भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवा भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः। स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिर्व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः॥
bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devā bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhir yajatrāḥ । sthirair aṅgais tuṣṭuvāṃsas tanūbhir vyaśema devahitaṃ yad āyuḥ ॥
PM's MessageO Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious; O worshipful ones, may we see with our eyes what is auspicious. May we, praising you with firm limbs and bodies, live out the life allotted by the Devas.
Meaning of Bhadraṃ Karṇebhiḥ Śṛṇuyāma Devā
O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious; O worshipful ones, may we see with our eyes what is auspicious. May we, praising you with firm limbs and bodies, live out the life allotted by the Devas.
Word by word
- भद्रम्bhadram
what is auspicious
भद्र
- कर्णेभिःkarṇebhiḥ
with our ears
कर्ण
- शृणुयामśṛṇuyāma
may we hear
√श्रु
- देवाःdevāḥ
O gods
√दिव्
- पश्येमpaśyema
may we see
√दृश्
- अक्षभिःakṣabhiḥ
with our eyes
अक्षि
- यजत्राःyajatrāḥ
O worshipful ones
√यज्
- स्थिरैःsthiraiḥ
with firm
√स्था
- अङ्गैःaṅgaiḥ
limbs
अङ्ग
- तुष्टुवांसःtuṣṭuvāṁsaḥ
continuing to praise
√स्तु
- तनूभिःtanūbhiḥ
with our bodies
तनू
- व्यशेमvyaśema
may we live out
वि + √अश्
- देवहितम्devahitam
allotted by the gods
देव + √धा
- यत् आयुःyad āyuḥ
the lifespan which
आयुस्
Commentary
The prayer begins with bhadram, that which is auspicious, wholesome, or conducive to well-being. It asks not for the removal of the senses, but for their right orientation: may the ears receive what is good and the eyes behold what is good. The appeal to the yajatrāḥ, the worshipful Devas, makes the verse a direct act of praise and devotion. Its next image is equally bodily and practical—sthiraiḥ aṅgaiḥ, firm limbs—so the prayer joins inward receptivity to physical steadiness. The final wish is to live out the devahitam āyuḥ, the span of life set or sustained by the Devas, while continuing that praise. Thus well-being in the mantra is not merely private comfort; it is a life in which perception, body, and devotion remain rightly directed. The post shares the mantra without additional framing, allowing this compact prayer for wholesome hearing, seeing, strength, and a full life to stand on its own.
Sources and textual variants
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More from Rigveda
View source pageसुत्रामाणं पृथिवीं द्यामनेहसं सुशर्माणमदितिं सुप्रणीतिम् । दैवीं नावं स्वरित्रामनागसो अस्रवन्तीमा रुहेमा स्वस्तये॥
sutrāmāṇaṃ pṛthivīṃ dyām anehasaṃ suśarmāṇam aditiṃ supraṇītim । daivīṃ nāvaṃ svaritrām anāgaso asravantīm ā ruhemā svastaye ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra envisions earth, heaven and Aditi as a secure divine boat that carries people toward well-being.
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः। स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु॥
svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ । svasti nas tārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatir dadhātu ॥
A Rigveda svasti mantra in which Indra, Pushan, Tarkshya and Brihaspati are each asked to bestow well-being upon us.
More subhashitams on Well-being
View topic pageदेव्या यया ततमिदं जगदात्मशक्त्या निश्शेषदेवगणशक्तिसमूहमूर्त्या। तामम्बिकामखिलदेवमहर्षिपूज्यां भक्त्या नताः स्म विदधातु शुभानि सा नः॥
devyā yayā tatamidaṃ jagadātmaśaktyā niśśeṣadevagaṇaśaktisamūhamūrtyā । tāmambikāmakhiladevamaharṣipūjyāṃ bhaktyā natāḥ sma vidadhātu śubhāni sā naḥ ॥
A prayer from Devi Mahatmyam to Ambika, who pervades the world and embodies all divine powers, asking for blessings for everyone.
हिताहितं सुखं दुःखमायुस्तस्य हिताहितम्। मानं च तच्च यत्रोक्तमायुर्वेदः स उच्यते॥
hitāhitaṃ sukhaṃ duḥkham āyus tasya hitāhitam । mānaṃ ca tac ca yatroktam āyurvedaḥ sa ucyate ॥
Charaka Samhita defines Ayurveda through beneficial and harmful, happy and unhappy forms of life and the measure of lifespan.
सुत्रामाणं पृथिवीं द्यामनेहसं सुशर्माणमदितिं सुप्रणीतिम् । दैवीं नावं स्वरित्रामनागसो अस्रवन्तीमा रुहेमा स्वस्तये॥
sutrāmāṇaṃ pṛthivīṃ dyām anehasaṃ suśarmāṇam aditiṃ supraṇītim । daivīṃ nāvaṃ svaritrām anāgaso asravantīm ā ruhemā svastaye ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra envisions earth, heaven and Aditi as a secure divine boat that carries people toward well-being.