अस्मे वोऽअस्त्विन्द्रियमस्मे नृम्णमुत क्रतुरस्मे वर्चांसि सन्तु वः। नमो मात्रे पृथिव्यै नमो मात्रै पृथिव्याऽ इयन्ते राड् यन्तासि यमनो ध्रुवोसि धरुणः कृष्यै त्वा क्षेमाय त्वा रय्यै त्वा पोषाय त्वा॥
asme vo'stvindriyam asme nṛmṇam uta kratur asme varcāṃsi santu vaḥ । namo mātre pṛthivyai namo mātre pṛthivyā iyante rāḍ yantāsi yamano dhruvo'si dharuṇaḥ kṛṣyai tvā kṣemāya tvā rayyai tvā poṣāya tvā ॥
Meaning of Asme Vo'Stvindriyam Asme Nṛmṇam
We bow to Mother Earth, from whom we receive wealth and the means essential for life. You are steadfast, sustaining all and keeping everything in balance. We seek your refuge for agriculture, prosperity, and our nourishment.
Word by word
- अस्मेasme
for us
अस्मद्
- इन्द्रियम्indriyam
sense-power
इन्द्र
- नृम्णम्nṛmṇam
manly vigour
नृ
- उतuta
and
- क्रतुःkratuḥ
resolve
क्रतु
- वर्चांसिvarcāṁsi
lustre
वर्चस्
- सन्तुsantu
let there be
√अस्
- नमःnamaḥ
salutation
√नम्
- मात्रे पृथिव्यैmātre pṛthivyai
to Mother Earth
मातृ + पृथिवी
- ध्रुवः असिdhruvo'si
you are steadfast
√ध्रु + √अस्
- धरुणःdharuṇaḥ
the sustainer
√धृ
- कृष्यै त्वाkṛṣyai tvā
you, for cultivation
√कृष्
- क्षेमाय त्वाkṣemāya tvā
you, for security
√क्षि
- रय्यै त्वाrayyai tvā
you, for wealth
रयि
- पोषाय त्वाpoṣāya tvā
you, for nourishment
√पुष्
Commentary
This Vedic mantra expresses deep gratitude and surrender to Mother Earth (Prithvi). It acknowledges the planet not just as a physical entity but as a divine provider which is 'Dhruva' (steadfast) and 'Dharuna' (sustaining). The prayer explicitly connects our spiritual well-being with our material needs—specifically 'Krishi' (agriculture), 'Kshema' (security/well-being), and 'Posha' (nourishment). It reinforces the ancient Indian worldview that our existence is inextricably linked to the health and stability of the Earth, and that true prosperity comes from living in harmony with her laws. The first half of the mantra is a request for faculties — indriya, nṛmṇa, kratu, varcas: sense-power, valour, resolve and lustre — and only then does the salutation to Earth begin. The closing series is a set of dedications in the accusative, tvā repeated: for cultivation, for security, for wealth, for nourishment. Each names what the Earth is being approached for, so the verse moves from asking for capacity, through reverence, to the specific uses that capacity is meant to serve.
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More from Yajurveda
View source pageस्वस्ति 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.
शं नो वातः पवतां शं नस्तपतु सूर्यः। शं नः कनिक्रदद् देवः पर्जन्योऽभिवर्षतु॥
śaṃ no vātaḥ pavatāṃ śaṃ nas tapatu sūryaḥ । śaṃ naḥ kanikradad devaḥ parjanyo 'bhivarṣatu ॥
A Shukla Yajurveda mantra asks that the wind, sun and rain-bearing Parjanya bring well-being.
भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवा भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः। स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिर्व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः॥
bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devā bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhir yajatrāḥ । sthirair aṅgais tuṣṭuvāṃsas tanūbhir vyaśema devahitaṃ yad āyuḥ ॥
A Rigvedic prayer to hear and see what is auspicious, live with steadfast limbs, and complete the divinely allotted span of life in praise.
More subhashitams on Nature
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.
सुखोपविष्टास्ते तत्र पुण्यां चक्रुः कथामिमाम्। धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणामारोग्यं मूलमुत्तमम्॥
sukhopaviṣṭās te tatra puṇyāṃ cakruḥ kathām imām । dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇām ārogyaṃ mūlam uttamam ॥
Charaka Samhita presents good health as the foremost foundation for pursuing dharma, prosperity, desire and liberation.
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.