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 ॥
Meaning of Svasti Na Indro Vṛddhaśravāḥ
May the glorious Lord Indra bless us with well-being. May Lord Surya, the knower of the entire universe and the sustainer of all, bring auspiciousness to us. May Lord Garuda, the destroyer of obstacles, protect us all. May Lord Brihaspati, the Lord of Knowledge, bless us with peace, wisdom and prosperity.
Word by word
- स्वस्तिsvasti
well-being, welfare, all that goes well
सु + अस्ति
Indeclinable; it opens each of the four quarters.
- नःnaḥ
to us, for us
अस्मद्
Appears as na before indraḥ, nas before tārkṣyaḥ, and no before bṛhaspatiḥ.
- इन्द्रःindraḥ
Indra
इन्द्र
- वृद्धश्रवाःvṛddhaśravāḥ
of far-grown fame, widely renowned
वृद्ध + श्रवस्
Compound: one whose śravas, fame, has grown.
- पूषाpūṣā
Pushan, the nourisher and guardian of paths
√पुष्
- विश्ववेदाःviśvavedāḥ
knower and possessor of all
विश्व + √विद्
- तार्क्ष्यःtārkṣyaḥ
Tarkshya, the divine steed-bird
तृक्ष
The visarga becomes o before ariṣṭanemiḥ: tārkṣyo.
- अरिष्टनेमिःariṣṭanemiḥ
whose wheel-rim is unbroken, whose course is unhindered
अरिष्ट + नेमि
- बृहस्पतिःbṛhaspatiḥ
Brihaspati, lord of sacred speech and wisdom
बृहत् + पति
The visarga becomes r before dadhātu: bṛhaspatir dadhātu.
- दधातुdadhātu
may he place, set, or bestow
√धा
The single verb governs all four invocations.
Commentary
The single word that carries this mantra is svasti - well-being, safety, all that goes well - and it opens each of the four quarters like a refrain. Four powers are then named in turn: Indra, called vṛddhaśravāḥ, of far-grown fame; Pūṣan, called viśvavedāḥ, the knower or possessor of all; Tārkṣya, called ariṣṭanemiḥ, whose wheel-rim is unbroken; and Bṛhaspati. Only at the very end does the verb arrive - dadhātu, may he place, set, or bestow - so all four invocations lean forward into one act of granting. The prayer is also plural throughout: naḥ, for us, never for me. The epithets are the heart of the verse. Fame that has grown large, knowledge that leaves nothing out, and a rim that never cracks are three ways of saying that what we ask protection from is failure itself. Tārkṣya's ariṣṭanemi image is the plainest: a chariot wheel whose felly does not give way on the road, which is why later tradition came to see in Tārkṣya the great bird Garuda, as the shared English and Hindi meaning does here. Pūṣan, likewise, is the guardian of paths and herds, a solar power, which is why he is often rendered simply as Surya. What makes the mantra endure is that it asks for nothing specific. It does not name an enemy, a wealth, or an outcome. It asks that things go well, and it asks this on behalf of everyone reciting together, which is why the verse has stayed in daily use as a svasti-vācana - the blessing said before any auspicious beginning.
Original Post
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.
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.
तन्तुं तन्वन्रजसो भानुमन्विहि ज्योतिष्मतः पथो रक्ष धिया कृतान्। अनुल्बणं वयत जोगुवामपो मनुर्भव जनया दैव्यं जनम्॥
tantuṃ tanvan rajaso bhānum anv ihi jyotiṣmataḥ patho rakṣa dhiyā kṛtān । anulbaṇaṃ vayata joguvām apo manur bhava janayā daivyaṃ janam ॥
A Rigveda mantra invokes luminous paths shaped by insight and culminates in the call to become truly human and bring forth divine qualities.
More subhashitams on Well-being
View topic pageसुखोपविष्टास्ते 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.
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.