“Saha Navatu
Saha Nau Bhunaktu
Saha Viryam Karavavahai
Tejasvi Navadhitamastu
Ma Vidvisavahai
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti”
Saha Navatu – may together we be protected from anything that distracts us or takes away from our collective endeavour to immerse in oneness
Saha Nau Bhunaktu – may we be nourished, and savour the process of the teachings, our food, our experiences
Saha Viryam Karavavahai – may we be courageous, strong, face our difficulties with braveness and support each other on the path
Tejasvi Navadhitamastu – may we be passionate, brilliant and uplifted. Our evolution serves all purposes, and may we engage with it daily.
Ma Vidvisavahai – may we not engage with negativity, or become enflamed by our egos and emotions. The more we engage with the light, the more evident the shadows become. May we be graceful within this.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti – may we do everything in peace, may we make peace with our past, unite with the present and savour each moment.
This is a beautiful little song that is sung frequently in the Vedic communities around the world. I have pieced together my favourite definition based on the many, many different translations of the Sanskrit verse.
I have included here my yoga teacher in India, Rajendra singing it. We were sitting together under a tree, shading ourselves from the midday sun in the ashram, and he started singing this unprompted. It’s a rare thing to be sitting with a man and have him break into song, and it startled me a little. Once I settled, I asked him to sing it again so I could record it, as I fell in love instantly with his pitch and tone. Learn it, and hum it to yourself frequently, and sing out loud unprompted as much as feels good.
