ishavasya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads (two of the oldest and principal Upanishads).

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते |
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ||
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ||

oṁ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṁ pūrṇātpurṇamudacyate |
pūrṇaśya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate ॥
oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

That (the transcendental Absolute Being – Brahman) is fully complete.
This (the immanent world of creation) is (also) fully complete.
The full comes from the full,
Subtracting the full from the full,
What remains is only full.
Om peace, peace,  peace.