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 ॥
Meaning of Śaṃ No Vātaḥ Pavatāṃ
May the wind blow for us in a peaceful, wholesome, and purifying way. May the Sun shine upon us as a source of well-being and blessing. May it's warmth and light bring us comfort and joy. And may the divine Rain-God, Parjanya, shower life-giving and auspicious rain upon us.
Word by word
- शम्śam
well-being, welfare or auspiciousness
Appears as śaṃ before the following consonant.
- नःnaḥ
for us
अस्मद्
The first occurrence appears as no before vātaḥ.
- वातःvātaḥ
the wind
वात
- पवताम्pavatām
may it blow
√पव्
- तपतुtapatu
may it warm or shine
√तप्
- सूर्यःsūryaḥ
the sun
सूर्य
- कनिक्रदत्kanikradat
sounding repeatedly, thundering
√क्रन्द्
The final t becomes d before devaḥ in continuous recitation.
- देवःdevaḥ
the deity
देव
- पर्जन्यःparjanyaḥ
Parjanya, the rain-bearing deity
पर्जन्य
The visarga becomes o before abhi: parjanyo 'bhi.
- अभिabhi
upon, over
- वर्षतुvarṣatu
may he rain or shower
√वृष्
Commentary
The mantra repeats śam, a wish for welfare, auspiciousness and ease, before each of the natural powers it invokes. It asks that vāta, the wind, blow beneficially; that sūrya, the sun, give a kindly warmth; and that Parjanya, the rain-bearing deity, shower rain upon the people. The vivid word kanikradat presents Parjanya as sounding or thundering as the rain approaches. Wind, sunlight and rain thus appear not as passive scenery but as life-sustaining forces whose favourable action is welcomed as a blessing. The verse's two topics arise directly from this language: nature from its named forces, and wellness from the repeated prayer for śam. The supplied English meaning expands these compact petitions into peaceful air, purifying wind, comfort, joy and life-giving rain. Those phrases communicate the mantra's benevolent spirit, though several are explanatory rather than separate claims made by individual Sanskrit words. The Sanskrit explicitly names Parjanya, not Varuna, as the deity who thunders and rains; this distinction matters even though the supplied Hindi meaning has been preserved exactly as displayed.
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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.
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.
मधु वाता ऋतायते मधु क्षरन्ति सिन्धवः। माध्वीर्नः सन्त्वोषधीः॥
madhu vātā ṛtāyate madhu kṣaranti sindhavaḥ । mādhvīr naḥ santv oṣadhīḥ ॥
A Rigvedic prayer that sees the winds, rivers, herbs, and plants as sources of sweetness, nourishment, health, and harmony.
More subhashitams on Well-being
View topic pageहिताहितं 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.
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.