Devotion
Mantra Sangrah
Mantras drawn from the Vedas and Puranas, each with the Sanskrit verse, an IAST transliteration to help with pronunciation, and a plain-language meaning. Learn which mantra to chant, and when.
Shiva Mantras
Mahamrityunjaya Mantra
Lord Shiva
Chanted for protection from illness, fear and untimely death, and for long life and healing.
Read full mantra & meaning →Shiv Vandana
Lord Shiva
A short devotional verse contemplating Shiva's peaceful, compassionate form.
Read full mantra & meaning →Om Namah Shivaya
Lord Shiva
Shaivism's five-syllable mantra — the simplest and most complete surrender to Shiva.
Read full mantra & meaning →Vishnu Mantras
Vishnu Vandana
Lord Vishnu
A prayer to Vishnu for peace, protection and stability.
Read full mantra & meaning →Om Namo Narayanaya
Lord Narayana (Vishnu)
Vaishnavism's eight-syllable mantra, seeking Narayana's refuge and protection.
Read full mantra & meaning →Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Lord Vasudeva (Krishna/Vishnu)
The Bhagavata tradition's twelve-syllable mantra, honoring Vasudeva as the indwelling soul of every being.
Read full mantra & meaning →Lakshmi Mantras
Saraswati Mantras
Saraswati Vandana
Goddess Saraswati
A prayer to Saraswati, goddess of learning, wisdom and speech, recited before starting to study.
Read full mantra & meaning →Ya Kundendu Tushar Hara Dhavala
Goddess Saraswati
The single most recited Saraswati stotra, asking for the removal of dullness of mind and the light of true knowledge.
Read full mantra & meaning →Krishna Mantras
Krishna Vandana
Lord Krishna
A short verse of surrender to Krishna, recalling his role as guide and protector.
Read full mantra & meaning →Hare Krishna Maha Mantra
Lord Krishna / Ram
The sixteen-word maha mantra of the bhakti tradition, invoking both the names Krishna and Rama for devotion and inner peace.
Read full mantra & meaning →Hanuman Mantras
Kartikeya Mantra
Daily Mantras
Bhojan Mantra
Anna Devata (deity of food)
Recited before a meal, offering gratitude and treating food as sacred.
Read full mantra & meaning →Morning Prayer (Karagre Vasate Lakshmi)
Lakshmi, Saraswati, Govind and Mother Earth
Recited on waking, offering gratitude to one's own hands and to Mother Earth.
Read full mantra & meaning →Night Prayer (Kshama Prarthana)
Lord Shiva
Recited before sleep, asking forgiveness for the day's known and unknown mistakes.
Read full mantra & meaning →Snan Mantra (Bathing Prayer)
The seven sacred rivers
Invokes the seven sacred rivers of India while bathing.
Read full mantra & meaning →Deep Mantra (Lamp-Lighting Prayer)
The lamp flame
Recited while lighting the lamp for puja, for health and prosperity.
Read full mantra & meaning →Prabhat Smaran (Dawn Prayer)
The Trinity and the Nine Planets
A dawn invocation calling on Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the nine planets together for an auspicious morning.
Read full mantra & meaning →Shanti Mantras
Shanti Mantra (Peace Invocation)
The Divine
A closing invocation wishing peace, harmony and wellbeing for everyone, recited at the end of any reading or puja.
Read full mantra & meaning →Purnamadah Shanti Mantra
Brahman (the Absolute)
The invocation that opens the Isha Upanishad, pointing to the infinite, undiminishable nature of the Absolute.
Read full mantra & meaning →Asato Ma Sad Gamaya
Brahman (the Absolute)
A Brihadaranyaka Upanishad prayer asking to be led from ignorance to knowledge, and from the fear of death toward immortality.
Read full mantra & meaning →Dyauh Shanti Mantra
The Divine
A Vedic peace chant invoking peace in the sky, the earth, the waters, the plants and all of creation.
Read full mantra & meaning →Upanishad & Vedanta
Ishavasya Mantra
Brahman (the Absolute)
The opening verse of the Isha Upanishad, teaching non-attachment and freedom from covetousness.
Read full mantra & meaning →Nirvanashtakam (Shivoham)
Lord Shiva / The Self
Composed by Adi Shankaracharya, this hymn points to the pure, boundless nature of the Self, resolved in the realization 'I am Shiva'.
Read full mantra & meaning →Taittiriya Upanishad Convocation Verse
Guru / Parents
This Taittiriya Upanishad teaching lays out truthfulness, right conduct, and reverence for parents, teacher and guest.
Read full mantra & meaning →Common questions
What is the difference between a mantra and a shloka? +
A mantra is a sound formula meant to be repeated, believed to carry a specific spiritual effect, like the Gayatri Mantra. A shloka is a metrical verse describing praise of a deity or a teaching. Many devotional verses are shlokas that are also chanted like mantras.
What is the correct way to chant a mantra? +
Sit in a clean space after bathing, keep the mind calm, and pronounce the words clearly. Early on, focus more on clear pronunciation and sincerity than on counting repetitions. The transliteration given with each mantra here helps with pronunciation.
Are these mantras tied to a specific tradition? +
The mantras here are drawn from the Vedas, the Puranas and common Hindu worship tradition, and are widely chanted across regions and sects in India.
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